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.

Saturday at Twin Ponds - Alissa Duke

On Saturday the weather was finally fine enough to go outdoors. I visited the Gardens Shop to spend a gift voucher I had (decisions, decisions..) and then asked about the recent sightings of the tawny frogmouth. I was pointed in the direction of the Twin Ponds. I did not see the bird (unsurprisingly) but I did spent time amongst the trees, enjoying the bird calls and sketching the fascinating tree bark. I love the way paperbark peels off the tree, and the shinyness of the eucalyptus.

More than an hour later I wandered out of the Gardens via the Opera House gates. Although I was tired from a day in the sun I felt as though I had to do just one more drawing.

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.

Nicola's Sketches

These sketches are done using Chinese Ink with an emphasis on capturing the character of the Botanics rather than a literal representation. I wanted to give a sense of the raining weather and the fact that I was position away from the elements under a large tree. From this location it was relatively dry with only the occasional rain drop falling onto my work. The Botanics is a curious culturally specific beauty in being a very control environment where lawns are neatly moved and vegetation highly selected. I find the use of signs naming vegetation in the garden interesting this is why I have made it the focus in one sketch. The signs legitimize the plant like a passport to the space. I imagine those without signs are swiftly removed.

Nicola Moir
www.nicolamoirart.com

Macquarie Wall

Spent a few lovely hours in the garden again on Saturday. It is amazing the things you discover when you actually start looking around! I have been conscious of walking through this wall many times but never stopped to see if it had any significance! But of course it does... built by Governor Macquarie. Was such a lovely afternoon to sit in the shade and sketch- chatting to a number of passers by as I was sketching or painting away.

Earlier in the day I did a quick sketch from the table I was sitting at in the cafe...view looking towards the shop. There is just SO much to sketch in the garden - everytime I go I see more things that I want to sketch!