the back journals # 26

self portrait, 2008.

coloured cockies.

Good morning All!

Here is the next stage of my cockatoo drawings, though I am dubious - I don't know what I was thinking with those colours ... however, one must soldier on. I'll keep working on these suckers and maybe eventually they might look ok again. I now need to reattach their heads to something ...

Though, this one seems to have more than meets the eye - baaaahahahaha! Get it?! I clearly need to leave the house.

a whole lotta cocky

Oh my god - I could have a field day with the amount of cock-related humour here. I will TRY to refrain (but know this, I will be giggling the whole way through this post. I can't help it.)

Here are some samples from my most recent endeavour (e.g., picking up a pencil yesterday), a study on my most favourite bird, the white Cockatoo. (Or in THIS case, Cockafive - HAHAHAAA!!!! I know, what a dad joke. I am a little ashamed.) There a billions of them up here in Daylesford, and they truly are a sight to behold. These sketches are part of a bigger plan I have (with a whole lot MORE cockies), but are still in experimental stage. So we shall see!

I am still kinda amazed at how different it can be drawing the same thing over and over again. Repetition. Fascinating stuff (for me at least).

Hope you enjoy,
x

experiments in colour

Just been fiddling around with the tree in the back yard again (wow that sounds wrong). 

But if you turn it on its side, it kinda looks like an eagle or hawk or something! Either way, its been nice to do some meditative work lately, a little like colour by numbers, but less regimented.

golden afternoon

Who am I kidding? It's fricken freezing out here. I woke up this morning and the whole street was shrouded in thick mist - couldn't even see the house over the road - true story! It was pretty awesome actually. Mmm ... missssst. Still can't get past that tree out the back - so mesmerising to draw! This piece goes with that series I seem to be developing, which you can see here (if you like).

x

Garden View

This morning I woke up with that feeling of nothing to do. I mean, don't get me wrong, there is heaps I could do, but I have nothing to do that needs to be done today. No jobs, no workplace to go to. It is most unsettling. I know I should then do the dishes, wash my linen, apply for grants and shows, do a yoga session ... but all I can seem to do is stare out the window.

There is this is the tree that sits in the 'no man's land' between my back yard and the next door neighbours. See, the neighbours own our house, and in an effort to create a sound barrier, fenced off about 3 x 10 metres of (our) yard. There is a gorgeous tree in the middle, with remnants of a tree house flaking away on it. For now I am just content drawing it, but come spring, I will definitely be climbing over that fence!

You know, if you want to see the images in more detail, you can give them a hearty click.

x

getting my gouache on

Here's a little mock-up of an invite I made for a cards smackdown at my new abode. Seems quite appropriate really, seeing as it actually SNOWED today. I was most disturbed. And also very excited. I have never lived anywhere where it snowed before. Unfortunately the snowing experience was not nearly as pretty as my winter wonderland snowflakes. More like soggy petals. There was some exciting sleet and hail to go with it - sleet seems so British, don't you think? I thought it only ever sleeted in Britain. Is sleeted even a word? Anyway, it sleeted all over the shop today.

I have been completely addicted to gouache lately, which is quite nice. Don't you worry though, I have some collage-y goodness well in the works! In the meantime, here is another preview of my baking type paintings. It is rather silly. Can you tell that I don't drink melk, I mean milk (Freudian slip there?) ... hmmm. 

Man, I could go some melk right now. 

xx

golden girl

She's so fine.

new book!

Mmm! Gotta love that fresh new paper smell, the soft indents from your first marks. Aaaah - bliss! I always vow each time I start a sketchbook "now this one better be awesome", so we shall see!

x

sketches

sketchbook

sketchbook

Lately I cannot stop doodling. It's fantastic! So good to get some brain clumps out onto paper and not worrying about the consequences. As a result, it's been great inspiration for more developed works, as well as a break for my pathetic little wrist from all that cutting. (Some detailed collages still to come!) It all feels very girly, especially with the pink page (which is no longer just pink), but sometimes it's nice to feel like a girl don't you think?

sketches

getting back into doodle land - it is a sweet and warm place. There is nothing quite like sitting at a window with fresh flowers in front of you.

ideas of late

Sooooo I believe that this is a slight cop out post, destined for my sketchbook page, but I just couldn't help myself! My sketchbooks are so important for developing work, and there is something about all that paper and pencil that just makes me go 'ooooh!' with a little shiver of joy.

I've been spending days and days cutting birds out for an epic collage (which may have to be constructed fully in Melbourne :s I still haven't figured out the logistics of it all) and am amazed at the sheer mass of them! That and painting up some big bandit birds of spring and flags for our next adventure to the streets! (Aren't I link crazy? It's like a drug I swear.)

Until then, I hope some scrappy notes and doodles will whet (is that even the right word?) your appetite.

x

romance

this is an image of the secret clearing at my holiday house where I got engaged. cool, no?

developmental work

aaah and the pencils and paper come out again. i always forget how much i enjoy drawing - and then i do some and it's like 'ooh! this is nice!' so here come some sketchy-good times - i hope that you enjoy, until my next cut and paste creation. xx

the back-journals # 17

the back-journals # 15

laser sneeze

this little guy is so small (5 x 6.5 cm) that i couldn't scan him without losing the quality of the image and the gold, so apologies for it being a wee bit darker than my regular scans - at least this way you get the sparkly goodness of the gold in it!

the back-journals # 9