Painting

Margaret River Region Open Studios 2022 and Farewell to the Queen

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open studios

Margaret River just before it enters the Indian Ocean. Later in the day the wind was so strong there were little waves on the river.

Margaret River, south of Perth, is well known for it’s vineyards, restaurants and amazing surf but it is also home for many talented creatives. The Margaret River Region Open Studios is a wonderful fortnight when 168 artisans in the region open their studios. Visitors can watch them working, admire their work, chat about the process and also buy their products. The region is divided into four areas. Just as well as the project actually covers a large area.

Lookout overlooking where Margaret River joins the Indian Ocean.

The four regions are Busselton and surrounds, Dunsborough and surrounds, Cowaramup and surrounds and Margaret River and surrounds. If you can spare the time, visiting one region each day and visiting about six studios seems to works best. Obviously, not everyone can commit five days including travel time if you’re outside the region, so it might be easier to focus on your particular interest.

Amongst the art works on display are paintings, sculpture, jewellery, ceramics, textiles, glass making, woodwork, photography, hat making, printmaking and even tattoos. Some studios have more than one artist displaying their work.

All the information is online, but we prefer a paper copy. To begin refining our plans for the week my husband and I mark the studios we’d like to visit, then select our joint bchoices by negotiation! This year I wanted to revisit one studio we went to last year; I’ve often thought about the artist’s work and wished I bought one of his prints last year and intended to this year.

Adam Ashdown, the printmaker we revisited is an Gyotaki printmaker. This is an obscure form of 19th century Japanese printmaking begun about 100 years ago as a way for Japanese fishermen to record their catch. Using sumi ink they would coat one side of a freshly caught fish then carefully apply a sheet of rice paper before before rubbing it all over to print an exact copy of the fish.

I originally saw gyotaki fish prints in Dunsborough at Adam Ashdown’s open studio last year. Ashdown, the owner of Saltybones, has perfected gyotaki printing to record the fish caught locally around Dunsborough. Like the original Japanese printers, he also prints trophy fish for fishers pleased with the fish they’ve caught.

Leon Pericles is a well nationally and internationally. Visiting his studio and garden was a delight. He is a master printmaker, painter and sculptor with a wicked sense of humour. His displays and garden were so popular it was impossible to get photos but I photographed the entrance to his house and studio as I couldn’t capture the artwork, the whimsical landscaping nor the waterfall in the bush.

Another artist I first discovered years ago is Rebecca Cool. I have one of her paintings carefully stored somewhere but mislaid as we moved several times locally, then overseas and then returned to Western Australia and built a new house. By then we had the goods and chattels from four houses in storage and a container coming from overseas so many, many things are somewhere safe, but just where is a bit of a mystery.

Apart from her artworks, Cool has illustrated several children’s books and has two more being published soon. Cheerful, happy pictures.

Milliner Kimberley Box makes a dashing range of ladies fur felt hats. Gorgeous designs and interesting to talk to her about becoming a hat maker. I’m pretty sure I’ll be back to see her next year!

A collection of lasts and feathers and other decorations.

.There’s an enormous number of accommodation options in the south west. Putting up a tent is probably not one of them! This is the coldest I have ever been down here. There’s motels, hostels, many bed and breakfast places, resorts and lots of holiday houses to rent but you might need to book well ahead. Unfortunately, due to post Covid extreme staff shortages, finding venues open at lunchtime is tricky but most of the well known cafes and restaurants in towns and vineyards are open in the evening. There’s several supermarkets, lots of bakeries and light meals available in coffee shops.

HM Queen Elizabeth 11.

Image depositphotos.com

The Queen is dead, Long Live the King! A cry not heard since the death of Queen Victoria nearly 120 years ago. So much has changed profoundly in that time. For most Australians the Queen is the only Head of State we have known. Stability and certainty are reassuring during troubled times and our Queen will be sadly missed.

The best tribute was expressed by Paddington Bear, “Thank You Ma’am, for Everything.”

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Six Signs of Spring, Father’s Day Weekend , Roses and Snow Peas

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you know it’s spring when…

The dawn chorus wakes you up! There’s birds everywhere. The pair of white cheeked honey eaters nesting in our garden is loud and energetic.

The days are noticably warmer by mid morning although the evenings can still be cool. There’s still rain every few days so the spring garden (and weeds) thrive.

Suddenly the shops are full of summer clothes.

There’s so many people outdoors, walking, riding, picnicking and just sitting in the sun in the middle of the day.

woman leaning on white table

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All the bare, deciduous trees are sprouting lime green fresh leaves.

gray pathway between green trees during daytime

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In Western Australia there’s another thing too; everyone remarks on how bad their hay fever is, how their eyes itch, their noses run and their sinuses hurt! Caused by the prolific number of wildflowers which grow in our bush and grasslands.

father’s day

On Sunday 4th September we celebrated Father’s Day in Australia. Our son arrived Friday night from Kalgoorlie and stayed until Monday morning which was lovely! When he arrives we like to go to our favourite yum cha restaurant. We sit and chat, eat delicious little bites and drink tea and really enjoy being together.

I made apple muffins for afternoon tea as no one wanted lunch after yum cha. Neither breakfast nor lunch, yum cha is eaten mid morning as brunch.

My husband likes Zwiebelkkuchen, German Onion Pie. It tastes best made the day before you plan eating it. A delicious mixture of egg, bacon and onion, obviously, it also has sour cream, caraway seeds, salt and pepper. It is most often made in a pastry shell, but we prefer it without the pastry. So this was our Father’s Day breakfast on Sunday.

Rich and delicious served with a spicy fruit chutney and tomato.

For lunch I made a family favourite; Lasagne. I know everyone has their favourite recipe but I make the one on the back of the lasagne sheet box! It always turns out well, rich in flavour and looking superb when it comes out of the oven. The leftovers made two more meals for us and I think the flavour became richer each time.

I had also made a lemon meringue pie for dessert but we had it later in the day. I make my own version of Pâte Brisée, an all purpose pastry. I don’t know where I got the recipe but I’ve made it for years and it never fails.

There was some pastry leftover and because I try not to waste food, I lined a pie dish with the off cuts after I’d rolled them into a ball and made another pie!

The lemons were from a neighbour and were fresh and tart. The pie was quite rich, too, so I served it with cut up strawberries, pears and apples. I look forward to the citrus season every year and enjoy the fruit in both sweet and savoury dishes. I don’t really like oranges but love the smell of both mandarins and oranges and waft the scent of both around the house or burn an orange scented candle.

spring roses and snow peas

Do you live in the southern hemisphere? After a very wet and cold winter the onset of spring weather is very welcome. After two years of battling chili thrip which decimated our roses, I am very pleased with these highly scented, big unblemished blooms on the Holterman’s Gold rose bush. The other roses doing well now are Glamis Castle and the red Pierre de Ronsard. Pretty, scented and long lasting as cut flowers, they are the first of the spring roses to bloom.

Snow peas have done well, too, so a little crop to be harvested every couple of days. Picked, washed, added to leftover German Onion Pie with some fruit chutney for lunch another day.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

Our son presented me with a box. The outside hinted at the contents! Chocolate and licorice, perfect things to find in a box. During the pandemic there was a push to Buy From The Bush as passing traffic ceased. These small businesses struggled to survive, so promoted their products online if they had reliable broadband. Many of us sought rural suppliers during this time. Lucky me! A big box of organic licorice and chocolates was my surprise from Junee in rural NSW.

It is with great sadness we acknowledge the death of Queen Elizabeth 11.

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Wordle and Other Pastimes

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wordle

Are you a fan of Wordle? Originally designed by British software engineer, James Wardle to amuse his wife, Wordle is an online word puzzle. Now owned by The New York Times, a new puzzle is posted every day. Each puzzle has one word of five letters and you get six attempts to solve it. Each time you enter a correct letter in the right box, it turns green, a correct letter but not in the right box turns yellow and a letter not in the word stays grey.

This is a quick, ad free, satisfying puzzle. There’s no flashing lights, no ghastly sound track and it only requires a few minutes. There’s all sorts of ‘cheat’ sites online, too, but I can’t really see the point! These sites give hints, a starting letter, lists of the most common letters in five letter words, and suggests best starter words and even lists of all the five letter words plus the answer.

Lots of off shoots online, too. There’s so many variations of word puzzles, plus a fun one called Flagle which gives you hints to guess the flag and also Worldle, with hints to help you work out the country or region featured. All engaging and pretty quick to complete!

other occupations

I’ve painted a blue wren and a Banksia burdetti, both endemic to south west Western Australia. I was happy with the wren but not so happy with the banksia

Completed the fourth week of an exercise class which feels like Pilates on steroids. Just when I feel I can do something without leaving exhausted, they increase the weights. Feel great afterwards. Yoga is gentle but I leave there feeling great, too.

Annual visit to the dermatologist done, nothing burnt off or cut out this year. Wonderful!

Sad remnants of the once glorious apricot tree.

This sad sight is our espaliered apricot tree which no longer gets enough sun to flourish, so I decided to remove it. Hard decision but the palm trees behind are only going to get bigger and block out more sunshine. We stripped off the branches and then my brother used his chainsaw to cut the remaining trunk to a manageable size for us to deal with later. I’ll start new planting soon in this bed. I’ll be planting things that don’t need much sunlight but will bring some colour.

These orbs have sat under the lime tree in the front courtyard for about twelve years. They were rusted and disintegrating. I treated the rust then sprayed them with a rust retarding paint. This is a temporary treatment and I will have to replace them in the future.

The repaired orbs look good under the lime tree. Spring is in the air and things in the garden are waking up! We have fresh lemons and limes at the moment. The azaleas and clivias have added some colour during this gloomy, long winter.

These dear little pansies with their sweet faces are blooming, too.

As usual, made three loaves of rye sourdough. I keep a few slices in the fridge and the rest in the freezer and I find it lasts almost a month. Homemade rye bread is made using a mother/starter, flour, water, molasses and a pinch of salt. Now days I let the Kitchen Aide do the mixing. I used to rely on feeling the elasticity of the dough as I kneaded it on the bench top to tell me when it was ready. It was quite a lot of work. Now I just guess and it has worked well so far.

Three bowls of sponge starter and three bowls of flour ready for a morning of bread baking.

The ease of making bread in the Kitchen Aide compared to hand kneading, the way bread has been made for centuries, made me ponder other changes brought about by technology. My car replaced one I’d had for thirteen years so the new technology was pretty amazing. Connectivity allows me to use the phone, talk to it to change radio stations, swap tracks on Spotify, change the temperature, get directions and probably many other things I haven’t discovered. I have never explored the self parking system but like some of the other things, such as the screen image of exactly how I’m lined up in a parking bay, how close other vehicles are, changed speed limits and advice on traffic flow are all useful.

This is not my car but you get the idea! Image Pexels

I think about the things I can do on my devices, the individualised settings on some of the equipment at the gym, even the noise the fridge makes if the door is open too long and the way lights are set to come on around the house at different times in the evening. Developments in medicine are equally amazing, resulting in quicker and more accurate diagnosis and treatments.

did you know?

The Australian dollar is considered to be the most structurally advanced currency in the world. The notes are made of polymer and are almost impossible to counterfeit. They’re colourful, too!

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Eggs, Entertaining and Reading

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eggs

The difficulty in finding free range eggs in shops at the moment seems to not just be an Australian problem, but a widespread issue. Supply in some countries has been limited by disease (farmers in the USA have killed millions of egg laying hens due to spread of the deadly avian flu) ; some countries believed Covid was spread in eggs, hens lay less in cooler weather and all supply chains have been effected by Covid. The price of feed doubled in cost after Russia invaded the Ukraine, a major supplier of wheat, particularly impacting on prices in the UK.

brown egg on brown nest

The demand for eggs from hotels, cafes and restaurants dropped dramatically in Australia with the onset of the pandemic but was quickly replaced by an upsurge in home cooking. The supply problem arose from a swing towards free range eggs. Free range eggs cost more due to the limited number of hens per hectare, free range hens lay about 20% fewer eggs and the cost of collecting the eggs out in paddocks is greater than barn laid or caged eggs. The other additional costs of fuel, staff shortages and increased cost of feed and packaging materials are spread across free range, barn and cage laid eggs. The drought, the flooding, recently introduced government levies and the mice plague have also added to production costs.

flock of chicken on green grass field during daytime

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Why choose free range eggs? Nutritionally, all eggs in Australia are very similar. For me the decision was based on concerns about the welfare of the hens. I just think a hen pecking outdoors is a happier hen! The alternative, keeping our own, is not possible as we don’t have a big garden. It is better not to contemplate that free range hens sadly lead significantly shorter lives. I just hope that they are happier ones.

rooster and hen on grass field

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Interestingly, recent information indicates backyard hens’ eggs in some areas of Sydney contain about 40% higher lead levels than commercially produced eggs. Older, inner city homes are more likely to have high levels of lead in their backyards. All gardens in older, inner city areas probably reflect the same issues with lead contamination. This also impacts on the quality of home grown produce and honey. (c.f. Elsevier, volume 301, Lead poisoning of backyard chickens: Implications for urban gardening and food production)

eating

We’ve been entertaining ! We’ve had relatives to morning tea one day and afternoon tea another day. It was so good to catch up with people returning to Australia and some other family members. Now you know why I was thinking about supply and quality of eggs. I always make curried eggs sandwiches. Everyone in the family makes curried egg sandwiches. I also set cakes and slices and platters of cheese, nuts, dried fruit, fresh vegetables, dips and crackers. I want to be sure there’s something for everyone!

Still a bit chilly in Perth at the moment, so I also made scones to serve with jam, hot from the oven.

reading

England Postage Stamp Exeter, United Kingdom - February 14, 2010: An English Used First Class Postage Stamp showing Portrait of Queen Elizabeth 2nd, printed and issued in 1998 british crown stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images

I was recently given a hefty tome, Tina Brown’s The Palace Papers. I don’t really follow the royal family although I admire the Queen. I don’t usually follow stories about the younger members of the royal family. I did watch the Oprah interview with the Sussexes and felt uncomfortable about their claims and demands. The factual accounts of their behaviour and expectations documented in this book certainly indicates they could never live the life of service and restraint expected of the royal family.

Interesting and supported by thorough research, this is the story of the Queen’s life after she ascended to the throne. Subtitled ‘Inside the House of Windsor – The Truth and the Turmoil’ the change in the public expectations of royalty is evident, especially after the death of Princess Diana. The monarchy had to change with the times. The triumph of her Jubilee year and Platinum Jubilee, the ongoing dramas around Prince Andrew and Prince Harry and her involvement “parachuting” into the opening of the Olympic games certainly revealed the Queen in a different light.

gold and blue crown

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Never a fan of Prince Charles I was interested in his support and popularity with younger people who recognise his passion for organic gardening, protecting wildlife, building and restoring buildings using sustainable methods and general interest in housing. He acknowledges the disruption to the lives of younger people due to the pandemic and expresses concern for their mental health. His trust supports many youth programs. His plans to ‘slim down’ the number of royals depending on the public purse are also popular. The Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, long time ‘third party” in the Prince’s marriage, is also gaining popularity.

British Collage Illustrator Vector EPS file (any size), High Resolution JPEG preview (5417 x 5417 px) and Transparent PNG (5417 x 5417 px) included. Each element is named, grouped and layered separately. Very easy to edit. british crown stock illustrations

Like so many families, there are those who work hard, like Princess Anne, and those who exploit their position, like Prince Andrew and Prince Harry. Being the ‘spare’ lacks clear purpose and we know how that has played out! This is a very privileged strata of society and different rules seem to apply to what is acceptable behaviour. The difficulty for the Royal family is their once private problems are now broadcast on social media almost instantly.

The author’s conclusion, “The fascination of monarchy is that its themes repeat themselves because its protagonists are earthy.”

A fascinating book, too. Have you read it?

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Sorting, Plastics and the Coastline

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sorting

This very lovely armoire hides a dreadful mess! Tucked neatly into a vestibule I’m glad it has doors to hide the chaos within. This is where I keep my art, craft and ‘it might be useful’ things. Once tidy with labeled storage boxes it now resembles a danger zone. I didn’t know where to start and wouldn’t have even tried to sort it out except the other day I opened the door and a box of pastels fell out. They made a mess and some broke. Not good.

Thought I’d deal with the paints first as most of them were in boxes or bags or palettes. Some were immediately binned as the tubes were solid, some I tried to use and some I’ve put aside to investigate later. One small palette (origin unknown) reminded me of the compact traveling boxes people I know take with them to capture views during their travels. I’d like to do that, too. Tried them. Despite the lovely colours, actually the paint was thin and disappointing. Bin.

Other paints also found their way into the bin. The tubes with cracked and crumbled paint went but some others are sitting, waiting to be tested. Interestingly, I found oil colours from my student days which are still usable and acrylics of unknown origin which are in good shape. The tin of aquarelles will compliment a huge box I have and use frequently. I sharpened them with a sharpener found amongst the jumble and I remember writing my son’s initials on it 27 years ago. It still sharpens well.

I’d like to say I persisted and sorted and organised the contents of the armoire, but I didn’t; I was distracted by the treasures within for hours. And there is the problem, what do I need to keep, what might be useful and what if I want that sheet of textured red card in the future? A work in progress but I’m glad I can shut the doors. I think next time I’ll focus on the drawers at the bottom. They are full of my husband’s photos.

plastic free july

We must reduce our reliance on plastics. I like to think progress is being made, especially in first world countries. Well, maybe. I’ve just seen announcement in the paper informing us that the President of the United States, Joe Biden, has Covid. In the photograph heading this item is a photo of Biden with a plastic water bottle on his desk.

China is the World’s biggest polluter (10 065 million tons of CO²), followed by the United States of America (5 416 tons of CO²) and then India (2 645 tons of CO²). The next three are Russia, Japan and Iran. Plastic Free July encourages people to be part of the solution by reducing the reliance on single use plastics. I know many, many Americans are working towards reducing their use of plastic but apparently not their President.

australia’s coastline.

Australia is the sixth largest country in the World. In fact, Australia is almost the size of mainland USA! The middle of Australia is arid. The greatest population concentration is around the coast. It is estimated that it would take almost 29 years to visit one new Australian beach everyday. There are at least 10 685.

This morning was warm and sunny after days of (much needed) rain, so we set off along the coast. We started at South Cottesloe Beach, famous for being the best place to view stunning sunsets. We then progressed one beach at a time until we reached Mindarie. We sat in the sun eating lunch and drinking coffee before being lured into the gelato shop. A slight wind but beautiful views of the water.

The coastline of Australia is about 34 000 kilometres (21 000 miles) although different sources vary slightly in length. The coastline includes more than 1 000 estuaries. The Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans surround different parts of Australia’s coastline.

European exploration and discovery highlighted how treacherous parts of the coast can be, with many hidden reefs. Early explorers included Dutch, English and later, the French. Sealers and whalers, mostly American and English, had temporary bases on the southern coastal areas of Australia.

There are over 8 000 known shipwrecks off the coast of Australia although not all of these have been located. The oldest shipwreck discovered is the British East Indian, about 500 tons, wrecked on the Tryal Rocks off the north west coast off Western Australia in 1622.

FOOTNOTE

I’ve started tidying the cupboard. I’ve actually done three shelves but not thrown out much stuff. I found so many things I’d forgotten about and feel inspired to begin a few new projects. I sorted envelopes, paper, coloured and plain, plus cardboard into separate piles but then they seemed to take up more room than before I began! I think I need a workroom but the unused rooms are all upstairs and I can’t see that working. Currently the dining room table has potted orchids, a bonsai, some ‘slips’ I’m propagating, a scented candle and a vase of eucalyptus leaves. Also on the table; paints, palettes, brushes, pencils, paper, art blocks, feltpens, blotting cloths and so many other things to do with my artworks. Now you know why I think I might need a workroom.

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How To Reuse Hotel Soaps and Refreshing The Outdoor Areas

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recycling hotel soaps

When we were away recently I had to move my husband’s toilet bag and was surprised at its weight. Took it out to the table, tipped out the contents and started sorting through the jumble. The toilet bag was a gift from me 39 years ago and it seems it’s only been added to, nothing has ever been discarded. He working life involved frequent traveling and he’d collected things from all over the world.

Sorted the sewing kits, the razors, shoe shine kits, the combs and folded hairbrushes, the nail kits, the ear plugs and the bars of soap. Most things went into the bin, but as I was scooping up the twenty plus bars of soap I suddenly wondered if I could reuse them.

Using tiny bars of soap isn’t easy nor appealing, although the bars seemed to get bigger as the years went by. So after I’d amused myself identifying the country of origin from the packaging I put them into a bag and brought them home.

Searching online revealed lots of ways to use scraps of soap to make more soap. Put it off for a while as it seem a bit of a faff and soap is pretty cheap to buy. But I also put off throwing the soaps in the bin as it seemed very wasteful as we had so many! Eventually unwrapped them and settled into reusing or rebatching them.

Apparently, the soap needs to be grated, boiled, pressed into a mold. When I’d grated one tiny bar of soap and one fingernail I knew there had to be a quicker/better way. Chopped the bars roughly with a long blade, sharp knife then put them in the food processor. Most of the bars were powdery and ready to mix after being cut, so I sifted them and only processed the larger pieces.

Cooking the grated soap and water.

I could have added a sprinkle of dried lavender to the soap or some scented oil or colours, but the soap mix was really aromatic without any additions. Added water to the powder and left it for an hour or so, then cooked it on a low heat until it formed a ball. Pressed it into a silicone cake mold. Left it to harden over three days. Cut into bars.

Would I do this again? No. The resulting bars of soap are very highly scented, which we don’t like and it was a lot of work to save a few dollars. We haven’t traveled much during the past two years but I have noticed most accommodation now offer shower gel. (All those little plastic tubes!) I usually take our own soap, anyway. My husband dislikes gels and insists on soap.

By the way, the Hilton Hotel Group and it’s associated hotel chains collect all the used soaps from their rooms and send them to be sanitized and turned into bars of soap for the homeless and third world countries. Sensible.

preparing for spring

Really enjoyed wet, cold winter days, for a while, but the bulbs have germinated and I’m looking forward to spring. Still enjoying boots, jumpers and warm scarves but I’m preparing for more time outdoors.

So I’ve renovated some little chairs hanging on a wall which were showing signs of rust. I also resurfaced a terracotta pot which has a solar fountain floating in the middle. The idea of the pot was to provide water for the bees with a landing pad so they could be safe and rest for a while. Only ever seen a few bees at the water but see little birds perched there frequently.

Treated the rust on the chairs with rust retardant. The next day I set up a ‘spray box’ aka a big cardboard carton. I sprayed the back of the chairs, left them to dry, repeated over two days, spraying a different side each time. I used a spray designed to retard rust, too, but it isn’t perfect. Which is why they needed re-doing!

The next project was the terracotta bowl. I scraped off the existing paint then sanded the inner surface before applying two coats of terracotta sealer. The outer surface was still in good condition so I only sanded a few spots. When the sealer was dry, I spray painted the pot twice. Left it in the sun for a few days as the paint smell was very strong.

Ready to go but it is too overcast for the solar fountain to work!

super moon

Image Roger Purdy, Pixabay

Did you see the Super moon, the largest and brightest moon on the 13th of July?

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Happy Living, A Drawing Class, Painting and Cooking

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happy living

According to the World Happiness Report 2022, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for the fifth year in a row. Other northern European countries follow with Denmark ranking second, followed by Iceland, Switzerland and the Netherlands. New Zealand comes in at number ten and Australia is number 12 on the list. Then Canada was 14th on the list, UK came in at number 17 and USA came in at 19.

Finland’s Flag Pexels

WHR considers lifestyle and peoples’ sense of well being to rate various countries. The report noted that volunteering, helping others and making donations had all increased in many parts of the world during the past two years. This increase in social benevolence due to COVID 19 has benefits for the givers, receivers and observers. Also evident was that countries with a higher trust in public institutions and more equality recorded much lower rates of death.

The six factors considered were gross domestic product per capita, social support, life expectancy, freedom of choice, generosity of population and perceptions of internal and external corruption.

Information is collected from a number 0f sources for this survey. If you are interested this is the site https://worldhappiness.report

drawing in nature

I enrolled in a four week “Drawing in Nature” course with a well known local artist, Jane, because I know I get a lot done when I focus for two hours. She introduced our theme for the session, ( last week it was feathers, this week was shells) and showed us examples of her work. Next we chose a feather/shell to examine and then draw. Jane talked about the different depth of line using 2B, 4B and HB pencils. We experimented, working on drawn circles, going from dark to light, exploring blending, pointillism, feathering and cross hatching.

Guinea Fowl feathers

Jane also introduced us to blending stumps used to blend our pencil marks. I had never used one before and I really like the way they allowed us to smudge and blend.

(A blending stump or paper stump is a stick of tightly rolled soft paper with two pointed ends. It can be used to blend, smear or smudge graphite, charcoal or similar mediums. Also known as a smudging stick or a tortillon. There’s online instructions for making your own! )

Inspired by Annie Herron’s art projects in the book, Around The Kitchen Table, Good things to cook, create and do-the whole year through, a mother and daughter project, I did some quick small paintings. Herron uses seasonal prompts to suggest quick works and talks about capturing simple scenes.

Around the Kitchen Table

Her daughter, Sophie Hansen, adds seasonal recipes and ideas for family fun, making this an interesting and motivating read. I chose one of Hansen’s slice recipes, Triple Ginger Crunch to make and take to my drawing class this week.

If you’re a fan of ginger, you’ll find this slice delicious!

Triple Ginger Crunch with glace ginger chunks.

decorating trends: GRANDMA COASTAL

Companies producing everything from paint, wall paper, furniture, lampshades depend on you purchasing new pieces regularly to support their businesses. I’m tragically a huge fan of decorator and garden magazines. I don’t follow decorating trends although they are an intriguing window into fashion and how easily we are influenced. I occasionally add or take something away, but not often. I am endlessly curious about people, how they build or renovate their homes, select colours, styles and finishes and how they allocate their budgets. I’m interested in how frequently they change their living environment and what provokes change. I’m a fully blown sticky beak!

Image PEXELS

As we all become more concerned about landfill and our use of limited resources so decorating trends change. When the mid century style replaced the white minimalist fashion we saw the focus move to re-using existing pieces. The latest decorating trend is partly based on recycling or upcycling everything from furniture to curtains and decorator items. Let’s look at Coastal Grandma and what it means.

Image Unsplash

Google has reported an increase of 334% searches last week into Coastal Grandma style. The style features nothing obvious like shells and faux life bouys on the wall, but neutral colours, loose linen covers and other natural, sustainable fabrics. White, cream, beige, grey and caramel along with cosy lighting, cushions and always, fresh flowers. The house should look lived in, comfortable and a bit worn and faded. Recover, restore, reuse. The aim is timeless, pared back but still luxurious.

Image PEXELS

Interestingly, the style is discussed widely in clothing sites, too. The same neutral colours reign. Button down collars, trousers, straw hats and straw market baskets plus knotted jumpers around the shoulders are all mentioned. Styles are classic in cut and design and feature natural fabrics. Again, faded, lived in colours and styles with a preference for vintage and recycled items. Sustainability is a constant theme.

international mens health week

The theme this year of International Mens’ Health Week, 13 -19th June, is Building Healthy Environments for Men and Boys. It’s about focusing on creating physically, mentally and emotionally healthy males. Lots of information online.

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Politics, Planting, Painting and Eating

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politics

Australians will be voting in a Federal election shortly. Both major parties are promising all sorts of unachievable changes, such as more doctors and nurses and aged care staff. These are going to be created out of nowhere! Political magic. One party is promising more workers for rural areas. More magic. We have the lowest unemployment rate since 2014 and anyone still unemployed, especially in Western Australia, has probably made a choice not to work.

Of course, I’d like to hear about importers, manufacturers and consumers held responsible for their use of plastics! This is not a hot topic with either major party, but it should be up there with national security, food security, education, health and housing costs. Instead, both parties promote green washing, fake change to make people feel better.

Tiny changes, such as refusing plastic cutlery and using your own bamboo implements which can be washed and reused, taking your own reusable straws and your own reusable cup are easy and would make a difference. Single use plastic bags are now banned in Western Australia. Look for products in glass containers as glass is infinitely recyclable. Use the paper bags intended for mushrooms if you don’t have fabric vegetable and fruit bags when you’re shopping. Little changes.

eating

It is so much cooler now in Western Australia and we have had very welcome rain, too. My thoughts turned to warming foods. I’ve made vegetable soup and also fritters. These are corn fritters. For a pop of colour and flavour I added finely chopped spring onion. Served with chili dipping sauce.

When I’m making cupcakes, muffins and fritters I use an old fashioned icecream scoop. This is an easy way to regulate the amount of batter used and the contents fall smoothly into the hot pan or paper cup. Easy to wash too and no spillage to clean up afterwards.

planting

The cooler weather means it’s time to plant tulips. In the past I have ordered tulips for my Mother and myself from a famous tulip grower in the east but we were both disappointed with how poorly they performed recently. This year we’ve bought the bulbs from a local shop. This was far more economical as we have to pay a quarantine fee to bring bulbs from the east to Western Australia to prevent the spread of disease.

red tulips in close up photography

I’ve planted Ed Rem Darwin tulips. The flowers are described as being intense orange – red with a yellow edge to the petal. A Darwin tulip is a cross between a single, late tulip and an early emperor tulip. I didn’t know that!

I have also planted out the cuttings I took from a pink pelargonia. I struck them in water until threadlike roots appeared on the stems then planted them in soil. They look healthy. The creeping fig and lucky bamboo I propagated are doing well, too. I enjoy creating new plants from cuttings.

COMPOST WEEK is from the 1st -7th May. I don’t make compost having created a few evil smelling piles of horrible mess in the past but I do make weed tea. I have plenty of weeds and like the idea of them adding nutrients to the garden. I use a plastic pot which has inbuilt drainage holes and a little metal bucket. I put the pot in the bucket (it goes about half way down) fill it with weeds then add water to the bucket until it is full. For a few days after I push the now dying weeds down until all the foliage is in the water and leave it for about 10 days. Then I throw the mushy weeds into a big pot which holds my exhausted potting mix and pour the ( slightly stinky) weed tea concentrate into a bucket. I dilute this about 1:3 so I can see the bottom of the bucket. Today I poured it on food plants such as the passion fruit, blueberries and all my pots of herbs and spring onions.

Put weeds into a pot with drainage holes.

Insert the weeds into a bucket filled with water.

After about 10 days remove the weeds and pour the tea into a bigger bucket.

Dilute the tea about 1:3 with water and pour around plants.

The soggy dead weeds I put in the exhausted potting mix will become part of the soil improvement plan.

We celebrate Mother’s Day in Australia on Sunday 8th of May. My Mother really likes and grows many carnations. She takes a slip off any existing plant and grows her own from it. So I have painted a carnation on the front of her Mother’s Day card. Every year we renew her subscription for her favourite gardening magazine as her Mother’s day gift. She is such an avid gardener!

Painted a few other flowers, too. I read blogs where the writers commit to doing a painting a day. I once followed a group doing a painting every day for one hundred days and made the time to complete that task but have never been able to consistently paint every day since. I paint in fits and starts. I mostly flowers.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland, is the largest ecosystem in the world. Made up of nearly 3000 individual reefs, it can been seen from space.

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Reusing Scented Candle Holders and Other Occupations

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Cleaning and reusing candle holders

An empty candle holder with a replacement pillar candle in it.

Do you burn candles for their scent? So many of them are packaged in the most attractive holders and I don’t want to throw them out! Some are glass and some are porcelain. They are quite easy to clean and reuse. My favourite scented candle is packaged in a tin. I’m still thinking of ways to use the pretty tins. The labels will peel off and the lids seal snugly.

Still deciding what I can do with these tins. Any ideas?

When the candle has burnt to the base of the holder you can light the remaining wick to melt as much wax as possible. Pour the liquid wax into something where it can set then be thrown in the bin. Don’t pour liquid wax down the drain! Then place the candle holder in the freezer. The wax shrinks a little and about five hours later you can use a knife blade to pop out the residual wax. There’s probably a metal disk in the base which can be eased out with the knife, too. Leave the holder to warm up before you wash it in hot, soapy water.

Then I reused this pretty holder to hold cotton pads. I’ve actually been reusing it for years in different ways.

Boil a kettle, squirt some detergent into the holder then add the boiling hot water. Leave for five minutes, swish it around then pour out the water and wipe with a paper towel. All the residual wax should be gone, but you might have to repeat the process. If I’m using the holder for food stuffs I put it through the dishwasher.

Stationery holders for pencils and paper clips.

Now the fun bit, reusing the candle holder! Some have lids and some don’t, so that dictates what they can be used for, but they’re pretty versatile.

Once a candle holder now a salt container.

Some ideas for recycling candle holder include using them as vases for small bouquets, holders for pencils and other stationery such as paper clips, cotton face wipe holders, pretty pots for serving treats like wrapped nougat and other food things. I keep salt in one. I’ve reused them by putting short pillar candles inside them, too. Some people make their own candles to put into used candle holders.

Now a pretty bowl for treats and sometimes a vase, too.

Sweet vases for single blooms.

These two have well sealed lids and will end up in the pantry with food in them. To get rid of any lingering scent after you cleaned out and washed the container leave it and the lid out in the sun in a safe place. Should be scent free in a few days.

ITALIAN NOUGAT

In case my paintings suggest we only eat healthy, fresh food I’ve included this photo of what we were eating one afternoon when it really, really hot. We were experiencing an historic heatwave. It was too hot to do anything at all active. Very delicious sweet, Italian nougat coated in dark, bitter chocolate whilst watching TV.

watching the parisian agency

So glad there’s a second series of Le Parisian Agency. (L’Agence) This series on Netflix follows the super successful but down to earth Kretz family and their real estate agency. The mother, father and three of their four sons all work together. The fourth son finishes high school during the second series and assumes one day he will join the agency, too. The family deals in the multi million euro market and the properties they sell are so interesting. Old, new and everything in between, originally in Paris but now throughout the country, too. We get a good look around properties few would ever get to visit. Fascinating, especially seeing how much of the original architecture from the Haussmann buildings has been retained.

Pixabay

Chateaus and palaces, once unpopular except with foreigners, are now becoming more sought after by the French. Foreigners buy deserted chateaus in need of restoration, the French like them already restored.

annual macaron day 20th march

Unsplash Heather Barnes

Unfortunately, this delicious day passed me by but I am willing to celebrate later than the actual day. Macaron Day began in Paris in 2005. Parisian macaron makers initiated the day to raise money for charities.

There’s some excellent recipes and demonstrations for making macarons on Youtube, but, for me, it’s far safer to buy a few from the patisserie rather than bake a tray of about 20 exquisite little treats. Way too tempting.

and finally, the last food painting

This is the last food painting! Moved onto other things now. Well, actually I’m back painting botanicals again.

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International Women’s Day, Plastic Pollution Treaty, Painting and Eating

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international women’s day

Last week, on Tuesday 8th March, we celebrated International Women’s Day. The campaign theme this year is #BreakTheBias. Officially recognised by the United Nations in 1975 I wonder what has changed. A recent study, quoted in the Sunday Times Body and Soul liftout (March 5th, 2022) refers to a study which found that young females exhibiting headstrong behaviours grow up to earn about $4000 less a year compared with men in a similar position. Interestingly, young males who demonstrated headstrong behaviours end up earning more than men who were considered dependent in childhood. So girls are still expected to be compliant. Boys are seen as leaders, girls are seen as bossy.

woman signing on white printer paper beside woman about to touch the documents

Unsplash Photo Credit

While it seems obvious that women need to get into the top positions in management and boardrooms and generate change, there’s that tricky little problem of maternity leave. Men feel women lose momentum after having children. Childcare is disproportionately the mother’s problem. Not many fathers prefer to stay at home and mind the baby. It’s often not a choice for many parents as (of course) the father has a greater earning capacity.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, a woman working full time earns $1575 a week compared to a man, who earns an average of $1837. The Australian Federal Government has introduced guaranteed superannuation contributions during maternity leave plus a baby bonus of $5000 for women giving birth or adopting a baby. Unfortunately, women are still retiring with an average of 23% less super than men due to lower pay and time out of the workforce.

Golden Retriever lying on bed

Photo Credit Upsplash

The same issues women were campaigning against in the seventies are still being discussed today. Women want equality of opportunity, greater flexibility in their paid work (working from home, for instance) and equal pay for equal work, resulting in financial security. They are tired of sexual innuendo and harassment. The situation is changing, but too slowly. Time for positive and meaningful change at all levels.

historic plastic deal signed in nairobi by 175 nations

On the topic of change, in another long overdue response to social pressure, 175 nations belonging to the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) met in Nairobi to sign a legally binding commitment to end plastic pollution by 2024. While the details now have to worked out, the meeting acknowledges that plastic pollution is a worldwide problem. It spans international borders and all nations must work together to solve the problem.

The treaty encompasses all stages of the life of plastic: it’s production, consumption and disposal. The treaty is legally binding, includes financing mechanisms and acknowledges that some countries can do more than others.

white and brown boats on blue sea water during daytime

Unsplash Photo Credit

“In the space of one human lifetime, we have caused unimaginable damage to the global environment, choking every part of the global ocean with plastic pollution”, said Lord Zac Goldsmith, a UK Minister for the International Environment.

painting and eating

Whenever I go near the fridge at the moment I seem to open it and have a look. Obviously, nothing has changed since I last looked, no amazing treat has magically appeared, but I do get inspired to paint what I see. Then I usually eat it! Not a good plan.

I made an Egg, Creamed Corn and Potato Pie, by mistake. Had some lovely free range eggs to use so added some grated Edam, which was getting a bit elderly, 4 medium potatoes thinly sliced longways, a tomato and then went looking for something else preferably something to add some colour. Found a tin of corn in the pantry. I’d sliced the potatoes, beaten the eggs and grated cheese and just needed to add the corn. Surprise! It was a can of creamed corn, origin unknown! Pondered briefly, then added the creamed corn to the egg mixture, mixed well then constructed the pie. Layer of thinly sliced raw potato, egg mixture another layer of potato then a cut up tomato on top a grind of pepper. About 40 minutes in 170°C oven. Quick. Easy.

This ended up as a very tasty experiment. We really enjoyed it. I’m not sure I’ll make it again as I never think to buy creamed corn but it blended well with the egg and tasted very good. Add salad for lunch or cooked vegetables for dinner.

I don’t buy a lot of books despite being a keen reader. My husband buys a few books every month. The problem is storage. We have a large room upstairs with bookshelves built floor to ceiling on two walls and every shelf is full. Some are packed two books deep.

I borrow books from the library. If I really enjoy a book I buy it, but not very often. A fortnight ago I borrowed, read and reviewed Jaclyn Crupti’s Garden Like A Nonno. I read every page. This book is packed with practical advice. I didn’t want to return it to the library, so I bought a copy! It wont be going upstairs either, there’s so many things I want to start doing now, particularly improving our scorched, grey beach sand soil. I’m collecting the things I need to make weed fertilizer right now. (Page 68, I know because I’ve already marked it.)

My final painting of food from the fridge; I’m back to painting flowers.

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