Painted today

I have not had the urge to paint much lately but here I have the time and I have enjoyed playing with this. The trees on this part of the Island for these lovely arches over the road and in doing so you can find so many colours.I hope all readers of this blog have a Happy and relaxing Christmas.

Agapanthus in a Chinese vase

I think I paint a variant of this every year while we are over here on Kangaroo Island for Christmas. Our holiday rental doesn't have a lot of vases but this one endures. With the fierce heat we have been having not many flowers either, but I did find three agapanthus heads. We arrived over here on Saturday, in the midst of terribly hot weather and have not done a lot. Today is cool, overcast and windy. John's 78th birthday so having had a lovely beach walk this morning, now listening to Bryn Terfel Christmas album we are off to the pub tonight. we will walk.All very relaxing, just what we need, it's been a busy year. George is enjoying it too.

Using my Gelli plate

I had fun the other day making backgrounds using my gelli plate, then I wondered what to do with them and as I am in a bird mood at the moment I decided to draw up a few bird shapes and cut them out. This is one I have put onto a canvas. I am having fun with these.

Broken whelk

I picked up this lovely big broken whelk shell while we were walking on the beach the other day. Such a nice thing to sketch. We have had a busy and rather upsetting few days. Terrible fires to the north of Adelaide, losses of people, houses, stock and ways of life. It wasnt such a terribly hot day but the winds were awful and where it started was cropping land and so dry. It just took off and wasnt to be stopped in a hurry. Friends lost houses and animals, others just houses, some just animals but the whole thing was a nightmare. I spent most of the day watching around our house although it was cooler down here but it was still terribly windy. I am full of aches again so off for a blood test yesterday, I dont know when I will know the results. Just hope its not a return of the polymyalga and is just my normal?? arthritis. Not getting a lot done I am afraid, whatever it is.

sketchbook pages

It has been an unsettling few days. Paris, Beirut, what or who next? My arthritis has been giving me gip as well and so I feel rather sad and depressed. The book I am reading at the moment isnt helping. ( The last train to Instanbul) Silly sketches sometimes help.

Boobyalla

When we walked yesterday the flies were bad, small and persistent so John pulled off a piece of a boobyalla bush to use as a fly whisk. I brought it home to draw. My sketching has been to say the least pretty 'sketchy' Not sure why but the inclination isnt there very much but I do like to keep up this blog so here is my small contribution.

Not a lot of sketching going on

I had a belated birthday lunch with friend R over at Hectors on the wharf at Goolwa yesterday. I was a bit early and so sat and sketched the view, it was pretty cold, damp and windy so we sat inside. This was the view across the River Murray to Hindmarsh Island. I need to sketch more but so far I havent felt like doing much at all, getting the garden into order means I have a very uncomfortable back. Any way we had a lovely lunch with a glass of bubbles each and lots of chat and giggles and catching up. A lovely birthday present.

Been in North west Victoria

This is a pretty awful watercolor that I did sitting in the sun and looking at the view from Imperial Stud which is near Benalla. Sarah and I did a quick trip across (11 hours + drive)with a float to deliver and pick up some ponies. Such a lovely place and the views are lovely. As I said, not at all well done but just a small thing to remember it by. We were away for 3 days and it was all pretty exhausting, but so lovely to catch up with old friends. Havent posted on this blog for a while and thought perhaps I should although my painting sketching mojo has not been with me for a while.

sketchbook play.

More playing in my sketchbook. We have a new kitten called George and at 10 weeks he is full of fun and play. I have to watch him all the time but trying to sketch with a biting scratching kitten is not easy. I managed to get the magazine Faces the other day and have been having fun with it. Not sure where the fox came from. Spring is coming fast, a bit too warm too early but after all my moaning about drizzle and cold it really has been nice to feel slightly warmer than perhaps I needed to be.

Fungi

All this wandering and looking at galleries has made me want to paint. Not terribly well I admit, but at least I had a go. fungi from my imagination. Watercolour.

Moving on

I wasn't sure if the top one was finished and looked at it for a while and then decided to put a wash of gesso over it and add the branch of leaves. I quite liked the depth the background gave it. Leaves are easy to do.I am not a painter, acrylics are not my medium but I seem to have quite a few, so this was fun.

Fungi

I have been in Adelaide for 2 days and a night. Mostly went up to spend time with P and have a bit of a look at some of the SALA exhibitions.I am afraid I got terribly tired as I have had a few problems with my tummy, not sure what the problem is, stress perhaps. Any way I managed the drive up and back. We saw some lovely, and also not so lovely stuff in some interesting places. Highlights were the magnificent space in the St Peters library, transformed from the original town hall, and some lovely stuff by friends I know displayed in smallish acrylic boxes, books, boxes and embroidery. From there we went to the National Wine Center where there was a great display by mostly emerging artists from Kangaroo Island, called KI Fungi, great space, interesting work, hence my sketchbook jotting, these were really only there to be used for display, and then interestingly this morning I found some ink caps, a very quick sketch using ink and a dropper. now tired and trying to catch up after a morning of shopping and checking of things in the garden, still cold but a bit of sun.

Back to childhood

Today was Lyn's turn on Carla Sonheim's blog and we made birds and bugs in tags using leaves.Great fun. This has been a fabulous set of free classes. As you can see, 2 birds, a cat, or perhaps a fox and a caterpillar. Cold overcast and making my joints ache. Collected oysters, which we are having tonight, battered which we haven't done before. woops, not sure how there are two pictures, but I don't think it matters.

Having fun with a free on line class

Carla Sonheim has a free on line class, supposedly for children but adults can join too. As you an see I have joined in, the first were Picasso dogs and the next night sky is put up by, oh dear, can't remember who. Any way they have been fun to do. It has been very cold all day and I have a running nose, so a nice thing to do on such a miserable day.

Playing

While doing a bit of tidying up I found this canvas, which had a small hole in it. I pulled it out, patched the back with tape and gessoed it. In doing so knocked the gesso over and made a lovely mess! ! I then threw some paint at it, J doesn't like it, I don't do abstracts but it has grown on me a bit. I can always gesso over it.

Shells and other things

Not so much of my boots with my sketchbook, it is finally what I would call a proper winter, freezing cold and showers all day. Infact every time I went out I came in wet. These are things by my chair by the fire, odds and ends, broken shells and my favorite grey turbans. something to do. I have been tidying the house and doing mundane chores and have another pair of little dolls under way but after a visit to my doctor yesterday when he told me my sugar levels were up and I am to go on another pill and was I walking. Well no not at the moment so I am doing circuits of the house. There is no point in walking when when I cant see because of the rain and my rubber boots hurt and I am so bundled up it takes ages for my clothes to dry when I come in. I know, I am a wuss. I do hope it stops raining soon but according to the weather lot not until the week end. Which is when I have a class over at Goolwa. Looking forward to that.

From my sketchbook

Wow, over a month since I posted here. I think as I feel fitter I have less time to play, although I am having a few problems with my repaired knee. I think the shoulder is getting better though. I have also started driving again, freedom!! I drove up to Adelaide and back on Thursday, tiring but proving I can do it. Will try not to have such a long gap next time, and produce something better than these.

silly sketch

Not a lot of sketching has been done. I am doing more around the house and then falling in a heap. Cleaned out a pantry cupboard yesterday that I found had an ants nest in it, I managed to throw out a lot of stuff and got it all back in today.So annoying that it all leaves me feeling exhausted. A lovely sunny day at last.

More from my sketchbook

As you can see I have been playing again when I get bored. I am only using a tiny little book and mostly pen IL which doesn't always photograph well although my little Samsung notebook does a good job. Some of these I may colour later. Playing with shapes. I am finding the new exercise my physio gave me to do rather more taxing than the others so once more back to good days and bad days and changing the pain medication once again but on the whole I feel progress is being made. A lovely day today, the sun is shining and the noise of the blower on the roof as John cleans the gutters isn't exactly music to my ears but probably means he thinks it will rain soon. We have had a huge amount of leaves falling this year. I do hope the fishing crew over at Coffin Bay are having a good time and that lots of fish are being caught.Sad we are missing it again this year.

More silly sketches

I really am having fun with these silly sketches. I really bless Carla Sonhiem's books as I can sit and play with drawing ever isles. I have done some of her on line classes too and they are really worth doing. I have new exercises to do which are proving to be harder and make me a he more so back to the wretched stronger pain killers. I also probably did too much yesterday, shopping with John and taught him how to go through the self serve checkout and then cooked dinner last night (left over chicken in a savory white sauce). I had thought a walk today but a terrible day (high winds, rain and cold) plus my body meant I have spent a pleasant day by the fire reading. I do hope the weather is better tomorrow and I can get a walk on a beach, been hanging out for that for ages.

More silly sketches

Keeping me sane. We went out for lunch with friends yesterday which was lovely but I did get terribly tired and came home and slept for most of the afternoon.I was anxious to hear how we had done at the foal show, and we did very well with the Welsh section C filly going the best Welsh but as has happened lately there were some bad decisions in the way the whole show was run. I feel so sad but it's up to that committee. It has been very warm and gale force winds today, not many autumn leaves left. John has been cutting back more stuff in the garden, I think he thinks he is safe as I can't do much except complain! Any way I am still having fun sketching, oh and isn't the new baby princess sweet.

Silly sketches

Carla Sonheim has a lot to answer for! I love her books and I can do some silly sketches which as you can see I am doing. Keeps me occupied and off the streets.

Update

I am still here, doing a bit of sketching. Still sleeping a lot, doing my exercises and finding it all a bit boring, still it is only 2 weeks as people keep reminding me. Keep trying to lower the pain killers and finding I need them. John is doing a great job of looking after me but that in itself worries me as he has work to do too. I did stand over him last night teaching him how to do lamb shanks. He is a good cook but there are some things I can do better and I don't use recipes!! More updates in a few days.

12 days from shoulder surgery

Well it is now 12 days since my shoulder replacement surgery. An interesting time, good days and bad days. Trying to get the pain relief right has been interesting. Keeping the arm in a sling and not really able to use it much has been frustrating and every thing I do is so slow and I fall asleep at the drop of a hat! John has been wonderful cooking fantastic meals and putting up with me when I have a melt down. I can't sew well, too much reading hurts my eyes but I have managed a few silly drawings, not easy to colour in but managed these two. A long way to go but in the long run it will be worth it.

Shells

we have been walking most mornings, sometimes on the beach and sometimes on the cliffs. I collected these shells the other morning from the beach, some pheasants and part of a cockle. I had a lovely time drawing them last night with the addition of a bit of imaginary sea weed' we had some rain last night, not a lot but enough to damp things down a bit and put some water in the tanks. Also my daughter tells me we had a bit of excitement last night which I missed, apparently there have been some people working on the peninsular going around to farms and sheds and stealing stuff, last night we think they tried it here but luckily they were heard, of course by the time the police came out they had gone but it was rather a good reminder to get some of the sensor lights on the sheds working. 9.30 pm seemed like a good time as most dairy farmers would be in bed. Horrible people who can afford 4 wheel drives etc and steal from people who can least afford it.

Sketch fun

I have a collection of bird houses and last night I sat for a while after I had watched the Cricket World Cup, which Australia won and sketched one of them with a few bits of leaves and beetles that I have around the place, sounds weird I know but I often have things I have picked up near my chair so I have things to sketch. A lovely few days weather wise but oh dear we do need the rain. I think every one is sick of the dry dusty paddocks.

A bit of Halls Gap

I really should be more organised but, my 6 days at Halls Gap, plus another 2 getting there and home again, for a wonderful class with Sandy Webster from the US has left me very tired. We made pigments from the earth, and we made a wonderful field journal box and a book as well as other things. I didnt really take advantage as I should have of the lovely scenery and surroundings but I did manage to do two small sketches of the leaves and seeds that were around our class room. I sometimes think I am getting to the end of my workshop days, but then, something comes up and off I go again. I loved this class, I just didnt love the packing up to come home on my own and the 6 hour drive. Now I am home I have done nothing but wash, tidy etc, having been told I may have the Melbourne family over for Easter, and I head off again on Easter Sunday for Ballarat!! So I am tidying one room, and as most of the stuff from there is going into another I can shut the door on. Only trouble is I need to tidy that room up as well. Life is never meant to be easy and I suppose I should think about getting rid of stuff, but then one does need stuff, it is amazing what I have found in my tidying. Any way I loved my few days away, catching up with friends and yet being able to retire to my little cabin and do my own thing as well. Do just wish I didnt get so tired.

Hare?

I think this is more like a hare than a rabbit. We have hares here, (we also have rabbits, a menace) all imported with the early settlers who thought they needed things from home, as well as sparrows, balckbirds and starlings, all of which are really not wanted and in some cases have driven out the native birds. Oh and dont lets forget deer and those horrid foxes, and cats who have gone feral and eat more than anything as well as dogs that in some places have interacted and bred with dingoes. We wont get into introduced weeds but I am happy with some of the garden plants as long as they dont escape as well. I didnt mean to have a spray about introductions, after all we are introduced too. I am sorry I havent been on this blog for ages, but then some people might think that is a good thing! my sketching and painting has taken a back seat, I hope my muse will come back soon but I normally paint in the sun room and summer is not the place to paint out there, it gets too hot. I am sorting out what to take to the Grampians and Sandy Webster's class there (so long as I get there! I hope my shoulder stops misbehaving.)I am looking forward to it but am terrified I will get too tired and not be able to do what I want to do, dont usually go on my own. or for the week but I have no doubt it will be fine, only a week to go. To get back to the sketch I am trying to get animal shapes a little better, maybe its working.Hope everyone has a brilliant week end.

It is so hot.

Too hot to go outside, too hot to do a lot, even with the air con on one sits and sweats, it is revolting. I cant even sew eve3n though I am next to a fan. It is humid which means the evaporitive air con doesnt work very well. I picked up my pencil and from memory and with a bit of licence did the second sketch from Hildred's blog, I loved the movement of the figures and then I couldnt make up my mind if this first one was a mushroom or a jelly fish! Fun to play around with. We did walk this morning but only a short one as it was getting too hot even early in the morning. I am reading quite a lot. Feeling wicked that I am not doing very much but .... well its too hot!

After a dreadful day I draw silly birds

Yesterday having to put down our young dream stallion was one of the worst days. Nothing was going good to save him and it was our only option. The whole family is shattered. Last night I couldn't settle to anything and another silly bird appeared from under my pencil, Algenon Baggy Breaks. Today is our 56th wedding anniversary, it is very hot, we had a short beach walk this morning, to night we are going out to dinner, usually we have lunch but the weather is against that. I find it unbelievable that it has been that long but I like being with my best friend.