Thursday Thoughts...

Living well is an art that can be developed: a love of life and ability to take great pleasure from small offerings and assurance that the world owes you nothing and that every gift is exactly that, a gift. 

Maya Angelou

This one seems to be all about the whole point and purpose of life to me.

Living well... I think so many of us try to do that across all aspects of our life - we try to eat well, exercise, be calm, be kind, work hard but not too hard...

And then to realise that the small offerings of each and every day are gifts to us, to add to the joy, satisfaction and meaning of our lives.  That a life is better when we can pay attention to the delicate things, and the fleeting instances. When we can take the time to pause and celebrate the moments.

I like that Maya says its an art that can be developed. It's not magic that happens upon us; it's an approach we can take into each day, and hopefully get better at as we go along.

Loving life and taking great pleasure from small offerings...

The most beautiful pebble, Isle of Harris, 2016

Garden loveliness

We have received some welcome rain lately and the garden is glorying in it; even tho we are turning towards Autumn and things should be slowing down, and almost drifting off to sleep.

I was looking at the orchids the other day and focussed on the peace post that supports one end of their wall. I did the letters; and Barry carved them int the post.

It has gathered some beautiful lichen and it is ageing graciously.

And then the orchids...being so generous with their beauty right now...

And a violet masquerading as an orchid...

And the basil which needs trimming and de-heading but I just can't bring myself to do it because the bees are all over the flowers and I find it so hard to say no to the bees!

I think pesto is on the cards for this week sometime nonetheless.

Pebbles and preparations

I found a bit of time in the studio  and was able to start making some more pebbles, again in preparation for our open Studio in a few week's time.  Whilst this time I will be showing a lot of my higher end work; I also like to have around some small items that folk can take home as a memento of the visit kind of thing.

So it was down to selecting pebbles...

And writing out the missing letters.

Almost ready to be sprayed with their varnish, then packaged up ready to ell.

 Over the weekend Barry and I held a Garage Sale, as the final step in cleaning up and clearing out the house. We had spent each day in January clearing, culling and cleaning and had given plenty of stuff away; but decided the last few items were worth a Garage Sale, with the proceeds going to two women's support services.

We sorted and stored everything in the studio on Friday; clearly no art work could be done!

Advertised for a 7am start; the first folk were coming down the drive at 6am.  I turned them around and we were ready to go again at 6.20am. It was dim and darkish still...

Not the best day for a Garage Sale - the first white-out day in months and months, with mizzle and drizzle and mist.

We had a great day all up tho - everything has found a new home (one carload to the tip-shop, some books to a community book sale and some crockery to the Neighbourhood Centre) and we raised a generous amount to be shared between our two women's services so that was great!

Just towards the end this fellow popped in to check out any last tit-bits.

Thursday Thoughts...

“Of course, there will always be those who look only at technique, who ask ‘how’, while others of a more curious nature will ask ‘why’. Personally, I have always preferred inspiration to information.” 

Man Ray

The conundrum of art and explaining it!  I have to own up to being part of the spectrum of people who ask how? and what? I love process; I love understanding how people do things and put together different materials and techniques.  I get onto that journey and wander down that path and really enjoy the enquiry.

On the other hand I am always interested in the story - I want to know the motivation, the notions, the ideas, the expression; why this piece? in this way?  So I think I fall pretty much along the length of the spectrum - fascinated by both the why? and the how?

Showing some of the 'how.'..but oh, the 'why' is so precious here as well...

More Daily Words

Part of my busy studio weekend time was making a couple mores sets of Daily Words cards.  I include 70 words and they are written in the colours of the rainbow - Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo Purple.

I do love the look of my faithful old watercolour palette.

I have typed out the 70 words, but have to colour code them so that I don't just do all the 'A' words in Red for example; the alphabet and the colours need to be mixed!

An upside down rainbow kind of look...

Barry and I are holding an Open Studio over the Easter weekend 10am - 4pm on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 April and these cards are part of my preparation for the two days.

They come in their own pouch and the idea is that you pop them bowl, and select a word each day - we do a similar ritual at our place and its always interesting to reflect or ponder on the word as we work out how it will guide our day; or how we will incorporate it into our day.

Ten words in each colour, hand-written in watercolours on 300gsm watercolour paper. Each card is trimmed to 5cm x 1.5cm.

A working weekend

I managed to corral a bunch of time in the studio over the weekend; and had set aside a number of tasks to get through. It felt good to get a commission completed, and almost out the door; as well as play catch up on a few things.

A number of those small things that had been hanging over my head, have now been sorted and can be ticked off the list.  One of my absolute favourite things - ticking off my list!

Nothing really major, just lots of satisfactory completion.

In amongst it all was some more printing of kindness, hope and care cards, so that everybody who has let me know their address can now receive a pack.

I just love the edges...

I added a few more "Thinking of You..." cards to my pile; they are honestly my go-to card for so many things these days; I always have a stash on hand.

Even if some of them seem to be missing their middles a bit; I kind of like the variegated look!

And to finish, a beautiful bunch of "thank-you" from a studio visitor on Saturday - such happiness in this bunch!

Thursday Thoughts...

“We should read to give our souls a chance to luxuriate”. 

Henry Miller

I am finding myself in one of those peak times - where I seem to have a myriad of projects on the go: activities, teaching, festivals, commissions, renovations, garage sales, open studios and work-work; all of which need me to focus on them!  None of them get a really good focus I must say and as result my head is full and feels a little bit like spinning.

These words leapt out at me today in the sense of how absolutely gorgeously they described that state of luxury - of having time to read, to soak in a book, and to just be entranced, bewitched and taken away by one.

Reading does indeed give our souls a chance to luxuriate and I can feel the tug towards a book...

Who wouldn't want to sit on the deck and read a good book here?
Last January, Bay of Islands, NZ. My soul was luxuriating...

Inside flowers

We have had one of the driest summer on record here - 97% of our State is drought-declared and we are all missing our usual sub-tropical downpours.

Today we got some respite from the dry as the mist and drizzle and gentle rain returned.

It made it quite dark in the house even in the early afternoon, and I couldn't help taking these photos of our dining table looking out to the valley (which is hiding in the mist a bit).

It certainly wasn't the day for wandering outside and looking at things; and we have had workmen over in the studio for a day or two replacing doors and the like so I have been somewhat housebound.

Nonetheless I discovered there were plenty of flowers inside the house...

My dad sometimes lends us his orchids - this beautiful one has the subtlest of vanilla fragrances and is lovely to have around.

A small print of Christmas bush by local printmaker Julie Hanrahan, sits on top of a Ken Munsie and below a Ronnie Tjampinjimpa at our entrance. I have always loved the reflection of the red lines between the two artworks; and the flowers sit happily amongst the lines.

In a niche nearby are local ceramicist Shannon Garson's wee magnolia vases.

And in the office is this framed print,a gain by Julie Hanrahan.
I commissioned her to create a print to celebrate my mum's life. At the time her death we all planted gardenias and I was able to give this print to my family and friends...mum dad and the three kids.

So, lots of flowers everywhere really! They make you smile on a grey old day. Friday is booked for getting to the studio, fingers crossed.

The best laid plans...

As they say, the best laid plans...

 I had a full on week and kept pushing it Saturday doing heaps so that I could have Sunday free for a day of printing. More cards, and some extra things I could do while inked up.

Woke early Saturday with a minor migraine - worked my way through it; woke again on Sunday with a crunching one. Thought about it and decided I really wanted to print, so yep I'd take some medication. 

Which then walloped me some more but differently, and sent me to my bed, where I pretty much stayed for the day.

 I managed to do nothing but address some envelopes and pop some cards into them.

 At least that felt like a little bit of progress…

 Printing to be continued.

And then I managed to pop stamps on them all -- heading this way and that.

And the stamps reminded me so much of a bunch of flowers we gathered on Saturday morning from down the back..

Australian native flowers are such wonderful and weird things!