Withmybootsandsketchbook

I won this give away

2012-01-31T17:50:00.000+10:30

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

2012-01-30T16:07:00.000+10:30

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

2012-01-26T15:18:00.000+10:30

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

2012-01-25T18:09:00.000+10:30

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

2012-01-23T14:28:00.000+10:30

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!

2012-01-20T13:00:00.000+10:30

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

2012-01-17T19:19:00.000+10:30

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

2012-01-14T20:30:00.000+10:30

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

2012-01-11T14:32:00.000+10:30

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

2012-01-09T16:12:00.000+10:30

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.

2012-01-07T15:16:00.000+10:30

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

2012-01-05T16:37:00.000+10:30

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

2012-01-03T17:10:00.000+10:30

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

2012-01-01T11:43:00.000+10:30

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.

Blue wren

2011-12-30T16:58:00.000+10:30

Beak a bit long, but quickly done.
Very hot here today, worse tomorrow. Out to lunch, a lovely meal at the
Green Man at Ashbourne, catching up with old friends, one of whom is not well, J hadnt seen them for 4 years and we are old skiing mates so lots to catch up on.
I dont think my waist line will ever recover!
Off to find a cool spot by the fan, this is not a cool spot and I am dripping.

Finally

2011-12-26T21:05:00.000+10:30

For almost all of the time we have been on the Island we havent had much of a view of the mainland but finally today everything cleared.
Where we are the bay turns and the mainland looks as if it is joined but it isnt and huge ships sail, well motor up the gulf to Adelaide. This afternoon a lovely catermeran sailed in and is achored in the bay.
Much cooler today until the sun came out.
We managed to walk on three beaches today and now most of the packing up is done for an early start on the ferry in the morning.
I have a sneaking suspicion that there is more to take home than we brought with us!
Sad to go again, but lots to do when we get home.
May not post for a day or two, depending on what time I have.

Xmas morning

2011-12-25T13:14:00.000+10:30

A walk on a lonely beach, a visit to a lonely lighthouse, no one around.
Overcast but not too cold.
Home for a light lunch. (with wine!!)
Roast duck tonight.
Carols on the cd and the absolutely lovely Jackie Lawson Advent calendar, sent by a dear friend to watch and listen to all through.
What a perfect start to a day.
A good friend to enjoy it all with us.
We are so lucky.
I hope you are too.

Seasons greetings

2011-12-24T17:03:00.000+10:30

Have a lovely, joyous day with all your loved ones.

Lunch today

2011-12-23T16:57:00.000+10:30

We had a long walk along Antechamber Bay this morning and called in to a newly opened cellar door outlet for the Dudley wines, and stayed to have a bottle of rose and a cheese platter looking at this incredible view.
Must be one of the best in the world.
A sketch and the photo, the mainland very vaguely in the distance.
A lovely day.

Sketches

2011-12-22T15:25:00.000+10:30

The top one was while we were at lunch yesterday at Rustic blue, looking across at a lovely old farm gate with a dam in the distance.
The second one was in Kingscote on monday, having lunch at rogers deli is a tradition when we are on the Island, on the footpath, almost on the street you meet all sorts of people.
I have so far had a slow day, J and J played 9 holes of golf and after a wine at lunch,( here, we need to eat some food!) proceeded to nap for about 2 hours.
Friends in for dinner tonight, I cook, J cleans up after me, a good arrangement. I have sorted what we will have, roast pork and veg and red cabbage, we will all probably get indigestion but who cares.

Agapanthus

2011-12-21T16:48:00.000+10:30

Summer and Kangaroo Island to me mean sun, sea and agapanthus.
There are white and blue ones in the garden framing the view of the sea and this year they are magnificent. So a painting had to be done, there is also a lovely little blue and white chinese vase which sets them off well.
Lots of photos have been taken and the odd scrappy sketch but we have been pretty busy, wandering the Island, friends in for drinks ( which went on for hours!).
Today we went to the raptor display, getting up close and personal to kestrels and falcons and a wedge tail eagle as well as some beautiful owls (who are not raptors).
Lunch in a pleasant spot and a walk along a pristine beach, a few shells collected and home to recover!
It is Johns birthday so we are out to the pub tonight. We rang Sarah in New Zealand to wish her a happy Birthday, sounds as if they have been having a lovely time and I facebooked Fenella, the three generations of birthdays on the same day can sometimes be interesting.
Well off to lead a bit more of this hard life!

Cave art

2011-12-13T16:12:00.000+10:30

I have been re reading Jean Auell's books and felt the need to make some cave art, but on paper.
Fun but not terribly good.

What you do while waiting for the duty doctor to see you.

2011-12-08T18:17:00.000+10:30

I was in there for well over an hour today and so I sat and sketched, anything to keep me amused.
They think the toe looks better!! I hope so this silver stuff does seem to work.
We went out to dinner last night, a dairy thing but held at the Mt Compass Golf Club I had never been there before, quite interesting and I certainly didnt know there were so many houses there, or that they all went mad with Christmas lights! No photos unfortunately. Built on swamp and sandhills it must be interesting to garden as all the houses are on the hill.
Another cake under way so another tick on the list but a few more days of baking.
We are supposed to get some rain tonight, I hope so, we are very dry.

A selection of birds

2011-12-07T15:51:00.000+10:30

The bottom one is not taking my pen from the paper so is a 'silly bird'.
I am feeling a bit off today so after a busy morning, including dropping and breaking a jar of chocolate thousands on the floor (great fun to clean up!) I sat and finally did a bit of sketching. I havent sketched for days and need to.
I have been wrapping Christmas presents and trying to make sense of what I have, the fact that there are several family members with birthdays just before Christmas doesnt help either.
With almost no money to spare this year it has been a struggle to find things for all but the smallest members of the family. They are the fun ones I gather stuff for through the year.
With so many of my grandchildren either teens or in their twenties it is hard to know what to get.
We are supposed to go out to dinner tonight, I was supposed to go with John to a volunteers thing as well but have decided not to go to that dinner will be as much as I can do, standing is a problem.
Hope you like the sketches, I had fun doing them.

Another female study

2011-11-30T20:34:00.000+10:30

A back view this time, that way I dont have to do a face! Another one where I am fiddling with shape and color
Not such a good day today, a change in the weather and dropping another mg of cortisone and I am back to aching and shaking. I think it will be better in a day or so.
Yesterday we went to Adelaide and saw Gaby and poor little Mason, she was hoping he would come home today but it may be a few more days, for some reason they dont want the local doctors to deal with him. So he is now throwing toys at his poor mother who also desperatley wants to go home.
I supose it means he may be getting better.
Not only has he had the skin graft to contend with but he also had high temperatures and they think a virus and had to have a lung X ray as he was coughing so much.
Such a worry.
So I paint and sew and try to keep busy.

Too much hair and a bit too wide eyed.

2011-11-26T17:36:00.001+10:30

This is one of my cloth doll faces, I was again playing with a face and form but ended up going back to how I paint my faces. I am not sure how I managed to put so much hair around her, but it was a fun exercise in getting paint to paper.
I am learning quite alot from these exercises so there may be more.
At 1.30 this morning we had a call from the police to say that one grandson had rolled his car and they couldnt contact his parents and the grandson was ok but in Flinders Hospital. We couldnt raise his parents either so a rather disturbed night ensued. We did finally get through to them and he is apparently rather bruised and lacerated but nothing major wrong. It may teach him to not drive so fast, at 17 they think they are invincible.
Poor Gaby is having problems with Mason who wants to take off his bandages and doesnt want to stay still. I do feel for her although family are rallying around.
It is cold and damp and yet when I went to plant out some seedlings the earth a few cm's down was as dry as dry. Not a lot of rain and quite a lot of wind.
At least the house is clean, finally, so I can go back to making it grubby again.
Still making Christmas presents.
Have a lovely week end, not sure about mine John goes fishing tomorrow.

Little owl

2011-11-23T15:53:00.000+10:30

I saw something like this some where, not sure where but had a few minutes between cleaning out cupboards, ugh what a job, and sewing more birds.
The cupboard cleaning had to be done, there are still more to do, but oh boy its difficult when you cant kneel and getting up off the floor is difficult.
For some reason I am aching again today.
I loved the little fat look of this guy, he was an experiment, possibly more later.
Young Mason is giving his poor mother the run around, I am going up tomorrow so I am taking her a large bag of craft stuff so she can do something while she is up there.
He has to have a skin graft tomorrow so she is in a panic and it is so far from home and she is bored to tears but cant leave him. Not sleeping either and she says the food is pretty strange and she has to buy it. Poor child.
Her partner is in WA and we are all down here.
I have packed stamps, paper, sketchbooks, pencils, paints,glue, scissors, wool, buttons, sewing stuff, not that she sews but she might be so bored she will learn, beads etc. I just hope Mason doesnt swallow any! Put it all in a big zippered bag so I hope she can keep it out of his reach. Apparently he keeps escaping from his room, as any 3 year old would.
I worry for her.
Back to trying to get some semblance of order in my life.

Playing with paint

2011-11-17T16:36:00.001+10:30

Very hot and sticky today. This morning I pulled a heap of forget me nots and other weeds. I love the forget me nots when they are fresh but once they die off they get pulled, managing to usually get seeds all over me as well, so a new lot will start.
I also got out the outdoor furniture and washed it and set it up.
By then I needed a rest so I collected the watercolours and went to work, slowly, one layer at a time. It is so long since I did something like this I had almost forgotten how.
I only play paint so I dont pull my paintings apart and think what and where I could do better. to me that takes all the enjoyment I get out of painting away.
mMy hands shake when I am trying to do detail hence a few splodges.
Its not Julia.

Rhino statue

2011-11-16T14:47:00.000+10:30

This magnificent rhino statue was under a tree in Marks garden and while we waited for him to come home I sat and drew it.
( We made good time driving over and were a bit earlier than I thought we would be)
We went over to North East Victoria on Friday and came home on Monday with a filly in the float. A good 10 1/2 hour trip each way.
Had a lovely few days, Sarah had to judge at a pony show on the Sunday. We went down to the very good Violet Town Market on the Saturday, enjoyed good food, good company and a lovely setting. Saw magnificent ponies and came home tired but refreshed as well.
Now catching up here.

Shell

2011-11-09T18:01:00.000+10:30

Not brilliant, another sit and draw something from memory.
I had my dressing on my toe changed today and it is now feeling worse than before, although they assure me it is improving. I have such a busy few days ahead I am not sure how I will cope.
Back tomorrow I hope.

Being a bit silly

2011-11-06T10:54:00.000+10:30

I have had a 'thing' cut off the bottom of my big toe and I am struggling to walk. Had a huge day yesterday a 2 hour drive up and another 2 hours back to the big SA Welsh Pony Show. The drive is horrendous, through the scenic Adelaide hills and mostly at 80 kph but my lovely yearling cream filly had a tremendous show with my grand daughter and daughter showing her for Supreme Section B Welsh and Best Youngstock, couldnt expect better from such a baby.
But by the time I got home, luckily it was my left foot so I didnt have to use it, my foot was killing me and I was so tired.
So these strange things were born, a mythical animal, which was such fun I almost didnt know where to stop, and then some one said that a collection of jellyfish was called a Slap of Jellyfish so I just had to sketch a slap of them I had never heard that term before.
We also had a foal born yesterday that either I missed or was born after I went to look in the early hours of the morning, and another this morning, I have no idea what sex they are, my eyes are not terribly good and i cant catch either of them but they are both fit and healthy. Most important that the mares have dropped their after birth and the foals are drinking which they both seem to be doing.
Very hot and sticky yesterday, much nicer today.
Off to put my foot up, hope you had a good week end.

Ardrossan Silos

2011-11-02T13:56:00.000+10:30

Oh dear I am sorry about the blue splodge, I am not sure where that came from.
A very quick sketch of the cliffs and Silo at Ardrossan.
I am having a wonkyt few days so this is the best I can do at the m oment.
Really it is just to say I am in the land of the living but struggling a bit. Nothing bad, just the affects of dropping down another mg of cortisone. Leaves me feeling shaky for a day or so.
Hope I will be back shortly, but I have put some photos up on my other blog here.

Home from Tiddy Widdy

2011-10-28T16:07:00.000+10:30

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

2011-10-24T15:38:00.000+10:30

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

2011-10-16T17:42:00.000+10:30

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

2011-10-15T15:57:00.000+10:30

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

2011-10-13T18:58:00.000+10:30

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

2011-10-10T15:03:00.000+10:30

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

2011-10-09T14:49:00.000+10:30

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

2011-10-06T15:37:00.000+10:30

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

2011-10-05T16:07:00.000+10:30

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.

Not really grafitti

2011-09-25T09:03:00.000+09:30

I sat playing last night trying to see if I could actually do some grafitti, well my ideas and what happened didnt quite jell and I am begining to think that those who do really good grafitti are much cleverer and talented than I am.
Not that the top one is really grafitti and wasnt intended to be, but trying out words on the bottom one I think I failed miserably, and the bottom bit I did in lime green has not shown up at all..
I must go and find some good stuff and not just the tags that seem to proliferate during school holidays.
I always think travelling by train in Melbourne is a good place to look, here we have grafitti busters who go around and wash it off every day so you dont see much.
I hope to get a few photos next week when we are away.
I am trying out a few styles of getting stuff onto paper just to see what happens.

Painting paper

2011-09-23T15:57:00.000+09:30

I have in mind a fabric and paper journal so I have been painting paper to use as backgtounds. I now have multi coloured fingers from the ko-in-nor paints or dyes or whatever they are.
Some were using those and some regular paints and some using acrylic inks, Some are sprayed as well, everything is grist to my mill at the moment and they all have different qualities.
I like this corner of my sun room and the clothes horse is a useful place to dry papers as well as clothes.
Not much else done today apart from shopping etc, I did cut out the stencil for the poppy heads.
From hot and windy to cold but dry, we are well into silage making at the moment, much too early. Perhaps we will get lovely rain in October.

Seal pup

2011-09-20T17:07:00.000+09:30

I have had a very busy few days, the weather has been pretty ordinary too, with gales, wind, heat and rain. finally today I managed to get 2 wheelbarrtow loads of weeds done, so the front is getting a little bit more respectable, but there is a lot more to do.
I sat and sketched this baby seal on one of my breaks before going out to do more. Not a lot of time for sketchbooks or paint I am afraid.
Sunday was the day I looked after Mason all day while Gaby and Celina rode at the mounted games, I was the driver! So a 5 am start and it was well after 5.30 pm before I got home, the girls had a good time I think and I can still drive the car and horse float.
Mason is very good but nearly 3 year old boys can be very busy and a handful. I was really pleased when he finally had a sleep. A busy showground with trucks, floats and horses is not a good place for small boys to wander and keeping him in the car was rather a struggle.
Yesterday the gale force winds kept me mostly inside, although the washing was dry in record time, and then ironed and put away. Trouble is it is hay fever season and so I tend to feel rather 'off'.
I am also tidying things up and clearing away. Spring cleaning I suppose, just hope the body survives.
I really want to get on with the Silk screen on line class I am doing but I need to clear a space before I can start! I had been playing with some mono printing so this is the next step.

Stacked

2011-09-16T13:21:00.000+09:30

I sat tired last night after a day in Adelaide and picked up my pen and this is what came about.
Sometimes I wonder about the things that go on in my head. It was fun looking around the room and deciding what to stack ontop of what.
I have had a funny week, 3 new foals, so early rising to check that all is ok, a trip to Adelaide, well really Port Adelaide to meet up with P and we went to a demonstration of the use of Derwent inktense pencils and blocks as well as shiva sticks, I know about shiva stiks but wasnt sure about the inktense blocks but decided to buy some as they are nice to paint with. We were the only 2 there so we had a lovely time but very disapointing for the art shop, although I think I made up for it by buying a silk screen as well and a brush.
We then had a wander around the area, took photos, went to a gallery and had lunch overlooking the river at a nice little cafe.
I left at 8.30 and was home about 3.30 so a longish day and I am fed up with feeling tired at the end of it but I suppose I will have to accept the fact that age is catching up with me and I must remember to take things a bit more slowly.
Having said that I am going out to cut back a few things in the garden.

Savoy cabbage.

2011-09-11T13:01:00.000+09:30

Oh dear I am not terribly happy with the colour that the scanner has come up with, there actually is a lot darker green and a lot less yellow.
things dont always go to plan.
I have been buying these wonderful cabbages at our farmers market, photographing or painting and then eating them! Delicious, lightly cooked with butter and a touch of soy sauce.
I have not had a lot of time for sketching, a lot more walking and sewing going on as you will see from my other blog here.
the weather is thank goodness damp and cold and we are slowly getting a few more millimeters of rain, but it is slow and then we get the odd hot day and a north wind which dries it all out again. Here we like to keep being damp until at least October so the paddocks have time to grow and be turned into silage or hay.
We are also in the midst of foaling, so far 2 fillies and 2 colts and 1 still born, lots more to come.
Life is never dull, but sometimes my sketching gets put on hold.

Barry Smith leaf, making lino cuts

2011-09-08T14:29:00.000+09:30

In my mail box yesterday this wonderful leaf, metal tag and card from Barry Smith metal work recycler extrodinaire. Barry lives in Maleny Queensland and I couldnt resist ordering this leaf from him. If you google barrysmithart.com I think you will find his website. He recently had an eshibition and showed the leaves and some wonderful bowls on his blog. I want more!!
I have been playing with making a few more simple stamps and ezycut lino type things, stamping, spraying, using stencils etc on some small books I have been making. Fun simple things when I am feeling a little 'off'. I dont need things I really have to think about.
We had a wonderful walk this morning which helped, photos on my other blog.
Thank you Barry for brightening my day.

More Junk book and wisteria

2011-09-06T11:37:00.000+09:30

Here are a couple more pages from Junk mail book 2 and a very washy rendition of some wisteria which is flowering at the moment. I am not finding a lot of time to paint or sketch or draw, so I had to scratch around to find something.
As spring is coming fast in the garden I am trying to get some tidying up done, but I am afraid it is very slow as I am still trying to work out what I can and cant do without paying too dearly for it the next day.
The weather goes from unseasonably hot to thunderstorms and a bit of rain, but not enough to cold and windy which isdrying the soil out more.
There is talk of silage making quite soon.
I really dont want another bad season, I would just like 5 good seasons to set us up again, for what? probably retirement, John will be nearly 80 then!!
It doesnt bear thinking about.

A few pages from Junk Mail Book 2

2011-09-03T15:58:00.000+09:30

I have been slowly getting this little junk mail book together, these are not all of the pages and really you need to see how they all mesh in together, well most of them do. I will put up the rest tomorrow.I have had a lot of fun with these but think I am a bit predictable with my drawings.
The first is the cover but I havent got the next pages rightso you can see how it works. Now I am looking at the photos up I havent managed to get all the flowers etc in the right places. I really did try hard this time too.
I havent had time to do much sketching or painting, it is Adelaide Royal Show time and Sarah and the girls are up there with some of the ponies, my show hunter got 2nd in a strong class, very good!
I am struggling to get the medication I am on right, not as easy as I thought so a bit of going up and then down is being done and it is making me tired.
I was at the show yesterday and you may like to have a look at my other blog as I have been keeping that one up to date as its a bit slow on this one.
The weather was unseasonably warm yesterday but today it was blowing almost a gale, and very hot and not at all nice for me as it is this time of the year when most of my allergies seem to strike. So I have avoided going out, only to the market this morning and not being outside for the rest of the day. Now it has calmed down a bit so I need to do the feeds and check some mares.
Have a great week end.

Sketchbook play

2011-08-30T13:36:00.000+09:30

A couple of new heads, I think they are getting weirder, or perhaps that is what I am looking for, they have been fun but I dont think I am getting any better.
My sandals, for an on line class I am doing, we had to sketch our shoes/sandals, I dont have very many shoes that are not terribly practical but I did find these with a bit more to draw than just a shoe shape.
Another on line class is suggesting we practice for colour and design, I think this is a bit like wallpaper but it again was fun to just doodle and fill in with colour.
Cold and overcast with a bit of drizzle and by the end of the week the weather bureau is suggesting we may get up to 27 degrees, far too warm for the first day or so of September, and we just hope more rain is on the way. The 1 mm we had overnight is not nearly enough.
I am afraid that is the farmers lot, worrying about weather.

The reed beds

2011-08-28T10:31:00.000+09:30

I did this yesterday, wet in wet, from the memories of the reed beds down by the mouth of the river Murray we were there several months ago and suddenly yesterday needed to get some paint on paper. I think it has come out a bit light but it may be my monitor.
might look better if you click on it to enlarge it and I really must wipe my scanner, that dot is not on the painting.
We had a new foal born this morning, a rather lovely elegant part welsh filly. I think she is about to give her mother the run around as already she is off for a canter around the paddock.
I am aching this morning, not sure if its the weather or the lessening of the meds, it is cool and windy but we are off for what I hope will be a lovely lunch today.
Better get ready or John will be back from looking at a potential new milk tank and I am still in my work clothes! My good intentions of cutting a few more things back have gone out of the window as my wrists are so uncomfortable. Maybe tomorrow.

Waiting for..

2011-08-27T12:01:00.000+09:30

The top sketch was while I was waiting for John to sort out with our IT fellow what was needed on the new computer. He lives at home so this was his next door neighbours bird bath.
The second one was yesterday morning after I had an early (fasting) blood test and I went to have a cup of coffee at the Anchorage and waited for John as the electrics on the console of the ute had given up and he had to take it to see what the mechanics/electricians thought. It was an interesting morning as my car was in to have the thermostat replaced, and then his car played up.
So cars were going in all directions.
So I am managing to get some sketching done even if they are very quick ones.
I am also doing some textile stuff but nothing worth looking at yet.
Oh and do have a look at my daughters blog, Sarah takes wonderful photos, and so she should as she has great equipment, not like my little point and shoot. Her link is on my Back Valley Seasons blog which is on the side bar here, cant remember probably as my other blog!!.
I will try to put the link up on this blog as well.
Cold and cloudy, John is fishing. I have cut back stuff in the garden think I might just go and read a bit more of Jean Auels latest book I got yesterday the fire is still tempting to sit by.
Still some aches but if I take things slowly I am managing well.

Heads 10, 11 and 12

2011-08-25T14:58:00.000+09:30

Slowly, very slowly I am getting some of these done. i doubt very much if I will get to 100 but you never know.
At least I can draw these quickly at night when I am tired.
A stunningly beautiful day today and there were whales around, so look at my other blog to see photos.

Junk Mail fun

2011-08-24T16:16:00.000+09:30

Here are a few pages from my Junk mail class with Carla sonheim, it has been such fun.
I cant scan the full two page spreads unfortunately as you get a better idea of what we were doing, connecting lines across all the pages basically.
I have enough pages to make another one,a nd possible another one as well!
We have had some lovely weather but I have been so busy with this!
I have some around the farm photos on my other blog ( see the side bar).
Back soon I hope, I havent had the use of my computer to download stuff for a few days as John is getting a new one so he has had mine. I will be glad when we are back to normal!

Three sketches from yesterday

2011-08-22T14:35:00.001+09:30

Yesterday John and I dorove for just over 2 hours to the back of Angaston in the Barossa Valley and met with members of the Waterhouse Club, which is a fund raising and expeditioning part of the Adelaide museum. This one was a geology look at a creek in which some small and enigmatic fossils have been found.
The Waterhouse Club functions are always well done and fun. So after we had all assembleed at Moculta we headed over towards the River Murray through bony hills but stopped before we got down to the plains, This was serious Red Gum Country, our red gums are huge and old, it was also wombat country as well and their burrows were in along the creek we were following. An interesting and long walk which with my non active weeks was a bit tough and not seeing well made getting along the creek bed very interesting and I stopped and sketched just before we got to the fossil.
I dont think these have scanned very well but there was an interesting red gum on the other side of the creek, lots of different textures and wriggly old roots and I sort of managed to sketch it. The second one is of the creek itself which at this point had water in it and the third sketch was another very old red gum, half dead but with the most interesting bark and markings on it. It also had a hive of wild bees in it on the other side!
We were given a lovely lunch, (late) but...
We had another over 2 hour drive home and so didnt manage to get to the copper mine the others were going to but instead had a lovely drive home through the hills with all the prunus trees lining many of the small villages and along the side of the road.
A stunning day and lovely country to drive home through, although we were both very tired after our over 3 hour walk and the drive as well.

Head No 9

2011-08-20T16:40:00.000+09:30

I have no idea what I did to his ear, so disregard that!
I am still gessoing ans playing with my junk book, so cant show that yet.
A fairly busy couple of days, just doing my thing. eading abnd sewing a bit and generally trying to do things at my own pace.
Nearly had a red kelpie pup, neighbours who shouldnt have dogs let theirs onto the road this morning and some one dropped it in asking if I knew whose it was but I dont really want a pup, and not one that is skin and bone, any way, said neighbour arrived at the back door asking if I had seen them and swooped.
I will go and get one from the pound. I dont really want a kelpie, they dig.
Lost our first foal, didnt get out of the bag, these things happen and I often think that there is a problem when that happens, I also think it was breach.
Sad, but a part of farming any animal.

exercises

2011-08-18T16:49:00.000+09:30

Yesterdays exercises for Carla Sonheim were, close a paper not completely in half and draw something you like over both pages, open it out and draw something that sort of connects, our book will have drawings that go from one page to another.
Then draw some new animals, a head of one, a body of another and a tail of a third, and give them names. These were the best I could come up with.
I am way behind as I am still painting my gessoed junk mail and being winter and wet and cold here they are taking ages to dry. Also being on the other side of the world I get my emails at a different time so I am always at least a day behind.
But oh I am having fun!!

From the sublime to the ridiculous!

2011-08-17T14:47:00.000+09:30

Well sort of !
I am a bir behing in Carla sonheims class but our first warm up exercise was to do some drawings of various things without lifting our pen from paper, so a vase of flowers, a cat and an elephant. Such fun to do.
Then a few more heads, quiet drawing with these.
I am enjoying not having to do anything 'properly'!
Yesterday W and I went wandering around the SALA shows that we could find, up to Stirling and the book one although small was good, the rest there, well, I sometimes think people have an overly inflated idea of what their paintings are worth, but the trip wasnt for nothing as it is a delightful small town in the hills with lovely gardens around the main street and a good coffee shop.
From there we went back to Willunga and looked at the glass place, which is much improved since the last time I was there, it is set up far better and the glass is good, unfortunately half the places we wanted to see were either closed on Tuesday or didnt seem to be open at all even though they were advertised as being open. The best one was up at Dog Ridge winery where resident artist Jen Wright has more birds, well done and at a price any one should be able to afford. The other outstanding one was Stavros Pippas photographs at Penny's Hill winery.
A lovely damp day full of chat as we dont seem to have a lot of time to get together as often as we would like.

Day 1 and 2 Faces

2011-08-15T13:10:00.000+09:30

I have drawn 3 of my 100 faces! I may not get a face done a day but it is nice to fill up one of my tiny sketchbooks with something like this. I found this hilarious photo of Lady Gag in the paper and the others, well one is from my imagination and another is a man in the paper. Not many faces around here to actually draw from life!
So much to do and get done, I am having a slight panic mode feeling at the moment, I guess I will settle eventually.
Had the horrors when I found that the quilt I thought I had made up for Kates little quilt swap wasnt there, so now to re think what I will do, as a non traditional quilter sometimes it is difficult to get thoughts and processes under way.
Cold and damp so I am inside getting a few inside jobs done and also playing a bit with paper and ink and scribbly drawings.
We had a lovely day yesterday, visited a couple of galleries and there are a couple of paper ones I would like to go and see as well. We had lunch out on a lovely sunny day, so different from today. I feel a bit connected to the outside world when we go out for lunch, even if it was only soup and coffee, well we didnt need any more any way.

Practice

2011-08-13T14:49:00.000+09:30

I have signed up for two on line classes that involve drawing or at least a variety of things really, one is Alisa Burkes below the surface and the other which is where this post comes in is Carla Sonheims ( spelling! is it ie or ei? I wonder!) week long class for junk mail fun.
I went off to find some new pens and at last the local Woolworths has some black sharpies in different sizes and I also picked up some Pitt Pens to use and so I thought I would try them out, and I also found a small pack of coloured charcoal pencils by Derwent so they had to have a try as well.
What fun, now I have so many pens and pencils I could just about set up a shop.
I love Carla's Drawing Lab and when I feel a bit as if I need some practice I dip into it and have a drawing session and that is what the little angels and the other one are all about.
I see I have missed her 100 faces class, but then I think I could do that on my own and with prompts from her book, so that may be something to play with when I have nothing else to do (heaven forbid!!)
Well I could have visitors tonight, the house is relatively ok, well I chased a duster and a vacuum cleaner around, so now to make a casserole in case they need to be fed.
John is fishing, I have planted a couple of things I got at the market in the garden, just hope we dont have a frost but I think they are hardy enough.
Hope everyone has a great week end.

Sketchbook page

2011-08-08T12:59:00.000+09:30

Sitting last night watching Midsommer Murders, dont ask me where these came from but I quietly sketched while watching young women being murdered!
Still cool and wet, but signs of spring are coming, mares are beginning to show signs of being closer to foaling, birds are fighting over nest sites and shoots on trees and shrubs are starting to swell.
A busy few days ahead so I may not have a lot of time for sketching.

Green Goddess Lillies

2011-08-06T14:48:00.001+09:30

I picked these from the garden the other day, I think I would like to find time to paint them properly but this was a quick initial sketch.
John and I have just come back from an early afternoon session at the local picture theater to see the best Aussie film in years, called Red Dog, it has a brilliant cast, stunning scenery of the North West of Australia and a story line that makes you weep and feel good and is so very Australian.
Although my dog Jake was black, he was a kelpie cross and the dog in the story reminded me so much of him, an independent rescue dog to the end.
I cant recommend it enough.
A wonderful way to spend a cold and damp afternoon.

Book pages

2011-08-03T15:29:00.000+09:30

I have been playing with various inks and a stamp I made for a small book.Not entirely sure what I am doing here but it has been fun just splashing stuff around.
We succesfully collected the boxer pup, and I forgot to take photos, well I forgot the camera.
A long day but a gorgeous pup, just hope my grandson knows how to look after him.
Still busy and getting a little tired but the house is ready for a few visitors thank goodness.
Spent ages in Victor this morning, had to fix up some money matters and get a few things.
It is amazing how long a few jobs take to do. First time I have been driving in for ages so I felt super good. I am not creeping around like a little old woman, I am walking tall and in a new pair of nice jeans, amazing how good one can feel. Just hope it keeps up!!

Sketching faces

2011-08-02T09:39:00.000+09:30

John was out at a meeting last night so I sat and sort of watched the final of the great Aussie Race, I was hoping the girls would win but the surf boys did, and sketching and doodling while I waited.
I was going to add some colour but it didnt happen.
We went to Adelaide yesterday and as well as hair cuts went to see the Waterhouse Prize's exhibition of natural History art at the Museum. I was really impressed this year at the standard of entries, and also a lot were sold. I dont think many have sold in previous years.
Any way it was a long day and I was a bit more tired than I want to be, but on the plus side the joints and muscles are getting back to where they should be. I just think I have to be not too impatient and pace myself.
I have to go to Adelaide again today to help collect a boxer pup from the airport which my grandson has bought, so another tiring day I am afraid.
I dont know when I will get the paints out but there is so much to be done around the house and I need to concentrate on that.

Playing with elephants

2011-07-31T16:49:00.000+09:30

The friend we stayed with in Northern Victoria comes from a circus family and one of his loves are the elephants. His house had lovely elephant things in it. The second sketch is of a clay baby elephant, it was gorgeous and my sketch doesnt really do it justice.
so from there I went to playing, not anatomically correct at all but a fun bit of play while I was recovering from a few over the top days.
I came home feeling wonderful I think one of the symptoms of the meds I am on says 'euphoric'! So I have walked, cleaned, tidied up and generally made myself a bit over tired today.
Now I am sitting sketching and having a bit of catch up sit down time.
John has been fishing, some nice fish for dinner tomorrow, tonights is pasta and is organised, but I think we are both pretty tired.
A beautiful couple of days, rain at night and then warm and sunny so the weeds will start if I am not careful. I am having a gentle wander down to the stables and pulling some grass and thistles as I go for the ponies. That should keep me a bit on top if I do it regularly, well until Spring finally hits and then I wont be able to keep up.

Hearts and flowers

2011-07-24T17:47:00.000+09:30

This is my thank you to all the kind thoughts and words that have been sent to me.
The aches are going but I think the change of meds maybe contributing to a general tiredness and fuzzines so I havent done a huge amount today but being me I cant do nothing, so these hearts and flowers were born as a sort of thank you to every one.
Bloggers are the best!

Mad birds

2011-07-22T14:45:00.000+09:30

I am still not doing a huge amount and now the new meds I am on make me sleepy!
I did manage to do a few birds, referring to Carla Sonheims Drawing Lab book, such a lovely book when you cant do much else.
I had a blood test this morning, in by 7.45 and it was -3degrees and the valley had frost almost up to the top of the hills.
It was COLD!
I am hoping this may shed more light on why I ache so, we are now thinking maybe polymyalga which at least if it is can be curable in the long term.
I really dont want to feel like this forever, I feel about 100!!
I will drop in to my blogs when I can and thank you to those who have sent lovely messages.

Eco dyeing equipment

2011-07-15T14:59:00.000+09:30

This is on our side verandah, I wish I had time to do some more but just at the moment all the stuff is waiting for me to get at it again.
My old gas bbq and not a copper pot but a brass one as well as an old aluminium pot, I need to find a copper one if I can, one with a handle I can use. I do have a kettle I suppose I could use that.
Very cold here, a frost this morning and I dont think again it has got much over 10 degrees C, a proper winter, but I am not coping with it as well as usual.
I will be a bit hit and miss with my blogging as I need to be motivated to sketch and I havent much to motivate me at the moment.
Dont want to moan so just wont be around as much as usual.

Home from Queensland

2011-07-13T13:58:00.001+09:30

I have been a bit slow at getting sketches done. I didnt feel terribly well while we were away, although we managed to get a lot done and fill our time pretty well. Sketching became something that was very hard to find time to do.
I did manage to do this huge terracotta pot with leaves and lilies in while having a coffee at the Ferry Road Markets, a great place for coffee and fresh vegetables.
We also went to Brisbane and saw the Torres Strait Exhibition in both the Museum and the Gallery of Modern Art, a fantastic visit and I really loved these masks, and figures, the hat was made of turtle shell and was wonderfully grotesque. I have the book but these were done in the museum with about a million screaming children as it was school holidays.
The book of the exhibition is a really good reference for this area, not cheap and heavy! but it is not easy to get good reference books except when museums or art galleries do this sort of thing.
We are now home, and it didnt get over 10degrees C all day yesterday, a bit better today or I am getting used to it, but we have had some drizzle.
I have managed, slowly, to get a few things tidied up, but find early mornings and night the worst, aching joints are no fun at all, there were times when I could barely walk but I feel a bit better now I am home. I decided the only way to bet back to a bit of normality was to do things slowly, exercise as much as I can but not over do it and rest, as bed is no good at least my chair is a bit more comfortable.
I am re reading Jean Auel's Earths Children series, as I need to be a bit more up to date with her new book out, so they are keeping me amused. Not that I have the new book, I am waiting for the paperback version!

From our hotel window in Brisbane

2011-07-08T15:47:00.000+09:30

Bit of a wonky photo, that is the trouble with having to take photos.
I havent really had a lot of time to do any sketching but yesterday we were up in Brisbane for the night to see Dr Zhivago, the musical and I had a few minutes in a comfortable chair. I have no idea what I was sketching but buildings are always satisfying to do.
We had a lovely visit to Brisbane, we took the city ferries both yesterday and today to explore the city from a different angle, and I didnt have to walk too much. We saw some evidence of the January, devastating floods, but although there is still a lot of cleaning up going on, mostly things looked almost normal, at least the area we saw.
The musical was great with some lovely voices and worked well, I wasnt sure how they would do it but it was done well.
We went to see various exhibitions at the Museum and Art Centres, but perhaps more of that tomorrow.
See photos on my other blog, see the side bar.

Croton leaves

2011-07-04T14:58:00.000+09:30

I have had these leaves in my sketchbook for ages waiting for me to find time to sketch them. finally!
I think I went a bit overboard with colour and water using inktense pencils and a water brush.
It is so hard to get the very odd combinations of colours that they have in their leaves.
I am not having a lot of time to sketch but there are plenty of photos in my other blog (on the side bar).
We are relaxing and being tourists, part of Saturday and Sunday was spent visiting friends in Toowoomba and we have been out for dinner a lot and generally socialising and catching up with things.
Our hostess has gone down with a nasty cold, just hope we dont get it, probably down a bit looking after us having just got home from a golf trip to South Africa.
I am happy just being in a different place and the reports from home are that it is wet and cold and miserable, here it is sunny and very pleasant.
Welcome to my new followers, I hope this blog isnt too boring!

Peacock

2011-06-30T15:30:00.000+09:30

Time for a little bit of play in my sketchbook. Pen and water soluble pencils.
Still relaxing, my turn to do most of the main course for 9 people tonight.
Hope I dont wreck it! Massive lump of beef cooked in the BBQ. and a warm roasted mixed veg salad.

From my sketchbook

2011-06-29T17:17:00.000+09:30

Just a couple of sketches done in the last day or so, we are here in Queensland, at the moment in Surfers Paradise, windy and a little cool and today showers, all conducive to relaxing (apart from the midge bites, for some reason I forgot about them and they have eaten me alive, I now have about 3 different anti itch creams, I hope one works, last night was not much fun.)
Blogging may be a bit hit and miss, more on my other blog as photos are easy, we will be here for a week or so, so far the house sitter is coping at home, so I hope it will continue to be easy for her.
Off to sit and enjoy a wine and nibbles. Cheers!

Could be my worst nightmare!

2011-06-17T15:30:00.000+09:30

I am aching in places I hoped I wouldnt after my physio yesterday, she did say I could get a bit sore as she had worked hard, well I am, so a rather jangly looking figure which is about how I feel.
It can only get better!

Mambray Creek lunch

2011-06-15T17:44:00.000+09:30

We had the most incredible food while we were doll making at Mambray Creek, all sorts of different soups, rolls, tea and coffee and for Grace's birthday on the last day a ymmy fantastic black forrest cake.
We were very spoilt.
My doll was mostly painted, she was a doll based on anmetal interior with some cloth and then covered with cotton lycra which was painted with gesso and other paints for a flesh colour. I painted my dolls eyes, the others had porcelane doll eyes set in but my face was so tiney she was painted all the way through.
Great fun, she is on my other blog on the side bar in yesterdays post.
I had the cortisone injection in my shoulder yesterday. I think a small amount of improvement, I hope so although the whole prognosis of the shoulder joint isnt terribly good. We will wait and see.
The physio tomorrow may be able to tell me more, as I cant see my GP until we get back from Queensland in the middle of next month.
It was interesting having your whole spine X rayed, even had to open my mouth!

Not up to standard

2011-06-08T16:17:00.000+09:30

Quick sketch of Coffin Bay done when it wasnt so wet and cold, while waiting for the fishermen to return. Lots of boats of all kinds.
We leave to morrow, early, I to Mambray Creek where I will spend the week end making a doll and John home to unpack by himself.
Sort of wish I was going with him.

Pelican

2011-06-07T15:02:00.000+09:30

I have got into the swing of painting daily at the moment, a bit late but finally. I couldnt crop this to my liking so you just have the sketchbook page.
They are huge birds, and this one was quite magnificent.
They can be rather intimidating if you are cleaning fish and several have gathered around and are clacking their beaks at you.
weather ok a bit of sun, some wind occasional drizzle. Actually lovely for a walk and then in by the fire.
Shame it is almost over.

View from the window

2011-06-06T15:26:00.003+09:30

Coffin Bay, along the oyster walk

2011-06-05T13:52:00.000+09:30

It is very windy today, not terribly nice outside and once more the oysters, which I love upset my tummy so I spent a lot of the night racing to the loo.
I seem to be ok now thank goodness.
So out with the paints, the trees are very low and scrubby, sitting almost bonsai like on top of the small limestone cliffs with plenty around so close to the sea that did not make it.
Huge sandhills in the National Park dominate around the further edges of this huge Bay.
Maybe I will get couple more done but at the moment I am enjoying walking and hand sewing.
I hope every one had a good week end.

Dandy Lion

2011-06-02T16:25:00.000+09:30

This little bit of silliness started life as a small sketch of a dandelion flowere in the garden here which then morphed into this withn a few silly strokes of my pen. I was going to colour him in but the fellows are back from a not terribly good days fishing and the computer is needed.
to see photos of what I have been doing go here.

More play

2011-05-30T14:45:00.000+09:30

We arrived in coffin Bay on Saturday morning, a very long trip, left atn 6 am and arrived about 4.30 pm.
Yesterday the fellows went fishing and M and I relaxed a bit. I drew these two silly images and coloured them in today. I have brought a few books with me and some sewing to do but after walking and doing a few house hold chores my neck starts to catch up with me, so I am trying not to do too much at least for the moment.
Fishing has been good and we had a wonderful meal last night of oysters, warm cooked crab and baked apples. we certainly eat better here than at home!
Off for a walk.

Layers

2011-05-26T13:31:00.000+09:30

Another bit of fun, layers of oil pastels, watercolour paint, a stencil and moonglow spray, amazing how much depth you can get with such a fun concept.
I think in my old age I am loosening up and trying not to worry too much about being 'correct'!
I am in the final stages of trying to remember what I have to pack, I have made two lots of biscuits to take with us and tomorrow I have to make more bread and an egg and bacon pie. As well as shopping and packing so we can be off by about 6 am on Saturday morning.
We have about an 8 hour drive ahead of us then so I may not be posting for a few days.

More fun with faces

2011-05-25T16:08:00.000+09:30

I drew this one ages ago, cant remember if I blogged it but last night I sat and coloured it in.
Today I saw the GP yes I have a rotator cuff problem, he recommends a cortisone injection but I cant get to have my x ray and ultra sound until I get home in over 2 weeks, what a bummer. I just hope I can keep it under control and the affects of a physio and a doctor yanking it around will wear off soon.
The joys of getting old.
I have managed to make some biscuits to take away, more to be done tomorrow, still cold and a few showers around but not as many as yesterday.
Trying not to aggravate this wretched think.
I am loving doing these mad girls with lots of bright colours,.

Having fun on a wet day

2011-05-24T11:11:00.000+09:30

I draw lots of faces but I think on Traci Bausista's blog she had a small article on journalling using faces, and I sat in my work room looking at rain and wind and getting a bit cold and drew this, then used inktense pencils, some water and then some oil pastels on top, a lot of fun. I may do this more often.
My shoulder is not much better, or is it the neck? I am not sure, it has been so cold and wet it has been hard to even get outside so I have been good and done a lot of inside jobs, like ironing and cleaning (yuk!)
I am slowly getting together a mountain of 'stuff' to take away with me, what fun but will I use any of it? I will cull as the time to go gets closer.
The house sitter is organised and the cat booked in to the cattery, Coffin Bay here we come, well on Saturday.
I have to cook for those who go fishing but that will be later in the week.
I hope the weather improves or they wont have much fun when we get there, M and I will be fine, we have a fire and a warm house and can duck out for walks between showers if necessary.

Wanderer Butterfly

2011-05-19T15:18:00.000+09:30

The pinched nerve in my neck does not make being at the computer comfortable.
I took this fellows photo over the week end and translated it into pen and pencil, unfortunately the printer/computer has made the orange colour far too red.

Doodling

2011-05-17T16:52:00.000+09:30

I have been to the physio who has done things to my neck, he has suggested x rays as he thinks I have a pinched nerve, great!
I have managed to see my GP next week but after being gone over rather thoroughly I felt like a washed out dishrag this afternoon so went to the sun room with the cat and drew this and then read a bit and had a small sleep.
Is this the way my brain is feeling? Circles of the mind.
Do I feel better? Not really as I hate sleeping during the day but probably a slow day was what I needed, and for the next few days! No I havent time, too much organising to do, we are off to Coffin Bay on Saturday week and I have to organise house sitters, the cat, various food for us to take, it will be upon me and I wont be ready.

A bit of silliness

2011-05-14T16:06:00.000+09:30

I have some new acrylic inks and was playing with them to see what they would do, they are a lot of fun and this was born. Just another journal page, I wonder when I will ever tire of playing, never I hope.
I quite like these little triangle people, standing around in a paddock wondering what to do.
Cold and damp and wintry here today, hard to settle so I must get some things to do under way, the winter aches dont help, I have pulled out some knitting, and have made up one of the little houses that there is a pattern for in the latest Cloth Paper and Scissors, must take its photo but I want to do at least one more before I do.
Our walk this morning was spectacular, go to my other blog to see.
Off to feed the dogs and make a lasanga for dinner.

Having a bit of fun

2011-05-07T19:00:00.000+09:30

the basic idea for this came from a painting I own and very naughty of my I cant find who painted it without taking it off the wall and its too high and large for me to do that.
Any way this is not really what that painting looks like but I sat and watched the news and played with shapes and colour. It is only in a cheap sketchbook and is watercolour so the page has buckled a bit and the water pen kept running out of oomph as I had the page at an angle.
A day of highs and lows, John off all day and I couldnt settle to do anything in particular. I hate that when I have no direction.
Any way he came home and we had a lovely walk along the cliffs near Petrel Cove where they have done a mighty job of laying down a new and much safer path, wonderful for those whose knees dont like them and whose sight is impared.
A very high tide and lots of photos taken so I may do some proper painting in the next few days.

Give away winners

2011-05-06T19:57:00.001+09:30

I have put the winners of my give away on my other blog but will list them here as well, Bec Clarke and Sabina of Colourfly could you please send me your details.

Sponge and shells

2011-05-05T15:11:00.000+09:30

Collected when we walked over the week end, I finally had time for a quick sketch and a pen and wash today.
I dont seem to be able to settle to anything, lots of 'stuff' and nothing much really grabbing me.
I think the change in the weather hasnt helped, it is cold and damp and where I usually have a warm light house at the moment it is cold and dark.
we need to cut back the vine over the windows but I doubt if that will get done this week end either.
John complains about me not being home, all this week he has blown in for dinner and to sleep and then has been off again, and there is something he has to go to on Saturday.
I hope I will have him to myself on Sunday, it is mothers day! Not that I will see much of the children.
Dont for get to make a comment if you want to be in my give away, it is drawn tomorrow.

Cemetary

2011-05-03T16:33:00.000+09:30

Last night one of the weather reporters on tv was broadcasting from the Adelaide cemetary and I did a quick sketch while she was talking and then a bit more more or less from memory. It is a bit wonky but was a fun five minute exercise.
Cold and damp, nothing much happening at the moment just general household chores. John has lots of meetings this week so I am trying to keep a low profile and get on with boring jobs, and a bit of play, I am eco dying, if you want to see what go to my other blog (see the side bar).
If you havent already please leave a comment for my giveaway which ends on Friday.

Give away

2011-04-28T17:00:00.000+09:30

I will draw this on Friday evening the 6th of May, Australian time.
Leave a comment to say you are interested, pass it on if you care to.
I may add to it depending on the response. I could even turn it into 3 different winners. Not sure until I see how many respond.
There are several old doilies, a small doll, a small house, a bag, a cuff and a beaded button.

On the way to Ballarat

2011-04-28T16:49:00.000+09:30

I took a photo from the car and translated it into this painting.
Not terribly good and the windmills dont seem to be showing up very well.
I seem to have been painting this for days, I started it at the begining of the week end and have only just finished it, I think, not too sure of the bit where the house and sheds are.
I spent a lot of today cutting back garlic chives, poo horrible smelly things and I think I was a bit late as a lot of the seeds have gone.
I also put away the outside chairs and put the cushions in one shed and the chairs in another and brought the glass table undercover. i think we have seen the last of the warm sunny days, I hope so as I am back watering in the garden.
I am still washing but I have tidied up some of the work room so feel I can now start to play a bit.
Watch my other blog (on the side bar) as I am going to have a give away.

Adelaide today

2011-04-27T15:13:00.001+09:30

We had a quick and tiring trip to Adelaide today, tiring because I think I am still getting over the past few weeks.
While John had his hair cut, I had had mine and we both go to the same hairdresser, I sketched the view across the road.
Not quite accurate as the symbol and 72a were what I sketched first,a nd then I rather liked the old fashioned wooden door of the dress that makes very fashionalble wedding dresses next door, and the vine is what twines around the outside of the hairdressers.
A nice way to while away 20 minutes.
I bought some acrylic inks too today, I had ordered some on line but then went to my nice little art shop near by and they had just got some in so I have to try them, has any one else? I have just bought a new book on painting papers by Alisa Golden and they look really interesting, especially as I can also use them on fabric.

Young love

2011-04-26T19:58:00.000+09:30

Too tired to sew, too tired to think much so picked up my sketchbook and this is what appeared, not sure what I was trying to do around his pants but I cant fix it.
Have to look as if at least I do occasionally put stuff up on this blog and not the other.
I am trying to finish a painting but I am supposed to be going to Adelaide tomorrow so it may be a few days before I get back to it.
Beautiful weather, lots of entertaining but now it is all catching up with me.
5 day long week ends are a bit much.

Autumn in Ballarat

2011-04-21T16:52:00.000+09:30

This year the trees are turning the most incredible colours, after years of drought when the leaves have fallen before colouring now they are absolutely spectacular.
I did a quick sketch of the trees on the far side of the oval at the school we were staying in.
Had a wonderful few days, the class with Cas Holmes from the UK was interesting with many new ideas now buzzing around in my head.
I hope to get some paintings done in the next few days, although as it is Easter perhaps it wont happen until later.
I am terribly tired and have washed and tidied and tried to get everything unpacked, although not put away completely and my work room needs another good clean so I can find stuff.
Lots of friends met and made, lots to think about as well.
Only draw back is the time it takes to get there, at least 8 1/2 hours over due to slow traffic and road works, thank goodness not as bad coming home but after 6 days of workshops and not sleeping well it takes time to get over things.

Journal pages

2011-04-04T14:35:00.002+09:30

Nothing terribly exciting, I have been organising to go away for some workshops for a few days so trying to get house work etc done and I just keep getting tired and sit doing scribbles, the Sketchbook challenge this month is branching out and so that is my first one, I may have more of a think about this but this was the first thing I could think of.
The other is one of our little hooded plover that wizz along the beaches on very fast little feet. They are supposed to be endangered, but I see several pairs on the beaches I walk and I dont think you usually ever see more than a pair or family group for quite a long way as they are quite territorial and defend their patch.
Back to finish the ironing, at least the basket is now only about a quater full.

Wet in wet

2011-04-01T17:44:00.002+10:30

Trying wet in wet, well some of it the vase was and the flowers were not. I felt I had to put some sort of paint onto paper, having totally b....d my self making more room in my pink work room which meant trying to put a mattress and bed on end on a bit of the wall so I could move my table back to the window and I didnt sweep everything off the other bed with my backside.
Not put all back together but it looks so much better and I can move around.
I did have to wait for John to come and help as the mattress kept trying to fall on my head.
Now for something productive to come out of it all.

Trees

2011-03-30T17:49:00.002+10:30

Not a brilliant painting, I was trying to do some wet in wet and using the odd colours I am seeing in my garden as a background for one of the dead trees I saw today on my walk, result of the drought which is now thankfully over.
I have been having a brilliant week doing the eco dyeing with India Flint but I have also been having terrible trouble working out how to post photos as there seems to be a problem between blogger and picasa, but after having this new computer for a couple of months I have now worked out where my photos are and how to access them through my pictures and firefox. Whew!
This post is really to work out where they all are and now I have succeeded in doing a scan, fiddling with it in picasa and exporting it to my pictures I feel a bit happier.
Off to make a salad to go with the fish we are having that John caught the other day.

Almost painting

2011-03-28T15:49:00.001+10:30

I had a dyeing workshop with India Flint yesterday, see my other blog on the side bar. It was almost like painting, the silk took the colours of the eucalyptus leaves beautifully, a wonderful day.