30 July 2007







Some more views of the drawing desk to show
you today.
I like this desk as it's surface area is roomy
enough to hold all my materials
and it is very sturdy and well built.
This is actually an old Australian Post Office desk and
it shows some evidence of it once having shelves
which we didn't acquire. The shelves on top
are actually made of cheap wood which I then
painted and stained to match the desk.
I'm very much a do-it-yourself type person.



Another unfinished journal entry
for the month of August.
When I paint from nature I paint what I see
and that includes all the flaws
ie; parts eaten away by insects, broken parts, diseases...
all very real and not to be hidden away.
I did however manipulate this study
and added a lower leaf to give stability
to the composition.



A sample of the beautiful
'Eucalyptus leucoxylon 'Rosea'.
Such an exquisite little flower
how could any artist resist capturing it
in some form or other.


17 July 2007

From the beach to the snow - Australia's rich diversity...








Had a great day out over the school holidays and took a
trip up to Mt. Donna Buang with my sister Joanne and her baby.
( Joanne hello! I know you're out there. Time to post a comment.)
Of course, I was in my element taking pictures
here and there with my new toy so here are the results.
Mt. Donna Buang, near Warburton in Victoria as about
a one and a half drive from Melbourne -
closer than our first choice, Lake Mountain which is
abundant in snow but also tourists.
We were very lucky on the day as it had not snowed for a few days,
and we were all thrilled when it started to snow heavily while we
were there. This was the first time for our little girls.





The last time I went to Mt. Donna Buang
was in the spring of last year,
and if you have the nerve, you can climb this
tower to the top (seen in the background, below)
From here you can see far into the distance the
surrounding alps of the Great Dividing Range
and even the city of Melbourne. On a clear day the
view is spectacular, the blue grey hues of the mountains
disappearing into the hazy distance as far as the eye can see.
One feels as though they were at the top of the world.
On this day though, only the tree tops were visible
at close range.






It was freezing up here at Mt. Donna Buang.
My son Ambrose, always one for stats, informed us
that the temperature was -0 degrees.
I had to take off my gloves in order to get these pictures
and after 5 minutes exposed to the cold, they were
already numb and tingling .
Though very cold, being there was in a sense cosy.
I say that because one can imagine all the forest creatures
surrounding us, out of view but hidden away in burrows
trying to keep warm.








Before coming home we stopped off at Warburton
for a hot chocolate and muffin around a cosy fire at
one of the local cafes. A wander around the township
as you do, picked up some home-made soaps and back home
for a warm cuppa of 'Billy Tea'.
That evening, the children, feeling inspired, made
paper cut-outs of snowflakes as they had seen
in the shop windows at Warburton.
A very fine day indeed!