Lake Michigan - sunset

The clouds stayed away so we could actually go for a swim and watch the sun set.

Lake Michigan - close up

America has a lot of people. I thought it would be hard to walk on the shores of Lake Michigan and have it all to yourself. This morning however, I went for a long walk and didn't see another soul for an hour and a half and it was 10:30am. It was promising to be a warm day but there was a slight breeze coming off the water. On the way back it got a little warmer and I went for a dip to cool down. Life is tough ...

I noticed on the walk back that some of my footprints were already disappearing in the wet sand. I took only photos and left nothing, not even footprints in some places ... awesome.

Life's a Beach - Lake Michigan

Pentwater Art and Craft Fair

 Sylvia, Nick and Jake arriving at the art and craft fair

 sisterly love

 I felt at home here but could work out why

I can tell that Elena loves me even though she denies it

 can you see this as one of my paintings???

 Elena and Nick

 the love fest

 Jake explaining something to me

 Elena's and Jake's beautiful girls looking mighty fine in their new bandanas

finished the day with a dinner of ribs ... my first

Looove those ribs

Pentwater, Michigan

While I am away on holiday I am having a holiday near Lake Michigan. Yep a holiday within a holiday. Lucky me!!! It was about a 5 hour drive from Jake and Elena's place with some beautiful scenery along the way. There are a large amount of steps leading down to the lake which is so big it looks like an ocean. It smells different to the ocean as its fresh water. My brain can not accept that it looks like the sea and yet it doesn't taste salty. The accommodation is really really nice. Lots of room and everything is light and airy.

 cute little house

 the back yard

 love that stone fireplace

 Jake cooking hamburgers for dinner

my chair!!!! mine!!!

I will post some pics of the lake as soon as I take some. Planning a big walk tomorrow morning and a nice workout on all those steps. Oh and the house comes with kayaks!!! Can't wait to hit the water.

Harley Ride to Starved Rock in Illinois

 Jake, me and THE Harley

 my wonderful hosts Elena and Jake

my first ever root beer ... yum!

 

 wonderful friends April, Robin, Elena and Jake

I am having a holiday romance with Harley

 

 biker chicks Robin and April

  

 I even was game enough to take photos while riding on the back of the Harley

This is an amazing country with wonderful people who have opened up their homes and their hearts to me. How does one repay such generosity??? All I can do is love them in return. It doesn't seem enough somehow. Today I got to ride on the back of Jake's Harley and let me tell ya, its something I will never forget!!! The sights and sounds and smells are amazing on the back of a bike. I even got to smell a skunk. It was road kill but the tell tale skunk smell was still in the air. A deer ran across the road ... such beautiful animals. 

It was a warm day and the breeze blowing through my hair made me feel so happy I thought I would burst. When we rode passed forests you could feel pockets of cool air as though someone opened the fridge. Everything is so green. Not like the green/grey of Australia. 

The houses are so cute. Almost like children's drawings. They don't have large verandas to keep out the summer heat and very few have fences. We rode through a little town called Ottawa and it looked like something out of an American movie. AND I WAS RIDING THROUGH IT!!!!

Their accents make me smile every time I hear them. I am already picking it up hehehe. Not so much in the pronunciation but the rhythm. The rhythm is so musical you can't help but be drawn in by it. Of course they tell me I am the one with the accent hehehe.

 

This morning while drinking my coffee I saw a chipmunk in the garden and so many different birds. They have a quiet elegant way of singing. Nothing at all like the noisy squawking and carry on I am used to.

Everywhere I turn there is something new to experience. I have a constant smile on my face and feel so lucky to be here.

 

 

The Advertiser Article for The Solar Art Prize

By Night and Day

Yesterday was my daughter Julia's birthday. The family came over for pizza and cake in the studio. Later Julia and I met some friends for a few drinks. Jan talked me into wearing my red dress. I really can't remember the last time I wore a dress. I am more a jeans and shirt kind of gal. We had fun and I didn't get home till 4:30am!!!!! I think they took me to some place that I was just too old for. Luckily the lights were dim.

The next day was the opening of the members' exhibition at Adelaide Art Society where I was asked to be featured artist. Pam Saint, the president gave a nice speech and said so many nice things about my work. I don't think I will ever get used to standing in front of people listening to my work get praised. It made me squirm a little. I think its the only time I get a little shy hehehe.

Buying Time

Okay okay so I haven't posted on my blog for a week. I thought I better put something up before the blog police complain again hehehe. Although these aren't new paintings I am pretty sure I haven't posted them on here before. That should buy me some more time huh?

On the Edge

acrylic and altered newspaper on canvas

102 x 76cm (40"x30")

Packed and Ready

acrylic and altered newspaper on canvas

102 x 76cm (40"x30")

1938

mixed media on canvas

102 x 76cm (40"x30")

Chapter Eighteen

mixed media on canvas

102 x 76cm (40"x30")

Why Is It???

Why is it the more I move forward with my art, the less time I get to spend on actually creating art??? More and more the business side of things demand attention while my poor lonely easel stands there waiting for me. Brushes laying there discarded suggesting that once a painter stood here painting. I yearn to paint and yet I need to prepare for this and prepare for that and send yet another response to a business email. More things are added to my "to do" list than are crossed off. No wonder artists are perceived as irresponsible. Its because we just can't fit it all in. SHEESH!!!

Heat Heat and More Heat

Finally after my usual yearly break I am back in the studio. I am in full creating mode!!! And now the weather decides to heat up again and its just too darn hot in the studio. Temperatures of 39C (102F) Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As I now work at the Royal South Australian Society of Arts two days a week, gone are the days of unrestricted studio time. But in saying that, my work practices have changed. Because I have less studio time the time I do spend in there is quality time. There is more purpose in my work. I don't just go into a painting frenzy. There's more thought in the behind the meaning and the processes used. Although my paintings were my way of story telling I always felt they were not much more than pretty pictures to hang on the wall. I craved more depth and envied artists that could achieve it. I feel that my work is at a turning point, in a growth spurt and I am interested to see where it leads. I started the year with no goals or plans for my career path. I was floundering. I didn't know where I was headed or what I should do next. It frightened me. I usually set loose goals for the year. Luckily I had my travel plans to keep my mind occupied. I should really learn to trust the universe because things are changing, doors are opening and slowly I see some opportunities coming to light. For those of you who don't know, I am flying to the US this year to meet my on-line art tribe some of whom I have "known" for over 4 years. They are my kindred spirits. Its like the good ol' days when people met their pen pals. Flights are booked and paid for, a shiny new passport is obtained and this is finally really and truly going to happen. I leave Adelaide on June 12th for Chicago. On July 6th Elena, Robin and I are booked on a train journey to Seattle where I will get to meet our only "boy" tribe member, Glenn and then on to the forest near Portland (is that right Jan???) to meet another. This is my year for ADVENTURE!!!

Hello Studio

The time has arrived! The weather, although still warm, has dropped enough for me to re-enter the studio. I took myself off the "busy" treadmill and taken back some control of my time. A new painting awaits and the excitement never ceases to amaze me. A brand new (scary) crisp white canvas is on my easel, some new brushes and a few new tubes of paint have been bought to inspire me further. In the words of my good friend (and blog police) Laura, I'd better bust a move.

Blog Police

I noticed some new comments on my last post. Has it really been over 8 months since I posted??? The comment was from my dear friend and longest cyber friend Laura who says she isn't the blog police. Hahaha Laura, you so are! I am not making excuses but life takes on twists and turns and its not always possible to fit everything in. Some things just have to sit for a while. My blog was/is one of them. Still reading Julia Cameron's books with my on line tribe and generally goofing off with them on facebook. Still trying to juggle all the things that go on in my day to day life and fit in enough time to create. What I have noticed is that there is a particular pattern that repeats itself every year without it being planned. I seem to take 3 months off from painting. Every year I notice that I down tools in December, January and February. And every year I freak out and think I am blocked and will never create again but then all of a sudden the creative urges flow and I head out to the studio and paint like a woman possessed. I am not sure why this happens. It could be seasonal. December, January and February is summertime. And the summers get pretty hot here. My studio just gets too darn hot. Well this year doesn't seem to be any different. Here it is heading towards the end of February and I went out and bought a new canvas today and then I treated myself to some new brushes. Creativity is starting to flow. I am ready ... let the painting begin!!!

Four Years

August 2007 I read The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron with a great group of women online. One of the tasks was to write morning pages every morning. Three pages of whatever comes to mind. Four years on and I'm still writing my morning pages. I can't do without them. I can whine and moan or ramble on about all the little daily things in my life. I get answers to problems when I write. Answers that were probably stored in the back of my mind but the pages help bring them to the forefront. Well this morning I wasn't really thinking about much of anything except how happy I am with my latest nearly finished painting and I started on a ramble. I thought I would share some of it with you here.

Small doable actions do add up to a lot. Small steps, one foot in front of the other and you move forward. Forward motion is what you must always strive for. Its not about talent. Its about drive and perseverance. Its about always turning up at the easel and believing in yourself. Skills develop with continual practice and before you know it people will say you have an 'awesome talent'. You smile politely knowing you have skills that came from hard work not 'talent'. Anyone can do it! They just need to have the guts to just stick with it. They need to develop the self discipline needed to get through the long lonely hours in the studio spent in total isolation. They need to wade through the endless self doubt and fears and just keep going. The need to keep believing in themselves and keep the negative voices in their head quiet. Above all they need to keep believing in their dreams. Doable goals need to be set and when reached more goals need to be in place so you always move forward. Your dreams must always be clear in your mind and you must always have a strong belief that you will reach them. Focus on your goals and dreams so you can wade through rejection and criticism while retaining your confidence in yourself.

No attention is paid to grammar while I do my morning pages. I just ramble on. I do fight fears and self doubt constantly. I squash those negative voices in my head. When I started to paint I showed my work to no one. Not one person! Through hard work and the support of some wonderful friends (you know who you are ) I can now confidently walk into a gallery and ask the director if they would be interested in showing my work. My skills have developed to a point where I struggle less and enjoy the whole painting process more. I still have fears, I still have doubts and I still have negative voices in my head but my confidence outweighs them. Small steps, one foot in front of the other and you move forward.

Colours

As you know I love to paint ordinary everyday inanimate objects. They inspire me. I do however get inspired by colour as well. Sometimes I might see someone in the street wearing a certain colour combination or an advertising catalogue with this seasons latest whatever and I immediately think of those colours in a painting. I took these leaves home the other day from a walk with Jack.

The green one is the usual gum leave colour but the yellowy orange and redish orange on the other leaves made me catch my breath. Can you see them intermingled with text on a canvas? Or is it just me living in airy fairy arty world?

Today I am going out in my pyjamas! Zoe has got a pyjama skating party and I am going too. No, I am not skating (too scared of falling and hurting something) but I will be wearing my pyjamas, dressing gown and ugg boots. I don't understand why they don't make street clothes that are as comfortable as pyjamas. As soon as I return home I usually put my pyjamas on. Not only are they comfortable but they have fun patterns and colours. I have also been known to paint in my pyjamas. I don't mean to. It just sort of happens. I would love to join a wearing pyjamas in public revolution hehehe.

Weekly Post (nearly)

I am trying to post at least once a week but I'm already two days late. I had a lovely mother's day yesterday. My Mum's birthday fell on mother's day this year so we had a family afternoon tea. Its always nice to have the whole family sitting around the table. Family, laughter and nice food is a good mix!

I cancelled my gym membership awhile back. They closed the pool and as that was the only facility I used there was no point in keeping my membership going. Instead of swimming and doing aqua-aerobics I've taking up walking. Not as good for my mobility but better than nothing. I take Jack for his daily walk in the local dog park. Dogs are allowed off lead at certain times and in the middle there is a dog enclosure where they are allowed to be off lead anytime. We do one to two laps of the whole park where some major sniffing and peeing is done by Jack. Then we enter the dog enclosure for more of the same. The whole walk takes about an hour. Jack likes meeting other dogs and having a bit of a romp. I listen to the birds. The squawking of the rainbow lorikeets and the warbling of the magpies are the usual sounds. But occasionally, if I'm really lucky, I hear the laughing of the kookaburras. The mornings are starting to get a bit of chill in them. Letting me know winter is on its way. The dampness in the air brings out the heady scent of the eucalyptus trees and I take really deep breaths.

Enough rambling. Time to get to the easel. Only about 8 weeks till I leave for Melbourne to deliver my work for my first interstate solo exhibition. As Laura would say... I'd better bust a move!

She Got Tired of Waiting

mixed media on canvas

121.8 x 91.4cm (48"x36")

Stacked

mixed media on canvas

60.9 x 50.8cm (24"x20")

The Pre-loved Tablecloth

mixed media on canvas

101.6 x 76.2cm (40"x 30")