29th July - on my way to get my Sunday paper.
A little late in posting this as my daughters blog sketch took precedence. For those who don't know Thaxted please find the time to take a visit - a most beautiful and picturesque English town. Find the time for a coffee and just look at the architecture - the Guildhall is magnificent and the timbers are traditionally treated with lime.

A v.quick sketch of a Harvest Mouse for my daughters blog. I've yet to see the blog so I have no idea if my sketches are being used! Love the Latin name - 'Micrmys Minutus' - say's it all really!

Sat in Soho Square before a meeting. The place was really busy with tourists and Londoners all enjoying the 'Teleporter', the table tennis table and the piano which was occupied by a couple of guys doing a beautiful rendition of Your Song by Elton John. Oh....and surprise, surprise for this summer - it was raining!

A quick sketch for my daughter who writes for a gardening blog - Hoverflies are harmless and very useful in the garden both as pollinators and destroyers of aphids etc.

 

I was just returning from my Sunday morning cycle ride to Thaxted to pick up my paper when the sunlight cutting through the trees made this signpost stand out. So I sat down on the wet grass (using my Mums old shopping bag as a moisture barrier) and sketched the signpost - at least I knew how to get home!!

Coffs Harbour, Diet Coke...3/2/2012

 

Diet Coke on a showery day in Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia

 

Avina Caravan Park, Sydney, Australia 27/1/2012.

Have you ever pitched up somewhere, paid the money, and then instantly regreted the move? This was the Avina Caravan Park near Sydney. After about an hour we realised we were the only temporary visitors on the site - the rest were strange!!!!! Still - we slept well and nobody bothered us - I guess it was all in my mind.

Noosa, NSW, Australia

One of my last evenings in Australia and the sun was going down and people were walking about on the beach just relaxing. Had my beer and sketchbook (the perfect combination) and just drew the scene.

Foodworks, Hay, NSW, Australia 24/1/2012

We had driven for about six hours and arrived in Hay. The town had a frontier feel about it and I really liked the corrugated canopy surrounding the Foodworks shop. The decorative cast Iron support columns and trim were in stark contrast to roof corrugations - so just sat and sketched!

Mark Fanthorpe: We had a dreary, wet, miserable day at Kingscliffe...

Mark Fanthorpe: We had a dreary, wet, miserable day at Kingscliffe...: We had a dreary, wet, miserable day at Kingscliffe. The beach appeared to have been wrecked - we were told that engineers had designed a bri...

We had a dreary, wet, miserable day at Kingscliffe. The beach appeared to have been wrecked - we were told that engineers had designed a bridge over the river and the engineering works had changed the flow of the tide. The result was a washed away beach. The rain and washed away beach didn't stop the local kids from going surfing though. The day was rescued by a fabulous meal at the Katmandu restaurant on the seafront! For every cloud............

Gold Nugget Caravan Park - Bendigo

An old Gold mining town which is well worth a visit. Loads of brilliant old Victorian banks and bars all overlooked by a statue of Queen Victoria herself! Colin from the park has been in contact to point out that my sketch says 'Golden Nugget' whereas in fact the name of the park is 'The Gold Nugget Caravan Park'. Apologies to Colin - not done on purpose but good to see he found my blog!

Sydney Botanical Garden

Sat in the sun and sketched a couple sitting under a tree looking over the harbour.