Quilts and colour

These are pics of my quilts mostly..obviously closeups. I love all the fabrics and colours...I think I used to love patchwork quilts because I could use so many fabrics in one go as I can never make up my mind which one to choose.

Calm and serene

I've been playing with my new camera and I wandered around our place here taking close-ups of lots of things..I took many photos so have only posted some today. I tried to group all the calmer pictures together...I just realized they almost all have shells in them..I like shells and bits of broken coral and anything off the beach really.

This little doll's head was my niece Jodie's...it is still with me...she actually has a little tear running down her face...in the background is a little piece of art Trudes made.

I looove this one...the '5' bit of timber I found on the beach and it occurred to me the other day that I have lived in 5 countries...I couldn't work out what to do with it even though I love it..it'll probably end up in an art work one day.

I really like spirals....

This is fun and I'm going to post some more tomorrow..with colour!!

My Day for Art

Its a gorgeous day but I'm still sitting here in bed with the laptop...drinking coffee and looking at my facebook and emails and checking out peoples' blogs...I'm all on my own for 4 days as Don left yesterday morning for Toronto in New South Wales, (10 hours away), to his latest powerlifting comp with his mate Ted. I have a lot of art planned and maybe also a trip out to see friends and a walk on the beach..but nothing is set in concrete and I can change it all if I want..

I painted these little 'planets' to cut out and add to a small collage in progress. I'm working towards entering another exhibition and this time the works wanted will be smaller scale. So another focus for me with my art. I can become quite scattered otherwise and not really have any goal in mind and sometimes just think what the hell and just give up and go and do something else. I know I am extremely fortunate to have this good life with lots of time to use for my art..when I was working fulltime it was really difficult as I was so tired all the time.

The first photo is the flyer for my first ever exhibition!! Well, its not actually all about me..but it is the exhibition that I have one small piece in. The painting that I showed in the last blog post has also been accepted for the online auction to raise proceeds for Japan. I really liked that painting but the photo doesn't show it very well. I had to take it out to the gallery so they could see it in the flesh too and they said the same thing...it was a lot fun to paint.

So....off to create!!

In my home.

This painting was an attempt at a traditional subject (teacups and saucers) using a modern method...I had a lot of fun with it. Its actually a lot more colourful but difficult to get a good photo.

I have an 'altar' at the front door...it is intended to protect the people in this home and I have this angel above, the small buddhist statue in front of her from Thailand via Trudy and Tom and a large wooden Buddha which was my mum and dads' and must be about 50 years old...will post a photo of him soon. Also on the altar is this little doll from Japan I have had since I was a girl...It is also a repository for any natural elements I find out in the world...eg rocks, leaves, seedpods etc. I have a feather tree in place at the moment.

And my birthday roses from Don. I love them...

Beach Treasures

I scrounged along the beach the other day and found these little treasures...above are some spines from a sea urchin...I have never seen so many in one place. I plan to sew them into embroideries...I like the sound they make when the knock together...very 'shelley' and sort of bell-like.

Some more embroidery bits and pieces...all ready with holes to attach them.

A shell I had to have and heart rocks all along the beach...

These are little rounded bits of coral I think, with funny markings...they remind me of game markers of some sort.And I took these photos with my new birthday camera!! It is great and I love it.

Trudy's last stay before flying away...

Here she is in bed...the last morning here...I love spoiling my kids and breckie in bed is one of the ways I can do that when they stay. We had the nicest couple of days... pizza nite at Al and Zoe's and lunch with Al on Tuesday and then all of us together that afternoon at home..although poor old Zoe was unwell...but new shoes from Alex may have helped her mood..He bought them while we went shopping for books for Trudes for the plane. When Trudy finally left here on Wednesday morning I said that we were only saying goodbye until Brisbane which was her initial destination..but still cried. I will certainly miss both Trudes and Tom but I'm also pretty excited for them and proud that they would have the courage to leave their jobs and pack everything up and sell up and head off on such a huge adventure. And next year we hope to visit from Canada. So again life is pretty good..

Pizza nite at Al and Zoes'....

Al and Zoe's cute little flat...Alex relaxing before making homemade pizzas..including the bases...they are not visible in this pic but there were 2 bowls of pizza dough rising in the doorway in the sun all afternoon.....

These were growing out the back near the clothesline...and they needed to be inside..in an old jar...

The homemade pasta sauce by Erin...decorated with an edible flower...so pretty! The flower was a broccoli blossom...

And Al holding the other jar of sauce...with the nasturtium flower peeping out.

Hard at work in his kitchen..he made 8 pizzas and we ate them all...

Sophia, Zoe and Trudy deep in conversation and ignoring the camera...

Some of the finished product...it must have been later in the nite as they are still on the plate...no photos of Don, me or Erin...oh well...it was a fun nite...very relaxed.