tsk tsk

Lazy French toast mornings

I'm loving  grey skies;

Freshly picked gifts of organic citrus.

Small moments of artistic pleasures.

Woolen socks.

Mohair blankets.

Popcorn afternoons.

Good books arriving in the mail.

Smells of freshly baked bread.

Lazy French toast mornings.

patterns

Whilst watching bad TV last night, I sat and sketched on the computer. I often do, just using the mouse as my pencil. Mostly I enjoy making patterns. I often start with one element and usually in one colour. This shape came from looking at so many cacti forms from a new book I bought the other day called Desert Plants at the Huntington Botanical Gardens.

I then manipulate the graphic and play with line and repetition, colour, positive and negative space over and over again, until I get an image I am happy with. My two favourites are these.

So I used some of these patterns to create two new free wallpapers for your computer's desktop. 'Hiding in cactus' in a silhouette. I think the black is great on a monitor. But to celebrate the lovely summery days, 'Cactus Fanfare' is a little more bright. Click on the left for the links.

I hope they look better on your monitor then mine. Sadly whilst away, my monitor cracked internally and I now have a strange looking rip on the right side of the screen. It is getting worse, so it looks like I'll be getting a new monitor soon...and probably a new computer too! I'm so annoyed because I have a really good macbook pro that isn't very old, and works just fine.

But on a lighter note...

Announcing  the winner of my 'Russian Doll" giveaway...........

The winner is, Christine who has a lovely blog I am pleased to discover. Thank you to all those who left a comment.

i'm booorreed

The sun rises early here. Very early. So do the kids. I should by now have new window blinds in their rooms, but the company I ordered them from decided to go into liquidation!!!! So the sun, creeps in through the horizontal blinds and wakes them usually around 5 or 5.30am

the sun lights the decorations on the tree nicely, but the days are so horribly long. The kids are BOOORRRRED by the time breakfast is finished. And did I mention it was hot! My hands are sweating as I write.

I try to do an hour or so of work before breakfast, but I for the rest of the day I need to be Chief Entertainer. 

Here Mr A is reading Where The Wild Things Are to Miss M, so I decided to take  my own wild things to see the movie today. It was great. Both the kids clung to me during the scary parts and cried quite openly during the sad parts. I love the way movies bring out your emotions. The movie also deals with a lot of anger management issues....trying to explain why Douglas gets his arm torn off to a 5 and 7 year old is a little tricky. And letting them know that mummy won't be happy if she finds any walls with holes in them.

Alas, there are children who need entertaining, I best go...

it's a long weekend for me

I found some time. time to look at some websites. time to look and be inspired.

who knows I might even get to a gallery this weekend.

I found this magical piece of work by Jan Eleni. It is a little difficult to see the details, but it is a collage of a child's work all as one image. Cute!

Saves keeping all those artworks I have shoved in wardrobes and in the corners of my garage by the kids.

And this book about Frida Kahlo looks really interesting, for the controversial aspect alone.

But mostly I'm inspired this week by Julie Paterson's work (via  sheffer gallery) and hopefully will be finding myself painting.

The kids are at granny and pa's and Mr N is working at some political conference!

yep, the kitchen table will be mine ALL MINE!!!

achoo

nature is strange.

Yesterday most of NSW and Southern QLD were engulfed in a blanket of filthy, iridescent, copper coloured dust. The skies were amazingly eerie but strangely beautiful.

The beauty changed quickly into frustration for me as this dust storm left its filth all through my house and my sinuses. I only left two windows partially open. But that was enough for everything to be covered in a film of white. These two pictures were taken about  1.30pm. We usually have a view a a mountain.

So, I guess I'll be cleaning today. In between entertaining the kids and trying to pour through some of my books I bought in Sydney. I'm taking the munchkins to see a Tashi show this morning. Mr A loves reading these books so I decided it was a better option to see a stage show these school holidays rather than a movie.

Wish me luck in the mosh pit!

girl's weekend in sydney

I just got back from Sydney. A friend and I have been wanting to escape for such a long time and we thought Sydney was a great place as both of us know Melbourne well and being an hour closer by plane, we'd get more shopping time in. Our one night away turned into two nights, and all we did was shop, eat and drink.

In short my shopping highlights were dropping in on Samantha Robinson's studio to see her beautiful ceramic works, the Kinokuniya bookstore where we spent close to 2 hours! I didn't even get near to the children's section. This store makes Borders look like a mobile library on the back of a truck! The other great bookstore was Ariel in Paddington, I had to leave quickly before buying too many wonderful things. And then there was Cloth and Ici et la...oh I could go on but then there is food.....

We went to some fab restaurants, including Longrain and Zushi, Bill's for breaky. OK so I'm eating thin this week.

It was just 2 days of jam packed, girly fun. Both of us have returned to sick kids (still) and husbands and me to school holidays.

But the weekend will be one to remember for a long time!

this week

lots of school related time this week for me, but when I can I'm trying to sew the top of my scrap quilt together, and eat this rhubarb and apple crumble.  I don't often bake, but I swear this is so good. Infact i've never cooked with rhubarb before. I followed Maggie Beer's recipe from her book, which is a little different to what I found on the web. They left out the cooking in orange juice steps on the internet. I added apple and a dribble of triple sec to mine, because i had them.

Apart from that, I'm working on some new card designs, finishing off some commissioned works and reading this hilariously funny book to the kids. Traction Man is Here by Mini Grey. if you have boys or adventurous girls, they will love it. Thanks sis!

curiouser and curiouser

Miss M went to a birthday party yesterday and she wanted a ribbon in her hair. After carefully explaining to me how it was to sit on her head, I said "Oh you want it just like Alice." "NO" she said "Just like Sophie wears it at school sometimes".

So then I started telling her all about Alice in Wonderland and I even pulled out my books to show her some pictures. One of these books called, The Art of Alice by Stephanie Lovett Stoffel shows so many variations of Alice and all the other characters from the book.

This got me thinking about my own interpretation of Alice. Does she have long hair? Short hair? Blond hair? Curly hair? I bet most of you would say she has long, straight, blond, hair and wears a blue dress and white apron. Is that just Disney's vision or is it written?
I started reading to the kids last night, but we are still stuck in the rabbit hole and I can't remember if she is described in the book or not. What do you think she looks like?

I started sketching her last night whilst watching the TV. I really need to do this more often. Sketch that is. I don't watch much TV at all. Perhaps something will come of these. Prints maybe?

Should I modernise her a little? Which face do you like?

The house is mine, ALL MINE!

The first couple of days after the kids go back to school are just the best. The house is mine, ALL MINE!

The only noises are that of the cars, the birds, neighbourhood dogs barking, and the little tippy tappy sounds of Kransky walking across the floor boards to find a new resting place.
I have some reading to catch up on and plenty of artwork to complete.

good friends and no time

I have several blank panels in my house.
They were made by my friend's very talented father.

My intentions are to paint onto them, but I can't seem to get started. The usual issues of time are stopping me, but also I feel very nervous about starting anything because they are just so lovely as is. Maybe I could hang them just as they are.

Last month I celebrated a birthday and received some lovely presents from my friends. Two books that I can't wait to start are The Artist's Lunch by Alice McCormick and Sarah Rhodes and Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts. Lacy Crochet.

And as the air is cooling I am feeling a stronger need to crochet and quilt again. I better hurry as the cooler months come and go too quickly here.