Highlights and Lowlights 2006

Without a doubt, the biggest hightlight of 2006 was seeing my hero of 20+ years, Aussie rugby legend, Mal Meninga. He was in Melbourne for rugby promotion and over that weekend I attend a number of events where he was a guest. It was a memorable occasion for me.
Mal played for Canberra Raiders (who were my favourite rugby team until Melbourne Storm came onto the scene) and also represented Queensland in the State of Origin and Australia in the rugby arena. WHAT A LEGEND!

The lowlight was also without a doubt for me. I lost my best friend from an aggressive disease. Beverley had been my friend for around 25 years and that is a fairly long friendship. She will always be in my memory. Bev and I did many things together and later on although I moved away from Bev's town, we still kept in touch regularly. Tragically Bev and her husband moved to a country town and early in 2006 she was diagnosed with a disease, which I refused to believe was fatal until the end. BEV WAS ALSO A LEGEND.

The bestest present ever!

A journal entry

Happy Christmas

Santa's hat

Fairy

This acrylic painting looks much nicer in real life - the wings have a sprinkle of glitter and the dress glistens with gold and silver.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Filet lace heart

My first attempt at filet lace, albeit a simple pattern using a great book. Now for something a bit more complicated........

Christmas Meme (doing the rounds)

(Please feel free to cut and paste questions for your own blog)

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot Chocolate made with REAL chocolate.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?
Wraps then and places them under the tree (don't know where he finds the time).

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
Coloured lights on tree.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, not a tradition here.

5. When do you put up your decorations?
1st of December, not one day earlier.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
All.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
Spending Christmas at Rosebud with Nana and Pa.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I can't remember but I was probably around 10-13 yo.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
No way, Christmas morning only.

10. What kind of decorations are on your Christmas Tree?
Bought and handmade by myself and my children.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Snow, what's snow? It is generally very hot here Christmas day.

12. Can you ice skate?
No.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
A tea set when I was about 8 years old. It was a beautiful musky-pink colour, made out of heavy plastic. My twin sister received exactly the same (to stop fights).

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Spending time with the family.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
ANY dessert, afterall isn't dessert the main meal?

16 What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Everyone around the tree, opening presents. And playing Christmas carols in the car whilst driving.

17. What tops your tree?
A spunky Angel.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Being a Leo, DEFININTELY giving. Just wish I had more time to put more thought into the presents.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
"Do They Know it's Christmas".

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yummy?
Yuk.

Light a Candle

This is for Lisa, who's mother passed on. My thoughts are with you Lisa Oceandreamer at this very sad time.

Christmas decorations

I attach a poor scan of two beautiful items by GPS sent to me for Christmas. They are gorgeous hand-made Christmas decorations that will look lovely on my tree. Thank you Miss*R xxx.

Dolphins

This was a longish term project using crepe paper. I originally saw some wonderful pieces in a shop and contacted the artist as I desperately wanted to learn this technique, and after a search on the net found nothing. She devised this technique herself - Karen is such a talented lady and has done many wonderful pieces. Anyhow, I did the dolphins with crepe paper and glue, added some coloured stones, and painted it. Unfortunately the scan isn't too clear because of the shine. It's a very long process but I love it.

Venice

A watercolour of Venice. Not one of my favourites because of the colours, but nevertheless it's complete and on to the next one.

Mushroom

A Daily Drawing challenge - a very simple pencil sketch of a mushroom.

Bag

A Daily Drawing challenge - "bag". I saw this bag whilst shopping last weekend and fell in love with it and had to buy it straight away. I love the intermingle of blues, browns and other colours, the metal embellishments, the size, the shape, and everything about it. It also helps that I have a bag fetish.

Cave

Another Daily Drawing challenge. The painting is of a drawing I really liked; it's a view from inside a cave looking out onto the shore.

Safe

An Illustration Friday challenge "safe". I guess I took the word literally. Drawn with graphite.

Waterfall

Another art class "group" project. A waterfall, somewhere in New Zealand. I'm not happy about the brownish water (although the photo had brown water) but think I have "mastered" the rocks. Guess I could have been a bit adventurous and changed the water colour. This is not a picture I chose to paint therefore I found the commitment very difficult

Jack Sparrow

Who can resist Jack Sparrow. The magic eyes, the voice and impish look. NOT ME. What a pirate!

Kimba

As a kid I remember watching "Kimba the White Lion". It's the only cartoon I ever really liked and to this day, I still remember "Kimba". Although my recollections are now rather vague, I still remember being moved by "Kimba" and found it quite sad to watch at times. Nevertheless, it nearly always had a happy ending!

Trees

Another art class project. This is one of my all time favourites paintings of mine to date. I adore the colours in the shading - very little brown to be seen here. Although the colours may not be representative of nature, the yellows and purples add such a pretty contrast.

Globe

Yes, another DD challenge - a globe. The countries look a bit skewif but I'm going by memory (which obviously isn't that great).

Bookcase

Another Daily Drawing prompt - a bookcase. However this looks NOTHING like my bookcase which is full to the brim with books, magazines etc. Not as tidy as this bookcase. The books in this bookcase look quite ancient. This painting made it to the home page of the "Daily Drawing" group for a whilte.

Lancaster castle

A DD prompt "Castle". I visited Lancaster Castle last year and fell in love with not only the castle but Lancaster itself. A wonderfully historical city with a lot of charm and quaint streets.

Poppies

Had lots of fun doing this one in art class. We splattered gold acrylic all over the finished painting and even wrote our signature in gold paint (albeit I was a bit apprehensive about the splattering, but once I got the hang of it there was no stopping me). I wouldn't mind at all doing a botanical series using similar techniques.

Chinese fowl

I loved doing this one and experimenting. I flicked masking fluid onto the background and then did a wash. At the end I also flicked ink at the bottom of the painting to representing feed. The rooster has very long legs, but apart from that I am quite pleased with this fun watercolour.

Chinese Frogs

One night a few of my friends gathered around and experimented using chinese painting and a very good book. This is how mine turned out (second time around). All in all, it was great fun experimenting

Ducks

A dual challenge for Wet Canvas - classical quickies and weekend challenge

Tree

Another watercolour completed at art class. I enjoyed painting this one however I wish I could get away from the "browns". It seems to be a safe colour for me. Nevermind, my next painting will be a bright one, I PROMISE!

Window

Another challenge for DD, this time the theme is "windows". Yet another watercolour.

Jungle

A watercolour for Illustration Friday theme "Jungle"

Shipwreck

Another Wet Canvas activity. This was a really rushed watercolour. Sometimes I get to the point where I have too many projects to do and not enough time.

Classical quickies - "C"

A watercolour - bowl of cherries. I'm quite pleased with this one.

Clifton Springs

This is the result of a Helen Cottle workshop. She is an extremely talented watercolourist. The painting is of Clifton Springs, near Geelong. It is a watercolour from a photo. The photo was beautiful however it's not an appealing subject to me. I added the boat for a bit of interest. Still having problems scanning my paintings (I don't seem to have a problem scanning other pieces of work, just paintings).

Farm

Once again the scanning is not good. This is another watercolour, of a farm (no where in particular). It's a bit "yellowy" for my liking, but that is the effect required.

Trunk Bay

This is a quick watercolour painting I did for the Wet Canvas WDE challenge today. It is of Trunk Bay. I am sure if I had a lot more time this would be a very interesting painting.

Classical quickies - "B"

This one was obviously very rushed and I'm not happy with it (but I can't tear the page out of the journal). Anyhow it's done. I may go back and do another "B" someday.

Classical quickies - "A"

As part of an ongoing series aim at building skills to become a better artist we start with "A". I drew this anchor which I am quite happy with.

Perspective

I did this assignment for WetCanvas. Peering through limited space (viewfinder) was very difficult and frustrating. Everything appeared elongated, compared to normal visition. Initially I drew in pencil and later with watercolour. I am very please with this perspective.

Giraffe

Here is a watercolour painting I did for wet canvas. I am very pleased with this one.

Fishing

A watercolour of father and son beach/surf fishing. I really like how the beach turned out and am particularly pleased with the tree (I used my new mop brush). Unfortunately the scan is not very good (my stitching is visible).

Housework

An EDM challenge is to draw something associated with "Mum". Call me cynical but I drew a broom and mop, housework never stops, not even on Mother's Day.

Pansy challenge

This is a Wet Canvas challenge, well it's my interpretation of a lovely photograph of a pansy.

Bottlebrush

Chinese coin

Journal

An Inspire Me Thursday challenges as to find the art in the everyday - can't get much more everyday than a chocolate wrapper, paperclip and label!

Red shoes

Wizard of Oz was one of my fave movies as a kid. Loved everything about it. I drew Dorothy's shoes for Mad Hatter Monday challenge - unfortunately the wonderful red glitter shoes don't scan as glitter!

Altered Spring Daffodils

For the One Step Further symmetry challenge I scanned a watercolour painting and added borders around it. It then looked too plain so I added some punchies to try and spruce it up. I found it difficult working with lines around a drawing, it was almost too clinical for me. This was definitely a challenge!

Lavender

EDM challenge - something found on a nature walk. I found beautiful, fragrant lavender

Spring Daffodils

I think most people like daffodils. This is a watercolour dones for Inspire Me Thursday and One Step Further.