Walking Away The Blues

Plenty of rain has been falling around here lately and it eased my heart to see some blue sky. I have been feeling unwell for a while now, sick in my very soul and needed some perspective today. I just needed to get out of this house. So I bought myself a backpack this morning, loaded it up with water, my journal and a camera and went walking along the water-logged and muddy waterfront.




I don't have very good sea legs actually, but this little boat appealed to me. I dreamed of puttering off into the distance..... If you look closely, you will see two ducks preening themselves on the deck.



This big old tree - a fig i think - is such a lovely shape with strong, gnarled branches for easy climbing.


I collect little cottages and this one looks out across the bay over green, green grass. Small but perfect in every way. I think the grass really is greener over there!

Then I came home to find Phoebe prowling around my art table, looking for who knows what? I think we have a ghost in residence as she has been more than a little silly lately and strange things have been happening. Cats do know a thing or two.

Feeling a little better now.

Two Winners

Giveaway winners are Martie and since I had a second set of giftcards I drew a second name - Kelly.

Congrats to you both!

A Dream I Once Had... Or ....a Fish Tale.

Somehow, a fish became trapped inside her heart. There the fish lived, for the longest time, flapping its scaly fins lethargically, sucking the warmth from her sides.

Then a longed for day came, when the icy cold melted and she opened up her heart. All the warmth & passion, all the energy, joy & life that resided there flowed out. Tendrils of steam rose up from the surface of the water.

The fish swam with the current, swishing from side to side leaving bubbles in its wake, not stopping to see the world pass by. Nothing could stop it from reaching the dreamed-for goal.

Soon the river of passion swelled into a calm, purple lake, deep with possibility. The fish grew large in its new surroundings and shared its journey eagerly with others, who gathered around with interest.

Love bubbled around the edges of the lake, that soon grew lush with brightly coloured flowers and emerald green ferns. White feathered birds circled lazily overhead and butterflies danced on delicate petals. Ladybeetles travelled busily up and down green stems, fluttering their tiny wings.

Now at last, the shivering fish released from her heart, a space was left where peace could grow and nourish her soul. Now she could rest, for a small while. She was so tired....

Important Thank You's and a Giveaway

Firstly I have to say thanks to a couple of people.

To Kelly - from Kikipotomus The Hobo for this award;

and Olivia from Happyluau for this one;

It really is the mutual admiration society here in blogland, so thank you both very much!

The giftcards above are a set of seven I had printed with my designs on them. It has been kind of an experiment and I thought it would be nice to offer them as a giveaway. Please leave a comment if you think you would like the chance to win the set.

Good luck!

An Intriguing Notion

self-portrait with a bad cold

Have you noticed all the bloggers wrecking their journals out there? Drop in at The Next Chapter if this notion intrigues you.

It is hard to imagine being deliberately destructive towards a brand new journal, however I have been known to treat mine with disrespect on occasion. After all it IS my journal and if I choose to burn a page, dog-ear a page or use it to rest my coffee cup on, I will!

It is a truthful expression of me on any given day, good or bad, happy or sad, constructive or destructive. It is where my best ideas emerge and grow and where any negativity can be expressed, in a loving, safe atmosphere. My self-directed art therapy. I save perfect for the artwork I share with the world. My journal is an extension of me, and like Linus' blanket, it doesn't like to miss out on any action.

I am not joining in on this project, though I will keep watching with interest. The author Keri Smith can be found here at Wishjar.

Five Things

Absorbing ~ The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr Norman Doidge and Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You by Marcus Chown - plenty to get my head around, it's fascinating stuff and I love it!

Standing On My Head ~ I'm back on the yoga mat after a six month break - I know, I know! I have been craving balance and the core of physical & mental strength that yoga gives you.

Listening ~ to my i-tunes playlist on shuffle ... now playing...

Creating ~ A triptych, that has to be honest, stalled, while I concentrate on fighting off a miserable winter cold.

Browsing ~ I've not been posting much, but I have been reading plenty ... take a look here, here and here

Lunch at the Bay

The days have been grey and rainy here and my four walls have been closing in on me. I'm in the middle of a painting, another triptych. It has a long way to go and I am tossing around ideas of colourful detail that I would like to add. One step at a time though, you can't rush these things.


To help clear my head I visited this little bay area and found a blue boat, a little turqouise cottage with an inviting adirondack chair on the veranda and a vibrant pink bougainvillea - a flower I claim as my signature bloom - If you leave it alone to grow and pay it little attention, it will produce bright, showy flowers and smooth stems. When you prune it hard, it doesn't flower much at all and develops nasty big thorns.


I had to stop for lunch - a savory tart with salad & coffee at a very cosy cafe. I walked along the waterfront looking at all the holiday cottages, thinking how lucky I am to live in this beautiful area.