drought tolerant

Getting back in touch, in the studio, twenty minutes, no time to think, just go, feels good.

rare flowers

One of my favourite artists has opened up her own flower shop called The Tenth Meadow.
Morgan Allender's moody arcadian paintings of cats and landscapes caught my eye many moons ago and then her large dark paintings of flowers where simply breathe-taking. And now Morgan has turned her obvious visual talents to making the most delicious flower arrangements and I wish I could marry again just to have in my hands the untamed, pretty and abundant posy I wished for but could not find in Adelaide seven years ago.

Branches of apple blossom, double daffodil, frill edged grey plants, terracotta pots and gold brass scissors. No bright lights, no plastic tags, no printed cellophane or plastic buckets to distract from the natural beauty of the flowers and leaves. There are arrangements too where different flowers are composed into bunches and there's no feeling of the flowers being anything but tenderly introduced to one another to bring out their best qualities (rather than being tamed into a shape or pulled into compete & contrast).  The transition from painting to flowers seems so smooth; there is a lightness of touch in both whilst also a connection to the earth and to shadow.

So The Tenth Meadow is a pleasure to visit and I took these photographs and bought a fluffy leafed and petaled plant called a Brazilian Edelweisse, which I painted later on in the studio, and my first day in two years without children or scheduled work was pretty much perfecto.

inside job

How can I be angry at G, who is 8, for secretly taking off with my camera when she takes photos like this? G is looking at details and patterns, closeups of surfaces, the textures of everyday things I wouldn't notice, as well as intimate moments with her twin sisters that I'm not privy too. Her own world within my world.

by me

Late night colours & patterns.

growing

Mother's Day 2013; G and I always go visit this miniature rose bush in the middle of dry patch suburbia. It's our own little oasis.  

hand to heart

There was no way I was going to miss Leslie Keating's Handprinted: a fabric swap III this year. I had so much fun receiving beautiful fabrics in the letterbox and thinking about what I was going to send in return.  Look at these lovely threads..all hand printed with love by these creative woman.
 

Front: hand printed birds from a vintage block by Katja

Middle: stencil printed stripes by Leslie

Back: hand printed saffron flowers by Anna

Special thank you to Leslie for all her hard working arranging this yearly event & here is a link to the fabrics Leslie received (including from moi).

in the shadows

Despite being in the shadows of a huge tree these flowers caught the sun and buzzed with attention from me and the bees. Adelaide Botanic Gardens yesterday with my Dad, Rose and Eve.