WINTER ALREADY

 TODAY IS A COLD WINDY WINTRY DAY and i'm home on the couch, knitting and catching up on telly and the laptop.  

Knitting this top

in 2ply!  it's super

lightweight, will

be lovely to wear.

memories of Trinity Beach - what a lovely relaxing time we had

little sunbird near janet and bevan's

Friend Gael, recovering  from a fractured upper arm, i went round and stayed for a roast lamb dinner.  Matti the whippet is a lovely dog, i'm going to knit him a smart cable knit sweater

tawny frogmouth

at the back of

gael's, one of two

babies

Nice to be in the studio, i'm doing a commission - drawing a 50's wedding outfit for a fellow Salty.  her mother's ensemble. I only have black and white wedding photos to work with, the dress is unavailable.

i'm pulling sonjas's portrait off the stretcher and cutting off the lower half.  It's done now, looking a lot better i think.  the body and chair were dragging it down.

A weekend at Sunny's, having a day with Etta while Sunny and Luke have a day out, visiting the gallery and having lunch

Etta's drawings are beautiful, she draws the funniest little characters

caught a gorgeous exhibition of Martin Grant Couture at NGV before going
to John Marsden's memorial at the town hall, canoli with leigh afterwards

drawings for two paintings i'm starting

another nice little show at Karenne Ann's Shed 31

Bayside pics

  Gail came over this week for an overnighter, a lazy day on the couch, then a swim in the morning, perfect clear water

A WET WEEK

AFTER A FIRST DAY of bright sun every day has been overcast, quite a lot of heavy rain but plenty of dry patches so we've still had a swim in the sea each day and also the pool.  we're loving being here as usual, hopefully we'll get another sunny day or two, three more days here, leaving on thursday.

Playing with my new underwater camera in the pool

Easter

My Salty friend Gael broke her arm badly and so, as Sunny and family were spending easter at Warburton I stayed with Gael for three nights after she got out of hospital.  one evening this amazing flock of hundreds of black cockatoos flew overhead.  They just kept coming - I've never seen so many.

a tiny visitor

to the clubrooms

The exhibition ends

Karen B suggested we meet at Hat Rock and have a champers to celebrate the last day, a Sunday.   It was a lovely idea, one last time sitting in the space with my images, it's been a great experience and although i probably haven't even covered my costs, seeing the photos of the swimmers and the bay has made me realise that i've finally settled in.  The terrific opening attendance was full of people i've met in the past two years and old friends and family - it's good to be here in Indented Head.  I'll always miss the river but i can go back when i need a fix. 

Some beautiful mornings on the bay

 

BACK AT TRINITY BEACH!!!

MAY 1 - 

After a 31/2 hour flight, arriving around 11 am at the unit, unpacked and straight into the pool - just divine   

Weather is gorgeous  a light breeze and warm sun this morning so we're making the most of it before there's a few days of rain due tomorrow.

Our first morning swimming at Trinity, found happy hour margaritas last night just up the road. 

It's so good to have my mojo back, since January 1 i've felt it's a whole new year and a new start. I'm feeling settled, my exhibition at Hat Rock is testament to that. after hanging it with Sunny i stood and looked around the walls and realised this is where i live and it's good.  i'm working on a painting of a dress for Sarah (her wedding dress), another drawing of a wedding outfit for another Salty, Sonja's portrait and i've been getting everything together for the exhibition.  the studio's a mess, but now i've got time to really sort it out and start planning classes and workshops.

sketches and sarah's painting, i've really enjoyed doing it

   beginning with underpainting

MARCH 20

I had a lovely day revisiting paintings from the past.  

first to Matthew Flinders to photograph the Sweethearts painting that got into the 1996 Doug Moran prize.   hadn't seen it for 20 years but it was great to see that it has a permanent home (on loan tho) in the sweethearts home, the old catholic school building opp. the main campus, currently being renovated and looking great

then i travelled over to north geelong to visit my dear old friend Ray's brother Jeff to photograph the portrait i painted of Ray in 1985, a year before he died.  We all still miss him, a gorgeous elegant and funny man who left us way too soon

sonja, she's coming off

the stretchers and being

resized minus the body

and hands, it works better

a weekend visit from sunny, luke and etta. the reason for my move, spending more time with sunny and being here to really know and be with etta.  she's a little dynamo and loves spending time in my garden and at the beach :0)

EXHIBITION - opened April 5 and runs til Easter Tuesday 22nd. Sunny came across on the ferry and we had a great day hanging it, done by 2pm so time left for a swim at pt lonsdale, time in janet's garden watering the plants and dinner at noble rot - beautiful food

we rewarded ourselves with créme brûlée

the opening night was huge!  peter reckoned more than a hundred 

people, the biggest one they have had.  pretty hard to see the work 

but a real buzz and lots of people have returned later.

I had Etta to myself next morning while Sunny and Luke did a big bike ride around the gravel roads, we went to the beach and made sand cakes for Etta to jump on

lovely little red-hooded plovers were on the beach

sleepover and swim at Gail's - an amazing

pink sunrise at Torquay