Tribute to our good friend & sketcher Maurice

Day trip into the eastern Taranaki farmland

 A trip into the farming area of Tarata and Purangi , inland  between Waitara and Inglewood , Taranaki NZ. This follows the Waitara river and included large stands of native bush , river flats and hill country. I came across a muster of sheep, the farmer slowed the droving to allow time for photos and quick roadside sketches. He was wondering what I was doing this far from town in my MX5 sportscar !  .  The old shed was dark with green covering the original red-shed paint work. Still looked great.  MLB

WELLINGTON visit

Cuba Street buildings in Wellington. Quick sketch in this most interesting street.

Sketching in Pukekura Park

An opportunity to join other Taranaki Sketchers on a lovely bright spring day in Pukekura Park , New Plymouth NZ.  This small waterfall is part of a continuing water course that flows through this beautiful park. MLB

Urban Sketching , cars and cafe

OKOKI-KAKA Raods, north of Urenui in Taranaki. a day out with the Taranaki Sketchers.

Social Kitchen New Plymouth . wonderful café restaurant

TUPARE

TUPARE ,  a National Garden of Significance here in New Plymouth . always a wonderful venue for sketching given the variety of subjects .  This simply , elegant gate leads to an area of Rhodo's set against the huge boundary trees and the gardeners cottage in the mid-ground .  MLB.

CAMELLIA

A few weeks ago the Taranaki Sketchers visited the National Camellia Show , held in New Plymouth .   Since then our special Camellia has fully blossomed .  It is called Betts' Supreme, named after a cousin from Te Awamutu. A large flower , in soft deep pink.  MLB

HAMILTON GARDENS

A few days in Hamilton so visited the Gardens . Each section themes a country. Well done and a nice day out .

PUKEMARA GARDEN

Alan Morris'  garden , PUKEMARA. Alan is one of the Taranaki Sketchers and offered us the chance to draw in his  New Plymouth garden - see it in the upcoming 2018  Taranaki Garden Festival 

Vintage and Classic Cars

Great day out, sketching  cars at an event to raise funds for the Cancer Society. Fast and furious , no detail as such ….and then gave away better ones where owners wanted something to take home !

Freedom campers at the Waiwakaiho river , New Plymouth

Freedom campers hit the local news ( and it seems elsewhere in the country) for respecting the local environment , with waste- of all kinds- left behind .  While I was sketching I got talking with the owner of DCH 999, a young German law graduate who appreciated the chance to be on our coastline and was enjoying our Kiwi lifestyle .  Not one of the offenders I'm sure - safe travel .     MLB

Te Henui Stream, New Plymouth NZ

a lovely day by the Te Henui stream at New Plymouth's East End beach. This area is a reserve with great acticities for all age groups.

TUPARE

A visit to TUPARE -  a splendid Garden of Significance and the  Chapman Taylor designed house.  The property is now owned by the Taranaki Regional Council.  This was formally the home of New Plymouth engineer , the late Russell Matthews , father of John Matthews,  well known for his generous support of the arts.  MLB  

A FEW DAYS IN MELBOURNE VIC

Our trips to Melbourne allows me time to sketch some of the lovely old buildings.  This one , in Williamstown ,used to be a boarding house.  While I sketched a woman came up to have a look - "That's were I used to work" she said . MLB

MANUTAHI MUSEUM

an amazing display at the Manutahi Museum of  taxidermy ;animals, birds , a polar bear , spiders , ducks,  ....hundreds of exhibition pieces.  MLB

Photo was by Barry Mills ( imagebarry@gmail.com , 027 255 4408) taken at the car show at New Plymouth's East End beach reserve. My partially finished sketch is of a beautifully presented 1936 Ford Coupe. MLB

55th World Wide Sketchcrawl Day.

Maurice was in Hamilton for Sketchcrawl Day. He still wanted to participate so he slotted this sketch of the Fairfield Bridge into his busy schedule:

Sketching with paint

High and Dry

Sketching with paint  - new experience for me using diluted water based acrylic and knife edge.  MLB

Pukekura Park and the Boat shed

Saturday sketching in the Park- always a very pleasant place to be . This view across from the path  that leads to the Bowl of Brooklands covers  the Boat Shed and the smaller of the two bridges .MLB

Old slaughterhouse Urenui, North Taranaki NZ

The drive into New Plymouth from the north passes some of the most spectacular road scenery anywhere .

This old building  just on the left as you enter Urenui has fascinated me for a long time ; who used it , what was the population like back then ; is it really as old as it looks .  MLB