The Colourguru

Project 365 - APRIL

As I begin to write this post, I am thinking how this will sound as an archive, each month as I post my photos from 365 project I am saying the same thing!  WHERE DID THIS MONTH GO??????  Another month of my life just passed........this month, I haven't missed a day's photograph for the first time.  I must say it has caused more than a little anxt with DH & my family, but so what.........the pictures will still be here when I am not & they will tell tales of me!  Being a visual person, I find having photographs from each day a clear reminder of some of that day and working out what my 'image of the day' will be has made me much more aware of my surroundings........I look in more detail..........I observe more thoroughly.......less satisfied with a casual glance........My grandbabies are literally growing up before my eyes........our little Princess is now speaking in 3 and 4 word sentances........& our little man is running & hammering & helping with everything......he loves to be outside & his MOST fav. person in the world is his DAD! (our son)...........This month there are alot of studio & garden shots.  This is for two reasons, firstly my mobility has been limited by the injury to my knee, but secondly, I have been preparing for our Art Retreat with Misty Mawn & Nina Bagley.  I am having 4 VERY special new art friends staying with me & I have been making lots of preparations for that.  It is VERY thrilling, 18 months in the planning & finally we are down to the wire!  You would think I would be cleaning my house - but NO - DH has decided to do some plastering, so everything is in chaos & covered in a layer of plaster dust - YUK - I am locking myself in my studio with my ipod tonight & hope that the housework fairies come over night to dust everything!  LOL!!  What do you think of my chances?????  Any volunteers?????

Project 365 February

here is my first Project 365 post - My photo a day for the remainder of February - on St. Valentine's day - the 14th I seemed to have missed filing 15th & 20th & I can't remember what I took pics of.......so they may be filled later......  I have decided just to post them here once a month as a slide show.......Obviously having been on holidays in New Zealand, it wasn't hard to be photographing every day & have some interesting topics to choose from, we will see how that goes now that I am back home............so far, so good ....... if you double click inside one of the pics it will open it at Slide.com & it's bigger if you would like to see it in more detail.......oh & I have about 15 more houses to post if you are not tired of them.........more tomorrow or the next day......actually I have to go to the dentist tomorrow which is the most challenging experience I face as an adult due to childhood dental trauma.........so I may not be up to sitting at the computer tomorrow evening........we'll see how I feel.........

A new look for 2008

Thanks for visiting my blog - this is the new me for 2008 - much hidden imagery you have to look hard to find - AND I can't get it to sit in the middle just yet  - hopefully I'll get that sorted soon.  If you look closely in the top right corner you'll see a column head - to represent my love of architecture - of course the background is green (for those that don't know - my fav. colour)...........there is a little schematic drawing to hint at my 'planning & designing' side, the botanicals are indicative of my love of them  & the traditional style of the painting signifies my love of classic western art.......the primative writing begins.....'I planted a seed, and the seed grew, it runs into each other a bit after that, however, I am a HUGE believer in sowing & reaping & it is also indicative of my art journey..so as I said to begin with - lots of hidden meanings....oh & two things you may overlook - there is a little 'White' Rabbit announcing me & my all time fav. Basic Grey Motifica Jade Patterned paper as an underlay........it is still a little raw - I may still tweak it a little - now my blog doesn't look QUITE so naked - all in white with no header!

Ms Sneak A Peek

It is possible that Ms Sneak a Peek is my last Christmas Unwrapper for 2007.  Things are hotting up with work as we commence a large commercial refurbishment tomorrow that will run over the festive period & have to be completed in a very short time frame.  Our offices are closed though, so I don't have to do so much travelling, so perhaps it won't impact my art time too much... I will have to see how it goes.  Ms Sneak A Peak is a POST SECRET (not any more!) from my art pal - Letha Richardson - Ms Sneak A Peak.  Ms Sneak A Peak scuriously unwraps the corners of presents under the tree to get a hint of what treasure the wrapping paper is cloaking.  She is the Queen of Sticky Tape - she carries it in her voluminous carpet bag so that she can even Sneak A Peak at OTHER people's presents she is visiting.  There really is no hope for her - AND YOUR presents AREN'T safe - she has even been known to switch gift tags!  OH the HORROR!  I must say it is hard to leave these characters behind - there are others begging to be created -

Mrs I'll buy Gifts in After Christmas Sales
Miss I'll Take It Back & Get the Money
Miss Just Give Me The Money (one of my own children)
Mr & Mrs Re Giffter (gulp! - ANOTHER one of my children!)

TODAY'S CHRISTMAS TRIVIA is the story of the Poinsettia.  The Poinsettia is traditionally an American Christmas flower.  It was originally grown in Mexico; where it is known as the 'Flower of the Holy Night'  It was bought to America by Joel Poinsett in 1829.

Mr Bah Humbug

Here is your quintesential Mr Scrooge!  In fact, his name is Mr Bah Humbug!  A self made man, a captian of industry he never takes time off or wastes money on frivolities like Christmas = what a waste!

Today's trivia is all about the puddings - apparently it is a British Christmas tradition that a wish made during the mixing of the pudding will only come true only if the ingredients are stirred in a clockwise direction.  Bah Humbug I say!!!

Speaking of Christmas Pud - here is one of our family's fav. Christmas recipe.  I have made them for years.... & now our children are carrying on the tradition.  These can be made well ahead of time & keep beautifully between layers of tin foil in a sealed container in the fridge.  They are lovely wrapped in clear celophane with hand made tags on them, I haven't done mine for this year yet - but I hope to have them done in the next few days, so I will probably come back & add a pic in here & ammend the post.

MINI CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS
(makes about 50 - which sounds alot - but they disappear in a wink!)

1 x good quality 8” Christmas cake Brandy/orange juice/madeira/dessert wine to moisten (about 1/2 cup)
A light sprinkle of mixed spice
White chocolate for melting
Green & Red real glace cherries

Add all of the ingredients in a bowl. Cover with clear wrap & leave in the fridge overnight.  The next day, chop up glace cherries onto a plate.  Then roll out cake mixture into little balls & place on a cooling rack.  Melt some chocolate & working quickly, drizzle chocolate on the top & place a some cherry in the melty chocolate.  Cool on the tray, then pack in containers to store.   

Miss My Heart Is Elsewhere

Have you ever had a guest at your home for Christmas celebrations who really just does not want to be there - despite your best efforts to be hospitable?   One of our guests this Christmas is Miss My Heart is Elsewhere.  She is pining her home & her betrothed Mr Heartmore!  It is eighteen months since she saw him as his business takes him in merchant ships across the continents.  Miss My Heart Is Elsewhere is keeping herself busy reading the works of Mr Shakespeare & wonders at the words of the Sonnets & Soliloquies.....

She read.....hang there, my verse, in witness of my love, And thou, thrice crowned queen of the night, survey.  With thy chaste eye, from thy pale......surely she puzzled, Mr Shakespeare had a window into her own heart.............

Today's trivia is the story of Christmas decorations.  Christmas tree decorations were originally made from paper, apples, biscuits & sweets.  They were made each year & were offered from the tree to be eaten with guests.   The earliest commercial decorations are thought to have come from Nuremburg in Germany, a city that was famous for the manufacture of toys.  Lauscha (also in Germany) is famous for it's glass ornaments.  In 1889 FW Woolworth went there & bought a few glass Christmas Tree Ornaments.  He sold out of them within a day & the next year he bought substantially more.  He sold those in just a week.  The third year he bought 200,000 all of which were sold.  As supplies from Lauscha ceased at the onset of the First World War, American Manufacturers started to produce their own ornaments.  They developed new techniques that allowed them to turn out as many ornaments in a minute that could be made in a day in Lauscha.  I found these ones listed on ebay here.

Miss Just Can't Wait

Meet little Miss Just Can't Wait.  She has snuck off from the village picnic under the guise of bringing her ailing grandmother some apples.  The real reason she has whisked away is to give the presents under the tree at home a little shake to see whether she can discover what they are. You can tell by her mischievious smile that she is following in the footsteps of her Aunt - Ms Sneak A Peek!  I have used the artwork of Carl Larson to create this digital canvas & of course it is set on a scan of painted canvas with Basic Grey Aged & Confused (I know the feeling!), Phresh & Phunky, Philordilee paper.  The rest of the work is created using Adobe Photoshop.

Today's Christmas Trivia is the story of Frankincense.  It is a sweet smelling gum resin from a particular tree that grew in Arabia, India & Ethiopia at the time of Jesus' birth.  It was presented to Mary & Joseph as a gift by Balthasar, the black king from Ethiopa or Saba.  The frankincense trade was at its height during the days of the Roman Empire.  At that time this resin was considered as valuable as gems or precious metals & helped to provide for Jesus' as He & His family fled to Egypt to escape from the murderous Herrod.  The Romans burned frankincense on their altars & at cremations.

Rev. I Wouldn't Even Think Of It

Meet Rev. I Wouldn't Even Think Of It.  Another Character from my unfolding 'Christmas Unwrapped' Series.  The Reverend is FAR too upright a citizen to let anything like PEEKING OR SNEAKING cross his mind.  His small sober gift is unwrapped after morning service on Christmas Day.  Sometimes, if there is a child with out one - he gives his away. He is the Standard Bearer for the Spirit of Christmas.

I have had some great suggestions from people for new characters from experiences they have in their homes of how family members 'do' presents.
From Chris Peden
Ms Peek & Wrap Again
From Linda Manning Findlay
Mrs No You Go Ahead & Unwrap Yours First
Mr I Want To See What You Got
From Dawn Gold
Miss I Don’t Think So
Mr It Will Be Socks Again
From Janene
Mr Just Give Me The Money

A little Christmas Trivia 
Did you know that Christmas trees are edible???  Many parts of pines, spruces & firs can be eaten.  The needles are a good source of Vit. C.  Pine nuts or pine cones are also a good source of nutrition. 

Christmas trees are known to have been popular in Germany as far back as the 16th Century.  In England, they because popular after Queen Victoria's husband Albert, who came from Germany) made a tree part of the celebrations at Windsor Castle.  IN the US, the earliest known mention of a Christmas tree is in the diary of a German who settled in Pennsylvania.

Mrs I'm In No Hurry

In one of my on line groups there has been some really funny discussion about the way our family & partners react to unwrapping presents & whether it is 'safe' to put them under the tree - this has sent me off on a tangent & I have created several of these mythical people, each one displaying their various virtues & vices.  I'd like to introduce you to Mrs I'm In No Hurry.  You will notice her angelic (butter wouldn't melt in her mouth) wings; her perfect child dressed in white in the background & demonstrations of her piety as well.  This piece is a combination of physical painting & Photoshop & I had lots of fun with it.  I would really appreciate your comments & suggestions for other characters - so far I have
Rev. I Wouldn't Even Think Of It
Miss I Couldn't Care Less
Misses Savouring the Anticipation AND
Miss Just Can't Wait

I Love Our Sunburnt Country

It's not many sleeps now until Christmas & things are hotting up Down Under.  It is a little surreal to see all of the snow flake art on line when we are entering into our period of highest bushfire danger.  Bushfires are a very real part of my life, having them literally knocking on my back door as we live on the edge of a huge forest.  In 1983 we experienced particularly bad fires -75 people were killed, thousands of homes & buildings were burnt out & over 400,000 hectares of land was ravaged across 2 states - ironically occuring on Ash Wednesday. Our home inside & out had a layer of ash over everything.  Ash fell like snow.  It was like pictures I have seen of areas adjacent to Ground Zero on 9/11 ....... I have created this digital art from a real painted background that I scanned, then worked my own photographs into using filters & brushes in Photoshop.  I took these photos while in Tasmania last year on holidays, bushfires had just swept through the area we were visiting.  I just want to say that in Australia it is mostly volunteers that fight bushfires and sometimes it costs them their lives.  I am VERY thankful for the fighting Aussie spirit.  Thanks guys.

This poem below tells a bit about our vast land of Australia, it was written in 1904 & every bit as true today.

My Country

The love of field and coppice of green and shaded lanes,
Of ordered woods and gardens is running in your veins.
Strong love of grey-blue distance, Brown streams and soft, dim skies
I know, but cannot share it, My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains,
Of rugged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror The wide brown land for me!

The stark white ring-barked forests, All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains, The hot gold hush of noon,
Green tangle of the brushes Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops, And ferns the warm dark soil.

Core of my heart, my country! Her pitiless blue sky,
When, sick at heart, around us We see the cattle die
But then the grey clouds gather, And we can bless again
The drumming of an army, The steady soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country! Land of the rainbow gold,
For flood and fire and famine She pays us back threefold.
Over the thirsty paddocks, Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness That thickens as we gaze…

An opal-hearted country, A wilful, lavish land
All you who have not loved her, You will not understand
though Earth holds many splendours, Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country My homing thoughts will fly.

This poem by Dorethea Mackeller (1904) bespeaks the very essence of our 'sunburnt land'