Lunch today

Sorry about the rather tipsy wine glasses! After hair cuts in Adelaide, and a visit to my mother we headed south to McLaren Vale and lunch, rather a long and slow one but very pleasant. A glass of wine each, oysters for John and a goats cheese souffle for me and a cup of coffee before heading home. This was what was left on Johns plate, a very qick sketch before we ordered the coffee.
Still damp and cool very pleasant.

Japan sketches

This was in the back streets of Kyoto in front of a tiny little cafe, I thought it was a deer scarer but actually it just recycled the water all the time and what I thought was all rock looks more like weathered concrete. Oh well the ferns were nice and the bamboo fencing gave a nice touch. I think we had tea there after walking down the Poets path. A magical morning.
Back to black and white, I dont know why I have this feeling that I must put something up, all those walking and postings for a year I suppose.
Trying to find the time to paint has not been easy and will probably be harder from now until Christmas.
At least Tabby's partner is now down from the territory so we are all a bit more relaxed about when the baby will be born, the 6th if not before and if it is before it is an emergency so better to wait for the 6th.
Another foal born this morning, I think it is another colt, rather nice but a filly would have been better, she is my Nattai mare and tends to cart her foals off for several days so you cant get near them.

Something bright

I havent felt much like painting lately, although I have been painting 3 d figures with acrylics but this is a watercolour and as I have rather a thing about paisley patterns, and something that looks a bit like a tile this is what I did. I was also trying to use only the three colours that are in my small paint tin, and see how good my aged and shaky hands were at doing some slightly finer stuff (not too good!!).
then blogger wouldnt let me load them until now.
Yesterday we went to the Waterhouse Club picnic, a fund raiser for our Adelaide Museum, which was fun but tiring. the guest speaker was the bat man from the museum and he gave us a great and slightly unusual talk, see my other blog!
wet squally and cold.

Japanese bonsai

I have been in Adelaide for my mothers 95th birthday ( see my other blog in the links) and have not had a lot of time to sketch but I did this one.
Raining here after high winds and heat but more rain is forecast. Yipee!
I am also checking constantly on my youngest daughter who is expecting her baby as she is on her own on their small property this week end. With the babies head engaged I may be worrying unduly but cant help it. I will be so glad (and so will she be) when her partner returns on Monday or possibly Tuesday, so long as he doesnt get rained in in the Territory.

Remembering Japan

It is a few years now since we were in Japan but I have been meaning to do some sketches from photos of the things I remember and photos I took. I am also thinking quite seriously of turning some of this into some sort of textile so there will be a few more of these. I really loved the Japan we were in and would love to go back, at least it is old people friendly!
It has been cold with a dampness in the air today and John has rushed out and ordered some millet seed to plant, we have had 13 mm and there is some more rain forecast so anything that cows will eat will be a good thing.
I emailed Patti Culea's husband John in San Diego yesterday to find out how they were fairing in the fires, he tells me she is coming home from Europe, today I think, and he has spent 2 nights in his office as they are on the edge of the evacuation area, so with any luck they will be ok. The fires looked awful, obviously a lot of new housing has gone up since I was there.

Roses by the front of the house

This is rosy cushion or some such name, I know the rendition is pretty scrappy but to be quite honest I dont feel much like painting as I am trying to do a lot of fibre stuff, getting ready for Christmas.
I also ache in every joint so I suppose there is a nasty low in the atmosphere annoying me, the rain was lovely but the after affects on me are not.

Painted and embossed washers

Well I know this isnt exactly with my boots and sketchbook but I did paint them and then emboss them so it sort of comes under the category.
I am not quite sure what I am going to do with them, possibly add to jewelery or small quilts or some thing but they were fun to make.
We had 13 mm overnight and yesterday and still damp and overcast and cool today. Not good for those harvesting or doing hay but in a year like this you do not say bad things about any rain.