Projects
Travel Sketching
When travelling, I make a point of sketching, every day if I can, regardless of the difficult conditions. I think about all those plant hunters and collectors from the past who were able to draw and paint in very difficult conditions. I think I have it pretty easy compared to them.
The important thing is to work fast, observe carefully and aim to get as much information down on paper as possible in a short time. It’s quite challenging but worth the effort, and you do get better with practice. It also means you can bring home something special from your trip, in addition to photographs – possibly the beginning of a more detailed artwork. Here are some examples of my travel sketches.
Western Australia
2017
In 2017, I was driving north from Ravensthorpe, through Lake King towards Hyden, to see the famous Wave Rock. There was a blaze of bright orange along the sides of the road – I found out it was Grevillea excelsior, Flame Grevillea. Amazing – like so many Western Australian plants.
Northern Territory
2017
Travelling around the Northern Territory there were so many incredible plants, and I was kept very busy drawing them, like this one – the Acacia dunnii, Elephant Ear Wattle. I struggled to identify several, but not this one, because it is so distinctive and so different from any Acacia I have ever seen before.
