Can I have salt with my tea please?

January 10, 2013 | 2 Comments


Well, I haven’t actually asked that exactly, but on the last two days, I have ordered tea and then asked for some salt. Of course the salt is for my painting… although as you might have seen in previous posts I am more into using my credit card to create texture than I am using the salt!

This is the sketch that I did yesterday with Erin Hill – Erin is a well known artist in the Mosman/Manly area and we get on like a house on fire. We both are passionate about sketching. Erin runs some wonderful on-location sketching classes in the Manly area (yes, Manly Beach area – so pretty special place to be out sketching on the streets! Lots of good cafes there as well!) We started to discuss some exciting ideas…. Erin’s take on the morning is here

Although I am in the middle of doing my day by day posts from my Singapore trip (a huge task) I think that most of my regular followers might have noticed that I had a special lightbulb moment that has changed my work. My friend and amazing artist Paul Wang gave me some tips of different ways to get texture and loosen up with my watercolour..and I am in the process of incorporating these into my work.

This sketch from yesterday contains some of those tips. Working larger, looser, wetter with my watercolour, sprinkling salt and scraping paint with a credit card. And the big one for me, not using my ink lines at all.

Can you tell I am having a ball doing something different?!!!


And today, I was in T2… I just realised that this is my 4th visit in a week!! I think I would like it to become my second office. Actually in the past year or so, when I have had days off, I have taken art projects with me to think through wording, structure and ideas.

So, using my apple gift card to scrape paint I was having lots and lots of fun – working large (this is a A4 landscape sketchbook) and mixing up ink lines, pencil or no lines. I did sprinkle a little salt on the cake but it was a little half hearted!
I am in really experimentation mode- so I am often pushing the boundaries of what I think is safe – so I was a little heavy handed with the red cup!


And one more… another visit to T2 and…


this quick sketch of frozen yoghurt after dinner on Tuesday night… you can see that I went crazy scraping with my credit card.

2 Comments

  • Liz Steel says:

    thanks Isabel… having a break from my architecture is a great way to put it..and true in a way you might not suspect. Losing lines is liberating!
    Have a wonderful 2013!!

  • You seem to have left some part of your architectural nature at home, Liz – less sketching more painting and I find it wonderful! I enjoy your posts so much. Wish you a very happy 2013 full of health, happiness and colours!

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