As always, life has been busy, busy. I think I'll have to employ a housemaid (wishful thinking of course). While my stippled flower drawings are selling on ebay, I'm continuing to put my spare time in to them. This is my latest one -- another Rose penned in Pink and Orange, which gives a Deep Salmon colour -- different but really effective.

A Rose and a Tulip.

On Wednesday I travelled to Kapunda in the Barossa Valley to a China Painting Workshop, which was really enjoyable, and it was great to see a lot of my China Painting friends also attending. The Demonstrator of the day showed us how she paints "quick" Roses -- quick for her, but mostly not so quick for those following her method. I think I'll have to practice her method, as they are somewhat different to the way I have done them in the past.

I haven't managed to get any other painting done since Monday, but I have enjoyed drawing two new little coloured Pen and Inks. I really am addicted to Pointillism/Stipple, so I get a lot of pleasure from these little drawings. I have finished another Rose, this time a Red one, and I've also tonight finished a Tulip in Orange, Red and Yellow. I enjoyed both, but the Tulip was more of a challenge, as it is one of the Images in the Monthly Miniature Challenge on WetCanvas. I chose to pen it with stipple rather than paint it. In real life it is actually more vivid than the scan shows, and the colours of the Tulip are really pretty. They both measure 3.5x2.5" and are penned with Micron and Triplus pens. They are both currently on ebay.

Technical Plate with Bird Design.

It's been another really busy day. I went to Art Group from 10 a.m. to 1.30 p.m., and really enjoyed it, as I started a new painting and so far it's going along fine. My brother lives in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory and he sent me a lot of great photos of well known places in and around the Alice. The one I started today is Simpson's Gap, which I know has been painted a million or more times by various artists, but I really love his photo and the lovely sprawling tree that stands in front of where the Rock Formations almost meet at ground level.
I'll be sure to post it when it's finished. After Art I went shopping, and then to visit my parents for the remainder of the afternoon, so it was a busy, but very fulfilling day. Tonight I've caught up on a bit of correspondence, and also 'phoned my handyman to give him a reminder that he hasn't pruned my Roses yet, and the lawns need mowing. Next week he says -- if he doesn't hurry up, the Roses will be shooting before they're pruned.

Tonight I'm adding a photo of a 10" Porcelain Plate I've painted with a Technical Design, and a bird in the centre of the plate. If you look closely, you will see that the lighter swirly band around the plate is covered in Mother-of-Pearl, which is something a really enjoy working with

Teddies in the Pink.

It's been another busy day, but in a somewhat different way. I just haven't left the computer all day, which can sure be mentally tiring. I had a Newsletter to write for one of our China Painting Magazines, and of course the due date is nearly here, so I had to get myself in to gear today and do something about it. Anyway, fortunately I'm pleased with the way it's coming together.

I'm also trying to decide what to paint next, as I want to get it underway before Art Group on Monday. At this moment I think a photo my brother sent me of the Finke River running through Palm Valley in the Northern Territory may just be taking first place.

The photo tonight is of the second Teddy Bears Commission I painted, but this one had to have a Pink background. I wanted it to be just a little bit different, so I used slightly some alternate colours for the bears. Unfortunately it's not quite true to colour as the background is more of a soft Plum Pink.

Orange/Yellow Rose in Pointillism/Stipple.

Another busy day -- lots of shopping to be done for my parents and myself. The way food is increasing in price at the rate of knots, we won't be able to afford to eat before long. Well, it certainly does make one think when Bananas are $1.25 each and going up more and more each week. I guess we won't starve though.
I finished another small Rose Drawing today, so will post it now. It's a little 3.5"x2.5" one (like the preceding two) and penned with Orange, Yellow and Red Micron Pens. I'm addicted to these little stippled Rose Drawings!!!!!!!!!!!

Red Rose in Pointillism

Had another very busy day today, but a great one. Monday is the day I go to Art Group, where around 14 Artists gather and paint together for about 4 hours. It's great to see everyone's paintings evolve -- all totally different subject matter and a variety of mediums. Today we had Artists painting in Oils, Acrylics, Watercolours, Pastels and Pen and Ink. The subjects were also varied with Cottage and Street Scenes, Seascapes, Portraits, Landscapes and I finished a painting of Teddy Bears on a Pink background for a baby girl's Nursery. I'll try to get a photo of it tomorrow and post in my next blog.
After we finished, one of ladies from the Group and I went to our Art Store and had a buy up of new canvases, as they were out on Special. I am a total sucker for buying canvases, as is the friend I went shopping with today. We then sat and talked over a cappucino and a yummy iced apple square each (they were huge!!), so I didn't feel like a very big tea tonight.
From there I went to visit my parents, and finally arrived home just before dark.
Tonight I watched a DVD I recently bought about Royal Worcester China which was so interesting, especially when it showed the artists working in the big Studio. I'm a big lover of Royal Worcester China, and would dearly love to get loose in their Seconds Shop. I think it's just as well it's 12,000 miles away from me, or I'd always be stoney broke.
I also finished off a small Pen and Ink piece today -- a Red Macro Rose in Pointillism/Stipple. I do so enjoy stippling macro Roses. This one measures 3.5"x2.5", and I have just listed it on ebay. The Pink Rose I posted a couple of nights ago is also on ebay, and has a bid at the required starting price, so I'm very happy about that.

Emu Egg Clock.

Sunday today, and it's been very busy. This afternoon was especially interesting, as I had to go to a wonderful little Historic Town by the name of Mintaro, just 19 kms from where I live, and every time I go there, I see something else I haven't seen before. It is only a very small town, but well spread out, and the entire town is officially a National Trust Historic Township. There are some of the most wonderful old Buidings in this little town that you could ever wish to see. Mintaro also boasts the beautiful Martindale Hall -- a two-storey Mansion that was moved from England to Mintaro in the late 1800s -- every single stone and every single part of the indoors of the building. It was re-built again in Mintaro, just as it had been in England. The Movie "Picnic at Hanging Rock" was partly filmed in this beautiful building -- all of the inside scenes were filmed here, with the girls in the film running up and down the magnificent staircase etc.
Today I took a little drive around the town and took some new photos, which I hope to use in my painting and penwork in coming months -- all buildings except for one exception. Right by the side of the road in a paddock in the centre of the town was a colony of Kangaroos. Three of them were close enough to photograph, and thankfully they were so quiet that they just sat up and looked at me. One was a great Big Red -- a real boomer, and so beautiful. One was a smaller grey, and the other one was a partly grown grey. What a great little drive it was, with so much to take in, and some new ammo for my art.

Today I'm adding some photos of a Clock I made using an Emu Egg. I cut two doors at the front with a dentist's diamond drill in a B&D Drill, in which is set the clock front. I cut one large door at the back to fit the clock batteries and for easy access to change them. Incidentally the doors are all hinged so they will open and shut quite easily. It was a lot of intricate work, but I have always loved "fiddly" work.

One photo shows the front of the Clock with the doors closed, one shows the front with the doors open, and one shows the back of the clock with the door shut (where the batteries are housed). The Clock Movement is German, and keeps perfect time.