Pad Thai Noodles – leftovers – noodles and the lemon Sketched in watercolour pencils in 13 minutes.
Below are
the finished sketch
photograph of my plate
the 13 minute video with voiceover, describing my process as I go
the colours I used
The FaberCastell Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils I used, with a Kuretake (Zig) Medium waterbrush.
Ivory
Burnt Umber
Cool Grey IV
Payne’s Grey
Brown Ochre
Light Cadmium Yellow
Cream
Light Yellow Ochre
Grass Green
Version One and Two. I filmed in time lapse with voiceover. I then found out that time lapse videos do not have an audio option,I ate my dinner and then resketched it from the sketch.
This took 13 minutes to sketch and hours figure out how to move it into my blog.
I have writtem down the step, and next time will be a lot smoother, with less tears.
Let me know if you have any questions, or any other sketching you would like me to try and film.
It was only a week ago that Melbourne Rare Book Week and then Melbourne Rare Book Fair finished.
The Melbourne Rare Book Fair returned once again to Wilson Hall, The University of Melbourne. It is the major annual book fair of ANZAAB and one of only a few rare book fairs held in the Southern hemisphere. Now in its 53rd edition, the Fair again featured rare and wonderful books, manuscripts, ephemera, prints (and much more) from the best rare book and antiquarian dealers across Australia and New Zealand and from overseas.
This is a gathering of buyers, sellers and lovers of books not to be missed. Whatever your tastes may be, you are sure to find a rare and interesting book, print or piece of ephemera to add to your collection.
Thursday 31 July 6:00-9:00pm Friday 1 August 10:00am-5:00pm Saturday 2 August 10:00am-4:00pm
Bookings are not required for the Rare Book Fair and Entry is Free.
I attended the Fair over the three days, sketching on location. My sketches are used by Melbourne Rare Book Fair in their promotional and advertising and social media. It is very different from my sketching at MRBW talk, where I sit at the back of the room and sketch for an hour. At the Fair, people are constantly moving as they browse chat and sometimes buy.
Here are some from the 18 pages of my sketchbook I completed. For the first year, I filled my first sketchbook and started into a second.
My sketches from previous years were the branding for the Fair and they were everywhere!
Two bookmarks double sided
Posters – A3 & A5
The stickers that sealed a bag after you made a purchase at the Fair.
and most amazingly on the wall in the entryway of the Fair, next to the cloak room. My sketch was used last year and it came as a total surprise when I arrived. I was sent a photo in advance but was still amazed to see MY art on a wall !
Speakers: Wallace Kirsop, Judy Donnelly and Des Cowley
The recently published From Convict Printers to Book Arcades completes the three volume History of the Book in Australia, a project begun in the 1990s. It takes its place alongside other projects emanating from Britain, France, America, and Canada that have sought to document global histories of the book. Join the volume’s editors Wallace Kirsop and Judy Donnelly in conversation with Des Cowley as they discuss the genesis of the Australian project, how they succeeded in bringing this significant publishing project to fruition, and their thoughts on its contributions to international scholarship.
Presented by: Rare Books Melbourne in partnership with Melbourne Athenaeum Library at The Melbourne Athenaeum Library, Level 1, 188 Collins Street, Melbourne
I may add colour to the books at a later date. This was the sketch completed on location in the 60 minutes of the talk.
Come into Moominland
Speakers: City of Melbourne Children’s Librarians
Bring your children along to experience the world of Moomintroll, the Snork Maiden and Snufkin as conceived by Tove Jansson, a multi–talented Finnish author, illustrator and sculptor. Since 1945 in Swedish and 1950 in English, the Moomins have captivated generations of children. They have featured in storybooks, picture books, comic strips, animated cartoons and iPad apps. Our children’s librarians will guide your children into the idyllic Moominvalley to share the adventures of the Moomin family and their friends.
Original editions and collector’s Moomintroll books on display.
Presented by: City of Melbourne Libraries
at North Melbourne Library, 66 Errol Street, North Melbourne
Artist EV Ratnam began keeping travel diaries in 1995, and has since developed a keen interest in artists and writers whose travels have informed their work. As well as discussing some of these, she will also present her own travel diaries, and reflect on the ways in which, through memory and imagination, they are linked to the imagery in her prints, drawings, and artist books. At the end of the session, there will be an opportunity to view her diaries close – up, and engage in a dialogue on travel, writing and art.
Presented by: WriteHeart Books at the Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre, Multipurpose Room 2, 252 Faraday Street, Carlton
Tim Hogan spoke on sports history with MCC Library’s own Trevor Ruddell. Which collections were encountered and which collections wereused in the course of their work? Where are the hidden gems of sports history? What rare treasures have been uncovered since we last met and what projects are people working on this year?
Presented by: Melbourne Cricket Club Level 3, Members Stand, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Jolimont
It is always a joy to arrive early and chat to the MCC Librarians and sketch some books !
Speakers: Sue Louis in conversation with Professor Emeritus Chris Browne
All of us who enjoy reading generally own at least a few books. For most, public libraries also offer an invaluable source of reading pleasure. But how does one go about collecting a library of one’s own? Join us in a conversation with Sue Louis to share in her love and enthusiasm for books, and to see how one lady from East Melbourne put together a remarkable collection of fine books with her late husband, Professor Emeritus Bill Louis. Sue will share with us some notable examples and personal favourites from her impressive library.
Presented by: City of Melbourne Libraries at East Melbourne Library Meeting room, Level 1,122 George Street, East Melbourne
The origins and cultural context of the Danse Macabré
Speaker: Elizabeth Milford, RACS Archivist
The Dance of Death flourished in fifteenth century Europe but what were its antecedents and why was the theme so pervasive? The first Dance of Death mural was painted on a wall in the cemetery of Les Innocents in Paris, and was a catalyst for other Dances of Death, most importantly the series of woodcuts by Hans Holbein, printed in 1524 – 1525. Three centuries later, his work was still being copied, and the theme was embraced by composers such as Franz Liszt and Camille Saint – Saëns. This talk will discuss its origins, and specifically the fascination with death and decay that became ubiquitous in the late Middle Ages.
Presented by: Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Council Room, 250 – 290 Spring St, East Melbourne
I was invited to arrive early and sketch in the Historical Collection.
Literature lovers know Samuel Johnson as the dictionary maker and subject of James Boswell’s biography. Most know him as a poet, an essayist, and the founder of English criticism. Much of this work is still in print, but the addicted collector seeks out Johnson’s hidden, often anonymous dedications, prefaces and editorial work, the titbits that are hard to find. John Byrne has been collecting Johnsonian material for 60 years. He will show rare material from his library and share stories about where and how he found it.
Presented by: The Johnson Society of Australia at Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre, Multipurpose Room 1, 251 Faraday Street Carlton
How Fashion Gave Birth to Art Deco: Fashion illustration evolves into a new style of art
The Art Deco style first emerged among a group of young artists in Paris who wished to rejuvenate the depiction of French fashion. This development evolved into Art Deco in the years around the First World War. It came to a peak at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 1925. Professor Browne has assembled a collection of original French fashion magazines and images from the first half of the 20th century. He will share some of these with you, and show how the developments in fashion illustration led to the full flowering of the Art Deco style.
Presented by: City of Melbourne Libraries at East Melbourne Library
I arrived early at State Library of Victoria for the first event and did a few sketches outside.
Judging a Book by its Cover:Fine bindings from State Library Victoria’s Rare Books collection
Speaker: Daniel Wee
We’ve all heard the saying “never judge a book by its cover”– but when it comes to the world of fine bindings, aesthetics are everything. From luxurious leathers to bespoke intricate gold tooling, fine bindings invite us to engage with books on another level. Judging a book by its cover, in this case, is not shallow–it is a way of honouring craftsmanship, context, and the enduring power of beauty in bookmaking. Join Daniel Wee, Senior Collection Curator, History of the Book as he shares a selection of beautiful fine bindings from the Library’s Rare Books collection.
Presented by: State Library Victoria at State Library Victoria, Digital Laboratory, 328 Swanston Street Meet at the Swanston Street Welcome Zone
Picturing the World of Jane Austen: An examination of the illustrations of Austen’s novels
Jane Austen has painted in our imaginations a vision of the English world that she inhabited over 200 years ago. The original editions of her six novels had no illustrations, but from the late 19th century, many artists have attempted to enhance her words with pictures drawn from their own imaginations. Professor Browne will discuss a selection of these images, mainly drawn from his extensive collection of illustrated editions of Austen. He will ask the audience to judge whether a picture is worth a thousand words of her writing in this, the 250th anniversary year of her birth.
Presented by: City of Melbourne Libraries and Jane Austen Society of Melbourne at East Melbourne Library, Meeting room, Level 1,122 George Street, East Melbourne
An intimate conversation about the iconic cookbook author Isabella Beeton
Speaker: Tim White
Isabella Beeton’s Book of Household Management was one of the most significant and commercially successful British cookery books of the nineteenth century. Its appearance marked a significant change in the way in which British cookery books were published, marketed and embraced. We will be exploring Mrs Beeton’s personal history and her contributions to cookery book publishing in Victorian Britain and the British Empire, before considering the convoluted publishing history of one of the English language’s most famous cookery books and all its descendants.
Presented by: Books for Cooks at Books for Cooks Bookshop 115 – 121 Victoria Street, Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne
Tastes from several of the ‘Beeton Books’ will be served, and various editions and versions of her books will be on display and for sale. Please join us as we discuss Isabella Beeton’s contribution to modern cookery and to rare books.
The Cowlishaw collection, which aims to illustrate the history of medicine and its development from themes such as witchcraft and monsters into a science, is a library of rare books acquired by physician and bibliophile Leslie Cowlishaw in the early 20th century. It includes incunabula (printed books before 1500), alongside works by important classical authors of medicine such as Hippocrates, and early anatomical works such as those by Andreas Vesalius and Johann Remmelin. This 2025 Cowlishaw Symposium will include talks about the Black Death, Vesalius, Aurelius Cornelius Celsus, Remmelin, and Al – Zahrāwī.
Presented by: Royal Australasian College of Surgeons at 250 – 290 Spring Street, East Melbourne
Since her death more than fifty years ago, Georgette Heyer’s novels have continued to sell in the millions, in countless editions. But it is her first editions with their dust jackets intact that entice book collectors. Today, an early Heyer first edition with a fine jacket can sell for as much as $1500 and it has become increasingly difficult to find copies from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. However, it is not only their rarity that makes Heyer’s novels intriguing–it is also what they reveal about their author and about the changing ways in which she was perceived by her publishers and her public throughout her long career and since her death.
Presented by: The Johnston Collection at East Melbourne
The Johnston Collection is a place where people meet art and artists.
The Johnston Collection is a multi award-winning and critically acclaimed museum that invites creatives from the broader visual arts and design communities to re-interpret the Collection through a regular program of re-installation and interventions of the permanent collection.
Reference librarian Alissa Duke will explore some of the unique and noteworthy titles acquired during the early years of the Supreme Court Library, after it was established by Redmond Barry in 1853. These early acquisitions by the Library highlight and reflect the interests and needs of Victorians and the Victorian legal profession at that time, and encompass rare and specialised subject matter. Interestingly, a number of these early acquisitions continue to be published, and are purchased and used by the legal profession
Setting up the day before. Book Pillows out to display : some non-legal books
BENTHAM’S Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, new edition 1823
CABALA, sive Scrinia sacra : mysteries of state and government in letters of illustrious persons 1663
PUFFENDORFS Law of nature of Nations 1749
DOCTOR and student by Muchall 1815
BURKE’S A Genealogical and heraldic dictionary of the peerage and baronetage of the British Empire. 1860
CATALOGUE of the London traders, tavern, and coffee-house tokens current in the seventeenth century Burn, Jacob Henry. London : printed for the use of the members of the Corporation of the City of London, 1855.
POGONOLOGIA: Or A Philosophical And Historical Essay On Beards 1786
and some legal books – we have been purchaseinf McGregor on Damages soince 1812 and still purchase the current 2024 edition, We do not discard books. so have every edition. I had them out on display
Samuel Pepys was a keen observer of daily life in Restoration England. Rake, book collector, Fellow of the Royal Society and father of the Royal Navy, his legacy lasts to this day. Through his diary – first printed 200 years ago – millions of readers have relived the Restoration, the Fire of London, the Plague, and other important events of the period. Aside from historical events, Pepys’ diaries reveal life and manners, costume and song, court intrigues, food and drink and the tangible atmosphere of multi – layered London. Join Mike O’Brien as he explores this enigmatic polymath and book collector.
Presented by: Royal United Institute Services Victoria
Over 45 events between 24 July and 2 August in the 11 th year of the Melbourne Rare Book Week. , culminating in the Melbourne Rare Book Fair , in its 51st year. All events are free. Have been the official sketcher on location since 2016. Each year I take the week off work and sketch at as many events as I can, sharing my sketches with the MRBW and MRBR Teams and the organisations that I sketch at for them to use in any social media.
I will be doing a blogpost every few days or maybe everyday, as I keep my own personal record of the events. On my sketchbook pages I sketch on location, and write the event name, place, organisaiton etc.
On my blog posts, I will also add the information about the session from the MRBW program descriptions.
This is as much about sharing with you as about keeping my own record. I hope/plan to write my own thoughts about my time at these events,
Melbourne Rare Book Week Day 1 Thursday 24 July 2025
I attended two of the three events
William Strutt’s Victoria the Golden: Sketches of Early Melbourne
Victoria’s Parliamentary Library is the second oldest library in Victoria. The highlight of its collection is William Strutt’s illustrated album Victoria the Golden. Strutt arrived in Melbourne in 1850 and captured key events in the colony, from the goldrush to the departure of the Burke and Wills expedition. Later, in England, he compiled his sketches into albums, aware of their historical importance. Join Alisa Bunbury, art historian and curator, to learn about Strutt and his years in Victoria, followed by a rare viewing of the album, alongside other Strutt material held by the Library.
Victorian Parliamentary Library. The parliamentary library was completed in 1861. It continues as a fully functional library used by members of Parliament and staff. The parliamentary library holds more than 50,000 books, and reports.
I was invited to arrive early to sketch inside. I have been to Parliamtary Library a few times as a Librarian and for MRBW. I arrived very early and sketched for 30 minutes outside.
I was then shown around the rooms that were going to be used and sketched.
Tha talk – fascinating.
Viewing the books – people moved a lot around the viewing tables, where library staff explained what was on display
Melbourne Rare Book Week Day 1 Thursday 24 July 2025
Join historian Jonathan Burdon for this illustrated lecture as he delves into the early medical practitioners in Melbourne and the Port Phillip District of New South Wales (now Victoria) – who they were, where they came from, their experiences in town and country, and their notable contributions to the Colony.
Presented by: The C.J. La Trobe Society at Tonic House, 386 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Charles Joseph La Trobe was so controversial in so many ways. Relatively little is popularly known about him, and yet he achieved so much during his tenure as Superintendent of the Port Phillip District and as Lieutenant-Governor of the colony of Victoria.
The official first evening talk is presented by the La Trobe Society. It begins with drink and food and chatting to lots of friends, familiar faces and new people.
It is an incredibly busy week and I will gradually add all of my sketches, and thoughts.
I add them to Instagram daily alissaduke1 and Facebook Alissa Duke Art.
