Sktchy30 - The halfway mark, meeting the challenge

There are plenty of challenges around. A recent one was #oneweek100 people; there's the 365 day drawing challenge; Celebrate ink in Inktober, etc. Frequently, I have started a challenge with enthusiasm and optimism only to abandon it halfway through. Sometimes it was due to the choice of prompts which were uninspiring (to me) sometimes other matters took priority.

When the Sktchy app came up with #Sktchy30 I thought that it was something I could achieve more easily than most of the other challenges. Each day a prompt from Sktchy arrives in my inbox. As an example, describe the rituals that get you creating; incorporating play into your work; the use of  colour; describe your workplace/studio environment.

Since the email arrives in Australia in the afternoon(early morning in the US) most of the day has passed before the prompt arrives. I prefer to start drawing early or even the day before which make using the prompt difficult. So I decided from the beginning to create my own challenge:

• to see if I could use a different medium or try a different technique each day.
• If time was an issue on a particular day then the sketch would be quick 5/10 minutes
• If I had more time on another day, and had already completed a sketch, I would start something more ambitious to complete another day.

If I'm working later in the day and I can incorporate the prompt that is a bonus. So far the prompts have been more motivational than a specific theme or subject and my plan is working. I also remembered a toned sketchbook that I had hardly used. Experimenting with various mediums on this surface has been an interesting exercise. I think I might even grow fond of the paper! 

Here are some of the work created during the last two weeks. 

 

Watercolour on Alpha paper

 '

Gouache on Alpha paper

Quick contour drawing - ink and wash

 

Digital drawing - Procreate

 

Colour added - Procreate

 

Gouache on Strathmore toned paper 

Experimenting with masking fluid and watercolour 

 

Mark Rothko - screenshot from a video about the artist

 

Portrait of Evelyn Nesbit - gouache on toned paper

Gouache on toned paper

 

Digital drawing - Procreate

 

Ballpoint pen, white ink and gouache

Portraits on Etsy

Drawing portraits using the Sktchy app has been a rewarding experience. Some of these have now been added to my Etsy shop. These are listed in a section for Original Portraits. This is the link

Although strictly speaking this painting is not a proper portrait in the true sense of the definition it's one of my favourites.

 Leaping - watercolour on Canson Montval Rough 270gsm 10" x 11"

The portraits are done on watercolour paper and will be shipped unframed in a secure waterproof padded bag to keep postage costs down. 

An additional option is to commission a portrait using your own photograph. Please contact me directly to discuss this.

Cafe Sketching and The Brisbane Collective

I love Café sketching - there’s good coffee on hand and interesting things to sketch too.

Earlier in 2014 I did a sketch at Shutter & Brew and posted the image on Instagram. You can see this sketch here. This led to contact with a local magazine editor, Megan Starr-Thomas.

The Brisbane Collective is a volunteer run arts network supporting Brisbane Creatives. I was asked to do something for the January issue of the magazine. I decided to return to Shutter and Brew for a new sketch which TBC magazine featured in a full page illustration in the Home Grown edition of TBC Magazine. This issue and previous editions are available online here.

Shutter and Brew - ink and watercolour Beta Sketchbook ©2015 Carol Lee Beckx

Remember to click on bold pink text for the various links...

Sketching in Sydney

I have had such a lovely start to the year with ten days exploring Sydney. I stayed with an artist friend and it was so good to re-connect after a number of years. Ages ago we worked together on illustrations for school readers published by Juta & Co. one of the oldest publishing houses in South Africa.

My previous experience of Sydney had been limited to a few fly-overs and the airport so everything was new and exciting. One of our first activities was a visit to MCA - the Museum of Contemporary Art to see the exhibition of work by Chuck Close - that visit is a post all on its own coming soon.

On making contact with the sketchers from USK Sydney, I was warmly welcomed. 
Jane Blundell, a talented watercolour artist, kindly took me on an expedition to Cockatoo Island for the day. Since the sun was really fierce we found refuge inside a large warehouse to paint sections of the interior. 

After a coffee break, I opted to stay at the Café since I had a perfect view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and an old crane.

Sydney Harbour Bridge from Cockatoo Island ink and watercolour

A planned trip to draw Balmoral beach, which was crowded with holiday makers, became a visit to Chowder Bay and the East Coast Lounge, a picturesque refuge complete with comfort and good coffee. (At heart I think I am really a comfort sketcher.) If you scroll through the photos on their website you’ll get the idea.

Jetty at Chowder Bay and view from the East Coast Lounge - ink and watercolour

A side trip up to the Northern Beaches was equally enjoyable. I stayed at a charming airbnb - Collaroy Beach House. It was very comfortable and my host was so hospitable. She went out of her way to make my stay pleasant. I highly recommend her home if you visit the area.


On Saturday I met up with sketchers from Sydney. We had fun capturing the 1938 Art Deco Collaroy Cinema, shared a good laugh over lunch, and then I enjoyed a lovely time with Suzi - Vignettes de la Vie - talking art and life. Please do have a look at her blog and her photos on Instagram too.

Collaroy Cinema ink and watercolour 

The Incinerator in Willoughby, was originally a working refuse incinerator now converted Café and Gallery was designed by Walter Burley Griffin in the 1930s. He designed a number of houses in Castle Crag utilizing the plentiful stone in the area and incorporating the native bushland into his designs.

 Looking out - The Incinerator lunch - ink and watercolour

  Lunch at The Incinerator was one of the highlights of my trip as Dee and I were joined by a very special sketcher - Liz Steel. We had a great time, chatting about all things art. Of course we sketched, drank tea and enjoyed cake too. Liz, magically, with her usual speed and well-practised skill produced three sketches in record time. You can read her account here: Lunch in an incinerator

Sadly all good times come to an end. I had such a wonderful time and look forward to a return visit sometime soon.

You can view my Sydney sketches here on Flickr.

I think the sketchbook used for this trip will become a favourite - love the square format. my only concern is that the light linen cover marks quite easily when out on location.

All Sydney sketches were done in a Hand*Book watercolour Journal 8.25" x 8.25" 200gsm

More artichokes

Recently I posted a painting of an artichoke along with other flowers on my blog. I was approached by Stillman & Birn, the sketchbook manufacturer, who wanted to feature this painting on their blog. I am honoured to have my sketch acknowledged in this way. 

You can see this post here.

I thought it would be interesting to re-visit previous artichoke drawings and paintings.  

The first one is a miniature  - very fine detail using a tiny brush, most likely 5/0 sable.

Artichokes

Miniature diameter of image 50mm (2 inches)

Dimensions of wooden frame 90mm x 90mm (3.5 in x 3.5 in)

Artichoke - watercolour on Arches paper

This drawing was done using a Noodler’s Konrad Flex pen with Noodler’s #41 Brown ink. The wash has been created using a water brush while the ink was still wet. 

Artichokes watercolour on Arches paper 

Image size 170mm x 120mm 

Artichokes - Framed

And here is the painting that Stillman & Birn featured in their blog post:

Artichoke - ink and watercolour Alpha series Sketchbook

Soon some of these will be available as prints in my Etsy shop. I'll post details here and on Facebook when these are ready.

Open House Brisbane 2014 - a visit to Toonarbin

Open House Brisbane is an annual event allowing the public a glimpse of Brisbane's historic and architectural treasures.

On Saturday afternoon I spent a most enjoyable hour visiting one of Brisbane's oldest houses - Toonarbin. The house was built around the mid 1860s by Benjamin Backhouse and sold to Captain Henry O'Reilly. Yes it's the same O'Reilly of the Bonded Stores in Margaret Street that were recently felled by the demolisher's wrecking ball.  

Those of us who won a place on the tour, were able to see inside. The owners generously led us on a tour of the whole house, telling the story of its original owners and the subsequent changes over the years.

Three generations of the O'Reilly family lived in the house, buying up the surrounding land down to the river and on either side until the property measured 24 acres. Subsequently, land was sold off and in 1926 the property was sold to the Catholic Church. 
Many alterations changed the house considerably, in fact the original house was hidden by the extensive verandas and the red brick cladding present today.  Countless partitions divided the interior to accommodate the Sisters of Mercy Convent to the extent that at one time there were 17 bedrooms - granted most were very small!

The best part of this story is that of the current owners.They have lovingly and painstakingly restored this historic building. They took down the partitions; stripped paint off cedar window frames; re-created ceiling roses and cornices. Craftsmen skilled in these almost forgotten trades have been employed to restore every room. Every care has been made to honour the heritage of this lovely house.   

Toonarbin Ink and watercolour S&B Beta sketchbook

I arrived about 40 minutes before the scheduled tour time and found a very convenient bus stop bench directly opposite Toonarbin. This position was ideally situated for me to do a sketch while waiting. Once the tour was over and we reluctantly made way for the next group, I crossed the road and added watercolour to my earlier sketch from the comfort of the bus stop bench.  

Brisbane Sketchers feature on The Great South East show.

Here is a link to a video of The Great South East . Brisbane sketchers were filmed on location in Post Office Square recently. A big thank you to Harry Ting who recorded the segment for our group.
I was one of them giving some drawing tips to presenter Blair Allsop. He's one of the Brisbane Greeters - a group of friendly folk who show visitors around our beautiful city.

The Segment opens with some of my sketches. The film crew went to a few locations to show the buildings and the sketches together.

Queensland Parliament House - ink and watercolour Zeta sketchbook

Queen Victoria and the Treasury Casino Hotel - ink and watercolour Zeta Sketchbook

While waiting for the TV crew I did a preparatory sketch using Noodlers #41 Brown and a waterbrush for the wash.

GPO preparatory sketch - ink and wash Alpha sketchbook

And here is the completed sketch done on the day. The text and buildings in the background were added after the film crew left.

Brisbane GPO ink and watercolour Zeta sketchbook

Sketching in King George Square, Brisbane

Yesterday was a perfect day for sketching. I caught a bus into the City to join USK BNE sketchers in King George Square. As I walked along Ann Street and came to the square I realised that I had previously overlooked a small park to the side of the Albert Street Uniting Church, complete with benches and shade. It was a pleasant place to sketch. The sun came out from behind a building to blind me as I was almost finished the sketch so I moved into some shade higher up to complete it.

Albert Street Uniting Church Brisbane - ink and watercolour S&B Beta sketchbook

My process was to put down loose watercolour brushstrokes defining the main shapes of the church. As these dried I added the details with my favourite Noodlers #41 Brown ink in a Noodlers Konrad Flex pen - it's a good combination. The watercolour wash behind the Church is an indication of some of the modern high rise buildings that dwarf it.

This Church is one of a number of buildings in the City that will form part of Open House Brisbane in October.

I moved across to the square to chat to the others and as it wasn’t quite time for coffee, I did two more drawings. A sculpture of a Kangaroo family was done using a quick contour drawing with a wash of ink.

Roos in King George Square ink and wash S&B Alpha skethcbook

Brisbane City Hall is imposing and complex so I decided to concentrate on the Clock tower. After adding the blue watercolour for the sky I decided to leave the buildings unpainted. 

Clock Tower Brisbane City Hall ink and watercolour S&B Beta Sketchbook

After our break I wandered into the City Hall and went to have a look at the Brisbane Museum. This was renovated recently and is a wonderful space commemorating this beautiful city. My time there was too short but I did manage a quick sketch of the view through one of the windows. Green trees can be glimpsed through the intricate iron work that frames the window on the outside of the building.

Window,Brisbane Museum - ink and watercolour S&B alpha sketchbook

Fun with Flowers

Flowers are always fun to draw so here are a few more. And since it’s almost Spring here it’s a timely subject. I wish I could say that the Artichoke was from life but it is from some lovely photos I took on a friend’s farm some years ago.

I went to a local Florist looking for some flowers for a class. Walking into their cold room is a treat -such a feast of colour and fragrance. I was hoping for some sunflowers but no luck - all sold out. 

I explained that I didn’t necessarily need a whole bunch so I was kindly allowed to rescue some from the “leftovers” trolley

The Lizzianthus was part of the bunch .Love the double “zz” - when I googled the spelling Wiki came up with “s” which is so tame. Now my spellcheck insists on “zz” - too late to change my sketch. I used some FW Acrylic inks applying the purple first with a brush, then switched to a dip pen for the lines. The strange little smudge in the lower corner is a failed chop. I had it made years ago in Hong Kong. The red ink has turned into a weird sticky mess so thought I would break with tradition and try a pink stamp pad instead. I need more practise getting enough ink on the chop…

The Blushing Bride was a last minute addition. I was standing at the counter when I saw a posy with these flowers. I was so tempted to buy a bunch but then the assistant walked to the other side of the shop and brought back this little sprig - it was destined for the bin. 

All these sketches were done in a Stillman and Birn Alpha sketchbook, landscape format. I wasn’t too sure about the orientation to begin with but I must admit it’s growing on me.

Nasturtiums in Watercolour

In one of the classes in my Studio we have been looking at Still Life - and painting from life too. It makes such a difference when you really look at something; examine the shapes; enjoy the colours; and appreciate the light shining through petals on a flower.

Nasturtiums I ink and watercolour Alpha Sketchbook

I prevailed on one of the artists to leave her beautiful nasturtiums for me to paint over the weekend. Since I have a new colour - Schmincke Translucent Orange - it seemed fitting to use watercolour. 

Nasturtiums II ink watercolour Alpha Sketchbook

                                     Nasturtiums III watercolour Alpha Sketchbook

I enjoyed trying a few variations - ink then watercolour; watercolour on its own for quick, free flowing colour; and lastly a more careful painting. I planned to add a few more shadows however life got in the way and when I looked a few days later, the flowers were past their prime. Life is fleeting.

 I found a delightful poem to complete the page.

Deja` Bru Cafe`

I had been living in my home for about a year when Deja Bru Café opened in the shopping centre a couple of hundred meters from my house. One day while I was having coffee and chatting to the owner, somehow the conversation turned to what I was doing - working as an artist and teaching art. Jess asked me if I could do a painting with a French theme as she was looking for something for the wall of the Café. 

Back in the studio I did a few ink sketches of Paris scenes in my sketchbook - the Eiffel Tower, some Parisienne buildings and a few French pastries. A few days later, when having another coffee, I produced the sketches.

 I was asked:

"Can you do some café  scenes? - And "The painting needs to be quite big... "

So the process for creating the large paintings for Deja Bru began. You can read all about it  here, and here and view the completed painting here. 

Better still if you live in Brisbane drop in for coffee. Deja Bru Cafe` is in McDowall Village Centre on the corner of Hamilton and Beckett Roads, McDowall 4053.

A few weeks ago I was at Deja Bru and had my large Zeta sketchbook with me. I decided to do a sketch, and remembering Tommy Kane’s approach to drawing, this was the type of drawing where I could take my time. Also, I could include all the many little details that make this such a unique place. 

The drawing was done over a number of visits, whenever I could get a table with the right view. After a few visits, I often found that some items were moved to a different shelf as Jess tweaked the décor! In desperation I took a couple of photos for reference so I didn't have to move them in my drawing!

Deja Bru Cafe - ink and watercolour Zeta sketchbook 300mm x 420mm

Once the ink drawing was complete I started adding watercolour. Some parts have remained black and white - I like the contrast between the splashes of colour and the stark ink lines.

Deja Bru Cafe` celebrated its second birthday last week. How time flies, and how lucky am I to have this little treasure on my doorstep?

And I have an extra reason to be so grateful to the team at Deja Bru - last week while having breakfast with some friends, I dropped my pen case containing both my old and precious Waterman and my favourite Lamy Safari pens! I was frantic as you can imagine and searched high and low re-tracing my steps that day.

Fortunately for me, when the boys were clearing up they found my case and kept it safely for me. Thank you, boys, for your honesty.

Tea Time at My Beautiful Things

Research is such fun, especially when you discover interesting places that have wonderful things to draw. My beautiful Things at The Lavender Barn, Newmarket, is such a treasure. 

There is shabby chic and vintage furniture, clothing, wonderful cups and saucers and all sorts of interesting collectibles. Moreover, there is also a café serving Devonshire teas and other delights - and the coffee is good too.

I have been looking for somewhere to have a sketching tea party and this is perfect.

I had time for a quick cuppa and a sketch yesterday. 

Tea cup and saucer with milk jug 

Noodler’s #41 Brown Ink and watercolour in S&B Alpha sketchbook.

A Walk in the Park

On my early morning walk this week it was obvious that the park gardeners had been busy pruning. Piles of branches lay in heaps waiting for collection. I had seen some seed pods earlier in the week and thought of painting them and tried to pick a small branch without much success. (While wondering how much trouble I would be in?)
In one heap I spied the bright orange of these same pods - just lying there waiting to be turned into compost. On my return I picked a couple of sprays with some leaves and carried them home.

Now I gave up trying to do pure botanical work some years ago - I’m too impatient and I'm not one to follow rules either - so I wanted to capture these in a free, loose manner.

Tulipwood Tree - Hapullia pendula ink and watercolour

I painted the orange seed pods first without any preparatory drawing, and then the leaves. Once the painting was dry I added a few ink lines and my story. My approach to the sketchbook page is to compose my subject as though it were on a canvas where I would not be adding and words. I still need to work on leaving space for a block of text. The other consideration when using the Fabriano Venezia is the size of the book. It’s slightly larger than A4 so it is difficult to scan. Secondly, the opened book doesn’t lie completely flat so there’s always a shadow in the gutter which is maddening. The alternative is a quick iPhone photo which is what I have done here, hence the blue cast to the photo.   

Note to self: Remember to plan for text and mark off the inner area so the sketch can be scanned easliy. 

 After completing the sketch I still didn’t know the name of the tree so I Googled:

“Australian tree with orange/red seed pods and black seeds” and there among the first images,was a lovely photograph on Flickr,  Tulipwood Tree - harpullia pendula. 

Sketchbook Skool

For many years now I have had sketchbooks. Previously the ritual of drawing daily was really only adhered to if I was away on holiday. I have a number of these and they are in effect travel journals, a wonderful reminder of great holidays.

At home in the studio, my sketchbooks had became messy work books, filled with rough sketches, measurements of planned paintings and the odd written note. I seldom dated anything and wish now that I had coupled the drawings with more written annotations to record more of my thinking or at the very least added the date.

These days, although I am a working artist, I had forgotten how much pleasure there is in daily drawing. I had forgotten the ritual of meditative sketching; of experimentation and discovery; the pleasure of filling a book with your images, thoughts and ideas. I like the idea of working through my creativity in both words and images, with each enhancing and enriching the other.

The Living Room ink and watercolour Zeta Sketchbook

  © 2014 Carol Lee Beckx

 

At the beginning of April I enrolled for an online course, my first ever. The first six week semester of Sketchbook Skool has been something of a revelation to me. The online camaraderie that has developed through posting ones sketches, seeing other people's work and giving and receiving comments has been so rewarding. I filled an A5 Fabriano Venezia sketchbook during the course, as well as using a number of pages in other sketchbooks.

I have started to post the drawings on my Flickr page as a separate gallery - SketchbookSkool. 

At the end of the course I made a few notes (the notes became an essay) and posted this on the group's Facebook page. Danny Gregory, who initiated the course together with Koosje Koene, asked if he could quote me. He posted my thoughts on his blog -The six weeks that changed my life. 

The second semester starts on July 4th. To cater for the tremendous interest in this course the first semester will run again also starting on July 4^th.

If you would like to learn how to make daily drawing and keeping a sketchbook part of your life then do yourself a favour and enroll.

Click here for more information about the course.

Research for painting cakes

Recently I posted the completed still life paintings for Deja` Bru Café. I spent an afternoon doing a quick sketch of the cakes so I had some reference for the oil painting. I thought you might like to see the preliminary sketch.

Cakes at Deja` Bru Café - Ink and watercolour - Fabriano Venezia Sketchbook

 ©2014 Carol Lee Beckx

Then a few days ago I went for coffee but couldn’t resist the Sticky Date pudding. There’s always a conflict when you decide to sketch your treat and there’s a strong temptation to forget the drawing and enjoy your treat. I’ve solved this partly by asking for extra hot coffee but the warmed pudding would just have to wait. At least until I have completed a quick ink sketch. The practice of the past weeks when I have been drawing daily has given me the courage to go straight in with pen and to live with the lines that may be in the wrong place.

Sticky Date Pudding & Cream at Deja` Bru Café - Ink and watercolour - Fabriano Venezia Sketchbook ©2014 Carol Lee Beckx

Both sketches were completed using Black Noodler’s ink in a Lamy Safari pen with an extra fine nib. Watercolour was added after the coffee and pudding was enjoyed. This also gave the ink time to dry.

I must add that the when I did the first sketch with the different cakes, the lovely staff at Deja` Bru Café brought each cake to me on a plate and then wisely removed one and replaced it with the next cake. So no cakes were harmed during the painting of these.

There was no such restraint with the Sticky date Pudding and cream!

43rd Worldwide Sketch-crawl Brisbane

My day started early with a stop in Margaret Street, Brisbane to draw the Bonded Stores. These buildings have just lost an appeal by Brisbane Heritage to the Queensland Heritage Council to save them from demolition by developers. The vote was close by 6-4 votes but it still means that they will come down.

Bonded Stores Margaret Street, Brisbane - Fabriano Venezia sketchbook 

©2014 Carol Lee Beckx

My sketch was on a page prepared with gesso/gouache under painting. On site I did a drawing using a Lamy Safari (EF nib) and Noodler"s black ink. On my return home I added more gouache - a sad drawing.

Next stop was the Queensland Parliament House in George Street. I wanted to try using loose watercolour washes for the building with no pencil or pen drawing. I left the double spread to dry planning to return later to do the drawing.

I joined my fellow sketchers and moved on to Old Government House. This building now forms part of QUT Garden Point Campus and houses the William Robinson Art Gallery, museum and café. (Unfortunately all closed during our visit as it was Easter holidays!)

Old Government House QUT ink and w/c Fabriano Venezia sketchbook 

©2014 Carol Lee Beckx 

Turning to face a different direction, I was struck by the contrasting modern buildings - Garden Theatre and the Science building.

Garden Theatre Ink and w/c Zeta Sketchbook ©2014 Carol Lee Beckx

The drawing of Parliament house was quite a challenge, particularly as it was almost lunch time. I used a Zeta A4 Sketchbook with a Lamy Safari (EF nib) and Noodlers black ink. Zeta is wonderful for ink but watercolour reacts very differently so smooth even washes just don't happen!

I debated whether I should add more watercolour for greater depth to the sketch.In the end I have left it as it was…I may still add more colour. The eternal question - when to stop?

Our crawl ended at Pancake Manor for coffee, lunch and a last quick sketch - a good day.

Serenity Falls, Buderim Rain Forest Park

This weekend I joined my family up the Sunshine Coast at a resort near Buderim. After a delicious breakfast on Sunday morning, the family went off to visit friends nearby. I had been checking the area to see what I could find that would be good to paint. I discovered the Serenity Falls not from the village centre in the Buderim Rain Forest Park, only a ten minute drive away.

The day was cool as I set off down the path to the falls. I was glad I had packed walking shoes as the path was steep, with many moss-covered steps. Often downhill is more challenging than up!

Serenity Falls I -  ink and watercolour in Zeta Sketchbook © 2014 Carol Lee Beckx

A wooden bridge gave a wonderful view of the falls, set into the rocky hillside, surrounded by lush tropical vegetation. A pool below provided a place for families to paddle in the cool water. I did one watercolour from the bridge, using a few pencil lines and then going straight in with watercolour.

I used my A4 Zeta sketchbook for a double page spread. I do enjoy the smooth finish which makes watercolour even more unpredictable. One has to relax and let the paint and paper create their own magic. Once the painting was dry I added some ink with a Lamy Safari and Noodlers Black ink.

Serenity Falls II ink and watercolour in Zeta Sketchbook © 2014 Carol Lee Beckx

After walking down a few more steps to the bottom I got a different perspective of the waterfall. Using a rock as a seat, it was lovely to sit in the shade and take my time with a second painting.

While waiting for the painting to dry, I had a chance to unwind and enjoy this little piece of paradise before climbing back up the path to my car.