new years reading

I've enjoyed hopping round the internet reading other bloggers resolutions and plans for the new year. I had been feeling a bit bah humbug about it, especially as I already have a few group shows and members shows lined up this year, and feel like my plate is dangerously full.....

This post from cloth paper scissors about squeezing art into the day in 5 minute bites got me thinking...it's a way to do some experimenting alongside the projects that need doing.

And Annamaria Potamiti's blog always makes me want to get back to some painting, her watercolours in this post are delicious!! I love what she's learning from her small daily painting and want to be on that kind of journey too.

So I set up a little still life and did one reasonably observed painting and 2 more imaginative variations! These are in acrylic on old book pages. Hopefully I'll be doing more in the coming weeks!

I also loved these quotes on daisy yellow blog especially the first from George Bernard Shaw, and this one at Rett Grayson's blog.

Random photos from my world

Usually I start the new year with a creative resolution - a project that I know will fizzle out by Easter, but at least it's a kick start to the year. This year the project has chosen itself! Too many times recently I've been out on a walk and thought I wish I'd brought my camera. So that's all, to carry my camera more often, and to use it more so that I become more comfortable with it.

I've already posted a few to my flickr photostream.

I love this stretch of rocky shore near the Nightcliff jetty. When I was a child I had a puffin book annual (1970 something). In it there were photos of authors in their favourite places - the only one I can remember now is Tove Jansson who wrote the moomintroll books, she was sitting on a big rock in an alien looking rocky landscape beside the bluest sea (I suppose it was a Norwegian fiord!). Every time I come down here it reminds me of that photo and is especially magical because of that association.

 Amazing mangrove plants!

 The monsoon has arrived at last, it looks like my wheelbarrow will be a frog pond for the next few months!
I hope all is well in your corner of the world!

Happy New Year !!

I hope you've all had a happy and relaxing Christmas and New Year. It's a fairly quiet time for us - both our families are a long way away, and once the crazy shopping is over Darwin seems to wind down. A lot of people head south to family or hop over to Indonesia, Thailand, etc for holidays. We've been sleeping in, trying to keep cool, and as far as possible doing what the kids want - movies, bowling, and numerous trips to the skatepark and waterpark.

It's a time of year for looking back and forward, for making plans and resolutions. Some of the other blogs I like to drop by have been posting theirs. Cathy Cullis has a beautiful and inspiring post on some of her plans for the year. My resolutions are ones I've made before, to draw in my journal daily, to write a draft poem a week and to work on revision. Inspired by Jesse I'm planning to start submitting my poetry again. I was feeling a bit discouraged that my plans are all the same old things that will probably fall by the wayside by June..if not Easter! But I came across this great quote by SARK "I've quit and started again and again, and I now know that starting is not better than quitting - it's just different. It's a circular dance of quitting and starting over and over again."



This time last year I went to a book binding workshop (run by Nat/smallest forest) and made a lovely leather bound journal, I used it for about 5 months and then neglected it...but the last few days I've dived back in. I'm also doing a bit of sewing, while the kids are in the pool I sit on the verandah and keep an eye on them, that's when I get time for a play at the moment!