Saturday's Sketch Outing

September 14, 2020 | 4 Comments


On Saturday I went into the city for a solo sketching adventure. It felt great to be out walking and sketching in the heart of Sydney once again.

I had been thinking about doing this for a while but something always came up to prevent it. However this week in the Group Run-through of Watercolour On Location we’re looking at the benefits of doing a number of sketches in one sketching session. So it was the perfect time to commit to a serious outing. I had planned a loose itinerary for a full day exploring The Rocks area but mid-week I was invited to my nephew’s 7th birthday celebration. So I condensed my plan into 4 hours! It would have been better for my sketching if I’d had a full day but this was a good start.


It was a gorgeous spring day and it was so special to be revisiting some of my favourite places in Sydney. I also stopped in at my favourite tearoom – The Tea Cosy – which has generously spaced outdoor tables.


Sketches


A quick 15 minute paint-only warmup sketch of St Marys at 8am.


Next I walked to the Art Gallery and started to sketch it… but I needed some caffeine. So after drawing the portico, I went and got my coffee and then came back to add paint. I then walked through the gardens doing a quick sketch in the succulent garden.


Then another quick sketch of a fun artwork on the other side of the garden. I didn’t spend long here as I was on a mission to get to the tearoom before it became too busy.

It’s called Memory is Creation without End by Kimio Tsuchiya and this is the description:“This spiral of sandstone blocks embedded into the Tarpeian Way consists of relics from demolished buildings and structures such as the Pyrmont Bridge. Each piece of stone, carved by stone-masons long ago, now darkened with age, testifies to their lost function and to the loss of those old buildings in the collective memory.”


So nice to be here at The Tea Cosy again – enjoying the amazing scones and being out and about.

One final quick sketch of the other end of St Marys – crazy complicated! I was trying to achieve something which didn’t work… but it’s always good to try isn’t it?


Bits and pieces from a lovely afternoon with family.


Photos


It was rather surreal to see the heart of Sydney so quiet with zero tourists around.


These photos were taken between 10-11.30am so it was still fairly early. But still much much quieter than normal!


It was such a great day and I’ll be sharing more about it during tomorrow’s livestream (for those of you doing Watercolour On Location at the moment!)


 

4 Comments

  • Jane Varley says:

    What a grand day out Liz! And what a luxury to have it more or less to yourself. I lived and worked in Sydney for twenty five years before coming to Tasmania and never remember such empty (and clean) streets. Blissful. Your sketch at The Tea Cosy made my mouth water. Truly. Will look it up and visit next time I’m in Sydney. Whenever that will be! ?!

  • Beverley Clark White says:

    hello, Liz….just a while ago I e-mailed you asking just how many teacups you actually have…found the ans. on instagram post from this page!!! they are all beautiful…I wouldn’t have any place to put so many, then wouldn’t drink out of many of them (esp. your gg-grandmother’s cup) that would be TOO PRECIOUS!!! this is wonderful…I need to find something that would inspire me to paint of every day!! my daily sketching comes and goes with my health probs….
    got almost thru the sketchbook class, then my cataract surgeries got in the way….will have to run thru it again to finish the course!!! Bev

Leave a Reply