Green Gates

I've been experimenting with dip pen and colour inks and made my way to RBG. I love these gates and have painted them before, and I'm sure I will return too. I was hoping to spend most of the day at the gardens but the weather started to get very nasty. I think I ended up half soaked underneath the Opera House.

As much as I wanted to capture a few roses on our last Spring Sketchabout, it was a little bit daunting. So I settled myself in by first painting these flapjacks.

Made a few attempts at some roses, but my style is so rough, it doesn't quite capture the delicate, intricate petals of a rosebud.

Finished off the afternoon in the Oriental Garden, more just to escape the sun. Too tired to capture the entire scene, I decided to pick my two favourite sections and paint them separately.

Catching up

Unfortunately, I have had other commitments whenever there has been a Sketchabout this spring. Luckily a friend was having a birthday picnic lunch at the RBG last Sunday, so I grabbed that as an opportunity to do some painting.

I arrived early to a very sunny, colourful day at the gardens. I managed to find the first spot you all sketched at and I was like a kid in a candy store. Which is why I forgot to note all the flowers/plants that I drew. As a birthday present to my friend I let her select a picture. Um, it's the yellowy-orange one... :)

My last sketchabout

Unfortunately I wont be able to make the last sketchabout. However, I hope it wont be the last time I visit the Gardens to draw. It has not only been exciting and full of surprises, but has helped me enormously in the progress of my own work. Thanks to Kerry and everyone involved in Sketchabout.

Government House Sketchabout

Hmm, this weekend seemed to have a political theme to it – State Elections on, sketching at Government House... Anyway, I had an hour to kill before we met for Sketchabout, plus I was damn hungry. I found the Palace Cafe and saw the wonderful gates. I think the only other time I had seen them was in one of Liz's sketches. So while I was waiting for my piping hot coffee to cool down, I decided to paint them.

After last weekend's Sketchabout I had looked at my RBG map and noticed that you could enter the Gov House grounds, thinking I'll have to check that out one day. How funny that we ended up there. I really just wanted to concentrate on the palm tree in the foreground, but my sketch just rambled on.

After sketchabout was officially over for the day, I wanted to do at least one more sketch before the weather got worse. I headed towards the Rose Garden Pavillion, but alas, yet another wedding was taking place there. Then I found this gnarly Holly Oak down from the Pioneer Garden and thought it the perfect subject matter. When I sat down I noticed the Pin Oak, and felt there was this relationship between them.

Second Sketchabout

Although it rained constantly during the two hours we sketched, this wet, intrusive weather did give us another perspective of the gardens at least. One of my drawings in particular was a collaboration with myself using ink and mother nature providing the raindrops. It turned out to be my favourite.

Meegan's Sketches

Meegan Parkee asked us to share her sketches from the Great Garden Sketchabout last Saturday.

The above sketch was done by Meegan in the Garden.

This sketch is of the Sketchable Afternoon Tea at the Garden Restaurant held from 3 pm each Saturday of the Sketchabout.