The weekly cafe drawings

In which the artist realises she spends way too much time drinking coffee as an excuse to draw.

Tuesday saw us at the Curtin Shops where we had a fine view of Matthew Harding‘s bird sculptures. This is my second attempt, at drawing this sculpture. The first magically disappeared when I pressed the ‘don’t save’ icon on my phablett by mistake!

Bird Sculpture, Matthew Harding 2001, Curtin Shops, ACT, 25 February 2014.

Bird Sculpture, Matthew Harding 2001, Curtin Shops, ACT, 25 February 2014.

In despair I returned to using the type of media that don’t just disappear vis, my pen and paper. I made this second drawing with an interesting array of traffic lights.

Reading  with traffic lights, Curtin Shops ACT, 25 February 2014.

Reading with traffic lights, Curtin Shops ACT, 25 February 2014.

The next day we were in the centre of Canberra, known around here as Civic, where I was joining friends for lunch. Post lunch we found yet another cafe, Garema Cafe, not surprisingly adjoining Garema Place. This is one of four cafes crowded into a tight alley between buildings.

Down the alley towards the Taxation office building, 26 February 2014.

Down the alley towards the Taxation office building, 26 February 2014.

Thursday we were buying fruit at the Belconnen Markets when, yes, you’ve got it, we stopped for a cup of coffee. I didn’t quite finish this drawing, there’s only so much time that I can spend on a cup of coffee.

Inside the central plaza at Belconnen Markets, 27 February 2014

Inside the central plaza at Belconnen Markets, 27 February 2014

Moving cafes

Oh no, one of my favourite cafes is closed for renovation! So today I had to find a new place to draw. I’m also drawing on my new book. I’ve been doing a bit of re-cycling of old magazines and envelopes to make drawing surfaces. This square-ish book has been made from a magazine which promotes its ‘green’ credentials, so I feel well justified in re-using its pages. Anyway here is the new view.

The view from the new cafe.

The view from the new cafe.

Cafe Table – 8 May 2013

I usually take my tablet to draw on at the cafe but I’m not always thrilled by the results. So today I went old-fashioned and took a pen (also useful for the crossword) and small sketchbook.

I also used my preferred blind-drawing technique. Here is the result:

8May13lra

I also decided that it might be improved by a bit of light colouring:

cafe table with a light watercolour wash

cafe table with a light watercolour wash