Weekly drawing 33: Today was the 23rd day of our adventure in the Congo.

This drawing is based on an amusing story written by Anna Roberts for our daughter in hospital.

"...I am now sure that Africa is the finest continent for breakfasting.

We washed our dishes and then mopped them dry with the fine and shaggy mane of a passing lion. His long tail flopped languidly from side to side as we dried first our saucers, then our goblets, then our crab forks and so on in the approved fashion. He was very gracious about it, with only a few gentle claw swipes if we reached for the gravy boat before the largest of the frog trongs..."

Anna Roberts

Weekly drawing 32: Trust

..."trust me Little one, I'll get you back home. So rest yourself there's plenty of time" ...

The Elephant and the Baby
By Joel Tarling

Weekly drawing 30: Blue Banded Bee

Amegilla cingulata Blue Banded Bee, an Australian Native Bee.
We recently had six of these little pollinators in our Marrickville garden enjoying the tomato plants.

Weekly drawing 29: An Australian ABC of animals

Illustrated Alphabet of Australian animals, pen and ink

Weekly drawing 28: Stonemasons building the Papal Palace, Avignon

Stonemasons building the Papal Palace, Avignon

This drawing is based on a model I saw last year in France at the Palais des Papes (Papal Palace) in Avignon in southern France. I wanted to pay tribute to the highly skilled 13th century stonemasons who built this awe-inspiring structure. Their story isn't celebrated enough! With only simple tools and lots of elbow grease they achieved a monunental work of art.

13th century stonemasonry tools

Photos from our visit to Avignon in September 2010.

Weekly drawing 27: Luna Park resident fairground artists Arthur Barton and Fred Schweickle

Arthur Barton and Fred Schweickle painting
"The building of Luna Park" mural. Coney Island

This drawing was inspired after watching "The Art Of Fun" a documentary funded by the Library Council Of New South Wales. The Documentary is a history of Luna Parks art and artists. The artists include Rupert Brown, Arthur Barton, Fred Schweickle, Martin Sharp, Peter Kingston, Leigh Hobbs and Ashley Taylor. I thought it was a great insight into the many creative people involved in making Luna Park shine.

"You often see Arthur and Fred Schweickle walking around. They both had white overalls and hats on... Always looked dapper, had his little hat on. They were special"....  

                                        Tony Maloney Special Projects Manager Luna Park, 1961-2007

Weekly Drawing: Week 26 - Louisa Lawson printing Australia's first female-produced journal, 1888.

Louisa Lawson printing The Dawn on an old press at her cottage.
 The Dawn was Australia's first female-produced journal, published from 1888-1905.

This week's drawing is of Louisa Lawson printing Australia's first female-produced journal, The Dawn, which she founded in 1888. I admire the DIY attitude of Louisa and her all-female team of editors and printers (very controversial at the time!).

NSW women only gained the right to vote in 1902, 14 years after they first published. I wanted to create an image which depicts the joy these women must have felt at having an independent outlet to express themselves.

Mosaic tribute to Lousia Lawson by Cynthia Turner
 Lousia Lawson Reserve, Renwick St Marrickville. 

I first heard about Louisa Lawson only recently, whilst watching Federation: Australia's journey to nationhood. She was a fascinating person: publisher, journalist, feminist, poet and the mother of Henry Lawson. Plus while researching her background I discovered she had lived on Renwick St, Marrickville, only a few streets away from where I live. Wow! I'd love to read her biography. She's an important part of Austarlian history.

Weekly drawing 25: Two drawings this week

I couldn't decide, so it's two drawings this week...

While watching a documentary "Federation: Australia's journey to nationhood" narrated by John Doyle.
I sketched a portrait of Richard Baker and his moustache 

Dracula sleeps outside the Marrickville TAB

If you want to see Dracula in the flesh, he is often asleep on his scooter during the day. He hangs out with a group of old men who smoke outside the Marrickville TAB. However be warned, as the sun sets he can wake up pretty hungry. This is when he will try to run over a pedestrian breakfast.

Weekly drawing 24 - Huckleberry Finn

 "It's lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky, up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made, or just happened... "

This week's drawing is a mocked-up cover of a book I love, and dream of illustrating one day. My desire was to create an image which brings to the fore the innocence and freedom of Huck and Jim. Many depictions I've seen of the book have glossed over a fairly major symbol of their innocence and freedom: that they did, in fact, travel most of the time naked. 

"We was always naked, day and night, whenever the mosquitoes would let us - the new clothes Buck's folks made for us was to good to be comfortable..."

  

I wanted to create an image which depicted this, but ensuring it looked natural and innocent rather than dodgy. And I'm very happy with how it came out!

Weekly Drawing: week 23 Muttonbirds

The big day for a young Shearwater