Sunday snaps, and play time

It is so nice to be home after our trip away.  I still have some pics to sort out and upload to share... but I got busy ( already) on other projects so they will be forthcoming shortly :-)

Play time this morning... with a very quiet and empty house, Charlie (the cat) and myself had a play with an ipad app and created this vignette of the re-modeled studio - which I spent all yesterday afternoon working on.   As a continued work in progress I am increasingly happy with the layout, and function of this space... some further touches required!

I received a great bunch of native Australian flowers as a gift... I love the banksia's, and foilage, as when they dry they retain their form, and colours, and are great inspiration to sketch from.  Unfortunately I have no idea what type of plant this is - although I suspect it is a species of Banksia, but I cannot be sure...

This one I did this morning,  being shared for Sunday Sketches...

(Ink tense pencil, water colour, and some pencil touches).

Beautiful weather here today, blue skies, lightest soft breeze, and warm sun... cool enough for a cardi, and  appreciate a hot mocha... without being freezing!  Just love Brisbane's fine warm winter days!

How did you spend your Sunday?

Monet in Melbourne

Off to Melbourne again! 

 This time with My Dear Man.  What could be better... 3 nights in sunny Melbourne (well at this stage it is warmer there than Brisbane in some bizarre twist! ).  The usual dilemma is - what to pack!  So for Sunday Sketches today I sketched my wardrobe for four days in wintery melbourne that were suitable for art gallery cruising, cafe lounging ( Brunetti's here we come!), and tram hopping!!

More posts to follow ... hopefully with the mobile technology!  Sharing with Sunday Sketching

(My last years Melbourne holiday links posts are here...

Day 1 Marvelous Melbourne Mother Daughter Holiday 2012
Day 2 Arcades and alleys
Day 3 Things overheard
Day 4 The Zoo and pairs!
Day 5 Greek Speaking dogs, illness & Movies
Day 6 Trams and starbucks
Day 7 Markets, owls and home!

Xo L. 

A violet on the meaodow grew...

Winds wanders, and dews drip earthward; Rains fall, suns rise and set; Earth whirls, and all but to prosper A poor little violet.

James Russell Lowell Quotes , Source: The Changeling

 

We have had the rain, and today we have the sun!

Sharing this little watercolour sketch for Sunday Sketches

Looks rather pretty in a frame...

Loving this beautiful, SUNNY weather....How are you spending your weekend?
 xo L.

Smooth sailing

Studio orgainisation - I am STILL at it!

RE-arranging

sorting through 

Stuff to give away

Books to sell...

..."Oh Mum!" my girls say...

"You're rearranging the studio, Again?"

Anyway,  I thought I had better actually give the New and Improved

set-up a try out last night while My Man is off camping!

 

He is off with the boys for a fishing weekend

And it is freezing mind you - being our winter

And it is Raining!

So I am totally glad they have gone and I'm home all nice and warm!

 

I don't think I love him quite that much to go camping, and fishing, in the cold and wet!

I much rather love:

hot chai tea with

sourdough Chocolate Cake

Which surprisingly worked a treat considering I left out three ingredients!

(Tip to self: DO NOT try cooking while chatting to a girlfriend! Because You obviously cannot do both at the same time!)

Large recycled  postage tag, acrylic, pencil, stamps, gel pen, gesso

The new set-up worked well...except as I type my cat figures the position of the art desk is a perfect runway and launcing pad for him to access the cat flap to his outdoor run at a gazillion miles an hour to check out the bird... 

hmmm 

that might not work (for me anyway!) if there is wet paint and water pots out!

 

I'll be around for a relaxing blog visit later today!  Sharing this with Sunday Sketches :-)

Have a relaxing, and warm, Sunday afternoon!

xo L.

Life, work, art balance...

so... there I was, all stocked up on art supplies

paper at the ready

paints all lined up

studio all sorted, re-organised, and new work bench

trips to the art store to spend christmas money...

and then...

The offer came!

PAID work!!

Yay, and joy

Followed by 2 3 full weeks of

researching, and writing, and planning

which I love to do, BUT...

when do I get back into the studio?

Hopefully

real

soon!
TODAY!







with sepia adjustment - just for fun!  (She's not finished, but with this damp weather I'll have to wait till she's fully dry before playing any further)


Inspired to leave the dirty sheets on the bed, forget about cleaning the bathroom, and have pancakes for dinner, after watching this at breakfast...

Sharing with Sunday Sketches :-)

Stormy Days with fruit tarts

A stormy weekend here in usually sunny Bris Vegas 

( otherwise known as Brisbane, Queensland, Australia!)

And faced with a rainy, stormy night, what to do?

I listened and jumped with the dogs at the thunder claps overhead, watched the rain belt down, and we stood outside for a bit and watched the fantastic light show

Then I saw the street lights go out

Did I get out the candles?

Check we have batteries for torches?

No indeed - an artist faced with the impending doom of a

tropical Super Cell ... reaches for paints!

We devoured this first packed of the season Fruit Mince pies yesterday... this was all that was left at 8.05pm, and by 8.07pm there were none left!

I think it might work up into a fun Christmas card?  This is from the iphone pic ( I love my iphone, but really it is garbage for taking good pics unless the lighting is just SO), a test run... will need to scan this for a better quality image - but you get the idea.

contact me to order cards!

Hope all Brisbanite readers are safe and dry!

Need a Chrissy Present? After something unique?
come visit!

Just Listed!

Linking with Sunday Sketching and Creative Every Day

Offbeat quirky & sourdough Waffles!

lazy sundays...

brunch with friends

great conversation

birthday afternoon tea to die for: sourdough waffles, marscapone, maple syrup, caramelised bananas, mango, blueberries, & organic bacon

= rolling around as full as a goog!

(Australian slag: If you're "full as a goog," you're completely full. Goog is an Aussie term for "egg".)

After all that food - the Cleaning Fairy visited the studio

yay!

A small re-ordering of furniture, a dust and tidy, and vac.

All looks good now - well at least 1/2 the room... will have to wait for the next visit from the cleaning Fairy for the other 1/2!

And time for a quick sketch - revisiting my little owl friend...

Sneak peak... this is one of the finished items going to Reverse Garbage this week... it's around  A4 size, with monotype on vintage ephemera, and bird cut from vintage book cover

"Armfull"

I like offbeat and quirky!  Happy Sunday Sketching :-) and Art Every Day !!
edit: my daughters birthday!

Markets and owls

The last day of melbourne: a brisk walk in the freezing melbourne spring (12degrees!) and we caught a tram down to the Rose st artist markets. Very, very cute, indie and interesting markets! I restrained myself by getting a teeny tiny owl ( my bag was already stuffed to full!) ( Lauren didn't though!). Then , being freezing, and still coughing with a progressing bronchitis we found a cafe on Brunswick st for a sit down- which naturally required a cappacino, and Belgium waffles with caramelised banana and marscapone! Then disaster struck when we went for a short walk and discovered friends of couture had cardigans on the sales rack! I just had to buy a very cute wool cardi in green, with beading- which makes no sense as here in Queensland we are fast heading into summer! But I figure I'll wear it in the freezer section when grocery shopping!

An afternoon spent with my brother was fun, and then before we knew it we were back at the airport! The flight was fine, though bumpy ( the lady behind me was having kittens at the turbulence, while Lauren thought it was better than the theme park rides!). I don't like flying- nothing about it appeals - I hate taking off, I hate cruising, the food (and the prices!)... And I especially hate landing! Rather miraculous that we fly anywhere really- but Australia is too big so I just have to suck it up, or spend 3 days driving to get anywhere- and yes I hate car trips almost as much as flying!
But I digress ... We land safely (Much to the woman's behind me delight), and we are home safe, followed by copious amounts of tea, and the sharing of hugs and gifts!
Sharing with Sunday sketches! It's lovely to travel, but its also so nice to come home! ;-)

Thanks to everyone for coming along - your comments were one of the highlights!

If you missed parts of trip the links are here!

Day 1 Marvelous Melbourne Mother Daughter Holiday 2012
Day 2 Arcades and alleys
Day 3 Things overheard
Day 4 The Zoo and pairs!
Day 5 Greek Speaking dogs, illness & Movies
Day 6 Trams and starbucks
Day 7 Markets, owls and home!

Sunday Sketching

A VERY lazy Sunday

Last day of the School Holidays

Sleeping in

late brunch

The iconic Australian motor sports event of the year - the Bathurst V8 car race

 afternoon snoozing

= not much of anything else!

Here are two sketches from earlier as part of the series I am thinking about all related to the views of our bay

A watercolour sketch with the sunset reflected in the water...

Pen sketch of birds on the water ( I used this for my pastel painting)...

The final painting - posted here...

 

birds on the water

Happy Sunday Sketches!

How was your Sunday? Enjoy :-)

Sunday Sketching, socks and pastel

A dreary ol Sunday here - what happened to the sunshine?

However, after a quiet, peaceful day...following a fun BBQ with friends

after watching 2 episodes of Dr Who on iview

and 2 cups of tea...

 .... part of a face sketch in my art journal... water-soluble graphite, and pastel pencils that I've treated with a liberal wet brush 

Only part - cause I don't like the other part!

But I do love the way you can dissolve pastel pencils using water on your page!

AND I love the pace and quiet of a lazy Sunday

With lawn mowers off in the distance,

birds in the park

and the sound of the grand final about to kick off on the TV!

Another little sketch...

 

 

A quick watercolour and pen sketch I did the other night, and just took pics of.

I imagine this will be me again in an hour or so!

When I get back from the gym, I'll be ready for a cozy sit down and relax... while the Men of the house get all worked up over the football!

(Maybe I'll disappear to the studio and leave them to it!

I am yet to fathom The oddity of Aussie Men and their Football :-)

Happy Sunday Sketches!

How was your Sunday? Enjoy :-)

Sunday sketching, lazing, and holiday plans

So here I am a lazy Sunday afternoon, and the second day of the school holidays.

It is hot, and humid.  Real summer weather - and its only spring!

Already we have plan, with a touch of military precision, to allow us to achieve all goods things

these holidays, including:

1. Taking eldest daughter to and from work ( really must point her to the bus timetable)

2. taking above daughter to university music auditions

3. Oh, and taking her to music rehearsals with the accompianist.  

( Who, by the way, charge an absolute fortune - $60 for 45 mins for each rehearsal, and each of the two auditions are $70 each!!  Like - all she does is play the piano for 20 mins, albeit all due credit given, she does play very well, and it is a high level and all, but sheesh - I could by a really nice Lorna Jane outfit with that kinda cash, and still have change!)

The other FUN things we have planned include...

4. visiting the Prado exhibition at the Art Gallery

5. The planetarium at the Botanical Gardens

6. a day trip to the  coast and a visit to Maleny (the Mountains), and Noosa (Beach) to see my Dad

7. Another yet to be determined day trip - maybe Stanthorpe? (the wineries) 

We might even stay overnight... don't get me started on accommodation!

8. maybe the movies

9. I have had a request to play a board game - doesn't mean I will 

( I get bored, playing board games)

10. And a shopping trip to Indoroopilly ( a mega huge shopping centre)

11. Footy Final is one Sunday afternoon - gotta keep 

the Man happy!

12.  A BBQ with friends

13. A visit from Grandad

 

whew!

And all I'd really like to do is:

read
go to the gym
paint
water the seedlings


I'm easily pleased - really I am!

These little watercolour sketches were done with a black pen, and wash over the top. 

Things I discovered whilst attempting these:

It is really hard to draw when you have just walked really fast for 20 mins!

I need to find another park - I keep drawing the same trees!

Happy Sunday Sketches!

How was your Sunday? Enjoy :-)