April 28, 2015 by Leonie Andrews

Down by the riverside

Time to post the remaining watercolours and drawings of our houseboat trip. Some of these works were made when we tied up for the afternoon.

Across from our home mooring, scrubby trees, saplings and reeds, watercolour, 14 April 2015

In the evenings and the early mornings, the light on the cliffs was truly magic.

Colour study of the river cliffs, watercolour and graphite, 15 April 2015

As the boat cruised along the river I sat out the front and tried to capture some of the passing scenery.

Images of the river in passing, graphite and watercolour, 14-16 April 2015

April 24, 2015 by Leonie Andrews

Cafe Wednesday – windswept

It was blowing a howling southerly on Wednesday, not quite as bad as that experienced by my family in the Hunter Valley of NSW, but bad enough. I drew these two gents who, like us had retreated into the cafe to get warm and enjoy a chat. I was trying to draw from the inside out, that is not starting with outlines but only adding them later as necessary.

Two old men chatting, pen and ink, 22 April 2015

April 17, 2015April 22, 2015 by Leonie Andrews

Slow days on the river

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), watercolour and graphite pencil, 14 April 2015

Part of the birthday celebrations, just past, included four days on a house boat on the lower portion of the Murray River, part of the largest river system in the country.
There was lots to draw including a wide range of bird life. The most obvious were the pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus), calmly paddling along the river and getting a very good feed, it seemed, at every turn. I made a variety of sketches during our trip trying to capture some of the variety of the bird’s actions I observed.

Pelicans, water soluble graphite, 15 April 2015

Welcome Swallows (Hirundo neoxena) flew around the boat continuously capturing insects disturbed by our passing and cheekily roosting on the rails of the boat. We also saw lots of Australian Darters (Anhinga melanogaster) sitting, drying their wings, on convenient branches on the river margins. The darters lived up to their name with their necks twisting and swiveling to see what was happening in their vicinity.

A pelican, some welcome swallows and some darters, graphite and watercolour, 14 & 15 April 2015

Next post I’ll share with you some of the river scenery.

April 12, 2015 by Leonie Andrews

Fast times in Adelaide museums

I had two hours to spare yesterday before heading off to a major family celebration (Happy Birthday M), so a very quick visit to the South Australian art gallery was in order. I managed to fit in a quick trip around Trent Parke’s exhibition of photography , Black Rose, before grabbing a quick bite to eat.

Before I left the museum I made a quick sketch as Artemis, goddess of the hunt ran past me.

The Bowmore Artemis, Roman 2nd century AD, marble , pencil, 12xApril 2015

I decided to eat next door at the Museum of SA where I was able to keep company with the remains of a Humpback Whale (I have also been privileged to see these amazing animals swimming of the south east ciast of Australia).

Skeleton of a Humpback whale, Copic multiliner, 12 April 2014

April 10, 2015 by Leonie Andrews

Farewell to summer

My partner said the other day that we won’t be going swimming down the beach anymore until the summer comes around again. How true. I saw snow on Mt Franklin as I was driving home yesterday. So here is a last hurrah for summer.

I realised that I never posted these drawings from one of our beach trips in late February.

Windswept, watercolour, 27 February 2015

Windswept, watercolour and graphite, 27 February 2015

The local high school was spending the afternoon learning surfing for sport (not in my day, boo hoo).

High school students waiting to start their surfing lesson, watercolour and graphite, 27 February 2015

And last but not least, a screeching gull determined to get some hot chips for lunch.

Screeching gull, watercolour, 27 February 2015

leonieandrews

Month / April 2015