NZ FLUTTERBY

intuitive portrait

2011-12-25T12:49:00.000-08:00

Woter colours, Copic markers, ink, silver gel pen and coloured pencil.

I loved the cool yellowgreen next to the sky blue and ultramarine.

It is great playing this way with paint and shapes.

intuitive portraits WIP 2

2011-10-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

intuitive Portraits WIP1

2011-10-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

Having fun with these intuitive portraits, ATC size so I thought i woudl post a WIP - work in progress.

You can see the intital step of a wash or too. Then adding more washes and putting in details. Sometimes I have the card propped up on my desk for some days before deciding what more needs to be added.

I enhance some areas with another wash, or pick out more detail with ink or water colour, keeping in mind balance and having light and dark

lately

2011-09-29T23:17:00.000-07:00

I have been doing more ATC's with a bit of writing rather than any journalling.
Strathmore have recently announced 3 more journalling wroshops for 2012 and I have put my name down for all three. See their newsletter for details
http://www.strathmoreartist.com/artist-newsletter.html

The first two are 'intuitive portraits' ATC size.
For these, I wet the watercolor paper and put in washes of acrylics and water colors. Then the shapes are picked out with pen. Fun.

This one is part of a Klimt swap I participated in. And it was published in the Art Trader magazine, This is an on-line and downloadable magazine devoted mainly to mail art. A new one is published every 3 or 4 months and they are full of informative articles on art and ATC's

Blue woods is in Water colour

Spring Meadow is acryllic

Journalling

2011-05-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

I used plastic food wrap for texture. You lay this on the paint, scrunch up a little and leave to dry. The wrap peels off easily but as I wasn't using liquid acryllic, but acryllic straight from the tube, it left the suface shiny. I liked the shapes but couldn't think what to do and how to journal on it so .....

Painted more transparent yellow on the LHS.
Put blue on the right - don't ask me why. I didn't like it so added some yellow to make green. Still yukky - so ....

LHS. A copy of a horse I did in another journal and paper behind.

RHS. After dulling the background with gesso coloured with transparent yellow, I drew a horse. It needed more so I put some green dots on with bubble wrap. Still not happy. Put dark green around the horse. It was only when I put red colour pencil over the green that it started to gel.
I found that having little scrap of coloured paper I could see what colours might work. I may still play with this a bit more.

IFJM # 30 - last post for the challenge - see IFJM # 1 for details

2011-04-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

Woohooo! I do believe Daddy Dearest has met his match! The Director received an order from DD and will not comply.

I could even smile at the gargoyles today.

Daddy Dearest arrives tomorrow - 1 May.

But I won't be here !!! Director is sendin me off on the Haldinger hunt
I'm Off !!
I won't be here tomorrow.

IFJM # 29

2011-04-29T13:22:00.001-07:00

The ditsy doo-dahs can usually cheer me up but not today.
That Mondo couldn't stop himself from letting me know he messaged Daddy and he is on his way. He will want to throw his weight and money around to take me to a 'serious' job.

IFJM # 28

2011-04-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

Wow. I'm so excited. The Director asked me if I would be interested in cataloguing and recording all the details of the animals he has.
Would I! There is a family board he has to check with first.

Not quite gnu, not really unicorns. This elegant creature is a quatroix.Off to research, starting with this one.

IFJM # 27

2011-04-29T13:19:00.001-07:00

I Thought I was too harsh on Mondo yesterday but the accountant gave him a note from Dayy Dearest to pass on to me. Mondo had a smirk on his face as he handed it to me without a word. He's up to no good.

IFJM # 26

2011-04-28T00:05:00.000-07:00

Mondo was less than happy. Why do some people sour themselves with jealousy?

Weasel dog (lives in burrows) reminds me of Mondo come to think of it.

IFJM # 25

2011-04-26T15:52:00.000-07:00

Poured with rain last night but time for us to go back. Went past the large lizard enclosure - the Director's own gene-regeneration programme.

He was surprised by the colour variations.

IFJM # 24

2011-04-26T15:51:00.001-07:00

There were large flocks of birds in the swamp lands. The Director knew where the fingers of hard land reached into them. This world is mostly low-lying and the zoo is looking to make more use of the land.

The director read my journal so now he knows. He also shared that his family owned the planet but asked me to keep that quiet.
PS. we found an ideal spot for tourist accomodation.

IFJM # 23

2011-04-26T15:50:00.001-07:00

The Director's dog - yes he has a real dog. Not a man I thought would have a toy poodle.

Apparently she goes everywhere with him except the large animals' enclosures.

IFJM # 22

2011-04-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

Mondo was sick and unable to drive. When I queried why he was needed the said They Director had wanted to go out to the swamp area to look at the viability of a wild-fowl area. He is an animal person - not at all mechanical. I sort of volunteered.

After a day's drive - the Director relaxing in the hut. I didn't realise we would be away overnight. I used some of Rondo's stuff that was in the 4WD.

IFJM # 21

2011-04-21T22:58:00.001-07:00

You've got to be impressed by elephants. I am.

This poor old elephant is near the end of her days and has arthritis.
They are trying to find a replacement but they are becoming quite rare. This one was too old for breeding even when they got her.

IFJM # 20

2011-04-21T14:38:00.001-07:00

Rock dog from the same planet as the jitterbug a very stony worls. A pack animal. Some drive the prey to the others lying in wait among the rocks. Their armoured backs are necessary because the prey herd gtallops over the top of them . Hooves made for travelling on rocks are very tough.

Of course, in their pen they are fed already dead meat similar to the tigers and cheetahs.

IFJM # 19

2011-04-20T22:43:00.000-07:00

I had some explaining to do last night. I found the escaped haldinger for them but some **&%!!+* you can't please. In the end, all's well. They're still figuring out how to recapture him.

I said find an outside enclosure - like a canyon - and give him some company. He seemed happy with the herd of sprinboks.

These spots kept me occupied for a while.

IFJM # 18

2011-04-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

Didn't get much sleep last night - much to-ing and fro-ing in the corridors. Before dawn I gave up and as it was my day off , grabbed some fruit from the kitchen and headed off for a good walk

Springboks getting their winter coats.
Uo-oh - haldinger hoof.

So - last night explained.
New Fact - haldingers like apples. We shared mine and he melted back into the bushes.

I crept back out of there before he decided this vegetarian was related to those human predators.

IFJM # 17

2011-04-19T01:35:00.001-07:00

Simpson's Blue - a real mistake with gene manipulation. These animals are untamable, viscious but oh so beautiful to watch galloping across their large meadow.

I'm lucky most of my work is morning and evenings so I have time to wander for an hour or two in the middle of the day.

IFJM # 16

2011-04-16T14:26:00.001-07:00

Raining. Had to copy from a large photo on the dining hall wall. Borrowed pencils.
Lynx.

IFJM #15

2011-04-15T16:40:00.001-07:00

I got to thinking about haldingers. How come other animals that live in the same area are not annihilated by them?

Some of the animals are not very obliging when I am trying to paint them. My WC box was a great investment.

IFJM # 14

2011-04-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

IFJM # 13

2011-04-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

IFJM #12

2011-04-13T00:59:00.001-07:00

IFJM #11

2011-04-13T00:53:00.001-07:00

IFJM # 10

2011-04-13T00:51:00.000-07:00

IFJM #9

2011-04-09T13:58:00.001-07:00

For details about IFJM click on the icon to the right.

Today I had the task of escorting a tourist around because they have noticed I like sketching.
Roz sketching the gee-gawk - so called because of the sort of strangled sound it makes. Awkward except in flight or swimming.

IFJM # 8

2011-04-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

They cheered me at breakfst. I am one of them now I have had the planet lurgy.
So now assigned to the small animal enclosures. The director says some one who likes numbers is suited to groups.

DUST BUNNIES give me the creeps. You have to admire their camouflage though. They stealthily surround their prey and then all leap together and smother the creature. - Janika

IFJM # 7

2011-04-08T12:40:00.001-07:00

At dusk I can hear the high trumpeting call of the dinklops. (I had to ask though) Very distinctive herald of sunset.

If you are outside, a whirly bug might blunder past, fiskering.
It is early authumn. The only deciduous trees are imports - exotics. - Janika

IFJM # 6

2011-04-07T23:17:00.001-07:00

IFJM # 5

2011-04-07T23:16:00.001-07:00

IFJM # 4

2011-04-07T23:14:00.000-07:00

IFJM # 3

2011-04-02T23:51:00.000-07:00

IFJM #2

2011-04-01T23:52:00.000-07:00

IFJM #1

2011-04-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

IFJM - international fake journal month. From 1 April, i sthe brain child of Roz, a prolific journaller. http://officialinternationalfakejournalblog.blogspot.com/

Hand-made journal 6" x 8", heavy, smooth WC paper, coptic binding. Fake fur pasted over the binding because my coptic always seems a little loose.

rosella

2011-03-19T11:49:00.001-07:00

Linda Blin's workshop on-line is concentrating on background colour for pages and getting started on a page. She says if the page has colour on it it is more inviting to hournal in. Also, she says you don't have to finish a page before moving on. We some people do. However, the problem is I now have 8 more pages in colour and only started to finish 3 of them.

The link for the workshops is http://www.strathmoreartist.com/vjworkshop2011.html .

Although the workshop 1 was February, March for Workshop 2 and May for 3, they will be available on-line until August 2011.

So one Idea Linda had was to spray water on a page, drop paint on then squish araound with a credit card. Where the paind drops often stains the paper more and the water softens the scolour so a very random effect - serendipity strikes again.

Page below shows this and of course I embellished a little. Still adding to that page and not even counted in the 8 total under action above.

Then my credit card had a pile of paint so I wiped it on the next page and had a brilliant orange I didn't know what to do with.

Being Sunday I went for a bush walk late afternoon. I found two rosella feathers and when I next looked at the page, there was a saprk. Don't you love that spark of creativity when you have two separate things that are going nowhere by themselves and suddenly they morph into something whole?

Well, I can hear those who know rosellas saying loudly that it looks more like a budgie. But I got the colour and he's a happy fellow. Water soluble crayons on acryllic backgound.

An artists View of the Natural World

2011-03-04T21:27:00.000-08:00

ATC's made for a swap through Illustrated ATC's

Pen and couloured pencil.
I used the ideas from the on-line Strahmore Journalling workshop number 1 - shading to help item come forward.

earthquake - broken earth

2011-02-26T22:01:00.001-08:00

Journal spread I started wednesday 23 Feb 2011.

trying something new

2011-02-26T11:21:00.000-08:00

I was mixing paint the other day and squeezed some Payne's grey out. It was gummed up around the nozzle and came out in a blobby line. I thought 'draw!' and I did.

I had a 4x4" wrapped canvas square I had alredy painted.

I went to a friend's 80th yesterday and she was thrilled to get it as a gift. Ria and I met through doing a writing course at Massey about 10 years ago. with two others we met regulary as a critique group and have remained friends. All of us also do art. The other two also made the long drive down to Sunset Station at Port Waikato - 1.5 hours motorway driving for me and another half hour for them as they live in Puhoi nother of here.

My sister and hubby came up from Whakatane yesterday to visit Mum and we went around to our daughter's for tea so a very social day. I feel a bit more recovered from the disaster news that has been overwhelming.

Christchurch earthquake

2011-02-25T12:30:00.000-08:00

22.2.11
So many stories coming from the earthquake.

At work we received the news from our sales staff as they evacuated the building just after 1 pm.
Shock.
All the conversations this week have started with the earthquake - do you know anyone? Are they safe? A reaching outo for human contact.
our NZ flags throughout the coutnry at halfmast. My eyes fill with tears every time I have cross the harbour bridge and seen them there.

My husband's brother lives there and Alan was able to contact them within minutes afterwards because i emailed immediately. Our sister-in-law had gone into the city sentre and just got out of her car when it struck. The car in front of her was crushed. Hers only had a bumber dislodged.

Several cousins are safe. Friends, and wrok colleagues - all people we know are safe.

Currently over 100 dead and over 200 still missing and hope fading.

The whole of the central business area looks like it will need to be demolished.

So many lives dirupted.

House prices in Timaru goin gup as people exit Christchurch.

The after shocks still continue.

And they were barely recovering from the September quake that was bigger, but less devestating . This one was shallower and more more destructive.

recent art

2010-12-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

In wetcanvas.com I did the November challenge of a page a day in the Art Journal forum. In December it is the 12 days of Chritsmas - I'm 1/3 of the way through that.

Here are some of the November pages.

Coloured pencil leaves

graphite sketch from my photo of someone's happy dog on the beach

Horses - Backgroud in acrylic then I pick out shape swith ink and acrylic. I like doing these 'found horses'. A bit like the scribble patterns we used do as kids.

coloured pencil - kiwi ornaments

Totara tree in coloured pencil from memory

graphite - HB and 4B

nanny goat pen and graphite

vase in Coloured pencil

more found horses acrylic and pen

my car

Form a shot I got of a wax eye in our garden - coloured pencil

coloured pencil. Although the moleskine notebook is good I did not push this to take the maximum layers but left sketchy

ink Macrocarpa trunk. I love these trees so full of character. The lines of them bordering farmers' field are thining. The silhouettes of their stately shapes are still eye-catching

Acrylic from my own photo

life drawing workshop 2

2010-09-27T23:02:00.000-07:00

I did this one in pastels. About 2.5 hours as I had a bit of a funny tummy with the antibiotics I was on so I left early.

Interesting to look at it later and see what could be done better. The RHS end of the mouth. Close, more blending in some part. But is is threeD and was fun.

Last weeks' one looks a little stif, but he wasn't IRL

portrait workshop

2010-09-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

The local art shop is run by two artists. They have just started portrait workshops, no tutor, on Saturday afternoons for 4 hours. At $20 it's a great opportunity to sketch, paint from live models.

The first weekend I just used graphite to try and get my eye in again.
The second weekend I used pastels. Messy fun.

Writing Group

2010-05-14T23:13:00.000-07:00

I have been a member of a writing group for 9 years or so. Members have come and gone and recently we have looked for, and found, more writers as we were down to three and that's not as good for creating energy.

A writing group, meetin gin person rather than on-line, is great for discussion. On-line you have the feedback but it is harder for a discussion. We email our submissions once a month and meet up the following weekend to discuss and give our critues of each others work.

Amazing how often writers seem to ahve an interest, or have had an interest or done some other form of creative enterprise such as art or music.

I used to follow two artists' blogs on line - Maggies Stiefvater and Wendy Prior - because they both worked in couloured pencil and wrote very entertaining blogs. Now both of them are concentrating on writing and Maggie has published two books with a third coming.

Me - I'm still dithering between art and writing LOL.

I brought a painting on-line last week and it has arrived! Even better IRL - Edgar's Horse by John McNelley. His paintings often tell a story and have amazing colour . His website -
http://web.me.com/john.mcnelley/catalogue/1.html
Sorry. Not sure how to do a hyper link.

The painting I have bought is currently on the third page - A vibrant landscape with Edgar's horse on the top of the hill/rock to the right.

Edgas Degas paiting a picture of a horse galloping away and the jockey on the graound. Someone made a chance remark, 'What happened to Edgar's horse?'. And the idea for the painting presented itself to John.

Question; writers also interested in other creative enterprises? If there is a group of artists, how often do they also write? Maggie and Wendy do. Is that a common thing?

Mum

2010-04-16T16:31:00.000-07:00

Finished Mum's Portrait. She had her 94th birthday last month and I took the photo fo rher portrait a few weeks prior to that.

Mixture of pastels on Cnason Mi-teintes paper.

I went to a pastel workshop in March with Lyn Diefenbach. She used the paper so I did. It's the first time I have really got to grips with paper and managed to fill all the indentations in the paper. I had just not been bold enough before.

NZ Spec-fic Blogging week

2009-09-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to the main page.
http://pterodaustrodreams.org/drupal-6.8/node/100

Why?
Because speculative fiction still doesn't get the recognition it deserves in New Zealand and because there are so many people out there doing so many exciting things - and so often they don't know about each other.

And what I've been doing - writing more and getting feedback from Critters - an on-line critique forum for writers of science fiction and fantasy. http://www.critters.org/

I particular, the useful tips I have had recently: - think about the whole ecosystem in the workd you create - how did it get an atmosphere if there is just one life form?
Be specific in explanations - my 'biologist' should be an exo-biologist or xeno-biologist. These specifics also create the different world.
Like any good fiction, the characters should drive the story. Make them rounded, have a back ground, some foible, family or associates?

How did I get into writing speculative fiction? Well to start with I didn't set out to write that specifically. I've always loved words, quirky plays on them but only started writing a little when I was into my fifties having always read. A lot. To start with, I wrote a bit of life writing, shrot stories did a fiction course extramurally through Massey University here in New Zealand - excellent!! - www.massey.ac.nz .

I joined a writing group. This was another very fortuitous happening, around the same time as I did the Massey course. And I did that course by default almost. I had been doing a BA by drip feed - one or two papers a year - and started with German. BY stage three it was a bit too time-consuming without being in contact with German speakers. My interest in short stories and the relationship between life, country and the stories of an era had been awakened with some of the German writing we studied. So as an alternative major I looked to English. I did a literature and a writng course. Then they brought in the fiction writing course. Wonderful. I have now done most of the fiction writing papers they offer.

Then I found my stories often had a quirkiness. Not what I thought of as science fiction, nor as fantasy. Actually, truth be told, I didn't really describe them at all. Until people asked - well, what do you write?

Speculative fiction sounds more learned than quirky stories.

So, that's what I write. Mostly.

As I said, I didn't choose to write it but I think my muse is a gremlin. Something alien anyway. Something happens and a little voice says, that's what Thorians do.

Or I start to describe a scene and find it is an alternative life-style. Then I find just how alternative it is as I watch the characters interact or the characters tell me about just what does go on there.

One of my best moments is where I had two characters meet for the first time. I had had to invent a second character to give the first one some information about what had been happening. And both were going to go the direction the main character had aimed to go all along.

I was sitting there typing away, copying down their conversation and suddenly they decided to go where the secondary character wanted. A whole plot turn. Exciting. I was in the zone where I had to go back to the computer to find our what was going to happen next.

Well, to anyone reading, I wish you happy and exciting writing. And reading. There's lots of great NZ fiction out there, some published, some just waiting to be.

Ent Wife Waiting

2009-06-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

Gosh. Is it that long since i updated? I have been busy with work :( , visiting Mum on the way home after work , plus she had a week in hospital. Nothing serious, she's 93 and still living by herself and hadn't been eating enough although there was food there. We now have two caregivers, one for an hour in the morning, another in the afternoon, and the meals on wheels still comes at lunchtime.

Recently I went to the Science Fiction fantasy convention in Auckland. - Conscription.

There was a 3-day writing course with Julie Czernada from Canada - absolutely terrific. Then the three days of the Con. I stayed at the hotel there for the last three nights and it was worth it.

In conjunction with the Con were some competitions. I entered the writing one and the 30D model one. I spent a month of weekends doing my model - not the whole weekend but a lot of time. Neither my story nor the model were placed but I loved doing it.

Close-up of base showing papier mache on top of the wire support

Half done before the addition of leaves, paint, surrounds.

Finished - note Pukeko, fantail, lichen for hair, paper leaves on actual twigs.

Rabbit behind Ent wife

Side view - 'toadstools' are the cores of kauri cones.

ATC demo final pics

2009-03-07T21:11:00.001-08:00

#1 Added some red/orange colour pencil to trees and top field.
#2 Added orange and green colour pencil to grass and some orange to the trees. Not sure if you can see it or not.

ATC Demo Part 3

2009-03-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

#1 Thought it need more interest so with mixture of blue, red and sepia added brambles, fence and lines on closer field
#2 Added sepia ink in trees and touch on hill, then green while still wet with sepia
#3 Thought it needed more colour so did sepia wash over trees and red and yellow in patches on near field. The red in far field is what separated out of the purplish mixture.
#4 Touch of green on hill and purplish mixture in foreground.

ATC Demo part 2

2009-03-07T20:25:00.000-08:00

Trees can be done with black or other coloured inks, drawn in or done with more blue ink. If doing a wash with black which is a waterproof one, you can do a wash in light blue over the top.
#1 Distant hill with Blue ink wash
Yellow ink wash with red added to trees while wet and sepia ink added to fields
#2 Top right -Black ink wash on trees and wiggly lines on hill for clumps of growth. Thin yellow wash over trees, lower sky and hill.
#3 Yellow wash on trees with touch of red.
Distant hill with blue wash.
With the purplish mixture of red, blue, sepia did ploughed fields on damp paper. As the inks have different spreading ability, test on test bit of paper.
#4 Bottom Right Thin wash of raw sienna acrylic paint over trees, lower sky and foreground. After it dried, blue drawn on wetted paper for trees and foreground.
Let dry.

2 closer pics of #1

ATC demo part 1

2009-03-07T20:10:00.000-08:00

This is how I did some of the ATC's for the exchange on Wet Canvas. Even though I tried to get them similar to the ones I did for the Exchange, they never turn out the same the second time.

Materials:-
heavy water colour paper. 300 lb is best for less buckling when wet. Where you have a rough and a smooth side, smooth is perhaps better for ATC size.
Ink - for the skies in these I used Parker Quink blue because it separates into blue and ochre.
Calligraphy acrylic inks – red, yellow, sepia and green.

Preparation. I put on art masking fluid for the shape of the trees and horizon. I drew pencil lines roughly where this was going to go so you can see but this is not necessary as the masking fluid is yellowish. Wait until dry.

Then I dampened the back of the water colour paper to stop curling. On the front I wet the sky area, some of these were wetter than others. Some had more ink on than others. Where a heavy dab of ink was in a wet area – (not damp – wet )- it was able to spread and this left the yellow-ochre tinge. I helped the spread in some cases by tipping this way and that.
Don’t try to paint cloud shapes just dab along the top and perhaps in a couple of other places. In # 3 I drew some lines on the right and dabbed a little in the middle. The other sky areas and clouds are formed by the paper not being uniformly wet.
Try to keep the application of the ink on the top of the picture so it is thinner towards the horizon with the spread. You can spread a thin wash of blue over the masking fluid tree trunks. In #4 and #1 I didn’t because I will wash with another colour. Wait until dry.

Rub off masking fluid. This will also mostly rub out any pencil lines.

more ATC's

2009-02-21T12:29:00.000-08:00

I've done more of the ATC's as part of the 25 swap through miniature art on Wet Canvas.
16 done.

I first cut out them out of heavy - 300 lb - watercolour paper that is smooth. Working so small the texture can interfere with drawing. Sometimes by accident I do it on the not-so-smooth side.

Then I usually sketch in pencil and either go over it in ink or paint direct. If I draw it in ink I then rub out the pencil lines before adding colour.

Before posting out I use a spray-on varnish as and watersoluble mediums are easily damaged or smudged.

Part of the fun is thinking up captions.

Pansy loved dressing up in his favourite flower colours.

This Chinese horese loves green tea

Nameless Horses out looking for names

Grey Horses Dream in Colour.

I was surfing the net earlier. I go to a blog I have liked, or stumble upon one, then I click on their favourite blogs and sometimes every one appeals, others it is a long and winding path, like waiting fo rthe big wave, puddling around.

This morning I came across an interesting one and added it to my favs. Cra*tiva's Blog.

Others I save to my fovourites. So many artists out there. - visual artists and word artists.

week 4 Percheron and ATC's

2009-02-14T17:42:00.000-08:00

Week Four was Percheron but I've missed weeks five and six. Busy doing ATC's and visiting Mum in HOspital. She is home again now but my sister and I still need to go and check on her everyday to make sure she's eating
Percheron in Ink and coloured pencil.

One of the ATC's I'm doingfor the 25 of ...? swap through the Wetcanvas.com web site in the miniature art forum.
I'm doing horses (go figure!) and showing some little known facts. This one is Rainbow horses who travel on roads of gold.
In ink and water-soluble wax pastels.

This ATC is Happy Appy in his element. In ink.

horses breed per week

2009-02-01T21:58:00.000-08:00

Continuing on the challenge.
Third week is Icelandic

Coloured pencil again

Arabians

2009-01-18T23:07:00.000-08:00

New page in note book - stimulated by the WC thread and the challenge to myself to do more horses and improve my drawing to be able to render them accurately.

Head is in graphite and foal is coloured pencil. Thanks to Ainslie G and Cathy Sheter for the images.

horses

2009-01-16T20:13:00.000-08:00

Starting a new notebook for horse art.
So far I have gessoed several pages in varying colours and completed one page.
The idea has been floating around in my head for a while with doing different horses for the ATC swap and then gelled when i saw WetCanvas had an equine forum now under the animals and wildlife.

There are some lovely styles and horses there and I'm goin gto try to copy the different styles and hopefully hone my drawing skills too.

1st page -

Birthday Week

2008-12-07T23:54:00.000-08:00

Starting with a family get-together at a restuarant - and two close friends. The Staurday before my birthday beacuse that is when my sister and bro-in-law could make it up in their campervan. They parked on the driveway by our house which is up a long right-or-way two sections back from the road.

They and the two friends stayed the night and we had a BBQ breakfast the following morning -bacon, eggs, pinapple and ginger/honey bread baked by Caren - under the awning of the camper van. The warmth of the summer and the trees and bacon made it seem like we were camped by the seaside - plus good friends of course!

Thursday was our work team dinner after work - not late - very pleasanr. Friday was the Christmas lunch put on by work - in the next door church hall with the secret santa gifts. I got a fancy notbook and I gave a book on NZ shrubs in the bush for Mary at work who is into bush walking.

Saturday I worked on the pencil portrait of Darren's (son-in-law)Father who died 4 years ago. It is hard to get the skin tones right with a photo takn by flash but I think Darren's mothe rwill like it. In the afternoon Alan and I went to the Wilderness Writer's group Christmas picnic - this year at French Bay over the other side of Auckland - very pleasant. John brought his kayak and we had discussions on trees, birds, the differences between rooks, ravens, crows, magpies (Pied crow in NZ).

Sunday I finished the portrait of Gareth and took him to the picture framers. My daughter will pick him up.

Sunday afternoon up to Dave and Caren's in the country for a scumptious lunch. She is such a great cook, all the flavours balanced - chicken with capers, fresh green salad with mustard sauce and potatoes gratin with cream not cheese.

Dave, Alan and I had a wander into the bush to get some ferns Alan wants to put in down the back of our house. I haven't uploaded them yet.

Caren had invited their 4 neighbours for afternoon tea nad done a heap of backing traditional German cakes - liebkuchen is the only one I remember the name of - and waffles with cherries and cream AND THE MOST devine cheese cake with strawberries - made with quark so not heavy. My birthday cake.

After the neighbours had gone Dave flew the kite and we sat on the grass in the shade and watched him. No one's stomach wanted to have another game of pentanque.

All-in-all the perfect end to a lovely week.

what I've been doing

2008-11-21T11:30:00.000-08:00

Finished 4 pastel paintings - 3 from photos I took in England 4 years ago, one of hubby's brotherand Sister-in-laws dog Pol who died a couple of years ago.
Above are Towards Fowlmere and Pol.

Started another 6 weeks of the bush walk and talks.

Granddaughter Charlotte had her first birthday.

Went on another 2-day pastel workshop with Larry Blovits - great

Saturday musings

2008-06-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

I feel free. I have just written a letter to withdraw from my paper this year without academic penalty . If I do it before 4 July no worries.

My brain was just not coping with having to sit down after a day at work and read and thing. I really sympathise with Dave. Did his last assigment go OK?

Now I do not feel guilty doing art. Or reading.

When I knew I had to study and couldn't make my brain work, I stuffed around and did not do much. When I did do a bit of art I felt guilty so consequently I didn't apply myself to much. Most things were time fillers, time wasters.

On the internet I've been looking at calligraphy. Some great art out there and I'll add some links.

Anyway - going to tidy my room so I have some space to make a mess. LOL . Hey may even get enough space to ROFL. Me? with a tidy room?

Never. :)

Poor DH has a bad cold. For the first time he has lost his voice. I bought some soup and crumpets to entice him to eat. He's just got up and having a shower. Just in time for lunch.

mandala

2008-06-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

As part of a challenge on WetCanvas.com I have done a mandala.

It represents me, things I like and have done - or some things!
8x8" in colour pencils

writing Friday Feast

2008-06-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

Gosh - is it really so long since I posted? Being off work for a couple of weeks with a bad cold/flu? is no excuse.

Visited one of my favourite blogs - Greenish Lady - and she has a Friday Feast where she answers questions posed and one of the questions was What Colour Pen do you Write with?
I had to answer - loving colour and writing! - Oh I love purple too! I write with black in my scrapbook photo album but I usually use blue on daily writing because purple is harder to come by.

In my journal I aften use pen and ink and then I can do purple, brown, red, green, what ever.

One colour all the time is depressing

Any way, I thought I would join in the Friday feast to write at least once a week!
So it's Saturday - close enough:)

Appetizer

If you could live on another continent for 1 year, which one would you choose? I would pick Europe. If I had that chance I would have enough money presumably to travel around it. I really loved England and would love to explore that more and paint. I loved the German people but there is so much more of Europe I want to see. The old houses, the country, the villages.

Soup

Explorer

Salad

On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you know about the history of your country?

Now how do you measure this? I know the backbone and major dates. Some names of primeministers and other Important People. Having lived here 60 years, that part I know.
7 out of 10 becuase the feel of it is more important than actual dates.

Main Course

Finish this sentence: Love is… Aaargh - one sentence? Love is all encompassing.

Dessert

Have you ever been in or near a tornado? No. I've seen a little one starting but we don't have many in NZ.
The one I remember most is 1991 when we were in South Africa and phoned home to our daughter who was baby-sitting our house. She was all shaky as a tornado had just gone past and shaken the whole house. The main damage was 5 miles away - fortunately only trees - but she was by herself and it scared her. We timed our call well.

Leaves again

2008-05-10T19:33:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day. Appropiately here is a picture of my mum's bromeliad. We went around to her place yesterday afternoon and Faye and Brian (sister and BIL) were able to be there too. They live 5 hours drive away so we don't get together often enough.

I have started another leaves drawing in CP. Taking lots of photos now as the leaves are really changing colours. All trees seem to be on different timetables though LOL.

On the subject of art, I have added a link to maggie Stiefvater's blog. She has lots of advice and writes in a very chatty way with a great sense of humour - tickles my sense of humour anyway! She also picks an artist of the month to discuss. Well worth a visit. Oh, she is ALSO a writer - published.

And talking of publishing, I have three haiku in 'the taste of nashi', a book of NZ Haiku just out organised by the Windrift haiku group of Wellington.

behind the sheep truck
the smell
of grass and hills

a marshmellow sun
in the mist
my horse snorts

summer picninc -
a moth flies out
of my husband's wallet

TaiChi

2008-04-28T02:01:00.000-07:00

A long weekend - ANZAC day on Friday and everything is closed until 1pm so most people can get to a remembrance parade. Less returned soldiers from WW1 and WW2 now but more younger people joining in and the schools, scouts, girl guides ETC join in too.

Saturday I went with Caren to the demonstrations that are a part of the World Tai Chi day - http://www.worldtaichiday-akl.org/

Very interesting with all the different styles doing massed displays. Each school had their own style, even when doing the same 'form' there were variations between schools. Some of the uniforms - very Chinese with tunic and loose trousers - were very colourful.

There were none who were doing the 42 form exactly the same as the SIng Ong Tai Chi school I learn with.

I have started another coloured pencil work of leaves. It is hard to take a photo where the leaves have a natural composition and if the sun is shining, removing one or two from the composition, or rearranging them is impossible because it is too hard to work out the three-dimensional sapcing and the affect on shadows onto other leaves.

There is a bank near work and the council workers have trimmed branches off one side of some trees because they were getting close to power lines. They are diciduous trees but I noticed some new shoots even now in autumn where the tree is trying to replace branches. And how do they know the branches have gone? How do they know they are now unbalanced or have a hole in their side that needs to be filled up so they have a nice round shape?

Can anyone tell me? And how do they know to space their branches out anyway and grow to a certain shape depending on their type?

Sunday april 20th 2008

2008-04-19T13:36:00.001-07:00

Gosh. Three tries to write a title. And then I got the date wrong and had to go back and edit It kept saving before I had finisehed. But with the sun coming in the window onto my back on an autumn morning that is a little crisp, everything's sweet.

Went to my monthly writer's group meeting yesterday. I had no writing this time as I had been finishing the Green Leaves. And I've also been working on the hodge podge of a nature journal.

Changing subject, can anybody say why things have to be plastic shrink wrapped? Is it just me who does not see the sense in for example, having shoelaces in a little plastic (useless for anything else) tray with cardboard stuck on as a backing.

And when you buy something from a big store where the plastic is thick and you just about need a degree in knives/saws/bolt cutters to open the packaging - why,?

Next time when I have brought something like that, I will stand in the store and not leave until they have opened the darn thing. And they can keep the plastic too .

I'll let you know how that goes.:)

The leaves are oh so slowly changing colour. Here I am with my camera at the ready saying come on come ON. I want to do another work in coloured pencils of autumn leaves.

I'm starting a pastel of Bro-in-law's dog. We stayed ith them in Christchurch and I offered because I can and they are so hospitable. Their dog died last year - he had been around the world with them and lived in Australia, Hong Kng, France. He must have been at least 20.

So of fto do some work. More like play really.

Campus Course

2008-04-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

I've just spent 3 days down at Palmerston Nprth on the campus course for the medieval history paper I'm doing this year - It is my last paper for a BA so also the last time I will probable be visiting that lovely campus.

Natalie, another pastel artist, picked me up on the Thursday and showed me a lot of her part of the country. All the years I've been visiting Palmy and never explored the countryside as I didn't have my car but flew down or went by train. 15 years of study almost ended. We went to Shannon (lovely jewelry and art shop and cafe, and interesting 2nd hand shop run by Gypsy)Foxton - (Mill, Murals, Shire horses, interesting art gallery), Foxton Beach and finished with art gallery in Palmerston North. Natalie knew the owners of the galleries and other people so made it doubly interesting.

Natalie took the photo of me helping with the shire horses as the drvier's helper hadn't arrived.

I had to take some last photos of the beautiful grounds of Massey campus and the valley with the Turitea stream running through. I got up on sunrise the first day. Being further South the sun is lower and took longer for the valley to fill with sun so time to go from spot to spot to find the best shot. And I took some in the evening but not as spectacular as the morning ones.

blog flitting

2008-03-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

Wandering through others' blogs, flitting via etherical links, found this. How appropriate!

You Are Impressionism

You think the world is quite beautiful, especially if you look at it in new and interesting ways.

You tend to focus on color and movement in art.

For you, seeing the big picture is much more important than recording every little detail.

You can find inspiration anywhere... especially from nature.

What Art Movement Are You?

I also added some blog links. But now I have to go and do some shopping for Mum, then do some ATC's for a swap that has to go out tomorrow.

CU

Sunday March 16th 2008

2008-03-15T12:50:00.000-07:00

Talked with Paul from UK on the phone today. He has re-kindled my interest in writing haiku. This come sand goes anyway as art and short stories tend to interfere with time and the creative space in the brain. This space seems to have a setting so one form of expression at a time dominates, especially when the conscious mind concetrates on working in the form of expression.

He said there is a new forum through World Haiky Club (Yahoo club) for beginners and said I could join for a refresher. He suggested I write a haibun so this is for Possum.

Bush Walk.

This autumn it is dry. The toadstools and fungus are absent in the undergrowth.
I am glancing in every part I can. Slow going. Our cat is unlikely to have wandered this far, but it is almost a week since she vanished.
I identify the evening bird song – blackbird, tui, little grey warbler.

The leaves of different trees make their own patterns on the sky. Different patches of leaves on the ground.

dry leaves
with orange pine needles
a tabby coat

Distant music. The cricketer’s cars departing from the club pitch that the track skirts around. The scrunch of the gravel under my sneakers. I walk here alone.

I see only trees, leaves.

a feather
from an unknown bird on the path – puss-cat
can you still catch birds?

Lost cat

2008-03-11T00:52:00.000-07:00

Our cat possum was last seen on Sunday evening and no sign of her since. The house seems very empty without her.

Alan has spent today making flyers and going around all the neighbours but there is no sign of her. She has never wandered away before and we've had her about 10 years.

We live up a long driveway and she never goes down to the road . She wasn't sick or old and decrepit. Here one day and gone the next.

My Car failed the warrant yesterday so I had to book it in the garage which is twice as much of a hassle with having to visit Mum every day after work.

So a very low start to the week after a full-on weekend.

A brighter note to look forward to on Thursday with a surprise for a close friend planned.

It was a busy weekend - on Saturday the craft class and on Sunday our grandson's birthday.

This is the fornt cover of the book - about 6x6". we bent over a thin sheet of copper for the edge.
The background is a lotus leave with some acrylic and a sprinkle of walnut ink powder . I haven't decided yet on the placement of the
small copper pieces. The sqaure and the copper cover edge have been altered with liver of sulphate . I heated the small piece in a candle flame and like the orange and purple of that better though.

the book has plastic pouches (scrapbook type)and we sewed brown paper arounD the edges so the plastic seems more in keeping with the nature journal.
i'll show more as I go.

It's fun collecting the bits and pieces.

ATC's

2008-03-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

Well last weekend hardly did a thing as I had a pinched nerve in my back.
This weekend I did a bit more on the green leaves, my friend Caren came around and I finally posted the last 3 Postcards I was sending out as bonus draws in the OWOH giveaway.

Firstly, the green leaves now have some colour on all the paper but a way to go yet. The leaves are too yellow and I'm toning them down a little, Thebackground will have more depth with some darker, some blending and some of the blending will be with a light colour.

Caren and I were going to go on a bush-walk but it was too wet. We went to the Scrapbook Warehouse and managed to not spend too much even though we took half an hour to give the whole store the once-over. I put my name down for a nature book class which looks intriguing.

We then went to the Art Space Depot in Devonport then around the shops, still not spending too much. Home for lunch, then three hours of art. By then the rain had stopped and we went for an hour's walk. Lovely fresh air, a wind but not cold.

I've joined a new group on yahoo and making some ATC's for a swap. I had to make one for myself LOL and gave Caren 2 and here are some of them. Zentangles ( I used to call it doodling!) the swap is with face zentangles.

This one I called The Weaver

This, Moon Maid (Caren has the Moon Maiden)

'On the Road'
His World.

Caren has 'on the Road' - this photo has uploaded a bit squashed.

It was hard to think of names.

On the whole I am pleased because these are the first ATC's I've done other than one set of cloth ones.

continuing Green leaves

2008-02-22T20:57:00.001-08:00

Doing a little bit at a time.

Once most of the colour is on I will burnish then add colour where needed and crisp up edges at the end.

Today

2008-02-15T11:34:00.000-08:00

The green leaves are progressing slowly so I thought I would post something I did years ago when I was doing oils. I did several sheets of practice items to get the horse colours right and this is one - about 6x7".

Fortunately I have written by each sketch the oil colours I used to get the result so when I get back into oils, I won't have to start at the beginning again hopefully.

This afternooon is the writers' group meeting I belong to . We email our stories or excerpts a week before and then get together to discuss each in turn. I don't need lunch or dinner on these days because we all bring a plate and I eat too much.

Tomorrow I am writing for the Horse Society dressage and will be taking photos. I is supposed to rain but I'm sure I'll get some photos. I know more the shots I am after now and some close-ups of heads woul be good.

One World One Heart draw

2008-02-15T00:02:00.000-08:00

DRAW DONE!! This is exciting.
And the winners are - with the help of the random number generator ....
Greenish Lady
This girl remembers
Please contact me with your email and postal address - nzflutterby@yahoo.com

And it was such fun I will send a little something also to
JoanneO
Pat
Freya.

Thank you everyone for participating and the great comments

What color is your soul painted?

2008-02-09T15:27:00.001-08:00

What color is your soul painted?

Orange

Your soul is painted the color orange, which embodies the characteristics of balance, heat, enthusiasm, flamboyance, playfulness, aggression, over-emotion, danger, desire, strengthens the ability to concentrate, attraction, adaptability, and stimulation. Orange falls under the element of Fire, and symbolizes glory and fruits of the earth.

Click Here to Take This Quiz

Quizzes and Personality Tests

Update

2008-02-06T21:39:00.000-08:00

I'm Getting a real buz out of the OWOH world-wide blogger connection.

It has made me realise how little info I have on my profile so I have added a photo and some more details.

Currently I am working on this coloured pencil drawing. 9 x 13"

Saying that, I had better actually do some more on it. Been toobusy visiting others' blogs!!

One World One Heart

2008-02-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

Lisa Oceandreamer from Heart of the Nest and Imagination Cafe is the organiser of this annual event which is designed to bring bloggers together from around the world who may never ordinarily meet. It closes the gap of the blog community and enables us to interact, discover new and wonderful people, and in the process possibly win a prize or many prizes along the way.

I am offering two lots of three postcards - a mixture of collage, homemade stamps and hand drawn and painted.

The draw will be on the 14th February. About to happen!

89 comments and no more as I will pick two from this list.

DRAW DONE!! This is exciting.

And the winners are ....

Greenish Lady

This girl remembers

Please contact me with your email and postal address - nzflutterby@yahoo.com

And it was such fun I will send a little something also to

JoanneO

Pat

Freya.

Here again

2008-02-05T19:02:00.000-08:00

Made a promise to myself that I will update regularly. I have been enjoying reading other people's blogs and can't tell them about mine unless I have one that is current!

I have done some pastels but more coloured pencils. I have just sold one of Autumn Leaves. 9 x 13".

I liked doing this so much, I have started another with green maple leaves.

The biggest news during my absence from posting, is the birth of our grandaughter, Charlotte Alessandra.

It's February and the locusts are starting to drown out the bird song.

I have been doing a lot of walking and taking photos of the bush and anything else - mainly plants, the cat, Charlotte and Xavier, birds. Half of the bird ones get deleted as they are too small or out of focus.

It's funny how you take a photo and the pose looks weird or impossible because the camera catches a movement part-way through. Our eye sees the end of a movement and not the middle.

Pencils today

2007-08-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

Went on another bush walk and talk this morning and took some not very colourful shots of bush and stream. Some good basis for paintings though.

Got home and continued working on Garden Rocks on darfting film and my pencil sharper jammed with a broken lead. Can't seem to get it started again. This is the start of the picture, 8x11".

Here is my holder made with cut-down cardboard rolls - such as toilet paper - stuck with acrylic gel medium to a board.

I Have just finished making this and glad I did. These are pencils I'm using. The rest of my pencils are in a box and its lid - about 16" by 8". I have lined it with bubble wrap and transport my pencils if going elsewhere with them.

I love seeing all the colouras in the rainbow laid out side by side and until I got too many and had to make the holder I worked from the box. Tricky to balance on my messy desk though.

As I got more pencils, some kept getting nuried and the ones on top seemed likely to roll off.

That's one good thing about working in a carpetted room.

catch up

2007-08-22T23:30:00.000-07:00

Aaah. It's been a while since I logged an update.

Starting with the future. Never very organised.

I am booking in to 2 pastel classes at the mairangi arts centre one in Septamber and one in November - Didn't that back-pay I haven't told Alan about come in handy?

The classes are two days each and with Larry Blovits and Tony Allain. The first Landscapes and the second colour and light.

And what I have been doing?

I did a portrait of Darren (son-inLaw)- my first in CP and my first drawing on drafting film. I did this for our Sandra's birthday 3rd August. It is 8x11inches.

I have been doing some bush walks for two hours on the past 3 Saturdays - this is part of the local colleges community education programme and is called Bush Walk nad Talk. It is terrific. I am finally learning the names of the trees and I have learnt how to tell the differences between manuka and Kanuka. I knew the Kanuka were bigger but the also have softer leaves. Manuka - well they're prickly. They also flower at any time during the year and Kanuka only in summer. Manuka have woody seed pods, much bigger than kanuka.

Well. Another lady and I like taking photos of fungi. She and I are generally at the tail end of the group of 7 and crouching in the undergrowth. Here is a photo of two lots of fungi - Earth star and parasol. Also a small hodded orchid - this is 6 inches high so the flower head is barely an inch.

Little Xavier - our grandson, had a sore ear. When I called around he was all grizzly and hanging on to Sandra. I aske dhim wha twas the matter and he came over, holding his ear.

"Gamma. I've got a big ear!" After telling me all about it he was happy enough and we played together.

All for now.

kendalls bay

2007-05-18T22:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday's I usually do Mum's shopping. This morning was such a lovely morning I picked up her shopping list and decided to go for a walk before I did her shopping.
I went to a bush reserve on the hills above the harbour, bush where we used to roam as kids.

The roads around there now have houses both sides and the bush has marked tracks. The bush was still the same in essence, the umbrella ferns, the tea tree, punga, pines, the steep slopes. I can remember Bruce and Frank on one foray discussing the merits (demerits) of possum stew. They'd just been on a camp with their scout group. The bad points of the stew seemed to match the marshy ground used to have to plough through if it had been wet. Now there is a bridge of sorts. A plank is better than nothing.

Photos of Kendalls Bay and the bush and the track.

Colleen and Bruce were trimming a tree at Mum's when i arrived with the shopping and they were pulling out some older plants in the garden and just of fto but more plants.

Mum does love seeing lots of colour in the garden.

When I finally got home late morning, Sandra and Xavier had arrived. Alan had gone out so they were playing on the lawn but about to leave. They stayed for lunch.

I arrived late at the meeting for the writers group I belong to - The Wilderness Writers' Group, named after the translation of the Maori name of the street where the originator of the group lives.

Had a good chat and discussed the writings others had submitted but I left early as I've done no swot today. Assignment due in just over a week and exam in just over three weeks.

Gulp.

just today

2007-05-13T23:23:00.000-07:00

best news is my head cold has mostly leaked away. Work today wasn't as bad as it could have been had i still had my cold.

We're doing the 10,000 steps programme in teams at work. Except for the last three days I've been averaging about 11,000 a day. I still did 68,000 for the week.

I'm also making sure I have an apple a day. Luckily it's the season for royal gala - my favourite. I eat it when I go for a walk at afternoon tea time. I do 20 mionutes before work, 15 at morning tea and 25 at lunchtime. A good thing about going fo ra wal at lunchtime is I've got to have a lunch I can carry and not make a pig of myself with the cafe lunches. They always put too much on my plate and I don't need that much.

Surprising how many extra steps I can do if I walk to the other end of the building and back a few times to get stationery, get a coffee, take up some paperwork to someone instead of using the internal mail. I use the excuse that it is urgent.

I've noticed an improvement in my skin, weight (slight), less cellulose - or am I kidding myself? I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm not going to taichi tonight. I don't want to push myself before this cold has fully gone from my throat and head.

on my easel, off my easel

2007-05-11T00:08:00.000-07:00

I have an office at work and the walls were rather bare so I took a couple of my paintings and hung them up. My manager said did I have another one but a little bigger for the end office. I said I had one but didn't know whether it would be OK. I offered to paint one but she said whe wanted it in this years budget ending June. I took in this one of Waitonga Falls on Mt Ruapehu and she paid me for it. There is now a large bare spot on our lunge room wall. I'm not complaining :)

This is a commission I'm working on. I've just recently starting working in coloured pencils and someone saw the picture i had done of my cat and wanted two of theirs done. The other one I haven't started yet. I'll update as I go but it tales a while in CP.

I like to go for a walk, get out of the building, during my breaks. Thoughts this morning :-.....

sun light bright in cloud patches on the harbour North Head and Rangitoto sihouetted

council workers mowing long grass on the berm - spiced with the smell of onion weed

leaves raked in a pile - not for scuffling through while the council worker's still there

Leaves flittering down in filtered sun scuttling along the ground my shoes

hibiscus fragile beauty fallen on the asphalt - how the pink and paricot are offset better by grey than their green leaves

beginning

2007-05-07T23:35:00.000-07:00

Well. Not getting very far very fast. Tried uploading a photo but can't see it!Fogot to tick the box. Duh.

Autumn here. Unusually dry and the days still warm but crisp around the edges and in the shade. You can tell winter is waiting in line but autumn is still revealing its colours and surprises such as these small fungi growing beneath oak trees in the domain. They are almost transparent and about 2 inches - 5 cm - high.