A wet day isn’t so good for plein air gouache but it works fine in the car (which is almost as good if a little cramped). The sun came out right at the last minute. Gouache on paper, 21x30cm.
Bindoon is a tiny one-petrol-station town north of Perth.
Another plein air study in Malaga (an industrial area near Perth, Western Australia not the one in Spain). Mid winter here, not too cold, but drizzling rain and windy.
Painting in such conditions is a little more athletic than normal because it’s necessary to hold onto the easel at all times. Let go and it will probably fall over. Cleaning or changing brushes – the spare brushes are in my bag, the turp pot next to it – are on the ground at my feet. You will need to imagine the contortions.
July saw in the beginning of another new sketchbook – this one a Moleskine watercolour. The paper is great – no buckling… The cover is sturdy and I really like the elastic closure. The only issue is the wide format – I like it well enough for drawing and enjoyed the composition challenge. It feels cinematic. Extremely so when drawing across the gutter as I often do. The hassle is scanning it – solved by making time at work to use a large format scanner…
All Winsor & Newton watercolour, graphite and Uniball gel pen.
Joondalup Library in watercolourGovernor Stirling SHS in watercolourIndustrial area bins after the storm, Malaga, Western Australia in watercolourIndustrial area office, Malaga, Western Australia in watercolourIndustrial area office, Malaga, Western Australia in watercolour
Quick catch-up with a few from June. Slowly getting the hang of balancing a sketchbook and watercolour kit on the steering wheel. All Winsor Newton Bijou box watercolour and Uniball Vision Micro pen (or sepia Pitt pen) in a Stillman & Birn Epsilon sketchbook. I’m beginning to think its not possible to get a smooth wash with a waterbrush on this paper – probably not getting it wet enough.
Malaga factory watercolour
Bullsbrook netball courts in watercolour
Wierd phone box, Warwick. Watercolour.Ballajura rust bucket in watercolour
Another hot lunch. As in it was hot in the car at lunch time while I drew instead of eating…
Note to self and anyone else who needs to know – the Uniball Eye UB157 in green is NOT waterproof. I assumed it would be because the same pen in black (both the Fine and Micro versions) are. Grrr. Check the pen – if it doesn’t say “Waterproof/Fade Proof” above the logo it probably ain’t…
Watercolour and Uniball Eye Fine (green) in a Stillman & Birn 8.5×5.5″ Epsilon sketchbook.
Uniball Eye Fine (green) is not waterproof
Tried again with the more reliable sepia Pitt pen and watercolour.
Escaped for an hour at lunch time to hide behind the Ballajura library for a couple of quick ones.
All watercolour and Uniball Vision Micro in a Stillman & Birn 8.5×5.5″ Epsilon sketchbook.
Ballajura recreation centre in watercolour
Then moved the car to get a view of this bus stop. I’ve had a go at a couple of the old concrete ones recently, now this metal one. I think I’m collecting.
I spent yesterday morning, not at work, but waiting outside a strange school. Strange as in one that we would not normally attend, not as in odd or unusual. Perhaps someone from a big city elsewhere in the world might think a picture showing a wall of wild greenery was a strange image to be labelled “school”.
Inside, my son, and not doubt other, final year students are sitting their mid-year music performance exam. I guess there aren’t enough students at his own high school to hold it there. So here I am in the hills above Perth sitting outside a school almost hidden by trees waiting while somewhere in there a kid plays Bach and Khachaturian on some old banger of a piano… There’s something incongruous about the formality of classical music beautifully played under difficult circumstances in such a wild place.
The only sound I hear is the chorus of birdsong coming from the trees.
Both Uniball Vision Micro, watercolour and black pencil in a Stillman & Birn 8.5×5.5″ Epsilon sketchbook.
Helena College driveway in watercolour
The three round things at the top of this drawing are whirlybirds – a type of roof ventilation – which are supposed to make a building cooler. I don’t think they help much under corrugated iron when it gets really hot…
A warm day even though it’s the middle of winter and almost the shortest day. I stole a few hours to draw, heading north to Bindoon with a packed lunch and thermos, to find a shady spot for some much needed solitude under some gum trees – similar to those that dominate both drawings. For a change, both were finished on site, rather than just getting the drawing and adding colour or tone later. As usual I get comfortable first then look around for a subject… in both drawings I began drawing and later had a vehicle get in the way. I accepted the additions and included them. Both from the same spot looking in different directions.
Watercolour and Derwent coloursoft pencil in a Stillman & Birn 8.5×5.5″ Epsilon sketchbook.
Bindoon park in watercolour
Uniball Vision Micro and watercolour in a Stillman & Birn 8.5×5.5″ Epsilon sketchbook.