Lotuses are blooming

Finally a sunny day to draw the lotuses. I can't let a year go by without it. They need a big sign - we were there a long time and everyone called them water lilies. Not so many flowers - yet. It has been so cool that maybe more flowers will come if warm weather continues.

After lunch, we sought out interesting trees to draw. Couldn't find last year's favourites, so we discovered some very interesting ones we hadn't seen before. I have to draw these trees again on a bigger page & starting earlier in the day. I can't say what they are, because I couldn't find a sign.

Last Spring Sketchabout

We started the Spring Sketchabout at the Palace Garden. As I'd been to the zoo, and my sketchbook is full of animals already, I decided to draw a lion. This one is truly king of the jungle - well, the Palace Garden anyway, as he has a crown of roses.

I snuck off down the stairs away from the main group to draw this jacaranda. They are blooming all over Sydney at the moment. I wanted to be sure I drew one this year, so - no time like the present. They are so ethereal looking.

We took our lunch to the lawn behind the Main Pond, where we always meet to catch up and look at one anothers sketches.We sit in the shade of this big tree and I always look at the intricate patterns of its bark. I've wanted to draw it before and this time I summoned the energy. I didn't think to look what type of tree it is, so I just called it 'The Lunch Tree' because that is what it is for me.

Solar plate etching - gymea lilies

I made a solar plate etching from my drawing in the post below. This is my first print from it. It was inked up in sepia, except for the flowers which were inked up in red. Then it was rolled over with a large roller with a blend. Unfortunately due to technical difficulties (that's printmaking!) this time round I lost most of the red.

Looking forward to doing another one where the red shows up when I have access to a printing press again. I think this plate has potential in many colour combinations.

Spring Sketchabout Number Two

The second spring sketchabout was a dull day but lovely to be outside. We'd been expecting rain so we were highly delighted. A lot of new (to us) sketchers joined us and I hope very much we'll see them again.

We went to the Australian rockery & I drew these gymea lilies. I was at the top of this steep slope and the plants were part of the way down. They are so large that they towered above me. Hopefully you can tell that from the photo (courtesy of Jennifer).I had to put the north shore in and a yacht to get some scale.

I then drew some yellow kangaroo paw. I'd wanted to draw the red, but they were located mid-way down this steep slope. I've located some easily accessible ones up in Mrs Macquarie's Road, so hopefully they'll still be flowering next time I go.

Solar plate etchings - palms

Another Printfest on Sunday and my first opportunity to print the solar plates I made from the drawings of palms in the Gardens last autumn. This plate was made from the drawing on the right of this spread, done in the Tropical Centre. It was such a simple drawing but the solar etching plate turned out really well. The top one was inked up in sanguine Charbonnel ink - wonderful colour. The other was inked up in an aubergine mix that had been created by Seraphina Martin who runs the Printfest. It is interesting to see them come off the etching press and see how the variation in the colours used makes such a difference.

The second plate was from this drawing of palms done in the Gardens near the Herb Garden. The first was inked up in that lovely sanguine ink again, and the second one with Charbonnel Prussian Blue. Charbonnel are beautiful French inks for fine art printmaking. If you want to know about the process of making solar plate etchings from your drawings or photographs I have written up a short explanation on the glossary of my blog here.

It was a beautiful day in the Gardens on Thursday, though a cool breeze near the water. We started out on the Spring Walk. Look how gorgeous. There were a lot of people looking and I was lucky to get this photo in a minute when they'd all disappeared. After lunch we moved on to draw trees. I have been wanting to do this ever since I saw Julia and Catherine's beautiful tree drawings the day the sketchabout went to Government House. The colours have been chosen for fun, rather than following nature. The top one is a Port Jackson fig, and the lower
one is a Moreton Bay fig.

Sketching the "Spring Walk"

The Spring Walk in the Gardens is looking absolutely idyllic at the moment. Go now!

The panorama seemed quite daunting to draw and I was looking for something more bold. I found this glorious stand of irises and drew them, leaving room for the border of polyanthus that were actually further along the walk.

We had lunch on the lawn by the Main Pond and were soon joined by a number of hopeful ibises. The didn't stay around long as we were all far too hungry and the picking were not good.

More solar plate etchings from the Gardens

Last summer I made some solar plates from my drawings from the Botanic Gardens. It was only last Sunday at Seraphina Martin's Printfest that I had the opportunity to print them in glorious colour. This first lotus plate was taken from this drawing.

The solar plates are made by transferring the drawing to architects' drafting film, and exposing a special plate with a polymer coating to the sun.

This narrow plate came from this drawing, again from the lotus pond.

The lion has been on this blog before, but not in such glorious technicolour. Seraphina mixed up some gorgeous colours for us to roll over the plates with, and I bought some new 'Gardens-coloured' inks to inks up with - a leafy green, a lotus red, and a gorgeous deep yellow you see in the lion's mane & legs.

I've printed these plates in a variety of colours and I can't decide which I like best. However this is my favourite of the colours I printed for the 'autumn' plate. She was inked up in my new leafy green.

I made 15 prints on Sunday and that's a record.

Twin Ponds

Last week when the weather was dull, I drew the Twin Ponds. Many birds wandered by while I was drawing, but I just captured two ducks and a red-nosed hooter-tooter (dusky moorhen, in actual fact, I think). This week the weather was just beautiful and in the morning I finished off my page with a tall thin palm. Not sure exactly what sort.

Trees in the Gardens courtyards

These trees have been drawn in the courtyards of the Gardens on rainy Saturdays when we sheltered from the rain under the verandahs.

The first drawing is the lower branches of a palm that is in the courtyard of Rathborne Lodge, a beautiful old house where the exhibition of sketches and artists' books will be held, right at the end of the Autumn of Art.

The next one is in the Cunningham courtyard and fascinated a lot of the artists who were sketching there that day. Mine is not accurate as far as the criss-crossing goes. I was teacher, and just doing a quick drawing between going around talking to the participants in the class.

The tree palm is in the courtyard near the Maiden Theatre. I used Fast Sketching Techniques to demonstrate a simple way of

sketching this complex tree. The succulents, of

course, are in the succulent garden, where the class went to sketch this week.

Government House, Sydney

Sketching on a blustery showery day outside Government House, Sydney - still inside the Royal Botanic Gardens. See the tall grasses blowing in the breeze and the yachts on the harbour leaning over.

A beautifully cultivated garden with an amazing variation of colour in the foliage.

First Sketchabout - Bamboo

The day of Sketchabout Week 2 has dawned and here I am posting from Week 1.

In the morning I had taught the handmade sketchbook, so I wanted a relaxing afternoon. I still had to eat my lunch, and then decided to do a 'study' of this green bamboo shoot. It is amazing. I could draw it again and again.

The bamboo in the Gardens fascinates me. I've drawn it many times and it is always different - apart from the fact that there are so many varieties, colours and configurations.

Solar Plate Etchings from sketches

Last week I made the first prints from my new solar plate etchings based on my drawings in the Gardens.

The first one is based on two drawings - one of the statue of "Autumn" and a different drawing of banksia in the grounds of Lion Gate Lodge. Similarly, the lion has a different background in my sketchbook, and I drew in his actual surroundings from a photograph. These drawings are done on architect's drafting film. In each case I've used a pen for the main figure, then a very large soft pencil for the background.

The solar plate is exposed to the sun through the drawing, then after a few very simple and quick processes, I have a plate that is ready to ink up and run through a printing press.

The "Autumn" print has been done with Sanguine ink and a Cerulean Blue colour roll, and the "Lion" print with sepia ink, and a Cerulean Blue colour roll. I use Charbonnel inks for this process and I've just ordered a few more in "Gardens" colours.

Went to the Botanic Gardens yesterday to check out the Tropical Centre as a sketching venue for my classes if we get a wet day. There are so many inspiring and amazing things to draw in there. Particularly checked out some plants that would be easy for beginners to sketch from and get a really good result.

I had never seen this plant before. It's just gorgeous in the flesh. It's called Beehive Ginger, but I wonder if the botanical name means 'respectable ginger'? And if there is one that is less respectable.

The Succulent Garden

I drew this sketch with my new brown Copic Multiliner pen. I love the way these pens move on the paper, though I think this one is a bit on the fine side.

The succulent garden is a source of inspiration to me with all those amazing shapes.

Reminds me of Bali

This shrine reminds me so much of Bali, though I don't know the provenance of this one. It's in the Oriental Garden of course. It has such beautiful lines. They used to have small ones with shaggy roofs as lights around the pool many years ago when I first went to Bali. Happy memories!

The banksia are in the garden of Lion Gate Lodge where we attended the launch yesterday, though I found these and drew them last week.

Autumn

Hi everyone,

I am the teacher of the book-binding and sketching classes. I'm just finishing the drawings in a book like the one we will make in class. This two-page spread will soon extend over four pages but is not quite complete. I drew the water-lilies yesterday in all that heat. When my book is complete I'll try to photograph the whole thing. I haven't done any writing or collage in this book, but I do in my 'normal' sketchbook.

I should tell you something about myself. I went to art school in 2002 as a mature age student. I painted but wanted to improve my drawing. I did a three-year full-time Advanced Diploma of Fine Art at the Sydney Gallery School. Then I did a Bachelor of Fine Art at COFA (part of the University of NSW). I have been keeping a sketchbook ever since. I teach painting at Sydney Community College and sometimes paper art and book art classes at Artwise (the Amazing Paper shop).

I'm really looking forward to this course. I have so much to share with you and it's so much fun sketching in the gardens.

Bookmaking & Sketching Workshop

 

The Gardens will be offering six Saturday morning workshops with artist and bookbinder Wendy Shortland.  You will make your own sketchbook in the first session, then progress through the basics of sketching and creative page layout  –  while capturing the Garden with your own eyes and hands.

When: Saturdays 12 March – 16 April, 9:30 am – 12 pm

Price: $220 for all six sessions, Friends of The Gardens $198

Bookings essential: 9231 8134

This sketch was created by Alissa Duke and is an example of the kind of sketches you could do at the workshop.

Sketching tutor's updated website

I am Wendy Shortland, the tutor for the Bookmaking and Sketching workshop. I've given my website a complete re-work. It's not entirely finished - two pages left to do and a whole lot of tinkering. Over the weekend I finished the web page with images from my sketchbooks, so I thought I'd share that with the Garden Sketchabout blog. I will be working on my website some more over the next weeks and by the time the classes start I plan to add more resources - more links about sketching and a book review page.

I am working on studies for drawings for the exhibition at present. They need to be 'new work' so I can't share them with you, so here is a drawing from 2009, done in the gardens, where the lotuses are blooming beautifully now. There are more flowers than I've ever seen, so I'd recommend seeing them while you can.

Wendy's sketch of the blooming lotuses at the Royal Botanic Gardens

Wendy Shortland captured our lovely lotuses while doing a little sketchabout in the Royal Botanic Gardens with Liz Steel on Christmas Eve. To see more of Wendy's sketches, visit

http://quirkyartist.wordpress.com