Sketching in Bali & Borneo May 2019

In May, I was privileged to take a small group of 9 to Borneo, where we sketched the amazing orangutans of Central Kalimantan. As travel was along the river waterways, the klotok boats we travelled in did not accommodate any more.

Prior to flying to Borneo, we spent three days in Jimbaran, Bali, and I ran workshops on how to sketch the orangutans. We also ventured further afield for more sketching and a little exploring. It is a beautiful place with lovely people, and I never tire of visiting. Over the years have taken many groups to very special places on the island to sketch, away from the crowds.

Le Mayeur Museum, in Sanur. This is a place I try to visit when I go to Bali. I love the history of the Museum and the wonderful detail in the buildings.

We flew from Denpasar in Bali to Surabaya in Java, transited there and continued on to Central Kalimatan. Our aim was to visit three orangutan rehabilitation centres in the Tanjung Puting National Park. 

During this tour we not only saw and sketched orangutans, but proboscis monkeys, gibbons and the long tailed macaque monkeys, all unique. In the ecolodge we stayed there were a troop of gibbon monkeys living in the trees. I also saw a giant monitor lizard stealthily moving along on the muddy river environment underneath the walkway I was sketching from.

There were various colourful birds (the Bornean Bristlehead, stork-billed kingfisher and garnet pitta), and green water snakes which could be seen along the river.

This is my forest scene, showing the various birds and animals to be found along the river environment.

Mother and child eating bananas at the rehabilitation centre. The babies stay with the mother until they are about seven year old. There is a very special affectionate bond between them.

This was my cabin along side the river and set into the forest. The gibbon monkeys would occasionally jump on the roofs of the cabins during the night.  

With the logging of the forests these endangered species may only be with us for another ten years.

I have an extensive article on this tour which will be published shortly in Australian Artist Magazine, where I describe the sketching tour in more detail, and with more sketches.

Botanical art & Sketching in Bali

I have just returned from a wonderful week in beautiful Bali. It was so good to escape Sydney’s winter if only for a week, and to immerse myself in the warmer climate - balmy breezes, beautiful local people, a fantastic workshop environment and a fabulous group of dedicated students.

The morning was dedicated to botanical art and afternoons to sketching and sightseeing. There was time for leisurely massages, swimming in the ecolodge pool each afternoon, and some incredible shopping - where else but the art shops. The prices are unbelievably inexpensive and everyone bought up big. 

Udyana Ecolodge in Jimbaran. It was situated in a very quiet area with no tourists apart from ourselves.

The botanical art workshop was done in a room with a verandah, overlooking the beautiful gardens, in abundance with flowers and butterflies.

After a long day painting botanical art portraits,  spending time sightseeing and sketching in various locations, it was time for a swim.

 

The final review and exhibition contained a variety of  plants from the garden. The results were amazing. It is so rewarding for me as a tutor to see a participant who has never painted botanically before to produce such wonderful paintings.

Sketching Bali

I have recently returned from a sketching tour to Bali. This island offers so many opportunities for unique and diverse sketches, and is always a popular choice.

From the temples to the markets, from the sea to the mountains, from Denpasar to Candidasa - and to lots of out of the way places. On this trip I explored further and found some exciting new sketching locations and the best cultural experiences. Somethings I think it doesn't get any better.

Valley vista Ubud

Village temple outside Sanur

There may be a lot of temples in Bali, but there are no two the same. Each has very different characteristics, some are in wealthy villages, some not so. All are beautiful and offer the most tranquil and amazing sketching experiences. I can honestly say I have never been 'templed out' in Bali.

Temple protector. Fabulous carvings, detail and colour

My favourite cultural dance is the Ke-kak fire dance. This particular venue was an open air temple. A highlight.

And I did get a little time for some sketching. This is a beach at Candidasa with fishing boats.

The carved stone doorway entrance to Le Mayeur Museum in Sanur.
 The carvings and intricate patterning are amazing. These sketches are truly meditative.

And what could be better than to finish the day on the beach as the sun sets, sipping an icy cold cocktail (or drink of your choice).

My next Bali Travel Sketching Tour is 12-18 October 2015 - so plenty of time to prepare for this.

See my website www.holidaysketching.com.au and let me share my love of Bali and its gentle, friendly people with you while you join me on some off the beaten track sketching locations....

A Book a Week #2 - Bali Sketchbook

I have fallen a little behind with my Book a Week project. Have had a mountain of work to do (all enjoyable however) but finally have chosen my next book.

 

These are not necessarily reviews, just books I have in my collection I would like to share with you.

 

I go to Bali every year, and have my own Sketchbook of Bali, but not so long ago I purchased a beautifully presented publication. It is quite large 28.5cm wide x 25.5cm high and the pages resemble cold pressed watercolour paper. The captions for the sketches are in "handwriting", like on cover of the book, so you feel you are really looking at a sketchbook.

 

The Bali Sketchbook is illustrated by Graham Byfield and the text written by Diana Darling.

 



 

There is a series of these books, and I also have Provence Sketchbook and London Sketchbook. I like to collect sketchbooks when I travel. They are my souvenirs. 

 

This book is better than a travel guide. Anyone interested in the Balinese culture would love it. A very comprehensive Introduction explains the various areas of Bali and the background of the island. It mentions how the rice paddies have been irrigated and cultivated for generations, the origins and beliefs of the Hindi religion, the hierachal system and about Balinese life in the villages - and more.

 

Tenganan Village

 

The book contains three main parts, so it is concise and easy to follow: Part 1 - The World of Origins about villages and temples, Part 2 - The Hand-Made World covering rice growing, village life, cremations (and more) and Part 3 - The Sea Coast: The Edge, the Future which includes topics and sketches regarding tourism, farming the sea and the importance of the sea.



  

 



I love to pick this book up from time to time and read a little more about life in Bali, and look at the lovely sketches, which are really more detailed drawings and paintings than spontaneous sketches.

 



In Septemebr I am taking another sketching art group to Bali, and will add to my personal sketches and share my knowledge and love of the island. I leave the busy towns and head into the mountains then along the east coast, where time has almost stood still, although tourism is fast encroaching. My fabulous guide Suki, who I have been doing these tours with for many years, always has something new and special to show me when I return.

 

Sketchbooks & India Art Tour

I have been working on various projects lately, but it has taken a little longer as I have been unwell - pleased to report I am now back in my stride. Was up this morning at 5.30am finalising my India itinerary for next year and also editing my new sketchbook 'Fiji Sketches 2007-2012', which I am self publishing, but only for personal use at this stage. It is not a particularly cheap exercise.



Yaukolo Beach on Vanua Levu

I have taken 15 art tours to Daku Resort on the island of Vanua Levu, which is the second largest island in the Fijian group, and an absolute uncommerical hidden paradise. I consider my annual trips a pilgrimage and I look forward to each trip, where I not only take the group around to various locations to sketch, but I teach botanical art as well. There are so many amazing tropical plants around Savusavu and I source some extra rare plants from the gardens of a local ex-pat, as well as from the resort.





Above is the sketch of a bure at Daku, which is the family owned resort accommodation, and it is nestled beside the calm waters of Savusavu Bay. Just a walk across to the beach to enjoy kayaking, a swim or snorkelling. Add to that the incredible Fijian meals, the relaxing ambience and the perfect climate. Who wouldn't want to spend time here?

In between all that, I have completed a sketchbook on 'Bali Sketches 2009-2012'. Bali is another destination I never tire of. There is always something new to see and sketch, but I love the temples and in particular the Gunung Kawi 11th century temple, with its moss covered bricks, its colourful painted wooden decorations and sculptures.



A protector at Gunung Kawi Temple. Sketch on handmade paper



INDIA SKETCHING ART TOUR 2013

I am very excited about my holiday sketching art tour to India in November 2013 which is 'Sketching the Highlights of India'. This comprises 13 days travelling from Delhi in the north to Cochin in the south and experiencing and exploring the culture, the people and the country. Details of this trip and an itinerary can be found on my website www.holidaysketching.com.au



Luxury houseboat at Alleppey where the group spends a night aboard



A traditional Kathakali Dance performance

What can be better than to create a visual souvenir of your wonderful experiences?

BOTANICAL ART

I have finished the last painting in a series on botanical art commissions on Australian native plants, and it is now time for me to begin work of my own. I have an incredibly intricate and beautiful Dryandra that is begging to be painted. Not being well does not inspire motivation. So now I have my mojo back I am itching to begin this new work.

DE-CLUTTERING

Yes, I have had to spend a few hours a day moving everything out of my office/studio, in anticipation of my new built-in office. I will be unstoppable then. I have two more weeks to prepare the room, or rather to have moved out my paperwork and art materials, computers etc and have all the current office furniture and desks removed and clean up before the installation. I can do it! For a while it seemed such an insurmountable task, but I kept picturing the finish result. At present everything I have moved out is now in the loungeroom.

I will post some pictures of this at a later date. You would think I was a hoarder if you saw how much I have kept in the office, but it is all necessary and all things I use on an almost daily basis. I have been very disciplined and thrown out things I havent used in years and not likely to use again. Isn't that when you are looking for that particular item that you no longer have?

More later.......



Magazine Article

I am on track with my projects and painting, although there is another commission to complete before I get to my own work.

Yesterday I finished an article for Artists' Palette on Art Tours. This was in response to a readers letter to the magazine. Included in my article I did a step by step demonstration on how to do a pen and wash sketch. I actually had to do the sketch and scan it at various intervals. Luckily it didn't have to be a botanical art painting, which would have taken a week to finish (slotted in with other priorities).

I have two articles coming up shortly in Australian Artist magazine and will let you know when they are published, and also another article due for publication in Back to Basics magazine. It is not the writing that takes the time, but assembling the complimentary images for the articles.

Here is the sketch I completed of a temple entrance at Tirtagangga Water Palace in Bali. This was for my step by step demonstration.

I could spend a month in Bali sketching my way around the island. If only.......



Temple entrace at Tirtagangga Water Palace, Bali



I love the colours, the architecture, the detail and the religious symbolism in the Bali culture.

De-Cluttering

Yesterday afternoon was spent working on a floor plan (on graph paper) of my new built-in office/studio. I have been procrastinating over this, because it all seemed in the "too hard" basket. This was probably because I had so many other projects and work on at the same time, I couldnt find a space in my head to think about measurements, de-cluttering (throwing things out?) and what I needed in my space.

I was happy with my floor plan and I know the builder will have more ideas. I bit the bullet and rang him about the project and now am very excited. I will take some before and after shots to show you the progress. Do not have a starting date yet, as long as it is before Christmas, as I only have a few trips away between now and then, but am extremely busy in 2013.

This morning I will finish marking my students work (this is a fulltime job on its own), enjoy an afternoon at an exhibition opening and perhaps some relaxing tomorrow? Believe it or not, I find what I do relaxing, it is not like work and it is always stimulating and challenging. So think I will begin sorting out some things in my room.

Prioritising - not always easy

There are many facets to my working life so not always easy to prioritise. Why do most things appear to have the same prioity? I am a copious List Maker which helps me through the amount of things I do in a day.

My solution is to work longer and harder, which I need to do to keep ahead of my work, which continually flows in, as well as new ventures, new concepts and wonderful new challenges. I thrive on challenges and love the journey to a new destination (metaphorically speaking). Some say it is the journey, not the destination, but my destinations are the culmination of much planning and hard work, which I enjoy just as much as the journey.... in fact more, as I can actually sit back and relax once I have arrived.

I spent yesterday absorbed in my art. These days it can be a real luxury. I finished off another Bali sketch and have finished the drawing for a new botanical painting, a Banksia biterax, which used to be known as a Dryandra baxteri.

My energies today will be focused on botanical painting, which is my Priority. I think it is also a state of mind, to organise other aspects of your life around this.

I cannot work if the house is untidy. My studio and office are at home and I am usually found there around 6am. I love the quiet time. The birds beginning to wake, the sun slowly rising and sending its warm red glow into the morning sky and reflecting on the water.

Ornate decorative door carving warding off evil spirits. This is on the entrance to one of the
rooms at Le Mayeur Museum in Sanur, Bali.

This is a detail from my sketch above

I love Le Mayeur museum, and it is definately worth a look if you are near Sanur. It is the former home of the Belgium artist Adrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merpres (1880-1958). He arrived in Bali in 1932 and married a beautiful Balinese dancer, Ni Polok. After her death the house was taken over by the Indonesian government to be run as a museum. It has been left as it was when they lived there. Incredible dark carved wooden furniture features in every room, with copies of his paintings, and unfinished paintings adorning every wall.

If you sit and ponder you can picture the life they lead while living in the simple but beautiful house which is right on the beach. Certainly no tourists there then! Take yourself back in time and you can imagine, through the story in his paintings, the lifestyle and happiness that they had.

Keep following my blog as I will be posting images of my new botanical painting. Cant wait to get started this morning.....

Bali journey comes to an end

After an incredible eight days exploring some of the beautiful island of Bali, it has come to an end far too quickly. I am now home, and as many of you could relate, it takes no time at all to slot back into the hustle and bustle of life in the city.

There has been a lot of work to do on return, but just taking it one step at a time, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I finished off a few of my own sketches, which is a luxury for me when I take a group, as my time is spent instructing and not sitting doing my own work.

So I thought I would share a few of my latest sketches with you - as a final farewell to Bali for another year. If any of you readers are interested in doing a Bali Sketching Holiday, join me next September. Details will be on my Holiday Sketching website.



Wonderful sketching subjects:

An evil Barong character.  Quick sketches are initially done with pen. Colour is then applied. This is an excellent way to work, as if time does not permit the sketch to be coloured, it can be done at a later date from working references.



A temple protector. This is a simple black pen sketch with a tonal watercolour wash to give it interest and form.

Wonderful food, and more sketching subjects:-

The food presentation is a feast for the eyes, as well as the palate. Never let a sketching opportunity pass you by, as you may never be this way again....

Wonderful scenery - and this is the last pen and watercolour sketch I did on the last day of the trip. We were staying at the magnificient Rama Candidasa Spa Resort on the east coast of Bali, which is well away from the very busy tourist destinations. What a special way to unwind and relax as we used this hotel for 3 nights as a base to explore more of the area.

This beach was right next to our hotel

And no trip to Bali would be complete without a enjoying a final dinner sitting on the soft sands of Jimbaran Beach, and watching the glowing orb of the sun sinking into the sea.

The setting sun at Jimbaran Beach

This trip to Bali is gone - but not forgotten - and I look forward to more great experiences next year.

Tirtagangga Water Temple

Walking through the entrance to Tirtagangga Water Temple is an absolute feast for the eyes. Stone carvings of all types and sizes are set  around the grounds, many in or around the water features  which are fed by natural spring water. The centrepiece is a tall thin fountain with eleven tiers.

Sculptures and the water fountain at Tirtagangga

We spent the morning there sketching and exploring. The bridges linking water pools were a favourite subject. They projected beautiful reflections over the pools where enormous multi-coloured carp were regularly fed by tourists.

Viv sketching a bridge

Marie Carmen's sketching showing the reflections

A morning did not seem long enough as we began to capture the essence of the place through sketching. It is the most meditative thing to do, and hours happily speed by with no conception of time, only of place.

To finish a perfect morning, a special Balinese lunch was savoured in the restaurtaurant perched high above the temple grounds, with a cooling breeze pervading.

Ann's sketch of the entrace to one of the temples within the Tirtagangga complex.



Gunung Kawi Temple

Early morning at Kintamani volcano was a little misty with the top of the volcano shrouded with clouds. As the sketching group settled on a balcony with unobstructive views, the sun began to shine and, the azure blue of the skies glowed through as the clouds dissipated. What a glorious morning, and a fantastic sketching opportunity.



Sketching Kintamani volcano



Heading back towards Ubud, we experienced the very unique coffee, made from the coffee beans that have been eaten and excreted from a possum like marsupial., the Lahab. The resulting coffee is extremely prized and etremely expensive.

 Mr. Suki, our fantastic guide at the Spice Gardens

A highlight of our trip was sketching at the Gunung Kawi Temple, an 11th century spring temple, one of many in Bali. A spiritual peace pervades the site and I am sure the Gods look on us favourably while we happily sketch some of the many features. 



A Protector,of Gunung Kawi Temple

 

Barong Dancers

The costumes of the Barong dancers were absolutely amazing. Highly layered and incrediblly decorative, they added to the drama and excitement of the dance.The  mesmerising percussion music leads the tone of the story of the dance. Whirling colours, graceful and beautiful Balinese dancers and the age old story of Good and Evil with the Good conquering all. and told beautifully through dance and mime against the backdrop of the temple.



Balinese cast of the Barong dance.

 Myself and the group did some very quick sketches while watching the dancers. Sketching is all about capturing the moment, the colour, the vibrancy and the movement. I am always thrilled by what each person does, as the sketches are so unique and yet capture the spirit of the moment.

More sketches followed after returning to our hotel, mostly by the pool. The are many sculptures surrounding the pool and scatted throughout the hotel grounds. I could spend a week here and never run out of subjects, and all so very different.

Before returning to the hotel we visited a wood carving factory and saw the carvers creating some of their intricate carvings. I believe some of the world's best wood carfers are from Bali and some of the work has to be seen to be believed. Life size stallions rearing and entwined, fishermen casting their nets, complete with fish inside the nets. Alll of these carvings are done from one piece of wood.



Wood carver



Sketching in Bali

I am currently sitting on the terrace of the Tjampuhan Hotel in Ubud, listening to the creek bubbling many metres below, The hotel is situated on a steep hillside with incredible natural forest views. It is serene and amost ethereal and it encapsulates some of the unspoiled countryside of Ubud (which was once a sleepy little hollow).

Bali has not disappointed me this trip - the weather, the people, the ambiance. It is truly a beautiful place to be.

The Barong Dance this morning was both exciting, fast moving and full of colour and sound. Definately a must to see when in Bali.

The balmy weather and cooling soft breeze make the evenings perfect  to relax before heading to dinner.
The group I have this year are doing some great sketches and surprising even themselves. It is wonderful to be able to return from a holiday with a unique visual record of the places you have visited and the many experiences you enjoyed.

I am about to go for a relaxing early evening swim and enjoy the pool which is nestled amongst volcano carvings and enclaves of ferns and colourful tropical plants.

The pool at the Tjanpuhan Hotel, Ubud



Decorative door carvings at Le Mayeur Museum in Sanur.



Bottlebrush Painting

Have finally finished my Callistemon (Bottlebrush) painting. After several months and many interruptions, this commission piece is finally finished. I was becoming quite embarrassed by the amount of time it took. It was for a special person so am now anxious to deliver it.

In my following posts I will show you the processes that went in to this painting.

Finally a little window of time (before I leave for Bali where I am taking a Sketching group) and want to begin a painting of my own.

My recent tutoring at Sturt Winter School in Mittagong produced some wonderful new specimens which I am anxious to begin.