Sewing for Christmas

It's been a productive day for a change. I've nearly finished a sketch for a friend, I finished this new stroller cover for Sophia, as well as another (secret) one for a niece, and last night I finished the 3 quillows (quilts that fold into pillows) I promised my sister for her kids for their big caravanning trip next year. The house is a tip, but the jobs list is shrinking!

Three bare bottoms

I painted this for a friend to give her husband (also a friend) for his birthday last week. Loved painting the shadows on the sand! He loved it (thank goodness!).

More recent paintings

This little painting now graces the new home of Angela T. And this one will be a Christmas surprise for a special Matthew who loves trains!

This painting, entitled "Playmates", was auctioned at a high tea raising funds to build a school in Tanop, Ethiopia. For more information visit Singing Kites.

Another mural

Still inspired by Quentin Blake's 'Patrick', this mural is in the children's xray room at the Toowoomba Base Hospital. It was a huge day, and I'm told the radiology team is very happy with the end result.

Amazing dreamy treehouses!

Are these the best treehouses you've ever seen!???!!!

Go here for more...

Screenprinting artwork done

Yesterday I managed to do some artwork for screenprinting projects that I have planned with Thea of Thea & Sami. There'll be teatowels and 'sew your own' angels for Christmas. As well as kids tshirts and hopefully bags. Stay tuned!

I haven't done any Christmas cards yet, but Tiel has!

A very talented designer that I admire, Tiel Sievl-Keevers, has done these wonderful Christmas gift tags that are available in her etsy shop. If you haven't been there yet, also take a look at her terrific blog.

The big event

Last weekend was the Mater Dei Race Day. A huge and fabulous fundraiser that I've been on the committee of for over a year.
The marquee was fantastic, with 'bling' trees on every table and fairy lights everywhere, and the crowd joined in the fun with most people wearing black, white and bling.
We made heaps of money to get the school air conditioned and I'm very happy about that. It was the most successful fundraiser I've been associated with.
I'm turning around now to do a presentation for Melbourne Cup day at Platform 9, then at the High Tea for Tanop function in Brisbane on 15th November.
It's a busy time of year.

Cousins

My boys had a great holiday with their cousins recently. These are sincere smiles!

Never overdress

Sophia's idea of an appropriate outfit.
I love it.

Mural at hospital

This is the mural I completed LATE wed night - it's based on the Quentin Blake picture book, "Patrick", which I love - and is in the children's room at the Day Oncology Ward at the Toowoomba Base Hospital. I really enjoyed doing it and have 4 more planned for various rooms at the hospital.

This one features an 'amazing tree' and I hope the kids who have to lie on the bed for chemo, can lose themselves counting the cupcakes and other ridiculous things that are on the tree, and forget where they are, even for a moment.

The chicken is a little addition to a framed painting that is on the wall at the end of the bed.

My baby is 10 on Wednesday!

James had a brilliant ice cream sundae/playgym/DS party on Saturday, and his cousins were here to join in the fun, which was great. So my creative energies went into an extra special Spongebob cake. Decorated with 4 batches of buttercream frosting (that's 6 cups of icing sugar!) and of course, it was a sponge cake on the inside! The kids were all terrific, the weather was a bit dodgy, but all up, a wonderful event!

Congratulations Claire & Tone

My lovely friend Claire, married her sweetheart Tone, at a lovely wedding on Saturday night. I finally finished a painting that I promised her quite a while ago. It's a good feeling and I hope she loves it.

Creative Procrastinating

This is what I was doing last Tuesday night, instead of bookkeeping. I printed the pink fabric and then made it into a prototype bag - which is now Sophia's gear bag - and did a few tshirts to match. So many plans still to try!

Screenprinting - the next idea

My friend, Belinda, and I had a great day at Thea Samios' screenprinting workshop a couple of weeks ago! I've now done a few simple prints at home, and Thea and I have plans to work together on a few new projects. Watch this space! I also met the lovely and talented Angela from Cowboys and Cupcakes. A great way to spend the day, and Bin and I were able to talk about marketing and babies like we used to!

Art Show for St Jude's

Last Friday I was a feature artist at a luncheon supporting St Jude's School in Tanzania (http://www.schoolofstjude.co.tz/). It was a lovely day with artists Karen Canning, Coralee McCarthy and myself displaying our work in the gorgeous home of Liz Wagner.
We all sold well and the event raised over $6K for the school. A terrific result!

Fundraising for Tanzania

I have been invited to participate in a fundraising Champagne Luncheon next Friday, supporting St Jude's School in Tanzania. If you don't know anything about it, it's a great story, so please click on the link to find out more.

This illustration may end up as a limited edition screenprint - I've just got to try it! I'm booked in to attend a screenprinting workshop in Brisbane on 30 August, but that'll be too late - so I hope I can get it right before then.

I've got plenty of work to display for sale, but am doing some extra special pieces, these are some little student pics that I'm working on - they're already a bit different than this - I'm not happy with the colours yet, which will be mounted under glass in box frames. I'll be sure to post the end result.

And this is the lovely Sophia, rugged up against our recent cold weather. She's just started walking and the house is now destroyed daily. She's terrific.

Inspired by Peacocks

"Royalty" - 45cm square acrylic on stretched canvas - $380
"Proud As" - 45cm square acrylic on stretched canvas - $380

Both are available as cards, prints, or stretched canvas prints from my page at www.redbubble.com/people/annab

They're gold and rich and I really enjoyed painting them!

Remember what this felt like?

This painting is of my son, Josh. The one who will NEVER die from a stress ulcer. The one who would happily jump off almost anything and not worry about how he's going to land. It's not that bad a way to live really.
I'm thinking this one will also make it's way to the Downlands Art Show. It's 60 x 90cm, acrylic on chunky gallery wrapped canvas.
It's a painting of that feeling and I think it'd be great to have on a wall in your house to remind you of that feeling. And if it doesn't sell, I'll happily keep it!

Sketches of Boyne Island

These are some sketches I did while at Boyne Island last January. I made a pack of them for my sister's birthday and they are now available individually from my redbubble page.

Painting like a lunatic

"That girl on the beach", original acrylic on canvas, 90 x 60cm, $800 SOLD


"The view across the bay", original acrylic on canvas, 60 x 90cm, $900
"The red balloon", original acrylic on canvas, 90 x 30cm, $300
"The white balloon", original acrylic on canvas, 90 x 30cm, $300
So, the house is messy, the meals are simple and I'm getting far too little sleep and exercise. But the kids are ok and I'm getting canvases finished! Now to choose which go to Downlands and which go to Lucy Victoria for sale...

Next work in progress

My 'because-the-baby's- still-so-little' temporary studio space in action!

Two new 'grown up' paintings!

These will be part of my submission to the Downland's Art Show on 25th July I think!
Queens Park Afternoon, acrylic, 60 x 90cm on chunky gallery wrapped canvas. $800

Lost in Thought, acrylic, 60 x 90cm on chunky gallery wrapped canvas. $800 SOLD

The bird, the bub and the buzz

This is the bird that flew into the house during J's piano lesson. No, not distracting at all! Gently captured by D on his return from work, and ever so quickly... gone again.

This is the baby that is so cute and loves her bath.
This is the palette for a recent 'grown up' painting that I've nearly finished. Will show you soon.

Last Dip of the Day

From a photo I took at Hout Bay, in South Africa last month, as the light was fading. An original acrylic painting on chunky gallery wrapped canvas, 'Last Dip of the Day' is 60x90cm, and available directly from me for $980.