Pope Joan Garden Ink and Watercolour Sketch from my sketchbook
Here are a couple more sketches from my life last week. I am still having fun just documenting the things around me in my daily life. Nothing out of the ordinary and of no startling significance, but it is a part of finding the beauty in the everyday. The thought that we do not have to spend money or travel to find beauty and joy, it is all around us if we take the time and trouble to look and really see. It is part of the slow movement, slow food is the most popular. Just taking the time to treasure the moment and enjoy the process.
The first picture is of a lovely little restaurant where I had dinner with a friend. She is a real foodie and always has a new restaurant idea for us to try out. I do a lot of drawings before I go out to dinner with her, as I fill in the time between finishing work and meeting up for dinner. She is very supportive of my art and would your believe she is now suggesting restaurants which she thinks I would like to draw. This is one of them, Pope Joan in Brunswick, they have this fantastic long courtyard filled with planters of herbs that leads down to their vegetable garden. A fabulous garden and the service and food were as good.
Mont Albert Station Watercolour pencil and ink in my sketchbook
Here is a more prosaic subject, my local train station where I wait every morning to catch my train. It is a sweet, little old station, surrounded by the leafy suburbs. I just love these old buildings and just thought a picture of it belonged in my sketchbook.
Hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoyed drawing them.
Karen
Karen Bailey Studio 
Love both of these, that station is particularly cute! I’ll have to get to our local train station (it has an old fashioned steam train) and do a bit of sketching. Great to have a friend so supportive of your art!
Oh, a station with a steam train would be fantastic to draw. Good friends, food and art, it just doesn’t get better than that! I do feel lucky. Karen
These are lovely drawings Karen. I agree, there is so much beauty in the ordinary, good to find it through our pencils and paint.
Thanks Cathe, so glad you liked the sketches. Been busy on our collaboration, it should be in my next blog. Karen
These are wonderful – great story telling pieces.
Thanks Mary, it is fun to record snippets of my world in sketches, more fun to look back on than photos. Karen
What a great way to create a long-lasting memory.
Delightful!! Such fine sketch memories!
It is fun to record the ordinary, everyday things. I find them fascinating. Karen
There is nothing like drawing or painting something to really “see” it. I think we all rush around too much without looking at things properly and appreciating them.
Could not agree more Chris, the one thing art does is to teach to really look and see. You really feel you have been somewhere once you have drawn it. Karen
Very nice drawings, so nice to see so much green! And, love that you a friend that looks out for good drawing spots. That’s pretty nice!
How lucky am I! We are starting to lose our greenery as autumn advances here, my ornamental grapevine has already turned and the leaves are just starting to shade towards yellow. Karen.
I do enjoy your drawing Karen – you somehow have an eye for capturing simple things so beautifully. They make me feel content! And you are absolutely right about enjoying the little things around you, there is so much pleasure to be found right here. (I received the next book back from Kylie, so will be sending it on to you tomorrow!)
Thank you Anna. I look forward to the next book, so exciting. I have finished my handmade book, will I send it up to you next? Karen
Fantastic – I can’t wait to see this one, all handmade will give a whole new feel to the book. I would be very happy for you to send it to me – it probably makes sense for us to follow one another, then send them on to the US for Cathe and Gale. I have a plan for making mine, but haven’t quite got there yet, next job!
These are so beautiful! You have such a pleasing artistic style, and have a true eye for capturing the “larger view” of life.
Such kind and encouraging words thank you. These have been such a pleasure to do. Karen
Karen, as I looked at this post, I couldn’t help but think of how much your sketching and drawing has developed in the past year! There’s more “Karen” in each piece: I see your style shining through in each one, but you’re telling more of the story in each piece you do. These are delightful!
Thanks Ruth, it has been a rewarding journey and working in a sketchbook it is easy to flip back and see your progression. I was pleased at how they were going, but it is so encouraging to have other artists notice and comment on the progression. Karen
I especially like the railway station sketch. It is so evocative. Your sketching just gets better and better.
Thanks Julie, it is getting there, I just need to bond with my water colours, not as confident with them, nor getting the colours I want, really should stick with coloured pencils, put I won’t be beaten.
Karen, I feel like I just want to step into your images and visit for a while. Keep pushing yourself with the watercolors and pencils. Your art is so strong in both those areas! Keep those sketches coming. We all love them! Gale
Thanks so much Gail, I appreciate the support. I am sketching away. Karen