More progress is being made on my commissioned piece for the 60th anniversary of the National Square Dancing Convention that will be celebrated in Deloraine, Tasmania, 2019. The emus are the fun part. I’m a bit nervous about painting the barn. I will have to try really hard to not let the painting get dark when painting the interior of the barn.
Here’s couple one and three:
… and here’s couple two
One more couple to do and then I have to start painting the barn. Yikes!!
Thanks for visiting and I hope that everybody’s week is going well.
Gusty winds blew all day long on Friday, causing the installation of the Memorial Bridge to be delayed once again. The rain and wind made it too risky to lift the 110 tonne bridge section of the new all-abilities pedestrian and bicycle bridge that is going to go over the Tasman Highway to link Hobart’s Cenotaph and Soldiers Memorial Avenue on the Queens Domain. Thankfully the wind eased for the market, but there was rain off and on throughout the day. While setting up in the rain, a few of us we’re asking ourselves if we were sane to be doing this. The wind, as if on cue, really picked up again after the market.
A local friend and Facebook follower stopped by and bought some pouches to post to her friends in the USA. One was going to Missouri, another to Connecticut, one to Georgia and the final one to Florida.
A couple bought a ‘Hayride’ print for their dad, who drives a blue and white tractor and tows the grandchildren behind, just like in the picture they said.
Hayride
A family visiting from Hong Kong settled on buying a ‘Who, Who, Who are You? II’ print. It was a difficult decision for them deciding between ‘Hayride’ and ‘Who, Who, Who are You? II’.
A young Danish couple, about to take on the Overland Track, planning to take 6 days to do it, bought an ‘Under my Red Umbrella’ print. A young lady purchased a ‘The Three Amigos’ print for her friend in Chile.
A boy, who’s in year 8 and has just moved to Perth from Tasmania, bought a small ‘Suspended’ pouch. He’s finding the heat an adjustment and misses Tasmania and his friends.
There was a five way tie for the most popular print this weekend: Hayride, The Three Amigos, White Faced Scops Owls, Salamanca Saturdays and Rising Above It.
A thought to ponder: “I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it.” Vincent Van Gogh
Thanks for stopping by,
from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market.
Over 500 heel-kicking and do-si-do-ing dancers will be descending upon Deloraine in April 2019 for the 60th Australian National Square Dance Convention. I’ve been asked by the Art as Mania Deloraine Gallery (a very supportive, large, community-spirited and awesome gallery) to paint some square dancing emus for the occasion.
Some commissions are harder than others. This one is challenging too but I’m having lots of fun. I’ve done some research and I get the impression that the costumes are an integral part of square dancing. I’ve decided that I’m going to make each couple in the square wear a different colour but the pattern will be the same across all four. I have literally spent all day painting the first couple.
first square dancing pair
I better ‘Allemande’ myself back to painting. Thanks for visiting. Have a great week. Cheers from pjpaintings
Under blue skies, with Ocean Monarch, a huge drill rig that was towed to Ralphs Bay in the Derwent River for maintenance and repairs, the Christmas Pageant, and a Falls Prevention in Aged Care Conference, Salamanca Market took place.
Drill rig sitting in the Derwent River. I watched some of the three tug boats moving it in. They spent virtually the whole day bringing it to its resting spot.
Participants of The Point to Pinnacle, a tough half marathon, from Wrest Point Casino to the top of Mt Wellington/kunyani, were checking out the market. The race is on tomorrow.
A couple from Carolina, USA, purchased a ‘Tassie Map’ tote bag, depicting emus’ varied Tasmanian adventures. A ‘Helping Hands’ print was purchased by a mother-to-be for the baby’s room. It’s their first baby.
A young man bought a ‘The Three Amigos’ print to take with him back to China. A young lady, who now lives in Townsville but used to live in Launceston, purchased ‘Afternoon Tea’ and ‘Off to the Races’. A lady bought six greeting cards and told me all of them are going to be sent to friends and family living in New Zealand. A lady, visiting from the UK, whose mother had sent her two of my dancing emu prints, bought a ‘Scarlet Robins’ print to add to her pjpaintings prints.
There wasn’t a most popular print this weekend. The most popular item this Saturday was pouches and tote bags. Here’s one little girl, who was pleased as punch with her new tote bag (her mother gave me permission to post her photo).
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Duck Crossing tote bag
A thought to ponder: “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance” Aristotle
About half of my paintings are emu themed. I have the privilege of displaying them at Salamanca Market in Tasmania, which on average has 20,000 visitors on any given Saturday. As a consequence, I hear quite a few fascinating pet emu stories. For example, one that grew up with a herd of goats and acted like it was just one of the herd, another who thought it was a dog and would immediately drop onto its back for a belly scratch when it saw its owner and another who thought it was part of the human family. Emus seem to take on characteristics of those they grow up with, whether animal or human, and develop steadfast bonds. I have had several former pet-emu-owners shed tears when they told me their stories about their pet “Priscilla” or “Jasmine”.
Another case of unusual-emu-bonding was recently discovered in North Carolina. An animal shelter rescued some animals from a property whose owner suddenly disappeared. Among those rescued was a male donkey and female emu. The shelter tried to house them separately but the donkey started distress-braying and the emu became extremely anxious. They quickly ascertained that the donkey doesn’t like the company of other donkeys. The emu and donkey have an inseparable bond and they even cuddle and sleep together. Therefore, they have to be adopted together.
Introducing Jack and Diane at the Carolina Waterfowl Rescue. A story where two creatures with different looks, backgrounds and even breeds learn to stand together, protect each other and love.
I’ve also recently discovered a special animal-emu bond.
Have you seen an unusual bond between animals?
Wishing you a great upcoming week.
Special thanks to McPhocus (Averil McPhedran Hall, photographer extraordinaire) for alerting me to the story.
Today the weather was a pleasant contrast to last week’s, thankfully! I couldn’t cope with too many Saturdays like last week. My nerves would be shot!
The morning started with somebody visiting the stall wearing the most gorgeous, blue felted-wool hat. It had two beautiful felted flowers attached to it. It looked stunning. I was tempted to ask her if I could buy it off her! She used to live in Townsville, Australia, and now lives in Phoenix, USA. She bought a tote bag and some pouches to take back with her.
There were quite a few students about. The university year is finished and people were off on well-deserved holidays. A young couple from Greece, bought “Spanish Eyes (Red)”, a Dutch couple, she is doing a PhD in Sydney, which is focusing on sleep with people with Celebral Palsy, they bought “Bonnie & Me!” and a student studying at the University of Tasmania (UTAS), from Maine, USA, studying seaweed (polyculture – seaweed, shellfish and fish, a proposed more environmentally friendly fish farming methodology) bought a couple of stickers. A young lady, from Indonesia, who has finished her Master’s degree, bought two tote bags for two of her friends, who also finished their Masters degrees. The three are going back to Indonesia.
A lady, visiting from San Francisco, USA, bought a “Two to Tango” and “Hoo, Hoo, Hoo Merry Christmas!” tote bag. She said that she does tango dancing and that outside of Argentina, San Francisco has the largest population of tango dancers. It is a very popular dance in San Francisco!
A couple, with his sister visiting from the UK, bought five different small dancing emu prints. They are going to hang in the billiard’s room. Then, a man from Borneo, purchased an A-3 size print of “Poppy Fields” and “Salamanca Saturdays”. He said that he is going to design his house-build around these prints! I don’t think there are too many Pj paintings’ prints in Borneo.
Poppy FieldsSalamanca Saturdays
A packet of Christmas cards were bought to be posted to the UK. A framed “Salamanca Saturdays” print will be adorning a wall of Dunromin B&B in Mountain River, Tasmania. A “Salamanca Fresh” tote bag was purchased for a Secret Santa present. A “Salamanca Fresh” print is heading to Townsville, a “Salamanca Saturday” to Brisbane and Adelaide. I think a lot of people are taking advantage of the direct flights from Adelaide to Hobart. A young lady, from Brisbane, bought “Scarlet Robins” and “G-Day” and then returned with her friends, who also bought a “Scarlet Robins” print. A “Duck Crossing” pouch is going to Minnesota, USA.
Scarlet Robins
It was a welcome relief to put my feet up at home and enjoy a cup of tea after a busy, but interesting and good day at Salamanca Market.
The most popular print this weekend was: The Three Amigos
The Three Amigos & Salamanca Saturdays
A thought to ponder: “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have”. ~ Maya Angelou
Thanks for stopping by,
from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market (prints, tote bags and pouches are also available at http://www.pjpaintings.com)
I have found that putting my prints in a black frame makes them pop.
If you’re struggling to decide on what to give for Christmas, could one of these help? They are available at my Salamanca Market stall, site 30 ($55).Scarlet Robins and White
Today’s market was approached with trepidation with the weather forecast announcing rain, hail and wind, with wind gusts up to 90 kmph. I think we received and felt the full force of 90 kmph wind gusts. Thankfully there were only two of them. When they hit, they were accompanied by screams and crashing sounds. I had a couple in my stall when the first wind gust hit and the lady screamed. I think she must have thought my gazebo was going to collapse as one pole dropped a notch, the awning flew off, prints went everywhere and frames moved to diagonal positions. The nerves were frayed but I managed to survive without any real damage.
On my way to the market, I took this photo of snowy Mt.Wellington/kunyani. Salamanca Market is held at the base of the mountain.
A lot of small pouches with my artwork printed on them went today. I think so many sold today because their approximately 10 x 15 cm (4.5” x 6.8”) size makes them a great Christmas stocking stuffer. An American ornithologist, who has been visiting Tasmania annually for many years, bought three small originals: Spotty Rest Stop, an Echidna and a painting of a Cassowary. A “Double Date” tote bag is going back with a couple from Florida, USA. She does a lot of guiding in the Florida area. A couple from Los Angeles, USA chose a “Salamanca Saturdays” print as their Tasmanian souvenir.
A framed “The Three Amigos” print of three kookaburras was purchased to hang at a guest house called the ‘Kookaburra Lodge’ The couple house Ph.D. Monash University students at their lodge. A framed “Scarlet Robins Rescue” is going to be a gift for a daughter that has moved to Hong Kong.
Scarlet Robins in a frame
A man, who bought four prints from my stall two years ago, returned and bought five more, four dancing emu prints and “The Supremes”.
The Supremes. I tore and pasted treble clefs on their dresses and then applied watercolour
A girl, about eight years of age, carefully chose a “Helping Hands” medium sized pouch. Her dad gave her the money to pay for it. She was very happy with her purchase and her beaming smile was so lovely to see.
The Unfurling Artist: journalising creative journeying 