Escape to the Bay of Islands

Occasionally Auckland Sketchbook escapes the city to somewhere interesting — and close. This time the sketchbook got a workout in The Bay of Islands . Only 3.5 hours by car and a world away from work. The sketch above was made in down-town Paihia, it doesn't look it, but it is literally behind the main street. The view is the back of an old homestead called Williams House . I was attracted by the orchard of very old fig trees on the left that had me imagining eating juicy ripe figs. Sadly they weren't in season but it must be a fun place at harvest time. Right over the other side of the bay you will find his falling down old house on Matauwhi Bay. For a while there the water had a turquoise glow until the sun went into hiding. This is Pompallier House and Clendon Cottage in Russell sketched with my back to the sea. I may have used a little too much artistic licence in moving them close enough together to fit on my page so don't look too closely.  Anyway, I have sketched Po...

Good mail!


I like getting good things in the mail, so I was pretty happy when Luís Ançã's Desenhos do Alentejo came in last week. I had recently been checking out Luís' excellent sketches on his blog and eventually left a comment on an Estremoz sketch - a historic hill town I remember vividly from a cycle tour through the Alentejo region back in 1991. That part of Portugal was one of the highlights of 3 or so months cycling through Spain, Portugal and France. Thanks Luís your sketches really capture the region well!



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