Thank you carla Sonheim

 I always seem to bring Carla's little book Drawing Lab when I go on holidays, sometimes I use it sometimes I dont but as today has been one full of aches and pains I have had fun first copying the top sketch and then playing around with silly birds etc and my aquarelle pencils.
It has been a good way to keep me amused, in between packing up, we leave early tomorrow morning, I hate leaving but have to confess that for the first time I am missing my comfortable bed and chair.
We did go for a walk this morning so I am keeping up the exercise, but although I thought we hadnt eaten very much yesterday my tummy and reflux played up so I didnt sleep at all well.
Its a b... getting old!

Merry Christmas

 I think we must be getting old as we dont seem to want to eat too much or even do a lot!
I painted, not very well this vase of strelizia and agapanthus, both of which grow in the garden here on the Island, both originally South African. I also had some fun painting on something that is I think akin to deli paper, here it is multix bake, takes some things well and others differently.
Any way I had fun experimenting.
This morning we had a lovely beach walk and John had a try at fishing but he wasnt as lucky as the asian gentleman we met at the base of the cliffs who was so excited at his first fish, a very nice salmon. I didnt mind, although I love salmon as we have far more food here than we need.
John is playing pool against himself, I am not sure if J1 or J2 is winning!
I hope every one is having as nice a day as we are, the weather here couldnt be better and it is such a shame we only have another full day here before we head home and reality!

Old shearing shed at Dudley winery

This looks a bit messy but we had a lovely lunch yesterday at the dudley winery and while waiting I sketched the old shearing shed and then painted it this morning.
I have been playing with paint for most of the day'
Lovely and relaxing.
A beautiful day with a sharp little breeze, we go out for christmas drinks this evening.

At last a little bit of paint fun

 We are over at Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island and finally I have managed a little bit of painting.
We left to come over on Thursday, a day of extreme heat, 43.6 degrees C or I think around 109 F, we packed up, were on the midday ferry and arrived at a very hot house to unpack. I was so tired I didnt even look at our suitcase.Friday was a bit cooler in the morning and we went over to Kingscote to shop and have lunch and call into a few friends, in the afternoon the wind came up and thunder etc, gale force winds forced the afternoon ferry to stop and it went on all night so we didnt do a lot,.
Yesterday it rained all morning but in the afternoon we went to a couple of favorite galleries and had afternoon tea with friends.
It was Johns birthday, 76!! We are getting old, as well as 2 other family members who had birthdays back home, 3 generations on the same day.
We had a lovely dinner at the pub and wandered home, watched a dvd, well John did I am reading Monsoon heavens cant remember the author but loving it.
Today we had a wonderful morning, John fished in the chapman river and caught a bream which we will eat tonight and I sketched and painted, it drizzled rather but it was so nice to sit and try to get on paper what I was looking at. I have a new large flat water pen which was fun to play with.
the first sketch is what I could see from the sitting room, my tiny Christmas tree and beyond the wharf and ferry.
From the Chapman we went to Antechamber bay, John tried to fish but there was a lot of weed so he gave up and I went walking, my feet really loved being in sand after being cooped up in shoes for so long and my knee seemed to like it.
We thought we might have lunch out but the place was packed so we came home for a late "gourmet" salad of haloumi cheese, smoked salmon, some fresh samphire we had picked on our way home, pickled octopus and the usual greens. A glass of wine followed by a small piece of Christmas cake while listening to Bryn Terfels Simple Gifts cd, what more could you want.
I am off to have a small snooze before making dinner tonight, vietnamese chicken. We have so much food we seem to do nothing but eat.

Small Painting

I dont normally paint in acrylics but I had this small canvas lying around that I had done a background on and some texture so painted it over with gesso and had a play'
I love houses and although I am not sure what I am doing here I was quite pleased with the way this came out.
Rather misty and other worldly.
Yes well sort of!
I have been neglecting this blog rather as I havent had a lot of time, or inclination to paint. I do some sketches for my daily embroidery ( see here ).
It is still cool here but not damp as it has been for the last few days and now it will warm up for a few days. I took photos in the garden but they looked washed out and the flies are appalling! I walked around the ponies and was driven back by them.
John is sick, I think a cold but I think he thinks there are other more dire prognosises!
Better go and shut the chooks up, I just hope tonight the wretched rooster will go in without me having to chase him all around the yard!

I will never be an abstract painter

 So I cheated and had a bit of fun with my Gelli plate. I had read about using a hot glue gun to make shapes to use so finally I found my glue gun, bought some glue and played for a little while this morning.
I still have a lot to learn, and in some ways I think I liked what I did a few years ago using paper masks, but this did have a bit more of a contemporary feel about it.
I am trying to find time to play and making sure that I do just that. play!

For my sister

A small sketch done this morning, for my younger sister Felicity, who died suddenly in her sleep a week ago.
An adventurous free spirit, which to me the sea means it all.
Life isnt fair sometimes.

stencil girls

Using stencils

 I dont use stencils a lot but I saw these faces by Jane Davenport and had to have them. There are four in a pack and these two were such fun to play around with. I havent got onto the others yet. They are from her Jane girls petite series. When I am tired, which seems to happen a lot I like to have a sketchbook and pen and pencils etc near by and I think these stencils may get quite a lot of work.
I dont think the sketches have come through so they are in the post above. It is still windy today, everything is drying out quickly and what rain we have had is no more than 2 to 3 mm, we would love a big rain again.
Horrible what is happening in the Eastern States with the fires there.
Wind just seems to get to me, it is unsettling and I get hayfever and generally feel off when I should be out trying to pull weeds in the garden.
My friend P keeps telling me my posts are not positive, well maybe not but there is a lot going on behind the scenes that I dont write about that is not positive either.
So have a happy positive day!!

a wonky world

More black and white doodles.
Done in the car while waiting.
An odd world where anything might happen.
Mindless fun.

This time...

Its a fish.
Carol said hers ended up being fish so I had a go to see what I  could do.
Fun.

Sometimes...

Black and white can be so satisfying.
Playing on a cold windy and damp spring day.

Still playing with caran d'ache neocolour 11 pastels.

I made a mess of the apple, went back in and fiddled, I should never do that!
I am having fun seeing what these can do.
Cold and dripping with rain at the moment, the blackbirds are singing and when Max and I walked down to the stables this morning the willy wagtails flew at us, two out of the nest babies sitting on the gate next to where I was walking, I think their parents need to move them away from where there is a lot of foot traffic.

In the wild woods

Just playing.

Playing with caran d'ache

I really havent had much of an urge to play with paint lately but on a couple of blogs I follow there had been mention of these soluable pastels and I went looking and yes, I have a set. I think they were my mothers. Any way here is whar I did, a color saturated bud and I rather like what this very tentative  exercise has come up with.
I have been doing a lot of sewing as those who follow my other blog (back valley seasons, on the side bar) will know, as well as a reasonable amount of walking. The knee is getting better but every thing I do at the moment seems to take such a long time to get done.
Also it is suddenly heating up and where I love to sit by the fire and sew, the garden needs lots of attention I cant give it, but watering is becoming a must, and I do enjoy that.
Daylight saving has started, and we are being promised a hot day tomorrow with strong northerly winds. The start of summer! Silage is being cut and stacked, we would love more rain for those paddocks to grow again, please! We need a reasonable season.

Love drawing houses

Over on the sketchbook challenge this month it is houses and homes.
While waiting for John to get the papers this little thing popped onto my page.
Love it.
Dont forget my Give away on my other blog, would love lots of people to enter. Go here

Give away on my other blog

I have a give away of a small cloth doll on my other blog, here for any who would like to enter. If this does not come up correctly go to my other blog on the side brt.

Messing about

I suddenly realised it has been a long time since I posted on this blog.
I tend to use the other one more and yet this one has more followers, weird.
In doing some tidying up I found a pack of canvas boards, hauled out my seldom used portfolio oil pastels, then a stencil with acrylic paint and finally a scribble on top using the lyra was crayons.
I dont think it looks much like anything any one would hang on a wall but perhaps it will get me back into playing with sketch and paint.
Things have been a bit hectic here, two of our rainwater tanks fell apart so finally we have two smart new plastic ones, and they are almost fully installed. Of course now it will probably stop raining and we want them full before summer arrives.
The changeable so called spring weather, more like back to winter has made my arthritis at times almost unbearable, but the good news is my knee and walking are much better. With spring the grasses start to flower and my hay fever rears its ugly head,
apart from that  we are going about our business, getting the odd nice day in amongst the rain, walking the beach and the cliffs and generally managing to enjoy things in the midst of the odd worry.
I think you might call that normal for our time of life!!

This is an Eastern Water dragon

I have been to Coffs Harbour for the cloth doll symposium, what a wonderful 6 days, I had very little time to draw or sketch as we were too busy having fun, making dolls and generally having a great time, go and look at my other blog here http://backvalleyseasons.blogspot.com to see what I did.
These water dragons were new to me, they were a little like our frilled dragons but much bigger, in all my years holidaying on the east coast I have never seen one. My friend J tells me it is because I dont play golf!!
There were quite a few around the swimming pool area but I didnt manage to get a photo and had to look them up when I returned home.
The weather here has been freezing cold with gales and rain to bright sunshine, and getting warmer for the next few days.
My knee is still not as I would like it, I did lots of walking while I was away, but I think sitting in a plane and airports all day didnt help, and then the change in temperature.
I am walking, but still having to have a lot of rests, so I am playing with finishing off my dolls.
John is off fishing, I hope they get some fresh fish but I am making him a steak and kidney pie for dinner tonight, might be last one I make for a while unless we go back to cold and wet again.
September! Where has the year gone, we are into spring, our busy time with foals due and lots of shows and just generally things happening.
Never a dull moment, just wish I was moving better and not feeling quite so tired.

Off for a few days

A quick sketch of a bookmark a friend brought back from africa, love those big dreamy eyes.
I am off to Coffs Harbour in NSW for 6 days a doll seminar, I hope to catch up with friends and perhaps make some dolls and have a lovely time in a beach resort.
It is so cold here it is hard to imagine that it will be warmer but a friend who is already there said it is white pants weather! I wont be taking white pants, but cream.
I keep puting things in my suitcase and then taking them out, I have to take doll making stuff too but I am taking a pretty minimal collection of stuff.
I wont be able to do too much as I still get tired but I will have the opportunity to bring it home and finish it here.
I am also hoping I might have a bit of time to paint, any way I am taking a very small sketchbook and a light travelling paint set.
I hope to manage a walk on a different beach too.
Be back in a week.

I have a cold

feeling very off and am reduced to this, a collection of broken shells in a matchbox by my chair to sketch.
I dont get colds often and when I do I am not a good patient.
I caught it from john.
I was supposed to go to Adelaide with him today to visit a friend and go to a couple of exhibitions. my head aches and I feel wizzy so not a good day for a 3 hour round trip. and I dont want to pass this wretched cold on.
Coughing and my throat is tight.
to top it all off the little mare who foaled on Monday night died yesterday afternoon, heart attack we think as no sign of a struggle, leaving us with an orphan foal to raise.
Poor Sarah wont have much sleep for a while but at least it was a big healthy foal.
All too horrid to think about, but it is part and parcel of breeding anything and we have on the whole been very lucky.

My family

 Well not really mine, the girl in the drawing.
I have been sewing a lot and reading in between walking and being a good girl and doing my exercises.
I havent felt much like drawing or painting but last night these three appeared, almost from no where.
I rather like drawing these whimsical little people.
It is very wet and cold and windy today, so we have had a slow day by the fire watching old movies, one was really old a 1939 (the year I was born!!) Bette Davis one with Humphrey Bogart in a fairly minor role as was Ronald Reagan, Love those old movies.
John is feeling pretty off with his cold and what appears to be socondary infections so it was nice to watch them together.
I managed to finish off most of my big foot women commission too.
I hope tomorrow isnt too wet as I would like to go and see a couple of art exhibitions that are on locally.