An Early Morning Sight

What is this? When I saw it, early this morning, it freaked me out – that's for sure. I have a good view of Melbourne city from the front steps of my house, and you often see hot-air balloons soaring over the suburbs early on some mornings. This insanely-grinning company mascot however, was a sight I had never before seen.

Still, I had to draw it. Photos don't do it justice.

Two-In-One Sketch

A double urban sketch today – mostly because they happen to be on a double-page spread in my sketchbook. The top one is a disused hairdressing salon in the outer Adelaide suburb of Kilkenny, and below is the view of Gertrude and Smith Streets on the border of the Melbourne suburbs of Fitzroy and Collingwood. I have to say, for this highly-vaunted 'hipster' locale, the place was almost deserted – on a Saturday evening!

I Know My First Name Is Sweden

A proud bearded Viking-helmeted Swede, seen at the Scandinavian Christmas Bazaar at the weekend.

Cemetery of the Dead People's Graveyard for Deceased Persons

John, who loves Grimes (whoever that is) and the grave of Ernestine. 

Newtown

Permission to come aboard, Cap'n?

"No."

Queen Victoria

Listen to the ta-may-tah wit' da melons, the great Herschel "Krusty the Clown" Krustofsky once quoth, and he knew what he was talking about, believe me. And on that note, I've spent my birthday week in Sydney, folks! Here's the first of the sketches I did there: the statue of Queen Victoria outside the building that bears her name.

I've made her look a bit less of an old crone here, not to say the actual statue doesn't look good though. And if you're in Sydney and want to see a beautiful old 1880s building with an amazing interior with stained glass, tiled floors, incredible clocks hanging from the ceiling and heaps of shops, you'd be well advised to check out the QVB. Go now! Tell 'em Pete from Nonesuch sent you!

Sketch Party

Today I went on a day of sketching in a group at the Melbourne Museum, an excellent place to sketch things, I might add. Especially animals. Because – well, they're dead, aren't they.

Thanks to Luis, Josh and Romi for allowing me to photograph their sketches, and Youbi for organizing the whole thing.

Here are the sketches – first, a couple of dinosaurs...

A smiling deer.

Some biological fancy from Romi.

Luis did this rat-like critter.

This one's mine – an 1880s mail coach.

Portraits.

Yes it is, Josh. And there's a rabbit with a Nazi armband, too.