I will just share some photos as I haven’t reached any conclusions about the year. I’ve made work, communed with like-minded friends both online and in person around the world. Thank you all for being open and sharing your year with me as well.
Last week we finally left our Canberra for the first time in months to drive an hour away to the country town of Braidwood.
The village of Braidwood started to form around the 1840s and has retained many of it’s older 19th century buildings along the main street. As such, it’s a great place to sketch.
I was sketching across the road from the CWA (Country Women’s Association) building and the post office and then later further down the main street into town.
My first sketch was made on a page that I had prepared with white gesso and ink a few weeks back. I also collaged some paper onto my page, which I had made by printing from a gelli (gel) plate. That saved me from having to paint the mountain.
Along the street my eye was caught by an interesting combination of rooflines and light poles.
I was just getting stuck into my blind contour drawing when I had to go for lunch which we had booked at the Albion Cafe.
I liked this last one best of all. It’s probably a good thing that we had to go to lunch before I ruined it.
I realise that I need to do a dump of my sketches from Amsterdam now, or l may never find time to share them. So here they are. Almost all of these were done at the Urban Sketchers Symposium which was held here this year.
Sketching the wonky houses along the Herengracht in Amsterdam.
A quick sketch of a bicycle with a child carrying module.
All the goody bags lined up at the registration desk this afternoon for all the Urban Sketchers Symposium workshop participants.
Final, unfinished sketch from the Marion Rivolier workshop on capturing the flow of sky and water with watercolour.
Final sketch of statues based on Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, Róisin Curé workshop using sepia ink.
Extending your page to include the images that are important to you in a scene. Karen Sung workshop, 1st piece.
Creative use of line and including people, Karen Sung workshop, 2nd piece.
My favourite bit of graffiti on the way to Rokin Metro station (sorry I was very bad at writing down location names).
Sketching from the ‘Drink and Draw’ location on Amstelhoek
NEMO, the science museum, final Sketchwalk of Symposium.
The canal next to our hotel, sketched at night, trying to capture the light reflections.
A quick-ish hop around the world via Singapore and now I find myself sketching in Rotterdam.
Rain Vortex at Jewel Changi. Watch our for large numbers of people dragging their luggage around while looking at their smartphones.
First sketch in Rotterdam the Markthal (Market Hall) by MVRDV architects, (2014).
Next the Kubuswoningen (Cube Houses) by Pier Blom (1984).
This is an earlier version which I wish I had left at this stage instead of turning it into a turgidly overworked mess.
Then part of Auke de Vries sculpture ‘Maasbeeld’, with De Rotterdam, by Rem Koolhaas (2013) and the Erasmus Bridge in the background.
Today even further challenges with De Hef, (Koninginnebrug) a now defunct, lifting railway bridge.
There’s not much that I like better than buying art supplies. Visiting another country, in my experience, is an excellent excuse to explore new brands and our new friends at USk Paris were most helpful in directing us to local art suppliers.
Here are the latest colours, mainly from Schmincke and Sennelier. I also have a new brush, whose name is Leonard no. 3, made by Gerstaecker (a brand I am unfamiliar with).
Down the bottom of the page are some Herbin inks that I also got in Paris at Galleries Lafayette. They come in 10 ml as well as 30ml bottles, all the better to encourage you to buy multiple bottles (see, it works). The most disappointing thing is that these inks are not waterproof. That hasn’t stopped me from using them, but I would be using them a lot more if I could be sure they wouldn’t run.
New colour cows: top row – Idanthrone blue (WN), Cobalt green turquoise (Schk), Delft blue (Schk); middle row – Payne’s grey (Schk), Potters pink (Schk), Light grey (Sen), Brown Green (Sen)
The other day I took Leonard no.3 out painting. He was a very good brush indeed. He holds lots of water and also has a good fine tip. This was the brush I used for the painting/ collage below, on the Canal St Martin.
The lock at Parc Eugene Varlin, Canal St Martin. Watercolour, pencil and collage.
Today I filled my favourite Sailor Fude nib pen with the Herbin Orange Indien and used it in my sketch of the Tropical Glasshouse at the Jardin des Plantes. When used in conjunction with watercolour you can get away without seeing too much ink bleeding.
Inside the Tropical House at the Jardins des Plantes, Paris
leonieandrews 