Artists Blog

How could I forget our 1 year anniversary of teleporting up here to the Tropics? Don’t know how, but I did.

Just over a year ago this behemoth was pulling away from our kerb, en route to the rainforest….

What a year it’s been!

…your photos make it into the weekly magazines.

And you know you’ve really made it if one of them is a booby magazine.

Because we all know that big boobs and pythons go hand in hand.

(Please excuse my tongue-in-cheekiness!)

Too many late nights of late -school holidays are a bad influence. Lots of reading getting done though – till 2am this morning. Feeling so inspired by images and stories of artists, craftspeople and those who make a living from the land. My eyes are going out in protest though – focusing now requires a lot of effort!

Lots of thunder and sheet lightening blanketing the night sky -awesome!

I’m preparing once again to take up the quill. That is, I’m going back to studying the art of beautiful writing, Calligraphy. Throughout my uni year I have used it for many of my folios and assignments. When queried by my lecturers, they were surprised to learn that I was once a calligrapher. “Why did you stop?” was the most frequent question. I suppose lots of other stuff came up, life’s like that.

You’ve seen from a previous calligraphic post that I like to combine images with my letterforms. This is something that I am really keen to explore further. I have been invited by a fellow student/artist if I would like to apply for an exhibition opportunity. Calligraphic Painting sprang instantly to mind. So, as a result I have become OCD with resurrecting my calligraphic past. I’ve rejoined my Guild back in Perth, arranged for long distance lessons from my brilliant teacher of ten years ago, and dug out the box with all my assorted accroutrements. Alas all my nibs are rusted and some inks evaporated. Nothing like a bit of online shopping to sort that out. If you get a chance, www.willsquills.com.au will make your mouth water. I’ve ordered the most eclectic (but essential you understand) of items: Vellum, Papyrus, Gum Sandarac, Scroll and Oblique nibs, Resevoirs, Bleedproof White, the list goes on. I think this will have to count as my Chrissy Pressie for at least 3 years!

I’m also now examining books on medieval Illuminated Manuscripts, eg The Book of Kells, The Book of Hours etc. It’s hard not to get caught up in the mindset of those cultures from so long ago. Then I remembered my visit to the Medieval Fayre last year just before me moved. It was amazing!

There was a lunch time parade – the rain had just passed over. Here are the King & Queen with Courtiers in tow.

The Knights were quite spectacular.

Although the horse appeared to be hobbled by the disappearance of two of it’s legs.

There were fierce battles waged in the arena, which was fast becoming a mud bog pit.

The Romans, under the guidance of Caesar (purple socks), dispatched the Barbarians post haste.

Costumes everywhere were fabulous. This Maiden had the most gorgeous ensemble, dragging in the mud.

Totally not in keeping with the era, she reaches for her…

Digital camera!

There were stalls that sold everything medieval – you need never go anywhere without your leather gauntlets or steel breastplate. I was given many business cards “just in case” I had a chain mail emergency. (I only just took them out of my wallet the other day!)

There was a fully operational forge, hammering out all manner of lethal weaponry.

Burly Boys make for good photo ops!

There was another photo of myself with a red bearded viking in a pub, but it was getting messy by that stage….tippling too many tankards of warm mead and mulled wine.

If you ever get the chance to spend the day at one of these Carnivals, jump at it – they’re a glimpse into another time and place. Just go easy on the mead!

After the last post I thought I’d create a “Rogue’s Gallery”, showing geckoes when they’re nice, nasty, or in the mood for some lizard lovin’. Some of these are from the old blog, but are gathered here together in one post.

Pairs of eggs are secreted away in window sills….

Waiting to hatch out as tiny wee things…..

..sometimes still covered in their egg sac.

They grow up to inhabit every ceiling/window of the house inside and out. Keeps the cat occupied.

At night they run around barking like mad things. This dragonfly chose to ignore them.

There’s no gecko in this picture, but there is a reason. This beautiful fellow was so tame I could almost touch it. As soon as I turned to go back inside….

BAM! I was yelling out to Jeff that I needed to get out FAST to help a Dragonfly. Jeff asked” Did you save it?”

No, not quite.

But what they do best is eat moths. By the hundreds. Attracted by the house lights, the moths are the geckoes bread & butter. I’ve seen them take down moths 3 times their size, no problem.

Another favourite thing for geckoes is to have some lovin’ time. The male barks about his ardour to any female that will listen.

Then it’s time to get jiggy.

But it’s not all beer and skittles for the gecko. It’s a jungle out there…

The banana tree decided to go out in sympathy with the lychee tree (who has since lost the lonely only lychee).

Lots of baby bananas but…..

they’re on the ground now. (that’s them bottom right hand corner)

Still, we’re not short of baby geckoes. My kitchen appears to have become a gecko nursery, with new hatchlings constantly exploring the floor.

This one still had the egg sac on his face and hind leg. Don’t be fooled by their youth – they’re faster than Melbourne Cup winers!

Having only recently discovered the joys of Gouache (ger-wah-ssh) paint, this was quite a surprise. Gouache is an opaque watercolour, so even though it behaves like watercolour, it can go “light over dark”, something watercolour cannot do. Some delicious brushes and paints are coming my way thanks to Winsor & Newton and their distributors Jasco.

Found this very grainy image (remember film?) of how I spent the lead up to 2 Christmases a while back.

As part of the local community, I was “volunteered” to paint the Church’s Nativity scene figures (2/3 life size)  that featured on the Church lawn. I was presented with blank plywood cut out figures, and told to “slap on the paint”. Many days of painting during a hot Perth December resulted in figures that appeared suitably holy, hairy or hooved. As a contemporary touch I was liberal with holographic glitter as well.

It was amazingly dazzling lit up at night, or when the sun hit it. Children and parents had their photos taken standing within the scene. It was a good feeling to see joy brought to others.

But, as with all things that are open to the public, a nasty element in the community felt it necessary to destroy instead of enjoy. Each night pieces were stolen, broken, or thrown onto the road or nearby house gardens. The diminishing scene was cobbled back together each morning. Most had their heads broken off, or if too badly damaged, were thrown away. On Christmas Eve, Mary was destroyed and the Baby Jesus was hurled onto the double story roof  of the Church.

The next year I did it all again. Same result. Only this time the “element” had a getaway car and crowbars. They were a lot more well prepared for destruction. One brave resident chased them off, got the number plate, but the police said it’s a “He said, she said” situation. A “court summons if you want to take it further”. Who wants that at Christmas?

Didn’t paint another one.

On a brighter note, Squeaky (bucket head) is doing fine. She only needs the bucket when she has the eyeball cream treatment. Thanks for all your well wishes. Here’s a (crass) photo of Squeaky during happier times (for a dog!)

“What’s wrong with Squeaky’s eye mum?”

That sort of question can never have a good answer. Off to the vet’s this morning, with this result….

Now sing with me….. 8 days of eye bathing, 7 days of twice daily eyeball ointment , 6 days of the Christmas Hat,  5  golden  rings ………blah blah…….and a partridge (cockatoo/python) in a pear tree!

Out in the garden this morning to smell the heady citrus blossoms of the Orange Jessamine trees and “WHACK!” hit in the head by a flying green missile. “BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZ WHACK!” Hit again. BIG irridescent flying green beetles – these must be the Christmas beetles that I’ve heard about. Never really had them in Perth (In Sydney they were golden, smaller and not so kamikaze!).

The orange scent has filled the garden, so thick you could almost carve it. I can’t get enough of it and neither can the bazillion or so beetles covering it this morning.

 They were oblivious to anything but drinking that nectar – they almost seemed tipsy from it, the way they kept crashing into things.

 They are very beautiful though, and are sparkly all over, even their legs and bellies. And then I spied a purply beetle, or was it green or bronze? It changed colours in the sunlight, like those chameleon cars you see around. It’s colour depends on if it’s coming towards you (metallic bronze) , or going away from you (metallic purple).

Even the native bees (spy one deep in the flower above) are pulling up stools at the bar – it’s happy hour!