Home again

I have been so busy for the last few days, both on the Island and now back home that drawing has not exactly been a priority. I feel quite naughty but the muse is not really there.
I prefer quick sketches and I did this while having a rest from the huge amount of unpacking and washing I have been doing. Our Christmas decorations at home have been pretty minimal, I tend to take stuff away with us and only have a bit here. So this year a wreath, a bowl of glass and fabric ornaments, a small Father Christmas, a candle and a vase of poinsettias, with a glass boot filled with candy canes.
We left the Island on the "working ferry" at a bit after 8 am yesterday morning, and with us was a stinking truck full of rubbish, a huge truck with only some mesh over the top.
I get sea sick so go out on the deck but there was no where to get away from the smell!
Luckily it wasnt too rough a crossing and we were home a bit before 10. I had to unpack the ute and John raced in to get the cat and then we were off for a friends 84th Birthday lunch at his restaurant, A fabulous lunch and great company, we staggered home late and after feeding the dogs and Oscar fell into bed.
I have been washing and unpacking all day and moving hoses around.
A busy few days as New Years Eve is here this year, several friends, we take it in turns and it promises to be hot.
I hope every one is safe and in good health and your weather is not too extreme!

A Christmas Owl

Christmas Eve, we have just come back from joining friends in a drink, walked the beach quietly home had enough to eat so no more except perhaps the odd bit of naughty stuff, and I have just put Love Actually on as a dvd. What better way for Christmas Eve.
May all my readers, friends, because that is what you are, from all over the world, have a lovely night and day, even if you dont believe, or come from different faiths from all over the world, or even those who like me dont really believe, I think you will find we all believe in something, and that mankind needs to believe in something, and in each other, or what is the point in being here?
I am waffling, probably too much champagne ( no here we have to call it bubbly!)
Love to you all.
Penny

From Penneshaw to the mainland

I painted this from our kitchen window yesterday, looking over to the mainland, it always changes in different lights. to day there are a lot of white caps as it has got windy again.
I am not terribly pleased with this but in some ways I am as it does show what it looks like. Quite magical.
Last night we had friends in for dinner, always exciting trying out an oven you havent used for 12 months.
We had gone into Kingscote in the morning this is the main town on the Island to do some shopping, I also walked the beach.
Today we went across to the Raptor Display and it was well worth going to, there are some photos on my other blog here.
Tonight more friends in for drinks, we can become quite social if we want to!
Not actually doing a lot of anything, or rather not doing all I brought over to do, but we are relaxing.

Quick sketch at Cape Jervis

I did this while waiting for the ferry to leave for Kangaroo Island yesterday, we were in for a very rough crossing and it was cold and damp as well.
this is the shore line I could see from my possie on the top deck, not much of a place to be as I was relatively exposed but better than any where else outside.
I get sea sick!
We had a flat out day yesterday as the house wasnt ready until after 1.30 and we arrived at 10. We did some shopping, visited friends and then took ages to get everything sorted into the house.
I was so tired.
Today John has tried to get the 2 (!!) computers he brought with him to talk and then to do some cleaning up and down loading, the down loads didnt work so he wasnt much fun but we did manage two walks, the last on the beach, lovely.
We are eating far too much, probably drinking too much, but this is a holiday.
Hope to have time for a painting tomorrow, but dont hold your breath, it maybe another sketch!
See my other blog for photos.
Hope those in the northern hemisphere are coping with the snowfalls, we are not much better but Christmas day is forecast to be in the 30's so a lot hotter than today ( I didnt bring enough clothes for cold weather!).
Back to relaxing, the bubbly is helping.

The cover for The sketchbook project and the Sellicks Hills

I finally decided that I could glue this map of our area onto the rather flimsy cover of my sketchbook project book. It was from a local tourism mag and was quite heavy paper and as I have to cut out the bit on the back I hope this will work. I would have liked the stick on bit on the back higher up as it was a bit awkward to manage.
Coming home from Adelaide yesterday I took a photo of the Sellicks Hills, I love their shapes but unfortunately people are growing trees all over them and soon you will not be able to see the lovely typical curves I have known all my life.
The colours are not as strong as I have painted them.
A quick sketch but fun to do.
I have been baking all day and my knee is a bit swollen and uncomfortable so I have had to put it up every so often.
Time is running out before we go away, and I have lots to do and things to organise for the house sitter.

Last page for my sketchbook project.

Here is my last sketch, what is underneath the grass in the house paddock.
I had fun doing this, all sorts of fungi and creepy crawlies.
I am posting while I can, we will be in Adelaide tomorrow for hair cuts and a few last minute things, I will be pretty tired by the time I get home if the last few days are any indication. The knee is getting better, slowly and unfortunately a few other bits of my body are rebelling so I fall into bed ready for sleep and my shoulder aches. Age is not funny!
I will be glad when we are on the Island and if I have forgotten anything it will be too bad. I think most of my friends are having the same trouble, some of them we have decided to catch up with after Christmas.
Hope all is well in your part of the world.

My Christmas card

When John saw this he said he often wondered what went on in my head that I produce things like this!
It hasnt scanned as well as I would like but then pencil never does.
It was a fun thing to do when I was feeling tired and my knee was aching.
Today the power has been off for a lot of the day, and I have only just put the bread on and hope the power stays on. I think there is a problem down in the dairy, so they have by passed that and we have power here.
It has been a terrible day, a few showers but high winds all day, so I have sat where I could find light and done some sewing and glued on pin backs to my beetles. I dont really like glue but it is easier in this instance.
I am being terribly slow at the moment but I do think I have managed to work out some of the Christmas presents and there are only a few more to do.
The little prem foal we have seems to still be ok, it has been touch and go for a while but when I went down this morning she looked very cute in a jumper to keep her warm. Another couple of days and then with any luck she will be out of the woods.

I cant draw cows.

This is one of my last pages for my sketchbook project, I am afraid I have had to sketch and then cut out and then glue in as the paper is hopeless. I am also on the back few pages which I have had to tape or they will fall out and I have also glued some together for stability.
Now I dont know what to do about a cover as I have to leave a bit at the bottom free on the back and on the inside back cover a pocket will be glued. I am a bit inclined to collage it but am not sure how well this will stand up to handling.
A pretty strange looking cow but I just dont 'do' cows, perhaps I should work on that, my birds have got better perhaps my cows could too. Trouble is most photos of cows are taken from the rear end so you can see what their udder looks like! Not the best aspect to draw from.
It has been terribly hot and tropical but no rain, still grumbles so some one is getting it but not us.
I shopped yesterday and did far too much obviously as my knee went through its crawling with maggots inside stage again. Horrid.
Some one has to do some shopping or we wont eat and we wont get away for Christmas either. John tends to stand in the middle of the supermarket and have melt down and pathetically rings me every few minutes so it is not worth sending him in. Not sure what he will live on if I die!
Off to feed the chooks and dogs as John has been fishing and is terribly tired, it got rougher out there than they had hoped. He still has to get pasta for dinner so I need to do a few things.
If any one has any clever ideas about a cover please let me know.

Feeling silly

The fox and the cockerel. I had a few moments of silliness today and this is what came about. Only trouble is the fox looks embarrassed, not sneaky.
A day of heat and humidity, of resting, my bandages are all off, well they were only a band aid and a tube bandage. It still looks a bit swollen so I am doing what is my version of resting.
I have to go shopping tomorrow as John is probably going fishing, and I dont begrudge that as I love the fish. But I feel I need to be doing that and not much else tomorrow.
It does get boring and I am looking for things I seem to have stashed away and now cant find. Bother.
Off to make a salad for dinner.

Flowers for The Sketchbook Project

I have felt rather tired, still exercising my knee and doing some tidying and trying to get stuff finished for Christmas.
I have to finish off my Sketchbook Project and the last few pages are taking me a while to sort out what to put in.
I was trying to get some embossing on some scrap paper done using my cuttlebug and in doing so had cut up scraps I had used under other things I had done when spraying with various sprays. I rather liked the look of the paper so drew flower shapes using a fine sharpie and coloured them with Lyra watercolour crayons.
Nothing spectacular but fun to do.
I have so many flowers out in the garden at the moment the simple shapes are always my favorite, I even prefer the single roses and they are fun to get on to paper when ones mind is elsewhere.
Nothing very exciting to report, still damp, the garden will not like it when the hot dry weather comes, everything is so soft. My clematis is going mad high in the plum tree.
John not home much, he has had a run of meetings, poor man, so I will have to feed the dogs and chooks tonight, carefully, and organise something for him to eat so that if he comes home hungry there is food for him. A casserole I think, not that there is much to make it of, but enough I think.
I need to go shopping.

A fine line

I am up and doing a bit more today but there is a fine line between doing not enough and too much.
I am managing to do my exercises, and I have cleaned up the kitchen, men really dont seem to have any idea about what a kitchen should look like.
I still have a lot more cleaning to do but as my knee started to ache I stopped and stuffed a couple of doll bodies and Tabby and Millie and her John came to see me so we talked and I sat and it was very pleasant.
I now have to repair darling, who was Tabby's doll and Millie now wants her looking better, Darling has sleep eyes and plastic head and arms and legs but a soft body. I think I can fix her up. She is over 40, how time flies.
I have been watching the many birds that come by my window and although these are not correct as far as feather or colour they are a similar shape, I just wish I could paint birds like Genine does on her blog, but these are the best I can do.
My eyes are not feeling terribly good either so I have been switching between glasses, so took the opportunity to try and draw them.
I have come to the conclusion that I am not terribly good at any of the things I draw and paint but it does give me pleasure so I suppose that is the main thing. Perhaps if I had been encouraged to draw and paint as a child and teenager but now I am in my 70's it is probably a bit late!
It is still cold and every so often it drips a bit, a wonderful spring. I just want to get out and plant a few more things I have in pots before it gets too hot.
I have loved looking at the snow in the north of the UK but am glad I dont have to cope with it. Some of the photos on blogs have been stunning. Helen Cowans for one if you can find it.

I am so bored

I am drawing birds, the knee op is ok but having to do minimal walking for 3 days is driving me mad, at least it is almost over, I hope.
The knee has been a bit stiff but not terribly uncomfortable. I am certainly walking better but having to sit with it up makes for a pretty uncomfortable bottom and back!
Just to say I am in the land of the bored living and hope to be back with a bit more of interest shortly.
Thanks to all who have asked how I am, now you know!!

quick sketches at Bamborough

I didnt have a lot of time to do any sketching while I was away but these were two I did, the back of stables and the hills beyond. I had hurt my knee and was abandoned by every one while I took a while to sort my knee out.
I didnt have any colour with me and so this is taken straight from my sketchbook.
I have the knee op tomorrow so that will be a long day as it will be done in Adelaide, sometime in the afternoon.
We had a wonderful week end, very long days of driving over and back, 11 hours the first and 15 on the last day and I am still getting over it.
It was terribly hot but now we have some rain and it has cooled down a bit so I feel sleepy.
John has had meeting after meeting.
Sarah bought a filly, a lovely Welsh A which she wont even let me have a leg! and R who went with us bought a Welsh B filly and a mare and foal. We brought home the two fillies in the float.
I really didnt need any more ponies but there were a couple I would have loved in my paddock.
Lovely area, looking good after about 10 years of drought and it has hardly stopped raining.
One never has time to do things quietly and spend the time but we did go to the Japanese garden and it was just lovely to see the country looking so good. Although we did go through rather a worrying number of flying locust swarms.
There are a few photos on my other blog here.
I cant settle at the moment, lots I should be doing but I think tomorrow is hanging over me, silly to worry but the older I get the less I want done to me.
I have painted some faces, perhaps I had better start stuffing them and getting on with the small dolls.
I will be back I hope later in the week.

Waterlillies

This hasnt come out quite as I had hoped it would, but it still looks a bit watery so I think it will do for a quickie.
I have had this at the back of my mind for ages so it was at least nice to have a try at getting it onto paper.
I have had never ending problems with this going away for the week end, we want to take a float with us and so far I am having problems working out what to take as one has electric brakes and I am not sure what that entails and finding out has been interesting. All sorts of variations on a theme.
Yesterday I just about did my back in again while driving my car over to Tabbys' another long saga, it went in to have the arial fixed and in getting it up on the lift somehow they made a mess of my shock absorbers so they didnt work. Having just had a physio appointment I needed another one, our roads are not the smoothest at the best of times but now!!
Tab was coming back from Perth and poor Gabby was there looking after things and found a foal that wouldnt drink so she rang Sarah who went over and got it warm and on a bottle, I went over to help Gabby until Tab arrived home, I am pleased to report that all is now well and the foal is drinking on its own.
Lots of things going on and as I leave early on Friday morning and wont be back until late Monday, we hope, no posts until then.
Have a great week end.

Evening light

I have had such a busy few days and this week and the week end wont be much better. I did this as a wet in wet and then added the land, it hasnt scanned quite true but was fun and quick to do.
My visitors left, I tidied and did house work.
On Saturday I went to a basket making workshop at Port Adelaide put on by the art gallery and the tutors were some of the women from the APY lands, see more on my other blog.
Yesterday we went to an art opening of a friend of mine, she does lovely primitive paintings and some how I bought one! I cant get it until next month but I love it.
Sometimes I wonder if I shouldnt play around with acrylics as they can give such vibrant colour. I seem to want colour in my life at the moment. (I wonder if that cataract is getting worse!!)
I some how seem to have problems settling to anything, I think the impending knee ream out is probably worrying me.
I will be driving long hours this coming week end and bits of me are still hurting although I have hopes that the physio I am having on my hip will help.
I know John is worrying about the length of time I will be spending in a car.
I have done very little in the way of presents for Christmas and that too is worrying me, I have spent all my money on a painting!
Very wicked, but I am making a few doll bodies that may turn into angels, I will see how I go.
We continue to have the most wonderful weather, mild and damp, although I am watering again as the damp wasnt quite damp enough. Despite that the garden is still glorious and full of colour, the best in about 25 years I think.
Enough of me for the moment, it is getting late and I have another body to stuff.

Dog Rose

I have had a very busy but enjoyable few days. I sketched this tonight, it is warming up quite quickly and the roses will be finished soon.
Some news, we managed a few Champion ribbons and got most successful Exhibitor, Best foal and I think most successful mare at the big Welsh show over the week end. I went on the Saturday, a long 2 hour drive there and back and a long day in the sun so I didnt go on the Sunday, spent the day cooking, again, and tidying up the house.
Our judges arrived late, tired and sun burnt but pleased to be here, to eat a lasagna and salad I had made and followed by berries and ice cream and then bed in that order!
Sarah showed them around on Monday all the ponies here and then all the ones at Tabby's. We knew how tired they would be as they only arrived from the UK on Thursday and Friday respectively.
I had a specialist appointment and I am now booked in to have an arthroscope in Adelaide, day surgery, on the 25th of this month, a bit soon but it does mean I can go to the sale in New South wales before it happens.
Yesterday was a full day of sight seeing, the wild life park, some shopping and our glorious coast. They didnt want to do too much as they were tired but we all went out to dinner last night as it was their last night with us and Tabby's birthday.
They were a fun lot of people and I hope enjoyed what we had to show them.
Bit hot and bothered and I think John has dinner ready, his night to cook, I have been doing it for days!

On my coffee table

Sorry this sketch is so faint, sometimes I have problems getting some colours to show up much, especially when I have used pencil. If you click on it it should show up a bit better.
It is a small arrangement and the yellow iris have been flowering superbly.
If I have time I will paint but I still have the family here after the week end and this week is going to be busy.
they leave tomorrow, I head up to Adelaide for a Melbourne Cup lunch, we do this every year and some of the girls I only see then so although expensive it is fun.
I hope to get beds changed and the house cleaned on Wednesday, back to Adelaide for the craft fair on Thursday and then our big All Welsh Show over the week end and the judges stay with me for a couple of days.
I hope I am still moving by the end of it all.
I have pulled a barrow load of forget me nots today, and got myself covered in them as well.
We had another shower of rain last night, heavy for a while and then very cold overnight and now it is warmer and humid, with a possibility of more rain to come. Strange weather.
I did plant out a few more plants I have had in pots so I need a bit more rain although finally the ground is nice and damp.
Not used to a house full and especially not 11 year old boys! Still they are pretty good, but Jake who Will loved is now getting a bit too old to play with successfully.
This Haiku is by Ransetsu.
Out of one wintry
twig, one bud,
one blossom's worth
of warmth at long last!

Curve

I felt like a bit of mindless colour after I had finished cooking this afternoon. I have roasted some chicken pieces, made an egg and bacon pie and some puff pastry 'things' with the left over pastry filled with a bit of this and that and hope they taste ok!
It has been steadily and quietly raining for part of the day, so everything is wet underfoot, and as you pass by certain areas of the garden you get a drenching.
The lawns were mown yesterday, they will be growing like crazy again.
Not sure how we are going to organise tomorrow, I think it will be a matter of see what the day brings.
I am sitting quietly well I will be when I finish this, doing a bit of embroidery and waiting for the Melbourne family to arrive.
I have food if they need it so I dont really have to worry too much, I have done enough worrying up until now about how where and what, I dont really know why, as John says there will be more than enough food to feed an army!
A bit of Basho
All day in grey rain
hollyhocks
follow the sun's
invisible road.

Note book page

By now I think those who follow this blog will know that when i am tired I retreat back to simple and fun sketching, houses, gardens flowers. I love simple houses and I love flowers, simple ones I dont have to think too much about but make me smile.
So here is my offering.
I have had a messy and stressful few days and today was not much better, it now looks as if it will be wet for Saturday when we are scattering my mothers ashes and the family are all coming. So I am having to think up a few new scenarios, like lunch here and can I fit them all in. Should I clean out the garage? There will be small children etc etc. I dont think I want to know about it.
On top of that I have been told that I have to feed the ponies for a week early in December while those who normally feed will be at a very National Show a few States away. I dont know how with my knee I can do it. Some how I will have to work out something.
So my childish sketch pleases me and I have had one red wine too many and am heading off to bed.
Night all.
I know in the end it will all work out.

Possible collage for stitch

Not that this is a collage, it is drawn by me from some of the photos I have taken to see how it would work. All this is coming from a new book I have called Drawn to Stitch by Gwen Hedley. Lots of ideas and things to try out.
I am not terribly good at drawing first, I tend to go straight in and see what happens.
We will see what happens to these, maybe something, maybe nothing.
I have so little time at the moment, another bed in the garden to weed, my car is playing up so time wasted on that and it is still not right.
It is getting warmer so pots and gardens to water and tonight I should be getting dressed to go out to Tabby and John's for a bbq.
Another snippet from one of Rogers poems.
Warm as sunlight,
moist as mist,
dispassionate
as a child kissed,
sure as is
a windless night,
life is loose
yet apple-tight.

Sketchbook pages

I dont quite know why there is a black line down the middle of this page, but I did have to put a strip of paper down between the next pages as they were a bit insecure.
Just faces and a bird I was trying to draw who was outside the bedroom window, I had terrible trouble with its legs as it kept on moving.
Well I saw my GP today who basically said I had a b------d knee and has advised a specialist who I will see in November.
I actually feel a bit better knowing that there is something wrong with it and that I wasnt imagining things.
So I still have to wait to see if its a replacement or just an arthroscope, or perhaps I just put up with it!
I pulled a couple of large wheelbarrows of weeds today, but have a lot more to do, I find that once it was 3 wheelbarrows, now it is only 2. Bother getting old.
Another snippet from one of Roger McKnight's poems.
The earth is round;
that part I see
describes a circle
out from me;
my swag's tight-rolled:
but that is all.
I hear the plover's ravelled call.

Blue Chooks

They were not supposed to be so blue but the sketchbook I used has very porous paper and it dried in seconds so I couldnt really get the wash I was hoping for.
Still they are fun and I think I am beginning to get the 'feel' for drawing them.
They really are crazy things.
A quick play between housework, to ease my back and knee.
Another short poem of Roger McKnight's.

New Ways
The children gone
from too simple a farm,
against her old way.
it's the wife, not the man,
who, to keep them all warm,
goes to let his dog in.

Some times you have to play

and just go with the flow and see where it will lead you.
This is what I ended up with, it was fun and took only a few minutes, I may put a wash of colour over it at some time but at the moment it pleases me.
Internet woes,busy nights and days and I have not posted for a few days.
To day it is overcast, cold and drizzly and heaven knows when the towels I put on the line will ever dry.
We had a lovely morning walk, I went down to inspect the new foal and am about to vacuum, Oscar is losing a huge amount of hair and it is every where, again! He is such a big cat and even though he doesnt have a fluffy coat there seems to be ginger hairs on everything.
We went to dinner with friends last night and had a few adventures getting there, these are mostly dirt roads, and back ones at that, and we did manage to dodge all the livestock but there were kangaroos, cattle and for a first two fallow dear shot across in front of us. I know there are a lot of escaped deer around but so far I have never seen one. I believe further down the peninsular there are big ones, wouldnt want to put one of those across the car.
I am slowly getting a few things done and sorted out but I have no doubt that I will be in an awful muddle again in a few days. I feel there is no point in clearing out my work room for guests until just before they come, as I will no doubt want what I have cleared away to the bottom of the pile.
John keeps telling me we need a clearing sale.
This is a snippet of a poem written by a neighbour, Roger McKnight.
Spring
Simple pleasures simply come,
and this is one -
blossom snowing from a plum
tree, in the sun!

Carving a new stamp

I am really into birds at the moment, and as I have to sketch a bird before I carve a stamp I suppose this sort of qualifies for this blog. I havent really had a lot of time for anything at the moment, I feel frustrated as I am getting so little done and feel tired all the time.
This was a practice stamp on a piece of paper I had used for spraying and painting onto so there are a few splodges that shouldnt be there but on the whole I am quite pleased with this little bird.
It looks a bit like our blue wrens that are all over the garden this year, I think it must have been a very good year for those who nest in this garden, there are baby birds every where.
We seem to be having a bit of rather changeable weather, not too bad today but going back to winter tomorrow if the weather man is right.
I havent watched much of the Commonwealth Games but I did manage to see both the marathons, I dont know how they do it but it was nice to see we got a silver in the men's, with Kenyans on either side and a bronze in the women's with the women ahead both being from Kenya, it must be such a thrill for people from Kenya to have such runners, although I heard today that they mostly come from one area where there is a priest who trains them. The pain they all go through to win is far more than I would ever want to do.

Dreaming of last year

This small sketch is me dreaming of ruined castles, high hills and copses of trees and churches and fields all rolled into one.
We had a wonderful trip last year and I am still loving the photos that roll past on my screen saver.
After a stinking hot day yesterday, it is back to damp and cold today and both of us have had trouble keeping awake!
The garden has had to be watered but the trees in the orchard are flowering as never before. It is so long since we have had a cool spring, although yesterdays 30 degrees C and a hot wind was a shock to the system. Really that is not so hot but we have been in the mid teens for weeks.
Not a lot to tell, we had our friends over the week end but even that was rather slow and not much done except eat, drink and chat! Very pleasant as we havent caught up for 2 years, we were overseas last time they were this way from the west.
My dog is out there barking to be fed, he has got very confused with daylight saving so it (his barking) seems to go on for much longer than it did.
I go for the MRI on my knee tomorrow so I will be interested to find out exactly what that tells me, if anything!
I am sewing and playing around with that and not drawing and painting, I must get back into some sort of routine. I have this awful feeling that Christmas will be upon me before I know it.
Here is a classic Basho haiku.
Spring air-
woven moon
and plum scent!

More Sketchbook pages

I really am not sure what to do in my sketchbook, the pages are so thin and some I am gluing together, some just pasting new paper onto the pages and painting.
These two are a little bit of nonsense on a page that was glued together, and the other was another bit of play on a sketchbook paper that was glued onto the paged. I do worry a bit that the pages will unglue!
There seem so many pages to use and although my theme is pretty open ended, it is 'If you lived here' I feel a bit silly at times just putting up my scribbles when some of the pages others have put up look fantastic. I suppose it takes all sorts.
Another lovely evening after a drizzly damp start to the day, everything is growing so fast and I will never keep up with those wretched weeds!

Art house Sketchbook pages

I am very slowly getting stuff into this, the first are some quince blossoms, the tree in the orchard is covered in blossom this year so I hope we can make quince paste again, the first time in several years.
the second is of the scarab dung beetles that are around at the moment, I dont know what the scanner did but he has red legs, not purple ones. they are quite lovely and bumble into the windows at night.
A pleasant day, John off to more meetings in Adelaide. I had a couple who want a peacock, but I did explain that mine are more or less wild and fend for themselves but I will see if I can catch some chicks when the time comes.
This haiku by Shiki could almost be about the quince, but the plums are in flower too.
Evening moon
on the lute
plum blossom falling.

It is the silliness

I am not doing very well with Carla Sonheims on line class, time just seems to get away but the other day she suggested elephants, I think it was dont look and dont take the pen off the paper. Well I cheated a bit with the eyes and had to back track for the ears but here are my three grey beauties cavorting in amongst the grass and the flowers.
I lovely thing to quietly sit and play with last night while there was nothing worth watching on tv.
I had a lovely day yesterday, and thank you to all who sent best wishes, I have to say that the food and surroundings were better than if we paid to go out and what we had was healthy ( well apart from the fizz) and so both lunch and dinner were the best food and good wine and no rush and no hurry. Have a look at the photos on my other blog here.
Today is still warm and I have tidied, the cleaning comes later, I dont know how we have so many things that seem to pile up on top of things but at least you can now find room on the top of tables.
We had quite a foggy morning this morning so this Haiku by Shiki says it all.
How far the skylark soars
over
a cloud-mountain
breathing -in sun-mist!

My Birthday give away winners are...

I cut up paper, numbered those who had commented and put those numbered pieces of paper into a hat and John pulled out the winners who are
Robyn Gordon and Julie Oakley. I will contact them by e mail.

Happy Birthday to me.

Well after an awful lot of stuffing around finally i can put up some photos.
So what have I been doing? Not a lot and here is a doodle that I did while waiting for my plane to leave, 40 minutes late so not too bad.
I had a lovely time in Melbourne, but very few sketches, I really didnt have time as it was such a rushed visit.
The weather was lovely and the stuff people did at the Geelong Forum was fantastic. I was so glad I managed to see it all.
Thank you to every one who wished me Happy Birthday, and to those who dont know, once you have used up your free space on blogger, in my case 1000 photos, you then pay and the rate varies, I just paid $5 for 20 gb for a year, I will see how soon it runs out.
Paying for it was easy, getting my account to recognise it was not but now I know what to do I hope I remember in 12 months time!
I will draw the Give away before I go to bed tonight.
Off to have a seafood salad and champagne for lunch in the sun in the garden, I wont look at the weeds!

I am not Happy!

See my other blog here for the reason.
Still time to go in my give away.
Back tomorrow.

No Photos

I have just paid for some more photo storage space, it takes about 24 hours to go through they tell me.
I am off to Melbourne early tomorrow morning, well I hope Virgin Blue have their computers fixed but I do have a boarding pass and a seat number!
Probably wont post until I get home, either Saturday or Sunday. I have left John with lots to eat so he and the animals should be ok.
Dont forget to comment to go into the Give away by the end of October the 4th.
I am mostly packed and ready to go, layers as I am not sure what the weather will do to me.
My Haiku is an adaption of one by Basho
First spring rain-
I plod on
Traveller, my name.

Coffee and a bunch of flowers

Well this is interesting because blogger tells me on my other blog that I have to pay for more photos while I can still load onto this one.
I havent time to go on with looking at this but in that case there may be a new blog appearing. I will spend some time on it tomorrow, I think it is about how much space there is on the picasa web albums.
I like blogger on the whole so maybe ... We will see.
I have had a pretty quiet couple of days, reading sewing drawing, nothing exciting.
I am going to Melbourne on Thursday, only for a few days, I will be home on Saturday night.
A few Birthdays in the offing, Mason's second on Thursday, then mine on the 4th (have you left a comment for the giveaway?) and then Will's on the 7th.
I may not blog tomorrow, it depends on how much time I have.

Birthday Giveaway and Sketchbook project pages

It is my Birthday on the 4th of October and as I have missed my blog anniversaries etc I thought I would do a giveaway. So any one who comments between now and the 4th of October will go in the draw. It is also on my other blog here.
I may divide this up if I get a few people commenting. It has mostly textile stuff but a gelatin print as well.
I have had a worrying time about what to put in my book for the Sketchbook project as the paper is not terribly good so I have been sticking stuff in. drawing around them. sticking pages together. My theme was 'If you lived here'.
I just hope it is acceptable, it does look rather as if almost anything goes.
Warmer and the sun is out, I must go and pull some weeds before they grow 'as high as an elephants eye'!
Here is Issa's Haiku for today
One man and one fly
buzzing together
in one big bare
sunny room...

Yesterday at Willunga

John had a meeting yesterday at Willunga and I had some shopping to do further towards Adelaide, I was allowed an hour but thought I would allow myself a bit more than that. It was actually almost two hours so I sat in the car and sketched the top of this building while I waited. I am not sure if it was always part of one of the hotels but looked more like a shop at the front. I just liked the arch and the windows and brick against stone.
We havent done a great deal, I have been pulling weeds and my back and knee have been telling me off, I had to do the weeks shopping so not a lot of time for much else. At least one garden bed looks a lot better but there are a lot more to do.
It is still cold although we did have a little bit of sun today.
This Haiku is by Ransetsu.
Out of one wintry
twig, one bud,
one blossom's worth
of warmth at long last!

Orchid and a Hufflepup

The first is a painting I did of the orchid in my sunroom, the colours have not come through terribly well.
The other , the Hufflepup, is a new pet for Carla Sonheim, I am doing her The Art of Silliness on line class which is huge fun but I am not getting a lot of it done due to other interruptions but I did manage to sit and do this little fellow
I spent a lot of the morning trying to cut back a huge and unwieldy sage bush that had managed to outgrow its location so sitting doing something silly was fun.
We were also asked to do a haiku describing the contents of our medicine chest, mine is not quite that but here goes.
Medicine chest,
Where is the elastoplast?
I dont know!

Poppies

Another small watercolour of poppy seed heads and field poppy flowers, the seed heads I have to confess are from my big poppy (somnifera I think).
At least doing these small things is something I can do when I have a few minutes and is more or less keeping my hand in.
I saw a large fox in the vegetable garden this morning, heading towards my fowl house, John was out with the shot gun but coudnt find him. In broad day light, I ask you. I need a new agile dog, not the old ones who cant see hear or smell!
No wonder I keep on losing the hens.
Still damp and drizzly but the garden and spring blossom is looking magnificent, would just love a couple of blue sky days.
A day of house cleaning, and some more tidying, still more to do but it is not as bad as it was.
Another Basho Haiku, I dont like these translations as much as those in my other book.
Mirroring each other,
white narcissi,
paper screen.

Sunflowers and etchings

I am still playing with small samples, my leaves have no definition, perhaps I should start painting leaves to get my colours right.
I quite liked this cheerful little rendition but boy am I ever going to get it right?
The etchings are the ones we saw at the Art Gallery from an exhibition entitled A beautiful Line Italian prints from Mantega to Piranesi.
The first is a detail of 'The portico with a lantern' by Canaletto (1697 - 1768).
The second is a detail of 'Circe with companions of Ulysses changed into animals" by Castiglione (1609 - 1651).
I loved the fine lines and could have spent more time at this exhibition.
A drizzly and damp day again today, I think I am recovering from yesterdays activity. I did have an early physio appointment and a neighbour from down the road came to quizz John about standing for Council, nominations have to be in tomorrow.
With Spring still thinking it is winter this Haiku by Basho gives me some hope.
On this well-worn stone
Garlanded with
pinks of Spring...
O to drink and doze!

Forget me nots

I am back to a small watercolour each day, I hope, I felt that as these are all through my garden at the moment, and I will need to get to them and pull them out soon before wherever I walk I spread them on my pants, my socks, you name it.
I love the blue haze that spreads over my garden at this time of the year, and you dont notice the weeds, but a bit later, I curse them!
I have had a very productive day clearing stuff up. I am going to need to move stuff out of my work room whose photo is on my other blog, when visitors arrive and I decided to get on and make a start.
Now I am back to aching but do feel as if I can manage things a bit better.
Still more stuff to do but at least I have one clear space!
All the pony photos have gone over to Sarah to go through and put on her computer, stacks and stacks of them so I now have two clear shelves, well I did have! At least you can see the floor and the old printer has gone. I feel good but this house really is stacked to the ceilings with stuff and I dont know that I will ever use it.
Our wisteria is coming into bloom so I thought this little Haiku by Naito Joso was appropriate.
Under the rock
where I sit,
legs folded,
a wisteria blossoms.

A really lovely day

I wont repeat it all as I have put a lot about today on my other blog (see the side bar).
We went up toAdelaide to see the Rupert Bunny exhibition at the Adelaide art gallery, and this is one of the paintings I liked, he did a lot of portraits of his wife but on the other blog there are such lovely ones.
We also went to the Botanic Gardens and I did this pretty sketchy sketch of a very old Red Gum log that had been brought into the gardens from else where I think they thought it had died at 500 years old and was over 1000 years old.
My camera is not letting me upload photos and I took a photo of what they said about it so I will have to wait until I see it to read about it!
I had a pretty miserable couple of days with a tummy wog and wasnt sure how I would cope today, but cope I did and it was so relaxing and really lovely.
Wonderful when that happens.
Oh and Weaver, if you are reading this, you asked what books people would take on a desert Island. I would certainly take my lovely copy of the complete works of Shakespeare and probably Chaucer as well, I think they would keep me busy for many many months.
No haiku, I have to go and get dinner ready or we will never eat!