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