A Few More Sketches in the Afternoon of 12 November 2011

Unable to make the morning of the last day of the Spring Sketchabout, we did some sketching in what turned out to be a beautiful afternoon.

From Governmet House by Barbara Gray

From Government House by Carole Solomons

 

Fountain Government House by Fred Marsh

The Band Lawn by Barbara Gray

The Band Lawn by Fred Marsh

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.

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.

Fig Tree and Lotus Pond Sketches

Fig tree sketch from this Saturdays sketchabout

Fig Tree with Harbour



Unable to make the previous weeks sketchabout, however sketched the lotus pond the previuos week



Lotus Pond Botanic Gardens

Fred Marsh

http://www.marshstudio.com/



Four New Sketches by Barbara Gray

Sketches from last Saturdays sketchabout and a couple from earlier in the week

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.

Sketchabout 2 Fred Marsh – The birth of splat-ism

After Wendy Shortland's workshop,the first sketch of the day was in the courtyard behind the the Maiden Theatre

Watercolour, pencil, pen.

After lunch I went down into the gardens to get a panoramic view. For many years I worked in Macquarie Street & appreciated how the gardens are such an essential part of our city, by providing an easy access haven for workers to escape at lunch time and rest, read, think, contemplate or just refresh their minds in preparation for the remaining rigors of the day. So I thought that I would find a spot to show the relationship between the garden and the edge of the city at Macquarie Street. I parked my stool under a tree out of the rain and started to sketch, but the raindrops kept finding their way through.

If Turner can strap himself to a mast in a storm to capture a storm on canvas, a few raindrops are a bit of a doddle & were not going to stop me. Nor did they, but many did splat on the drawing and I think that they were a big help in capturing the wetness and grayness of the day – not a normal sight in the Emerald City. I am sure that this day will be looked upon as the founding of the art movement known as splat-ism

Watercolour, restorative gouache, pen, pencil and splats.

Fred Marsh

http://www.marshstudio.com/