Adam and Michaela's sketches

Interstate visitors Adam and Michaela joined us under the shelter of the Rathborne Lodge verandah on Saturday. They both freely admit to not having picked up a pencil since school and started their sketching afternoon with varying degrees of intrepidation.

However by the end of the session they were chatting with the other sketchers and had produced some wonderful drawings


Michaela drew the (lower half ) of the statue of Autumn with an ink pen


and Adam used a 2B to sketch Angels Trumpet (amongst other things)

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.

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.