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Z is for Zombie

Lockdown has been an opportunity for me to fulfil a dream. Publish a children’s book. I spent 5 months ‘stuck’ in USA with my youngest daughter and her family, which actually was wonderful! Spending time with them and taking a step back, getting lots of hugs and finding time to draw or paint every day is a time I will truly treasure.

I was commissioned to create a series of A-Z drawings to be used as placemats for children using play dough. I thoroughly enjoyed the discipline of daily drawing and when it was completed I was reminded that I had a project in the back of my head for some time. an A-Z of mythology/fantasy for children.

And so the drawings began, along with lots of research. I quickly discovered that most of the familiar creatures were from Greek or Norse mythology. I wasn’t satisfied with that and so I embarked on a journey to explore some of the lesser known stories, myths and legends.

This book is the end result of that journey. I am excited to announce that the book is now at the publishers and will be available for purchase before Christmas 2020 in softcover or e-book format.

Here is a sneak peek of the front cover, the letter A and some of the artwork.

Thursdays in the studio

I love Thursdays. I facilitate a diverse group of wonderful people. They are mostly happy, but sometimes sad, hurt or angry. No matter the mood or pain they are experiencing I know they leave my studio feeling more at peace and able to tackle their problems better. That is the power of creativity and the power of a supportive environment, no judging here!

Art as Therapy is not about creating masterpieces, in fact we copy a lot of other peoples work as we use others’ experience to learn new techniques and play with new materials. So my apologies to anyone who may find their work copied. Its not for sale and I appreciate the incredible resource that is the Internet where we can find new art to learn from. Below are some of my students creations.

Pain and Art

Image of two small brightly coloured paintings of boab trees. They were entered into an exhibition to raise funds for cancer.
My entry in the 9×5 Fundraiser. Almost all of the 75 paintings sold!

Pain is a big part of my life, I so wish it wasn’t as I spend way too much time thinking about it, trying to avoid it and trying to find natural ways to relieve it. (chronic neck, shoulder and back pain – thanks to Arthritis).

In some ways pain is the reason I use bright colours and crazy designs. Art takes me into a space where I can switch off and lose myself for a while, until the nagging starts anyway.

I worry that one day the pain will become to great and I will lose my ability to paint and draw, to use the computer to explore new worlds and look at all the beautiful creations in nature and in others’ studios.

I hope that day never comes… I am off to my studio to work on my latest creation, a mosaic to name the property I share with some of my children and grandchildren. My daily escape….

An image of a mosaic sign, still to be glued and grouted. Sign Says: Lambsmith Lodge
Lambsmith Lodge sign, waiting to be stuck down and grouted.

2022 was going to be so much better

Well, here we are, 5 months in and the promise of a better year has so far been very disappointing for most of us. The pandemic has become less newsworthy, as we have had major flooding and more extreme weather conditions. However, in Australia the fixation is on the upcoming election. The cost of living has been manipulated into being the focal point as a means of trying to distract us from the global environmental crisis we are facing.

She’ll be right mate!

My focus this far this year has been on finishing my study, trying to improve my health, finding new ideas for my “Art for the Heart” groups and for the Mallee Artists. My groups have enjoyed working with clay and are keen to try mosaics after my recent dabbling. Personally I haven’t made much art, just a lot of little watercolours and a couple of paintings. I have finally finished studying Cert IV in Disability so I should have more time to paint.

The Sketchbook Project 2021

I decided to participate in the Brooklyn Art Library Sketchbook project. I purchased the little sketchbook for $30 USA and had it sent to me in Aus. I was a bit disappointed in the paper quality, however I tackled the project with my usual enthusiasm and now it is ready to send back to Brooklyn to become part of their library of sketchbooks by artists from all around the world. If you want to find out more about the project, visit their website:

www.brooklynartlibrary.org

Below is a slideshow of my sketchbook.