The Magic Snake

This snake did not spend much time on my wall before my brother took him home for my nephew bedroom. I can feel a childrens' story coming on. Stay tuned...

I have reached a point in my creativity where I want to change direction, develop a new painting style, still using lots of colour, but different somehow. It's hard to explain what I mean exactly, its simply an urge that I have to evolve a little further and try something new. So I have had a break from painting and will follow my instincts, going back to basics - sketching, drawing, laying down ideas in a journal, making a map to follow, so to speak. I'll let you know how I go.

I had a lovely day Op Shopping yesterday - purchased a green 'as new' windcheater with hood ($7.00), a pretty bowl that I took a liking to ($0.50c!) and a summer top in the most beautiful deep turquoise (my colour) with a little embroidery at the front ($6.00), can't wait for summer to come so I can wear it. I just love the concept of donating money to charity to receive recycled clothing and 'stuff' - everybody wins!

Poetry Thursday

This photo of both my children is an old favourite of mine, taken some years ago.

My Children

Light in their eyes, matching smiles,

laughter in their eyes, matching wiles.

Heads together, different sizes,

so alike, no surprises.

Wrapped around their little fingers,

tough love is hard to do.

Ink and watercolour - "shells and seedpods"

I found these prompts in the Sunday paper. They are so much fun, I think I'm addicted to them! You might like to try them too.

?

• I am obsessed with - making art.
• I can't live without - my family, without question.
• I am petrified of - negativity.
• I am proud of - my strength in adversity.
• I really need to - cut down my food portions - I love my food!
• I don't get why - if the small print is so important, why isn't it bigger?
• I think alternative medicine is - a good thing to try, but always along with traditional medicine.
• I relax by - doing Yoga/Gardening/Reading/Creating Art
• my worst vice is - I haven't done this for ages cos I'm trying to give it up - vegemite (yeast extract) on toast with lots of butter.
• my fridge usually contains - vegetables, cheese, olives, mineral water and mysterious items in jars at the back.
• my teenage years were - lots of fun - days at the beach, movies at the drive-in, watching football, playing netball, dancing the night away.
• my family is - the most important thing in the world.
• my favourite thing is - breakfast on our deck reading the sunday papers with a good cup of coffee.
• friends don't understand why - I don't seem to listen and retain info I've been told. Just absent-minded I guess.
• attitude to exercise is - very good. I like to mix yoga with walking and gardening. It should always be relaxing.
• my relationship with my body is - one of acceptance and gratitude.

Coffee Karma

This design was made originally for a mosaic that I created a while back and is an age-old design that I have always liked. It symbolises the astrological sign of Pisces and also reminds me a little of the Yin/Yang symbol and that fish are powerful good luck energy in Feng Shui. I think they look luminous and mysterious.

I have been reading a post by Bohemian Mom who is making many healthy changes in her life, one of which is to try and eliminate coffee, which she LOVES to drink. I really admire her for this but I was not so sure that coffee was actually a bad guy, if drunk in moderation. So I hunted down a couple of recent Australian articles (both respected sources) about the benefits of coffee and it seems that I was right, coffee is not all bad.


I managed to cut down my coffee intake quite a few years ago, as I found that it can make me jittery and will keep me awake at night if I have more than one cup. Now I have just one LOVELY cup each morning. Because it is my only cup, I make it quite a ritual and buy the best quality I can (more anti oxidants in the good stuff - this is true for chocolate too - have I told you about the benefits of eating chocolate? :):).


I find a sunny or cosy spot to drink it, and of course better still, share a cup with someone. I know all you coffee drinkers out there are nodding your heads in agreement. I know I can't pass up this kind of pleasure, could you?

"I'd Like To Be, Under the Sea.................."

Another friendly creature from under the sea.

I am currently working on another Bush Series painting - a moonlight grevillea, lots of green and yellow this time.

My son is on school holidays at the moment, so the house is full of kids again. I'm painting every chance I get and I'm back into Yoga, (I can't keep away!) it is essential after sitting still and focussed for a couple of hours. The garden is having its winter rest, which means I get a rest from garden chores too.

I am listening to birthday CD's - Missy Higgins latest (popular Australian talent) , Coastal Chill 07 - a compilation of laidback Australian musical talent and a Melanie album with her songs from the sixties Woodstock era. She is an acquired taste for some, but I love the raw and unusual sound of her voice, and of course I'm big on the sixties era, as you know.

Now, I am headed for the kitchen to make some meatballs and tomato sugo for dinner. They were debating on a radio show this morning about whether it was "authentically Italian" to add garlic to the tomato sugo. Me, I just love garlic, so it's going in! Ciao!