Pine cone

Yawn.. how about some still life then?  remember having to draw bottles and apples and pencils and other crap?  at least a pine cone has interesting textures... might see what interesting creatures I can turn this into tomorrow...

Searching

Don't ask me - it just appeared on the page.

Hand Study

A sketch of Morgans hand resting on the mouse at his computer.

Lillys first day

Couldn't let the first day of my little peep go un noticed here.

Lilly couldn't stop grinning all the way to school and was literally jumping up and down with excitement when she went into class.  It was almost impossible to capture a good photo of her front on .... but this made me smile.. little protective hand in big daddys hand. Huge school bag.... so cute...

Happy Australia Day

Someone on our street 'posted' Australian Flags in everyones mail box very early this morning.  I was really touched by this guesture. I wanted a photo of all the flags fluttering int he breeze up the street - but our cul de sac is quite long and bendy... so I just couldn't get the shot I wanted...

Happy Australia Day everyone!

Sketch of Sorrow

 I was really moved by that scene from yesterday and wanted to capture pure emotion. I believe this is through the eyes - so did a sketch to explore that look...

Sorrow in Haiti

I don't watch a great deal of news, but caught the tail end of a report on Haiti.  The camera passed by a group of children who had been beaten up as they scrambled for food.  This was the look one gave the camera. Sorrow and horror, disbelief.  he had gashes with blodd freely pouring over his face and his eyes were puffed from crying.

Really terrible.. and I don't think I'll sleep tonight thinking about him.

Agony

The focus for this peice was getting the emotion in the neck.  I did a few sketches before this to capture it.. but needed the full figure to realise what I was trying to do.  I still haven't quite got the angle of the jaw right.. its a tricky one.. Maybe I need to get a model?? any volunteers?

Inner Pain

Didn't really have alot of time today.

This is a quick sketch depicting how I have felt in the past, alone, in pain, isolated no comfort.

Suburban Farm Kids

Our Happy Little Farm kids. big smiles.

Lilly adores her chickens and spends ages sitting and talking to them in the garden.  If I allowed her, she would take the chooks into her bedroom.

Curves

Playing around with some images for a birthing article I am doing.

The Answer

I cannot get the look of distain, of boredom of my focus character from my mind as I drew this.  Instead of being pleased, proud or ANYTHING; she is bored with having discovered the answer to life; which she holds aloft in one hand.

First blaaasssss

The only thing that has saved this picutre from being screwed up or burnt is my committment to publishing the sketch I did of the day - every day.

I hadn't quite been prepared for the vitriolic hatred which spewed from my headspace as I drew this.  Its not been a week yet of sketching. I was expecting the green eyed monster to raise its evil head and begin a barrage of self limiting beleifs about my talent ( or lack thereof) sooner or later - but not so soon. The heads wrong, no shape, no perspective, no emotion, no feeling within the piece, eyes wrong - just everywhere, balance - poor.. etc etc. urgggh I hate it. and I hate the piece.

I feel confident that I have a little natural talent which has been fostered by some self taught skills. Like photography, I love to capture moments - a look in the eye of someone or a secret or stolen glance.  However, when faced with this, I feel like shriveling up and not picking up my pencils for another decade.  I guess I am at a point I don't know where or who to turn to in order to get help to improve - just keep struggling along and 'doing it'  - is that the answer?

sigh.. yuck.. what an awful aweful sketch.

Backyard Challange

Although this is not particularly of good quality, I liked this photo I took because of the spirit it captures.

Adrian is relaxed with beer in hand, shoes off and intent on making the ball swing in an even arc to Lilly so she can hit it.  Miss Lillys face is  set with determination as the ball speeds towards her, the force of Adrians hit bending the central pole.

What happened next?  Lilly slammed it so hard the ball broke from the string and ricocheted off the back wall.

Nails in a haystack

True to the intention for this year long challenge, I am capturing the theme or feeling for every day.  Here lays my frustration and indicators of my inability as a builder...

Whilst attaching the roof to my chookshed, I had my packet of nails sitting beside be and in one foul ( ha ha) swoop - I knocked them off and into the laying box.  I couldn't leave them there - so undertook the painful process of picking each one up - between the hay and shavings and poo.

For more details on me actaully building the chook run and shed - pop over to the family blog here.

Making the Move

A moment captured where Miss Lilly reached out to move a piece on the board game she and Morgan were playing.  Her tangled hair obscured her face - such a delightful scene.

Oh and just in case you are confused - I moved this picture forward to make way for my photo on Thurs as the competition it is entered in ends and I needed to post it...

Thoughtful Morgan

A quick side sketch of Morgan as he was thinking and listening to a book being read.

Calm

Write from Karen is hosting a photo competition again this quarter. This time the theme surrounds "Winter."  Given I am from the southern hemisphere and we are sweltering in unbelievable heat, the mere thought of a cool calm winters morning is enough to make me weep with longing.

This was taken at Conniston Waters in the Lake District during a very brisk morning walk. The air was thick and swirling, obscuring the path as we wandered through it. On the lake shore everything was so quiet, calm and beautiful; a memory I still hold clearly.

This picture emulates what winter is - a calm crispness with the promise of the suns kiss.

Peckie

Thus named by Morgan - this is Peckie one of our "girls".

Scruff

We have a new addition to our family - a rescue dog we have called Scruff. Completely delightful and always smiling... really

Leaving

The bride, flower girl and groom leaving the ceremony.

There are so many photos I could have chosen to put in here as there were some precious moments which I guess I was fortunate to capture.

this really captures James attitude - forging forward, Zandras concern for her daughter and Danielles acceptance of James as a father figure.

Lilly in Bubbles

Miss Lilly running through the curtain of bubbles made for the bride and groom to walk through.

A New Year - a new start

Paul, a friend and fellow artist and writer decided at the start of this year to undertake a variation of a 365 day challenge which a mutual friend - Jodi started - whereby she takes a photo each day to represent that particular day or theme.

As I believe that creativity needs to be fed in order for it to continue to flow, I will do the same. Paul has committed to posting a sketch every day, Jodi has committed to posting a photo. I am committing to post EITHER a photo or a sketch every day.

Its my intention that this extra creative outlet will feed my fiction writing. After two months of non fiction, very dry article and thesis type work, I am feeling depleted, shriveled and sparse.

I'd welcome your comments and feedback and encourage you to visit the other two to do the same.