My drawing and painting for Week Two’s prompt word, “Puppet”, for #inktober52.
I spent significant time and care drawing the fur in with an Artline pen. I usually just draw outlines and do my details in the painting part of the process. I accidentally deleted the drawing photo from my phone. Quite frustrating.
Wishing you an ‘unfrustrating’ week.
Cheers, from Patricia (PJ)
It was a much warmer day today with the cloud cover over Hobart.
My first customer used to live in Tasmania but moved to Melbourne. She was here for work. She asked if I had prints of my original painting, titled “Balancing Act”, of a want-to-join-a-circus wombat practicing balancing on a ball. I asked her if she was here for a conference and she said no, she’s part of a circus. I wished I had asked her what her act was!! It’s not often you meet a circus performer! She purchased a “Maggie” print.
A Tasmanian bought two cushion covers (Salamanca Saturdays and Fairy wrens) for a friend who doesn’t want any gifts that need dusting or hanging. was from Brisbane.
A couple from the Central Coast, NSW, bought an Enchanted Forest III print. It’s their first time to Tassie.
“Salamanca Saturdays” and “Lazy Days” tote bags were purchased for friends she made a long time ago on a cruise. One is going to Calgary and the other Vancouver, Canada.
A “Bunk Beds” print was bought for newly born Oscar. She visited the stall last week but didn’t want to buy it until her grandchild was born. She was on her way to cuddle her less than one week old grandson. https://pjpaintings.com/collections/wombats/products/copy-of-sleepy-head-series-bunk-beds-wombat-watercolour
A young couple from Sydney were captivated by the “Two to Tango” print and purchased it. They didn’t tango. https://pjpaintings.com/collections/musical/products/two-to-tango
Another young couple, this time from Adelaide, SA, bought my original painting of two platypus, a “Spiky Bunk Beds” and “Afternoon Tea” print. She said she has afternoon tea with her sister fortnightly. https://pjpaintings.com/collections/emus/products/afternoon-tea
Then I think I met my first person from the Canary Islands, which is part of Spain. I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody from there before??! She purchased a “Visiting Friends” and “Piggyback” greeting cards.
Immediately afterwards, a Canadian Newfoundlander entered the stall. She extended her holiday, so she has spent 3 months in Australia, one month in Tasmania. She’s seen many similarities between the two, with both island states/province’s small populations, landscapes and more. I asked if she lived near the town that hosted all the passengers from the airplanes that diverted to Newfoundland during 9/11 but she lives about an hour’s drive from there. She’s returning home in a few days with “Iconic Aussies”.
A young couple, that arrived from Singapore yesterday, bought a “Scarlet Robins” print. https://pjpaintings.com/collections/birds/products/scarlet-robins
Another young couple, whose Mum told them that she loves my emus, purchased a “Who says emus can’t fly?!” print for her birthday. https://pjpaintings.com/collections/emus/products/who-says-emus-cant-fly
Then I met two travelling friends from Argentina and Columbia, South America. They purchased “Supportive Nestworks” and “Hair Accessories”.
The wind really started picking up so it was great to be able to pack up before prints were getting blown off tables or worse.
Until next week, take care.
Warmest regards, Patricia (PJ) Hopwood-Wade
Quality prints of my art are available at www.pjpaintings.com
Art thought for the day:
“What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.” – Karl Lagerfeld
I’m starting Inktober52 (actually I have had a very hard time finding the prompt list for Inktober52). This challenge provides one drawing prompt word per week, for 52 weeks of the year. For week 1 the prompt word is “build”.
My emus are a caring lot, as evidenced by my Cheer ’em Up series that has captured some of their many “save-the-day” and “the emu comes to the rescue” acts. Here’s the link to view this heart-warming series: https://pjpaintings.com/collections/emus/products/duck-crossing
Well, the emu has again risen to the challenge and built a bird house for a needy family.
I usually only draw a few outlines before I start painting but because this is a drawing with ink challenge, I drew the picture in detail before I started painting. It’s not my preferred method of working but I think it is good to mix things up.
I hope you are warm and toasty, wherever you call home.
Cheers, from Patricia (PJ)
It was a cool start (4 degrees Celsius) but it warmed up and I even had sunshine in my stall for part of the day.
My first customer was from Brisbane. She purchased a “Bunk Beds” and “Silent Disco” print. The next visitor was from Denmark, Western Australia https://www.rainbowcoast.com.au/areas/denmark/denmark-town.htm.
She purchased a “Tu-whit & Tu-whoo” print. https://pjpaintings.com/collections/birds/products/tu-whit-tu-whoo
A family from Blackman Bay, Tasmania, let their three children pick a print each. The boys chose “Bunk Beds” and “The Three Amigos II” and the daughter chose “Piggyback”. Another “Bunk Beds” print is heading to San Francisco, USA, after she attends a Rotary conference in Melbourne. https://pjpaintings.com/collections/wombats/products/copy-of-sleepy-head-series-bunk-beds-wombat-watercolour
A visitor from Melbourne asked if I had any prints of frogs or llamas. https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/mammals/llama/ She left with a “Kiss Me Please” print.
A couple from Newcastle, NSW, chose a “Tu-whit & Tu-whoo”, “Red Ute”, and “Hayride” print.
“Wombat Adventurer” was purchased for her one-and-a-half-year-old nephew living in Brisbane. His auntie thinks it will look really good in his bright and colourful bedroom.
A young couple from Cairns, Qld, bought two framed original paintings and a “Bunk Beds” print.
A visitor from Batemans Bay, NSW, https://www.australiantraveller.com/nsw/things-to-do-batemans-bay/, who has a boat named “Blue Emu”, and obviously loves emus, purchased “Hot Couple II” and “Family Outing”. https://pjpaintings.com/collections/emus/products/family-outing
A “Salamanca Saturday” print will be adorning a home office in Toowoomba, Qld. The head office is in Canberra.
A “Glamour Girls” print is going to Singapore.
Two cushion covers, “Salamanca Saturdays” and “Salamanca Fresh”, are going to Brisbane, Qld. Her and her husband moved there from Tasmania. Their children gave them framed photos of the Tasman Bridge and Hobart. The cushions will go in the same room.
It was great to have the car packed before it started raining.
Until next week, take care.
Warmest regards, Patricia (PJ) Hopwood-Wade
Quality prints of my art are available at www.pjpaintings.com
Art thought for the day:
“Why do you try to understand art? Do you try to understand the song of a bird?” – Pablo Picasso
It was a lovely, sunny day, so my toes stayed toasty-warm. There weren’t many people buying gifts, for Mother’s Day tomorrow, but there were plenty of grandparents buying for their grandchildren today!
My first customer was a couple from Melbourne that bought a “Friendship Refreshes the Soul” print. Next, were two women from Malaysia that went their way with their new “Lazy Days” tote bag.
A couple from Sydney, expecting their first baby, bought an original painting, titled “Wombat Adventurer” and a “Hanging Out” print for the baby’s room.
Another couple arrived and bought a “Lazy Days” print for their one-year-old Theodore. He gave me plenty of gorgeous smiles and waved bye as he was being wheeled away.
A Port Adelaide supporter, from Port Adelaide, South Australia, visiting Tassie to watch today’s AFL game at Blundstone Oval, against the Kangaroos, bought a “Bunk Beds” print. https://pjpaintings.com/collections/wombats/products/copy-of-sleepy-head-series-bunk-beds-wombat-watercolour
Grandparents from Brisbane purchased “Supportive Nestworks” and “Dinner for Five???” for their one-year-old grandson. A few minutes later another set of grandparents bought “Goldilocks and the 20 Penguins” and “Dinner for Five???” prints for their granddaughter and their soon-to-arrive grandson, which they are calling ‘boyby’ right now.
I met three young people visiting from Columbia, South America. They bought some greeting cards. I practised my French speaking to a nurse, who is French but currently working in New Caledonia. She’s taking a 3-week holiday in Australia. One week in Sydney and two weeks in Tasmania. She wasn’t too impressed with Sydney but loved the Blue Mountains and is loving Tasmania. She purchased two small prints.
A grandmother, who has seven granddaughters, bought nine A-5 sized prints for her granddaughters, son and herself. She chose “Family Outing” for her son.
While I was packing up, a man asked for a large sized “Bunk Beds” tote bag. He told me his wife was eyeing that one. Maybe this is a Mother’s Day gift??
Until next week, take care.
Happy Mother’s Day, and if this is a difficult day for you, I hope it is as gentle as possible.
Warmest regards, Patricia (PJ) Hopwood-Wade
Quality prints of my art are available at www.pjpaintings.com
Thought for the day:
“I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford. Then, I want to move in with them.”- Phyllis Diller
Layering started today. With 3 degrees Celsius forecasted, I wore my thermals.
My first customer was a daughter and mother. The daughter was attending a 4-day rheumatology conference hosted at the Grande Chancellor Hotel in Hobart and suggested that her mother, from Townsville, join her, and explore Tasmania during her conferencing time. The mother purchased a “Salamanca Saturdays” tote bag. Another mother and daughter travelling together, purchased a “Fashion af-Flair” print. They were from Sydney, NSW.
A couple from Melbourne bought a “Double Date V” and a “Sitting on the Fence” print. Kookaburras are his favourite bird.
A husband bought a “Double Date III” cushion cover and a “Meet Me at the Gate” print for his wife’s upcoming birthday. Superb fairy wrens are her favourite bird.
An original small painting of a platypus, similar to this one, was purchased by a visitor from Victor Harbour, South Australia. https://visitvictorharbor.com/explore/victor-harbor/
A couple from Sydney purchased a “Bunk Beds” print. A student from France, who studied at the University of Tasmania, now an employee there, bought an “Enchanted Forest II” print to take back to Brittany, France.
A mother from Sydney bought a “The Three Amigos II” print for three-month-old, Teddy’s nursery. Another mother bought a print (Spanish Eyes (Red) for a much older son than Teddy, who started taking salsa dancing lessons with his girlfriend in Sydney.
A young man, from Launceston, who purchased a “Southern Flow” print for his girlfriend a few weeks ago, re-visited my stall. She framed it and he said it looks awesome. She moved to Launceston and rented a place for 6 months to live closer to him. Now he’s moved to Hobart to be closer to her. Initially, he thought he would rent but instead he bought a house in Kingston. No mean feat, I told him, which he agreed and accepted my hearty congratulations. He wanted to buy another whale for her and had troubles deciding, so he decisively decided to buy all three remaining A-3 sized whale prints: “Suspended”, “Sea Life” and “Weightless”.
A visitor from London, UK, purchased several prints to take home with her: “Spanish Eyes (Red)”, “Two to Tango”, “What the Devil!?!”, “Beachside Chatter” and “Glamour Girls”.
Two visitors from Taiwan, after much deliberation, bought five greeting cards. Another visitor, from New Zealand, will be returning with a “Salamanca Fresh” tote bag and an “Afternoon Siesta” print.
Then I met a couple, with a very cute baby girl, who are getting married in St David’s Park, which is adjacent to Salamanca Market, in February 2024, https://www.hobartcity.com.au/Community/Parks-reserves-and-sporting-facilities/Find-a-park-or-sportsground/St-Davids-Park . They purchased an “Afternoon Siesta” print. She has a very clear idea of what she wants for her wedding dress. She wants gum leaves, gumnuts and flowers, like my “Fairy wrens” painting, embroidered on her wedding dress and then somebody to make it.
Even though it wasn’t warm today, I was glad that we had blue sky and sun for the entire day and that there were a lot of visitors at the market despite Agfest happening this weekend. https://www.agfest.com.au/things-to-see-and-do
Until next week, take care and I hope that you are able to carve out some time to be creative.
Warmest regards, Patricia (PJ) Hopwood-Wade
Quality prints of my art are available at www.pjpaintings.com
Art thought for the day:
“The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live only as you can.” – Neil Gaiman
It was a much cooler start today than previous weeks. We are definitely moving into winter. I wore my fingerless gloves and despite wearing my winter woollen socks, my toes remained cold throughout the day.
My first customer was from New Zealand. She’s a nurse and working eight weeks in Burnie, in the northern Tasmania. https://www.discovertasmania.com.au/places/north-west/burnie/ She purchased a “Hammock Life” print.
A couple visiting from Singapore purchased a “Hammock Life” print.
A couple from the Gold Coast bought ten greeting cards and my original painting titled, “Tickle My Toes”. https://pjpaintings.com/collections/wombats/products/tickle-my-toes
A traveller from Paris, France, working in Melbourne’s metro office, bought a “Enchanted Forest II” and “Hanging Out” print. It was fun to have a short conversation in French.
A couple from Sydney purchased “Sitting on the Fence” and another couple from Sydney, originally from Brazil, purchased a “Spiky Bunk Beds” and a “Bunk Beds” print for baby Sophia’s bedroom.
A couple from New Zealand, visiting their daughter in Melbourne, purchased a “Salamanca Saturdays” print. A young man, also from New Zealand, bought an “Afternoon Siesta” print for his sister last year. He told me that she loved it so much that she brought it to a framer the very next day! He wanted to buy another print to go with it and decided on “Hammock Life”. What a lovely brother! He bought his mother “Goldilocks and the 20 Penguins”.
A local man from Kingston, where Neil the Seal has turned up, bought a “Sea Life” print. https://pulsehobart.com.au/news/neil-the-seal-evicted-from-hobarts-kingston-beach/
While I was packing up, one of the UK sisters I met last week, revisited my stall. She bought two prints: “Bunk Beds” and “Share House” and a card. Then she returned about 10 minutes later and bought a “Scarlet Robins” print and then she returned again and bought another “Scarlet Robins” print. https://pjpaintings.com/collections/birds/products/scarlet-robins
The sisters are off to Melbourne on Monday and then to Cairns for two weeks. Then one is going back to the UK, and the other is going to stay and work. She would like to work in Hobart because she really likes it here.
Packing up was finished later than usual but there was no mad rush, so all good.
Until next week, take care and have fun being creative.
Warmest regards, Patricia (PJ) Hopwood-Wade
Quality prints of my art are available at www.pjpaintings.com
Art thought for the day:
My platypus journey started with Inktober in 2017.
My very first platypus were done with only ink and water, using a reed and paintbrush. I used a mixture of Indian ink and Quink ink so that there would be some bleed.
and then I started adding reeds and grasses…
followed by platypus looking at various things….
I drew this platypus for Inktober’s prompt word “cruel” – with the idea that it is cruel that platypus have to navigate a web of pollution.
then I started exploring platypus swimming again
… then a whimsical twist with the platypus, putting one in a hammock. I titled it Hammock Life. It looks happy. Hammock Life prints, cushion covers and tote bags are are available.
This is my latest painting of platypus. I finished it a few days ago. I added a bit of green to add interest and more of a watery feel to the painting. It was harder to do than it looks! lol
I’m sure this is not the end of my platypus journey and that there will be more.
Wishing you pleasant journeying from PJ Paintings
It was the usual start early this morning: lifting crates, heaving the gazebo open, bustling around, chatting and the like to set up for the day.
My first customer purchased “The Three Amigos II”. She’s visiting from Victoria. I think this was her first time in Hobart. They usually stay in the north of the state because they own land in St Mary’s, a small town on the east coast of Tasmania https://www.eastcoasttasmania.com/discover/town/st-marys/ . They came to Tasmania on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry.
A mother bought “Family Outing” for her daughter living in Toronto, Canada. Her son-in-law and daughter travel a lot with a stuffed emu accompanying them everywhere and it especially likes to photobomb their travel photos.
A very excited visitor from One Tree Hill, South Australia, purchased “Storytime”. She’s starting a new job in a newly built, beautiful school library. The library’s windows look out on bush and she’s so happy and excited to have this new workplace. https://playfordspast.recollect.net.au/nodes/view/180
A visitor from Germany purchased a print of her favourite bird, “Sitting on the Fence” and her Italian friend, who lives in Sydney, bought “Family Outing” to send to her nephew in Italy.
A father from The Philippines visiting his daughter living in Adelaide, both in Tassie for a holiday, bought a “Bonnie and Me!” and a “Salamanca Saturdays” print.
A visitor from York, UK, bought a wombat, echidna and a Tassie Devil souvenir. Three travelling together from Taiwan, purchased, “Sea Life”, “Tickle My Toes” and “Flowerpot”.
Another visitor, from Brisbane, bought a “Maggie” print. It’s her 13th time holidaying in Tasmania. She said it’s her second home. https://pjpaintings.com/collections/birds/products/maggie-a-print-of-a-watercolour-painting-of-a-australian-magpie
A wife bought a cushion cover for her husband’s birthday. She bought a “Maggie” cushion cover for her Collingwood Magpie AFL husband. He just got a t-shirt with a magpie on the front of it. Her name is Maggie, short for Margaret. Sometimes in jest, he tells her how much he loves his Maggie….long pause… football team.
A Glamour Girls print is going to live in New York, USA https://pjpaintings.com/collections/emus/products/glamour-girls-1 and a boy with a broken hand chose “The Bun” print to take home with him.
And then it was packing up time.
Until next week, take care and have fun being creative.
Warmest regards, Patricia (PJ) Hopwood-Wade
Quality prints of my art are available at www.pjpaintings.com
Art thought for the day:
“Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.” – Twyla Tharp
It was milder than the inky darkness suggested when I tip-toed out of the house at 5:30 am.
My first customer, from the Central Coast, NSW, bought a “Silent Disco” print for their grandson with a penguin fascination. He’s studying Marine Biology. https://pjpaintings.com/collections/birds/products/dancing-penguins
A Canadian, from New Brunswick, purchased a “Maggie” print. She worked in Japan for three years, where she met and became friends with a lady, who a few years later, invited her to her wedding in Melbourne. It was just the push, or excuse, she needed to come and explore some of Australia. Friends told her that she had so see Tasmania, because it is just a hop and skip from Melbourne, and so worth doing. So, she followed up on the advice and is loving Tasmania.
A visitor from Brazil purchased a “Glamour Girls” print. She is visiting her friend who lives in Adelaide and decided to tack Tasmania onto her trip. https://pjpaintings.com/collections/emus/products/glamour-girls-1
A couple visiting from Indonesia purchased “Hot Couple II”. A couple visiting from Brisbane, purchased gifts for family members: a “Meet Me at the Gate” print, and “Glamour Girls” and “Beachside Chatter” tote bags.
An Italian father, visiting his daughter that is living in Tasmania now, purchased a “The Three Amigos II” and “Double Date V” print. Actually, a good variety of nationalities stopped by at the stall today, several Italians, Americans, Dutch, South African, and more.
A mother from Mauritius, visiting her daughter, who lives in Adelaide, who were both holidaying in Tassie, purchased “Unwinding” and “Hammock Life”. It was nice to have a short French conversation. https://pjpaintings.com/collections/wombats/products/copy-of-lazy-days-prints-of-a-wombat
Two sisters, from the UK, who have travelled quite a lot together and have been in Australia already for six months, purchased a “The Three Amigos II”, “Sitting on the Fence” and “Iconic Aussies” print. They both have open ended tickets. They are three years apart and today was the older ones’ birthday. https://pjpaintings.com/collections/birds/products/iconic-aussies
I was determined to pack up before the rain arrived, and I did. The rain still hasn’t arrived! lol
Until next week, take care and have fun being creative.
Warmest regards, Patricia (PJ) Hopwood-Wade
Quality prints of my art are available at www.pjpaintings.com
Art thought for the day:
You have a million excuses. Write anyway. ― Carrie Kei Heim
The Unfurling Artist: journalising creative journeying 