Sketching Historic Norfolk Island

This was an idyllic week, pen and wash sketching with a fabulous group of ten enthusiastic participants. Every road on the island took us to yet another panoramic and beautiful location.

 

The light was wonderful, with morning sketches catching the early light on ocean, cliffs and beaches, while the afternoon light from the same location gave a golden glow but the scene was perfect to sketch looking in the opposite direction.

 

And the sunsets were amazing. One evening I collected orders of fish and chips (which were some of the best we have ever had!) and we all sat on the clifftop of Puppies Point watching the sun rapidly sink into the sea.

 



The lookouts on the island afforded uninterrupted views, but - as lookouts tend to be - were a little windy. Once the group began their sketches the wind was forgotten while recording the beauty of the place.

 

Sketching at Anson Bay

My pen and wash sketching tours focus entirely on the individual participants. My teaching philosophy is that everyone pays the same amount and everyone has the same amount of my time and individual tuition.

 

While it is not a sketching holiday for me in the sense I spend it teaching and not sketching myself, I do manage to find some spare time to do some quick sketches, even if they are only outlines, and I can work from the photos at a later time. Well, in theory this sounds feasible, but in reality I often dont get the time to revisit the photos, despite every good intention. Life just gets in the way once back home. However I do travel extensively without groups so that is "my time".

 

I loved the view overlooking Kingston and the penal colony from Queen Elizabeth Lookout, which also took in Philip and Nepean Islands. Every person dipicted this is a very different way, from a slightly different place.

 

Each sketching session finished with a review of what had been done. This not only helps as I give lots of advice and comments about what works and how it can be made even better - but everyone also benefits from looking at how the others approached the scene.



Sketches from Captain Cook Lookout



 

I only take a maximum of ten participants, which ensures the maximum of learning opportunities. So have booked the next tour for 2-9 March 2015.  It was a truly fabulous week in all ways.