THURSDAY MAY 16 ’13

This week is about the garden.

Our setups are cacti and succulents, and potted blooms, one in an old rusty hanging basket.

I seem to wanting more sketches from everyone these days and people are stepping up to the mark.

At least 2 in the first hour to be completed.

Down the hill we go ( it’s always down to start with! ) and straight ahead till we reach Short St Plaza.

Thursday. Beginning a sketch

Perfect bench height for sketching

Time to chat between sketches

Now you wouldn’t look twice along here, it’s something of a wind tunnel but there’s no reason why it couldn’t be an inviting place to stop and enjoy a quiet moment. And the Manly Village Cafe is setting the trend.

There it is. An oasis among the concrete surrounds.

Mike and Di have turned it into a rustic garden courtyard and European style cafe.

Di has her hair salon adjoining so you can have lunch while she styles you.

For our sketchers who are all keen on colour and coffee and tasty food – it was heaven.

As you can see, some very inspired fast sketches today.

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FRIDAY MAY 17 ’13

I must say the sight of the plants and cacti brings very positive comments when people arrive.

Flowers and gardens do have a calming effect on us all.

Somehow we weren’t quite as speedy as I’d wanted but the results were very pleasing and everyone was so enjoying their sketching.

That’s the point of it really.

Away down the hill in the sun we walked, with a light breeze behind, and soon we arrived at our little piece of paradise in the concrete jungle.

Friday. Exterior sketching

Sketching in the garden courtyard

The planting and colour is riotous. We all order a coffee to get started, and begin to do 3 sketches.

Actually everybody did just that. Either vignettes or single scenes, but so enjoyed the atmosphere and tasty dishes prepared by Michael while we worked away.

You’ll see some beautiful work from today, all entirely different, but each telling their own story.

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SATURDAY MAY 18 ’13

The sketches this week have been so lovely. Indeed everyone responds to the flowers and cacti setups very well.Almost everyone did 2 sketches within the hour, but if people really want to complete what they start it’s fine by me. I’ll always push for faster sketching.

Such a gorgeous day again and we chat our way down the hill towards Manly Village Cafe where the sun is pouring in.

Saturday sketching at Manly Village Cafe

Coffee and sketch

Aaahhhh……our first coffee is within reach.

Once everyone has their coffee then it’s time to decide what to sketch. Always tricky with so many little corners that are appealing.

Think about what it is that’s caught your attention.

That becomes the focus of your sketch.

Use your colours more around that area and soften all else.

Otherwise – wallpaper. Meaning your eye doesn’t know where to look – it’s all the same intensity.

We had a great time this week and every person did sketches to be proud of.

More sketching adventures next week.

©ErinHill2013

Exotic Bouquet

Venta has set a new standard in flower giving.

We’ve been having trouble communicating lately – her computers and phones were off the air waves and I’d wondered if she had given us up.

But no, everything is up and working again and as class was starting, in walks Venta with the most glorious bouquet of exotics most of us had not seen before!

There were purple rose cabbages, gold and crimson orchids, and some protea leaves – about now we were lost. Whatever is the round one in the centre, looking at you with 50 green eyes? It’s from the moon I’m sure. Then were furry thistle like ones with turquoise leaves. All presented in taupe/plum paper, with a green lining, tied with a shot satin ribbon.

OMG. What is it about flowers! I was thrilled and almost without words. Did I even say thank you? Well I am now.

I felt a big loose sketch would be a nice way to keep this memory.

And did I say – now if anyone isn’t coming to class, or forgets to let me know!!! A bouquet like this and perhaps you’ll be forgiven.

From Whitehouse Flowers. Striking and creative floristry. Merci Beaucoup.

©ErinHill2013

Things were going a bit pear-shaped today.  Some days are like that!

I’d raced to the Studio to set up the tables with a gorgeous potted geranium and another long stemmed one in a glass. Then we started straight into sketching – how high, how wide – my mantra. But this time we’d be pushing things along and doing two sketches within the hour. Oops, realised I hadn’t made the Mariage tea we always start with!

Anyway, nobody noticed I hope, as they were flying through their sketches to get them done in time. The clock was counting down and the first sketch was ready for the watercolour pencil and waterbrush. Into the second sketch, the geranium in a glass. Done.

About now Adeline makes her entrance…….usually!

She’s forgotten the gateau and had to go back for it. Oh well 5 minutes isn’t too long to wait, and the sketches were coming to a close, as Adeline arrived. Comment allez-vous?

Perfect timing. What have you baked us today Adeline? What did we almost miss out on? And here’s how she wrote it on the board.

Then it was conversation time. New sheets to work from. Not that I’d remembered my Sketch& French book of course. Ce n’est pas un problème.

So off shopping we went.

I’m just looking thankyou. Oh that’s a good price. Do you have my size? Where is the men’s shoe department? Where are the toilets? And much more.

Then to the weekly food shopping list. It’s a great idea to write your shopping list in French for yourself, so you’ll become more familiar with seeing it that way. Adeline suggested this.

Well before long our class concluded. Everyone enjoyed it and all are becoming more  confident with both sketching and French conversation. We all had a laugh about our perfectly planned class that wasn’t.

©ErinHill2013

THURSDAY MAY 9 ’13

I know I keep talking about the weather but it’s just too beautiful.

Downunder we should be headed for cold. That’s usually june. MMmmm.

In the Studio where all the action was, we were doing baskets. Round ones, long ones, lidded ones and 2 little old dolls from Peru. A nice touch.

Yes there are some challenges. Getting each shape right, getting the inside shadows to show corners turning, the light on top, the darker sides etc.

Most people do very well with the colour and usually it’s just a bringing up of one side against another to get the light and dark working.

Two sketches per person – we’re going at a cracking pace now!

Along the street and down the hill to Manly Cove. You can sit here and watch the passing parade of people, the seagulls on the sand, Mothers will toddlers splashing at water’s edge and the Manly ferry coming and going.

You get about 10 minutes plus while it’s unloading visitors, long enough to sketch the shape, and the 2 levels of deck, funnel and a touch of red for the floatation things in case the boat sinks.

Not sure they ever have, and they ply Sydney to Manly from 6am till after midnight, 7 days a week.

Our table today was at Ciao Belli Cafe on the water’s edge.

The umbrellas were perfectly placed so no one got sunburnt.

Sketches were touched up, delicious lunches and coffees consumed, and we were very happy.

As Barry from Canada commented recently. “The sketches look great but I think artists are supposed to suffer a bit more. You’re all having way too much fun”

Our sketches are fun, and a lovely collection of images just as each person saw them. Some tell a whole story, others a collection of small moments.

Enjoy today’s work.

Our Sketching spot

Lunch & Sketch at Ciao Belli Cafe

Beside the Sea. Ciao Belli Cafe

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FRIDAY MAY 10’13

FRIDAY MAY 10 ’13

Of course it’s another glorious day. It’s almost winter but blue and clear. Very Sydney.

We had a two visiting sketchers, Jan and Jacquie. Both knew some of the others from our Bilpin trip and both sketch when they can.

Jan’s had a recent hip replacement and Jacquie is being her live-in ‘pickup up everything I can’t’ carer.

So today was a great chance to get to sketching before both go back to their other lives.

The baskets still lifes are providing a lot of opportunities to look at perspective, elipses, colour and texture. Added an onion and garlic clove to one.

Today’s sketches all achieved that. Often the colours are all there, and with a bit of stronger colour in the right places it get the results.

Again a couple of sketches each and all as individual as the sketcher themselves..

There we were sitting down at Manly Cove waiting for the ferry to come in. Where is it? So we sketched other ‘beach’ vignettes, and just before lunch, yes the ferry arrived.

You’ll see some great sketches here from today.

Our table was waiting at Ciao Belli and we sat down together to finish anything we thought needed a touch up.

Lunch is always a lovely time to see what everyone else has been beavering away at. The lovely thing about sketchers is the genuine delight they take in other people’s work.

A very pleasant way to spend a few hours indeed.

Sketching the Manly ferry

The round building and Ciao Belli Cafe

Friday sketching at Ciao Belli Cafe

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SATURDAY MAY 11 ’13

SATURDAY MAY 11 ’13

A little cloud passed over our blue skies at photo time today but it was still beautiful.

Now we are getting two sketches and more from everyone in the first hour.

This is travel sketching. You don’t always get much time to sketch when you’re on the run, but if you know you can do a 5 or 10 minute sketch, you’ll have a try at something rather than walk away.

Today we concentrated on getting the elipses and inside the baskets. A good lesson.

We sat on the park benches and sketched the ferry. This time it was at the wharf giving everyone time to get the main shape in, then off it went. When the next one came in we just carried on where we’d left off.

Over at Ciao Belli Cafe we could do the last little bits we thought we needed – usually just balancing colour and keeping the focus centred.

A bit tougher this week for new people. Now we’re onto subjects you pass every day, and they do need to be observed carefully before beginning your sketch.

The whole vista can be overpowering, but when you take the part that’s of interest to you, focus on that rather than everything else which may distract.

An excellent week and I’m delighted at the progress everybody is making.

Give yourselves a pat on the back!

Robbie sketches on

One last thing. We’ve been talking about different typefaces you can use to make headings notes and comments on your sketch pages.

The ones I’ve shown are all easy to do and for the main part – it’s your own writing and it becomes part of the personality of your sketch. Feel proud of what you do. We are so used to not giving ourselves a pat on the back.

More adventures next week.

Lunch at Ciao Belli Cafe

A very nice day again. Decided to pop in to Ciao Belli Cafe, sit quietly in the sun, and sketch.

Flavia brought me a delicious Greek Salad and I settled into the seat with a seaside view. St Patrick’s sits high on the hill above the wharf. The Norfolk pines framed the setting. Looked like a sketch to me.

Not a soul around so it seemed more like my own place, unlike weekends when we share Manly with all the people who are not lucky enough to live here.

The sea was lapping on the sand just below me, the colour green merging with turquoise as I follow the colour across to the wharf, just visible through the railings.

And there he sat. The big seagull. Patiently standing on top of the plinth. He would have liked to share my lunch, but made no move. He knew I was sketching so I decided he liked being a feature. But the look of expectancy remained.

A very enjoyable half hour or so, and then Flavia brought a freshly made mango muffin, to take home for Milton. She knows they are his favourite. I did get it home in one piece, and we all shared a little after dinner.

Sorry seagull. Next time.

©ErinHill2013

Citrons & gaufres

Sketching lemons

Adeleine makes gaufres

Today our sketch was the gorgeous bowl of fresh lemons. Lemon or citron seems very much a part of French cuisine. Give me a slice of Tarte Citron and I’m in heaven. Adeline says most of the lemons come from Menton on the Cote d’Azur. Menton – really – and so is Katherine Mansfield’s house ( famous NZ writer) where she spent time writing her wonderful short stories. Who’d have thought!

Meantime the sketches were happening and Adeline was whipping up her fab waffles ( gaufres) . The Studio was filled with the aroma and we sketched on until we were each offered one with sugar or Nutella. Very nice with our Mariage tea.

Sketch & French – the sketches

Our subject was about ways to meet and greet people, introducing yourself and answering questions you may be asked in everyday situations. Many conversations come about as we discuss these things.

Today we also ordered the different coffees served in most French cafes, bistros etc. Cappuccino isn’t one they understand, unless you are at Starbucks. And don’t even think of ordering latte or flat whites. Well if you want a total blank look – go ahead.

Once again a very enjoyable couple of hours, sketching and nibbling, conversing and thinking. Very very good brain exercises indeed.

More next week.

Gaufres avec le nutella

Gaufres avec du sucre

©ErinHill2013

A lovely bright day for Out & About Sketching. This is Term 2.  Already!

Everybody was excited to be back sketching again, and catching up on what the others had been doing.

We welcomed 2 new sketchers to our Thursday class, and one intrepid traveller returning with a sketchbook bursting with sketches of India.

Some have swapped classes. Others are away travelling.

But a very happy group we are.

Before long all fears of starting first sketches are gone.

To make it a soft start to Term 2, I decided a bowl of  red vine tomatoes and another of glossy lemons would be a good way to ease back into observation and connecting shapes.

It was very pleasing to see everyone complete both sketches in the time allowed. Very helpful to be able to get your sketch done in whatever time you have.

On the way down Sydney Rd are some very steep steps and stairs all with their own personalities.

Steps are not as straight forward as they first appear.

There is perspective and they narrow as they go away from you.

We managed to see the important angles and corners and you’ll see that in the sketches.

Thursday at Cafe La Bas

Time to take our table at Cafe La Bas and complete our work, or perhaps try your coffee as a quick sketch. These were fun.

We finished with a visit to Raglan Gallery along the way to show off Karen’s paintings in the exhibition on at the moment.

We’re very impressed with the abstract paintings she’s done and the colour of course.

Checking out the small artworks at Raglan Gallery

FRIDAY MAY 3

Another fab day.

How lucky we are to get the first classes out in the sun at this time of year.

Soon it’ll be time for a raincoat and umbrella but luckily not yet.

Two lovely new sketchers today, and as I’m explaining I’m hoping everyone is taking it on board.

As I go and see each person, it looks like they are.

The lemon sketches are all a delight, each one in it’s own unique style.

The vine tomatoes all look very much like tomatoes and that’s all we ask. It’s not having it’s portrait done and we don’t try for ‘perfect’. We like personality here.

The steps are a good way to hone one’s observation skills before getting any lines down.

Where is your focus? Where are you taking us once up those steps. Check the shadows and the light.

You have a few black lines on a page so you need to establish the lights and darks or it won’t come to life.

Separate tables. Cafe La Bas

Seeing what each other has done.

We’ve worked up an appetite

Into the cafe we go. Much catching up and finishing of work between bites.

A few coffee sketches done – to add to all ones we’ve yet to do in other cafes.

Lovely to have Liz drop in and see what we’d been doing.

She’s making sure all her locations for next week’s Sketch Technique class are in the right light.

Knowing Liz, she’ll move the sun to where she wants it. As you do.

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SATURDAY MAY 4.

Still a fine day, and stayed that way till we were done.

Some people were new and two are regular ‘casuals’, but everyone benefits from being reminded how to visually measure and where to start your sketch.

Some did lemons and others did tomatoes. I try to let people finish at least one when they are new to this.

We use layered watercolour pencils for the first few classes, and touch it up with the waterbrush.

As I tell them, next week we’ll speed it up.

Steps would be more difficult for the group, so it was gates for today.

Still a little perspective, and light and dark, but however it was treated, you had something you’d be pleased with.

Before dashing off to lunch we stopped in the park and did a tree.

A beautiful red toned one, with clear branch shapes to sketch.

Let me show you this one. Cafe La Bas

Then we felt we’d earned our coffee and lunch at Cafe La bas.

Here we did a few coffee cups, light fittings, pink water bottles and anything else that grabbed our attention.

Once again everyone is so caught up in sketching we continue on before remembering to eat.

A really great week everybody and some very inspiring sketches, many of you for the first time.

More challenges next week and I can’t wait to see what you’ll come up with.

©ErinHill2013

Cheeky coffee at Boronia Tea Room

Cake Sketches 1

Cake Sketches 2

What beautiful 3 tiered cake display stands arrived at our table for our Sketch your Cake High Tea. Here we are at Boronia House, gazing at the table which would be ours, and the colours of the old-fashioned style tea cups, each a different colour. Then the gerberas in small glass jars caught our eye. All side lit as the sun came in through the tall window with a perfect tree outside.

Maybe it’s a painting we are about to walk into.

Perhaps we are in a Painting

Of course once everyone has decided where to sit, we are asked to select our tea, from a very large choice.

Somehow I could only think of coffee, but was delighted when it came back in wide yellow cup with a very clever design atop.

The cakes displays were then presented. This was indeed a feast – for the eyes and the tum.

But as I always find, everyone starts sketching not eating. Later for that, once they’re in the sketchbook.

Pink Lady tops the Cake Stand

Two of our guests had not sketched before, and with a few instructions about seeing the shapes and how they connect, were soon flying through their sketches.

We used our watercolour pencils to gently layer some base colour and overlay with another and another.

Then its time for the waterbrush. Hold back rather than paint everywhere. You pick out areas to highlight and the colour pops.

Somehow by the time it came to do pics of the work, everyone had 2 pages of sketches and all totally different and all a delight. We all agreed the cakes, sandwiches, scones, tiny savouries, layered choc squares, and choc & rasberry fondue and so on……. were to die for.

And can you believe there was barely a crumb left. Somehow these cake sketchers are multi tasking experts.

Eat Sketch Nibble. Eat Sketch Nibble.

3 tiered delicacies

©ErinHill2013

To make it not too frightening for those who are new to sketching, I always find simple flowers are a lovely way to begin. Your lines will always look like the flower in front of you if you take a moment to really look at it’s shape.

Adding colour to the sketches

We had the white gardenia, and 2 gorgeous pink camelias. Both in little white pots with French wording as decoration.

Of course once we’d had our Mariage thé and Adeline’s homemade banana bread with chocolate, the sketches happened so much more easily. You can see the results above, and for one of these girls, it was her first sketch, and only the second for the others. Trés bon girls.

Then it was Adeline who took over with some basic numbers and alphabet revision. As she says, you often need to spell out your name for a reservation of sorts, so best to know how it should sound. Numbers are always rather vital to go over over and over.

Réponse très bonne

For most people, it’s definitely the conversation side of it which is so valuable. Plus the correct pronunciation. We have a little difficulty getting that nasal back of the throat sound, and we all sit there gargling away, and then laugh at ourselves. It always sounds just fine when Adeline does it. Not quite the same when we try. But we will progress. At least I am positively certain we will.

©ErinHill2013

Manly Village Cafe.

There I was, sitting under the wooden portico in this cafe, checking out the ambiance, the coffee, the menu and so on. I had my sketching kit with me so decided to do a quick sketch.

You’d think I’d be better at this, but I used a way too thin pen to start and wasn’t happy! For a moment I thought I heard myself say ‘ I think I’ll tear it out’

What was I thinking! I preach the mantra about NEVER tearing out a sketch you think isn’t working. How are going to learn anything if you only keep the ‘good’ ones? So I asked myself how I could fix it. And the answer was the brush pen in the bottom of my bag.

YES. A good solution. I was on a bit of a caffein high so lines were going everywhere. I tossed in a few chinagraph lines and swung in with the paint. Woohoo, think it might be saved.

I left the lady sitting on the courtyard steps across the plaza, in the finer pen so that your eye is lead through the doorway to the outside.

©ErinHill2013