Woman On Traralgon Line Drinking Bourbon

 This was a very caricatured and unflattering sketch, but the woman recognized herself.

Melbourne To Melton Train 5/4/24

 

Stratford Portrait Group, February 2024

 I neglected to scan this previously so here it is. It was a ten-minute sketch somewhat cartoony.

Melbourne To Traralgon Train Again

 Public transport is a great place to draw people. Should I ask first? Well, all spontaneity would be then lost, and people might say no! Sometimes, though, I do ask, just so I can do a more detailed picture and because the person is sitting so close it is going to be obvious. The reaction is then generally a request either to take a picture of the art or to buy it. I have sold a couple of pictures recently, although I do usually like to keep my better work.

   I drew what turned out to be pretty much a caricature of one young woman who was travelling with her uncle. Both were drinking Bourbon (Bundi) despite the train prohibition (which the ticket guy seemed to ignore). It was a quite good drawing - I haven't featured it here. I couldn't resist showing it and she recognized herself. I promised to send a copy to her once she sent me her email as the picture crossed two pages, would be damaged and I wanted to keep it anyway. 

  They were friends with a group who were getting off the train at Moe. One of these was a middle-aged woman with heavily caked makeup, pursed lips, scratchy, loud voice and no teeth, who loudly proclaimed that they could take me to court for drawing without asking, as if that was a regular recourse for someone like herself, a woman of obvious means to pay expensive lawyers (but not a dentist). I suddenly felt a little like Jane Goodall or Dian Fossey would feel if their subjects for study suddenly turned. 

 

Below: Some other people I drew on that trip.

  

   

Schizophrenic Rap Player

 I was at Melton station recently. I had nearly an hour to wait for the Melbourne train and was reading my fantasy novel, finally getting into it when I heard a loud annoying cacophony. It turned out that a dark man in a hoody was playing, from out of a large bag, his rap 'music'. Why should I have to listen to this crapolla?

  So I approached him and asked him to turn it down. He replied, in animated fashion, that he was schizophrenic. That didn't make me feel any better about having my ears assaulted so I left and went through the tunnel to the other platform where there was an office and asked if they could call the cops to shoot him. Unfortunately, no such happy event occurred but he did disappear - maybe paranoia got the better of him.

  However, I find most, even annoying events, to be eventually fortuitous and it has given me the idea for another eventual Mick and Hoppa story.

  It was a quick drawing and it was impressionistic as the train was soon to arrive. The man was no longer there to model for me, so it is really a cartoony impression.

   

Flinders Street Station

 I just returned from a short trip to Melbourne. I sat on the steps opposite Flinders Street Station and drew this. Not long after, there was a political protest there and large numbers of police.

  Earlier I drew a Japanese musician who was playing her violin to sell her CDs. I gifted it to her so don't have the picture but I asked her to send me a copy so I can do so. I also drew more train pics that I'll post soon.

  

Southern Cross Waiting Room

 After an eventful hitch-hike home from Adelaide I ended up in Southern Cross station waiting room. It was an excellent place to sketch people. 
  The first picture was done in pencil. I added a tint and some digital color.

The chairs were designed to stop people laying down. The sign also reinforced that people were not to lay down. I assume this was to stop homeless people moving in. This fellow did not get the message and was most likely warn out by a long journey.

  This was the last picture I did as my train would be due in 15 minutes. It was a very quick one done with disposable calligraphy pen.

As I had used up my gel pen I did some drawings with pencil. I added a colored tint on computer. The figure at right was of a very agitated and nervous looking man who also appeared like he might be homeless. His attitude was a bit disturbing. His loud prayers in the adjoining prayer room were the finishing touch.

Virgin Airliner And Images Of Adelaide

 The stewardess demonstrates a life jacket. (She was a lot prettier than this!)

    I visited Glenelg Beach a couple of times and used the deck chairs at this pop u bar to leave my stuff when I went for a swim.

  I paid a visit to the medical clinic when I left some tablets at home. I drew this man waiting for his appointment.

Travel To And At Melbourne Airport

                                          Below: Train to Melbourne including Girl with Eyes

                           Melbourne Airport seats at a gate. For once I was on time for my flight to Adelaide.

Toy Soldier Collector Swapmeet

 This is an artistic impression of the Australian Collectors of Toy Soldiers swap-meet, Easter 2024. Much of the humor is in-house.

Sleeping Lady, Another Train Pic

 

Train Girl With Eyes

 Here is another train passenger sketch from my journey to the airport.

Train Passenger Portrait Sketch

 On my recent train trip to the airport, I sketched some passengers. As this girl was sitting on the seat opposite me. I asked her if she minded me sketching her.

  Aliye is a security guard at RMITV tertiary institute. 

Where I Am Going With My Art.

 The prime rationales for my art are to document my experiences and ideas and also relaxation. Whilst others peruse their mobile phones, I am busy with my pen and sketchbook. Chances are that when those others are on their mobile phones, I am sketching them. it makes for easy subject matter.

 My cartoon strips and joke cartoons are presently taking a back seat, but I'll come back to them. The more I travel the more I tend to sketch.

  I have an ambition to publish a book, later this year. The tentative contents are joke cartoons, some cartoon strips and some illustrated humorous stories from my family history. James Thurber is a great inspiration in that regard. I might also include some themed sketches around art groups, travel and places.

  

Stony Point Pier

 Here is another waiting for the ferry picture.

Woman Asleep On Train

 

Portrait Drawn At Phillip Island

 Rachael, I met with her boyfriend at the Cowes gas barbeque cupola. She asked me to draw her, and I came up with a good likeness. She then returned the favor by drawing an impressionistic image of myself.

  

Drawing by Rachael of me:

Rachael got my general shape right and included the bullet loops on my fisherman/hunter vest which I usually wear when I travel. (I like the multiple zip pockets). I have to say, though, my lips are not really big.

 Rachael and her partner had pitched their small tent on Cowes beach, not really encouraged, but who is to say it is not a sun shelter? 

Cowes Fish and Chip Shop

 I was riding my bike to a beach location to stay and stopped here to buy two scallops. I'm not a big Fish and Chips fan; I really find them generally (not specifically this shop's cooking) too greasy and the chips tasteless but just for a change I bought something. Someone just put in a huge order, so I had to wait twenty minutes to a half hour. I was watching the sun lower in the sky as I had to ride my bicycle with no lights to my destination. While I was waiting, I sketched these two customers.

Train Monster

 You might sense some hostility in the picture. Trains are usually a lot of fun. Usually. Here are some of my not-so-great experiences coming back from Phillip Island.  A week ago, the return train ended before my town, and I was stranded at night. I slept in the local park, on a board walk lookout. I had my sleeping bag and travel mattress so no biggie. The next day the linking coach ('train replacement') driver refused to take my bike and I had to wait for the next bus which had a different driver and allowed my bicycle on no problemo. In both cases there was heaps of room for bikes in the underneath compartment.  

This last trip I thought I had just narrowly got that late train that would go through to my Gippsland destination, but I could not open the doors and it left without me. Unbelievable! There was no station man to make sure passengers had no problems. I ended up getting another train which did not get to my destination. Instead I stayed with a cousin who lived halfway there. Next morning I had a few hours to wait for the train.

  The bonus though is that the last train trip did not cost me a cent as I had a free Seniors card return ticket. Even the ferry ride was free on the weekend trip. Why don't I drive? Well, because fuel is expensive and driving is boring. I can't draw while I drive. And I wouldn't meet half the people I meet. I haven't met any octopus monsters yet, except metaphorically.

Cowes Foreshore

 Here is another sketch from my recent trip to Phillip Island, Victoria. This is the first beach you would come to if you came off the ferry from Stony Point, as I did. I had some time to kill whilst waiting for the next ferry to leave the island. I did another sketch with that park bench with two elderly ladies who were pals, and one was from Queensland. they bought the picture so I can't show it here.

Grossard Cedar Tree, Ventnor, Phillip Island

 This is the second time I have drawn this magnificent cedar, one of the first European trees on Phillip Island. it has heroically withstood the ravages of ocean winds whilst sheltering Captain Grossards' lonely grave.

Grossard Lookout, Ventnor

 This is one of my recent pictures of Phillip Island.

Cowes Phillip Island, A View From The Hill

 There is a hill that overlooks the Cowes beach. It has pine trees, picnic tables and gas barbeques. It is a good place to perch to have a rest from 30 C heat and to draw a few pictures. I sat at a picnic table the same time a Malaysian family resident in Melbourne came there to have a picnic. I was astonished when the younger woman produced a box of packets of biscuits and chocolate bars and gave me a handful of them. When I drew my picture I included one of the men looking at the beach. They took a photo of my picture, and the intellectually impaired older boy insisted my picture taken with him.

  In the two-page picture the magnificent trees are on one side, but I have scanned the drawing as two pictures.

   

Trains, Jetties, Ferries & Bicycles

 A few days ago I put my bike, with camping gear, on the train and headed to Stony Point to get the ferry to Phillip Island. It is a long story, full of adventures, annoying mishaps and pleasant experiences. One annoyance was having to wait for the ferry for two hours at Stony Point jetty, but one thing about being both a reader and a sketcher is that no waiting time need be a wasted opportunity.

  So, I drew a Japanese woman and son fishing. The boy was an expert on fish and explained to his mum what each of the two fish, he caught were. he also knew that a particular variety of whiting had 'no limits' on size catch.

  The two pictures were actually part of a single pic but I scanned the two pages separately and added some tints to make them two pictures.

  The mother took a photo of my drawing.

Portrait group in Pink (& Yellow)

 This is a January sketch of the regular portrait groups I attend once a month. I used black gel pen, fineliners and pink markers on shiny paper. After scanning the picture I added the yellow tint and enhanced the pink.

  My sketches tend to be finished in the first twenty-minute session whilst others do more work in the subsequent ones. In other words my pictures are a bit impressionistic, and I also have time to draw the artists as well as the subject.

  That item at far left is part of a furniture piece but it looks a lot like a female nude profile!

Unstoppable Trump Godzilla

 

Australia Day - Defy The Woke BS

 This is one of the favorites. Mick and Hoppa are on the beach on Australia Day, Ned Kelly is sunbaking, there is a cool sheila with a surfboard, a shark with an Aussie flag, a 'Tall Ship' and a nuclear-powered submarine.

I have put this one on t-shirts and I am looking at putting more images on shirts so if you are interested in owning any let me know.

   I can also customize. For example, this one would be good to have a message like 'Stuff Woolies' (given Woolworths refusal to stock Oz Day merchandise). Woolworths was most prominent there, but Aldi was also guilty and Coles insists it will have only a limited range. That leaves IGA and Foodworks that have not indulged in this woke BS.