Chinatown with the Brisbane City Sketchers.

What a great way to spend my birthday doing what I love with friends..  I had a wonderful morning..

The Brisbane City Sketchers are the best.. :-)  I had a super morning, my Birthday Morning, sketching with friends and a load of laughs to boot..

A4 Sketchbook 0.8 Unipin pen and watercolour

SHAFSTON HOUSE Brisbane Australia

Shafston House is a heritage-listed villa at 23 Castlebar Street, Kangaroo Point, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Robin Dods and built from 1851 to 1930s.

The building is now known as Shafston International College, it is freehold property once again. The building is a landmark feature for Brisbane's ferry and CityCat passengers.

Today I went there with the Brisbane City Sketchers to sketch.  Gorgeous day, and a load of fun.

Centenary Park sketchout with the Brisbane City Sketchers

Centenary Park, a heritage listed park,  was designed and constructed for the purpose of commemorating the centenary of European settlement in Queensland (1824-1924). Clearing of the land began in 1924 and the park was formed in 1925.
It covers an area of 8,748 square metres and is bounded by Wickham Street, Ann Street and Gotha Street, Fortitude Valley. The park was one of the last civic projects undertaken by the former Brisbane City Council prior to the formation of the Greater Brisbane Council in 1925. The park has been in continual use by the public since its creation and was extensively refurbished in 1999/2000
Celebrating the centenary of European settlement in Queensland was an important milestone in the state's history, an opportunity to demonstrate how far it had progressed in 100 years. From its beginnings as a penal colony, followed by the arrival of free settlers, separation from New South Wales, Federation and the First World War, Queensland had experienced many tumultuous events in its first 100 years worthy of commemoration and celebration. The creation of Centenary Place provided the public with a tangible means of doing this.

A4 Holcroft Sketchbook 0.8 Unipin pen and a touch of watercolour
  Centenary Park Fortitude valley..

BRISBANE CITY SKETCHERS

Today was the Brisbane City Sketchers Christmas Lunch.  We met at the Gardens Club in the Brisbane City Botanical gardens.  It was a lovely morning, with a sketchout  first up (dedicated Urban Sketchers) then lunch.  a super fun morning..

A5 sketchbook pen and watercolour

 

Urban Sketching in the City

I was sitting in a quaint Cafe in the Historical Heritage listed building "The Mansions" this morning filling in time before a meeting..  You can read about the history of this magnificent building Here

Pen and ink to start

Watercolour added

My travel kit

Sketching with the BRISBANE CITY SKETCHERS

Fun morning at the university of Queensland at St Lucia.  We holed up in Wordsmiths Cafe as it was some hot after the horrendous thunderstorm at 4.30am.

The University of Queensland was the first university in the state and was officially founded on April 16, 1910

Teaching started in 1911 in Old Government House in George Street, Brisbane. In the first year there were three faculties – Arts, Science and Engineering – and 83 students (60 men and 23 women).

After World War I, the University expanded rapidly and soon outgrew its inner-city location. In 1922, an additional site in Victoria Park (now occupied by the Medical School) was secured. Four years later, Dr James O’Neil Mayne and his sister Miss Mary Emelia Mayne provided funds to buy the St Lucia site where the University’s main campus is now located. Construction started on the St Lucia site in 1937 and the first building, later named the Forgan Smith Building after the Premier of the day, was completed in 1939. During World War II, it became the advanced headquarters for the Allied Land Forces in the South West Pacific.

First sketch of the day on toned pastel paper and charcoal.

 

 

 

 

 We had an audience.

State Library of Queensland

What a wonderful morning with the BRISBANE CITY SKETCHERS We sketched at the library today, firstly outside, for an hour or so until 10.00am when the library opened.  

I love sketching in the "Red Box".  The "Red Box" is encased in full length windows, which gives the impression of being suspended over the Brisbane River, it is a fabulous place to make art, quietly, and the views are endless.

 This sketch was made with me sitting in the Library Cafe

Sketched on tones pastel paper with charcoal.

A4 sketchbook 0.8 Unipin pen

Finally inside the Red Box.  They have tiered seating at the back of the room and three two seater chairs in the front. It is a quiet room for studying, and makes a wonderful haven for quietly drawing..