Turkeys

About 13 years ago Hansy Croft (nephew) went up to Darwin for a weekend. My birthday was coming up and we got this little gamin bird and planned to show Hansys mum my new bird when we arrived back in Katherine. When I got out of the car to drop him off, I held the bird with just the head poping out of my hand and said "look at what Hansy brought me for my birthday" the look on my sisters face was priceless....sorta like "your joking crossed with "WANKA"! Too funny, she knows me well - that I don't like caging birds.  Anyway this little bloke is still going strong and sits on my balcony rail to stooge the cats of the neighborhood. Which tickles my fancy.

Gladdy and Gwenny

Sunday fun in a photo booth with Toni Tapp Coutts who has come to spend 4 nights with frolic amongst tulips, art, good tucker and to talk like Katherine girls do. Amazing how we hit it off and lift each other up. Known each other for 50 odd years but never really talked before. Toni is recovering from breast cancer after all her treatments and has short hair which I think really suits her. Can you see the comb over on the top right. We were in that booth and laughing and playing and when we come out the ladies behind the counter were talking about us smiling and I guess wondering..... Gezz it was fun.

During this weekend we have taken on our grandmothers names and personas. They were best friends. So from now on we will call each other Gladdy and Gwenny. I think they might have had something to do with all this. Hearing words I havent heard for a very long time "look now" "which one did this? Come on you mob, cant be no one!"

Clouds

This guy at work is a surfer and he has been asking me go surfing with him for a long time now.  Of all the things in the world. I think surfing would be the most poetic. Hes a dreamy kind of guy who loves cloud spotting, fossils and surfing. We became friends at the gym at work when I yarn-bombed the weight set.  So today I sent him a copy of my latest yarn-bomb and we started talking online about our most beautiful days. His was walking in the sun. His take on the sun is that it is more beautiful than the moon but because the sun is not allowed to be looked at but for a very few seconds we have to admire the moon for beauty. My beautiful day is when the sun and the moon are up together and perhaps a rainbow appearing. My take on the moon is that its more beautiful because it has an effect on every living thing on a monthly cycle but most of us don't know that. He said most men don't know this and its only because he surfs that he knows the cycles. I had never really thought about it being a bloke thing but there you go. After that conversation I was more focused on the clouds that usual and was rewarded with this beauty. Never seen one like this before.

I Can't See Them.

Seem to be the theme today at Floriade. I went to check if my yarn-bomb was there from last week but it had gone and I decided to make another to replace it. Chose the shakers and then got a stick and put the flower bomb in amongst the real flowers.  When I sent it to my sister she didn't see it.  Interesting though, that I saw a group of 3 boomers sitting under a shady area and went to sit down. One lady was rude and turned her back to me so I sat down right up against her back. Another lady said there is someone one sitting there and I said "I cant see them" which I thought was pretty hilarious.  On reflection, I wish I had said "yeah that's me, good pick up". Anyway I just sat there crocheting and talking to the returned friends until they left. I don't know why I get on my hobby horse and ride like the wind when people think they own public space. I wish I knew.

Researching My Towns Archietecture

Ive always had a thing for the tropical designed houses Ive lived in. Now with some study under the belt I can do something about documenting my home towns beautiful "old" 65 yo residential government homes. Ive been trying to get a copy of David Bridgmans Thesis on B.C.G. Burnett since July. No one wanted to part with the copies they had. So I wrote to David who a successful Architect, Interior Designer and Graphic Designer in Darwin. Took a while for him to respond and like sister says," if its meant to be the connections will happen in the most unusual places". This is certainly the case for me getting a copy of this document.  Here is his thank you card for sending me the document on CD no cost to me so I can use my text to voice software to read to me. Feeling rather blessed.
So when I sat down at 6am this morning to design a card for him it was rather scary as I don't know much about this person. So I gave it over to the unconscious mind to come up with something. After I finished it I sat back and analysed the meaning in what I had drawn. The organic shapes signify earthiness, the leaves pointing off the page mean movement in a discrete direction and the pattern at the top is a path.  I coloured the leaves on the back first and didn't realise they bled through to the front which could have been viewed as a mistake, as was the reverse path colours but I think it added something to the whole design. Looks rather blokey don't you think?

First Day at Floriade

Took the Watercolour Pencils for a test drive and had quite an audiance, this young lady was the only one brave enough to join me. It was quite unnerving at first but then I noticed they sat and chatted and watched and asked about drawing and art in general and then I realised that I needed the speil I tell anyone who shows the slightest interest in makers. Felt so much calmer after that. Even a 16 year old boy who is a cartoonist came over and chatted and showed me his art on his phone.  He said a number of times "oh I wish I had packed my sketchbook now",  So if today I have encouraged anyone to start doing art especially in public, Id be rapt.

Greatful Today

1. Walking around today I spotted these items which would make a nice colour pallet for a mans space. Nature is so intriguing. Its a great teacher if only we observe closely.  Working out my colour pallet and medium for my next project today. Found these cool Stabilio pastel pencils which might be better than coloured pencils for in the long run. I love pastels but hate the dusty grainy feel to them. 
2. When I went to the market today this man and his baby were taking ages to get organise which blocked me in when I wanted to reverse.  The car in front left so I thought I would just mount the small gutter and go forward over the hump. That's what Xtrails do. Well I went gently into to but the car wouldnt go over so I flattened the accelerator and it made the loudest burn out sound. The boomer couple who were watching at the front got terrified and bloke nearly dropped his groceries. Nek Minet, the bloke (one two many cones) and the baby come up to the drivers side and says, you are really impressing me now... Give it to her!!! Laugh, still laughin now, I remembered my 4WD Training and did the nifty wheel shift and off I went. Miss Humpalot canon-balling straight down to Tuggeranong.
3. Pool tonight - I thought this young woman had called me and coz I couldnt hear properly or see with out my glasses I got out the pool and went over to her. I said, did you call me? No...ok Ill just have a look at your lovely baby then. She said why are you here and I told her I have sore knees and she asked me would you like to pray with me right now? Yeah ok, and she said this awesome blessing on me holding hands. Message - Its good getting old. Thanks Godde!

Makers

Early this morning I had a coffee date with a friend from work. Behind us sat a young lady who was hemming this gorgeous dress for a 10yo to wear in a short film in progress. Her friend works at the coffee shop had made the dress and she was just helping out by finishing it off. I was so wrapped to see a young person sewing in public and couldn't contain my excitement. This young lassy was not put off by my excitement during the visit and asked me about the Irlen lenses I wear as an aid to my Dyslexia. She also has Dyslexia and shes about to do a PHD in Architecture. Well, that ramped up the excitement even further and I had to ask if I could take these snaps of her working on Bernices lovely dress.  What a great little embellisher. So cute these two girls are makers.

Fathers Day

This day gets more precious as time goes on. So many meaningful quotes on Facebook today but none of the sum up my love for Dad. Today needed a meaningful gift so I created a bunch of stubby holders for dad to sip the suds with. 
1. the Blitz bogged in a river
2. Dad at the river with family and friends
3. Nanna and Pa
4. My illustration of busy.