I won this give away

In the mail today came a wonderful box of goodies from Jane LaFazio, a copy of her dvd, some tubes of watercolour, pens, pencils, a strathmore watercolour book (I have been wanting one for ages) some post cards and a canvas bag to put it all in. I couldnt wait to get home and open it up.
It has suddenly become quite cold and there is a southerly blowing, unfortunately all it has done has make me sleepy!
I had two walks today, an early one with Max and a later one on the beach with John. See my other blog to see photos of that here
A couple of sketches in one of the small accordion books I am making, a two page layout and then more playing with shells.
Well off to catch the hen who wouldnt go to bed tonight, wretched thing I chased her all around the hen house and of course the minute I opened the door the others all came out. I suppose you could say I got some exercise!

Waiting to have the toe dressed

Not that it looks as if there is much wrong with it, but I cant see the underneath where the damage is. I was in waiting for almost an hour and a half, as my dr was operating!! So in a fit of boredom and thank heavens I had my sketchbook with me this is what I did.
The dead tree was done at home.
I saw some lovely small accordion books over the week end which have made me have a yen to make some and fill them with odds and ends, some of my sketches, some ideas, some lino cuts etc.
I dont know how I will go but I think it could be fun.
It is considerably cooler today and we have actually had some very brief showers, not enough to lay the dust and as the wind is up as well I dont think any plants will benefit.
My early morning walks may have to get later as it is so dark with daylight saving at 6.20 that I had to wait this morning so I could see, it was pretty overcast as well but Max has a clock and he thinks we should be off and out by then. I may have to have breakfast first and then take him out. He absolutely adores his run up the hill. To think that daylight saving wont finish until the end of March! It is ridiculous.
I had a lovely week end, although it was horribly hot and humid on Saturday but better when we had lunch yesterday with an old school friend and her partner, we dont see each other as often as perhaps we should.
Saturday John went fishing and came home with lots of lovely fish, Oscar is pleased too as there are plenty for him as well.
I went in to the market, always a fun morning just seeing people and seeing what new stuff the stalls have.
I spent a lot of the day starting a cloth doll Millie had asked for, I hope it looks ok when it is finished as the pattern doesnt follow very well and I need to make different arms for a 4 year old.
Lots to do but I am being a bit slow executing them, I can blame it on the very changeable weather I suppose but secretly I wonder if I am just being lazy.

Quick sketches

Not brilliant I know, idid these while listening to the Cologne Chamber Orchestra last week. I had terrible trouble seeing well and I am neither good at faces that move or musical instruments!
It was fun to try.
Again while waiting for a dressing on my toe in the local surgery (boring and more boring and I wish the wretched thing would get better!) I did these leaves and nuts and a dead agapanthus head in the little garden I was sitting next to in the waiting room.
Today is Australia Day.
I am proud to be an Australian, 3rd generation on my fathers side, we live in a lovely but terrifying at times country, and are very lucky to live where we live and not in many other places, we might have floods and fires but on the whole we are generous and I hope welcoming to those from other countries.
As usual there are few new citizens to welcome.
We went in early to see who had won this year and thank goodness the speeches were kept to a minimum and it all went off very smoothly. We had the local city band, were infront of the horse barn which really isnt for horses but for the trams that ply across the causeway to Granite Island pulled by a Clydesdale horse. The causeway is due for a major repair so unfortunately it will be closed from the end of January for a while, not quite sure how long, a shame as this is one of the towns major attractions.
Still cool today thank goodness. I am getting a few more hoses on during the day while I can.

Cogs and things

I sketched these while waiting in the surgery to see the doctor this morning.
We went to see Hugo last night so my head was full of wheels and cogs and 'stuff'!
What a wonderful film, we didnt see it in 3D as our little art deco theatre doesnt have it but it was lovely non the less, and after all if you dont see it in 3D you dont know what it would have been like and also I wouldnt feel sick through the whole thing, which is what I do with 3D.
It is shown as a parental guidance childrens film here but I wasnt really sure if it was a childrens film at all, but certainly it can be enjoyed by all. I loved it and the scenes of Paris just after the first world war were magnificent.
So hence the cogs, I had to buy John a gate valve so while I was waiting for my coffee this morning I sketched that as well.
A lovely cool day today, so different to the last few days, Max and I have been walking at 6.30 in the morning and it was a bit of a shock to the system this morning, a touch of damp in the air as well.
Tomorrow is Australia Day so John and I will be going in to see who the Australia Day recipients are, as John was one we feel we should go in to see who has won on that special day.
A walk on the beach I would imagine, without Max, it is too early to introduce him to crowds.
After that I dont know, we are supposed to eat good Aussie lamb maybe I will get the house in order as an old school friend and her partner contacted me the other day and we may have them out for dinner on which ever day John is not fishing.
I have to inspect Connemarra ponies on Friday up in the Barossa so that will be a whole day I would imagine, just hope its not too hot.

Plantain and bladder wrack

Having been enthused by the lovely book in my previous post, we went walking along the beach and rocky headland at Pt Elliott on Saturday morning. I thought most of the plantain ahd died but I found a few plants in the grassy paddock between the rocks and the caravan park. On the beach there was not much bladder wrack but I did find enough as well as the kelp to sketch something.
It has got terribly hot and humid, not much fun unless I am near where the fan is blowing. Unfortunately that is not usually where I work.
Max the new dog is settling in well, so far he hasnt eaten the chooks or jumped a fence, but he does tell me he wants to be near me, and sticks very close on our early and late walks, a good thing but I dont think he has seen open spaces like this before, certainly not ponies and cows!
Dont forget to go and look at what I am giving a way, you have until the 27th of January to comment on my other blog here.

I have a give away, but NOT this wonderful book!

If you go to my other blog here I have a give away for my 6th anniversary of blogging with that blog. It may not be to the taste of people who follow this blog but go and see and enter if you wish.
This absolutely wonderful book arrived in the mail today (no it is not part of my give away!).
I have been having a hard time getting my act together with most forms of art but this one is just the best for me any way. I try to play around with lino cuts and I love all the things she uses, feathers, seed heads, rocks, sea weed and this has given me in a few minutes of looking at it so much inspiration.
Some one and I cant recall who had bought it on a blog I follow and then some one else so I just had to get it. I must say that the book depository had it here within about 10 days of me ordering it.
Sometimes the books others recommend dont live up to expectations, and usually I like to see before I buy but this one has exceeded all my expectations.
I will draw the give away on the 27th January, just leave a comment on the post that has it.

More play

It has been terribly hot and I have had a horse show and visitors so things have been a little out of hand.
Today I didnt do very much except watch outside incase of fire, the winds were awful, I did feel sorry for the poor riders in the Tour Down Under having to battle into the wind in temperatures that were said to be over 40degrees C.
I played with a bit of paper and paint and cut out a few small things to sew while I sit. I cant get enthused about doing too much as my sewing room gets pretty hot.
I am waiting for some photos from my daughter of our pony who went Supreme of Show on Sunday, the entries were not good but he still had to beat a few and two rings to take it out.
I went up but came home a bit after lunch as it looked as if the show would go on for quite aq while and it was an hour or so drive with Sunday traffic, motor bikes and cyclists. Slow and difficult I was glad to get home.
Hoses are on and the temps are down a bit thank goodness I just hope the garden survives and we have enough water to see us through this year.

Having fun doodling

I really am having a lot of fun just doodling and my big bird and flowers and a bit of a city came out of this this one.
I find the free ideas I get from doodling really fun and I am sure can be used in some of my textile work, although I am still without a sewing machine, I think they maybe ready by next week.
At the moment I have guests in the house, a pony show to go to tomorrow, and ideas but not a lot of inclination to put them into something worth while.
I did buy a rather nice painting , well a bit of paint and some really nice use of pencil at the local big art show. I shouldnt have done it but I needed to buy something and clothes are not what I want.
A good day with a friend, slow but as tomorrow will be hectic that is good.
I hope you all have a great week end. (mine would be better if I could just get the dvd to work!!)

Near Red Cliffs on Kangaroo Island

Hurried sketch, of the black branches against the sea and sand from the top of the cliffs.
I painted the background later, perhaps I should have painted the branches but quite liked the sketchiness of them.
We stood on top of the cliffs and looked across the sandy area with the tide going out leaving vast expanses of sand and then some water.
We nearly had a nasty fire just a km away from us, started in the early hours of the morning, we have had a few short blackouts and apparently there was a line down, not sure if it was shot out or just the wind did it, if you go to my other blog here you will see the photos I took this morning on my way home from town.
Little bit scary.

Lino cut, sketch and doodle

Even though I woke this morning with the dreaded aches back again, I managed to do a reasonable amount of fun stuff.
I had a small piece of easy cut sitting on my desk and made this small lino cut. A few problems printing it and it needs a bit more cut out but it was a start.
While having coffee yesterday I sketched the plant by the buildings wall, I think they are called lions paws or some such. I painted them when I got home, love that cmbination of orangy red and green.
While in big W yesterday I bought some new cheap coloured felt tips, these are from crayola and go on rather differently, they were fun to fill in the doodle of odd shaped fish? eels? just something else I had to find a home for but they sit by my chair and while watching, or not watching tv sometimes I doodle and play. (Now that sounds a bit of a suspect sentence!!) I hope you know what I mean.
A very pleasant day today, yesterday was very windy but today a breeze but thankfully quite cool so our beach walk was one of the best yet.

Sketchbook challenge Doodle and 101 faces.

This month the challenge for the 2012 Sketchbook Challenge was/is doodle so last night that is what I sat and did. It was great fun as I only worked with a pitt pen and a very old and fading fast box of coloured pens of some very cheap sort.
Part of the 101 faces was to draw from aphoto of some one I knew. This is my mother, then 96, a year before she died.
It is a challenge to get an old face to look right and I dont think I managed it and I am not sure I should have done her smile, the teeth look a bit scary!!

Very hot and humid and not a lot being done of a productive nature, reading blogs and reading a trashy novel!

More faces

The top is a warm up exercise, draw 2 of each of 3 faces Carla supplied. I think they got worse the more I did. I was supposed to look this time
The lower one was to do 10 (I did three!) some in colour with shading. I think, any way the source photo was my mother aged about 23 and my older sister aged ? months. Not good at all but just something to say I have been doing something.
I am way behind but feel so tired.
Up to Adelaide today, dropped off my machines, it will take about 2 weeks for them to be fixed. I really would like a more modern machine but none available at a reasonable (to me) price. I did get the old Bernina to work!!
I find driving to Adelaide on my own very tiring. I did go to the dog pound but not a dog I liked there. I am not sure this is the time to be looking, perhaps a pup a bit later.

100 faces

I have tried to post this twice and it has gone heaven knows where. Our internet is terrible at the moment I think it is the hot weather and all the visitors on holidays here using their various devices and the wireless is having a problem. Any way I will try again.
I have started Carla Sonheims on line class 100 faces and although I wont get them all done in a week I think I can have fun with this one.
the top one is following a sketch without looking at the paper and the bottom one is using your non dominant hand to draw a person (John) who kept moving, and I wont use pencil again as it doesnt show up well.
Frustrating day, very humid and hot and an evaporative air con doesnt like the humidity. Nor for that matter do I. Oh for a paddle in the sea but still no go on that front, I do hope this toe fixes itself soon.
On top of that I have been searching in non air conditioned rooms for my Bernina sewing machines manual and cant find it, as the other TWO machines are having problems, if it gets cooler I will try to get to Adelaide to get them fixed. I NEED THEM!!
Maybe a cooler change tomorrow, I hope so.

First sketch for 2012

Kangaroo Island rocks, shells and one rock is really a piece of coral. All picked up on the beaches and brought home.
This morning we were on the beach at a bit after 8 am and even then it was hot, so a good walk, even if I cant get my feet in the water yet and then home.
We are heading up to Adelaide this afternoon to put J on the plane for home and see my sister before she has her heart operation. Adelaide is forcast to be 41 degrees C ( aprox 104 degrees F) not a good time to be travelling but has to be done.
I had good intentions of getting the house back into order tomorrow but if it is still so hot theat may not get done. Perhaps a bit of gentle sewing in front of the fan!
I have tidied up the work rooms so that is a beginning.