by Leonie Andrews

Re-vision

When I opened my drawing pad last week I found several watercolour sketches that I had done in February. At that time I was still in the early stages of recovery from knee surgery, so while my partner and friends were picking blackberries I got to sit and paint.

I was trying to put into effect some of the techniques David Hockney uses, particularly using pencil and other fine markers over watercolour and trying to use both pages of the book. (I’d been given a copy of  David Hockney’s A Yorkshire Sketchbook, for Christmas).

My opening sketch was the road and bushes where we pick blackberries.

Blackberry picking spot

Blackberry picking spot, 3 February 2013

I then turned around and drew the road behind me. This sketch was unfinished.

Hillside and road, 3 February 2013

Hillside and road, 3 February 2013

The next time we went picking (we go out frequently during blackberry season) our location looked up to a steep hillside where a rather vertiginous road could be seen.

Steep road on hillside with pine and native forest, 13 February 2013

Steep road on hillside with pine and native forest, 13 February 2013

by Leonie Andrews

April 25 2013 – sketching

Taking advantage of the ANZAC Day public holiday we decided to pack a picnic lunch and head down to the Namadgi National Park in the southern ACT (Australian Capital Territory) for a spot of drawing.

Our destination was the Orroral Valley and in particular the old Orroral homestead which was built in the late 1860’s. Apart from the homestead itself there is a great corrugated iron shearing shed which was built in the 1930’s and a second house from the 1950’s (which has largely been demolished).

Shearing shed with some of the locals

Shearing shed with some of the locals

I spent a lot of time looking around and taking photos so in the end I managed only two water colours.

This is one of the old set of doors into the shearing shed – all the doors and windows have been blocked off, presumably to deter vandalism.

Blocked doorway, Orroral shearing shed

Blocked doorway, Orroral shearing shed

The second is the old homestead, looking at the rear of the building. The house, which consists of four rooms faces the valley wall and Orroral rocks.

Orroral homestead, late 1860's

Orroral homestead, late 1860’s

by Leonie Andrews

Synchronicity

When I was in Adelaide a few weeks ago my eye was caught by this sculpture Tree, 2012, by Craige Andrae, which is located on Dequetteville Terrace.

Tree, Craige Andrae, 2012

Tree, Craige Andrae, 2012

Later in the day I was walking through the Art Gallery of South Australia when I spotted this painting by John Coburn (1925-2006).

John Coburn painting at the Art Gallery of South Australia

John Coburn painting at the Art Gallery of South Australia

Quite serendipitous I thought. Sadly I cannot tell you what the painting’s title is or when it was painted, as the fire alarm went off as we were passing and we had to evacuate the building!