'Sweet Dreams' 2011 pastel 20.5cm x 20.5cm

My latest painting just finished this week.

Kittens are such gorgeous cuddly little things especially when they grow up together. They play hard and fast then fall over in exhausted sleep so this pastel painting was very reminiscent of the time when I fostered kittens. They always looked so snuggly and content asleep so I hope I've captured the mood in this painting.

http://the-pastel-cat-artist.com/my-cat-paintings

Maudy's egg



Maudy's speckled egg

At last Maudy has given us an egg, such a tiny thing with delicate speckles that I can hardly bear to think of eating it. She made such a fuss in the chook house yesterday so I knew something special had happened. When I looked there it was sitting next to the egg Sage gives us every day that is almost twice the size. Perhaps Maudy will always give us these dear little ones because there was another one in the hay today. She seemed so proud of herself and even allowed me to hold her for a while. Being very shy I'm trying to build her confidence so she's not so nervous and already she seems calmer around me, not so nervous happily scratching around my feet.

http://the-pastel-cat-artist.com/my-cat-paintings

Can I be more painterly ?

Most artists get to the stage of wanting their work to look more painterly, well I do and there is, of course, no 'magical' way to suddenly loosen up the way you work. Like everything else in painting it's a goal you have to work at, but one that is achievable through practice and persistence so here are some interesting tips I found to help you on your way to that loose and spontaneous style so many of us aspire to.
Tip 1. Use the 'wrong' hand:If you're left-handed, put your brush in your right hand, and if you're right-handed, put it in your left. It'll feel awkward and you won't be able to paint as precisely as you can with your dominant hand. This lack of co-ordination also means that you can't get into that automatic paint mode where your brain says "I know what an apple [for example] looks like" and you paint an idealistic apple rather than the one in front of you.
Tip 2. Work in the dark:Well, not complete darkness, but in reduced light where you can't see every last bit of detail. Try lighting a still-life with a strong lamp from one side (oblique light). Or if you can't change the light, squint your eyes so the lights and darks in your subject become stronger.
Tip 3. Leave stuff out: This works for me as I'm a 'minimal' artist anyway, preferring to tell a story with the least amount of detail I can get away with.
Our brains are quite adept at filling in missing details, so you needn't put down every single thing. Take a long hard look at your subject, trying to decide which are the essential bits. Put down these only, and then decide whether you want more detail or not. You'll be surprised at how little is necessary to capture the essence of something.
Tip 4. Don't paint outlines: This is a powerful tip to remember and can go a long way to helping you create the 'loose' look.
Objects are three-dimensional, they don't have outlines. If you're unsure about this, look at your body and see if you've got an outline or if you're 3-D. You do have an 'edge' when you look at e.g. your leg, but as you move, so this changes. Instead of drawing an outline (or painting one) and then filling it in, paint the object as a whole.
Tip 5. Let the paint drip:Load your brush with lots of dripping color and let it run down the surface of your painting as you apply it to the 'right' place. Don't tidy up the drips. They add a fluidity.

Are chooks stupid ?

Onion & Christine foraging for worms



 A few days ago when I checked the nesting box I was stunned to see three eggs in the hay so now I know that only one of the chooks has yet to perform ! I suspect it's shy Maudy. Perhaps it's only coincidence but that same morning they were accidentally shut in their quarters until I opened the door for them amid a lot of noisy complaining. Snakes and goannas are a threat so we decided to shut them at night to avoid an attack but they do start to get very vocal especially when they know I'm about. The free ranging experiment has it's drawbacks too. The neighbours rang us concerned because the chooks were at their place on the driveway and clucking loudly when the car horn sounded to get them out of the way, so it seems a better idea to let them out for a shorter time later in the day so they don't have time to wander far before they start to think about roosting for the night. They really are very knowing animals and not at all deserving of the reputation for being stupid. As far as I can see they are pretty smart and learn very fast. They respond to my voice and come when I call them and Onion will follow me to watch whatever I'm doing with a very inquisitive air. Sage actually opened the door of the chook house one morning by picking away at the bolt so to think they are 'bird brained' seems an unfair assessment.
http://the-pastel-cat-artist.com/

'Killer Chook'

Sage has asserted herself to claim her rights in the chicken pen as top chook. For the second time she has attacked a brush turkey in a comical display of territorial dominance when he found his way in to steal food. Having gone to sort out the errant turkey I watched in amazement as Sage went into full attack mode when the turkey panicked and started to run along the pen’s perimeter trying to escape when he saw me. She chased him right out and away from the pen vocalising her displeasure with loud clucking for good measure as the turkey ran for it’s life. She is still the only chook out of the four laying an egg each day which is a bit disconcerting since Christine did start to lay then stopped mysteriously. Having consulted a UK website http://www.thepoultrysite.com/ in the hope of finding some clues about why I discovered it’s not an uncommon problem and the reasons are many and varied so I remain hopeful that given time they will follow the great example of Sage who even gave us an egg in the cat carry box I used to bring them home in. In fact yesterday she gave us an enormous egg that turned out to be a double yolk which thrilled me to bits. http://the-pastel-cat-artist.com/dog-paintings

London calling

Not far from Westminster on the Thames

This is one of my favourite photos of London on our last day in the city before going to Tring in Hertfordshire. Look at that beautiful sky ! It was a magic last day in a city I love being in which is unusual since I’m not a city person. There is something about London that’s compelling though. It’s exciting and huge and there is just so much to see, so many incredibly iconic landmarks of history and such a diverse mix of old and new structures all thrown together and somehow it works. For five days we walked everywhere from St Katherines dock where we stayed. We took the tube almost every day to visit the places on our list. Kensington one day to see the Princess Diana memorial walk and the Natural History Museum then on to Buckingham Palace. Another day we went to Waterloo to see one of the highlights of my whole trip, the annual SOFA cat art exhibition. Such a thrill to see so many brilliant cat artists exhibiting. I just wish I could have been part of it too but we weren’t arriving in the UK at the right time to deliver an artwork unfortunately but it’s definitely on my list of ambitions. The National Portrait Gallery was stunning and featured marvellous exhibition of black and white photographs of the most glamorous Hollywood stars from the past such as Brando Liz Taylor Jean Harlow and Garbo and many more, such nostalgia. At St. Martins I found a ‘to die for’ leather coat I couldn’t resist and a small pewter perfume bottle and venetian bronze lion and marble bowl I had to have. Most nights we staggered home exhausted with only enough energy to pop into the Waitrose downstairs for a formidable choice of fresh and mouth watering foods including my favourite Eccles cakes ? I love the gorgeous buttery flaky pastry wrapped around a sticky centre of currents. http://the-pastel-cat-artist.com/my-cat-paintings

'Dog Tired'

At last I’ve finished this painting ! Months ago I started it, not long before my trip to Paris and the UK then events overtook me and the painting just sat on the easel.  It’s hard to return to an incomplete work especially when it’s been so long. The next painting will be a challenge I know because I want to paint a surrealist work with cats in acrylics. It’s been ages since I used acrylics but the artwork idea I have won’t work in pastels. I just love to work in pastel because it’s the ideal medium for animal portraiture but as an artist I’m driven to keep pushing the boundaries of what I think I can do.
http://the-pastel-cat-artist.com/

'Chook Heaven'



After being confined to their pen for about two weeks I thought it was safe to let the chooks out into the world to free range. They were very excited and rushed out to scratch and explore. For their first outing I waited until mid afternoon so they weren't out too long before it started to get dark. Almost on cue they head for their roosting box as the light disappears from the day so I don't have to go looking for them. Christine is now laying and like Sage allows me to pick her up for a cuddle while Onion and Maudy haven't  managed to lay at all and remain quite nervous. Perhaps they are low ranking chooks because Christine is definitely a leader and has taken to complaining loudly if I don't let them out to free range. I was a bit worried about them annoying the neighbours but fortunately they seem to stay within the boundaries of our garden. In the morning they eagerly greet me for the scraps a good friend brings which they relish even though at first they didn't seem to know what they were. Yesterday I could repay the kindness of the gift of scraps with a half dozen eggs. Oh I get such a thrill collecting those gorgeous little warm eggs.

Our first eggs

What is it that’s so appealing about having chooks and a supply of fresh eggs I wonder ? Apart from the fact that they taste so much better than the bought ones I think it has to do with knowing where your eggs come from. For such a long time I’ve felt uncomfortable every time I put a pack of eggs in the shopping trolley knowing that despite the label saying free range they probably are no such thing. No one can be unaware of the miserable existence of the battery hen. Maybe it’s got a lot to do with our desire to produce or grow our own food the way it used to be before we all got so reliant on supermarkets. Whatever the reason it’s a thrill to visit the chooks each day and see those dear little warm eggs on the hay.

A cat art print sale



'Miko' pastel 30 x 30cm

 Another print sale to a collector in Seattle US and I'm just so pleased. All the effort and hard work of creating websites blogging and general self promotion is paying off at last. Sometimes I've wondered if there really was any point to it all but what I'm learning is that it takes time, that it really doesn't happen overnight but it will happen !
http://the-pastel-cat-artist.com/

The chooks have names

So far only 'Sage'  is laying, and she has given us an egg each day announcing the arrival with low clucking noises. Perhaps Christine, Onion and Maudy will eventually get the idea of what to do from her. We had an episode a few mornings ago when I discovered a young brush turkey in the pen. The chooks weren’t taking the least bit of interest in it until I entered the pen which frightened the turkey because he thought he was cornered. Once he started to panic and run along the inside of the pen two of the chooks chased and attacked him forcing him to take flight out of the pen in terror. Somehow I don't think he'll be back !

The chooks settle in



For the first time since childhood I have some backyard chooks, four of them in fact. They are at the age known as point of lay which is self explanatory I suppose. I collected them from the produce store a week ago using a cat carry box to transport them home and on the way one of them laid an egg so I thought things looked pretty positive. After all why have chooks if they don't give you eggs ?  Having bought a DIY chookhouse on the net and paid a couple of guys to build a platform for it and a pen I thought it would be reasonably straightforward however my husband found that there were bits missing and damaged as he was putting the house together so that meant having to make modifications before we could paint it. After consulting my book about chooks I realised that ensuring the chooks comfort was directly linked to egg production so further changes were necessary before we could relax and wait for our eggs. The chooks seemed to approve of their patch of backyard raking and scratching in the dirt but when night came they inspected the house and decided to find somewhere else to sleep. Before we knew what had happened one had flown over the 2m fence and was running around the perimeter of the yard frantic because it was separated from the others with my husband in pursuit in the half dark. Having eventually caught it and closed them all in the house we realised we'd have to clip their wings in the morning to avoid this unwelcome drama happening again. It's been several days since that episode and we've made a few more home improvements. This morning we've been rewarded with a second egg in the nesting box.



'Jasper' 35 x 25cm pastel SOLD

Wow I sold this original pastel painting of Jasper at a local art exhibition and I'm thrilled. Yesterday I visited the exhibition with friends not expecting that I'd make a sale as today is the last day. Even though I didn't get any prizes it's very encouraging when someone likes my art enough to want to buy the painting and hang it in their home so what better prize could there be than that.
http://the-pastel-cat-artist.com/

A close encounter

King Parrot male

This magnificent bird came to visit our verandah just a few days ago. He was very confident, definitely not shy and willingly perched on my arm to eat sunflower seeds out of my hand. What an incredible encounter it was. Even though we get an amazing variety of bird life where we live it's always thrilling to experience their presence up close and personal like this. As an avid amateur photographer I have a wonderful collection of the beautiful birds that inhabit our part of the world and they are a constant reminder of how fortunate I am to live in Montville.

Paris city of art and romance

Not far from the Arc de Triomphe the world's largest triumphal arch conceived in1806 by Napoleon I where we stayed for three days the streets heaved with crowds of people mostly tourists from every corner of the globe.  It was a fascinating experience to see the incredible mix of history with glamorous people swelling out of cafe's and bars. Paris seems slow to come to life in the morning then as the afternoon approaches the streets and cafe's fill and there is a sense of anticipation in the air as evening approaches. Traffic is chaotic yet in a strange way the drivers all seem to be familiar with what looks absolutely nerve wracking. Lamborghini and Ferrari are everywhere. For the entire three days we were in Paris I walked for miles in my sensible Colorado's looking at the sites. Not being a shoe person I found myself in awe of the incredible variety of gorgeous boots and dizzy heels so many women were wearing not just in Paris but London too. As an artist I was hoping to see evidence of it's artistic history but only saw one genuine artist at work along the Seine and she was working with a pen and wash technique painting lovely old romantic buildings and facades. With limited time we chose to see the Musee de'orsay instead of the Louvre and it was breathtaking to see walls of original Monet's Renoir and Degas to name only a fraction of what was there. So much to see and so little time. A cruise down the Seine was well worth doing for the close view of the Eiffel Tower Notre Dame and many of the other buildings of historical significance. Just three days but we packed a lot into that time before catching the Eurostar back to London.

7 ways to shake up your art schedule !

Now that winter is fast disappearing and we’re all getting back into the same old routine again - you might be feeling a bit stuck in the grind, and worrying that your all-too-well-known timetable is cramping your style, and your creativity.

If any of this sounds familiar, you’ll want to read these top tips for shaking up your schedule. Sometimes, just moving things around a little and making minor alterations to what you’re used to can make the daily routine seem refreshed and new.

1) Make a point of taking a mid-morning/afternoon break. It can be for coffee, a light meal, or even just a walk around. Move about, stretch, and try to leave the studio for a short time. It’s tempting to spend all day working when inspiration strikes, but often a short break will help you get more out of the time.

2) Put time aside for experimentation. This could be with a color that you don’t usually work with, or a material you don’t often use. Alternatively you might be exploring new subject matter or themes. You’ll enjoy the time you spend experimenting, and you’ll go back to your planned work with more energy and, perhaps, more ideas.

3) Swap your scheduled times around. If you generally work with acrylics in the morning and clay in the afternoon, try doing it the other way around. You might be surprised by how much difference that can make to your perspective when you’re engaging in either activity. Small things like this can make a significant difference.

4) Take your work outside. If you’re beginning to find the studio atmosphere oppressive, but don’t want to take a break from work, take your work outside with you. Locate a spot nearby where you can create undisturbed, and where you can get a breath of fresh air at the same time.

5) Schedule in time with friends or family. Interaction with other people will often help you refresh your ideas and thoughts, because of the connection with someone who thinks a bit differently. Also, giving yourself some social time will prevent you feeling isolated or sick of the same four walls – both of which can be problems for artists who generally work alone.

6) Find out what’s on in your local area. There might be an event that is relevant to a project you’re working on, or if there’s something that touches on an area of general interest to you it might give you material for a future project. Plus, similarly to social time, it will get you out of the studio environment, and help you take time to rearrange your thoughts.

7) Consider new ways to market your work. This is important to your career anyway, if you’re a professional artist, but it will also help you to clarify certain things about your work in your own mind. In addition, if you decide to build your portfolio, present work at an art fair, accept a new commission or anything of this nature, you will have a new project – and a new deadline – to work around. This can be both motivating and rejuvenating.
http://the-pastel-cat-artist.com/

Overcoming artsits block

Have you ever experienced the dreaded creative block, that horrible feeling you can't shake that you'll never produce a single decent artwork again ? Yes I have it but I'm putting it down to having to get myself aligned again and back into the thread of normal life after a month overseas. Well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it ! Here are some wonderful tips that made me feel better about my current state of inertia, maybe they will help you because it's not just creative block, sometimes it a life block where you just can't get motivated to do anything.

Beating Artist’s Block Tip 1:
It's the fear of not being able to do it that is making you feel you've lost your inspiration. To get rid of the fear, you must approach your painting as if it were a job and DO IT.
Beating Artist’s Block Tip 2:
Force yourself to set a goal of ‘X’ number of paintings. Copy if you must, use kitchen tools as models if you must, but simply getting into the paint itself will begin to inspire you, even if you don't like the subject matter. There's always something to learn.
Beating Artist’s Block Tip 3:
Change media. If acrylic, go to oil. If oil, go to printmaking.
Beating Artist’s Block Tip 4:
Search for new painters on the web, using Google's image search. Go to galleries. Try to find an artist who's doing something that appeals to you, something that the voice inside you says, "I could do that" or "I'd like to be able to do that." Secure an image and copy it to find out what that artist did and how. Then think about recombining ideas.
Beating Artist’s Block Tip 5:
Play the "what if?" game. What if I painted this old subject matter on a tire? What if I put together a still life of bricks? How can I use a new material, a new subject matter, a new style. Be wild in your considerations.
Beating Artist’s Block Tip 6:
Remember that everyone has fallow periods. I don't consider them really fallow, just the subconscious taking a breather and getting ready to take a different direction.
Beating Artist’s Block Tip 7:
Check out some books on creative thinking to give you a jolt.
Beating Artist’s Block Tip 8:
Take a trip to somewhere you've never considered, even if it's only to a local town you've never explored. Always take a sketchbook, everywhere you go. Or a digital camera. Imagine yourself a Lilliput or a giant to change your perspective.
Beating Artist’s Block Tip 9:
Keep a journal of drawings and writings for a month. Pick something from the journal to paint. Review it in six months or a year.
Beating Artist’s Block Tip 10:
Compile a scrapbook of family portraits -- not just faces, but each family member doing something typical -- a ‘candid’ sketch with writing about the person, the time, your impressions. Keep it in a journal for your kids' kids.
Beating Artist’s Block Tip 11:
Go to a senior citizen center and draw the people there. Talk to them about their life stories. Try to express your response in mixed media using copies of their old photographs, etc.
Beating Artist’s Block Tip 12:
Take a class that forces you to produce in a structured environment.

Where does the time go ?

Just back from a month overseas and how wonderful it’s been not to have to blog, spend hours sitting at the computer problem solving website issues, getting frustrated with it all and wondering why would anyone choose to spend time in such a fruitless pastime. Here I am doing all those things again my first day working and why ? well I chose to change my wordpress theme. It looked good until I tried to find where my blogs had gone only to realise my archives were only apparent on some of my pages and not all of them. Being away from the computer gives you a whole other perspective on the amount of time most of us spend looking at one and my personal strategy from now on is to spend a lot less time on it and more on my art. The first thing I did was clean up and unsubscribe from any unnecessary mail, then left some facebook groups and suddenly there is a lot less in the inbox and more time available since I don’t have to deal with all that useless stuff. What about the ‘funny’ emails friends send ? well I’m going to delete them all but I’m thinking of writing to everyone and asking nicely if they could take me of their list of recipients and hope no one is offended.

4th place winner

I'm really pleased to have won 4th place in an online art exhibition recently.........

Our theme for the August Art Competition was “Seasons”. The submission process and competition for the artists began in the middle of July and ended on August 29, 2011. We received 394 entries from 13 different countries from around the world, including the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Poland, Croatia, Russia, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hungary, Romania, Greece and Denmark. In addition, we had entries from 21 different states. We received a broad selection of media including, watercolors, oils, acrylics, collage, digital art, fabric, photography, mixed media, ink, charcoal and pencils. Overall, we tried to include these different media and styles. We believe that the show is representative of this as well.

Due to the volume and the quality of the entries received this month we also included 55 artists who were chosen for Special Recognition. The artists in this group could have easily been included in the upper tier of our winners, as their art is exceptional. In addition, most of the artists who were not chosen could have easily received Special Recognition awards, as their art was also outstanding. We hope that you will take the time to also enjoy their beautiful art work too.

http://www.lightspacetime.com/exhibitions/current-art-exhibition-seasons/
http://the-pastel-cat-artist.com/

The Cat Retreat

They don't know it yet, but today we take the cats to their holiday home. It will probably be a bit emotional leaving them but they will be in safe caring hands I know. Rueben will take things in his stride as he always does even if he is a bit perplexed by what's going on. Fergus will probably be quite upset and we know Sasha will be spare for at least a couple of days, hiding under her blanket. I think they know something is going on because they keep creeping into the room where our suitcases are. Leaving on holiday is so exciting and my second trip to the UK,  I can't wait to get on the plane. There is something liberating about leaving responsibilities at home, no meals to cook, no cats to feed, no house to clean, oh yes !

Echidna not a cat !

Just a couple of days ago I spotted this little critter on the edge of the carpark when we pulled in. It's the first time I've seen one not in captivity. Those sharp spines are the only thing he has to defend himself with and yet he let me get very close and even touch him gently on the back. The Echidna is one of Australia's native animals and features on our 5¢ coins. He appeared to be in good health and it was thrilling to get this picture to add to my collection of animal photographs.

Brave Women

Just a few days ago I ran into a friend I haven't seen in a long time. Only weeks ago I'd heard that her husband had died which was quite shocking since he was only in his 60's. I knew he'd gone to hospital for surgery and when I couldn't make contact I knew instinctively something was wrong. Childhood sweethearts they'd been together 47 years. She told me she'd struggled to nurse him at home to the end after a diagnosis of cancer in his bladder and lymph nodes. Life can seem so cruel at times and listening to her story I was struck by how brave she was in the face of overwhelming sadness, and wondered not for the first time about the incredible spirit some people have. We laughed and joked and made irreverent fun while she told me what had happened and I found myself amazed at her capacity to still have a sense of humour after the loss  she and her family had endured. She has battled cancer herself on and off for at least 25 years. Where I wonder do they get the strength to go on ? She says she can't fall apart because she doesn't want to burden her family. Now she lives with her daughter and son in law who have supported her through this ordeal and she is getting back into her art once again, a therapy I guess. I salute all those brave women out there.

A dog print sale !

I'm so pleased ! why ? well I've just received notification of my first print sale that's why and I'm pretty chuffed ! There is an irony in it though. Mostly I'm known as an artist who paints cats but my first print sale is a dog. Her name is 'Chilli' and she was a commissioned surprise Xmas gift for lovely couple from the UK.

All my artworks are for sale in print on Fine Art America and given how many artists show their work on the site I'm thrilled to have this sale. May there be many more.

Bird for lunch ?

Lorikeet lunch

If only.....

Yum I can almost taste what those lorikeets would be like if I could just catch one. What a torment they are, teasing me with their ceaseless chatter, splashing water everywhere, and giving me cheek. Yeh, I nearly had one the other day but mum stepped in and saved it, gee it was close. Silly thing flew down onto my deck so what was I supposed to do ? I did what any self respecting cat would do and grabbed it, the opportunity was just too good to pass up, but I'm still young and inexperienced so when mum rushed out, I let it go and she picked it up and threw it into the air. A confetti of soft downy feathers was all I had to console myself with, at least until next time and there will be a next time.

Cat's seal of approval

At last the tradies have gone and life has returned to normal so now we can enjoy the new deck.  Wow it's fabulous !  So nice to stretch out on in the winter sun for a sleep, watch the birds, and dream about what mum is preparing for us for dinner. She owes us big time after all the upheavel and indignity we've suffered while the renovations were happening. We know it's not over yet, there will be more days locked out of the house waiting in the studio while the new floor gets laid, so we are making the most of this small interval of peace and normality to soak up the toasty warmth of the timber deck......ahhh life's good !

Sasha enjoys the sun

Fergus test driving the deck

Rueben likes the view





A trip to the vet

To add insult to the cat’s injury at having to endure the chaos of our renovations I took them to the vet for their vaccinations this morning. Necessary preparations for their little ‘holiday’ at the cattery while we are overseas. We haven't told them about that yet. Howling and wailing in protest all the way worse was to come when the dreaded thermometer was inserted, oh the indignity of it all. So now I'm the worst bitch on the planet.

It was probably a sign that it was going to be the day from hell for them when I got there. The resident tabby tomcat came out to check their credentials giving each of them a thorough sniffing through the bars of their cat carry box. Tom the vet pronounced all to be healthy so back home to the hammering drilling and tradies coming and going. The day will soon be over, the workers gone so time for dinner and a well deserved stretch out in front of the fire.

The cats are definitely cheesed off about being locked out of the house while renovations are going on. Not that they have been turfed outdoors mind you, just out to their night time quarters which also doubles as my studio. They aren't impressed at this disruption to their otherwise serene existence, in fact neither am I at having to share my studio space with the cats during the day while I try to escape the din of drilling and hammering in the house. Not sure what's worse, listening to the wailing and complaining of Rueben as he loudly voices his persistent protest or the hammering. It's only been days, but it feels like weeks trying to maintain a normal routine when everything is anything but normal as our deck gets replaced, a new fireplace goes in, and finally new flooring and if we aren't divorced by then, maybe we can find the energy to face an external paint job as well. At least Fergus has given up trying to climb the glass door every time the carpenter drills timber in the carport beside the studio. Sasha stoically climbs into her bean bag in resignation and stays there most of the day, but by tea time she's had enough, growling and snarling at the others while she waits with growing annoyance for her dinner. And if all this disturbance to their life isn't bad enough, the carpenter brings his old dog with him. Thank god for glass doors otherwise blood would've been shed the first day when they eyeballed each other. As much as I love them all, our overseas trip can't come quick enough when I can leave all this behind me for a blessed month. Should I feel guilty ?

How do I write an art theme ?

Have you ever wanted to enter an art exhibition then baulked when you had to write a response to a theme ?
Well I'm baulking now at the thought of having to respond to this....
The theme for 2011 is: Connection. Artists are asked to respond to the theme, exploring particularly how the idea of ‘connection’ relates to their lives and people and/or places of regional and remote Queensland communities. 
I found this article helpful....
http://emptyeasel.com/2006/11/27/the-importance-of-writing-a-clear-artist-statement/

Rueben is 15

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~ Anatole France

About 5 years ago the vet said he wouldn't make old bones and despite having wobbly back legs it's Rueben's birthday and he's 15. Old cats are a bit like old people, often needy, wanting more cuddles, a bit clingy and sometimes fretful. What will life be like when he's gone ? Just too empty to imagine and I find myself thinking about it more as each year passes. How do words describe the companion he's been all these years. Impossible. His character is larger than life itself and he's smarter than any cat is supposed to be and I'll  miss him dearly.

Abstracts Art Exhibition – July 2011

Abstracts Art Exhibition – July 2011

This is truly inspirational stuff for abstract artists, in fact all artists. We need visual stimulation to fire our own ideas, I know I do. Even though my works could be described as realistic I can still feel a thrill looking at artworks like these. The use of vibrant colour  and wonderful shapes fire the creative juices and as artists we can all benefit even if we don't create abstracts. It surely must be challenging to conceive an artwork from within that has no reference in reality and to rely on shape colour and texture to tell your story.

It's a Dog's Life

A new day a new painting. Does he look like the most relaxed pooch you've ever seen ? I thought so and just had to paint him. Using a very limited colour palette of pastels on blue paper I want to capture this scene of utter abandonment to the afternoon siesta. The finished painting will be about 40 x 40cm. It's always exciting to look forward to the process of creating a new painting especially when the subject has as much personality as this wonderful dog.