On Sunday i went to an Urban Sketchers Melbourne meetup and had a wonderful time (as I knew would). Thanks to our amazing Admistrators who organise such wonderful events for us.

I usually stay home on Sundays. I work full time , have a busy Saturday and stay home on Sundays to rest and re-energise, ready for another working week.

We met at the Floral Clock at Royal Botanic Gardens. The garden beds had just been replanted with seedlings and were not looking very ‘floral’.

I tried to start this a few times and was getting very frustrated with the ‘circle’ shape. However once I thought about it as a a big coffee cup ellipse I came together. I sat next to Rachel and she suggested a vanishing point technique. It took us an hour to get to this after many false starts and a lot a chatting. Then it all came together very nicely.

Edward VII . The horse from a strange angle is easier to sketch than then a horse straight on. It is shapes. angles and negative space, as opposed to “in know what a horse looks like”. Many of us sketched the horse, all differentiated and had a story to tell about their approach/struggle with the horse.

The Urban Sketchers organisation is amazing. It is global and I have met and sketched with sketchers on London, Bath, Bristol. Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sydney on my travels. as amazing way to meet the locals !

Urban sketchers are a great group to see other peoples sketches, techniques, media and tools.. There was such a wide variety today, every one of them different – which, for me is the joy. we can all sketch the same object and scene and all be different, There is no right or wrong.

AND Urban Sketchers are supportive and sharing of their knowledge. After 18 years of using Moleskine Watercolour Sketchbooks, I am changing brands. Why? Moleskine paper quality has changed over the years, but the recent change no long suit my watercolour pencils and style. I need to replace them. This is a very big decision for me. My first Moleskine was December 2009. I sketch daily and up to Sketchbook 147.

I had been getting frustrated with the paper in the sketchbooks over the last few months. I put a call out on our Facebooks Group for suggestions on a new brand of sketchbook and got some great suggestions !

I will write about this soon.

Happy Sketching everyone !!!!