Grey

I have been wanting to do something like this for ages, trying out shapes of people and giving the impression of a city.
I think I prefer simple lines that give an impression rather than very detailed stuff where I get rather bogged down!
Bored to tears and trying to rest, especially as today the knee has been uncomfortable.
Must be the weather, gale force winds and it is cold and damp, heavy showers but not for very long so probably not going to bring the creek down in flood which I would like.

The track from Kings Beach

I am only allowed to stand for 10 minutes at a time with lots of rest in between.
Very boring.
I took a photo of the track into Kings Beach when we walked it a week or so ago. There were lots of purple flowers on the bushes that lined the track, and I had fun laying down some colors, and It did take more than 10 minutes but at least I had time for the watercolor to dry in between .
The track has had some work done on it and is much easier going than it used to be.

Street tree

I had a physio appointment this morning, I have damaged the ligament and it is swollen and I have 2 more appointments for next week and it wont be fixed properly for about 6 weeks.
I am to rest, I know that to you rest is not a word you know but you do have to take things slowly, so my nice little physio told me so I will be careful for a few weeks I suppose.
After this bit of news, John took me for lunch, soup and coffee for me, and I sketched this tree from where I was sitting.
Perhaps I had better be better at organising my life so I can sketch more.

Sketchbook pages

Doodles to keep my hand in.
Yesterday I fell off a table, not trying to fly as my dear husband keeps on telling every one but trying to get a book from a very high shelf.
I have a very sore and uncomfortable knee but no break so I am lucky but this rather elderly woman has been banned from climbing on tables!
So I am fiddling around but standing is not at all comfortable so a few doodles is about all I can manage.

Melbourne

I wonder if I should have done this in greyscale. It is done in ink and pencil and is a recollection of a tiny vignette I saw from the train of two old men sitting in the open doorway of the shed in the back yard in the sun and the fence along the railway line covered in graffiti. I am afraid my rendition of grafitti is not very good. (take your pick of the spelling!)
My perspective is a bit out too but you get the idea.
Click on it to see it better, I hope.
I came home tired and aching, too much walking but I had a wonderful few days, caught up with my lovely grand children over there, not to mention daughter in law and son, went to the paper and stamping show on at the Showgrounds, walked from the station and it was further than I thought but I made it. Went on after the show into Melbourne proper and saw the Salvadore Dali exhibition. I am not a huge fan of some surrealist paintings but find his interesting and this was a very comprehensive exhibition from 'ordinary' paintings through to the surreal to textile sketched photography and jewellery making ideas.
I would recommend any one in Melbourne until about mid October to see it.
The new Victorian art gallery is fantastic, I just went into a couple of updated rooms and next time must spend a day at least.

The point at Horseshoe bay

John had to go for a photo shoot over to Pt Elliott and while I was waiting for him I did a couple of quick sketches and this was one of them.
A beautiful morning that has now become overcast and drizzly.
I have walked for 1/2 an hour up to the top of the hill and back and I did walk along the beach for a while this morning but there waws a big surge and the sand was soft so it was pretty difficult going.
I felt I hadnt walked enough so that is why I walked again this afternoon.
I am supposed to be packing for Melbourne, I will be away from tomorrow until Saturday night. I am hoping to go to a paper show at the Melbourne showgrounds on Friday. I had hoped John would come but he has been so busy he feels he needs to stay home. It means I wont get to the places I would like to visit while I am there but the main reason apart from seeing the children is to go to a Welsh Pony meeting.

wood from groynes

This is from Saturdays walk, some of the wood from the groynes near Victor. This year there have been a lot of big seas and high tides and the sand has almost covered some of them.
They were covered in sea weed and odds and ends and the old bolts are very rusty and weeping rust colour down the posts.
I have no idea what the wood is but it has lasted for a very long time.

Fuchsias in a glass vase

It is winter so more time, a bit to be inside. I picked these last night, it is amazing how they manage to hold on through winter if we dont have a frost.
I did go for a walk last night and again today so now I have to keep it up.
Thank goodness I seem to have been unspammed from my back valley seasons blog so I can now post there as well.

Candlelight

Last night we had a black out so I drew the candle that was helping to light the house. I think we had two torches and about 8 candles. I will have to buy some more.
I am having terrible trouble with my Back Valley seasons blog. I first lost the links I had up, then the ability to put up the links and now blogger thinks I am spam so I am blocked out. I hope not for too long.
I have put as many links as I can remember on this blog, so a lot are not sketching related but more to stitching but I like to be able to have them near by.
It is freezing cold here and it was market morning and a walk this morning. Luckily it wasnt doing much more than drizzle.
We seem to be expecting rain and high winds but so far it isnt too bad, just that having sat at this computer in the freezing cold my knees have decided to seize up. So I am off to sit by the fire.

My sketching bag

There has been some discussion on the sketchercise ning group that I belong to about what we take with us to sketch. This is not always what I use but it has gone to many places with me. It is a camera bag which holds as you can see a small sketchpad that I actually bought at Dick Blick when I was in California last year , a pill bottle of water, my small paint tin, some tissues and a pen and 2 small travelling brushes. I can also fit in my camera and spare batteries. I can sling it around my neck or over my shoulder and I could put it on a belt if I wore one.

Fungi in the grass

While walking early yesterday morning I sketched this nestling in the grass and added some color when I got home. I have called it a mushroom but I dont think I would like to eat it, but mushroom or toadstool I really dont know.

Bird feeder

With foggy nights and cold days and damp drizzle the rosellas are loving my bird feeder. It doesnt hang very straight but that doesnt deter them.
I am not walking terribly far at the moment as my arthritis is giving me hell.
No time for anything but quick sketches, I am still trying to make this house presentable for visitors.

Droplets of rain on foliage

Yesterday we aroke to find a bit of fog and drizzle and I raced out to take photos and try very quickly to get some leaves and twigs sketched. Not as I would like it but as I have started to sketchersize on ning with a few others I have to get something done in my increasingly busy life.
To day we have fog and I am on my way to Adelaide.