After the heat of last week today’s meeting of the Hotham sketchers group was a damp affair. I sat in the little Mediterranean garden and tried my hand at watercolour again until the rain spots began. I worked on it again with pen over coffee in the cafe and yet again with gouache when Igot…
Since Christmas I have had a sort of painter’s block, if there is such a thing, and I have found it difficult to pick up my brushes but I saw this bare Hazel in the spring sunshine and was inspired to put it it on canvas. I started it months ago and its only now…
‘Have you got a muffin in each eye’ is what my dad would say when someone couldn’t find or see something and although that is a quaint way of putting it a lot of folk act just as though its true. Keeping their eyes open is one of the things I try to teach my…
In a far corner of Hotham Park there is a delightful little secret (almost) garden which has been restored since I first visited it some years ago. This is what it looks like now.
Some people have watched gorillas in the mist but whilst sketching in the Hotham Park bandstand I had a grandstand view of the Saturday runners in the mist. I’ll grant you this is not nearly as exciting as being a few feet away from a gorilla but I thought their effort was worth a snap…
Whilst sketching yesterday I was visited by two ducks who obviously knew good art when they saw it….well thats how I like to think. Actually they couldn’t see what I was doing as they were below me on the grass close to the bandstand where I sat. I guess its the time of year when…
Today I went to the Park early (ish) to sketch in the misty conditions. I used an A2 size Pastelmat with a dark slate surface. I bought three of these sheets some years ago to try but never got around to it. Truth is they were expensive and I didn’t want to mess them up…
Yesterday I tried to sketch a very complicated Hazel tree during the Park Sketchers meeting. I must say I didn’t make things easy for myself. The colours were wonderful with mustard and green showing up when the sun came out. I’ll post a photo I took after. The other is a quick demonstration work for my…
Today I joined the fortnightly sketchers in Hotham Park again and was surprised how much springing has gone on. I know it happens every year but somehow always comes as a delightful surprise.
A couple of days ago I made a chilly visit to Hotham Park where I caught up with John the gardener on his trusty steed. During winter there is a lot of trimming weeding and tidying to do be done. A few volunteers meet on Wednesdays to help but the task of keeping the park…
ritasspot, a blog about Hotham Park by it's Artist in Residence 