Delightful Food sketch by Sandy Dyer, on Pinterest

Stop eating for a moment

Sketch & Eat

Some yummy sketches

Erin shows you how

Time for a sunset drink

If you have a passion for Food and Wine, then some quick sketching lessons will get you started on a delicious new interest.

Following our successful High Teas during April, the first of our monthly’Learn to sketch High Teas’ at The Bather’s Pavilion is on Tuesday 29th from 3 -5pm.

In 2 hours you will have little sketches of the cakes, scones and savouries which will make you proud. You then get to enjoy consuming each one.

Join us for one High Tea and Sketch lesson, or come for all.  Come on your own or with a friend. You don’t need any experience, but if you’ve always wanted to do something in art, then this is a lovely way to get started.

You’ll be amazed at how much fun you’ll have and how stress-free sketching is.

Make a note in your calendar and see how you progress each time. Think of it as your monthly Sketching lesson with bonus High Tea.

$55 each month . Bookings essential. Materials provided if you don’t have your own.

 erin@erinhill.com.au or o412 141 223

The girls sketching on the hill

This is a little bit back to front, as I’ve shown the Wednesday sketching first. But I like it. And the girls were deeply engrossed. Let me introduce you. Meet Therese, Karen, Elaine and Jenny.

We arrived on Monday morning, left bags at the office, and met at the only cafe for a warm up sketch and coffee.

Absolutely great weather, and what’s more it got bluer every day. Decided to do a tour of our island home and become familiar with how to get about. Well that took a while I must say. We all got so excited at the discoveries we made as we meandered along.

The convict cells and where the 500 or so were locked up at night had our imaginations working overtime. There was the exercise yard and mess hall where they were fed, the guard house where the Red Coats were stationed. You can feel it in the stone.

Down and along tracks and pathways we clambered where the girls’ reform school was, and looking way down to the dockyards below and all the old cranes and abandoned buildings. Passing the grain silos cut in the bowels of sandstone,

Inside massive planning buildings with floors to lay out plans, through buildings where pattern makers worked, fitting and turning was done, timber stored, metal was poured, propellors lifted, more cranes….it’s living history.

4pm was time for tea on the lawn, finishing off sketches and seeing what everyone had achieved.

Relaxation, wine & cheese, dinner, conversation and a few yawns and it was time for good nights.

After breakfast (and a run 3x round the island) – I’m giving the impression we all did this! – was a gathering of people, starting their new day’s sketching round the dining table.

And so we enjoyed a lovely routine of total immersion in our own sketching worlds. Recording, and making notes. Getting the essence of this place. Coming to grips with perspective, angles, wheels, cranes, pipes and buildings. An unending supply of things to sketch.

Tuesday brought 3 more sketchers, Jo, Barbie and Lydia and we showed them some of the big cranes at one end and the convict area at the other. These were great for sketching spots if one has only a few hours.

Wednesday was a brilliant blue day, so we chose to do our afternoon sketches in the sun on the hill overlooking the harbour towards Sydney. So quiet and away from the world here on the Island. Over there was the place of we would return to.

The ferry was there, a hurried good bye and off we went, back to our other lives. It was wonderful.

Now for the pictures. Enjoy.

On our way

Looking from the cafe to the Industrial precinct

Selected sketches-Jenny, our house, Elaine, inside staircase, Karen, Guardhouse, Therese, far view with foreground tents.

Our 5 Star home

5 Star camping below

Milton, our Butler arrives

4pm Cuppa

Afternoon Glow

5pm Sun setting

Look I got that sunset

Watching the Sunset

Sketch and Eat!

Milton taking breakfast on the lawn

View to freedom

Tuesday morning warm up sketch

The Red Coats Guard House

Layers of brick and stone, the convict’s guard house

Pipes in the sandstone

Rock wire rust

Cogs & wheels

Firing up the restored steam crane

Closed to the public but not us

The Powerhouse

To the manager’s office

Pumps and turbines

Water metre

Pipes & Taps

Who took the soap?

Time to take our leave

Sunrise & clouds

Morning of Nic & Adrian’s Wedding

Purple & red morning

Before the sun

Evening Kastellorizo

I seem to be an early riser. And I do get to see some breathtaking skies.

All these are taken in those few seconds before the hues change so dramatically, to equally beautiful new ones.

These are just a few I came across in my collection. The last one is a sunset. In the amazing little Greek Island of Kastellorizo, a very long way from Athens, but a place I must return to and paint again.

©ErinHill2012

Surf boards and big surf. Line and watercolour pencil.

Quick lunch sketch. Line and watercolour pencil.

Well there I was sitting in the Studio deciding to gesso over 2 canvases I wasn’t happy with. Then a happy little voice piped up as someone walked in. My little friend Jo. Architect, Yoga Teacher & Sketcher. Just passing and saw the flag up so thought she’d pop in.

Jo had been out sketching on a rare day to herself, so that’s all it took for me to decide to join her and go down to the seaside. Not with our bucket and spade, but sketchbooks and pens.

Amelie was with me so she was leashed up and off we went down through the park to grab a coffee and a little lunch. That was perfect. A great coffee, some omega 3 in the form of a salmon wrap and a quick food sketch. Jo sketched me while I did my food. She’s good on people sketches – and fast.

The wind was quite cool even though it was sunny and blue, so we went to the beach with less wind. The surf was amazing with massive waves crashing in as far as you could see. The colour of the sun coming through as they curl before descending is fantastic.

Being Monday meant we could sit at any of the picnic tables and spread out a bit. Amelie curled up under the table with an eye on all the dogs passing by.

It’s funny how things work out some days. Getting outside to sketch was just what I felt like. So we did. And those 2 canvases get to live another day.

©ErinHill2012

Started with Soft shelled Crab entree to share, then main of Vegetarian Tofu

2 other Mains of Green Chicken Curry & Red Duck Curry

Finishing with Coconut & Jackfruit Ice Cream

These days it’s a ‘No Kids, no Mothers’ Mother’s Day. It happens. They leave home or leave the planet.

So for Virginia and I it was ‘ME’ Day. The boys were happy to help with that as we were late lunching at Green Pearl, a waterfront Thai at Bayswater.

We hadn’t been before but we knew where it was supposed to be. You know, GPS , iphones and things. Could not see where it could be, so asked another cafe on the ground floor of the Marina. Through a secret door we were shown, upstairs!! How does anyone find this place??? Through the entrance doors and dah daaahh……full to bursting with happy diners.

We could see our friends at a nice table with a gorgeous view over the Marina. The Soft shelled crab had been seen at another table, so we ordered one too, as a tasty starter to share.

That’s when the sketchbook came out. Just 2 minutes and you can start. So the hungry eyes drilled into the delicate portions within reach. So close but so far. I went at lightening speed, and got ‘the look’. Relief.

Then the next 3 dishes arrived almost together, My tofu dish was first, so sketched that. Well it was mine. Hands off!

Following that 2 very attractive dishes arrived with lovely fresh basil and red capsicum for me to highlight. I think everyone’s patience was rewarded after having to study the dishes before tucking in. Silence all round. Satisfied sounds.

The final order was the ice cream atop a coconut shell. A must sketch. Very relaxed and delicious way to celebrate our day.

Lastly our ever patient dogs were taken to the beachside dog park to go for a hurtle around all the other dogs of every size and shape. I loved the little old one wearing it’s blue jacket, with a limp and a wonky ear. Seemed very happy hobbling along. Don’t laugh, it’s coming to all of us.

Do hope Mothers of the World felt celebrated. They can’t do without us you know – even if they think they can.

©ErinHill2012

Wine & food Still life set-up for Sketching Classes. I used water-soluble wax crayons over line.

Travel Sketch classes have taken on a life of their own. If you love food, travel and art then this is your first port of call. Here’s an update for people who haven’t caught up with what we have on offer.

Morning Sketch Classes - Thursday, Friday -  10 weeks $300 – or choose the dates and pay accordingly.

Evening Sketch Classes - Tuesday nights. ( Starts May 29 ) 5 weeks $185.

Evening Life Sketching – Thursday nights – ( Starts May 31 ) 5 weeks $185  ( includes model fee/ tutoring/ glass of wine or juice )

Food Sketching - ‘Sketch your Cake’, Last Tuesday of every month – 2hours sketching your High Tea at Bathers’ Pavilion Balmoral Beach – $55 materials included.

Mini Travel Sketch Trips – midweek 3day/2night stays to a fun destination. Single or twin share. Prices for each trip.

Travel Sketch Tours France - 6 days Paris, 8 days Village in South of France. Fully escorted. Prices for single and twin share.

See menu bar above for more details.

Scary crow people – line & watercolour pencil

Table decor at lunch – line & watercolour pencil

Home, view from the ferry – line & watercolour pencil

Ferry view to Bathers – line & watercolour pencil

Up early, perfect blue sky through the curtains, sit for a minute having my porridge, off to catch the 8.50am ferry to Sydney.

Grab a coffee at the cafe I like on the beach edge, get the little legs going nineteen to the dozen to the wharf.

Pure joy. What a day. Sydney delivers these just to remind you it can. One of it’s best. Not a breath of wind. Clear air. Harbour vistas to die for.

Found a good seat on the ferry, and did a quick sketch looking towards our townhouse nestling in the autumn sun on the slope.

Hurrying through the Botanical gardens I passed these 2 scare crows at the First Fleet gardens. How quaint. Quick sketch. Done.

I was on an adventure to see the 2012 Archibald  Wynne & Sulman Art Prizes, at the Art Gallery of NSW. Jo had suggested some of us might like to have an outing and check out the paintings. We’d meet on the steps and have lunch later. So Jan, Jacquie, Therese and myself all decided that sounded like a very good idea.

As with all major portrait competitions, one is often surprised to see what the judges decide on. Actually for once I thought they chose well. The Archibald is Portrait paintings, The Wynne is landscape or figurative sculpture, and the Sulman is genre or mural paintings. Some really inspiring works and even those one doesn’t quite get – always expand your mind a little.

Out on the steps again, and there was Jacquie out with the sketchbook doing a lovely little study towards the park. The park is where we were headed for lunch outside among the trees and sunshine, at Pavilion on the Park restaurant. More sketching and chatting took place before a selection of very sketchable dishes arrived – but we all just tucked in. Hunger took over.

So ended a very relaxed and enjoyable day. Everyone happy. Friends together enjoying a common interest and a delightful lunch. It doesn’t get much better.

©ErinHill2012

2 Five minute pen sketches with a quick touch of watercolour pencil

Rosie, 5 min sketch. Line and watercolour pencil.

Wow this was fun. Been ages since I’ve sketched from life. Maybe even art school. Just adore the human form.

Rosie rocked on into the Studio one day and we got into conversation about Life classes, that she was a life model, and she’d love to model for a class if I wished to have one.

So that got me thinking. I could easily have Life Sketching in the Studio. I would have everyone seated on chairs. No desks. No easels. And use a black pen on an A4 sized book. Other mediums welcome but for beginners I like them to have no safety net. No pencils or erasers in other words. Every line you make becomes a part of the sketch. All your changes and corrections add to the end result.

Wednesday evening I joined others in a local cafe where Rosie was modelling upstairs that night. Most people were doing butchers paper, charcoal and working from an easel. Not me though, I began as I intend to take my Life Sketch classes.

Rosie is a wonderfully rounded woman with lovely skin colour and glorious hair. She tells you how long the sketch will be and sets the timer to suit. Then takes up some lovely poses with lots of angles and curves from whichever spot you are in.  Clearly she’s very comfortable with modelling, and we all silently sketch while ‘house’ music plays and several have a beer or glass of wine to help the sketch go well.

All I have to do now is promote the new classes and we’ll be away.

Thinking an afternoon and evening class with tutoring would suit most folk.

Would you like to join us?  She’s a joy to work with and I assure you my job will be easy.

©ErinHill2012

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COCKATOO ISLAND  -  MAY 21 – MAY 23 ’12

3DAY/2NIGHT – Midweek 

Bookings now being taken.  4 places of the 6 are gone. 

We arrive about 10am on Monday and meet at the cafe. All our belongings can be left at the accomm. office till checkin at 3pm. Our first sketches will be along the foreshore to the see the interiors of the buildings straight ahead. Each day after breakfast we’ll sketch till lunch, then later till about 4pm. In the evening we can enjoy wining & dining in our own mansion and the company of like minded folk.

Our mission will be to create your own Sketch Journal of our time on the Island.

Some suggestions – sketch your art materials and the travel bag you are bringing. Breakfast, the ferry ride, arriving at the cafe, first view of our home on the hill, your room, etc etc.- you get the idea. We’ll explore the variety of  sketch subjects all over the island and record as much as possible, from cranes and wharfs, convict cells, fauna & flora, harbour aspects to small closeups round hidden corners. Tutoring happens as we go. You’ll have a wonderful visual diary of the 3days.

We have a big old Federation house to ourselves, with beautifully furnished bedrooms, and spacious living areas. The gardens are gorgeous and filled with flowers and shrubs, starting at the front and wrapping all the way round. There’s an enormous lawn for outdoor dining – any time of day, and right next door there is even a tennis court.

COSTS – full package

Large Twin Share  $425p.p.   ( booked )

Medium Twin Share  $395 p.p. ( available)

Large Single Room  $525  ( booked)

Medium Single Room / Double  $495 or $355 p.p. couple

Deposit $100 (non refundable)

COSTS - for Day Sketching –  only 10am – 4pm, no accommodation.  $50 daily  Full payment with booking for Mon 21st & Tues 22nd. Meet at the cafe at 10am to sketch with us.

Email erin@erinhill for all bookings & payment methods.

What’s included in the full package

Accommodation in the Heritage House. Single or Twin share room

All linen, and towels

2 breakfasts and dinners – we can all help to prepare a simple menu.

Sketch Trip &Tutoring

Lots of laughs

What’s not included

Ferry ride return fares from Circular Quay to Cockatoo island

Lunches

Wine with meals

Sketching Kit

From high above on Cockatoo Island

Our Cockatoo Island home

From Our front door

Garden setting above the harbour

Extraordinary art in a shipbuilding location

COMING SOON CENTRAL COAST – Planning for late July.

Glamping & the Big House above

From high above on Cockatoo Island

It was Sketch Club and International Sketchcrawl day.

At last I had a Saturday free, and I could take part. The day dawned with a complete fog-out. My biggest concern was that the ferry would be able to see it’s way across to the city and over to the island.

Yes it could see just fine, so Ethna and I hopped on a fairly early one and made our way there, holding off having coffee till we had arrived.

The cloud layers lifted and the day became quite hot, as 30+ people gathered there to catch up and sketch all over the island.

I wandered about before settling on this aspect of the glamping tents on the flat being overlooked by the mansion on the hill – and that great metal staircase leading up. Not as many people in the tents as I’d expected, but there were several having a wonderful family cookup in the cooking area  behind where I’d found a seat. The aroma of bacon wafted through the air, the mushrooms, tomatoes, eggs – only 2 hrs before lunch!! Why am I feeling hungry already!

So I completed the colour and escaped temptation by walking along to the far end , passing Mumma duck and 10 teenage ducklings. She was amazing at keeping them all together. Such a peaceful piece of the inner harbour and a glorious day by now.

Up a sloping roadway taking in all sorts of historical signage about prisoners in late 1830 and where they were kept, what they built etc. So many fascinating buildings and structures and cranes and power houses. Deciding what to sketch is the hardest part.

In the end I found a perfect seat above the cliff edge looking down over the harbour to the bridge.

So 12.30 rolled around and time to meet everyone back at base (the cafe) to see what they’d been up to. Loved seeing what Liz, Alissa, Ethna, Chris and the others had achieved, and how different they all were.

Always have fun and much laughter when we all get together. And sketching is our bond. When you travel as a sketcher it’s always possible to meet up with another sketcher you’ve never met before, wherever you may be.

Looking forward to seeing what others round the world sketched today.

©ErinHill2012