June

June was punctuated by workshops, festivals and illness. Winter settled in and all the blankets came out.

Images

When the sounds of possums cast the shadows of nefarious men into my dreams_Day 152 of 365

When you wake to loud noises on the veranda at 3am and realise that anyone who was trying to break in would be much quieter than the possums knocking things over outside your door.

Garden Helper_Movie Still_Day 153 of 365.JPG

When Alby found me lopping the Dracaena’s in the garden, he got a bit upset with me and said that we should keep them because they are nice. I explained that they grew back quickly and we needed to cut them back because the possum was climbing up them to get on the deck and eat his dad’s veggies. I gave him permission to throw the cuttings like spears from the top of the veranda. He had so much fun that he convinced me to trim even more plants so that he could fling them through the air.

Pickleball_Day154 of 365.jpg

A poorly executed attempt at feigning infdifference Day 155 of 365.JPG

Urban Sketching Day 156 of 365.jpg

My first morning with @urbansketchersmaryborough and I had a wonderful time. I took full advantage of the road being closed in the aftermath of yesterday’s food festival and sat in the middle of cherry tree lane to sketch this wonderful building. I met lovely, friendly, enthusiastic sketchers and am sure this is the first of many adventures. This image incorporates my sketch from today with a digital self portrait.

Winter Sun Day 157 of 365.JPG

Winter Dog Day 158 of 365.jpg

Penny spends a lot of time under blankets, in jackets or in the sun during winter.She has a lifestyle that I aspire to.

Winter in Qld_Movie still_Day 159 of 365.JPG

For some reason we like to pretend that it doesn’t get cold here in winter. Whilst it might not be cold compared to other parts of the world, it is still really cold in our poorly insulated poorly heated homes. My house is shaded all day by tall trees and never warms up. When I go inside I put more clothes on than I wear outside. We have one heater that takes a long time to make a difference and I hate to put on. So we layer up and pull out all the quilts and wait for warmer days to return.

Blue Ribbons Day 160 of 365.JPG

This is the first year that Alby’s school has handed out ribbons for their athletics carnival. Alby came home with three first ribbons for the 100 metre, 200 metre and Long Jump. He has received awards before, for over coming adversity and perseverance, but has never won anything. I don’t care that he won, but I love the way that it has made him feel. After school, he waited for his dad to get home so that he could tell him all about sports day. He dragged the story out. Right at the end, he pulled the ribbons out of his pocket - like they were made of gold-and presented them to his dad. My husband quickly met my eyes and we both smiled smiles that reached our hearts before he enthusiastically congratulated his son. The ribbons are still on the kitchen bench and as Alby walked past them this morning he said “ I bet you were surprised to see those”. To which I replied “Not really, I know how fast and strong you are”, he nodded at me and walked away with confident strides.

The intimacy of Winter.Day 161 of 365.JPG

With only one heater in our home, the pull out couch in the family room is being put to good use. We now resemble a multigenerational version of the grandparents in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We have closed off all of the doors to unused rooms and reversed the fans. This is apparently the coldest start to winter for the area in over 100 years and it sure feels like it. Looking forward to next week when things ease.

Long Winter Shadows_Day 162 of 365.jpg

Masterclass Day 163 of 365.jpeg

This weekend I attended a 2 day masterclass of drawing and animation presented by the amazing @fuller_todd with the support of @brgbundaberg I had a wonderful time pushing my personal boundaries. I left today feeling inspired and recharged and full of ideas of how to incorporate different techniques into my practice. We are so lucky to have such wonderful workshops coming to regional Queensland and I am crossing my fingers for many more. This drawing of my Nana’s pinking shears is the final drawing from my animation.