We were lucky enough to have an urban sketching meet-up on the grounds of the Government House in Hobart, Tasmania, thanks to Dennis Pang for organising.
My usual approach to tackling a building when I’m drawing on location is to start with some loose guidelines using a coloured watercolour pencil and then adding ink. Usually I add the watercolour paint at home.
a section at the back of Government House
photo of the section I attempted to draw on the day
When I attempted to draw this front part of the Government House, I flipped my approach and went with paint first. It looked terrible but it is surprising how much it improves when you add ink. I worked into the picture at home with an Artline pen.
Government House tower
It was a lovely and fun day. I hope I have the opportunity to draw on the grounds of the Government House again.
My very first visitors to the stall purchased a âSuspendedâ (a humpback whale) and âAfternoon Siestaâ print, followed by a young couple from Sydney, buying a âHanging Outâ print. Â
“Afternoon Siesta”
A couple, who came to Tasmania from Geelong via the ferry, chose a âBunk Bedsâ print. Another person chose âLost Worldsâ for herself and âBunk Bedsâ for a work colleague who cared for an orphaned wombat that spent its days at the office and was allowed to run around early in the morning before they were open to the public. The wombatâs name was Nigel.
Bunk Beds
Lost Worlds, which has the Tasmanian thylacines, lost to our world but their presence still felt, embedded in the foreground of the painting.
A young man, visiting Tasmania from about 2 hours drive south of Sydney, bought a print of the oldest convict-built bridge in Australia titled âRichmond Bridge, Tasmaniaâ. https://www.ourtasmania.com.au/hobart/richmond-bridge.html
Richmond Bridge, Tasmania
An expectant mother from Sydney, purchased âMeet Me at the Gateâ for her grandmother who loves Superb Fairy-wrens and an Enchanted Forest greeting card for her mother.
Meet Me at the Gate
A lady from Geelong, NSW, bought a âHammock Lifeâ print. Her son and her used to watch platypus in the river close to their house. He passed away and she said now sheâs obsessive about platypus. She told me that sheâs going to hang âHammock Lifeâ in her kitchen.
Hammock Life
The original painting titled âA Flair for Struttingâ was purchased by a man from Moonah, Hobart. Â I have actually recently sold five original strutting emu paintings: âEarthyâ and another one at Peppercorn Gallery in Richmond, two website orders: âTaking the Fish for a Walkâ and âTiger and Iâ, Â (www.pjpaintings.com) and now at Salamanca Market, âA Flair for Struttingâ.
A Flair for Strutting
A couple, she was originally from Turkey and has been in Australia for two years and got married here, now living on the Central Coast, NSW, purchased âPoppy Fields (Yellow)â and âLeafy Decorumâ prints. They had already bought some of my prints from Tiger ina Papera Gallery https://www.facebook.com/TigerInaPaperaUniqueWoodcraftsalamancagallery/ during the week. They want to move to Tasmania. Heâs an electrician and sheâs a yoga teacher. They are travelling to the north of the state to help them decide where in Tasmania they want to move to.
Yellow Poppy Fields
A lady bought a large âHelping Handsâ zip pouch for her friendâs 50th birthday, who is also a quirky artist she told me.
Another lady bought a âSalamanca Saturdaysâ and âSalamanca Freshâ cushion covers to post to the USA⌠and then it was packing up and a cup of tea time.
Salamanca Saturdays cushion cover
Salamanca Fresh cushion cover
Thanks for visiting and I hope that the upcoming week goes well for you.
Hobart put on another perfect market weather day on Saturday.
My very first visitor was from Cairns, Queensland. She bought a greeting card. Soon after, I had a couple visiting from Toronto, Canada. Their daughter had their first two grandchildren during COVID, now 14 months and two months old. They bought an A-3 sized print of âHanging Outâ for Audrey, the two-month-old and said that hopefully that will help her sleep more (lol). Another âHanging Outâ print is going to make its home in Townsville, Queensland.
A âLazy Daysâ and âHome among the Gum Treesâ print is heading to Newcastle, New South Wales (NSW). A young girl, from the Hunter Valley https://www.winecountry.com.au/plan/history , which is very close to Newcastle, bought a small âHouse Sharingâ print with her own money. (I gave her a discount. I always do when children spend their own hard-earned money. I think it is something quite honouring that from all the things on display at a market that they choose to buy a piece of art).
House Sharing
Another couple visiting from Canada visited and purchased âSitting on the Fenceâ. They are from Newfoundland. The university there has an exchange program with the University of Tasmania, which their daughter took the opportunity of this arrangement to study in Australia. Long flights are now an integral part of their lives because she met her Tasmanian partner and has made her life here.
A gentleman, attending a conference in Tasmania and working in some golfing while heâs here, purchased three prints: âFriendship Refreshes the Soulâ, âHammock Lifeâ, and I think the third one was âSupportive Nestworksâ for his friend who lives in NSW. His friend’s house was destroyed by fire and these prints are going to be his house-warming gift. He will be moving into his new house in about three weeks. His friend told me that he is a great fan of my art. He definitely is as he has bought eight of my prints over the past few years and will now be getting three more!
“Friendship Refreshes the Soul”
“Supportive Nestworks” a painting of a wombat and the endangered Forty-spotted Pardalote providing each other support
I also sold this small original painting, painted on Khadi paper made from recycled cotton rags.
“Having a Whale of a Time”
Thanks for visiting and I hope that the upcoming week is a gentle one for you.
Today was perfect market weather, and it was a long weekend in Tasmania, Eight Hours Day, known as Labour Day in the other states of Australia.
My very first visitor purchased a âSalamanca Freshâ print, and my second visitor, both from Melbourne, bought a âHammock Lifeâ and a âThunderâ print. Thunder is for her sister, who loves elephants.
Two ladies from Canberra bought âHair Accessoriesâ. They love black cockatoos and they told me that since the fires a lot more have moved into their neighbourhood. Another two ladies, from Sydney, bought âThe Bunâ for their mother, who also loves black cockatoos.
“The Bun”
A lady from Brisbane purchased âThe Three Amigos IIâ print and a little original painting of a rather messy looking echidna that I painted.
The Three Amigos II
A young lady from Sydney, who works at a bird rescue centre and has 17 birds at home that she is currently caring for (she showed me photos of her latest rescued birds, a pigeon and lots of young magpies), purchased the very first âMorning Melodyâ A-4 sized print. She also bought âEnchanted Forest Iâ and âEnchanted Forest IIâ prints.
“Enchanted Forest I”
“Enchanted Forest II”
A lady from Brisbane, bought a âWhat the Devil?!â tote bag for her daughter-in-law, who volunteers fortnightly at an animal rescue shelter.
“What the Devil!?!”
A nurse from the UK, who is working in Australia for six months and then returning to the UK, purchased âHouse Sharingâ.
“House Sharing”
A couple from Sydney purchased âSpanish Eyes (Red)â and âFamily Outingâ.
Family Outing
At the end of the day, two women, who both love magpies, purchased âMaggieâ and âMorning Melodyâ each. One has the magpie birdsong as her ring tone on her phone. She played it for me to hear. It sounds so pretty.
Maggie
Morning Melody
I didnât have any prints of my tomato birds at the market. âš
Tomato Birds from my vegie patch
Thanks for visiting and I hope that your weekend is going well.
Greetings. I hope that you have been well and safe in this unpredictable world.
Iâve been venturing out of my comfort zone and have tried to paint a new bird, magpies. They have been voted Australiansâ second favourite bird. There are many who have regular magpie visitors that arrive for their feed or have them as full-time pets.
When I was walking in my neighbourhood, I spotted a magpie sitting on a fence. I started photographing it and taking a step closer after each photo.
Photo taken at a distance
It was very obliging. It posed to the side, back and frontwards.
Back pose
Soon I was about a metre and a half in front of it and it was looking straight at me with piercing eyes. A sudden nervous feeling arose as I considered, âyikes, what if it flies straight into my faceâ but it didnât, it continued to be placid and cooperative.
Getting closer for photographing
This encounter gave me some great magpie resource photos for future paintings.
Unfortunately, this seemingly gentle bird is not loved by all mainly due to dive-bombing people during nesting season. Thereâs also the Collingwood Magpies, an Australian Football League (AFL) team that is huge in Australia that people seem to either love or hate. Collingwood is rarely chosen as a second favourite team. So, unfortunately, the poor magpie has a strong association link with this team, through no fault of its own.
“Morning Melody” quality prints of ‘Morning Melody’ are available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/birds The original painting is for sale at Tiger ina Papera Unique Woodcraft Salamanca Gallery, 7/81Salamanca Place, Battery Point, Tasmania
Sam Bloom wrote a story about an odd little Magpie that saved her family. The photos are beautiful and heart melting, and this has definitely helped to endear more people to magpies.
I hope that you and your family are well, and that the birds around you give you a moment of joy.
I navigated the stairs out of my house in darkness to make the short drive to Salamanca Market. Rain was forecasted but thankfully none eventuated.
My first visitors to the stall were locals and they purchased a âLazy Daysâ print, followed by two sisters who bought âLeafy Decorumâ and âGlamour Girlsâ for their mother, just because they love her. Their mother loves black cockatoos.
Lazy Days
Leafy Decorum
Glamour Girls
Some of the under-18 girls Australian Football Rules (AFL) state team, Tasmania Devils, stopped by before playing their Victoria competitors in Hobart. https://tasdevils.com.au/ (unfortunately, they lost their game).
A âSitting on the Fenceâ print is heading to Melbourne.
A âSea Lifeâ print is going to the Gold Coast to adorn a nursery. The couple are expecting their first baby. Water came close to their house but thankfully receded before it reached the house.
A newly married couple bought a âDouble Dateâ print. A lady, visiting from South Australia, purchased a âBunk Bedsâ print. Sheâs travelling around Tasmania before she heads home. Three ladies bought three small âSalamanca Freshâ pouches to remind them of their time here. A man bought a “Salamanca Fresh” cushion cover to take back to Melbourne. My paintings printed on square cushion covers, made in Australia, are available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/cards
A young man from France purchased some Tasmanian bird images for a souvenir. Heâs been travelling for 2.5 years, firstly visiting New Caledonia.
Two original paintings sold today, a painting of platypus and elephants. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of both paintings.
The painting that sold was similar to this one
It took me quadruple the time to drive home because there was a car accident before the Tasman Bridge. It was good to get home and put my feet up. đ
Thanks for visiting and I hope that the upcoming week is a gentle one for you.
The Unfurling Artist: journalising creative journeying 