I have started the New Year with a project to get my teeth into. As you are probably aware, I draw in old books that about to be discarded – the books no one wants at op shops ! They are either free or under $5.

I have a lovely stock of these at home, which I bought a year ago, (before our 9 month lockdown) and have recently been given some more. I usually read or browse through the a book, sometimes two or three times, noting pages that have potential. I will narrow it down to one or two which mentions or describes something that I can illustrate with my watercolour pencils. I then search on the internet for copyright free images to use on the page. I often have visualised a concept in my mind and try and locate an image that matches that. I am not always successful and sometimes need to change ideas.

Below are some of my recent “drawn in books” and a few current projects. All are or will be available on my ETSY online store for purchase. The postage rate is set for Australia, but please contact me and I will find out what the International country rates would be. At the moment postage is unpredictable and there is no guarantee how long a parcel will take to arrive.

These three drawn in books have just been added to my ETSY online store. Did you grow up reading these? I only know “Timmy” as a black and white border collie in the 1970’3 TV series, but not in the original book.

• Timmy a ” large, brown mongrel” in Famous Five (1967)
• Scamper a “golden spaniel” in Secret Seven (1957)
• Snap a ‘big , shaggy white dog’  in The Bobbsey Twins (1955)

I am currently working in three books. I usually have two or three going at the one time, so that I can move between. One book will often sit for a few days and I will leave it open to the page, and walk past, think how it could be improved. Usually, this involves adding more colour to one area.

This Motoring: Being the romantic story of the Automobile Association by Stephen Cooke Published by the Automobile Association in 1931 268 pages

This is about 80% complete. Some more details need to be added. Finding an image to inspire me to draw was not as easy as I thought it would be. It is a book about the founding and growth of the Automobile Association in the UK up to 1931. I assumed there would be a lot of references to cars, but there wasn’t. However this early page explained the history of motoring. The famous annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run commemorates the 1896 “Emancipation Run” as a celebration of the then recently passed Locomotives on Highways Act 1896, which increased the speed limit to 14 mph (23 km/h). The Act also abolished the requirement for the cars to be preceded by a man on foot with a red flag. The Annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is open to vehicles built before 1905. The 1953 comedy movie Genevieve is set during one of these runs.

Sheet Music

James Hook Sonata in G for Descant Recorder (or Treble Pipe or Violin) and Pianoforte(Bergman) Published by Schott & Co, Ltd. In 1948  12 pages. The recorder, which many of us may associate with primary school music lessons, actually has a long history. I discovered this in my research.

Report of the Botanical Section for the Year 1936
By Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society in 1936
6 pages

I have only just started this one. This pamphlet lists grasses, small flowers, and lichen by botanical name. I looked them all up online and none of them were very dramatic to draw. However,Chanterelle mushrooms are mentioned in the text and they are very colourful.

I hope that this provides some insight into my process and way of thinking.

I have another shelf full (or two) of books with potential to draw in. Many hours of fun!

I write a blog post at this time each year looking back at what I have done during the year with my art.  I have found this is a very useful way of realising how much I have accomplished in a year, as I usually forget about some events or do not realise how many classes I have run etc. It is a good reality check for me.
( I have done this in 2019 2018,  2017 as well as  2014  2015 & 2016 )

This year of course is different, as with everyone. My carefully planned year, and all its exciting events were cancelled. I have been working from home (in my daytime work) since March when Melbourne went into lockdown. Restrictions have only recently been eased, however, there is still a long way to go back to normal. This new way of life did not stop me from sketching and achieving other art-related goals. I have put links to separate blog posts if there is one.

• Daily sketching. This year again I filled eight Moleskine watercolour sketchbooks (13 x19 cm) of everyday sketching. I scan every page of my sketchbook and put them all on Flickr (an image sharing website) Some go onto Facebook at Alissa Duke Art , some on Instagram alissaduke1. I thought that I would have less than last year, as I had not attended as many events and this is when I often fill many pages. However, it is the same as last year. I did sketch a lot in the gardens this year in my allowed exercise and recreation time, sometimes over multiple pages.
• Two watercolour pencil sketching classes in February before everything closed down. Nature sketching and travel sketching,
• I have maintained my weekly art blog. Thank you to the 148 followers of this weekly art blog. I hope that you find it enjoyable and interesting to read and full of information. I hope that I am able to share a bit of my passion for drawing and watercolour pencils. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like me to explain anything I do. I still hope to be able to produce a video one day, (but that is in the too hard basket again. I say this every year). If you don’t already, you can subscribe to my blog to receive it via email.
• Etsy Sales – I have an Etsy online store selling my Greeting cards and ‘drawn in books’. This year was very quiet for card sales.
•  Newsletter. I sent two newsletters this year to the 127 people who subscribe to my newsletter, in April and October. The newsletter is for people who are interested in my art and would like to know when major events happen – new card designs, markets, exhibitions, and classes. They may not necessarily be interested in my Weekly Art Blog, but still want to be updated. Obviously a little quiet this year. This will be one of the places I announce any classes when they begin.
• Instagram. I now have 1548 followers on Instagram alissaduke1. I post an image daily on Instagram, They are examples of sketching every day, and hopefully, inspire some sketchers.

2020 – Here are my projects and commercial activities. (paying for my pencils) This year is a little different. I did have a few one-off art events

Blarney Books & Art Biblio Art Prize. This annual Port Fairy (Victoria, Australia) event was held. When you enter the competition you get given a book title to interpret artistically. This year the books were by recently published Australian Authors. I entered and was given The Silence by Susan Allott. I drew on the pages the mentioned cigarettes and alcohol, which seemed to feature in the lives of the characters. The creativity and skill of the other entries were amazing and it is worth spending time looking through them at the Finalists Exhibition online.

Athenauem Library Art Group. I had previously arranged to hold a Watercolour Pencil sketching class with the Athenaeum Library Art Group. I was contacted to do this as an Online session, I had decided very early on not to do online classes, so I turned the class into a Zoom presentation. I created a slide show that I presented with examples of watercolour sketching and the types of mark marking that can be achieved with those wonderful watercolour pencils. I am really looking forward to seeing them all and continuing this in person.

Two private commissions

Art Aviso

I entered a Melbourne art challenge by gallery Art Aviso. Artists were supplied with a page of Newnes’ Pictorial Knowledge 1950’s Encyclopedia (Edited by Enid Blyton), which formed the basis of an artwork to be exhibited at some time on the other side of the Pandemic.Volume 6: What Master minds have done for the good of Man: How this book was built

Robert Russell Hustle

a local food and wine mini market in December. a sense of normality

Library Markets another recent small event for the community in December to say hello to each other.

Other art related achievements

Purchasing ALL The Faber Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolour Pencils

Photobox. One of the BIG events of my year, the annual Clunes Booktown Festival was cancelled, I had been accepted to have a stall selling my ‘drawn in books amongst the second-hand booksellers and author talks. With this in mind, I had been going explorations of second-hand bookshops stocking up on those discarded books that I could draw in. I had an exciting selection that I had drawn in and had built up stock to take to the Festival. I made the decision to sell these on my ETSY website. To do this I needed to take photographs of them. I purchased a Photo Light Studio, and wrote about it here ) which allows photos to be taken without shadows. I could do this myself while in lockdown. It made a big difference so my sense of productivity and achievement, I have put 20 books on ETSY and sold 10 this year, mailing all over the world.

Books to draw in. As part of this project I was also given and sought out books to draw in , They must be under $5. In a lockdown, I could not go out all year and nothing was open in Melbourne. I was sent a few boxes of books from friends from various sources. Thank you all. They knew exactly the type of book I was looking for (ready to be thrown out) . I have shelves of books to draw in!

A3 Scanner/printer. I had an A4 scanner printer and decided to purchase one that would scan the double-page spread of my daily sketchbook, and also scan any commissions I draw, before handing them over.

Updated business cards. A graphic designer friend updated my MOO brand business cards: cards are the same design (in multiple colours), with updated information. They are now ready to hand out at events and attach to purchases from my ETSY online store that I post out.

Going forward into 2021. What will it bring?

More drawing in books. I will be continuing my daytime work from home. Watercolour pencil sketching classes will begin again at some stage. and of course, sketching everyday !!!

Stay happy and creative.

Christmas is always low key but was even quieter this year. But I had my pencils and some lovely seasonal festivities to sketch . And lots of phone calls. so it was a lovely day.

I had purchased some delicious deli foods . Then found some holly to add to my table decorations. Some of this stayed on the table to long (to eat) and was thrown out .

I decided to stop at a certain stage, as this is a journal page and not a still life. My sketching style is the unfinished look and this is it.

I spent longer on the pudding and wine. I had planned this as I know it wanted it to be in more details and it was sketched over two evening. Once again I could have spent longer on this and gone into more details, but it a page in my journal to capture a moment.

And then finally – eating the pudding !

I hope that you found some peace and joy this Christmas.

Life beings again for me in Melbourne, as it sadly closes for many people around the world. My world slowly expands and my sketches reflect this.

I took my first tram ride since March. I’ve done it now, but won’t be rushing to do it again. Everyone in masks, but I wouldn’t have felt comfortable with too many more people getting on it.

I continue my walks in the nearby gardens, revisiting the familiar and always discovering something new. A magpie sang to me. The best way to start my day.

A High Tea Christmas party. We each had a box of high tea goodies delivered to us and had a zoom catchup, with a bit off silliness and chatter. I ate the savouries and sketched the sweets.

Yesterday I had a stall a second community event. (read about last weekend’s here) Our wonderful local library held a free BBQ and food as well as inviting a few locals, including myself to set up a stall. Another lovely day, meeting local friends and new people. Much need to bring a sense of normality and community back. I was too busy chatting to sketch.

and back to the Gardens… for sketches and extra adventures

I thought I had this blog post written and went for a walk in the Treasury Gardens. I did not get much sketching (of the Moor Hen) as I was visited by some baby ducklings. About 10 of them, who were not shy at all, walking all over my shoes, sketchbook, and pencils. Enjoy !

Just deciding whether to keep the duck poo footprint on the page.

Each year, residents of East Melbourne and surrounds come together to celebrate our wonderful community with the Robert Russell Hustle Community Laneway Gathering. There was live music, Tipplers pop up bar, Tippler Kitchen, a sausage sizzle, and a Christmas mini market! (Including my stall with cards). Called Robert Russell Hustle as it is held in Robert Russell Lane. see later in the blog for info about who he was.

A BIG day. It was so good and strange to be normal, after almost a year of lockdown.. When I was asked to be involved in this event back in mid November , we were all wearing masks and there was limited social gatherings. I said yes, but was very anxious But now after over a month of no community spreading, life is returning to a semi normal. (number restrictions and QR codes to sign in to places)

The sun was shining, people were chatting and happy and cards sold. There were 10 stalls and we were provided with gazebos and tables and a chair ! A big day from set up at 11am to close at 7pm, but SO GOOD. I had to remember how to put my display stands together and sort out what went where, I have only done a few markets in the past, but had worked out a system of what goes where.

I chatted to some lovely people, friends came by to say hello. I had a sheet for people to add their details to if they were interested in Watercolour Pencil Sketching Classes when I start them again in the new year.

Who was he ? Robert Russell (1808-1900) came to Sydney in 1832, having trained as an architect and surveyor in London and Edinburgh. He obtained a position in the survey office and in 1836 was sent to the Port Phillip District to survey Port Phillip Bay and its surroundings. At this time, he made the first topographical survey of Melbourne. Hoddle then drew up a detailed plan for Melbourne, still relying on the information contained in Russell’s initial survey. Most of his professional life was spent as a surveyor in private practice. He was a prolific artist across many media and his early sketches of Melbourne are a valuable part of the State Library Collection. His professional and private addresses changed many times but in 1880 he lived at 49 George Street and Robert Russell Lane leads off Simpson Street into the back of that property !

I have sketched this pin oak in watercolour pencil in the Fitzroy Gardens in Melbourne this year, documenting the changing seasons. This past weekend I sketched it “in use” with people having a picnic underneath its broad branches.

Sunday was the first official Urban Sketching event in Melbourne since lockdown restrictions have eased. It was a very well organised .

There were multiple groups at different locations simultaneously. Each group will be led by a Group Leader. In line with the government’s restrictions, each group could have up to 10 people.The locations were Williamstown, Fitzroy, Box Hill and Black Rock. The weather was a bit challenging in some of the locations as we each found ways to avoid the rain. In Fitzroy we just crossed the street to sketch from under a shop awning.

I started my day with a travel sketch .

I walked there as I am not comfortable in catching public transport yet. It was a lovely morning and was a walkable distance thorough the parks.

It took me years to figure out that my sketching style is ‘the unfinished look”.sometimes with “the impression of detail” This works perfectly with my travel sketching and urban sketching, which are all about sketching on location and capturing the moment.

Sometimes “the moment” moves on you. I often have just a scribble mark on the page. I either rub them out (you can sort of rub out watercolour pencil if your lines are not too heavy) or draw over them.

This week I revisited two sets of Australian Wood Duck baby ducklings over a few days, so I could continue to sketch them. They let me get very close (I stayed about a meter away) and sometimes they came up so close to me, at my feet. When this happened I just had to stop sketching and watch them.

Lots of half finished sketches below and I am happy with all of them

I am posting two sketches that I did in the last week. They are examples of two of my sketching styles – minimal and maximal (yes, it is a word and is the opposite of minimal).

Both pages have a story to tell, documenting part of my life.

The first was a very quick sketch.

• Lamy Safari Ink Pen
• quick sketch
• a situation which I had no control over ie. the people could change position or get up and go at any time
• spur of the moment sketch
• minimal lines
• gestural, capturing the moment

The second was a slower drawing

• watercolour pencils
• slower drawing, in an hour or two
• a situation I could control. The bananas did not move. I could position the bananas to suit how I wanted to draw them.
• it was a spur of the moment idea, not planned. I was about to throw these bananas out, as they are too ripe. I then realised that many people wouldn’t do that and that I wanted to capture this moment as it is part of me and my life. When I posted this online, I had various suggestions on how they could be used and more useful – that I could freeze them!
• They are really interesting to draw – so much character and detail !

Happy sketching !!!

This weeks blog post is a review of the sketches I have done over the past two weeks (I did not do a blog post last week) . The styles of sketches in my sketchbook reflect my various styles or themes of sketches.

• on locations sketching
• slower observational drawings

Since lockdown restrictions have relaxed in Melbourne, I have been able to spend more time outside and also ventured into the city.

sitting in the park sketching and watching new little ducklings.

and then some studied drawings at home

There is always something to draw.

Below is my current work in progress. They are some old (but new to me) books that I was given for my “drawing in books” project. Some of them will eventually be on my ETSY website, with a page illustrated by me in watercolour pencil.