AT LAST!!

THE INTERNET'S WORKING FOR THE FIRST TIME since i've been here at hall's gap.  the workshop on the weekend went from students looking a bit overwhelmed by all the info i gave them in the morning, breaking up text, doing a storyboard, making a concertina dummy book - to having a table full of work at the end of the day, it was great to see it all jst happening in front of my eyes. at the end of sunday we had a great table of work at the show and tell event at centenary hall.

 yesterday a new smaller group  arrived - they'll have four days so it feels really relaxed and it's a great combination of people.
had a good noisy night at the pub with other tutors last night :0)

AWAKE AT 1.48

THE MOON IS FULL - so bright up here i think it wakes me up

THE KIDDLY-DIDS

i sent cal a litte movie of congratulations - just a quick
film on my phone, easy and more convenient than skype
which i've always found unnatural and strange

A NEW BATCH of pics has arrived from osaka - Cal is now riding a two wheeler at 4 1/2 y.o.  pretty good :0)  and little sister Mara is not long 

great to see pics of mark and rene together in osaka too, their long friendship has always been a joy to watch.

rene, sayaka, mark and lani, with cal and mara with wonderful auntie yuna

back in the day

visiting osaka in july

father ren :0)

INHALING THE OIL PAINTS :0)

A FEW PRODUCTIVE DAYS  after feel overloaded with too many things to do in too many directions things are slowly falling into place. i'm getting my thoughts together for the 6 days of illustration workshops in the grampians next week, started another illustration for Jackie's book.  it's in oils using pics i took when i was at trinity beach and it's working.   i can tell right from the start  :0)  that's always a good feeling so i can go off to a friend's bbq today and relax.

YESTERDAY - restocked the bookshelf at Artback cafe and signed all copies.  great to thing that Swan Lake will soon be there too :0)   end of next month

as i sit here in bed at 6.50 i can see the sky turning pink, must jump up and get a few shots, i bet it's gorgeous in the east - 

back again, a bit late for a great sunrise but it's weirdly calm, i think it will be a warm slightly strange day.

here are pics i took before sunrise - the butcher birds were having the most melodic threeway conversation while i was out there, they have to have the most beautiful voices of all birds.

 

GETTING ORGANISED

SPENT TIME getting prepared for my illustration workshops at the Grampians Brushes week.   it's lovely spending time at the house in this warm sunny weather, working on the back deck on the computer and watching the birds divebombing in and out of the water bowls in the garden.  everything's growing, the garden is filling in nicely.   looks like another lovely one today.

the egret was down on the riverbank this morning but he spotted me so i grabbed a few bad shots of a pelican as the sun came up

he wasn't happy with his spot so flapped up the river a few metres
:0)

             
               happy now

INTO THE POT

STILL ON A BUZZ after the weekend, i wrapped up two long blanket strips with e. cordata, on from tasmania and one from my garden.   same blue grey foliage, much different shaped leaves.
i boiled them and wrapped up the hot saucepan overnight and got these great results.

HORIZONTAL MONDAY :0)

EVERYBODY LEFT - Gail and Jenny off around 9 for the 7 hour drive home, Mahdi and Margaret headed out to Mungo at midday.  great to have them all here, the yard and studio are pretty much back to normal and i collapsed with movies and my knitting for a chill out afternoon :0)  very therapeutic  but after a few champagnes i'm feeling a little ordinary this morning

SATURDAY

I MANAGED to get in a morning walk before the class today, crisp and frosty with beautiful mist on the  river

PEOPLE STARTED ARRIVING early so it was go go go from 9.30. Mahdi brought an amazing amount of stuff with her, all kinds of mediums, materials, examples, dyes - you name it.  i think our heads were exploding with ideas and possibilities by lunchtime and everyone worked away like the clappers all afternoon.  the copper and mahdi's slow cooker plus separate pans on hotplates were all on the go filled with strange parcels of fabric, paper and leaves.

AT THE END OF THE DAY . . .   a quiet champers and some knitting to unwind

dear margaret, mahdi's mum doing her stitching,
a lovely guest and good to know her

jenny and gail,

a well earned rest on

the deck as the sun

was low in the sky

the studio has never been so full of possibilities :0)

all systems go - the copper, pots, slow cookers, hot plates.

hubble bubble . . .