Driftwood cross

We went walking this morning, it has been quite foggy both in the morning and the evening lately. Although the sun came out in the middle of the day.
We hadnt been from the car park at the Bluff to the Kings Beach area for ages and it was a lovely walk along the cliffs. We came across this driftwood cross on the second beach with a shawl of sea weed draped around it. Rather nice in its own way.
We found enough mushrooms on the way back for lunch which was good, our improved pastures dont let us find mushrooms as we did once.
Amazing how one doesnt have time to sketch and paint once one is home, the first I have done for days.

Long Beach sandhill

I hope I havent put this one up before, I got a bit confused about what I had done and what I hadnt.
Not surprising after today and yesterday, we had a very long trip home, not helped by traffic delays when going across Adelaide.
Luckily our daughter had organised a quick meal for us when we called in to collect the mail.
today I was flat our washing, cleaning, shopping, collecting the cat etc etc, while John rushed off to 2 meetings, one at 9 am with Minister Gago about marine parks I think and the other at about 4 pm, not home yet and not for a meal.
I cant say I have exactly organised the house yet, I need another 2 days for that.
I love sand hills although I over painted a bit and made a mess on the scrub at the bottom.

Almonta Beach

The last day, here is a painting done of Almonta Beach.
All sorts of colours in the dunes and scrub on the dunes, the sky and the sea an incredible turquoise.
Today we had fog in the morning and then heavy rain and I only just got home from my evening walk before the heavens opened again.

Across to Kellidie Bay

I did this looking across to Kellidie Bay yesterday, an incredible sea and sky.
Still lots of walking, tomorrow is our last day.
John and I went into the National Park today, spectacular views
the skies have been quite mind blowing, I wish I could do justice to the clouds.

Oyster walk again

This time I have done an ink sketch, I think I was getting a bit lost with some of my color.
even though we are on holidays, it is amazing how fast the day goes doing not very much.
A walk, some socializing and tidying up, washing of smelly fishing clothes to be done and feeding the hungry when they come home. Tonight we are going out for drinks and are assured we wont need anything to eat afterwards, mega munchies was the word used!

From Long Beach

This was looking back towards Mt Dutton on long Beach. I had a few problems with colours , but this was pretty much as it was with water lying over the sand, then deeper water and the land and Mt Dutton looming in the back ground.
Well I think this is Mt Dutton!!

Coffin Bay street scene

This was painted trying out a new sketchpad, I am not sure if I am entirely happy with it.
I painted it while sitting on the front balcony looking up the street.
The trees on the right are those left along the Oyster walk.

Towards Long Beach

This is the view from Dawe's Point towards Long Beach which we walked later in the day.
A long walk, with the tide out and then it turned and came in quite rapidly.
Lunch with the Dawes which was very pleasant but my knees have complained about the length of the walk ever since.

From our balcony

I was asked why it is named Coffin Bay, well Matthew Flinder's named it in 1802 after his friend Isaac Coffin who helped in the preparations for the voyage to Australia.
It is a very famous oyster fishing area with huge areas of oyster leases. It is a huge waterway with a fairly narrow entrance and is a very noted area for Australian King George whiting as well as many other fish.
At this time of the year it is relatively quiet but in summer is also very full of locals who have many expensive holiday houses here.
Being close to pt Lincoln it is also somewhere the local tuna fishermen come to relax.
The Coffin Bay National park is to the south west of the town with many native birds and animals as well as an abundance of native flora, some of which are very spectacular.
Tony thanks for looking, I appreciate it.

Looking down the channel, Coffin Bay

This was done looking down the channel.
The other side and points further down and the scrub and she oaks on the cliffs.

Sheoak and sea

I am having no end of problems with the signal here this year so stuff comes and goes.
We did have fish last night and there are more fish today so that is good, but no whiting which the fellows are disappointed about.
We walked and looked at the new houses that have been built since last year and had coffee with friends.
This sheoak leaning over the cliff took my fancy.

Wet and wild at Coffin Bay

This was what the sea and small beach at the end of the Oyster walk looked like.
I walked along the oyster walk and was home just as another short sharp rain squall hit.
We have the fire going and today the fellows are out fishing, I hope they get fish or we will be down to eating eggs!
The weather is supposed to moderate it is just cold today, with the odd brief shower.

Another cottage

This cottage is just down the road from us, they have built a smart new modern house next to it but this is rented out as a weekender.
also typical of the smaller cottages with a high roof in front and a lower lean too type at the back.
We are off tomorrow at 6 am so trying to get a few things tidied up.

Another Goolwa cottage

This is a very typical early Australian or at least South Australian style of cottage, with a box gutter in the middle and a verandah on the front. My grandmother lived in one like this when I was a child. Probably dating from the 1880's or a bit earlier.
This little cottage remains on the outside much as it did when it was built.
I spent all day baking biscuits, I wonder if we will eat them all.
We may as the weather is about to become wet and cold and rough, which we need but not when we are fishing!!

A different sort of play

I received some of the new opulence inks from
The Thread Studio the other day, made in Australia I could only afford four, red, alazarin and gold yellow with interference gold so I tried them on my journal also some interference violet from the jo sonja range, that is on the left, the interference gold on the right. A photo of my mother which I had printed off onto watercolor paper, taken in May 1935 when she was 23 and my older sister was 14 months, a gorgeous young photo of her, some stamps and some writing.
I dont often do this sort of thing, although it is fun but I cant find my sketchbook!

Yesterday's cottage in color

Happy mother's day to all those mothers out there who this relates to. All my children contacted me today, a possible record.
I spent a lot of the morning in the garden and then John and I went to The Flying Fish in Pt Elliott for lunch which included a bottle of champagne, and as John was driving I think I drank most of it, so we came home and fell on the bed for an hour or so which was much needed.
So some color for yesterday's cottage was about all I was up to!

Goolwa Cottage

A change from some of the Californian houses. Here is a sketch of a Goolwa Cottage I did a few days ago, this is one of three, one of which has been extensively done up and changed but this one looks much as it did when built.
I would of thought it would have had two doorways as it appears to have a central wall dividing it but it hasnt.
I have no idea what it would look like inside.
We had a pleasant walk over to Granite Island this morning and a day doing jobs in and around the house.

Not Just a doorway

I rather liked this house with its bits of lovely tiles on the top of everything, actually I rather liked the Spanish style houses. I doubt very much if I will ever get to Spain to actually see them so was delighted to sketch them in southern California.
The mix of palms, cactus and Australian trees and shrubs was interesting as well.
Probably nothing tomorrow as I will be in Adelaide, the closest I can get to seeing my mother for mothers day which is on Sunday.
I am being taken out for lunch, not by my children but by the man who made me a mother.
I suppose that is fair enough all my girl children will be being made a fuss of by their children or at least I hope so.

Trad English style door

This very English looking door was just that, a door almost straight off the street. A garden in front and steps up and then lots of wrought iron. Quite different on the railings around the door. All very black and white.
I am enjoying doing these, I have no idea if any one is actually looking at them, but as I do them they bring back what we were doing and where they were. I think this one was again in Hollywood. No color today, I was busy doing other things. I am not stressing about getting stuff up as often as I was so if I miss a day or so its because either I didnt feel like it or no time.

Yet another gate

There are so many different designs of doors and gateways that this could keep me going for ages. A bit different to my series of farm gates.
I have been busy today, John is just back from Adelaide and I had better organise his dinner.

Doorway no 3 or possibly 4

I cant remember how many of these I have put up.
This one was a bit dark and gloomy with steep stairs and trees on one side and a huge philodendron on the other, all the cement work on the sides of the steps was white, hard to keep clean one would think.
So much iron work but I suppose it is to keep the unwanted out.
John and I walked today, over to Pt Elliott and had a lovely walk watching a pair of seals just below us in the water by the rocks.
A coffee later.
I am trying to get the house clean but tomorrow I go to a Welsh foal show at Echunga so I hope that John will be an angel and do the vacuuming for me.
I have done all the hard bits.

Doorway in Hollywood

I am not sure what this building was, maybe another hotel or apartments.
The number of different ones and the amount of wrought iron was incredible. I havent depicted this very well but it was very ornate, and the ornate bits were gold on black.
there will be a few of these as I like doing them.
Another busy day, not much time for me, I am beginning to think there is never enough time in my day but amazingly some things get done.
I did catch 2 of the Japanese bantam hens who had escaped so now there is one who flies very well and the little rooster has not been caught by Jake yet so I think he can fly very well as well.

Building in LA

I think this was a hotel. We saw a lot of buildings in California with very ornate bits on them. I was intrigued with the bits of plaster like stuff on the facade and also the fire escape going up the center behind the arches.
They were the biggest pencil pines I have ever seen.
Busy rather depressing day, nagging back ache which wont go away.