Home from Tiddy Widdy

What a name! It is a small holiday/retirement area south of Ardrossan on Yorke Peninsular. A bit over three hours drive from here. The biggest hassle is going through Adelaide from one side to the other. I had an easy run through leaving around 9.30 and getting home a bit before 1. Hot and sticky so thank goodness for the airconditioner.
I had an hours walk on the beach and saw the early fisherman coming home on a glassy sea and this wonderful red cliffs with the Ardrossan silos further on. I may try to paint these later but didnt have time or my paints and the flies even so early (7am) were fearsom.
I had a lovely few days, walked every day, op shopped, made little fabric birds and flowers and generally played, ate well, stayed up late and had fun.
I think the best was standing on the veranda or sitting inside and having the sea constantly in front of you.
Some wonderful sunsets too, I didnt have a lot of time to sketch, but I did manage these two, there were wonderful roses in the garden and the great aloe had flowered and was just to the left of the house.
So lots of photos which I may translate into paint or sketdch.

Watercolor and Inktense pencils

I needed to throw a bit of colour around, so this is the result, a bit of pencil wandering, some water color on top, then another bit of drawing and finished off with the pencils. I love the intensity of color that they give.
I havent done much in the way of sketch or paint for a few days, it has been damp and hot, then cold, still damp, everything is dripping and the garden is growing and looking like a jungle.
We went to a combined friends 70th Birthday celebration yesterday, new and old friends and it was lovely, relaxing and the food was good.
Over the week end our Rivington Welsh Pony Stud did very well with some we own and many we have sold doing very well in three states. Not only that but in all the sections of the stud book as well and not just led either but in dressage and ridden, leading rein and Show hunter.
It is so lovely when something like that happens and their owners all let you know, one of the good things about facebook.

Beach combing

We had a simply lovely walk this morning, see here and although this was with my boots it is not exactly with my sketchbook but I came home with a few odds and ends and bound them together with a flax leaf and hung it by the back door until it falls off.
I had seen the ones I think it was Gwen Hedley had done for Ally Pally and decided to see what I could find.
Not a huge amount actually as we have had some quite high tides which had swept the beach clean of sand and debris.
Just finished watching the dvd of The girl with the dragon Tattoo, not an exactly nice film but then the book wasnt either but was incredibly well done, sub titles or not.
I am finding that some blogs are coming up with strange photos etc instead of the usual header ande blog, which I dont like, I think this is on newer blogs.
I didnt like on mine the feature for slide show and found that if I went into settings and format there was a place for me to say I didnt want it. If you go to blogger buzz it explains it under some weird name. I do wish they wouldnt change things without asking. Under the old system I could enlarge the photos and I couldnt work out how to do this on the slide show. Any way the old format looks much cleaner.
Just my two cents worth.

Little elephants

I want to do some playing with elephant shapes for embroideries and so sat looking at a wonderful bag my sister gave me for my Birthday which ahd elephants on it, and then fiddled around with some more stylised shapes that might translate a bit more easily.
I quite like the one on the top at the right and think he might be easy to cut out as a shape and use.
I seem to have come to a bit of a stop at the moment, it has been pretty damp and windy and not exactly going out weather, although I did go to the market this morning and got wet, I have painted some more pages for my fabric book but they are not finished and are drying.
We were out for dinner last night and so perhaps I am more tired than I thought.
A lovely dinner, go see my moon photos here.

Bowl of Guelder roses

Not a terribly good little sketch, the scanner doesnt really like pale colours and I was trying to give the impression of the green young heads and the white older ones and it didnt quite work. I lalso had the euphorbia flowers in there which is the yellow at the top.
I was in Adelaide for most of the day yesterday, visiting my sister who gave me my birthday present, some beautiful 'hare's with amber eyes' netsuke, I am one lucky girl. She has a few health worries and is clearing things out, I think all will be well but another small worry.
I also had a lovely non alcoholic lunch with two others in a friends garden a lovely Adelaide day in Spring to sit outside and chat.
Of course driving up and back makes me tired so although a lot has been done I feel a little flat today.
Warmer than it has been for a few weeks and it is amazing how stuff in the garden suddenly wilts when it goes up a few degrees. Having a garden on deep sand doesnt help but it always takes time for it to get its act together when it has been cool and damp and then suddenly sunny and the sun has quite a bite to it. I did manage a bit of weeding and to get the petunias planted.
I feel terribly virtuous!!

Keeping my hand in

After a couple of busy boring days cleaning I had to sit and recover and these shells were what came to ming. Quick sketches. Visitors have just arrived so I am off to greet them.

Two minute sketch

A bit wobbly in parts and I dont know where that blue came from, on my scanner perhaps.
I had time for a 2 minute sketch of this elephant. I love elephants.
We have visitors coming for a night or so so the house is having a clean and tidy, I have done things I have been meaning to do for ages.
Our blower decided that its end had come so we have just raced in to buy a new one, the last one made about 5 or more years, this one its cheaper, who knows but at least it is lighter so wont be a hassle when the gutters on the roof get cleaned out.
I have made tomorrows lunch and am off to make some biscuits. Its amazing what one does when visitors are coming.

Jimmy and some clivia flowers from Melbourne

The Melbourne family have a pointer, deep mahogonay colour called Jimmy. I am not terribly good at sketching animals and he kept on moving but this does look a little like him, he is a lovely dog, loves balls and runs on the beach but not at all good in traffic. At night we would find him pointing at possums in the trees.
There was a lovely clivia in a pot which I did a rotten job of sketching, I started off with pitt pens and then went on to my watercolours and it didnt come out at all well on the scanner but I feel I need to let you know that I am still here and still trying my hand at things.
It has been quite wet since we got home and cold, rubber boots and parka weather again.
I am playing with some fabric to make a fabric and paper book, it is very slow but that doesnt really matter.
I am having fun.

Melbourne garden

I had a sunny few hours to sit out in the garden in Melbourne. Jimmy the dog plied me with balls while I sat and sketched and then painted the Pride of Madeira and clivia flowers.
Poor Jimmy I think I ended up with 6 balls, I did eventually throw them for him.
We had a lovely few days, enjoyed my birthday breakfast and was home for more champagne at night. I feel relaxed and ready to get on with a bit more of my life.
There is nothing like being in a new enviroment for a few days to enthuse one again.