Artists Blog

I’m so lucky to be living where I do. In our last home we had “delightful” children living behind us that hurled rocks into our pool. Surburbia at it’s most uninspiring.

Living here, I sometimes take the bush for granted, and forget that a whole other world exists beyond the wooden palings. This morning a tiny movement caught my eye. Can you see it?

Moving through the dappled sunlight two brand new babies moved with their mum and dad.

During the day these Bush Stone Curlews (or Thick Knees) are usually very, very   q-u-i-e-t.   At night it’s totally another matter. They are screaming, wailing banshees, with blood curdling cries of ear drum piercing proportions.

Those great golden eyes don’t miss much. Spot one of the chicks?

Just gorgeous! And they don’t throw rocks.

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!

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…..

Friday - painting class - continuing our adventures with “oil glazing”. A tiny dab of oil paint  is mixed with fast drying Liquol to produce a thin layer (a glaze) of paint. Many layers of glaze later you have a transparent sheen of paint that looks luminous. Well, that’s the theory anyway.

For many, including myself, it’s our first introduction to oil painting, and a whole new experience. Next week we go hard and thick with the oils with impasto techniques.

This afternoon there was a loud BANG on the kitchen window. The Man of the House had only cleaned the window recently and it had repercussions.

A teenage Chestnut Breasted Mannikin (or Bullfinch?) was not happy with his close encounter. A good excuse to have dirty windows!

(Don’t look at the oil paint under my fingernails).

He didn’t seem to want to fly anywhere, so I popped him in a tree out back. 20 minutes later he was right to join all his mates again.

Peaceful Dove trying to be inconspicuous.

Like all his friends.

Meanwhile, the Bromeliads and gingers are putting on a flamboyant display. Almost like Mardi Gras!

Smoke blankets everything. They are Helicopter firebombing again with self igniting pellets over the mountain slopes. It’s a combined controlled undergrowth burn with bushfire  simulation involving several goverment depts.

Fire starters: The plastic balls dropped from helicopters to spark fires in hilly terrain.  - Courtesy Cairns Post

Can you spot the shiny helicopter in the photo below?

They were flying through such thick smoke clouds that they disappeared frequently.

Noty many people are happy with the situation. Doors and windows have to be shut tight, but the choking smoke still finds its way in.  My neighbour is having asthma attacks and everyone’s washing smells like cigarettes.

Still, we’re not as badly off as this family’s home. Even the helio was hanging around them, just in case the wind changed….

Here’s hoping for clear skies again soon.

Helicopters were firebombing today. “Bombs away” and the mountains were ablaze. 

Quite mesmerising watching that curling smoke.

Orange flames snaked their way downwards. In the twilight the mountains glowed a gorgeous orange against the darkening sky. No camera for that one sorry, but you can imagine how lovely it looked.

Busy, busy again, a longer post tomorrow I promise. I have to find my mortar & pestle - an email from Uni requesting I bring one next week, very exciting.

Makes spiders seem almost cuddly.

On Sunday the cat spent several hours looking up into the tree outside my studio. I went to investigate and found this.

When I showed my neighbour, he said ‘that’s only a baby python, I’ve got skins in the trees 4 mtrs long”. Very reassuring.

Not sure if I’ve shown you the photos he took recently of the python in the trees which overhang our yard.

I received a reply by email from the Tropical Zoo about this snake (see end of post). 

Well today I saw a snake that was not a python, a couple of metres from my car in the overhanging tree. Maybe the warmth of the car engine attracted him (it was pretty cold this morning for the Tropics).

When I sent off an email with photos to the Tropical Night Zoo, they kindly sent back this reply:

“These are all Common Green Tree snakes, nothing to worry about unless you happen to be a frog! Their diet is approx 90% frogs.

They won’t eat caged birds and your other pets don’t have to sleep with one eye open.”

 He was happy to have his photo taken, but watched every move I made. He’s gone now, I don’t know where. The manhole cover is off the ceiling now. I still don’t know what’s up there, unless I get up and crawl about with a torch. After the Zoo Man’s email (below), I don’t think that’s going to happen:

“This one is an Amethystine Python commonly called a scrub python or “Scrubby”. They are Australia’s largest python and regularly grow to six metres – the largest (unofficial) was believed to be eight metres.

You should lock up wee dogs and cats while they are around as these snakes find them very tasty. Hopefully they will take out your bandicoots.They are non venomous but can bite (they have about 90 teeth), and kill their prey (rats, mice, bandicoots, wallabies, pets etc) by constriction.If you think they are living in your roof, you could try the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Snake Hotline on 1300 130372. But I prewarn you – nobody will actually get into your roof cavity to remove a snake. I had a four metre scrubby living in the roof of my last house for around five years – I had no roosting bird problems and he left my Burmese cat alone.”

“What a gorgeous place this is!” say all the visitors to The Tanks. I uttered the very same words last year at my first ArtEscape. As part of the Botanical Gardens complex, the old WWII Tanks serve a much more peaceful purpose than their intended use.

Set into the rainforest at the foot of Mount Whitfield, it is a tranquil getaway so conducive to creating works of beauty.

A giant Quandong tree grows just outside Tank 2. Favourite food of the shy Cassowary.

Heliconias hang like giant necklaces.

Red Gate Hill was once again the setting for the 100+ group photo. Hopefully photos (on DVD with soundtrack!) ready in a couple of weeks.

There was a kookaburra sitting atop the gate watching proceedings. By the time I got my camera, he’d moved on into the canopy.

Every seat in the parklands is not your average seat. They are all works of art in themselves.

Even the rocks are decorated.

This Northern Jewelled Spider was busy spinning and weaving. I could watch spiders at work for hours.

No time for that though. A quick stretch of the legs with the camera and then it’s back to work. There’s painting to be done!

ArtEscape - a whole week of being tutored by Australia’s best artists in a tropical rainforest - just bliss on  a stick!

The Red Bamboo Gate sits alongside the lower Tank where the Oil Painting  classes are being held.

Before I could whip the camera out, glossy black scrub turkeys with their lipstick red heads ambled past the tank doors and back into the rainforest.

Some beautifully inspiring big brush watercolours are being created in a class right alongside my miniscule brush watercolour class.

I’m doing Paul Margocsy’s class again this year - he has such talent, you can’t believe your eyes as you watch him create a masterpiece before you.

Working on his trio of owlets painting.

The finished piece soon after.

After a day of observing, and more tomorrow morning, we are all itching to get stuck in ourselves. I’ll take in my desk top compressor tomorrow,as the huge compressor at the Tanks scares the beejeebies out of us when it repressurizes itself. Just gotta find mine tonight. I know it’s in a box somewhere….

I’m so tired, but so excited still. I feel so inspired by this man who realised his true passion, no matter how late in life. We talked about it for a while -my admiration for his work ethic and self motivation. He had a studio purpose built by Ronnie Burns (the Aussie Pop star of the 60’s), which he treats as a place of solid work from 8.30 to 4.30 every day.

Discipline. Self Discipline. I need to get me more of that!

The colour RED surrounds me at the moment. Even though it’s not my favourite colour (not since I was 11), I seem to be attracted to it, to wear it, to eat it.

My first EVER acrylic painting, which was a scary thing to do at my age (uni assignment last month), composed in red.

Then there are the cherries. Cherries in June? Any fruit is possible this far north I’ve found. Cherries run a close second to mangoes in my list of fave fruits.

These were not the familiar deep burgandy colour, but a vibrant vermillion red. Still tasted just as divine.

I’m still trying to figure out what all the trees are in our garden. I think the fruit I have been hesitantly nibbling on is from the Lily Pily tree. Does anyone know for sure?

The following flowers have the sunbirds wantonly throwing themselves at them.

Very pincushion like.

Chillies are my Gotta Have at dinner time lately. Unless your nose is running, you’re not enjoying your meal.

There is an odd man out there….I do love the long shadows cast in this early morning shot. Like long, pointy, witchey fingers reaching across the table.

One sure way to quench the fire in your mouth is the Raspberry Slushie. Two is better.

I saw 3 people in the creekbed in front of my house recently. What were they doing? What were they picking up and putting in buckets?

Seeds! All sorts of wonderful seeds for jewellery. Jennifer (far right), is an Indigineous Australian, whose family used to live in the area long before it was settled like it is today. Her husband Hugh is a potter, whose works, as well as Jennifer’s jewellery, can be seen at the Holloways Beach Sunday markets.  The lady on the left is Sue, who owns a wondrous house around the corner, covered in mosaics and mirrors.

These are the seeds and pods of the Sandlewood Tree. After collection, Hugh will clean, drill and varnish the beads for Jennifer to string into necklaces.

These are the two necklaces I bought. The one on the left uses sandlewood and Poinciana seeds (I have collected the pods of the Poinciana to use as pastel holding trays - a post for another day). The one on the right uses sandlewood seeds and Burny Beans, prized by children because if you rub the bean quickly on your clothes, it gets hot enough to hurt your victim!  Next time I see them I’ll ask them to make one with the burny beads drilled through their side, so that they face you like a coin.

Poinciana bloom on the banks of Deep Creek (Also known as a Christmas Tree).

Can hear the Man calling, there’s a tall flute of red(ish) bubbly waiting for me….

Cheers,

Artoholic Cindy

To see the original, click Canetoads in My Coffee