I made a book today. It was an assignment for computers so it’s filled with altered portraits that I done over the past couple of years.  The tutor did an excellent job of explaining how to do the book binding. Of course I didn’t listen to a word of it so I had to watch a wonderful American lady on you-tube. They both made the whole exercise look easy but I can assure you it isn’t. There were scalpels and large needles involved, no blood (thank god) but sweat…it’s 36 degrees outside today. It’s one of those things, like quilting or dress making, that’s all the the prep and should involve measuring carefully. That’s probably why all the pages are jiggly.  I’m fairly pleased with the result though. 

Happy Halloween! I just love Halloween in Australia, it’s a complete non-event. The kids try to get excited about it but there’s no atmosphere because it usually marks to first truly beautiful, summery weekend of the year. Here we have a little ghost and a “biting fairy” ( that’s an excuse to dress up as a fairy… but a little bit scary) practicing flying down the newly established grass bank in the garden. We had a couple of trick-or-treaters this year. It made me realise what a safe area we’ve chosen to live in. I studied in Liverpool, England and believe me Halloween was something you had to be prepared for, or risk getting flour thrown in your face or a brick through the window. These two kids came to the door yesterday and politely apoligised for disturbing me. I felt I should tell them ‘No, no no, that’s not how you do it… I should be fearing for my life and throwing sweets at you to make you go away.’

Changing the subject completely now. Here’s a fabulous picture of two of our news chooks expertly painted by my youngest child. Their names are Salt and Pepper – that’s why they have salt and pepper pots in front of them…. obviously.

And here are a couple of life-drawing pictures. I’m really sad that the college term has finished and I will have to generate my own discipline to keep up the drawing practice. This life-drawing model is one of my absolute favorites. He’s big, hairy, tattooed and pierced all over. Really great to draw.

Last week was the Mount Eliza Art Exhibition. They ran a competition for the first time called ‘Bringing Words to Life’. The author of Nim’s Island, Wendy Orr, supplied a poem and all the artists were invited to respond to it visually. She was also one of the judges. I was thrilled when she announced my picture as the winning entry as so many of the others were really beautiful and apt. It’s the first time I’ve ever won anything.

Here’s the poem:

‘….if there’s nothing inside, it wouldn’t hurt so much: there must be someone doing the crying. I write it one last time.

I am
Peeling like an onion,
Shedding papery protection,
and superficial skin –
tearing, skinning, ripping off the layers –
the firm and curving flesh
of what onions used to be –
Peeling onions makes me cry.
Shrinking down to nothing,
my shells are disappearing
and there’s nowhere left to hide.
But under all the layers
- a tiny green shoot sprouting -
I’m growing from inside.’

By Wendy Orr

This is an old girls annual I picked up a while ago called ‘The Superb Book For Girls’. I don’t know if this picture makes a whole lot of sense but I just love this paper cutting and I might just keep going with the idea and see where it takes me.

It was father’s day here on Sunday so I thought I’d finally have a go a drawing my Dad. It’s not an easy thing drawing a family member and it’s taken me a long while to pluck up the courage.  I think I’ve captured the likeness, although my sisters say the nose isn’t nearly big enough.

We’ve been watching ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ over the past few weeks and love to marvel at impossible acts of strength and grace.

The other day I had a wonderful surprise from an old school friend. She sent me this sketch that she drew of me when we were 18 and doing our art A Level together. Twenty years ago!

I’m gearing up for the Mount Eliza Art show at the end of October and thought I’d be organised ahead of schedule for the first year ever.  Forgot to take a picture of this one before putting it in the frame.

This one’s fairly large. I was experimenting a bit with the soft white pastel. I quite like the effect.

This one isn’t going in  the show, it was for a college assigment. I worked so hard on it I thought I’d show it off. I love this method of working, especially for illustration, as it has good dramatic effect.

Simon Bartram is an author and illustrator and, I think, genius. His books are some of the funniest I’ve ever come across and are so appealing to children, older children and adults. Perhaps it’s the quirky British humour that I love so much. We bought ‘Bob’s Best Ever Friend’ a few months ago and the kids have asked repeatedly for it to be read to them. And when that’s not possible they pour over the detailed illustrations and giggle to themselves.

We had a lovely day trip to Balnarring last Sunday and it was freezing so we stopped for a coffee in a homely little cafe. It was a video library aswell, but clearly run by real film enthusiasts. There were shelves lined with groovy comic books which the kids were looking through with interest. I came across a book by David Petersen call The Mouse Guard. It was like a graphic novel and absolutly beautiful.