Sketching at the Gardens Theatre whilst watching a great stage show, AUSTRLAIA DAY

My friend and I were lucky enough to go to gardens Theatre for a stage play.  I won two tickets. Lucky me..  The show was great, it was about the Australia Day committee in a small rural country Australian town planning for the big day.  I did not expect to be trilled and laugh so much..  The stage lights were on, so I managed 5 small quick sketches..

Setting the stage.

Some of the committee members..

getting earnest

Props for the Australia day celebration.  rain was forecast, but also they were on a total fire ban..

The town mayor was going to play cricket, until it got rained off.

Thank you for looking..

Sketching at Eagle Street Pier..

The Brisbane Urban Sketchers is a great group to go out sketching with.  There were fourteen of us on this sketchout.  We always have a blast, good conversations, and super art made.

I did two sketches, one in my sketchbook and one of a sheet of 10" x 12" watercolour paper taped to a board.  The paper was gifted to me, when a very dear friend passed away, and I don't know the brand, but I suspect it is Curry's own paper 140lb

Sitting at the Coffee Club, looking up towards the Brisbane CBD

10" x 12" watercolour and uni pin black 0.3

 Kookaburra Queen
Quick sketch in my A4 Holcroft sketchbook with uni pin black 0.3 and watercolour

Thank you for looking.

SATURDAY SKETCHOUT - SOUTH BRISBANE CEMETERY REVISTED.

What a great day today was.  The weather was fabulous, and the Brisbane urban Sketchers go to go back to the South Brisbane Cemetery and sketch in the sun!  There were eight of us out sketching, and four left after morning coffee.  Four of us went back to sketch some more.  The others were way quicker than I and they left me on my own, which was ok.  After the last one left, a Butcherbird came and sat beside me.  he played, he talked, he didn't move off the adjoining headstone for the 40 minutes it took me to finish my sketch.  After I packed up all my stuff, he gave a ruffle of his wings and flew away..

My first sketch of the day with my bamboo dip pen, speedball super black indian ink, and A4 hot press paper bound into a homemade sketchbook

 Second sketch, using my fine nib dip pen, speedball super black indian ink, and A4 hot press paper bound into a homemade sketchbook. I did the wash with a waterbrush.

I learned a lesson here, when doing the wash with the ink. Wet the paper first, there is no time to soften the hard edges.. After wetting the paper with my waterbrush, then using my 02 mop brush dipped in watered down ink, I got these amazing edges. perfect for a tree trunk.

Last sketch of the day. A4 Holcroft sketchbook 225gsm. Uni pin 0.3 pen and my Noodlers Konrad Brush Pen with Noodlers Golden Brown Ink.

SKETCHING AT RIVERSIDE PLACE.

Brisbane Urban Sketchers Tuesday Sketchout today.  It was a little damp, so we all hunkered down in the Riverside Coffee Club.  It was a good morning, there were 14 of us all up.

First sketch, waiting for everyone to arrive.  I used my Holcroft A4 225 gsm sketchbook, and Uni Pin .08 - .03 pens

I got out my bamboo dip pen and Speedball super black indian ink for this sketch of the sketchers sketching.  same sketchbook.

This last sketch, was an experiment.  I used my bamboo dip pen and the Speedball super black indian ink on oil paper.  I had a full sheet and I tore it in 8 pieces and had it bound.  It was a lot of fun making this sketch, and I will keep this book in my sketch bag now :)  It is also A4

 

Thank you for looking.. Cheers..

Sketching at South Brisbane Cemetery.

South Brisbane Cemetery at Dutton Park, is one of Brisbane's oldest.  It is a heritage-listed cemetery located on Annerley Road, Dutton Park, Queensland, Australia, adjacent to the Brisbane River. It is often (incorrectly) called Dutton Park Cemetery. The cemetery was established in 1866 and remained in active use until the 1960s, after which its use has been limited by lack of space for new graves. By the early 1960s, the cemetery was effectively full and the cemetery was closed. However, as with most closed cemeteries, additional burials and interment of ashes in existing family graves continued to occur. Some additional plots were released in the cemetery in the 1990s. The first person buried in the cemetery was Jane Hockings in July 1870.

SKETCHING WITH THE BRISBANE URBAN SKETCHERS

Recent sketches..

I went with the Brisbane urban Sketchers to History Alive on Saturday, to City hall on Sunday and I have also added this Tuesdays sketches from the Goodwill Bridge.

 The Goodwill Bridge has panoramic views from every angle.  Also has an amazing popup Coffee Shop.  Brandon's on the Bridge.

This sketch was done from the verandah if the Ship Inn, looking up towards the Lady Cilento Childrens Hospital.

Thank you for looking.  If you want to see the images larger, just click on them.

SKETCHING AT ROMA STREET PARKLAND

Brisbane is known for it's glorious winters.  Today was no exception.  Crisp this morning, warming up to a beautiful cloudless, sunny day.
The Brisbane Urban Sketchers met at Roma Street parklands for our Tuesday Sketchout.

I ordered a Noodlers Konrad Brush pen some time ago, and it arrived yesterday afternoon.  I was excited to try it out today, and it surpassed my expectations, as did the Noodlers Forest green ink I had bought awhile ago and not yet tried.  The brush pen I bought, has a clear barrel, so I can see how much ink is in it..

This was my test sketch, to see what strokes I could get, using my Hocroft 225gsm sketchbook 

I sketched a  cormorant drying his wings, an Ibis standing sleepily in the warm morning sun, and a Willy Wagtail sitting on a wire fence. We were sketching in the Lake Precinct.

 

 

This time I used a waterbrush on the ink to see what effects I could get.  The ink is not waterproof, and lends itself to some really exciting sketching with a waterbrush.  Same sketchbook as above.

 

This sketch is in same sketchbook as well, and I used a 0.5 Uni Pin pen, and watercolour.

While I was sketching here, there were a lot of inquisitive water dragons watching me.

 

 

Thank you for looking.  If you want to see larger images, please click on them.





Plein Air Painting at Colmslie Beach Reserve.

It was such a beautiful day, and I had high hopes of getting an awesome painting. One of my favourite subjects, boats.
I struggled some.  My painting got covered in leaves falling from the tree I was standing under to stay in the shade, bugs, and sand. :-D  The joys of plein air painting eh.  I did have fun, but I didn't get a completed painting. 

 

Oil on board 12" x 16' (unfinished)

 

BRISBANE PLEIN AIR PAINTERS