My past few days were a wonderful days with lots of sketching and sketching based activities.

I had a few days of sketching in preparation for a Nature Sketching class on the weekend. A work colleague gave me a bunch of herbs from her garden.

My weekend started with a Nature Sketching with Watercolour Pencils class at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. I teach a class each season. Spring is in the planning.

I then caught a taxi to the Prahan Mechanics Institute. I was going to the Biannual booksale and market day. I bought 17 books, 5 quinces, a pumpkin, 2 relishes and two cooking salt blends. Here are some of my purchases.

I really visited to see some of my sketches that had been printed as large decals in the stairway. Absolutely overwhelmed to see my sketches in real life in a full length mural at Prahran Mechanics’ Institute Victorian History library. I had seen them on a Reel by PMI, but it was surreal to see them as a permanent walk feature. I knew what they were planning, but did not realise what it would look like. AND the staff and library community love it !

These were from some of the sketches I did for them in 2023 at the Family History Showcase, an annual one day event featuring local history societies.

On Sunday, I did a few quick sketches on location at the Melbourne Regency Picnic, held at the historic Rippon Lea homestead. In hindsight, I would have sketched in pen and added watercolour pencil to highlight some areas.

yes, I was in costume and yes it was fantastic. Another surreal experience

Happy sketching everyone.

Each year, I sketch my Easter hot cross buns with watercolour pencils. It is a tradition. I also have a very soft jellybelly rabbit and he sometimes gets sketched.

Last year they both got sketched and I also filmed my hot cross bun sketch, so I will include it here for anyone who would like to try it.

• Ivory
• Warm Grey II
• Burnt Ochre
• Paynes grey
• Dark Sepia
• Black (coloured pencil) – I use for the lines where I dont want the pigment to dissolve or blend. This is the only non watercolour (in coloured pencil) pencil that I have in my sketchkit.

I was a bit ambitious to sketch this real birds next ( I have a collection of about 20) and paper eggs that I purchased from Two in a Teacup in Tasmania

I also bought myself some lovely flowers. They are so detailed, so I did not even try to capture that

Happy sketching.

Please let me know if you have any questions!