Bangles and Beads

Today I stopped in at a bead shop not too far from me ............well a half hour drive, but that's close really. They were having a free class on charm bracelets and all I had to do was pay for the beads and findings that I used...........so I stayed and took forever to pick a kit that I liked. I have never worn much jewelry before because as an RN you tend to have problems with disorientated patients attempting to rip out earrings, strangle you with necklaces etc etc etc. But now that I am no longer actively nursing, and not able to be called in at a moments notice to work, I am wearing different things. So here is the very first piece of jewelry I have made....

Don't you just love the summery colours!

And I think I will try some earrings soon...........will let you all know how that goes too.

Dragons and dust storms

I spotted this Bearded Dragon the other day trying to blend in with the trees. I thought you might like to see him.

I took these today - we have a huge dust storm here - it was 11:30 am when I took them. The redness is the iron that we have in our soils in the interior - the red dust has been blown all the way from the deserts in central Australia.

Sydney was affected earlier than we were here in Queensland, and their airports were closed with flights redirected to Brisbane. You couldn't even see the Harbour Bridge - it is amazing when these things happen, just not looking forward to dusting ..............even though the house has been closed up it gets in everywhere!! Many people in Sydney apparantly woke up to the storms, thinking that the eerie red glow was bushfires, and it really feels like the hazy redness that you get with them.

These pics are of the trees at the front of my place and along the creek at the back - normally can see more trees beyond them.

Well I have been trying to figure out how I can reduce the furniture needed for my art 'stuff ' and how I can have a piece of furniture that could be out in the open in my lounge room or where visitors can easily see. At the moment I have a small wardrobe, a computer desk, books everywhere and a fold-up table all in one corner of the lounge. So I looked at some ideas and came up with this variation on a Victorian writing desk. I just have to decide on how to support the flip down lid for when I am drawing on it....I love the idea that I can close it and hide it all away!! Plus the large flat drawers on the bottom that will take a full sheet of W/C paper, so I can store new paper and finished images. Now I just have to work out when I can get it made, or if I will change the design yet again...............any ideas will be welcomed !


Am starting to do some flowers, not my strong suit, for a winter swap on Wet Canvas. It is coming into summer here, so I really don't feel like doing the cold stuff, besides it doesn't snow where I am in Queensland. In Australia we do have a large number of plants that flower in winter though, and here is a Brachyscome in coloured pencil...........am hoping tha ove the length of this swap my prowees with the flowers in CP will improve.

A link

I have been tip-toeing through the blogosphere looking at inspirational sites and found Linda Huber and her wonderful tutorials on portaiture - they are really terrific and I have recommended them to others so I thought I should mention her here. Please find her at this net address : http://midtel.net/~imaginee/

It was well worth my time waiting on dial-up for her tutorials to download, so those of you on fast internet services .....do yourselves a favour and check them out.

1960's Trade

I shall have to 'sketchercise' more............I figure that's what exercising my sketching muscles would be called. I have been doing some serious knitting for the local charity here for winter warmers, but as the warm weather is setting in I am slowing down a bit with that, so will 'sketchercise' more.

Here are a few of my ATC cards from a recent 1960's themed swap.

I am great Hitchcock fan (pity he didn't win an Oscar himself)

I loved copying this iconic image of Peter Fonda in the poster for 'Easy Rider'

Bewitched was one of my favourite shows in the '60s.


And who could forget the 1960's very funny and campy Batman!
("Holy nightlight Batman!" ......
"To the Batmobile Robin!")


I had a lot of fun trolling through movie and TV
references for this card trade.

Birds and Sketch

I have been doing battle with my Derwents and losing - usually resorting to using my watercolour pencils as a dry medium. I just found the Derwents so scratchy and could not get much colour without what seemed like way too much pressure. So I bought a set of 36 Polychromos and I love them! They are as smooth as butter and they have wonderful lightfastness! Almost too good to be true (I just have to live up to them now lol).

These are done with the new Polychromos for a Drawspace Bird ATC swap.I really could see the difference between the cards that I did with the other pencils and the second half after I got the Poly's. Its amazing what a difference a pencil can make.

Toucan
Sulphur - Crested Cockatoo

Rooster


This is a quick sketch that I did in the 5 mins before I had my physio appt. I loved the way the purple flower spikes curved and trailed..........done with the 6 watercolour pencils and waterbrush that I carry in my bag with the sketchbook.

Naughty

Contrary to popular belief I have not shuffled off this mortal coil.........I just haven't updated the blog.......naughty naughty!

I haven't beeen much of a shutterbug, but I have some pics from my last ATC swap titled Childhood. I hosted this one on Drawspace, as well as a cartoon drawing challenge, so I haven't been totally slack while I haven't been here......

Here are a few of the cards that I did for that swap:

I will be a better blogger and be more consistant with my posts.