A Magic Fairy Garden, among other things!

Just a quick post before I head off to Bellingen for Camp Creative, a summer arts school, where I'll spend the next week painting away, creating mood with watercolour.  Thought you might enjoy some of the fairy sightings that greeted me when I finally arrived in Sydney--a magical place for most.  

And the first photo is just a joke, of course, although I have been swimming in both Sydney Harbour (outside any nets) & on the Northern Beaches--my favourite ocean beaches, with names like Curl Curl, Dee Why (who invented that name?  I haven't found the story out yet), Freshwater (otherwise affectionately nicknamed "Freshie", or called Harbord), and of course the famous Manly and Shelly Beach. There are many Shelly Beaches along the Australian coast & when I finally asked "who's the "Shelly" that so many beaches are named after?", was informed, after some sideways looks, that they are beaches with a shell base, instead of sand.  

I had totally forgotten that the Aussies are great for calling things as they see them, eg, "Toilets" not the poncy "washrooms" or "restrooms" as we North Americans are fond of saying, as well as various kinds of gum according to their bark:  red, white, blue, ghost, spotted, paperbark, blood (for the red blood-like sap that weeps out from wounds in the bark), and squiggly-bark (for the squiggles made by some kind of worm trapped under the bark which show when the bark is shed annually.)  

You might wonder what this all has to do with art so I'll loosely say that I have full intentions of painting lots of these specimens very soon!  I have some more photo reference material for an upcoming lighthouse series of paintings, including the lovely and historic lighthouse at the South Head where we walked and swam yesterday.

So, onward & northward I head tomorrow.  Hope your year has started off well and I'll fill you in on my travels when I return to Sydney in 10 days!

Starting the New Year off with a bang!

What a great way to start the year--New Year's Eve at Bradley's Head on Sydney Harbour, from noon until 1 am.  An all-day picnic, swim in the harbour (no sharks, lots & LOTS of boats--see the photo of my little beach below!) & amazing fireworks to end the event.  

One of the highlights was an 11:45 pm procession of fairy kayaks--kayaks covered with fairy lights and circulating just below us in the harbour.  Absolutely beautiful and sorry I didn't capture them with my camera.  Fantastic Sydney friends who always know the best places to enjoy this beautiful city!

Unfortunately it was a sad ending to the year, with the passing of my mom's oldest sister, 92, on December 27.  I can count at least 8 friends and family and friends of family or family of friends (mostly parents) who passed in the last 6 months, and they are missed by all who knew them.  It makes you realize how precious time is with people, and not only older people, when there are so many losses in such a short time.  I hope 2010 will be better in that regard.  I suppose none of us are getting any younger and so in that sense we are all closer to death, or whatever world comes next, depending on your beliefs.  And in this westernized world we live in there is definitely a resistance to death, talking about death, thinking about death, preparing for death.  My aunt was definitely preparing the last while and had expressed her wishes in that regard.  And she held to them.  And for the family, although she didn't want a memorial, there was a party held in her honour yesterday which I missed, being overseas.  I hope it all went well and no ghosts showed up!

On the positive side of the ledger, I arrived in Sydney to a beautiful garden filled with fairies!!  I was so pleased to have finally found a magical place waiting for me!  There were even fairies waiting in the house for me, one of which was a wishing fairy, to make a wish on the full moon--which happened the night of my arrival.  Next post I'll have some photos for you of the garden, and now I've worked out my camera fireworks settings I can probably capture some of the fairy lights at night too!

As for today, I'm continuing my love affair with Sydney.  I've been to Barrenjoey lighthouse, had a swim at Palm Beach before a storm, a dip at Shelly Beach at the south end of Manly, and a walk at Curl Curl...and today it's heading to the Botanic Gardens for a walk and swim with friends.  Loving my life down under!  Stay tuned for more photos.  Too bad I can only post 5 at a time!

Some Christmas shots

The view from Manning Point cafe

Umina Beach, Lion Island, Barrenjoey Lighthouse in the distance

Boxing Day, looking at the dolphins

Christmas morning at the beach

I can't seem to get the captions quite lined up with the photos today, so hope you can work out which is which! They are almost all from around here except the one with the headlands in the photo, which was taken just north of Sydney. I've been really enjoying being back in New South Wales again. The water is lovely and cool and refreshing and the natives are just as friendly as they are everywhere else in the country. It just isn't quite as cool as Victoria (the southern state) or as warm & humid as Queensland (where the giant stick insect was found!)

Still no fairy sightings, although there have been emus, snakes, and dolphins in the last week. I didn't manage to get photos of any of those wonderful creatures, and haven't spotted a mermaid yet. There are lots of wonderful beach scenes, like the ones above on Christmas and Boxing Day. It's so great to have a nice relaxing Christmas in warm weather at the beach! Two years of snowy Canada in a row is enough for this refugee from the north.

I've started some more paintings in the last week or so and am looking forward to doing some more, leading into my week-long course in January. And right now, I'm charged with making a communal dinner in the beautiful house I'm staying at, owned by cousins and their friends, so I'd better get to the kitchen.

The year is ending soon!

It's been an amazing year, full of fun, fairies & magic. Not to mention a fair bit of art--both creating and viewing. I've worked with many mediums this year, from ink, silk, pottery, stone (tiling the ensuite shower is definitely a work of art!), photos and reproductions, to the last one, abstract watercolour on plastic paper with Greg Allen, a noted Melbourne watercolourist! It's been excellent to put out some more creative branches and fun to think about how that will continue in the next year. Might even think about some music--the cousins have inspired me with their playing, singing, and bands. Can I get back into the piano or is the guitar somehow easier?

It's also been a year of travel, exploring, and connnecting or re-connecting with family from 3 continents--some after almost 40 years! Very cool, and lots of wonderful memories, photos old and new, and old and new stories to enjoy and pass on to others. Sometimes I think one of my strongest roles is as a connection.

As I type this there are only 9 days left in the month, and I have hardly thought about next year at all, which was what this walkabout was supposed to be for. I am usually a very future-oriented person however at this point I'm not sure what I want to put in place for 2010...I do have a short (and general) list for my art, including getting a website developed, and I have a sense that there are other things which are more important in life--like enjoying family & friends and supporting others. I'm noticing how much distraction I put into my life, and how difficult it is to hold a focus most of the time. Perhaps it's just a stage...or perhaps life is one big distraction?

Anyway, I do want to wish you all a very merry Christmas, you loyal blog-readers (whoever you are!!) and I might possibly put in a short message before 2010, when I return to my favourite city Sydney for New Year's Eve fun!

photos and music

My Citizenship tree doing nicely

Dorothy (note the red slippers) & Toto in the land of Oz

Echidna (above) stick insect below

Welcome to Australia!

El Presidente heading to Golf

Bec and Seb at their gig in Newport

Watts boys jamming--part of 61 Trees out of Sacremento Ca

Well, I think I've found a better way. You tell me! Hope you enjoy the photos, not sure if the video will work well, and the sound...from my little camera! Anyway gives you a view of what I've been up to and will try to put more photos on soon.

Must run, the pool and beach are calling as is my painting!

More photos before I hit the road again....

Thought you'd all like the Financial Abundance Fairy that is pictured here...sent by a non-believer in fairies, just in case...and I pass it on to you!

Along with this I'll put a few more California photos since I haven't gotten anything uploaded from the last few weeks in Australia...except that now I've uploaded one photo and started typing it appears I can't upload any more until the next post. Sigh. Isn't technology wonderful? I can't figure out how to put captions on the photos either as my mom requested.

Maybe by the time the next posting comes around I'll work out how to put up the sound-track and photos of 30 1/2 Trees and Rick Watts jamming in California...could be an interesting challenge and I wonder how the sound would be coming out of my camera's studio! I call it 30 1/2 Trees because it's half the Watts Boys band, 61 Trees, from Sacremento, California (check them out on Facebook--you'll find out what the name is about there), jamming with their dad. Didn't get to see the whole band although I hope to someday!

Tonight I go to see another family musician, Bec Watts, of Williamstown (Melbourne) Australia, play in a local cafe. There will be a big turnout to see her and her partner Seb play and sing. Earlier in the year I was very impressed hearing them at a local pub gig they had for a few months. I'll get some photos and put them on next week for you.

And meanwhile, it's Christmas coming in full swing here in Australia, although I must say I often forget because of the weather. Go into the shopping centres, as I have over the last 2 days, and you are quickly reminded--the bustle, the decorations, the full carparks...horror! I think I'll go to the beach today for a walk instead!

Melbourne weather is so funny--the week before I arrived they finished an unseasonably hot November, having 8 days over 30 degrees and a top of 37, but since I've been here I've had to put my fleece on most days, at some point, and it might have made 27 one day. Yesterday I broke down and bought myself a cardigan (sweater, as we'd call them up north) along with a pair of dressy sandals (nothing like consistency eh?) so that should make the weather get hotter very soon. Not, however, until late next week, according to the forecast at present.

I've also started drawing and painting again and have a session with Melbourne artist Greg Allan on Tuesday morning so that will inspire me to get off my butt and do what I say I'm going to. Stay tuned for further details and photos! I'd better get a few things done next week before I hit the road again, heading north for Sydney and past...

Those darned fairies are at it again!!

Some of you may recall the saga of the fairies that got into the works of my 2010 calendar printing & sent some to a photographer in Virginia...(if not, see backdated blogs, try, October). Well, I thought I hadn't gotten any of his in return, I looked thoroughly through my box of calendars, and they all looked like mine.

I sold most of them through, and amongst the sales were 6 to my sister-in-law in Ontario, so before I left Vancouver I very carefully packed up her order to send with her sister when she went back east to visit. And lo & behold, when Suz unpacked the magic bag 3 calendars of Virginia appeared. And I haven't even seen any of them yet!!! Guess this means more work for Santa's elf, aka my husband, who I'll call tomorrow to get to mail replacements asap to Ontario. What DID I do to get those fairies playing their mischief on me again?

Meanwhile, back in Oz...I'm having a great old time settling into the Down Under life. I keep forgetting it's nearly Christmas when I'm golfing, walking the beach, bbq-ing outside, late sunsets, seems like mid-summer. Then you see someone in a Santa hat & go "????" Oh yes, it's almost that time! What do I need to do to get ready? Not much when you're on the road, except join in on the parties!

I've spent most of the last week down at a town called Lakes Entrance where a friend has a big house close to the golf course & the beach--absolutely fantastic, relaxing, watching all the birds from his back deck. On the first day there I counted 20 different types of birds while walking the golf course--from Crimson Rosellas, rainbow lorikeets, pelicans, white herons, yellow-tailed black cockatoos, wattle birds, black swans, some kind of oyster-catchers, yellow-crested cockatoos, to Willy Wagtails, galahs, magpies, whip-birds (they make a sound like a stock whip snapping), mynahs...the variety is incredible. And that's without all the different little ones, little thrushes, wrens or whatever the tiny birds are, that flit around the bushes so quickly you can hardly catch them. They all move pretty fast so are hard to capture with paints. I have a bit more luck with sketches...but they keep moving!!! And most of them are even hard to capture with a camera, because they do keep their distance, and seem to be aware of you watching them, at which point they fly off.

It was great to just relax and recharge my batteries after so much travelling, and get lots of sleep in a more rural setting. Watching the stars of the Southern Hemisphere at night is spectacular, and there was a big full moon shining most of the nights we were there. No curtains at Surge's so it shone in my window almost all night the first few sleeps. Now it's not rising until the middle of the night so it doesn't seduce me away from my sleep so much.

Well, that's all to report for now, back to civilization & time to get more photos uploaded, pick up my art supplies tomorrow, and catch up with my uncle & aunt and more cousins that I haven't seen yet this trip.

Catch you later! Please tell the fairies to stop!