august 21

this year has been completely mad since i bought the river house. what looked like being
an uncomplicated year of doing my own printmaking work then the usual busy time
around children's book week (school visits interstate for a couple of weeks)  turned into a 
nightmare of juggling insurance claims for replacing my flooded floor in a hurry, packing up the whole apartment while the floor was replaced, then painting the walls, putting my place on the market, negotiating finance and dealing with all the contracts and solicitors and conveyancors, termite checks  .  .  .  you name it!  and three exhibitions to get together as well.
But most of that is over, my apartment's sold and i'm in wagga, visiting schools all week.
the kids are doing their usual wonderful drawings, i never get sick of seeing the fresh and

fantastic images they produce.


brisbane next week, then albury. Then it's packing and moving to the murray and the beginning of a new life :o)

GETTING THERE

I'm about to start a whole new life.  I've always lived in cities, most recently 11 years in a  melbourne apartment on a six lane highway.   In three weeks i'm moving up to the sunraysia district to live on the murray/darling junction.  this will be a record of my first year on the river.

My year started with a flood - on the second floor.  my apartment was completely flooded when the bath overflowed and the floor had to be replaced. packing up the whole apartment was going to be a big inconvenience i thought - but there was no hurry to have it done.

hanging work in my show 'the unknown wearer' with
robert watson in the art vault white gallery

then i spent three weeks at the wonderful art vault  www.theartvault.com.au  in mildura.  I had an exhibition to hang and my daughter sunny came up with me for five days to help me set up. 

we spent the days having lunch, wandering around the murray, trying the local wines and on the last day sunny said she'd like to go and see where the murray and darling rivers meet.

that was the beginning of it all - a huge change in my life.  after visiting the spot where the rivers merge, i spotted a 'for sale' sign at the end of the road.   an amazing location on the river with views of the murray/darling junction and the loch.

two days later i went back with the agent to see the house and that was it! I fell in love - the buildings, the land, the incredible location, huge trees . . . and that river!  i knew i was going to live there.