Almost Christmas Lunch – Kiwi style

December 2, 2013 by Erin Hill Sketching

It’s the annual Kiwi Christmas lunch. In Sydney. Off in the early morning, to get the best and most summery of fruits. It’s my annual contribution and the others will be doing the same, putting together what they always bring. We were advertising people in our former lives, but we have been friends since ever since. We catch up during the year but this is the big one. Just 4 couples and sometimes a niece or daughter joins us. But […]

Categories: Art, Art to Eat, Family & Friends, Special Occasions • Tags: Christmas, Christmas celebrations, Christmas dinner, Creative people

Yves Saint Laurent also Sketches

October 27, 2013 by Erin Hill Sketching

  Happened to be thumbing through the August 2013 Vogue Australia, ( no not in the doctor’s waiting room, or it would be the 1999 edition! ) and on the last page, called Voguepedia, was a b/w sketch which really took my eye. The fine print at the base of the page describes it thus: In 1969, British Vogue commissioned the enigmatic Yves Saint Laurent to share his likes and loves in his own personal ‘dream wall’ sketch. Almost 45 years […]

Categories: Art, Book covers, The little things in Life • Tags: Paris, Sketches, Vogue, Yves Saint Laurent

My City Adventure

June 27, 2013 by Erin Hill Sketching

My appointment was at 9.30am. That’s ok and I work backwards to work out which ferry I’ll get to the city. There I am on an incredibly wet morning along with crowds also off to the city.  Peak hour. Decide to get the fast ferry. MMmmm. Looked to me like there’d be no chance of all of us squeezing on – but we kept filing forwards. No return now. Managed to find a seat inside the cabin which reminds me more […]

Categories: Art, Sketches, Sketching People, The little things in Life • Tags: Ferry, Hair sketches, Sydney

Sketch your Cake before you eat it

June 26, 2013 by Erin Hill Sketching

My how time flies. We have 6 of these ‘Sketch your Cake and eat it too’ High teas a year. Our 4th for the year,  we were holding at the redeveloped Quarantine Station, a marvellous north facing headland with views of the harbour on two sides. It was not quite as much fun if you’d been on an infected ship because you could see freedom but not have it. Not till you were cleared or cured. The third option was […]

Categories: Art, Art to Eat, Food Sketching, Quarantine Beach, Sketch & High Tea, Special Occasions • Tags: Dining room, High Tea, Quarantine Station, Sketch your Cake, Sketching, Sydney

Heirlooms, Charity and another Birthday

June 22, 2013 by Erin Hill Sketching

THURSDAY JUNE 20 ’13 Crisp blue morning. Definitely wear scarf and coat I remind myself. We were sketching our family memories today. The brief was, to sketch something you’ve inherited and which may have been stored away. Most of us have inherited our parents belongings and most of us have nowhere to display them, so it goes into storage, or to charity shops like Red Cross and Vinnies (previously known as St Vincent de Paul.) Even the charity shops brand […]

Categories: Art, Manly Sketches, Out & About Sketch Classes, Sketching Cafes, Sketching Locations, Special Occasions • Tags: Birthday, Chocolate cake, Manly Beach, Sketching, Vincent de Paul

A Most Exotic Bouquet

May 17, 2013 by Erin Hill Sketching

Venta has set a new standard in flower giving. We’ve been having trouble communicating lately – her computers and phones were off the air waves and I’d wondered if she had given us up. But no, everything is up and working again and as class was starting, in walks Venta with the most glorious bouquet of exotics most of us had not seen before! There were purple rose cabbages, gold and crimson orchids, and some protea leaves – about now […]

Categories: Art, Flower Sketches, Sketching Flowers, Special Occasions, Watercolour Painting • Tags: Composition & Colour, Floristry, Flower bouquet, Quick Watercolours

Up up and Away for St Patrick’s Day

March 17, 2013 by Erin Hill Sketching

This is my surprise birthday gift!!! Only trouble is I was busily making other plans for Saturday which absolutely definitely could not be changed. And the surprise was for Saturday. Sunday was St Patrick’s day so I thought I was clear. Not so. Finally when everything looked like it would go pear shaped – the family had to tell me what the surprise was. After a split second I ditched my friends and went with Plan A. As you do! […]

Categories: Harbour action, helicopter over Sydney, Special Occasions • Tags: Aerial views, Saint Patrick's Day

Two Awards from Two very Inspiring Bloggers

February 10, 2013 by Erin Hill Sketching

It is with gratitude that I humbly accept these awards. This was a total surprise and it has taken me awhile to say Thank You. It does of course come with some responsibility, which is to honour the people who awarded these to me, to reveal a few things about myself and to award my choice of other bloggers. I am going to break the rules here and simply say an enormous Thank You to all of those marvellous followers […]

Categories: Art, Family & Friends, Reflections, Special Occasions, The little things in Life • Tags: 7 Things, Award, Blog, France, Site Awards

When Molly met Harry

May 31, 2012 by Erin Hill Sketching

Molly is two and a half.  Harry popped out on April 28th, about a month ago. This is their first meeting on that day. The photo came by iphone and we all melted. Then it seemed that possible a sketch could come of it. Not that it’s something I do. Sketch from photos. But the pic was so lovely I decided to have a go. Line sketch with watercolour. I think it worked. Molly was thrilled. Harry slept on. ©ErinHill2012

Categories: Art, Family & Friends, Sketches, Special Occasions • Tags: Baby Sketches, Composition & Colour, Watercolour Wash with Line