SKETCHING IN MY GARDEN

Yesterday was a bright dry day for our sketch afternoon but not so sunny as Friday, which was just as well as my secluded garden is a veritable suntrap. Six members of the workshop group arrived laden with bags of equipment, but ended up choosing one of the 8 seats I had strategically placed around the garden for good views of little areas of delight and settled down to sketch much smaller works of art.

Maggie moved a seat to look down on the sunken garden area where the pond and archway reside and sketched 3 delightful studies from the same vantage point:
Maggies studies

Brian made a beeline to the stone bench by the hydrangea to get a good view of the stone water feature with the children and umbrella. I didnt turn the spray on that comes up over the umbrella and down over the children into the water in case it splashed Philippa who sat nearby to sketch a double spread of the pond and beer barrel with the very tall fuchsias:

Brians sketch and Philippas pen and wash

Anne sat over by the greenhouse to view the white stone birdbath I have used as a carrier for a flower pot with pelagoniums and created a couple of pencil sketches:
Annes pencil sketch

John sat up on the decking in front of the raised summer house and worked on the round feature in the middle of the lawn, after first tackling the archway across the other side of the garden from his raised vantage point. After moving, Margaret decided to work on the steps and ballustrade of the summerhouse with flower pot on the corner (afraid the light pencil sketch did not photo well):

All the images posted were taken at the early stages and Im afraid I got so involved as the afternoon went on I forgot to photo the finished pieces.

A very busy afternoon, with lovely fruit scones with cream and strawberry jam baked and provided by dear Maggie, plus a traditional pot of tea with china cups and saucers, biscuits and sponge sandwich cake. We all enjoyed that break and a chance to look at each others work.

I never had time to add the colour to my hydrangea sketch but maybe today!!??