Sunday 4 September 2016

Sketching and lettering fun!


I finally finished the double page spread in my Moleskine A4 watercolour journal.  The full spread is 58.4cm/23" across both pages.  I have been working on it here and there between the Sketchbook Skool Creative Lettering class videos and the subsequent homework.  I'm still behind on homework but I love that the classes are available indefinitely so there is plenty of time to catch up.  The lettering class is amazing and I'm already implementing some of the ideas into my journal.



I adore pelicans!  
While I love ALL birds, the pelican would have to rate in my top five favourites. 


Linking up with Sunday Sketches again and I'm actually on time this week! 
To see the sketches from other participants, click HERE.

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Now, onto some of my Sketchbook Skool Creative Lettering homework from the past week. 
I can't tell you enough how much I'm enjoying the class. 





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The weather was lovely today so we went for a drive to Forest Lake.  We stopped along the way to pick up some lunch at Zambreros Mexican restaurant...my favourite dine-in or take-away!  Their vegan burrito bowls are SO yummy!  Jalapenos and lots of spicy Verde sauce for me...LOVE their Verde sauce! I took this photo of one a while back. 


Another reason I love Zambreros is that, for every burrito or bowl you buy, they donate a meal to someone in need.  How lovely is that?!  This was a photo I took of their wall earlier in the year  so the amount of meals given would be much more now. 


There was lots to see at the lake and I will share more pics in my next post but I just HAD to share a few of the cygnets with their parents!  It's the first time I have seen baby swans in person.  And look at that, I even caught an ibis coming in to land and didn't realise it until I looked back on the photo later. Cool!


These cygnets were a decent size but they still had a soft down instead of adult feathers.
They were SO darned cute!


I will post the rest of the Forest Lake photos in my next post.
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Today is Father's Day here in Australia and
 it's my second Father's Day since my Dad passed away.
I still hear his voice in my head a lot,
especially him singing songs.

I miss him every day.
Love you, Dad xo

29 comments:

  1. Lettering has always been challenging for me. Very complicated and you did a great job with your various styles! I LOVE LOVE pelicans. Love how peculiar and mysterious they can be. :) Beautiful sketchbook pages.

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    1. Thanks, Alexandra! Oh yes, pelicans are beautiful and unique. :)

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  2. Lovely post always enjoy your work Serena. Happy Father's Day in Australia!

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  3. the lettering class looks like fun! i really love all your sketches...wow!

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  4. Very creative signs.
    The food looks great and what a good idea about feeding someone in need.
    Merle..............

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    1. Thanks, Merle. Yes, I think Zambreros is doing a great job and the food is yummy too. :)

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  5. That is awesome how you made your comments into the shape of a leaf and I love the other lettering, too. Perfect pelican. Great page spread.
    Wonderful restaurant to donate meals. I've never seen baby swans in real life, either. They really are cute!
    I know you miss your dad (miss mine, too), but have a great week. *love and hugs*

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    1. Thanks, Rita! Yes, life goes on but we will always keep them close to our hearts.
      Love and hugs to you. xo

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  6. Love the lettering that you are doing. My husband just gave our new neighbors a big book entitled Birds of the World ... but in Arabic. Darn! You know I love my birds. Don't see a wide variety here off my balconies. The Mynah birds are tricky. Sometimes I think there's a different species around but it's just the Mynah making a multitude of sounds. I think they enjoy entertaining themselves. ;)

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    1. Thanks, Tammy! OH wow, a 'Birds of the World' book would be awesome! To have the pictures and not be able to understand the description would be frustrating though. We have "Noisy Mynah" birds here...I wonder is they are similar to the Mynah's you have there. Grey with yellow on the beak and eyes? We see them in the parks a lot. :)

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  7. So much to comment on! PELICANS!! We just began seeing them here this season which is late. . . worries me that the are coming later every year. Environment and such. But they are here and playing what I call pelican leap frog where they line up on a sand bar and then flutter up and over the pelican next to them over and over. And f there are 10 of them?Well, it's a sight. . .

    Love the lettering play too! That seems like so much fun!

    Baby Swans! We've been watching Cornell university bird cams all summer. Condors, Red Tailed Hawks, eagles, Albatross, Barred and Great Horned owls etc but Swans. . . oh that would be a treat.

    And Father's day. For me that role was filled by my maternal grandfather. I was fortunate to have him around until I was 33. His voice, his presence STILL remain in a very major way in my life. His sing songs, little sayings, whistling while cooking, the tv shows we watched together etc. I never want those to leave me, though they can be sad at times, they are such a integral part of who I am and I treasure each memory as it arises. Enjoy those of your father today and all the days to come Serena. You'll never lose that voice inside. . . He is with you just as you remember. :)

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    1. I must pay attention to the pelicans here when they are in larger groups because, at the bay-side, they tend to hang in twos and threes. That said, there is a wetlands close to where we live and they can group on a small island out in the water. I will pay attention next time because it would be interesting to see if their 'leap frog' antics are the same. It would be a delight to watch.

      I've watched some bird cams over the past few years and it is fascinating!

      What lovely times you shared with your grandfather. I'm sure they will always remain close in your heart. Your kind words about my Dad made me tear up with emotion...very touching. Thank you for sharing your experience, Nicolas.

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  8. Your sketching is divine ~ so well done and lovely photography too ~ thanks for sharing and visiting ~

    Happy Week to you ~ ^_^

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    1. Thanks, Carol! Wishing you a happy week also. :)

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  9. I love all birds too, but puffins are m favourite lol

    nice job with all the lettering but watch ut for swan parents, they can be pretty mean when babies are around...actually some swans can be mean all the time, sweet looking angry birds for sometimes no reason :p

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    1. Puffins are so unique too. Nice!

      I've heard that too...quite a few species of bird parents can be very aggressive when protecting their babies, as they should of course. I think we were lucky that these were bigger babies because we were only about three metres away and the parents didn't seem bothered by us. I've heard that swans can be very temperamental...we may have caught them on a good day. hehe :)

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  10. Wow, I love your pelican! The lettering is amazing and your photographs are lovely too. Swans are so beautiful.

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  11. Your illustrations and lettering are an inspiration to me, with their crisp and professional look. I've never heard of Zambreros, but their Mexican food looks amazing and their cause is very nobel. Blessings, my friend!

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    1. Thanks, Arnoldo. I feel very inspired by your work also. I think it's great that Zambreros helps those in need plus their vegan burrito bowls are delicious!

      Have a beautiful week! :)

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  12. Serena! I am loving your lettering too!!! Also, I am enjoying sketches of buildings, both the one you did here, and ones you have done in the past too! I wondered if you ever took a class to learn how to sketch buildings, or did it come naturally to you?

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    1. Thanks, Julie! Funny you say that about buildings because I feel like buildings and landscapes are my weakest spots. I haven't taken any buildings classes before but I have only just started a buildings class with Liz Steel as I love her quick, loose style....hoping to learn a lot. :)

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  13. lol. love your different lettering. Almost expected some letter in the dish too. :)

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  14. Great lettering! I especially like the leaf with the piece about being lost - adds pizazz to that spread! Delish looking dish too!

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    1. Thanks, Pattie. I liked the leaf too...I loved the lettering course and I'm busy catching up on the homework now. :)

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  15. Such a beautiful post Serena, beautiful art, gorgeous and creative! Stunning cygnets...magical!
    Hugs, thinking of you and your dad, thanks for sharing!
    Victoria

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    1. Thanks, Victoria. I was so excited to see the cygnets. :)

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