recurring colours

One might think 8 purple and pink tops might be enough for anyone, but there is something about the colour that no matter what, I keep buying these colours. It also happens with shoes. You might think I'm out there spending up big bucks on things, but really I shop with a small budget but just keep on going for the same things. I am very stongly drawn to these colours and have been for years, those who know me have not often seen me without red lipstick (except for those awful days of morning sickness). There are all kinds of theories about colours and people and personalities. In ancient China and Japan, purple was for royals only. The commoners had to wear grey and indigo died fabrics, but those cheeky ones sewed those illicit colored fabrics to the insides of their clothes for people to catch just a glimpse. You could get into a lot of trouble for wearing the wrong colours. Even today in Thailand people wear yellow, the royal colour, to support their beloved royal family. A book called "Kimono - fashioning culture" by Lisa Dalby the same lady who wrote Geisha, is an amazing and intricate explanation of colours and clothes in Japan. An even better exploration of the meaning of colours throughout history is "Colour-Travels through a paintbox" by Victoria Findlay. It is an in depth colour by colour (including purple and red) analysis and explanation about significance, meanings and applications through time. It is a truly enjoyable read.

success

I complained a while back about the guy who asks me everyday for my order of coffee. Guess what, now I say a big hello to him, I must be making an impression as two days in a row he has smiled and made my order without asking me the details!! Yay!!

a day to forget

My boy is a good kid but he hates the car. A couple of weeks ago a few family members were getting together at my grandmothers house and I thought I would go along. Her house is about an hour drive from my place. We started off badly, lots of screaming. About 20 mins into the trip I pulled over to comfort him, both of us already very stressed and unhappy. I hoped he would drop off to sleep, he didnt. So, for the rest of the 40 mins he screamed and I listened. It was horrible. I drove hard to just get there and make it end. I was not feeling much like socialising when I arrived. After a fairly quick and not really happy visit we left. Surely, I hoped he would be so exhausted he would sleep home, no. He screamed even more, the whole hour home. By the time we got home we were both so unhappy and stressed, he was covered in a rash he had developed while screaming and I was twitching with anxiety. I swore I will never do that trip again alone, it was truly horrible.

About 2 weeks after I got a letter in the mail, dated that horrible day, a $215 fine and 3 demerit points for going through a red arrow one second after it changed. Was I happy? No. I had been sitting through 3 light changes at that intersection, and given the situation I wasnt about to sit through a fourth. What a forgettable day.

My dearest darling husband soothed my anger by saying that to get good fortune you have to endure some bad. Our good fortune is our healthy baby boy, so a fine is not too bad. I guess in the grand scheme of life and balance it is true.

dinosaur designs

I love dinosaur designs. It is such original and beautiful jewellery. I used to wear a red heart shaped ring for a number of years, each time it broke I bought a new one. It looked like the red toffee you find on toffee apples. I bought it on my first trip to Sydney, in which I caught the overnight bus from Melbourne. I was so excited. While working as a teacher in Japan and often finding myself waving my hands around trying to understand or be understood, the attention would often go to the heart shaped ring on my finger. Every so often I get a new piece to add to my collection. Its been a while since I got a new piece, the last time I went in to find somehting was for my wedding day. I didnt get anything as the person serving me was really rude and it put me off :( But I have recovered now and maybe she doesnt work there anymore? ;)

melbourne collage

Here are some of the things I saw today in Melbourne town today. Lots of shoes that suit my taste....lots of clothes ready for the cooler winter months to come. This not a bad Japanese restaurant to try if you're after a snack...... go here but they do charge $1.50 for a cup of tea (not a pot). I still dont get why Japanese restaurants in Oz usually charge for tea (and its always the cheapo stuff).

abcd

How cool is this t-shirt? You can buy your own from here...... Rock on!!

middle east feast

For the most delicious middle eastern food you cannot go past Abla's It has the most amazing smooth and tangy hummus, sweet and fragrant homemade lemonade with rose water and other simple yet so tasty dishes. Above is a chicken and almond dish, inside is rice and minced lamb. The round dish is the famous hummus, served with soft, fresh pita bread. You also get complementary olives and pickled turnip on arrival. You need to book in advance but it is well worth a special night out. Not a glam set up, but the food is much better than some very swish places I have been to. Appearances are not everything, especially when it comes to this restaurant. I'm giving it 5 stars for consistently amazing food.

illustration friday - communication

illustration friday - gravity

texture

Top is my grandmothers hands the bottom is my skirt. Both have their own crinkly texture.

psuedo screen

I can make my own screenprints, even if its only virtual. I love pink but I understand it might not be suitable for a baby boy....this is a portrait of my baby before going to bed at night, complete with comb over.

melbourne morning

I am getting better at going out with a little baby- here is my morning snapshot, I slowed down to enjoy what I could see. I knew I could do it, I just have to keep doing it. Notice my new red sneakers, I love them.

dear (dog+bear)

I'm working on some drawings to then make into a soft toy and some magnets. This is a 'dear' dog+bear, I thought it was better than a 'bog'. I have another small drawing with spots, inspired by a small puppy dalmation I see each morning. I want to learn to screen print as I would love to put these kinds of images onto Pei's clothes. It is amazing how many boys clothes are covered in army related images, camo fatigues etc.....awful......I dont want to buy those kinds of things so try and get things without labels and lots of business, fortunately you can buy plain stuff quite easily. I will get onto that screen printing.........

little scruff

I saw this little scruff ball dog down the street, I have not really drawn the most striking characterisitc which was his amazing eyebrows, like John Howard's but bigger. He was such a lovely little thing, the kind of dog that when you talk to him, he looks at you with shiny eyes and gives a wag of his tail. I like these kinds of dogs.

illustration friday - crash

shimenawa

I have so many small notes in my memory of little details of my travels, especially in Japan. This beautifully written passage from a very beatuful book sums up much of my experience "The washcloths were my first exposure to the attention to detail that characterises much of Japan-both visually and socially. I soon came to realise just how much thought lies behind appearances and actions there, and that these details of beauty and nuances of word and deed are both expected and appreciated". The book is called A year in Japan by Kate T Williamson isbn 1-56898-540-1, a collection of beautiful watercolours and notes about her year. The middle image is a drawing from the book - click on the image to see the beautiful detail and read the perfectly balanced passage. The top and bottom photos are of shimenawa, found at temples and over many doorways at new year and various other significant places, essentially they keep bad sprits away, but they are also an integral part of the design and image of sacred places. This shimenawa is also a lucky charm where you can stand underneath and throw a coin up into the straw and hope it gets lodged there. It is luck for marriage. More bizarrely, the shrine listed on this link is the exact same one as the photo I have included here. It is a significant shrine in Japan, located in the complete boondocks of Japan. Its just down the road a bit from the place that sells the latte art coffees.

latte art

Back to the coffee's....the cafe I go to everyday also has some girls who work there. I'm satisfied now as they know my order and say hi......I thought I should also say a big hello to my usual guy and it has worked, he has no choice but to say hi back! The coffees above are not served there, sadly. This is an old photo taken at a cafe in Japan. It is the most beautiful latte art I have ever seen and every time you get a latte, it has a different design. There is a latte art competition, check out the designs. There is the same design featured-the little face. It has to be the same guy right? Btw, he uses a tooth pick to make the designs, so beautifully Japanese.

those days

Those days were pre-baby, where we could do whatever we wanted. I was looking through some old photos and remembered how exicitng it was to see these famous and beautiful art works at Musee D'orsay in Paris, France. These days are also exciting but it is a different kind of excitement. I like this excitement better as it requires many layers and is longer lasting.

friends

I am lucky to have some of the most lovely friends in the world. Thanks to you all for your ongoing love and support. Here is Longlong with his friend Barney.

aussieness

It was so nice to go to the bush and walk amongst the ferns and trees. The usual smell of damp has gone with all the dry weather but it is still quite green. I love to go to these kinds of places and see these kinds of objects, compositions, colours and sounds you can only experience in Australia. We took Peipei for his first introduction, it is a very special place as this is the place that my darling proposed to me, so now we are +1, he can know about this place too.