I was going to title this “through the looking glass” as a reference to Alice in Wonderland, and then looked up and found out that a looking glass is a mirror. So it is “through the magnifying glass”.

Here is my new magnifying lamp. It has 2.25x magnification. There are lots of other technical specifications on the box. It is a Halo Go Rechargeable Magnifier made by The Daylight Company.

I bought it to look closer at some of the objects I sketch. My drawings sometimes have the impression of detail, and I wanted to be able to see some of that detail, even I can’t or don’t include it all. I am curious as to how things connect. It is definitely not for scientific observation.

We are very spoilt to be able to look at some images online and on our phones and zoom in on the detail. I definitely did not want a microscope – not that level of detail. I could take a photo of an object and enlarge it on the screen to see detail, but I love to draw from an object directly. I feel a sense of connection.

I am not sure what situations I want to use it. Insects are the obvious. I have a little collection of beetles and butterflies. I wonder about feathers and nests. What other natural world objects or other objects that I can fit under the lens?

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I love to draw old books, especially the worn and old covers.

Although life in Melbourne is returning to some sort of semi-normal, I am still working from home and staying local in my suburb in Melbourne. On Friday I had few meetings in the city scattered throughout the day and decided it was easiest to spend the whole day there. I did a few sketches during the day. They are all different depending on where I was and how much time I had.

The first is in Bourke Street Mall, It was 10 am and a chilly day. There were a few people about, but the streets were not crowded. I have not been inner-city urban sketching for such a long time, and initially, it was difficult to find a focus. I had in mind to draw people, however, because of the grey day, there were not many about and they didn’t linger in the mall before or after getting off their trams. So I just sat down and started with the Royal Arcade arch and went from there until I noticed I was getting cold.

It was the school holidays and there a few families and teenagers. I saw groups of children with their families lined up to get their photos taken with two brightly dressed characters. I sketched, although I had to look it up online what I was sketching (Maddy and Jimmy – a children’s show at the Melbourne Comedy Festival). They were constantly moving.

Masks are only required in a few places. In between a mask and not moving while texting on the phone, I have the perfect subject – until they get up suddenly and leave.

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Lunch in the city. I decided to sit back and relax and have a real meal, not a rushed takeaway. A few others were doing that too.

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I had a few hours to fill in until my next meeting. After my leisurely lunch, I settled in at the wonderfully historic Melbourne Athenaeum Library ( founded in 1839 as the Melbourne Mechanics’ Institution) . I took a book off the shelf, sat in a comfortable chair, and relaxed. Oh – and I had to draw too. ,

I added colour at home of the books’ spines. I have drawn this lovely library and its books and shelves previously and I usually focus on the colour of the lovely wooden shelves.

I had not planned to make it a sketching day, although I knew that my sketchbook would come out at some stage. A happy record of my day. A travel journal does not have to involve a plane or train. It can just be getting from A to B and what was seen and heard. I probably could add a map to this and a bit more commentary. I walked a lot and certainly had some legs and feet at the end of the day. However, it is now Sunday and I have already turned the page in my sketchbook …

I was finishing my daily walk around Fitzroy and Treasury Gardens in Melbourne on a wonderful fine weather weekend (last weekend) . I had sat and sketched a lovely couple of ducks and was almost done when I heard some children yelling and playing. Curious I changed direction to see. There were a group of about eight children, girls, and boys between six and twelve (?) playing happily under a very large Pin Oak tree. The rest of their families were having a picnic nearby.

As I watched I saw they were all gathering up fallen leaves to make a big pile under one of the very low hanging branches.

They would then take turns to jump off the branch into the pile of leaves.

There was no fighting or squabbling and I wrote some of what they said on the page. I probably saw and heard them at their best, before they got tired !

It reminded me of some of the idyllic childhood fun I had with cousins and friends, Good times! It is so good to know that children can still enjoy the outdoors and simpler things in life. They were all called by their parents for break and afternoon tea. One children came back for a quiet moment at the tree eating hers. Then they all returned for complete destruction of the leaf pile !

I then added some colour to one of the line drawings.

I took a leaf home to draw. This one was from the tree, as the ones on the ground were all brown and dry.

Each year I draw my hot cross buns with my watercolour pencils at Easter. This year is no different.

I bought some from a local bakery (they must have peel ! ) One hot cross bun has sat on my desk for a few days while I drew it. I tried to remember to take photos along the way. The second drawing was a lot quicker. They are best when toasted in the oven and buttered. These buns were great to draw but did not live up to my ideal bun to eat. But I managed to anyway!

As a work in progress

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Oops I put one of watercolour pencils in my water bowl. They are also called watersolouble or aquarelles. The pigment dissolves when water is added and that is that the wonderful thing about them. You can see the range of colour and tone that you get from one pencil. Faber Castell Walnut Brown Watercolour Pencil

BUT this is what happens when you leave it in water. Then I touched the tip and it fell off. However, I left it to dry out overnight and sharpened it, and is right to use again.

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I have lots of projects over the Easter long weekend. There have been walks and catchups with friends and of course, sketching. Whatever you do, have a safe and happy Easter break.