Pen and wash sketch of my dear sketching friend JJ Bell - I gave this to her BUT if she reads this - JJ, you still owe me my portrait, thanks!

A sketch out with the Brisbane City Sketchers into the CBD - I saw these pretty metal butterflies installed into the facade of this building and simply had to draw it

Out with the Brisbane City Sketchers. Really enjoyed looking at the jacaranda flowers dancing in the breeze.

Typical scene - mum waiting for her kid at a piano lesson - although this hunched over intense posture over a smartphone is pretty ubiquitous nowadays

Sponsored by a pharmaceutical company - usually a dinner meeting accompanied by a speaker on some relevant medical topic, depending what specialty you are in - this was at the United Services League club

Quick sketch of a couple dining at our local Mediterranean restaurant called Limon

Went for a solo walk through Karawatha Forest and decided to sketch this small vignette

Another dining pair of friends at Limon

Facade of Brisbane CBD

Unwitting target. This lovely young lady was sitting right in front of me concentrating on my feet, so I thought she was a perfect sitter for a portrait.This was at Massage Indulgence Garden City.

Degustation dinner treat from my sister-in-law

Another lady who was concentrating on a task in front of me, which I thought made a perfect portrait sitter. It turned out to be a good likeness.

Little kids rehearsing their singing at the Music Creators annual concert

Practising my watercolours - used my child’s Little Mermaid doll for a subject

Listened and sketched this beautiful little old man playing home made panpipes in the Brisbane City Queen Street Mall. He very graciously autographed his picture.

Waiting for someone in a park when I spied this parked dump truck. The driver must have gone off to the toilet or for a smoke or something.

Spied this in our neighbourhood. Not too many of these around where I live.

Quick sketch of my poor MIL recovering in hospital after her knee replacement

Out urban sketching again with my friend, JJ. We went to Stanley street where I’ve always admired the old terrace houses. I like to fantasise about what it was like in the days when these houses were actually new, and when the area was nowhere as congested as it is now.

Pencil drawing of snow jasmine. While I love and appreciate the look of intricate pencil drawing, it is way too time-consuming and effortful for me - hats off to the artists who work in this style!

Our local Papa Roti shop. My husband and kids love the buns here and also the Milo Dinosaur milkshakes.

This blind old gent is an icon in the Brisbane Queen St Mall. He has been busking with his saxophone for many years. He used to have 1 or 2 labrador guide dogs who would lie patiently next to him wearing a pair of kiddie sunglasses. Sadly he had a major accident some years ago, but luckily he was so well-known that the team at Princess Alexandra Hospital looked after him with especial care and he is now back busking in his old spot again.

Dr Wendell Rosevear - a lovely GP working with a challenging and often marginalised patient population. He is also a fabulous artist and plays organ for the Queensland Medical Orchestra.

I noticed that since Garden City food courts underwent some major refurbishment, they’ve started allowing buskers to work in the dining areas. I’m glad there is some element of volume control though. The din of people would be just too much if there was someone belting songs through a microphone as well.

A jokey piece that a night on call medical registrar asked me to draw as she was having a terrible shift - I drew this to inject a bit of humour into an awful time.

A group of student nurses discussing amongst themselves at the ward reception.

At Limon again

Got permission from my local priest to sketch during his sermon, as long as I kept it discreet. So I did…

A fun piece I did for a medical colleague’s young daughter who was desperate to see what the tooth fairy looked like.

A quick capture of a nurse I used to work with

The discovery centre at Karawatha Forest - the kiddies love this place

Out urban sketching again - view from the river

We had a guest conductor for one of the Queensland Medical Orchestra concerts. It was such a pleasure and honour to have him coach us through rehearsals and our performance! And I was very honoured that our QMO executive asked for a copy of this drawing to be gifted to the maestro himself.

Playing around with different colours - I wanted to sketch my dear friend and nursing colleague Ms Sally Fraser - not a great likeness but great fun regardless

Ever wonder how shopping centres get those cars into the middle of their shopping lobby spaces?? I do all the time, and when I saw this one, I decided to sketch it.

Even police people have to eat!

Out sketching at the Beenleigh Historical Village

Pretty little wooden queenslander - pen and watercolour pencil wash

Out urban sketching again and spied these cute little 2-wheeled vehicles parked under a bridge

I thought this was an awesome idea. A lolly cupboard located right outside a conference hall where I was attending a workshop. Delegates could go on and help themselves.

A historical re-enactment actor dressed up as a French General. And he very graciously agreed to pose for me. I did have to edit out the big band aid on his nose.

History’s Alive at Fort Lytton - I really enjoyed this little demonstration of how people back then used to do their hair. I am so glad we no longer have to do our hair this way anymore.

It was lovely to watch all these historical actors dress up and sit chatting at the spinning wheel. Something I’ve always wanted to do myself - spinning, I mean. Not dressing up.

Such lazy kangaroos. Well overfed at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.

I’ve always wanted to ride a motorbike. But I guess I’ll never get to do so with the number of accidents that happen to riders.

So pleasant to watch people read instead of staring at their phones. This was quickly captured at Garden City council library.

A very graceful red-haired medieval lady busking with her harp

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History’s Alive fair at Fort Lytton - I am forever amazed at how much effort people put into their dress ups. This was a very dignified elderly lady in her lovely Tudor-inspired outfit.

It’s nice to sketch these. They are huge with nice shapes, and most importantly, they don’t speed away!

I really like this little camp set-up. They were more than happy to let me perch at the edge of their tent with my camp stool to immortalise them in my sketchbook. I thought the nursing outfit was great. So practical. Not like the modern nursing uniform which looks like it is trying to hard to be corporate officewear, but we all know that it is hugely impractical for the physical work that nurses do.

Pen and Ink - Out with Brisbane City Sketchers

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Pen and watercolour sketch of a vignette from my parents’ home in Malaysia. It is always so lush and green here because it rains almost every day. You could pretty much toss a seed into the ground and it will sprout. Drought is an unknown phenomenon in the tropics.

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Read more here.

Masu Japanese in Auckland