Workshops and progress photos

My monthly workshops in the Gardens are going swimmingly with no shortage of participants. The full complement of 12 has been reached and surpassed every time, with a few on the waiting list managing to sneak in also.

The topic for September was "Tips on Composition" and there were many practicing artists or sketchers who attended.

The outdoor component was held in the Aboriginal Trail area just off the main road. Plenty of shade in this spot.

It was quite a complicated lesson but putting it into practice outdoors consolidated the concepts.

Perfect weather for working outdoors. 

Not a great photo of the sketchbook throw-down due to the shadows but it just started to rain slightly so people were scurrying for cover.

The drawing above was done in the City Botanic Gardens as I do try to spend some time each month there also. The trees there are older and thus much more established. You can see distant vistas also through the different grouping of plants.

I just couldn't go past this tortured specimen of a Fig tree just up from City Hall. It's not actually in the Gardens of course but the drawing is certainly inspired by others I have been working on that are.

Robyn Bauer sketching on location

Here I am working on my very long concertina sketchbook, the results of which will be revealed shortly.

Every part of the book has been drawn on location in the gardens.

A studio shot of a small part of the book.

Above shows several of the pages collaged into one photo.

Still working on others like these!

Urban Sketches of Brisbane

Since my big solo show is now well and truly over I have been getting back to en plein air sketching. I have joined a group of urban sketchers who meet on Tuesdays, but on other days I still get out there and draw from life in the urban landscape around Brisbane. There is a real difference in approach working from life. It is a good lesson to respond with immediacy to a subject.

 This is my first outdoor effort. It is from New Farm Park looking past the ferry terminal towards the river bank on the other side. I guess it would be East Brisbane over there. In this one I used every media from paint, pencil, ink, charcoal and white charcoal. About 1 hour's work.

This was my second hour out in the open. Drawn from just past the Powerhouse and looking toward the East Brisbane riverbank, past a large fig tree.

My third effort for that day again shows the river in the foreground and higher up the riverbank is Lourdes Hill School. This is just pencil, 6B and HB.

Having got back into the sketching mode I took my sketchbook along to the Northern Districts Horticultural Society Meeting and drew the participants behind a few hanging baskets. Pen and Ink, wash added later.

 This one is from GOMA looking past the elephant sculpture towards Brisbane City. The urban sketchers met here so we were a group of about 14.

 So far I have done a sketch daily. This one was yesterday just down the road in Given Terrace Paddington.

Today it is pouring rain so this is the view from my studio back deck towards Sacred Heart Rosalie Church and Toowong Village. As you can see I am limiting my media to just pen and ink and wash. Just like my painting technique I prefer the splatter and splodges of the accidental mark. Planning to loosen up a lot more than this though!


I am happy to do commissions of such views if required.