Botanical Gardens Drawings

I am thundering along with my promised year of study and experimentation. As well as the cemetery drawings in charcoal which I posted last week, I have been drawing in pastel at the Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens. We have had so many rainy days lately I have had to find a spot under cover. The narrow seating area in the Japanese Garden has fit the bill nicely.

All the following drawings have been done from life sitting in the gardens somewhere.

 This was done overlooking the lake. I have always wanted to find a spot where I could paint reflections from life.

This is me channelling Monet although I hope he does not have a monopoly on such subject matter.This was done not far from the first drawing spot. It shows the last of the water-lilies before the cold sets in. There were plenty of ducks around and I did get some good photos of them but I am trying to stick to my new mantra of just working from life. They don't quiet sit still long enough for that. My eye/hand needs to get much quicker.

This is a view from the Japanese Garden. The forms are all very contrived and sculpted and the views all pre-arranged. It is very beautiful but is like the processed food equivalent of other more natural bush settings.

Another view in the Japanese garden. This shows the little waterfall and rock-pools.

This was done in a more rainforest type area of the gardens. I got very cold sitting here hence it is not quite finished.

This drawing was done much closer to home. It is actually the view from our summer house down the back of our yard. It looks into a gully between the houses. Amazing to have this here in such an urban suburb only 2k from the city centre.

This is a slightly larger more finished piece.  It is a view of Paddington just around the corner. Huge old fig tree on the right and in the middle distance you can see the church on Enoggera Terrace. The workers cottages around here have such a charm when they are still in their original state.