Thursday, March 13, 2008

Back again



I've been away!... The reason for my last post being so rushed and unedited - and I couldn't SAY I was going, as it was a surprise for my sister Vivienne's (Big!) birthday. I really wanted to do a post saying "Coo-o-eee, I'm over here, in Austra-a-aliaaa!", but it was a very short week with lots of lovely family and other people to talk to and wonderful things to do, so I didn't do any painting or blogging, besides these few sketches. Perth is a lovely town - relaxed and friendly with a vibrant art life and loads of outdoor attractions for the energetic. My second visit, I still couldn't get over the brightly coloured parrots and cockatoos that I've only seen before in cages, darting around and decorating sky and trees. I would love to do some watercolours of them, but my eyes can't quite make them out in the tall Norfolk pines, though I might try from a photo or two that I took.
These sketch-journal pages were done on rare occasions where I could sit and look, and draw a little - dear dog Harry chewing an enormous bone and fending off a cheeky marauding crow; an attempt at a frangipani tree, which grow so lushly in that climate; a harbour pub and boat club, and the airport, which always obliges to provide plenty of opportunity for sketching while you wait!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, I'll repeat it again...welcome back! What great sketches you did...the scene under the umbrellas is particularly catching with its gay colours and summer feel! And I love the boat club scene too...all of them..!I find it very hard to sketch on a "family/friend/back home visit, too much catching up to do and too little time for real sketching. I hope we'll eb able to get together somewhere in the future for a pencil-to-paper-experience?
Ronell

Cathy Gatland said...

Thanks Ronell - ja, an artist whose workshop I went to once, said you either have a painting holiday OR a sociable/family holiday, not both, but even a few quick scribbles help to keep it all fresh in your mind. It would be so great if we could sketch together sometime, somewhere - I hope so too!

Vivienne said...

These are great mementoes of your visit. Hardly time to draw breath let alone sketches, so well done!! Wish you were still here.
XXX

Gillian said...

These are lovely, Cath. Wish we could have been there too.

Making A Mark said...

What wonderful sketchbook pages!