Fruit Harvest Ink and water colour Sketchbook
It has been perfect autumn weather the last couple of weekends and the farmer’s markets are just bursting with produce. I have been to two, one in Castlemaine and the other in Melbourne. I adore these markets and always come away with too much, but the produce is soo tempting.
This sketch is of an organic fruit stall in the Castlemaine market, don’t you just love the colours of the apples and pears. I have tried to capture the crispy freshness of it all, displayed so beautifully in the old fruit boxes. The styling of the market stalls has come a long way.
Market Stall Castlemaine Growers Market
Here is a work in progress of the sketch, I took the photo in the evening so I apologies for the quality of the colour, but it gives you the idea. I have used my new Ahab fountain pen from Noodlers with this. It has a flexible nib which allows you to vary the width of the line depending on how hard you press. I am starting to get used to it and it worked well with this drawing and I got some nice line variation in the outline of the fruit.
Fruit Harvest Work in progress.
I am tempted to do some larger colour pencil drawings of all this produce, see how much time/energy I have.
This weekend I am in Melbourne and as I was still excited by markets, went to the Collingwood Children’s Farm Market. This is right next to the Abbotsford Convent where I did a sketch of the market there see here. It is a working farm only a couple of kilometers from the city centre beside the river and it is a place where you can children to see where their food comes from. There are all the usual farm animals and great fruit and vege gardens. A magical place.
Collingwood Children’s Farm Market
The farmers market is big and busy, but when you walk around you would not believe you are in the city. I took lots of photos so there will be some more drawings coming up.
Well my blog has a new name, Karen Bailey Studio which is also my domain name. I like occasionalartist, but as I draw nearly every day now, I thought it was time to move on. I am gradually learning what to do to set up this new web site, but it will be a slow progress. Any link to occasional artist will be kept and redirected to this new domain. I tried so many names but I thought Karen Bailey Studio gave me plenty of breadth to do different things, while still linking firmly to me.
Enjoy your weekend
Karen
Karen Bailey Studio 
Congratulations on upgrading your blog name! I agree occasional artist doesn’t seem to do justice to your lovely work. I just want to jump in and eat the apples and pears in your painting! Great farmers market, it’s something I’ve missed since we’ve moved.
Thanks Mel, I am glad you like my new name. How sad not have a local Farmers market, I would miss them too, though I don’t go as often as I mean too. Karen
We were really spoilt when we lived in Madison, WI loads of farmers markets and the big one was absolutely huge. Maybe 100 stalls?
I love the farmers market apples and pears piece! Just lovely style. I am partial to pears 😉 I do remember trying to come up with a site name a while back…it is tricky…but using your name and studio is professional and open ended.
Thanks Rebecca, I just like fruit and veg, in the vege patch, at the market, to draw and to eat. Glad you liked the drawing and better still my new blog name. Always a tricky business, but I hope I got it right. Karen
Welcome Karen Bailey Studio. Clever to start a fresh name with fresh produce. Did any of the boxes of fruit get moved or sold while you were still drawing them?
Thanks Julie, this was done from a photo. I went with a none drawing friend on this excursion, so did not take my sketch book. I don’t think I would have been able to get a drawing done, trade was very brisk and I was lucky to get in an uninterrupted photo, let alone a drawing. Karen
There is something very cheery about your boxes of fruit – they do look delicious, ready to eat. We have farmers markets not far away but I never go! But we do have an excellent high turnover fruit market in walking distance, so I go there several times a week. Karen Bailey Studio sounds good, very professional – I will miss the whimsy of occasional artist though!
Yes, I miss it to, but couldn’t think of a name for my domain that was available and would give me the flexibility I wanted. I don’t get to the farmers market as often as I would like, but all the autumn produce is fantastic. I also tend to buy too much at these markets, so not always economical. Karen
Lovely to see work in progress and what a wonderful finished project.
Thanks, I always like works in progress too and realised that I Haven’t been doing many lately. Karen
Love the painting of the fruit in boxes and Karen Bailey Studio has a nice ring about it.
So glad you like my new name, so difficult to choose. Karen
Congratulations Karen! I like your new blog name and your watercolor painting of apples and pears!
Thanks Jan, I am so pleased to hear that, I was very nervous about picking a new name. Karen
Good point, studio gal! Your art is very professional so this new name seems apt, a more accurate reflection of where you are now. Lovely.
Judy
Thanks Judy, it did seem I had outgrown the other name, glad you like my new one. Karen
Hi Karen, I am glad you changed the name of your blog. I don’t believe there is anthing as an “occasional artist.” My view is that If you make art, you are an artist. Period. And you also happen to be a very good one! Nancy
Aw Nancy, how kind. I was only an occasional drawer when the blog started and still unsure about the artist title. But three years of drawing and sharing on my blog with such wonderful support has brought me a long way and the confidence to easily call myself an artist. Karen