A new watercolour journal is born..

I spent at least half an hour in Eckersley's on Sunday morning just roaming the shelves and checking out the supplies...so much fun in that shop. I ended up buying myself some watercolour paper, brushes and a set of paints...I have had good paints over the years but left them in Canada...also bought some watercolour pencils and a couple of pretty papers for my journal.

Don gave me a rose for Valentine's Day and it was still okay although a little droopy, so I drew it first...my drawing skills are a little rusty...funny when I don't draw often that happens...

and then i painted it...I find watercolour SO difficult but I love work done by other artists and so have been inspired to try again...maybe just a watercolour journal is a good start as I can practice and know that I'm not attempting a real 'painting' which is going to be on display or 'judged' harshly by...me!!

Aussie bush

I love the Australian bush...the trees are very special...they have their own spirit and I like touching them when we walk through the bush....I think they know I am there!!!

I found a new setting on the old camera Don and I are using...so I can take close-ups of the wildflowers...

And of course I am always on the lookout for heart rocks and this special one was found at a rest stop we often have on a road in (what I like to think of as:)a 'hidden valley', which is between Gatton and Clifton. I'm always amazed at how many I find and how some places are just 'heart' places...

My sister's house

On Sunday morning Don and I travelled over to Stanthorpe to see my mum and my sister....my sister Penny loves her home and garden....she covers drawers with fabric and paints canvasses to hang on her walls and grows gorgeous flowers...

My daughter, Trudy, has nominated me in the Stylish Blog Awards...a bit embarrassing as this blog has sat dormant for a few weeks now since I left Canada and settled back into oz. Life took over and so nothing has happened here...but now with a bit of a push I'm back and happy about it.

The idea I gather is to share 7 facts about myself that may not be common knowledge, so here goes:

1. I have lived in 5 countries in my life beginning with being born in Papua New Guinea, moving to Italy for 2 years when I was 16 and also spending a year in Switzerland, settling permanently into Australia at 19 and then travelling to Canada 3 years ago with my new partner and now husband who is Canadian. I have never seen myself as a gypsy and wasn't for many years but my life seems to push me in that direction for some reason that I like to ponder occasionally.

2. I like mermaids...I have been making some art dolls and took them to one Suitcase Rummage sale and had lots of nice comments but no sales..I would like to try again although not February's rummage as it is being held on the day of our wedding anniversary...

3. I lift weights at the gym with Don and his mates, Ted and Fred..yes really...Ted and Fred!! The youngest is 60 and they lift these incredibly heavy weights which have the local young guys sneaking over to take a disbelieving peek. They have their turn and then I do...I love the way they lift off the super heavy big mansized weights and carefully replace them with my cute little girly ones....they take it seriously though and treat me nicely.

4. I can half speak 4 other languages: Pidgin English from growing up in Papua New Guinea - I was fluent once upon a time,Italian from 30 years ago, French from 30 years ago and now Quebecois French from Canada which has a quite different pronunciation so is almost like another language again.

5. I love Chinese art and furniture..I have a small red painted timber box with a sliding lid which is one of my treasured possessions...

6. I have a very talented family...my son is a professional musician and my daughter has a degree in Creative Arts and is a very clever artist, and they both have partners who are excellent writers.

7. (Finally) My life is shared between two countries now, Canada and Australia. I thought Canada was all bears and huge mountains and big tough men with axes but I have found that a lot of it is extremely pretty with fields of wildflowers and gorgeously painted and decorated homes that look as though they came out of Anne of Green Gables,which is a Canadian novel.