Today I had yet another (using that phrase a bit in the last few posts!) big sketching Saturday. And yet another visit to Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney…. I will reveal why in a few days time! If you want a sneak preview check out this blog!

Started the day with a visit to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair – where you get the classic view of Sydney (Opera House with Bridge in the background). I haven’t been here for years so as it was quiet at the chair sketched it first. Just when I was finishing, an enormous number of tourists arrived.

From Wikipedia: The chair is an exposed sandstone rock cut into the shape of a bench, on a peninsula in Sydney Harbour, hand carved by convicts from sandstone in 1810 for Governor Macquarie’s wife Elizabeth. Folklore has it that she used to sit on the rock and watch for ships from Great Britain sailing into the harbour. She was known to visit the area and sit enjoying the panoramic views of the harbour.

Next I went down to the waterfront for THE view of Sydney (which I have never sketched). I was wanting to do a sketch that I could post on Urban Sketchers about the terrible floods in Queensland (and also NSW and Victoria) but not sure how to do a sketch on location – a view of a picture on my TV? Anyway right here was the answer to this dilemma – a floating roof in Sydney Cove reminding all of the Qld Flood Relief! What a brilliant idea – I have no idea who was behind it.

Went into the Garden Precinct and spent an hour or so doing some big sketches (outside of a sketchbook) before meeting up with Wendy and Annie for a coffee who also happened to be in the gardens today. BTW I happened to walk past Alissa sketching outside the Art Gallery this morning using her new lamy pen. This is so funny as I really wanted to have some solo sketching time today yet I saw the whole gang!
This is a sketch from our table. W&A departed and then good friends of mine who were in town today came for lunch.

After lunch, more sketches (on loose paper) and then a final sketch in my gardens sketchbook for the day. Following the Macquarie theme… I stopped to look at a historic wall. The Macquarie Wall was built 1810-1812, during Governor Macquarie’s time, it is the last of the walls of the Macquarie era still existing. Spoke to numerous people while sketching this!

BTW those are huge ‘bats’ – Australian Flying Foxes that are causing havoc in the gardens – a number of them were flying around when I sketched this!

Feeling exhausted so popped into the Art Gallery cafe for arvo tea. Another great conversation with the couple next to me! It is impossible not to have a socialable time when sketching. I had to stop 2 waitresses from removing my plate etc on the table.

In order that my art gallery visit wasn’t just for tea and scones(which were very good just for the record) I did a sketch on my way out.
So a big day (and I haven’t posted my 4 big sketches!!!)