There are so many ways at the moment to be social online and so many groups to become involved with. On Saturday I “met” with three sketching friends: Angela, Helen, and Jodi. We have been working on a project together and had originally planned a weekend of on-location sketching in Port Fairy, ( 4 hours from Melbourne) that would culminate later in the year in an exhibition at Blarney Books & Art. These plans are on hold til next year.

Today decided to “meet” with a Zoom meeting (on one screen) and all “sit” in the same place using Google street map (on another screen) and sketch. Below is my desk set up. The only change is that I did not use the long sheet of paper, but single pieces instead.

We were online for about two hours. There was a fair bit of catching up to do and chatting, but we are all very good at talking while we sketch. Below is our first sketching stop. It is in the middle of the crossroads of James and Bank Street, Port Fairy. We each choose a slightly different viewpoint, but we all sketched in our usual style and with our usual sketch gear. Of course, mine is watercolour pencils, and Jodi, Helen and Angela all use watercolour paints, but each of them will have a different range of brands and colour that make up their paint palette,

We sketched for about 45 minutes before “moving on” to our next stop.

We then “visited” our favourite shop in Port Fairy, Blarney Books & Art. As Google maps do not go inside buildings, we chose some Instagram images. We have a wonderful relationship with Jo at Blarney. We have each (except Helen) had exhibitions there and been involved with the annual BiblioArt Prize. AND it is the best secondhand and new bookshop AND is so involved with the community of Port Fairy, hosting amazing literary, music and arts events.

Here are my blogposts about my exhibition “You Can’t Draw in Books” in 2017 , and my BiblioArt entries in 2018 and 2019

Sketching from photos and Google maps is a very different experience from sketching on location. When on location there is a sense of immediacy, being in and interacting with your surroundings. This includes the weather, where you sit /stand/squat or lean. The people you meet. Sketching becomes part of your life experience. Looking back at the page, months or years later brings back memories of that particular time and place.

Hot cross buns!
Hot cross buns!
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns!
If you have no daughters,
give them to your sons.
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns

This is a traditional English rhyme from the eighteenth century. Its origin is not really known. I grew up with it in Australia and now it is part of my tradition to draw my hot cross bun every Easter. This is perfect for me as I don’t really like chocolate (but I am happy to draw it), but love hot cross buns, I bought a pack of six, which will last me for days and I get to sketch them too.

So here it is as a work in progress.

I actually planned this. I usually dive straight in and start sketching. I do have a format that I use, usually placing the sketch to the side so that I can write on the other side of the page and in the white spaces on the page.

I usually put the rhyme in and this time I wanted to out the words in first and design the page around it. I put the writing down first, deciding where I wanted on the page and how big I wanted it to be. I then decided how I wanted to place the hot cross bun. Open or closed, buttered or not.

I looked on the internet and found a font that suited the look and feel of what I wanted. One day I will learn calligraphy, but it is not one of my projects for this lockdown. I kept using my watercolour pencils, even though I have some interesting calligraphy ink pens that may have worked, but I thought that they may have been too intense and overpower the drawing. I can honestly say that I spent more time on the writing than I did on the drawing. (Burnt Ochre, Nougat watercolour pencil, and black coloured pencil).

You can see that I still had not decided on where to place those last three words “Hot Cross Buns” I wanted to balance the page. I am very happy with it, although the writing is probably a little big.

See more of my Easter drawings in my Flickr album.

Have a safe, happy and creative Easter long weekend and the coming time in staying home.

I have missed posting my weekly blog for a few weeks I now hope to return to routine. I have been drawing everyday and posting them all on Flickr and daily on Instagram at alissaduke1

I am now working from home. I live in Melbourne, where we are only allowed out for four reasons: essential shopping, medical visits/caregiving , going to work/education or exercise.

My exercise is a walk in my lunch hour. In a strange twist I am actually taking the full hour. I would usually have a quick break to eat or eat lunch at my desk.

in that hour of lunch, I walk to a local park. I am very fortunate to live near Fitzroy Gardens and Treasury Gardens, two beautiful spaces.

I spend most of the time walking but stop for a quick sketch with my watercolour pencils along the way. I have also collected some natural objects and sketched them at home in the evening. These are moments of pure joy and relaxation for me.

My local cafe is doing takeaway and I am exploring their menu. I usually only go there on weekends for coffee or brunch. I have sketched the George Street Cafe while waiting.

Stay safe and happy sketching

In solidarity with Urban Sketchers Milano, where the city is in lockdown from COVID19, Urban Sketchers around the world have been invited to sketch what we see from our window on March 14.

Urban Sketchers is an international nonprofit dedicated to fostering a global community of artists who practice on-location drawing. Urban Sketching is usually outside in groups, but times are changing, All organised Meetups have been cancelled and the Melbourne USK Workshops (including one that I was running) have also been cancelled

This is the view from my window in a modern apartment with one big window, I live in a suburb with lots of lovely beautiful old buildings, but this is not one of them, Yes, that is a pool, but the temperature is 17 degrees, feels like 13 . Brrr #UsKAtHome

On Saturday I spent some of the day with three sketching friends, planning a future event (watch this space) and sketching in Melbourne city.

We were looking at what we could sketch in different time frames. The first sketch was 30 minutes. We spent an initial time, choosing what to sketch, We sat near each other (on the footpath and in the gutter) in a funky laneway in inner city Melbourne. Have a look at this blog about it So instead of choosing an iconic grand building, we ended up in the backstreets.

Once I decided what to focus on – the brick wall and older sections, I put some basic lines down. I then focussed on the bricks – the wash of colour and then the details of some bricks. And the graffiti. I started to get distracted by the old wooden boards on the side of the building until I realised we only had 5 minutes left, so I went back into adding more to the bricks. I am very pleased with this.

Our next stop was Pellegrinis, the iconic Melbourne Cafe for a delicious and filling lunch. I did not sketch my lunch, which will be a surprise to some people, but we stayed on to sketch the scene from Sisto’s footpath table. This was my first time eating at Pellegrinis. Wonderful.

I started with the architectural feature and worked to the left. I realised I wanted to include the whole of the Pellegrinis Bar sign and worked backwards to the left.

Sketching with friends is such fun, We talked a bit more in this second sketch, which took an hour,

In March I have two watercolour pencil classes. They are so very different from each other and I am excited about both.

Travel Sketching with Watercolour Pencils

The first on Saturday 14 March is my Travel Sketching with Watercolour Pencil class held in East Melbourne. I have been running this class for a few years and am always excited to see the results. It is all about capturing the essence of your experience on the page. It is about quick sketching. I love to share my knowledge of watercolour pencils and the joy of sketching quickly on location. If you are planning a holiday or always wanted to sketch when you travel, join me in this inspirational class. It includes a walk around East Melbourne, sketching with watercolour pencils to record your experience. Learn tips and techniques for travel sketching along the way. Bookings are through my Trybooking website.

Memories and Nostalgia with Watercolour Pencil

My second class is the opposite, It is the first time I have held the class and is at the beautiful Dromkeen homestead at Riddells Creek, which is outside of Melbourne. It is called Memories and Nostalgia with Watercolour Pencil and is all about slower drawing and observation. Each student will bring along three objects that are special to them to sketch and journal about. The most ordinary household shed or garden object can have special memories and stories, For example, a teddy bear, garden tools, a cup or a piece of clothing. I often draw an object that I am discarding or does not belong to me, so that I have a memory of it. I write my own thoughts and sometimes ask family members to recall their memories to create a story on the page,

This class stems from my love of drawing objects that I feel I have a special connection with. It is not a still life class, but a collection of images and words that create a story on a page. See more of my sketches of family history drawing at my Flickr website

Bookings are through the Dromkeen Trybooking website but please contact me if you have any questions you have about the class.

Last weeks art blog was about preparing for this week’s Nature Sketching with Watercolour Pencil class. I was glad that I did all of the preparation, even though the actual examples were not used on the day. Melbourne has had unusual weather patterns. I woke up to a grey day and the weather moved between clear, drizzle and light rain.

I had a small but enthusiastic class and we had good fun. We started inside the wonderful Kere Kere Green Cafe in Fitzroy Gardens, learning about watercolour pencils. Below are some of my scribbles and explanations.

We then walked out into the Gardens (but not too far from the Cafe). We discussed deciding what to choose to draw, how and where to put those first marks on the page.

… and then it got cool and damp, so we headed back into the Cafe. I had a small selection of “nature objects” that I brought from home, just in case we got rained in. There were feathers, seashells, snails, and butterflies. We decided to end the class by drawing feathers that had a fluffy area at the end near the shaft. I discovered that it is called the ‘afterfeather’ and I love that!

It was a great day !

I spent most of Sunday afternoon in the Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne, preparing for my Nature Sketching with Watercolour Pencil class next Saturday. I was doing a ‘run through’ deciding on timings for sketching, which trees to choose and where the shade and seats are.

Below are three sketches. One is looking at the tree trunk close up, observing. The second is stepping back a bit, with the same tree, but a bit more scenery. The third sketch of the day was a large panorama, including the same tree. I remembered to take photographs along the way: one at 5 minutes, one at 15 minutes and the final at 20 minutes. It was a learning experience for me.

Sketch one- Moreton Bay Fig up close

I started by sitting close to a tree and observing the bark in the trunk. I was looking at its patterns and colours. It is a large Moreton Bay Fig and is a feature of the Gardens. If we don’t choose to sketch this tree, there are many others nearby with character.

Sketch two-stepping back

For the second sketch, I stepped back from the tree. I still wanted to include it in the sketch, but also give some background to provide context.

Sketch three – stepping back further

The final sketch to include this tree had me walking back even further to try and include some of its branches and the tops of other trees.

And to end the day, a quick unplanned sketch of magpies on a low branch in the tree next to me. My class is Nature Sketching, but there is not a lot of highly visible wildlife in the Gardens. In my class. I will ask the students to collect something off the ground to sketch. The Moreton Bay Fig has some nice interesting leaves when they have fallen on the ground, and some lovely fruit that are small, round and greenish purple).

Of course, if it rains, this may change….. but we will sketch anyway.

There are still places available if you would like to join in , book here.

At yesterday’s Travel Sketching with Watercolour Pencil class, I used an example of drawing a watermelon to demonstrate how to use watercolour pencils on the page.

We were at Dromkeen homestead, just outside of Melbourne, It happened towards the end of the three hour class, when we had returned to the (airconditioned) conference room. This was after sketching in the garden and inside the house, as we avoided rain and humidity.

There were questions about applying the watercolour pencil to the paper and spreading it on the page. Today. I drew it again, taking photos along the way. I hope that this explains the way I use pencils and achieve the final result. Let me know if you have any questions.

Step One

Waterbrush and the three watercolour pencil colours used . Alizaron Crimson, Pine Green and Grass Green

Draw the watermelon shape and outline directly with the watercolour pencil colour that is going to be used. The watermelon is red the skin is green.

Heavily and roughly add colour in the areas of of the watermelon that are darkest.

Step Three

Using the waterbrush, rest it in the coloured areas and pull the colour across the page. This adds a lighter colour to areas of the page.

Step Four

Wait to dry, then add more colour in some areas to give depth and texture, Dabbling the watercolour brush on areas of colour can give, texture, and remove any hard lines.
Add hard lines with a sharpened watercolour pencil along some of the skin and just some of the darkened areas of the watermelon.

 I have three classes that are coming up.

• Nature Sketching with Watercolour Pencils in Fitzroy Gardens https://www…trybooking.com/BFSOH
• Travel Sketching with Watercolour pencils in East Melbourne  https://www…trybooking.com/BFSOD
• Memories and Nostalgia with Watercolour Pencils at Dromkeen https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=555071&

I spent today with three sketching friends, planning for a potential future event,

It took a bit of coordination to actually find a time that we could all meet today. We spent five hours at a cafe from brunch to lunch throwing about ideas. While we were talking we were also sketching. We have four different styles of making marks on the page, the colours we use and objects and things that we choose to sketch, For me, this is the wonderful thing about sketching- there is no right or wrong and it is all about capturing the moment on the page.

Here are my sketches

and some of the others as they painted.

Watch this space for details on our project. My year was already taking shape, after a weekend of planning early in the New Year. This has neatly fitted into my calendar. I have some classes and exhibitions planned.