I met my future husband in 1993. In October of that the year I turned 30, and he reached 31 years of age in December.
On my 61st birthday this year, I realised I had lived with my partner, best friend, and soulmate for longer than I had without him.
Over the last 31 years we have visited 10 countries and moved home 10 times including from the UK to Australia – New South Wales then to Queensland.
We are already planning for our next home when I retire in a couple of years……..
Beach stranded, Pacific blue bottle jellyfish, smaller relative of the more venomous Portuguese Man-o’-war from the Atlantic.
The gas filled bulb sits above the water at the mercy of the winds.
It still harbours a nasty sting in its long single tentacle even when dead.
On the back of the success of the fire oval and circle, I revisited water in the round. Above is the result.
I applied multiple washes in shades of blue, turquoise, and green.
I sprayed water onto the whole to create dappling and to soften the edge. Clean salt was added and removed twice to reinforce the darker splodges.
The ovoid version including less washes and recycled salt is included again below for comparison.
I had an idea of sinuous flames of ox blood, yellow, and orange flames undulating from the bottom of an oval to left of the top.
Spraying water and adding salt resulted in the above picture.
My husband suggested I try a circular watercolour that could be printed on a tee shirt. This abstract mixed media piece is the result from last weekend. Two washes intensified the colours.
As children in the UK, we learned March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers.
In contrast in Australia, the first day of each third month marks the change of the seasons. September, 1st heralds Spring.
September, October were mostly dry, and November is living up to its stormy reputation. Compared with last year, it is more humid than I remember, more than 70% most days.
We enjoy the benefit of one of the previous owners of the house being keen gardeners. The wild irises and amaryllis have finished blooming.
They are succeeded by fire star orchids and dancing lady orchids.
The rising sun heralds the arrival and departure of Brisbane bound commuters. Few appear to take notice of it or the surrounds.
Serpentine Saltwater Creek undulates through the North Lakes Environmental Reserve behind the train station towards Moreton Bay. It often breaks free of its banks.
The water results in a lush wetland ecosystem; home to gum trees, grasses, insects, 29 species of native birds, reptiles, eastern grey kangaroos, possums, and koalas.
Good morning
This abstract mixed media painting was inspired by the colours of water over submerged sand islands viewed whilst descending towards Cairns off the coast of Far North Queensland, Australia.
Whilst on holiday in Port Douglas, using my husband’s 1980s Winsor and Newton Sketcher’s palette, I completed a couple of concept sketches on A6 cartridge paper.
After returning home, I started with a pencil oval outline filled with light watercolour washes in acqua, blue, and green. Texture was created by adding large clean salt crystals that absorbed the water and hues.
The outline was inked in and more washes added.
Water was sprayed on sections of the picture freeing up the colours to merge, and the edges and outline to soften. Darker shades were added to the water droplets and encouraged to flow into each other. Salt recycled from other paintings was added to create random patches of soft brown and pink.
The above was repeated a few times until the final version emerged.
As the seasons shift and leaves fall, the Earth recycles energy, converting it into new life and carrying it forward. Embrace the positivity you need to progress in life. Happy Samhain.
This is essentially green yellow brown no. 2. Inspired by a feather from my husband, the split on the left echos the way barbs separate. The shaft is represented by the right hand white curve from base to two thirds up.
The pristine blue ink outline was softened by spraying water onto the still wet Winsor and Newton watercolours.
Early on salt was added to the yellow area resulting in the undulations. After three layers of green and brown, salt was used to develop texture.
I am happier with the way this mixed media abstract painting came out. My husband said it looks like one of Jack’s beans that grew a mighty stalk linking his home with that of the giant.
A flying visit to Palm Cove this morning for breakfast; en route to Cairns airport and home.
theINFP 