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.