Artists Blog

When we moved into this house at the end of last summer, we were told the massive tree in the backyard was a Lychee. “Wait till next summer”, everyone told us, “You’ll have bucketloads.”

Spring brought masses of nectar filled blossoms, with the whole tree canopy covered in birds and bees all wanting a share of the sweet smorgasboard. Weeks later the tree was covered with lots of  pea sized little ovals. Looked very promising.

Then one morning I walked out to inspect my ripening bounty to find it   a l l   g o n e.

To where? What had happened? Surely bats would find the small hard green lumps sour and unappetising? Or had the tree itself jettisoned the crop? It has been very brutally “pruned” over the years, with suckering growth forming most of it’s branches.

With nothing to do now but wait for next year, I set about lopping off all the lower branches, which had been sweeping the ground. Just making sure I can see what’s under that big dark tree before I step on it (thinking slithery friends here).

And then today I saw it.

ONE last lychee.

Only one.

Will it make it?

There was a gigantic spotlight blazing into my bedroom at 5 this morning. Of course I had to go outside and watch her sail across the sky. Naturally the camera came too.

Each month the full moon shows a different face, a different colour even. New craters, new mares (the flat “seas”), new mountains to look at. If you’d like to know the names and details of these features, click here. It’s amazing to think that all those bumps and craters have been named.

I feel so light.  Free at last from uni pressures.

Thank you all for your words of encouragement during my last few  s t r e s s f u l  weeks. They meant a lot to me.

Expect me to be back to full posting strength by Monday.

If you get a chance, go outside and catch a glimpse of the gorgeous girl herself - she’s out there right now doing her thing.

This is a picture taken in more serene times. Isn’t pink supposed to be calming? I need a lot of calming right now.

I’m so cross. I’ve been battling my airbrush for the past 2 hours, and I lost.

Firstly, no ink would come out. Plenty of pressurised air, but nothing else. After fiddling with every knob with no success, I finally consulted the Manual. Yes, this was dire.

Half an hour later, with the whole thing in pieces, I saw the problem - a build up of dried ink along the needle length. Cleaning it was easy, getting the thing back together was TOUGH!

So, airbrush, compressor and inks at the ready, I let fire at 2 pieces I had prepared earlier. “Prepared” meaning sketched out, gessoed and masked - a 3 hour feat in itself.

What a disaster. Blobs, splotches, spatters everywhere. Plan B - switch to cheap and nasty airbrush from car parts store. Hose burst. Found the spare hose which held.Throw in 2 phone calls and the dog chasing cockies around me and I could feel my blood pressure just about to blow.

So my total output for the day is one semi-passable airbrushed background. One for the bin.

Thankfully to get my mind off airbrushing disasters, I am going out tonight to do some night photography with a forensic specialist. “Painting with Light” is how they record crime scenes. Sounds intriguing….

6.50am, my phone rings, waking me from a restless few hours of tossing and turning (finally got to bed at 2.30am after thinking, thinking and more thinking…)

“Get here quick if you want to see a huge python with a big belly” Jeff told me.

Now if I’m going to jump outa bed, into the car, with my hair only getting a look from a brush, a big python is going to do it.

Only about a km away, I arrived at Jeff’s work, where one big slithery friend was making it’s way across the road.

See where it’s headed?

Spot the problem yet?

It tried for a while, but breakfast was just too big.

Once it reversed a bit, the gate was swung back to let it go on it’s way.

Can you see the next problem about to happen?

I think a lot of us suffer from the same issue…

We just don’t think we’re that fat….

even though we can’t seem to fit into anything ‘cos it’s such a tight squeeze…

It seemed a bit stumped, so curled up for a think.

All the while flickering that forked tongue.

We left him on his own to work out where he was headed, and not long afterwards, he was gone.

No one has seen Reg, the resident rooster. But I think we have a pretty good idea where he is.

So long Reg.

Reg and Scrub Turkey friend in happier days…

Since moving into our new home 10 months ago, we haven’t had much spare time to devote to the garden. Normally a Perth spring would see me going wild at the Garden Nursery, bringing home punnets of seedlings by the barrow load.

Today I made my inaugural visit to a new nursery in the area, with the intention only to buy sphagnum moss for epiphytic orchids my greenthumb neighbour kindly gave me. However, I was a lost cause once I spied the shiny oh-so colourful images on all the enticing labels. The Promise of armfuls of fragrant blooms filled my head, and then my shopping trolley. 

Now the garden beds are not quite so bare. We will have stands of tall swaying lilac salvias, drifts of deep purple petunias, carpets of double impatiens,… fingers crossed!

It’s been a while since my post - so much happening it’s like someone has cranked up the speed on the merry go round!

The final night of the “BIG exhibition” was last Friday, with the top 10 artworks (in terms of bids), going to a final  live floor auction. I held little hope of making it out of the 120 established artists exhibiting. It was expected of course that the famous names, Archibald winners etc would make up the 10. This was the last few minutes before the deadline that people could still silently bid.

I was nervous, sweaty palmed and rather anxious. I told Jeff that I didn’t want to be in the live auction - how embarrassing if no one bid on my work? I looked over to my piece and saw someone on their mobile, staring right at my work. They took a pen out and wrote in a new bid. Phone bids? I was shocked. Then someone else came over and upped the bid. Shock was replaced with open mouthed disbelief.

Jeff and I were volunteers on the night to hold The Ribbon. Once the bell is rung, a ribbon goes up across the works on the wall so no more bids can be placed. In past years, this was the time when people would try and sneak in bids in an effort to get their chosen piece. Sometimes fisticuffs were involved I was told. All quite civilised tonight.

Then I was told that I had made the top 10. I was horrified. I could hardly think straight whilst other peices were auctioned. When it was my turn I wanted to leave. What if it was passed in at the final silent bid price? The embarrassment would swallow me whole.

I couldn’t believe it when there was one bid, then another, and another…. was this really for my work? (can you tell I was having a hard time believing any of this?) I would’ve taken photos of the lively auctioneer, with hammer banging down so decisively, except I was rooted to the spot with fear.

Anyway, my first piece sold ever, 20+ years after I was supposed to go to Art College to train to be an artist. Better late than never ever ever.

The biggest thrill for me was to have my work cheek-by-jowl with the big names of the art world from the past 50 years. All of us on the same auction table.

Pressure’s on now. A commission for someone and other exhibitions soon. This is where I would have traditionally run away screaming. I’ve a different mindset now.

A big exhibtion at the Regional Gallery is on next month. Closing date for entries was yesterday. I made it with 18 minutes to spare, thanks to 3 am finishes on the weekend.

Sooo, what else has been happening apart from my art dramas?

“Spring” (30 degrees C), has meant that all manner of critters are out and about. Finally caught the backyard bandicoot bandit on camera. Big bugger too. Our backyard is filled with bandicoot potholes. They dig cone shaped holes through the lawn to catch cane beetles. This one likes to dig up pebbles. Beside each massive crater is a smooth round pebble or pile of pebbles. He’s OCD for sure.

They are riddled with ticks (especially the deadly Paralysis Tick),  so don’t let them in the house.

(I’m looking out the window at the moment and the scrub hens have wandered in, helping themselves to my garden, scratching up anything in their way. Typing quietly here…..)

I took a shortcut through Uni the other day, through the bush and dry creek bed that was a raging torrent just 6 short months ago.

Someone had created a lovely sculpture made from the riverbed pebbles.

The stones had such beautiful patterns carved by years of rushing water. Soon enough they will be covered again for another Wet Season.

There was a huge vine snaking it’s way across the creek. I immediately thought of the snake warning in the news. They are out and about and on the move.I followed the vine up the bank where it twisted itself into pretzel shaped knots.

So much more to do, I’m really looking forward to Uni finishing so that I can catch my breath.

Tomorrow is my 6 minute speech /reading - simply terrifying!

Nothing like a Lace Monitor on the BBQ to get your heart rate up first thing in the morning.

Nothing like a sunny BBQ to get your heart rate up in the morning if you’re a Lace Monitor.

He got a bit huffy  when I ventured close, puffing his neck up and “Haruumffing” me. Two metres of grumpy lizard is not pleasant.

Had my Great Debate at Uni today, not as bad as I thought. Thanks for all your hints and tips everybody. Next week is the 6 minute speech. Can’t wait.

I’ve dug up another moonset photo from May. Back then the moon set in the early evening, behind the same mountain in my previous post.

This afternoon I had quite an inspiring (and looong) phone conversation with gorgeous Rosa Fedele, a friend since school days. She’s a full time artist and has a really no nonsense approach which I need to take heed of. I don’t think proscrasination is even in her vocabulary. Damn she’s good! - Her website link is on the right hand side of my blog as well as here.

Day off tomorrow so I’ll try my hardest to really make some headway with all these paintings I have in my head.

Wasn’t it bright last night? (For those of you lucky to have cloudless skies).

Too impossibly bright to sleep deeply, I thought I’d go into the garden to take some shots. The moon was about to set, and I positioned myself in a spot that wouldn’t arouse too much suspicion. A camera shutter going off outside your bedroom window is an unusual wake up alarm. Luckily our neighbour is in Machu Picchu at the moment.

It’s surprising how quick the moon dipped behind the mountain. Not quick enough to avoid the mozzies however. Shutter and slapping sounds echoing in the street.

Then the battery pack died. The moon was really hauling it’s behind, so I thought I’d never get into the house, fumble for the new battery pack, and get back outside before it set. With my sarong falling down, cursing as I ran over the pebbles in bare feet, I hightailed it in and out in less than a minute.

Just in time to see it dip down into the darkness. The golden glow it left behind was just so beautiful. Not enough light to show up in an image though, you’ll have to picture it’s gorgeousness in your mind.

There was a happy trade off,

Following another early riser travelling in the sky.

It’s been overcast, drizzly and HOT. Steamy like a Costa Rican jungle. Not that I’ve ever been in a Costa Rican jungle, but I almost feel as if I need a machete to cut through the air, it’s so thick.

My Mountain is in there somewhere….

Uni today was using cameras in different ways. I’ve used my telephoto lens as a macro lens for these  luscious red berries. Like bunches of miniature pomegranates.

“Spring” in the tropics has unleashed all manner of triffid-like growth with berries and blooms.

My lecturer told me today that he saw my photo in the weekend newspaper - all news to me as I didn’t bother with the papers this weekend. I did hunt a copy down this afternoon.

The competition has now closed, and judging begins. No cash prizes, but a chance to have your work printed in some limited edition posters.

Back now to the drudgery of homework…..

I’m still struggling with getting my head around the seasons up here in the Wet Tropics. It’s not all that wet in the Dry season, we haven’t had rain for ages. The trees are losing their leaves, are naked for 3 seconds, and are now bursting with “Spring” growth. This happens all in the space of a week it seems - no time to waste up here. Spring, 4 days old and already it’s averaging 30 deg C each day.

The Beach Almond stand of trees out front are kindly sending me their brilliant red leaves inside the house each day.

The parrots are having a ball eating and then throwing down the cherry red seeds.  The thick red canopy is quite impressive.

I didn’t think I’d see any decidous trees this far north, and was worried the tree was dying, until my neighbour told me otherwise. No one seems to be a fan of the fallen leaves. If only they could have seen my tree that dropped a real amount of leaves…

…the Liquid Amber at my old house was MASSIVE. Wonderful tree for an acreage or large city park, lousy for a suburban front yard with power lines. It dropped a very impressive amount of autumn clothes each year.

I didn’t mind the leaves. It was always a pleasure to hear them crunch underfoot, or to rake them into a mountain. I used to  stand back and watch the boy, the dog and the cat play in them for ages. 

Now in the early evening we hear rustling in the leaves - the canetoads are back.