Another day and another beautiful historic town! This time it was Carcoar which I visited for a few hours back in 2021.

It has a very intact main street and timber bridge and therefore it’s often used in movies. In fact, while I was there I overheard a conversation about an upcoming filming project and all the logistics involved with it.

Back in 2021 the only cafe in town was open 7 days a week but unexpectedly closed the day I was there! But in 2023 this cafe is only open Thursdays – Sundays. (Limited opening times are quite common in these small country towns and so I had to plan my week accordingly!)

I got a takeaway Flat White on arrival and then sat at a picnic table sketching a tree as my warmup!

Here is a closeup of the tree.

I moved to another table nearby with a great view of the courthouse and the main street but I got to this stage and then a campervan blocked my view. I had no idea how long it would stop there and I suddenly lost interest in this sketch/view. I knew from the current sun angle that the view would be very different if I returned in an hour or so.

Therefore I left the sketch incomplete and I’m happy with that as it tells a good story about this particular moment.

BTW the courthouse is another JimmyB!

I then went for a walk up the main street and around the town. On the way, I did these two sketches standing up.

Note: I’m trying to get more comfortable sketching while standing up. It’s certainly easier when using dry media!

After my walk through the town I ended up back at the main street and I found a bench with a good view! Even though it was winter, it was very comfortable sitting in the shade.

Here is a scan of the finished sketch.

I did one more sketch of the main street after lunch. Note: There are some really great views at this end of the street which I look forward to sketching on a future visit.

It was then time to do a few simpler sketches – so I did these elevational views of two windows.

And finally as I drove out of town I found another verandahed building to draw!

And here is the full double-page spread.

I’ll finish this article with a photo of the courthouse and the street behind. Looks like I need another visit in order to sketch this building! 🙂

This article is part of a recent Road Trip to some historic towns between Bathurst and Canowindra. See all the articles here.

Next up… my favourite town… Canowindra.