Wednesday 31 August 2011

A Herd of Elephants

A herd of elephants!  I began collecting these quite by accident and now have quite a few of them.  It's funny how collections grow and grow.... what you focus on becomes larger!

I'm enjoying going to the gym these days and meeting up with other ladies also getting sweaty wishing to develop some fitness, as well as walking Jess the border collie.  I'm feeling like a million dollars as a result!  Busy with work, household things and school things, all of them jostling with each other....my son received an award for excellence in music... the ceremony was today and he played a guitar piece called 'Ocean' by John Butler.  It was an awesome performance and always makes me cry!


As a consequence of being busy my art journaling has been sparse and a little rough and ready.  The urge to create ebbs and flows.....



Thursday 25 August 2011

Spring at the Villa


These are the flowers showing themselves off in my sunny garden today.  This red one is a grevillea - native to Australia.


Not sure what this pretty yellow one is - another native Australian plant....


A pink diosma, very pretty at this time of year.  The feathery leaves smell beautiful when crushed...



Jasmine hanging over our back fence, filling the air with a heady perfume.... Max cut it back, but it is a very determined plant!



And brightening the shadows, a snowball plant...

Thursday 18 August 2011

Paper Dreams

I love decorating paper and find it very meditative.  I have lots of ideas for more and I am thinking now about the quality of the paper I choose to decorate.  I know many people make their own, but don't know if I'm ready for that yet.  Though I dream of fragile rice-papers and rough & rustic papers, lots of deep colour. 

However right now,  I just like making the designs.  Stamps.  How do you make them?  I need to get to work in my studio but won't be back in it until Sunday.  Hold those thoughts!


Tuesday 16 August 2011

Pieces of Me


My dining room table - I light candles every single night, I just love them!  The winter berries in the vase are picked from a nandina plant growing in my garden.  This vignette changes with the seasons.....


This plant is so elegant, with sparse leaves that always float beautifully in the air with little support.


This is a New Guinea artefact my family inherited from my mother depicting a woman (meri).  Set against one of my paintings it looks at home I think.  The triptych painting was supposed to be a buddha, but ended up being some sad and soulful looking character!





This cat is a woooden sculpture bought at a local craft fair.  Whimsey at it's best!  A beautiful teacup given to me by my daughter sits in the dresser cupboard.




Plants, I love them so much and would have more if I was a little more crazy!  This is a tiny philodendron.  It will grow huge and climb up any support I give it.... one of life's metaphors I think!

Sunday 14 August 2011

Where are the Lorikeets?

While Phoebe the black cat is sleeping, the lorikeets come to play.................



They love these native Australian spring flowering plants.....................




Can you spot them all?.............................





Saturday 13 August 2011

Another Week


This journal page was half an old painting of a fish and half a flower cut out of a magazine and embellished.  I've been spending lots of time in the garden and made another trip to the nursery to get some large saucers to put under the pots I bought last weekend.  While I was there I picked up a couple of gardenias for my sunroom....looking forward to the scent they produce, I just love them!  Ahh... Spring!!

Life is happy and I am setting off for the gym for the first time in my life next week for a trial period.  I'll let you know how it works out!  If it doesn't, I'll be back to yoga and walking the dog!  I hope your weekend is a good one too!




Saturday 6 August 2011

Brunfelsia Undulata


Today, a sunny and warm Saturday, I went to the plant nursery to buy some pots and plants for the front verandah of the villa. It was lovely being amongst all the plants, smelling all the flowers.  And there were so many pots, large and small to choose from, in so many beautiful colours with shiny glazes.

However, to tone in with the brickwork I chose four soft, smoky terracotta pots and then after wandering around the nursery for a while longer, picked out brunfelsia undulata with its exotic looking, creamy coloured, fragrant flowers and glossy leaves.  The pots actually match my garden buddha that you can see reflected in the window glass.  They look great and I'm very happy with my choice!