Sketching Sri Lanka

I have recently returned from an amazing sketching tour to Sri Lanka, where I took 12 very motivated and enthusiastic sketchers, and one photographer.

The scenery was incredibly beautiful and each day was a new adventure. We travelled at a very relaxed pace and stayed 2 and 3 nights in each hotel, all with outstanding accommodation.

Here are a few photos of some of the highlights of the trip.  Actually I could not single out only one, as each destination was spectacular.

 Elephants cooling off at the Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawala

 Me sketching with some of the group. We did one or two sketches everyday, as well as plenty of sightseeing.

 I love this photo! We were at the archaeological ruins of the Ancient Kingdom at Polonnaruwa, and a mischevious little monkey had stolen an ice cream. I managed to capture him actually licking this ice cream with great enjoyment.

 Some of the group sketching the Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Most of us climbed to the caves to see the beautiful frescos.

 A stilt fisherman at a beach out of Kandy. Didn't actually catch much while we were there, but he certainly looked quite comfortable.

Some tea plantations in the hills above Kandy.

A fire eater at a cultural performace. There was also fire walkers and of course cultural dancing.

SOME OF MY SKETCHES

 At elephant orphanage

 Black line sketch of some of the archaeological ruins at the Ancient Kingdom.

Perhaps you can be tempted to join me on another tour to Sri Lanka in March 2021.

Botanical Art Exhibition in Sydney

The Royal Botanical Gardens Sydney is currently holding its annual 'Botanica' exhibition. This exhibition celebrates 20 years of Australia's leading contemporary botanical artists and their paintings.  It runs from 30 March until 14th April 2019 at the Lion Gate Lodge at the Gardens in Sydney.

I was thrilled when four of my five paintings were the first to sell on opening night. They all have a story to tell, and were all a labour of love.  Last year was an extremely busy year for me, so I surprised myself when I managed to complete five painting, two of them very large.

Eucalyptus vinimalis

 Last year I took a sketching group to the Flinders Ranges which was called 'The Hans Heyson Trail',  While there we visited Hahndorf and explored the famous 'Cedars' which was Hans Heyson's home and studio. I fell in love with the beautiful Eucalyptus vinimalis, commonly known as Manna Gum, with their peeling bark and beautiful colours.

I decided I would paint this once I returned home and only a large scale painting would do justice to its beauty and majesty. Mostly I painted it on the dining room table, but would occasionally put it on a vertical surface where I could get better perspective on what I was doing.

This was the result. I included the background as this was actually where it was growing, just outside the Cedars with others trees in the background.  I loved every minute of painting this subect!

 Here is a photo of me on opening night with the Sold sticker. I know the new owner of this painting will love it as much as I did.

Grevillea victoriae

 For the Botanica exhibition 2018 I painted and sold a much smaller painting (below) of the Grevillea victoriae, where I had collected the specimen when staying with a friend in Uralla, NSW. So it also had a special significance. Below is also the habitat background which I also love painting.

If you look at the larger painting above, you can probably see that it is an enlargement of some of the buds from the painting below, but enlarged x10. The large finished painting was 580mm wide x 760 mm high.

 And last but not least I sold the three bankia paintings below. They were framed separately and were approximately A5 size, which is perfect as it is easy to find a spot of a wall. These three were actually the very first paintings sold on opening night at Botanica.

I am about to start work on a new painting which will be for the Florilegium Society of the Botanical Gardens of Sydney and will be for the prestigious 2020 exhibition celebrating 200 year since Banks and Solander were in Sydney collecting specimens.

So I will keep you posted on how this new painting progresses.

Beechworth Victoria Sketching Workshop

On a beautiful Spring weekend, I held a sketching working in the heritage town of Beechworth Victoria.

I have been going there for many years teaching workshops, and the history of the town and area always excites me.

The newly formed Mayday Hills Art Society has renovated buildings in the Mayday Hills estate in Beechworth. The society is going from strength to strength, with not only workshop areas, but artist studios to rent, a theatre, exhibition space, art library, and the list goes on. And it is run by an amazing group of volunteers.

A group of 12 enthusiastic students were both inspired and motivated on their weekend. Here are just a few of their sketches. What talent some of the students have, and every sketch is really a work of art and skill.

Students sketches of the Beechworth gaol, and part of the Mayday Hills estate.

Sketching the former wardens house at Beechworth Gaol

Sketching the telegraph office in Ford Street. Built in 1858

The flowers were in full bloom, and I have rarely seem more glorious displays. The town obviously prides itself on its gardens and the mixed varieties were magnificent. Many species I had not seen before, and the tulips and irises glowed in the brilliant sunlight.

These blooms deserved to be 'honored' and enthusiastically painted. I felt very passionate about these blooms.

So I am running a weekend Botanical Art Workshop at the Mayday Hills Art Society, Beechworth on 17th and 18th September 2019, called what else but 'Beechworth in Bloom'.

Another workshop for 'Landscapes of Beechworth'  will be held on 14th and 15th September 2019.

The surrounding hills and trees are really unique, and every time I drove through them, I thought they would be wonderful to sketch. So  the workshop is now in place.

Please contact for any further information on either of the workshops or accommodation  

Flinders Ranges and Hahndorf

I have just returned from a wonderful nine days travelling and sketching through the Flinders Ranges and spending some time in Hahndorf.

Fourteen enthusiastic artists produced some amazing sketching during this time. We normally did one sketch in the morning and another during the afternoon, with a review as closure on the days work.

We were blessed with incredible weather - cooler in the evenings and mornings and daytime temperatures around 20-25 with a few quite hot days. Sitting in the shade of trees there was always a cooling breeze so all in all, it suited everyone.

At Hahndorf, South Australia

We travelled in comfort with Aussie Redback Tours and almost had the comforts of home. Their trailer was equipped with a kitchen and barbeque hotplate, so wherever we were there was tea, coffees and delicious cakes and slices. On occasion we enjoyed delicious gourmet sausages in rolls on the barbeque. Nothing was too much trouble.

Our first major stop was Burra which is 160km north of Adelaide where we spent another two nights. It is an historic copper town the 'the merino capital of the world'.  It was declared a state heritage town in 1994. There are so many historic buildings to sketch and it also has the Redruth Gaol, which later became a womens refortatory. The movie Breaker Morant was filmed at the Goal. 

Sketching within the gaol compound.

The next three nights was spent at Rawnsley Park Station, which has spectacular views of Wilpena Pound and was the perfect place for exploring South Australia's Flinders Ranges.

There were kangaroos outside our rooms as the sun rose behind the bluffs.

Leonie giving a demonstration

Historic Blinman was our next stop. It is the highest town in south Australia and began with the discovery of copper in 1859. Blinman may be small in population but it is huge in interest and history.

Leonie with demonstration sketch

Historic bush house in Blinman

 The last two nights of the art tour were in Hanhdorf, and the highlight was spending the day at 'The Cedars'  which was Hans Heysen's property. It had magnificent gardens and bushland and his studio was the first purpose built studio in Australia. We also did a tour of his house which remains as it always was.

Sketching Hans Heyson's studio

The studio

Leonie giving a review in Hahndorf

Sketching St Pauls Church in Handorf. Hans Heyson rented a cottage in 1908 in the block next door.

Some of the student's sketches.

It was a really great trip.  My next sketching tour with Aussie Redback tours is to Broome, which will be another wonderful trip. It is 6-13 July 2019.

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.

Grafton Workshop April 2018

I spent the most enjoyable week in Grafton teaching a group of lovely ladies how to paint their chosen subject. The workshop was Plants & Pollinators: the Birds and the Bees.

There are several reasons I do this and not have every student paint the same subject.

• They can paint a subject they are passionate about
• They are not forced to paint a subject with no relevance to their preferences
• They receive absolute individual tuition so all necessary techniques and methods are clearly understood and demonstrated
• They gain confidence as to how to complete their own paintings once they return home
• They understand the workshop is not about producing a finished painting, but learning HOW to correctly complete a finished painting

Here are a few photos from the workshop of some of the student's paintings. 

Krysia's  painting

Felicity's eucalyptus - nearly finished

Grace's finished Strelitzia reginae - Bird of Paradise

The class enjoying morning tea. I am third from bottom left.

Hilary's painting of an Eastern Spinebill bird on a banksia. Almost finished

Janet painting her New Holland Honeyeater on a banksia. 

Jenny's first washes finished. 

The Coldstream Gallery at Ulmarra held a tutors exhibition during the week. There was wonderful response from the locals as well as tutors and students. A great opening night.

I am second from left, with Hilary, Jude and Janet.

I will be back in Grafton in 2020, and look forward to another rewarding week.

Grevillea victoriae - large painting

I enjoyed my previous painting of the Grevillea victoriae so much that I decided to do a large scale painting of the actual florescence. There are so many interesting growing formations and various hues which respond beautifully to transparent overglazing to make them glow.

I have been working diligently every day and set myself a goal to do each day, which helps me to focus and manage my time efficiently.

Here are some of the stages of the painting. It is large scale on a half sheet of 640gsm Arches watercolour paper, which is a joy to work on.

I am also experimenting with some new brushes - da Vinci Maestro series #10 which you will see in one of the images. So far, so good. They are not expensive, are retaining their lovely points and are comfortable to use.

The painting to too large to fit comfortably on my painting desk in the studio, so I have moved to the dining room table. Love the light here.

My original colour matches and basic colour study

My initial first washes

 

I love working on the detail

I leave on Saturday to teach a 5-day workshop in Grafton, NSW, so this is another incentive to get as much done as I can on this painting before I leave.

Will post more as the painting continues to progress.