New small works

I have been working on some small still life studies this year. Here are a few of them. I am quite enjoying the Arches smooth paper for these, in a wide landscape format.

Jacaranda Pods II

Shells

Still Life

Sketching from Georges Head Arts Precinct with the Sydney Sketch Club.

Another cliff view, quite different from the Blue Mountains, but the rain came in so I moved under cover to paint some leaves and an empty coffee cup!

North Head, in Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook

Another leaf, in Moleskine watercolour sketchbook

Leaf, in Moleskine watercolour sketchbook.

An empty coffee cup, in Stillman & Birn Beta book.

Painting in the Blue Mountains for a weekend.

I had a lovely weekend away in Blackheath in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. It's very challenging trying to capture these massive cliffs but a lot of fun. In the evenings I painted flowers from the garden.

View from Govott's Lookout, first afternoon, in Stillman & Birn Beta square sketchbook.

View from Evan's Lookout, in Moleskine watercolour sketchbook

Painting in the evening - a Rhododendron we found on the way home.

View from Govott's Leap, Moleskine watercolour sketchbook

Some stones laying around at Govott's leaf lookout, Moleskine watercolour sketchbook.

Another flower painted in the evening, Moleskine watercolour sketchbook

Another evening study - Waratah leaf, in Moleskine watercolour sketchbook

More leaves

I have always enjoyed painting leaves. Whether large or small, colourful or rather dull, they provide an excellent subject to paint.

Painted in a beautiful bound leather sketch book.

Painted in Vanuatu in an A5 landscape Moelskine watercolour sketchbook.

Painted in  Moleskine pocket sektchbook.

A leave in Indonesia.

Some local leaves.

Gum leaf study

Gum leaf study

Plein air sketch at the Old Coal Loader, Balls Head Bay

I had never heard about this place until the Sydney Sketch Club decided to go there. I'll go back to read about its history some time, but this is a study of a wonderful tunnel built out of sand stone. It's hard to see the scale in the sketch, but it is very large!

Tunnel at the Old Coal Loader. Watercolour in Moleskine watercolour sketchbook.

Plein air paint brushes

I have tried a number of travel, (or pocket, or reversible) brushes over the years and they are wonderful tools to have. Here are some examples.

The brush heads

From left in all photos - Isabey squirrel quill
Rosemary & Co Squirrel Quill
Rosemary & Co sable quill
Arches Squirrel Quill #3
Art Spectrum sable #6
Art spectrum sable #2
Escoda sable #2
Escoda sable #4
Escoda sable #6
Rosemary & Co trees
Synthetic round
Synthetic flat
Synthetic filbert

A range of travel brushes

The same brushes closed for travel

My absolute favourite is the first one, the Isabey squirrel mop - it has a gorgeous fine tip for drawing with and holds enough paint for small sketches. For larger washes or larger work the next two brushes are lovely. The Arches brush comes into its own for larger than A4 work, which I don't often do Plein air. It is stiffer than most squirrel mops so is almost more like a sable. The next 5 sables are all excellent brushes. The Rosemary tree brush is unusual. The final three are synthetics and once again a larger size than I generally use for plein air. 

I also use some water brushes when outdoors. They are very convenient if you need to do a quick sketch in an awkward spot too.

2014 update - see more on my website at the bottom of this page of plein air sketches. 

National Tree Day.

I went out with the Sydney Sketchers to Wolli creek and painted a couple more plein air studies. Another gorgeous Winter's day.

Angophora tree on National Tree Day (Moleskine Watercolour Sketchbook)

Leaf Litter (Stillman & Birn Alpha Sketchbook)