A painting

Back to work on Monday and the picture below is really the only completed artwork for the holidays - one I did in a day. Still, keeps my hand in. And a bit of therapy. I have uploaded some images to a couple of pinterest pages, too, if you'd like to have a look. They are at Ann's Objects and Sculptures and Ann's 2D work.

Tip Shop Art Start

So, have visited the Tip Shop and these are the bits I have selected with which to make my piece of work. So far, so good!

Also, if you want to see what they have put on the official website so far, here is the link.

Short term plans

I've been slugging away, waiting for the busyness to slow down a bit but three weeks out from Christmas it is still not letting up. One of my Masters Supervisors has contacted me about starting my PhD next year, so now I am busy trying to write a half decent research proposal and have it in prior to Christmas. On the up side, with some news that hard work is paying off, I have been selected as a finalist in the BCCs recycled art comp which culminates in April next year. Web link below:

Recylcing Art Competition

Local Wildlife

Been having lots of encounters with the locals, particularly of the avian persuasian, although have officially sighted the first koala in one of the trees near the creek. There are so many  birds, particularly little ones: variegated fairy wrens (managed to get a pic below), yellow robins, treecreepers, spangled drongos, lewin's honeyeaters etc. The last couple of nights I have been joined at dusk by a couple of kingfishers catching insects in the lawn from their perch on the back fence. Delightful.

De stressing exercises

Been having a go at doing some of those colour-in books for adults in a bid to do something artistic while everything else is packed in boxes. The one I chose was Mandalas which added to the colouring in aspect is also quite a zen thing to do. It works for as long as you can actually do it - you become very centred and focussed for a period of time. The results are quite pretty, but again, it is the process that is important.

Masters

So this came in the mail yesterday. I'm official now.

Morning Walks

After way too long, over these school holidays, I have restarted morning walks. I always try to take in some of the local lagoon which is a kind of oasis  tucked in behind a whole lot of houses. Yesterday, after numerous wild encounters, I decided to take my camera, with the following results. This week alone, I have encountered the usual pacific black and maned ducks, swamp hens, including one nesting out in the middle of the lagoon, eastern long-necked turtles, and water dragons, pied cormorants, shags and even the blue and bronze flash of a little azure kingfisher. Feel so lucky to live close to this little patch of wilderness and am sure there is at least one artwork lurking there somewhere.