A step back in time on the road to Canberrra

I recently stopped off at one of my favourite places, Marulan, a little village off the main highway between Sydney and Canberra. It has some interesting history, including bushrangers holding up traffic travelling north to Sydney from the Southern goldfields. Each time I stop there I take the chance to draw some of the historic buildings on its main street, adding to my Marulan set in an 8 x 5” Moleskine.

I can never resist a tin shed … something about the rust? Certainly they have character! And I love the old Billy Tea signage on it.

The buildings that make up Baldock's general store are classic Australian style with the galvanised shed alongside the shop and residence. It was built in the 1870s with a well at the back that was one of only three that were Marulan’s main water supply in those days.

The Marulan Butchery, built in 1878, has been a butcher’s shop ever since! At one time it was Feltham’s Butchery and apparently Granny Feltham was still a good butcher at age 93!
 The Victorian Stone Shop beside it was a grocery store, with a blacksmith’s at the back. The front gable has a window used when heavy stores were winched to the loft from the horse drawn wagon below. I read that at one time there was even a skating rink at the rear of the shop!

There are still more buildings for me to draw next time I pass through … a good excuse to go on a road trip again!

Coastal Urban Mandies at Tallwood

My morning coffee is usually at Tallwood Mollymook (South Coast NSW)
This morning it was freezing. So after a surf I went to Tallwood and did a sketch.
Back in pattern I hope.

A coffee e (Piccolo) a glass of water, my phone for perceived emergencies, a bowl of mandarines and my moleskin watercolour. Go ahead. And I did.
Just do it.
Cheers

Kuala Lumpur sketches

In between catching up with family and friends while in Kuala Lumpur recently, I was able to sketch a little. I left Kuala Lumpur to move to Australia over a decade ago, and while I was living over there I was not drawing much. So being able to draw these two Kuala Lumpur icons was quite special (even somewhat emotional) to me.

The Petronas Twin Towers has 88 floors and was once the tallest in the world. It was built when I was living in Kuala Lumpur. In fact, my office was across the road and I saw the building whenever I was in the city. But I never realised the structure of the building until I began to draw it.

I also never realised how beautiful the towers are – even more beautiful in the rain. I was caught in a heavy downpour one night and cannot resist taking this photo of the towers glowing in the dark.

The Kuala Lumpur Tower is another structure built when I was in KL. It’s a communications tower, and a popular tourist destination. I must admit that I have not really been there except for a drive around the surrounding area. Isn’t strange that we don’t explore the places that are close to us? Well, maybe one day when I am in KL again, I will go up to the observation deck and take in the view of KL.

The Lightship Carpentaria

Just realised I forgot to post my sketch from the National Maritime Museum a couple of weeks ago. I love this ship. It is a lightship. Trivia: a lightship's birthday is the anniversary of the day the light was first turned on. This one was on duty on the Queensland coast for many years, and now is at Darling Harbour. It is the brightest of bright vermilions. It is one of those things I like to draw at least once a year. My waterbrush was playing up and flooding the paper at times. A warning to me to take a new one on my travels.
I drew this back in 2010, as seen here, with the light falling on it in different ways.  Then I turned one of the sketches into a solar plate etching which (so far) I have printed in two different colours.

I am always happy to draw this little ship. It has such a strange barrel-like shape that it is always a challenge.

Cockatoo Island and the Pipes Book

 I spent last Saturday at Cockatoo Island. We went out on an early ferry and though it was a beautiful day, it was cold on the ferry. A sign that autumn is coming.  I wanted to do some more work on my Pipes Book. I started it nearly a year ago, but a lot has happened since then. You can see what the cover looks like and read more about it here. It has ten pages in a concertina format and this image is of five of them, pretty much complete. I am keen to get back there and sketch some more, though with winter coming it gets cold out there on the harbour.

I have located many wonderful pipes in my local area, and the book is not totally devoted to Cockatoo Island, so as long as I can sketch outside I can proceed with the book. The trick will be to know when I have finished and leave enough white space, balanced throughout the ten pages.

Just time for another sketch before catching the ferry back to Circular Quay. The sun was hot by this time and we needed to be in the shade, so went inside the Industrial Precinct to sketch another one of the machines there. 

Drumming in Abu Dhabi

In February I was given the exciting opportunity to travel to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to play with TaikOz. Most of the time we had rehearsals and the actual performances. But I managed to sketch inbetween everything and in the afternoons when we had time to ourselves. Here is a selection of my sketches, if you would like to see the rest please click on this link to my blog post.

Cheers,
Meegan.

Industrial Precinct at Cockatoo Island

The sky was dark when I got to Cockatoo Island. Rather than start sketching outside and getting rained on before I finished, I headed straight for the Industrial Precinct. I had been longing to go back there to sketch for a long time, so I was happy.

Soon afterwards  all other sound was drowned out by the noise of the rain on the roof. The other sketchers soon came pouring in.

I wish I could say I knew what these machines were for, but I don't. I do thank Cockatoo Island for rearranging things so it is possible to get right up to each machine, rather than back behind a fence, as previously.

There is so much to sketch there inside the buildings. I can't wait to go back.

We had lunch on the island and caught the ferry back to the city. We got drowned waiting to board the ferry, as we hadn't realised how many intrepid passengers would be coming off the ferry  to visit the island in such rain.   

Lamy Safari pen and Prismacolour pencils in handmade book of toned papers.

Trip to the South Coast

This is the view from the RSL Club (Returned Services) in the main street of Huskisson on the South Coast of New South Wales. The club is total waterfront with the most amazing view. Our first evening there, we went in to see if they would allow us admittance which they kindly did. There is a small narrow lounge along the water side of the club. For the next two evenings we went back with our sketchbooks in our hands (and a glass of wine also).

I was using my Stillman and Birn Delta Series sketchbook for the first time on that trip and I was delighted with it. The paper is robust and the book is robust. The wind comes up in the afternoons in Huskisson and because the book is spiral bound I could fold it back on itself and hold it firmly. The first sketch has watercolour underpainting and was done with Lamy Safari pen.


This sketch was underpainted with watercolour, then I used a Derwent Sketching pencil and a waterbrush. I think pen works better, because of the added contrast. An unexpected side effect was that my Noodlers Ink dried instantaneously on the Delta Series paper. Now that's a bonus.

My third sketch of Hyams Beach only sneaks in as 'urban' by the skin of it's teeth, because that is the Australian Naval College there in the distance.