THINGS ARE CHANGING - i can feel creativity coming on!! at last - it's been a long drought. the studio feels like a great light workspace now that the new windows and doors are in and i've been working out there, mostly computer stuff but on tuesday anne came over and we spent the day eco dyeing. lovely weather, doors open to the garden, the space worked well.
trip to melbourne - i visited Lauris at Booked Out to catch up after a long absence, living on the river was too remote to get much work. now i want to reestablish myself. also had a lovely get together with erica about Romeo&Juliet, getting back on track. very productive, erica is always an inspiration and she's made suggestions that have new ideas running around in my head. More in tune with Swan Lake which is what i wanted to begin with.
Spent the night in coburg with sunny, we had a quiet night in and a lovely morning on friday with etta in a small playground near their apartment. a pretty neighbourhood with gardens along the median strips, very community-minded feel to these narrow Coburg streets
the Salties organised a bus trip round the op shops a week ago and i got this great hat to wear to the Wentworth cup. we ended the day with a dip at eastern beach where i got my Herald learn to swim certificate back in the 60's.
September 16
DEAR HELEN, four years now with her gone. well almost, it's her birthday today so she's on my mind. also grand final coming up so i'm thinking of mum too - grand final day is the day after she died. this time in september is always a sad time for me.
THIS WEEK i spent two days drawing in the studio, it feels sorted and the spaces work well. i have a drawing/laptop desk and a table on which i can plan and draw up prints. the new door/windows let in a lovely light and it feels comfortable. I feel that i'm going to be starting some work and it'll be great to see things appearing. no shortage of ideas.
LAST NIGHT was a blue super moon but of course cloud sat on the horizon over the bay and i couldn't get a shot. but the skies cleared during the night so here it is. i miss the feeling of being connected to the weather and nature that i had in wenty. the sun and moon rising and setting over the river and fabulous sunsets.
SOUNDS LIKE SPRING out there this morning, enjoying a sleep in after three early swim mornings in a row. I stayed with Gail and we swam with a new group, the Cosy Gropers yesterday. recommended by osteo and nice guy David Cotes. they're serious swimmers and disappeared around the point so after our swim with went to their coffee hangout but they still hadn't turned up after about half an hour.
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| i'm so pleased with the new doors and windows, so much more light and dirt and cut grass wont be able to blow in under the doors. those old metal doors were so heavy to push open. i now have a studio instead of a garage   |
august 22 after a lovely two days with sunny and etta i'm now in deniliquin, driving on to Hillston in the Hay Plain NSW for two days of illustrator talks.
I've been really stressed and nervous about it, haven't done any for years. I feel so much older - am i still relevant? spent a lot of time getting my talk organised in my head and making sure i packed the car with stuff for every possibility. so long as the technology works i'll be fine and i've brought my own paper and charcoal to make sure it's the right stuff.
then yesterday morning as i jumped in the car to go, it wouldn't start!!! i really freaked out, i'm in a pretty stressed state these days, all part of the moving and settling in process plus medical interruptions.
rang the mechanic who drove straight over and started the car straight away! aaagh! he says the starter motor could be on the way out but i should be right for the trip so here i am. it's 8am and i've just been out and started the car. hopefully it starts again :0[
i drove pretty much all day and on the way trevor chappell started talking about book week and how it was a celebration of writers and illustrators. that cheered me up, a new viewpoint. then a woman called joan rang from portarlington and mentioned me and how much she loved my work, so i pulled over and rang Trevor too to tell him about my involvement in book week. that buoyed me too :0)
got to Edward River Hotel in Deniliquin around 5, earlier than expected.
From the outside it looks fine but inside - what a dump, a bloky dump with corrugated iron walls, one fat bloke with long white hair and wispy beard sitting on a stool watching tv. all dark and dingy, the barmaid and a woman going through piles of scratchy tickets. after waiting about 10 minutes for the owner to come and check me in I walked out and went down the main road to check out other pubs. Pubs everywhere, i went into the Globe and they had no accomm at all but the chef said she's just put wagyu scotch fillet on the menu so i said i'd be back. she recommended the Coachhouse up the road - they were booked out so i got a scotch and set about googling and calling. everywhere was full or too expensive so Scotty, the owner got on the phone and organised this motel for me. it's fine, a bit more than a hotel but it's got what i need and i had a comfy night. now i'm ready to hit the road and get up to Hillston mid afternoon so i can check out the library and decide how i do my talk. Two groups of eighty from kinder to grade 6 so this morning i suddenly realised they don't have to draw, they can watch me do some demos.
ok, i'm off, here's hoping the car starts again. I can't wait to get home on friday - collapse in a heap then get stuck into sorting the studio now that the plan drawers are pushed away from the middle. i wonder if trent will finish off the window trims this week.
emus and canola on the drive to Hillston
Book week visits were all great! I got to Hillston with no dramas, the day in the library went well. the kids fitted, only one group didn't draw, they were just too big to spread out with paper so i did a demo with one student beside me.
the op shop - front and back, which looks out onto the Lachlan River
Had a terrible chinese meal from the RSL club across the road from my motel, the only place to eat really.
KIDS AND DRAWINGS - all as wonderful as ever
GOOLGOWI PUBLIC SCHOOL
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THE BOY ON THE RIGHT was a funny kid, dressed as matilda in the most casual throw-on way :0). he was a great little character  Then on to Rankins Springs about 3/4 hr away. more great kids and drawings. |
the drive home was golden, wattle in full bloom on both sides of the road as well as canola fields as far as the eye could see. an overnighter in shepparton then a leisurely op shopping drive next day - home around 4. and the car started perfectly every morning in frosty conditions. the trip was tiring but good and i've made enough to pay for the new doors and windows which trent finished off while i was away. they look great and the work to get the studio organised has begun.
