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...

Hooters

Hooters – the people who do the chauffeur driven tours in Napier kindly let me sit and sketch in their garage recently. If you've been down that way recently you will have seen one or two of their cars blatting around the place.

They have a really interesting selection of vintage cars and even a vintage bus. I chose to draw a superb a 1938 Lagonda Le Mans racer and started this 1930 Ford Model A bus above which got the full water colour treatment at home.


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