Some of my friends said that I shouldn’t add paint to Day #9’s Inktober Challenge’s prompt word “Nest”. They really liked it as it was. So, I left it, but I found myself thinking of it as not finished, so I couldn’t let go of it.
I like to finish art work. Having almost finished or half done art work around me seems to act as a block to starting new paintings. It niggles away at the back of my mind. So, apologies to those who thought I should not add paint because I added paint. What do you think? Should I or should I have not???
I am fascinated by birds’ nests and their construction with only a beak-tool. In my opinion, they are the ultimate functional art piece. I have several abandoned nests as decorations and as painting resources at my house.
It was dark and 4 degrees when I exited my house. My set-up took about an hour and a half, and right on cue, my first visitor to the stall arrived, a lady from Deloraine, Tasmania. She bought “Under My Red Umbrella” and “Hayride” prints.
Under My Red Umbrella
A couple visiting from Queensland, recognised my art because her daughter follows me on Facebook and ordered a wombat tote bag online for her as she is wombat-mad. She was wearing a wombat badge, wombat earrings and a wombat top. She purchased a “Lazy Days” pouch.
Lazy Days
A couple, from Launceston on a Hobart weekend get-away, purchased a “Meet Me at the Gate” print. They already have quite a few of my prints. Most of them are hanging up in their daughter’s bedroom. They have four sons and one daughter. I think they are very deserving of their get-away break!
A couple, expecting their first child, who left Geelong, Victoria, just before the lockdown, bought “Share House” and “Sitting on the Fence” for their nursery.
“Share House” These Tawny Frogmouths are a little grumpy as they do not quite agree with this definition of ‘sharing’.
A mother and school aged son, visiting from Burnie during the last week of the two-week school holiday period, chose a print titled “Hanging Out”. Another lady, leaving Tasmania and moving to South Australia to be closer to family, also purchased a “Hanging Out” print and “Double Date IV”.
“Hanging Out”
Double Date IV
Two young ladies, extending their Tasmanian holiday because Victoria has gone into lock-down, bought a “Sitting on the Fence” print.
“Sitting on the Fence”
Honeymooners from Cairns, visiting Hobart for four days, then Freycinet and Cradle Mountain for the remainder of their time away, perused the stall. She said that her sister is having a baby and that a wombat print would look really good in a nursery.
Jodie and I rugged up at Salamanca Market. We’re next door neighbours at the market, site 30 and 31.
Jodie and I
I’ll be back at Salamanca Market in a fortnight, July 31st. All the prints in this post are available at: http://www.pjpaintings.com
I left the house when it was still dark and lightly raining. Lucky for us the skies cleared, and it ended up being a mild day. Also, lucky for us, is that we’re a COVID-free state of Australia (I say this while knocking on wood – where does that saying come from?? https://www.history.com/news/why-do-people-knock-on-wood-for-luck), visitors from interstate were out and about enjoying the wonderful Salamanca Market.
Two ladies, visiting from Queensland, purchased two tote bags, “Salamanca Fresh” and “Lazy Days”, an A-3 sized print of “Tu-whit & Tu whoo”, “Goldilocks and the 20 Penguins” and “Off to the Races!” for one of their girlfriend’s birthday.
Lacy Days tote bag – Made in Australia and washable
Goldilocks and the 20 Penguins
Off to the Races II
Three prints are going to decorate baby girl Charli’s bedroom in Sydney: “Four Iconic Aussies”, “House Sharing” and I can’t remember what the third print was.
Four Iconic Aussies
House Sharing
A man, living near Ballarat, said that they bought a “Tu-whit & Tu-whoo” print a few years ago and his wife has colour co-ordinated the whole bedroom around the print, the walls and curtains!
One lady visited my stall and said she’d come back and when she did, she said, “your stall is my favourite”. Aww, now that warms the heart!
A grandmother, from Melbourne, keen to decorate her granddaughters’ bedroom, chose “Lazy Days” and “Spiky Bunk Beds” prints. One to hang above each bed.
A visitor from Bendigo, purchased “Kookaburra Rescue”. She hasn’t painted for years but when she did, she said that she liked putting smiles on faces too.
A gentleman, in his thirties, bought “The Bun” and “Hair Accessories” for his friend’s mother’s birthday. His friend’s mother must have been good to him over the years! She loves black cockatoos.
A couple from Adelaide, he was telling me how much he loved Adelaide, whereas the woman was not speaking as glowingly about the city. It was funny hearing opposite opinions from them. They bought a bunch of greeting cards. Two young ladies from Sydney browsed, left, and then came back and bought some greeting cards. A lot of cards were sold today, including Christmas cards. I totally sold out of them. I will have to bring more when I go back in a fortnight.
Until then, take good care of yourselves during this challenging time of living with a pandemic.
I’m still working on my painting titled “Goldilocks and the 20 Penguins”. Hopefully I’ll soon be able to announce it finished. It will be well worthy of some celebrating as I’ve spent many, many hours on it.
Today was a fur day. This is the way my finger looks when I’m painting fur.
Wiping excess paint off on my finger so the first stroke of fur is a fine line.
I’ve painted the fur grey, blue, burnt sienna, raw sienna, burnt umber, purple and mixed some of these colours together to create a smoother graduation of colours too. Each time I rinse and put paint on my 000 size paint brush, I wipe off the paint on my finger to ensure the first stroke isn’t too thick. As a consequence of removing most of the paint, I can only do about two or three strokes before I run out of paint on my brush and have to start the process again. It is a time consuming process!
A wombat getting furrier by the hour
I think the wombat is about done, except for the foot. I have to add more shadow. They have such gnarly, gorgeous feet for all the digging they do.
I’m planning to get cracking on the penguins in the next couple of days and I look forward to showing you the finished painting. In the meantime, I hope that you are finding time to relax and rest in the busy lead up to the festive season.
Wishing you a safe festive week, from Patricia (PJ)
On the coastal road between Ulverstone and Wynyard, on the north west coast of Tasmania, lies a small town named Penguin. It was first settled in 1861 as a timber town. It is named after the smallest species of penguins, the fairy penguins, that come ashore all the way along Tasmania’s north-west coast, but especially at a little beach bluff between Ulverstone and Burnie known as Penguin Point.
Penguin beach and in the far background, a retaining wall being installed to save further beach erosion from severe weather events.
As the name suggests, penguins are a frequent theme in this town. It’s nestled along the Bass Strait and has pretty beach views, walkways, beach decorations and a cemetery.
5 meter tall penguin
More penguin humour
Beach Art
beach themed decoration, a patchwork quilted bikini top
one of the many penguin themed rubbish bins on the main street
Penguin was featured on ABC’s Back Roads show. The cemetery was allotted significant focus and time on the show. It is where apparently many community social activities take place and the best view of Penguin is espoused to be from there. Therefore, I made a special effort to find it and see the view from the cemetery myself. It is spectacular, but I didn’t stay too long because I found it sad. You can’t help but read some of the tombstones that are close to the top circular driveway (the entrance & exit) that are of children who have been lost.
My latest work in progress, titled “Goldilocks and the 20 penguins” featuring the endearing fairy penguins. Just imagine the surprise that these penguins have experienced after their evening fishing session, to come home to find a sleepy wombat in one of their nests!!
Goldilocks and the 20 penguins
I hope your upcoming week isn’t too hectic and that you are able to take the time to relax.
The prompt word for day 13 is “dune”. I drew some emus having a gleeful time driving a dune buggy. There’s not a sign of apprehension on their faces, despite steering with their feet due having wingless bodies. They know how to ignore potential limitations and experience adventures.
Adventuring emus
Day 14’s prompt word is “armor”. I drew a male fairy wren sitting on an abandoned helmet. The Superb fairy-wren was voted Australia’s favourite bird, which is no surprise being such a lovely shaped, little bird with a bright turquoise crown. https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/superb-fairy-wren
a watchful dad
I combined day 15 and 16’s prompt words: “outpost” and “rocket”.
An outpost house sad to see its only resident go
Day 17 and the prompt word is “storm”. This emu is hurrying to get inside before she gets caught in a storm.
The Unfurling Artist: journalising creative journeying 