An Encounter with Police

During the Australia Day long weekend, I visited Stanley and Corinna, small towns on the northwest coast of Tasmania. We saw amazing things on our road trip, but all the sights seen were in the realm of what you would expect to see: animals, birds, spectacular scenery and the like.

one of the many cute cottages in Corinna, Tasmania

But things got a little different on the leg from Stanley to Corinna.

To get to Corinna from the Smithton direction, you drive on a 70 km stretch of unsealed road, full of potholes. The road is quite narrow and when a white ute was approaching, we pulled off to the side and stopped to let it pass. We were somewhat affronted that the driver didn’t make a thank you hand gesture and quickly made the judgment that they must not be local as this is Tasmanian behaviour and considered good manners. Sure enough, it was confirmed when we saw that the ute had a Queensland number plate.

We continued our slow drive, manoeuvring around potholes, avoiding one other car that passed us. About 10 km later, a dark ute passed us, flashed its lights and reversed. A policeman jumped out of his ute with his mobile phone showing us a photo and asking if we had seen this white ute with Queensland number plates? The officer asked us about three times if we were definitely certain we had seen the ute and we recounted him our encounter with this ill-mannered Queenslander. (It turned out he wasn’t from Queensland). Then the policeman started asking us tricky questions about where on the road this encounter took place and so on, but we told him we were too unfamiliar with the road to give him that kind of information. He took my name, address, registration and so on and then we parted ways.

We eventually arrived in beautiful Corinna, which has no internet, wifi, TV and so on. On my previous visit to Corinna, I did quite a bit of urban sketching, which you can see my drawings by clicking on this link https://wordpress.com/post/theunfurlingartist.wordpress.com/5532 This time, I spent more time enjoying the natural surroundings of the Pieman River and went kayaking for the first time in my life.

The beautiful Pieman River, Corinna

Upon returning to civilization, we learned that the white ute with Queensland number plate, was actually a kidnapper! Apparently, he attempted to kidnap two children, but one escaped. It was reported that he had the kidnapped girl in the ute. Thankfully, the police did successfully capture him. Here are links to the incident. https://www.tasmaniatalks.com.au/newsroom/tasmanian-news/54934-attempted-child-abduction-sparks-hunt

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-25/tasmania-police-arrest-man-after-alleged-attempted-abduction/13088706

We couldn’t believe it that we saw, and drove by, a kidnapper!

Safe driving everybody and beware of ill-mannered drivers with foreign number plates.

Lover’s Falls, Corinna

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Success

I am basically a self-taught watercolour artist. About 12 years ago, I started taking evening Adult Ed classes, when I worked full-time. I have kept practicing and trying to improve my drawing and painting skills ever since.

I have submitted applications for local exhibitions, involving submitting a form, including a high-resolution gloss photograph when requested, and a non-refundable payment. I was so often rejected that I stopped applying. Unlike when you apply for a job, you can phone and ask why you weren’t asked to be interviewed and receive some constructive feedback. With the art application process, you usually aren’t allowed to engage with the judges, so you never find out if you were close to getting accepted, on the right track or are able to seek any kind of feedback to help you.

Rejection is discouraging and I think I briefly found myself skirting around the edges of Imposter Syndrome. Thankfully, for me, I focused on the people who do like and connect with my art, rather than those that don’t, and keep painting what I wanted to paint and I was able to avoid getting drawn into this misery. I can understand how Imposter Syndrome could easily suck you in and really damage your confidence.

I also think that my imagination helps me fight against this syndrome and negative art-self-talk because it is such a dominant and relentless force in my brain. It is always bombarding me with painting ideas. It produces way, way, way more ideas than I ever will be able to paint. So, I feel that my brain is forced to analyse, judge, sort and categorise painting ideas rather than dwell on “an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be”. This TED talk explains Imposter Syndrome or Imposter Phenomenon well https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_cox_what_is_imposter_syndrome_and_how_can_you_combat_it?language=en and there are many articles explaining these commonly experienced feelings https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2013/11/fraud.

I realise that many people underestimate how challenging I find art and think that I can draw anything. Myth buster – there are many things that I simply can’t draw!!, which also could feed into Imposter Syndrome. I struggle with composition, drawing and I usually erase whatever I am trying to draw multiple times. I think if people watched me undertaking a painting from start to finish, that they would be seriously surprised. I am a serious believer that drawing can improve with practice. It is about enjoying trying (the journey), enjoying the end-products that are successful, trying to give as little time as possible to dwelling on those that aren’t, (after analysing them to try to avoid the same mistake/s next time) and enjoying the joy that art gives to the recipients.

A friend encouraged me to submit an application form to enter my painting, titled “Goldilocks and the 20 Penguins” in the Waterways Exhibition to be held at the Long Gallery in the Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart, Tasmania. Reluctantly I did, and success! the painting has been accepted!!

Goldilocks and the 20 Penguins- penguins find a wombat sleeping in their nest

Prints and tote bags of this painting are available at http://www.pjpaintings.com

The Water Ways exhibition will open to the public at 10am on Friday 5th February at the Long Gallery, Salamanca Place, Tasmania and continues until Sunday 14th.

Water Ways

I hope that you are able to see the Water Ways exhibition and the original of “Goldilocks and the 20 Penguins”.

Take care, from Patricia (PJ)

A Love Pack

I painted this greeting card called “Lovebirds” because Valentine’s Day is around the corner.

Lovebirds

The origin of Valentine’s Day is not definite. Historically, February has been celebrated as the month of romance and St. Valentine’s Day has connections to both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. Who was, and how, did Saint Valentine become associated with this day is unclear. This link provides some theories and possibilities about who St. Valentines was and the evolution of Valentines Day. https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2

Through the centuries Valentine’s Day has evolved and changed, and spread across the globe into Australia, and consequently, its spread is now encompassing the Australian emu!

The emu is quite well represented in this Love Pack of greeting cards that I have put together.

Holding Hands

Each greeting card is featuring a love theme. The beauty of a greeting card is that the recipient can get that warm, fuzzy feeling over and over again, each time they read its penned words. Some may choose to frame the cards. It’s a gift that keeps on giving and the recipient could be wearing the smile you gave them for weeks, and in this case all year, if you spread the love pack out over the year. 

Who Says Emus Can’t Fly?!?

Two to Tango

Here’s a link to order your Love Pack of original Pj Paintings greeting cards. https://pjpaintings.com/collections/cards/products/love-pack-of-greeting-cards

I hope that all is well wherever you live. Thank you for visiting.

Franklin Square

On the second Sunday of the month, the Hobart Sketchers group meet at a chosen location and we sketch. Today we sketched in Franklin Square which is in the city of Hobart, about a block from the water of the Derwent River. We each sought a shady spot and drew.

I focused on the Elizabeth Street Post Office’s tower. I took this photo from where I was seated to do my drawing.

The drawing and painting that I did in 1 hour and 10 minutes. A large blob of ink unexpectedly came out on the right side of the dome, where I wanted to leave white paper, as this was where the light/sun was hitting it. I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to capture the light on the dome.

The statue of Sir John Franklin, husband of Jane Franklin, is in the foreground. The power couple came to Tasmania in 1837, when Tasmania was called Van Diemen’s Land. They intended to bring culture and improvements to the penal colony. She established the Lady Franklin Gallery that today is again the home of the Tasmanian Art Society. The gallery has had a bumpy ride and even served as an apple storage shed for a period of time. It is a Greek style building that looks a little out of place in the Hobart suburbs. An ABC reporter asked and answered the question Why there’s a Greek-style building at the back of Lenah Valley? https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-17/history-of-lenah-valleys-greek-style-lady-franklin-gallery/9054468 tm

A front view of Sir John Franklin. I like the way the photograph has captured and frozen the water spray.

Here’s a link if you’d like to learn more about this couple’s time in Tasmania. https://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history/F/John%20and%20Jane%20Franklin.h

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are able to make time to draw. It is so much fun!

Our Mountain

I love wandering on our mountain, Mt Wellington/kunanyi in Hobart, Tasmania. It’s always different and so inspiring. This time I actually saw two animals. We had to stop the car to let the cutest little echidna cross the road, and on the track, a padymelon stopped us in our tracks.

a padymelon on kunanyi

The Organ Pipe track to the kunanyi’s organ pipes.

on our way down the mountain we had to keep an eye on our step

The organ pipes look quite different close up. They are very dramatic. There were several rock climbers climbing the organ pipes. We encountered some climbers on our way down and asked them how their climb was? They answered that it was awesome. They were absolutely beaming with happiness. Here’s a link for more information about climbing the organ pipes on kunanyi. kunanyi https://www.wellingtonpark.org.au/rock-climbing/

the majestic organ pipes close up

the organ pipes viewed from Sandy Bay, Hobart

organ pipes view from the kunanyi track

I found this fern striking. It’s one plant with different coloured frons. It reminded me of the punnet of lettuce seedlings I recently purchased.

multi-coloured fern

multi-coloured lettuce

We passed by moss covered boulders

striking moss covered boulders on kunanyi

it’s not the season for waratahs to be flowering but there were a few strange looking flowers around. I don’t know if this is the remnants of a former full waratah flower?

As usual, on the way up the mountain, the lichen on the rocks totally inspired me.

I love the green and black lichen

A limited pallet of lichen

This one looks like an outer space scene to me.

such a fabulous set of lichen!

I would love to paint a section of the lichen on a large piece of paper. I think that they are so awesome. I LOVE the patterns. It certainly resembles Aboriginal dot painting to me. But, first I want to paint this picture that I’ve drawn up about three months ago. It’s a continuation of my Bunk beds series. Limited edition prints of “Bunk beds” are available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/wombats/products/copy-of-sleepy-head-series-bunk-beds-wombat-watercolour.

A wombat family relaxing under the shade of a gum tree – This painting is titled “Bunk beds”

extending the “Bunkbeds” series with “Bunk bed trio”. I’m not sure about what to title this picture? I’d love to hear your suggestions.

Thanks for visiting. I hope that COVID is under control where you are living so that you are able to enjoy the nature around you. Take care, from Patricia (PJ).