In the Field – Part 4

Despite the fun I had at the museum, my favourite locations in the field are inevitably scenic ones. This time it’s a seascape.

Malabar Headland has recently been made into a national park. It makes the walk between South Maroubra and Malabar accessible whenever the rifle range on the same location isn’t in use.

Sketching at Malabar Headland

My friends and I visited on a very sunny and still day – though the seas were still a bit rough due to Cyclone Gita all the way in New Zealand.

Sketching at Malabar Headland

The sandstone cliffs are similar to what you might find in Royal National Park, but more accessible, especially if you live in or are visiting the Eastern Suburbs. I made the most of the intricate folds and honeycomb erosion by sketching in ink.

Sketching at Malabar Headland

In the Field – Part 3

Art in the field doesn’t always have to be out of doors – it can also take place in indoor locations.

A few weeks ago, a few friends and I went sketching in the Australian Museum. Although I had visited a few times, I had never sketched there before. It’s actually a great place to draw in, being full of different objects – natural and man-made.

An intricate wood carving from the Congo, in the Long Gallery.

Sketching at the Museum

A very elaborate head-dress from New Guinea, in the Long Gallery.

Sketching at the Museum

Crocoite from the Albert Chapman mineral gallery.

Sketching at the Museum

Tourmaline from the Albert Chapman mineral gallery.

Sketching at the Museum

In the Field – Part 2

Being ‘in the field’ could also mean exploring my suburb, as I am compelled to do for time to time. I called the latest installment Lost Suburbia, and it was part of my TAFE Diploma of Visual Arts photography major work.

I wanted to capture these brick bungalows and their details before they are all replaced by McMansions. I used black and white film – the medium most commonly used when these houses were built in the 1940s – and developed each shot in the darkroom myself.

Lost Suburbia

Lost Suburbia

Lost Suburbia

Lost Suburbia

Lost Suburbia

Lost Suburbia

In the Field – Part 1

Creativity doesn’t need to be confined to just the home, school or studio. Photographing and sketching in the field provides stimulus and is great practice. It’s really true that the more you do it, the easier it becomes.

One place that’s inspired is my old haunt of Oatley Park, by the Georges River. I might not have been a frequent visitor in recent years, but I made up for it in the last few months: shooting photographs at the castle.

Oatley Park Mornings

Oatley Park Mornings

And sketching by the baths.

Oatley Park Mornings

Oatley Park Mornings

Mornings are my usual time there. It’s when the light is golden as the baths are illuminated. If you wake up early enough, you might even see the sun rise.

Oatley Park Mornings

Oatley Park Mornings