Under and over the bridge we go...

puffing billy steam train

Because who doesn't love photos of sweet dogs and magical steam trains, hehe!

On my desk...

A little glimpse of what I'm working on at the moment.... :)

And finally, the last...

"Revontulet - fox fires"

"Voyage to sky Mountain"

"The Traveller's daughter"

 

"For those we love"

More from the journey

More from the exhibition -sketchy this time... except for the first two, these are all quite small, postcard size.

"Spirit of Song and Fire"

"Beyond"

.

"A seafaring spirit"

"Bahia"

"Far from Home"

"Field dweller"

"Flower child"

"Keep going"

"Meesha"

"Out of the dusk"

"River child"

"Rupa"

"Sentinel"

"Spirits of earth and sky"

"To the emperor's Ball"

"To the green wood"

"Tree spirit"

into the hills and around a corner

We visited the Alfred Nicholas Gardens this morning (can't believe that it's only 5mins drive away!)

A must see if your ever up in this area. My photos really don't convey the strange beauty of the place - I find it a rather beautiful but silently spooky place, the gardens are so vast and whenever we've been there rather empty of people and for some reason I find the giant vacant art-deco mansion that shares the land really quite disturbing... but really, probably just because it's so huge and so very empty at the moment.

 

lovely, lovely gates

the famous, much photographed boat house

down at the lake area

 

a section of spooky, empty Burnham Beeches- designed for the very wealthy Alfred Nicholas (1881 - 1937)

 

The front of the house in 1947, pic from here

tiny ponds near the house - love that red

we went for a little 'off-track' walk - how spooky is this water pump house! such a gremlin habitat!

ok, this was actually how she was sitting for a few minutes, looks so comfy...??

Fun had by all, love the fact that it's dog friendly place :)

To the Mountains we go

Goodbye little house in the glen, we're hill folk now...

"Up high all the birds have flown away, 

A single cloud drifts off across the sky.

We settle down together, never tiring of each other,

Only the two of us, the mountain and I"

                                      - T'ang Dynasty poet Li Po

                       

bye, bye yellow house

Hello house with the little blue door

                                                                             ***

Well, it actually happened quite a while ago...October in fact, but well, I must have sloth blood running in my veins...
We now live up in the Dandenong Ranges outside of Melbourne, and it's a beautiful place to be. I've finally found a place where I feel like I'm part of a community, and it's one that's also artistic, musical and creative :)

We're in Belgrave, home of the magical puffing billy steam train (I love hearing the train's hooting echoing across the hills) in a little cottage on the side of a hill, with a rambling garden that really needs a bit of love right about now, with fat possums in the trees (and galloping across our roof just when your on the verge of sleep..!) ancient sounding white and black cockatoos, echidnas in the gully's and platypus's in the creeks (well, I hope so..) and if recent reports can be believed, a black puma or two roaming the hills, eep!
But really rather delightful!

Earthy Pleasures Cafe - yummy - I think this is the oldest building left in the centre of Belgrave. Can be quite spooky on a dark and rainy night

new front yard for Jools

ok, so this one's from back in glen iris, but isn't she a sweetie?

Love, love! :)

Glimpses from an exhibition

So, I have a lot to catch up with but first up I want to give a big fat hug to Cj and Brent of Limerence boutique for making my exhibition over December and January such a great success, thanks guys!!
I also want to say a huge thank you to all you beautiful people who bought works from the exhibition - you are wonderful, wonderful people! thank you!
Over the next few posts I'm going to share some of the work from the show. Some of these works will be (hopefully soon!) available as lovely limited edition giclee prints- when that happens I'll let you know.
I didn't get nearly as much completed as I originally planned, but the works filled up the space beautifully which is the main thing. I'm currently planning and painting another exhibition to include all those not finished in time!

"Voyage to Sky Mountain"

"The stopping place"

"To the sea we go"

The start of my year shall begin in May!

Well....where have the last few months gone....? Oh dear, again I am saying that! But no more! I'm making May the start of my year. No more floating around wishy-washy like, I'm getting orgainised and getting things done, yay!
I think part of my problem lately has been the lack of deadlines. I've been having a little break from illustrating lately to focus more on my personal work, and I must say, I've definitely had trouble focusing. I never realised before how a deadline really gets me working! Ahh hopeless and ridiculous am I!

Anyhoo, I've many things to share in the coming little while - finished books, a painted harp, exhibition paintings, phew, the list goes on...hmmm I guess I have been busy after all!

For now, here's a painting from a few years back but one that I've only recently gotten around to having scanned, about time I think :)

                                                   "The gift of Time to the Red King" 2009