On my bookshelf 2014

 
I've just updated my 'books read 2014' list in the side-bar, which I hadn't filled in for about 6 months. 

My favourite novel this year was The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, it's been out for a few years and very popular, but I'd judged the book by the cover, it looked too gothic for me !! Luckily it was a book group selection and I loved it, loved the characters, it's worth reading for the two handmade books that are incorporated into the story, and so much more. 

Other than that I've had a really bad run with book group books this year, very few are listed because I didn't finish them - we were reading Gone Girl when the movie came out, I was hating it, hating feeling so manipulated and that there wasn't one sympathetic character in there, and every time I turned on the tv or radio someone was reviewing the movie saying how good it was and how great the book was. I think I read half and then read the ending (sacrilege) which wasn't believable to me, so I didn't bother reading the second half...it got some very good reviews from my book group, so just goes to show how different tastes can be! 

Nearly half my list this year is non-fiction, and my favourite (other than the Matisse book!) would be David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell. I'd recommend anything he writes, it's always interesting and thought provoking, always turning what's accepted on it's head. 

I also loved Margaret Atwood's short story collection 'Stone Mattress', and so glad I finally got round to 'The Great Gatsby', I want to watch the movies now! 

As I have no art deadlines to work towards at the moment, I'm trying to take some time to play, here are some gouaches I've been doing, trying not to worry about subject too much and enjoy colour. 

Books by my bed

I wonder what you're reading? I never have just one book on the go but a whole pile. To read at work I need something light - to fit in my bag, and easy to pick up and put down in my lunch break. At the moment it's one of the No 1 ladies detective agency books, 'The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party' by Alexander McCall Smith. 

At  the weekends I'm dipping into the 2nd volume of the biography of Matisse - 'Matisse the Master' by Hilary Spurling. I just read a few pages at a time and am savoring being in Paris and Morocco in the early years of the 20th century and looking over Matisse's shoulder as he paints!

I'm also reading 'The Poetry Home Repair Manual' by Ted Kooser, a book about writing poetry which I'm hoping will reignite my passion. 11 years ago when my twins were babies and there was no time to paint I fell in love with poetry, something that could be squeezed into tiny breaks in the day. In the last few years it's been very neglected and I'd like to get back to reading poetry if nothing else. Look it's working already ...you know how I'm inspired by glimpses of birds in every day life... come and read this great bird poem 'Hardware Sparrows' by R T Smith.

I'm also reading the latest Dumbo Feather magazine, this edition is all interviews with refugees and asylum seeker advocates - while I choose not to debate politics in this blog, I think it's important reading for Australians, a different viewpoint from the one you'll see in the mainstream media, a call for compassion. (Darwinites - let me know if you want to borrow my copy when I'm finished with it)

Well I can't do a post without any pictures, so here are some new monoprint collage cards.

At book group

I belong to a book group at my local library, I've been going for over a year now and have read some great books - some that I probably wouldn't have got through but I'm so glad I did, Room by Emma Donohue, The Road by Cormac McCarthy (much darker subject matter than I'd usually choose). Some that were entirely my cup of tea - All That I Am by Anna Funder, When god was a rabbit by Sarah Winman - I was shocked when I went to book group after reading that one, I absolutely loved it, and nobody else rated it at all, they thought it was odd, boring 'nothing happened' seemed to be the general opinion.

This month we read A Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling, a 500 page whopper. I gave it a good attemp and got as far as page 200 before I decided to stop. The book is very realistic, very gloomy and for me, depressing without any ray of hope it seems.When I got to book group the general consensus was that it's excellent, it got three 10 out of 10's two 9's and an 8, only one other person was like me and couldn't stomach the book.

I'd been thinking that I might come back to the book another time when I'm feeling 'tougher', but as the discussion went on and parts of the plot were revealed I know it's too sad and upsetting for me. It's odd I feel like I've failed a good book.

I'd love to hear if you're in a book group and how you're enjoying it, and what were your favourite books???

The photo is of new growth on my mango tree, this tree seems to be on a possum highway and the new leaves are often nibbled, but this time they seem to have survived. Also a photo of some new little linoprints for cards in progress!

getting ready

A quick hello to show you some new cards I've been making ready for the craft fair in 2 weeks time.

Some of them are monoprints hand coloured with my luscious prismacolour pencil set!! Some are photocopies of the monoprints with an acrylic wash over them and then worked into with the coloured pencils.

I wonder what you're reading? I heard a great interview with Paul Kelly on Radio National's the music show a couple of weeks ago which made me go and look for his musical memoir 'How to make gravy'. It includes the words of 100 of his songs from A-Z along with thoughts and memories associated with each. Very interesting and entertaining.

A bit of a mish mash

There's always a bit of a feeling of deflation after the craft fair (even worse after an exhibition). After being really focused and working madly for the last month or so, I feel like I should beable to relax and play around a bit. Which I have been doing - rediscovering crochet!! - but also feeling a bit guilty for not powering onward...

At the moment I'm reading a book (borrowed from a friend) about the Canadian artist Emily Carr (1871-1945). I'd never heard of her but I think she's well known in Canada for her landscapes and particularly images of the northwest coast Indians, their totem poles and townships. As a person she comes across as a prickly difficult character, and the writing of the book is quite dry, but I will slog on to the end! I'm at the point where she's 56 and is just getting some recognition from the art establishment for her work.

I did this drawing from one of the photos in the biography, of Emily,aged 16, with her pet crow. I've been painting women with birds for a couple of years now, and I don't seem to get tired of the subject. It's wonderful to stumble across a photo like this!!

Still also slogging on with the poem a day for April.

I have at last sent out one poem and will try to get a couple more organised before April runs out!


Hope you had a great weekend, the dry season is around the corner here - hooray.

two steps forward one step back

On Friday I didn't get as much done as I'd hoped. I printed up this new lino-cut of woman with guitar (& admirer), and re-printed some of my old ones so that I have a stash ready for card making.

Other than that I was running around - to the hardware to buy cord, then stapling the cord to the back of paintings, and then delivering the paintings to Territory Craft. I get frustrated when these jobs eat up half of my art morning, but they have to be done!

I've added an extra section to the sidebar of my blog, of books I'm reading. I always have a book on the go, and squeeze in reading on the bus and in my lunch break.

Hopefully this week will be a bit more productive...