reminder to self

have fun and do these things. this week. and breathe.
+ make some bundles of fabric and leaves and flowers and put them in a dye pot. do it. and then wait a week and see what comes out.
+ crochet some little socklet foot things for myself. to keep my feetsies warm on the cold mornings.
+ finish the t-shirt crochet rug for our kitchen floor. maybe start one for Mishi in her play corner
+ plant some new flowers. just because
+ write in my journal.
+ do a drawing, maybe some watercolour painting
+ take some photos
+ go for a walk. maybe in the morning. maybe in the afternoon. maybe with the kids. maybe by myself.
+ sit by the fire with my man and just chat.
+ crochet some more beach or creek rocks. because i like doing that!

that sounds like a good and lovely full week, doesn't it. what will you be doing this week?

just three things

there is an endless list of things to do. not an actual list. but the list of wants.....
like all the books you ever want to read - well that's never going to happen is it.
and, i have to realise, i'm never going to see all the instagram images that come through my feed.
or read all the blog posts or see all the beautiful pinned images on pinterest.

and there's many many more wants. like where to visit. what countries. what far vast adventures to go on. or adventures around the corner. everyday there's things i missed out on.

so. instead of having this endless list and feeling like i'm always behind. or that i'm never going get there.do that.read this.eat this.... well - i decided that i'm going to set just three things. (of course, i'll probably expand it to mean just three things for that particular medium, or three more things that relate to that, but i think that's ok too).

here's my three creatives things i want to do/learn this year ::
:: really and actually make a quilt. maybe it will even have hand quilting on it. maybe it won't. my boy really wants me to make one for me. i'm collecting blues and indigos, but i think i need to collect more actively so that i can start making. it's coming on winter here - i really should get it made before the cold cold. care to swap me some deep blues fabric for ....... well, what. what would you swap for?
:: i want to do some proper plant dyeing. i've been loving the solar dyeing i'm doing in glass jars sitting in the sunshine. but i want to get focused on doing more and more and more. lots of little bits is good. maybe one big bit too. with some friends too - wouldn't that be lovely. an indigo dye pot. oh yes. that's what i want.
:: learn to knit. i have the most delicious knitting book i got last year. i do really want to make myself a coat or a jumper or just something from it. knitting is so different to crochet - more versatile. i think. anyway. i want (re)learn to knit. maybe i'll even make something with my own plant dyed yarn. for next winter - i know my limitations!

what are your three things? they could be for just right now, you can change your mind......

not for nothing

Sometimes I'm not here because there's not a lot to report.
But lately there's been too much happening to have time to think and compile. And I don't know where to start in all the telling.
So, this is just to let you know that I am still here, in this little blog corner of mine. I still like being here - and I visit here on my own sometimes.

There's lots and lots happening. Today I sewed something for a special project. Both the kids sewed something too. Mishi a lovely little bag, that we have to stitch some buttons onto as finishing details. Ari made an excellent belt, that he named a Thneed (yes, like in The Lorax). It can be worn as a belt (he planned it to tie around his dressing gown in the cold morning time), or a dashing scarf flung around your neck. Though mostly he's been wearing it as a Ninja headband - tied around his forehead. It is generally accompanied by silly dancing and crazy giggling; and when you think of that giggling, remember that he is missing both his front teeth!

I'm on that facebook place a lot more than I've ever been. All because of the Hey Maker! girls. 'Like us on facebook' - ha, that's the second time I've said that and it's not sounding too silly afterall..... There's lots of super good Hey Maker! happenings going on. Most of our talk is happening with kids around, and us trying to reign in our crazy dream ideas. But such good things that will happen. How wonderful to have met these people who dream the same dream as me. Isn't that just the bestest ever!

We're on school holidays here, and the week is pretty full. A visit to stay at my Grandma's house (have I told you she'll be 91 this year!), we'll finally go to see Arrietty at our local cinema (they have the best beanbags, which makes movie watching so much more comfy), and we'll see the snake man at the library. We might not get to visit our friends and their new alpacas - but that will happen soon I know.

What are you up to this week? Do tell.........

about to bloom

i'm on the brink of some wonderfulness

these flowers bursting open in our garden are pure beautifulness
i planted them last year, and thought that was it - but they've grown up again, from the ground into full bushes. and now they have buds all over them.
on saturday morning when i walked outside there were three buds sitting there, ready to burst. with rain droplets scattered across the leaves, and sitting stuck to the full budlet shape.

and now there are all opening wide. stretching back their petals to soak up the warm sunshine we had today.

how a simple thing like flowers blooming in my garden can make me so happy and see the joy. oh yes.

hello.....

It's been a full and busy week (again).
How about you?
Below are the ramblings of a woman whose children told her just tonight that she's lost her mind. I tend to agree with them......

The doctor confirmed today that I do in fact have Ross River Virus/Fever. There's no cure. Just lots of resting - which doesn't fit in so well with lots of busy. But my body is just simply falling asleep at odd hours of the day, so the sleep can't be helped. You get the virus from Mosquitos - and yes I live in the rainforest and it's been a wet Summer. I imagine that at least 50% of the people living in my area have had exposure to it. Quite common....

Tomorrow is Potato Day! I'm super excited for this first pop up venture with these amazing hard working women I have connected with. {here I am complaining about tiredness - B has a 3month old baby!!}.
There was talk today, between the four of us, about some wonderful and such good ideas and ventures. Oh it's good news indeed. Though lots of work.

Mishi told us about her invisible friend, Ruby. We've never heard of Ruby before. It seems she's the one responsible for some of the accidents that have happened around here lately - falling off chairs and spilling glasses of water. Both my kids are quick to jump to the "it wasn't my fault" defense.

Winter isn't here yet, but with the cold rain that keeps continuing, we've started lighting our fire. It's just slowly chugging alone. Our cat is totally loving it - he's settled into a basket Sam put there for him. I think the only time he'll be up now is when he hears the rustle of a cheese packet or needs to venture outside once a day and then run back in again.

I've decided to try and write a journal page(s) every day. We'll see how that goes. I like the idea that perhaps one day the kids can read the silly ramblings that their slightly mad mother was working through. I know I'd love to read my mother's ramblings (if I could decipher her hand writing!).

We have a beautiful little 'nature' collections set up on our table. It's just pieces I've added bit by bit. It's making me happy to have it here. Little collection of our day. So long as it doesn't turn into a pile of rubble. We have a butterfly there, she died tonight - slowly and softly letting the life energy release from her body. I felt calm and peaceful being able to watch her (I keep thinking share it - but thats my egotistical human nature thinking I'm sharing death with a butterfly. I mean really!!!).

Vague rambling over - go back to whatever you were doing before. What were you doing?

a good good day - Natural Arch

We realised on Saturday that we had never taken the children to see the wonderful natural rock formation and waterfall of Natural Arch. Actually we did go when Ari was a small tiny baby - he tells us he thinks maybe he could remember being there then, but then he wasn't quite sure! So, on Sunday morning we decided to go for a lovely family outing. And boy was it good.

It's only about 1/2 away from our house - over the border into Queensland. Lovely drive up the mountain range, to the view at the top, then down again and the spectacular countryside down the otherside.

The kids had such a good good time. Ari gave the biggest hug and said 'thank you for bringing us'. He really did love it.

You stand inside the cave, listening to the water fall and fall and fall. It's a roar in there. Can't talk, or hear. You can call and yell and make funny noises.

In Summer time there are glow worms and mushrooms to be seen. We'll take the kids back then. 

A reminded to do things. Not need to plan and rush about. Simply to do it. To breathe together, walk together, laugh together. Simple things - walking in the forest looking at moss and fairy houses and mushrooms.

then out again........

it's that time of my life again.
i am trying to not feel glum. or sad. or depressed about it. or angry. annoyed. or simply quiet and down. or unsure.
i'm trying to think other things about it.

i'm trying to know the good things about my mama. about who she was. what she was. how she was.

i'm trying to be her. be like her. know her. think like her.
be her.

a big butterfly just flittered in the window. around my head. slowly and deliberately. then out again.
that's what life is. isn't it. a slow float like a butterfly on the wings of the wind. sometimes we flap and propel ourselves. sometimes we let the breeze take us. sometimes it's deliberate. mostly it just happens.

tell me a sweet story about your own mama. oh, i'd love to hear that. please share.

My five year old - by me

I wanted to finish the week of everyday blog posting that accidently happened around here. Five days of posting about random things. I'm not sure if you were here - or if you were interested. Oh well. I had fun. Were you here? Were you interested? Hello....

So - may as post talk about my 5 year old. Don't have much else to say for this rainy day. Sam's at home cleaning house. That's good, isn't it!

My five year old - by me
Sometimes I think my new 5 year old might think she'd 15, at least she acts like it.
Sometimes she acts like she's 15 months old.

My 5 year old likes school, mostly. She has a great gaggle of friends who give her hugs hello and goodbye. There's a boy at school who she quite likes - I've seen him stroke her hair. They're in kindy together. This is sweet and lovely, and also just a tiny bit scary.

My 5 year old is super good at drawing. She got an award at school for drawing. And another one for being an enthusiastic learner.

She tried hard to wear her school uniform, but really I know she wants to wear her tutus all the time. She does wear leopard print tights, with sparkly pink ballet shoes. She sure does have great style, my 5 year old.

My 5 year old makes up wonderful stories all the time. She chatters quietly to herself, while playing dolls or barbies, or drawing her pictures. Sometimes she lets my 7 year old join in.

Every night before bed my 5 year old says she needs a story. She can't go to sleep without a story. Mostly I do read stories, sometimes lots, sometimes one long one. Sometimes I can't read stories - so my 7 year old reads stories to his sister. It's so lovely to hear that. My 7 year old is so good at reading.

My 5 year old is learning to write words and letters. It's so good - she's loving it. Her big brother helps her with her letters, and spells out words for her to write down. Her writing is so lovely and neat and deliberate.

I love my 5 year old. I love my 7 year old as well.

The end. by me.

Perhaps there'll be more story telling next week... xxxx
*photos by Sophie Partyka, for Bambini Model Agency. Yes, my 5 year old has a model contract - only new, so no work yet......

happy making

I decided yesterday that I needed some happy making happen'.....

So - I washi-taped some little bottles. I coloured the water with paint. I gathered some flowers and the most wonderful moss, lichen, mushroom covered twigs. And I made some happiness.
{These moss covered sticks are all around in my garden. Whole trees covered with them. Wonderfulness. I saw something similar in a magazine once; these things sell at specialised city florists for $5 a teeny branch. It's like buying tumbleweed from a shop, or bamboo..... Not that I have tumbleweed, but oh do we have bamboo. If you want some - come and ask!}

I also made some little happiness bags and pouches. Pure goodness these are. Heart swelling happiness. The making of them was fun. The looking at them. And then the possibilities of what else they evolve into. That's super good. I'm learning that being creative is creative inducing - you need to make to be able to keep making. Sometimes the making isn't neat.good.art.your best, but that doesn't matter, because it makes more making happen.

So - happiness is easy to make. If you only try. The process of the making was happiness in itself, but the having and looking at and enjoying. That's pure happiness. Yah to finding some happy on these rainy, dismal days.

It's Thursday. So, here's to Our Creative Spaces today.

And in other SUPER exciting wonderful happiness making news. Look where I'm being *featured* this week - one of Brisbane's Finest Intagramers on The Weekend Edition! Super YAH!!

is it all about space......

Things are not all peachy here, you know.
Yes, sure there are good there. Really good things.
But there are other things that are sort of downers. Things that keep bringing us down, getting us down.

This rain. That's the big one. It seems the rain is dictating our life. Has been dictating our life since we moved out of the city to this beautiful part of the world. Back home. To our home.

I suppose it's sort of better than the drought this part of the country had for the many years before. But really come on!


We do not have jobs. Neither of us. We had planned, thought, assumed that by now we'd have a studio space for working in. Proper working. Real work. Being able to devote ourselves, our days to making it really work.
Lots of constant rain means no sunshine, means no building, means no studio. Means no space for working.

But apart from the no physical space. There's the no mental space. The breathing space. The planning space. The doing and creating space. That's the downer. The no mental space thing.


I keep trying to let go. And not over-think it all. And not stress about it all (mainly about the fact that we are currently living off our savings, which is meant to be for building our house!).
And I'm also trying to reign in my dreams, my hopes, wishes, wants...... Oh those wants.

How. How do I let it go. How do I continue to be content within the same small space, with the same steady downpour. How.

le fleur

there's a lot of green around me, where i live. a lot. different sorts of greens. amazing greens.
there are also flowers, moss, mushrooms, leaves - oh leaves of endless colourful brightness to entice me and enchant me.

but sometimes. just sometimes.
i'd like to be able to slip into a beautiful florist shop. to stop and fill my head with the aroma of such a space.
and to stand and ponder and drift off on a little dream. as sometimes can happen, in fact perhaps has actually been known to happen, in a beautiful florist shop.

alas there are none near to where i live. and if i'm near to one - well it seems silly, or frivolous or just down right unfair to even enter and tease myself. so.... i don't.

but i have been dreaming of being able to bring home a crazily over-the-top bunch of gloriousness.deliciousness.splendiferousness...... oh yes i have. do you know that feeling?

instead, i'll try, just try, to fulfill a little of that hunger with some of these images. i'm pinning more as i find them. share some with me too, if you dare xxx

images used with kind kind thanks from:

1, 2 & 3 Saipua - so much goodness there! / 4 House on Hill Road /5 by me, taken at my friend's wedding last year, at dear sweet Kate's house / 6 Sweet Eventide / 7 Broadturn Farm / 8 Sonia Pell / 9 by me

hey maker!

So, in my *spare time* lately I've been meeting with some really wonderful, creative, inspiring, energy-uplifting women. We've been talking all manner of good things. 

I could draw this out, you know I'm good at that! Instead, I'm going to jump in and give you the facts. 

We've started a fun, important, lots-of-great-future-ideas creative collective called Hey Maker! My making cohorts are Belinda Smith, Jo Olive & Kathy Egan. Between our own individual businesses, babies, gaggles of small children, and general life we've chatted out some excellent ideas and aims for our little collective. We're gonna be big!

We first got together in response to our town needing a big injection to boost the economy. Sadly there are many empty shops in our small town, and lots of people do not shop local (boo to them!). We live in a beautiful town, in a stunning part of the world. Unfortunately there isn't much respect for the artists and creatives who live here - it feels a little like a hidden resource; despite having one of the top regional galleries in Australia, right in our town!

Our first event is to be a fun, and hopefully messy, pop up gathering. We'll be hosting Potato Print Pop Up in a great space that once upon a time was a laundromat and is now a funky landscape architecture's office.

If you're interested to know more, or even to get involved, check out the Hey Maker! Creative Collective blog or facebook page. We'll be adding more info over the coming weeks. This is a fun, yet important project. We plan on renewing Murwillumbah, just like many towns across Australia have had to renew. If you live nearby come along and help out - have some fun, add to our art installation, and show our town we care!

Check out this lovely little piece in the local news. We've been media famous this week!

**sorry the images are a bit fuzzy; I've had to make them smaller resolution, just so my stupid live internet can upload. For some reason Telstra thinks we're in the middle of no-where and hence gives bad internet coverage.

saturday things

the sun is shining outside. it hasn't yet made it to our little house, as we are under a hill and under trees. but i can see it stretching slowly across the dewy grass. slowly warming places of our space.

i've feel like i've been talking about the sun a lot lately. we'll around these parts it's big news that this is the fourth sunny day in a row. after a year of endless rain, four days of sunshine is good. not that we know how long it'll last. so it doesn't mean we can set to house building - it could rain again for the next weeks in a row.

i'm procrastinating tidying the house. and doing the washing up (a few day's worth, that both Sam and I have been avoiding). we do not have hot running water in our home, so we have to put a big pot of water on to boil on the stovetop. sometimes that's annoying, but something it gives you five minutes or so to build up to doing the washing up.
for those of you wondering, we do have a hot running shower. it's a wonderful shower for sure. one of the best. outside, which is sometimes cold. but i can see the moon rising or the trees above me while i shower. when we build our proper bathroom (rather than the pad of bricks that currently is our bathroom) i want to have a window in the roof so i can see the trees while i bathe. oh yes.


good things today -
+ figs, walnuts and chocolate - oh yum. and so easy.
+ fabric play money - Ari is having a hard time learning his numbers and counting and money. i think this would be a good thing to make for the kids. plus they love playing shops so much (a favourite game of mine, as a child too)
+ this simple and lovely reminder for me to make some fabric napkins for our table
+ the wonderful wonderful uplifting colours on this new-to-me blog
+ is it Easter soon, or something....? i am seeing eggs and decorations all over Pinterest at the moment. and again, i'm going over (in my mind) what Easter is about for us. if you have any interesting thoughts about what it means to you, i'd love to hear. it is neither Spring here - reason for eggs - or are we Christians, so don't talk/believe/think about the Resurrection aspect; but i want some meaning for my children - rather than just more chocolate. i am planning to only buy / eat Fair Trade chocolate this Easter time; i want to continue this on for all year round - but i do so like Lindt chocolate a little too much. and i personally find most organic chocolate to be much too sweet and a little grainy. tell me, what is your favourite Fair Trade chocolate?? i'd love to know.....

one last good thing is this slowly growing stack of zippered purses i've been making. i am not at my sewing machine often enough these days, and it seems i need to relearn how to do the most basic of tasks all over again. sewing zips - eeeekkk, i really thought i had it down pat!

enjoy your Saturday, your weekend, your week, my friends. look up at the sky, the clouds, the sun, the moon, the stars. and breathe and deep proper true breathe. xx

and .....

there's some big big splotches of rain falling on our roof right now. right now.
the sun was up and shining this morning. but those grey smudgey clouds are there now.

i'm writing lists - both on paper, and in my head.
but really i'm thinking about what direction, where to go, where to push and pull, and move.
that sort of thing.

suddenly it's moved into march. well - how did that happen. the year stumbling, flying along.
suddenly i've got lots happening. and need to be using my diary and calendar and planner efficiently.
suddenly i'm busy with all sorts of things.

but really i'm being slow and thinking each thing as i'm doing it. i'm trying hard to do this, to remember to do this. to focus on the one thing in front of me. trying trying.

i didn't do any sewing today. but tomorrow i will. i'll make sure i do. i'll do some crochet perhaps - right now. well, after lunch, how about.

things i'm liking around the webosphere today -
ink & spindle's new colourway range. those shorts sure are good.good.good!
the outtakes from this fashion collection, seen on sang the bird's blog
this year, some good things to do and remember from le project d.amour's blog. found on  satsuma press.
all the new work that Tiel is doing lately. i'm seeing it on instagram, on pinterest. wishing for walls (a house!!) to put something up. 
Hugo's wonderful polar bear party. oh that cake! Kate, you're an inspiration.
Sandrine, you really are making me happy, making me smile. with your words, your images (oh those flowers from your garden!).

tell me, what are you liking today.....
* that's me looking happy, with a postage bag on my head (it was such a great pattern, i was trying to work out what i could make with it).

a little making and doing

Right now I'm doing some making and planning -
:: zippered pouch purses using my new fabric print lacework/leafwork in deep teal. I like the gold metal zips I've been using. I hope to get these on the website later this week
:: more crochet - little bits here and there. Making happy little mountains and stacks of crochet goodness
:: organising the next handcrafted market at the Tweed Gallery, coming up in June
:: planning the agenda for the school P&C meeting tonight; my first meeting as the new president...
:: planning and organising and getting excited about a little popup crafty event I'm doing in town with some other local creatives. It's sure to be lots of messy fun!

The weather is cold and breezy, it seems that Autumn is here. It's sunny outside, which I am very thankful for - but I expect the rain will be back soon.

What are you doing today?

only an interval.....

Death is nothing at all

I have only slipped away into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other
That we are still
Call me by my old familiar name
Speak to me in the easy way you always used
Put no difference into your tone
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed
At the little jokes we always enjoyed together
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was
Let it be spoken without effort
Without the ghost of a shadow in it
Life means all that it ever meant
It is the same as it ever was
There is absolute unbroken continuity
What is death but a negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind
Because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you for an interval
Somewhere very near
Just around the corner
All is well.
Nothing is past; nothing is lost
One brief moment and all will be as it was before
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

Canon Henry Scott-Holland, 1847-1918


I have to remember to talk about my mum more often. In a happy and regular way. So that every time we talk about her, or mention her, it isn't a pang of sorrow - more a happy everyday moment! Yes. I will do that.

Words found here.
Image was shot at my brother-in-law + sister-in-law's house. The tree photo is by my brother-in-law, check out his amazing landscape photos on his site. I can't wait until we have a wall (house) to put my big framed piece back up. I'm missing it.

right now

the kids will be home from school momentarily.
my computer will run out of power momentarily.

right now the sun is shining hard. its pushed the clouds away and forced itself past the rain we've had. the cicadas are calling. they're booming. getting as much said as they can while the sun is warming them.

this pile of crochet circles is steadily growing. bit by bit I tie another one off my hook. I'm finishing all the strings as I go - I think it would be too much to do it all at the end. But then, that may happen too.

I'm making more crochet covered stones and rocks. mostly collected our creek. perhaps we'll visit the beach soon and collect some from there as well. there seems to be lots of stones along the beaches these days. I keep giving away all the crochet rocks. we barely have any left. and I keep planning on making more for giving away as well. I do love making them, and having them around the house - I'd so love a whole bowlful - that lovely wooden bowl we have. but I also love giving them away.

right now. that's how things are happening.
I'm loving ::
Kate's this week list - I wish mine was that delicious sounding.
Jacqui's wrong side.
Kristen's sweet coasters she made for a friend.
Leah's night romantic inky image.
Abby's sweet place and the light in her life.

*in total disclosure. That moment is over. I'm in another moment right now - at my dad's, with my computer charging, and the mosquitos eating me alive. I keep forgetting, ever forgetting that my moments slip away......... endlessly gone into some other place of non-memory/vague forget/sometimes retain. those moments.

the blues, leafwork & a giveaway

Yesterday I mixed up a most delicious blue ink for some screen printing. Oh I do so love it. It dried just perfectly perfect. Don't you like it when things go just right like that.
I'm still deciding on a name for the colour - naming colours can be fun, but hard. I don't want to be all silly and 'arty', but fun and descriptive. Some paint names I see, on paint chips, are so silly don't you think! Tell me the best you've ever heard.

Some experimenting with the designs at the moment. Printing on the kitchen table, using an old sheet/blanket that I mum made for me an eon ago. I like using it, and remembering that she sewed it for me to take on my overseas journey. Now I use it for a new journey - and I'm adding good ink splotches to it too.

I thought I had a free week this week to do some fun exploring and work with fabric and ink and such, but suddenly, just today, it got busy. I'll try to slip in a spot of printing again - but not sure. I also have a sewing project that a friend asked me to do, that I need need need to get done.

Anyway - here's what came out from the screen yesterday. Some of it anyway. Some bits were mistakes, and they're the best bits. But I haven't photographed them yet. I'm trying to decide what to make with these pieces, they are smallish test bits, but I think I'll make some more of similar design in bigger sizes.
The best bit that came out of the screen yesterday was the doing of it - I haven't done any printing for a few months again now. So getting back into it was good good good.

I've decided to give away one of these pieces. It's about A4 size or so, maybe a bit bigger (it's not beside me right now, I'm at the town library - so I can't measure it). Tell me - what would you make with this piece of delicious organic cotton / hemp hand screenprinted goodness. Leave a comment to enter to win a piece. I'll draw sometime next week, maybe Monday morning.

{this is called 'lacework/leafwork', and I'm thinking of calling the ink colour smoked teal - you can't really tell in these images, but it's a deep blue almost like a cyanotype}.

the possibilities of a monday morning

I got up early this morning (early for me anyway). To get the kids ready for school - to catch the bus; which leaves much too early, but does give us some extra hours at home.
Monday has possibilities doesn't it! Te start of a new week. You tell the kids they can start over again. You tell yourself that. Start as you mean to go on or something like that.

Yarn and crochet hook are still working themselves in my fingers, in my heart too. And my photos - oh this yarny goodness is so very photogenic isn't it.

I've just finished the last sip on my second coffee of the morning. I'm itching to do some screen printing - oh yes. Its been a while. And perhaps some new sewing this week as well.

Oh the possibilities.....

lines to make me smile

 

There was quite a fun, and super excellent, little thing yesterday at the Matisse Exhibition, at the GOMA. Called The Drawing Room (cute name, yes??), it was set up as a very tidy and lovely artist's studio space (sort of). There was a life model (clothed, not naked), and lots of fantastic still-life set ups, with flowers, fruit, etc. Drawing paper and pencils and space to sit and draw. Such a wonderful inspiration room. 

I wasn't feeling it for the life model drawing, but sat and did some still-life sketches of bottles and jars and such. These above are drawn on an ipad they had, where it then draws back to you each line as you drew it. If you go here, I think you can have a go yourself. The top drawing, vase with flowers, is by Ari, the bottom teapot by me. And look at this excellent one that Ari drew of the model in chair. His drawing skills are improving so much, and he's enjoying looking and just going for it. It makes me so happy to see him just draw and not get upset that it doesn't work out exactly as he wanted/planned/expected (I do that much too much myself....). I think he was really inspired by the Matisse exhibition.

I am hoping to put aside more time for myself to do drawing, painting, sketching, over the next few weeks. It's something I think I'll have to put into my diary to make sure it happens... Tell me, what do you wish you made more time for? Will you do it - join me in spending time this year doing more of what you love, for yourself. I do wish I had space to set up tablescapes like this, that could stay until I was finished..... next year for sure.