‘One misty moisty morning…’

Today’s sketching for the Hotham Park Sketchers group reminded me of that children’s nursery rhyme as it was misty, cold and damp giving me chilled hands and feet. It was with a sense of relief I got to the cafe to warm up after. I did manage this pastel sketch on A3 beige kraft paper….

Under the yew trees

Because of illness I have not been able to get into the Park for a while but today I joined the fortnightly sketchers group and as it was spotting with rain plonked my stool down in a grove of Yew trees which gave some shelter. I set about drawing one of the trees. Yews are…

The ghost willow

Today during sketchers group I visited this weeping willow which was once a lovely sight in the spring but this year its a bare skeleton as it did not survive last years drought. Its still very interesting to me as I love tangled branches but its a sad reminder of what can happen as we…

Drawing a blank

Went sketching with the group on the park today but it was one of those times when nothing went right. I faced my subject the wrong way and was blinded by the light, then whilst sitting on my stool in front of a seat I became very aware that it is the school holidays so…

Gunnera

Four of us met to sketch in the park this morning and as it was was so hot all of us set about finding shady places to do our drawings. I chose a cool place near the gravel garden and was attracted by these majestic Gunnera leaves. I love the dramatic shapes they make between…

Summer blooms

Hotham Park’s newly planted rose garden is starting to look good though there are a few gaps where someone thought they should help themselves to 8 David Austin rose bushes after they were planted. Somebody out there has a nice new rose garden at public expense. The roses will be replaced later costing the council…

Summertime

Today was Hotham Park Sketchers day and three of us sketched for a a lovely sun drenched hour. I used water soluble wax crayons with spit and fingers for water. I chose this shady spot under old yew trees then took a photo to remind me of the scene.

Trees and gulls

This morning in the Park I sat on my little folding stool to sketch these spindly trees. The leaves were such an incredible vivid yellow green where the sun caught them but it was the trunks I was interested in. After I sat on a bench by the pool and was visited by two gulls…