My Heart's Journey

Where have I been this last year? Following my heart – dancing on the wings of my calling; growing, giving and learning. Here I share a little of that dance.

M L Block, home to my Kimberley Family

Many years ago I taught in Kununurra in the far North of Western Australia; the Kimberley region. In recent years I have come to know, beautiful families in the most remote areas of the East Kimberley and in October last year I went visiting. From the moment my plane left Broome and begun to fly east I danced in my seat, wriggling and smiling like a mad woman – much to the amusement of the business man seated next to me.

By the end of the second day of being constantly warm and feasting my eyes on the country my face ached.

Why?

I wondered too, then I realised it was from constantly smiling. I realised this about the same time I realised the truth of ‘jaw dropping’ – mine dropped open regularly as I cruised open roads with Slim Dusty blasting. Slim’s another story …

The phone box with flour tin seat. In a community where there is no mobile reception and most don't have home phones this is a point of contact for anyone off community.

This isn’t the place to talk about my Kimberley family, I will simply say that I have Jija (sisters), and I am Jaja (Maternal Gran) and Mum to some wonderful young people. I have become theirs and they mine. Aside from my birth family I have been adopted by Djaru people as a Nakamurra woman, and it is a homecoming for this Kartiya (non-aboriginal) woman.
The 'Grandstand' and score board at the B Community football oval.

This trip was everything I didn’t dare dream it could be, and more. The country sings its own stories, red dirt and rocks, desert lakes, brumbies, boab, spinifex and people, special people.

Taken from a moving 4wd as over 100 brumbies circled around us.

My Jija E and Jija D have been to stay here, on my country. We have painted, prayed and laughed.

I have created a little recently. Soon I will share.

Hopefully soon I will return to my desert … it calls …

Post Script: the photo's are a hint of a vast beauty that can not be captured with a camera just in a heart open to all that is around her.

Something for me and something for you...

It is lovely to have time to create and nothing I “have to” make. This necklace has been in my head for months, an old wall hook; rusted and left, some washers, sari silk, an owl in resin, a bullet casing (thanks to one of my students for that), vintage beads and carved cinnabar all combined with copper, brass and steel.

I couldn't resist wandering around the garden and taking pictures of this piece in different lights, on different backgrounds, it has been so, so long since I made a feature piece of jewellery such as this.

I always enjoy the contrast between strong and delicate, old and new, salvaged and made. I think this one is for me.

The old water tank, above had been put out for roadside collection, I rang my brother and convinced him I needed it; is to become my herb garden, a job for next week.

I have cleaned up my garden a lot this past week and been amazed by the number of nests tucked in bushes, obviously my purr-babies don’t scare the birds away. This nest really made me smile, authentic twigs, insects, and leaves on the outside and green acrylic filler on the inside – another contrast.

The magnetic post it-note holders were an eye opener. I was attempting to make something using found objects for a possible class and bemoaned my attempts. Until I realised the only objects designed for art were the Collection images I have had for many years, and five split pins.

All of the other items are salvaged and re-purposed.

I will send one of these pieces (your choice) to the first person to identify all the non-paper elements. Good Luck!

Happy New Year

One of the high lights of 2009 was my time at Creative Soul Retreat held in Melbourne earlier in the year, the house swap was a lot of fun. Finally I have about 2/3rd's of my houses mounted on this 12 x 12 canvas for my classroom wall. I am sure it will intrigue my students.

Another art high light was the 12 Days of Christmas Swap help on Aust Art Sisters. I had no idea I would be so excited by opening a gift every day. Pictures are some of the wonderful items I received. I took the photo a day early and some decorations were already in use.

Happy New Year everyone, may you be blessed with peace and health.

Take a couple of old hair scrunchies,

.. some old files from the recycling bin, three ink pads and a handful of images. What do you have? A couple of weeks of relaxation, time to fiddle and arrange, without really thinking, after long, long days at work.
At the end I wondered what to do with my offerings, so thee ATC's became notebooks - I am so glad I bought the Zutter.

Cards and tags will be packaged together and, "Voila!", some of my Christmas preparations are made. Nice cards are so expensive here in Australia and packs of hand made tags will be appreciated too.

I have been soothed by my needle going in and out of paper, calmed by the rhythm of my brush as it dances between ink pads adding a little colour here and there and strengthened by the time to be inside my head.

Would you like an ATC? No need to trade, just ask. If you are one of the first three I will send you one.

Thank you Jesus, for the peace I feel today. Thank you friends for being there for me through the hours, days or years.

Have a wonderful week!

Faces, with apologies to some beautiful women!

I got lost in the creative zone last night, and I am so grateful! For the first time in ages I lost track of time and played for five hours straight - the result two finished ATC's and two other pieces partially done. These are my first attempts at faces; which I was NEVER going to try, when will I learn not to make sweeping statements?
After creating backgrounds a la Kelly Rae I took some magazine pictures.. and here's the apology, these women WERE beautiful.
I traced over the main features, the first time in blue pen (you can see why that was not a great idea), the second with lead pencil, and then flipped the picture onto my background to transfer the pen/pencil. From there I used paint, Tombow, Distress Ink, water colour pencil, brushes and my trans dermal applicator (thanks Kelsey). I enjoyed 'modifying' the second face, and I guess the next stage would be to draw my own.

Please join my give-away from the previous post.

I am living a soap opera...

...and someone forgot to pay me, no really it feels that way.

It was 2.00am Wednesday night (that makes sense to night owls, for the rest of you 2.00am Thursday morning) I sat on my bed, laptop on, room lit up, Archer snoring, curtains open - enjoying a warm breeze. There were lights on in four other rooms (I figure after the story is told you won't grouch too much about my lack of environmental awareness) when I heard a "Ping!", just a little ping. It passed through my head, "Silly Charles, what are you doing now."

and then,

the lone footstep... imagined? ... Archer still snoring ...

the neighbours dog goes ballistic, I run to the dining room, see my car lights flash in the carport below, dash to the lounge ...

in time to see my car head off out the drive-way. My bag, purse and the biscuit tin (the illusive ping) with it. Next morning I find the biscuits in the drive-way, I wonder why they wanted my tin?

The collage/assemblage of four mini canvas is a gift for a kind friend, you can click on it for a close up. It is relevant because people have been so very kind. So many friends offering money, bringing wine, biccies and other treats. One car loaned already and another promised if need be. So many wonderful e-mails and phone calls, I wonder that everyone is not sick of the drama that seems to follow me...

If you are in WA my car is a burgundy Holden Viva, 2008 model (you will remember it is just six months since a careless driver ran into my other car and wrote it off), my number plate is PL764, and Archer would like his car bed back too.

On another note, don't the pegs look fantastic? They are just 1" long, I rusted some years ago and when they ran out I looked everywhere for them. Now I have five bags, and I am going to share, I rusted the whole lot and will pop some in my Etsy store soon.

Grunge and Sweetness, or ...

... rather sweetness and grunge. I think the sweetest gift of Christmas was some quality time with the newest little ‘H’, my nephew ‘A’. This photo was taken at lunch while he slept all snuggled in and I battled the brussels sprouts. Why do mother’s think those small green stinky vege are a traditional part of Christmas? I must say everything else was delicious and of course I ate too much.

I kept last years resolution, 12 months without hair dye (actually I lasted 13) umm, perhaps I should not mention hair when I have the frizz happening above :). So I will boldly state this years resolution - to drop three dress sizes. Other aspects of my health have been my focus for many years and medication took its toll, but I have stayed the same size all 2008 so I am sure that with a little work I can remove some of the excess.

I am not sure I will ever be able to sit like the sweet angel to the left (my niece) but I would like to be able to keep up with her as she plays her games and runs around the garden.

This was the third notebook I made and I experimented with some new colours - I like the green with my usual "grunge" and rust tones. I cut and covered all six covers, applied several paint washes and some stamping then worked on one book at a time.

This book was not meant to have webbing spray on it's corners, a certain ginger purr-baby decided to jump on my lap as I was spraying the back ground of the other two - luckily only the corner was effected and I decided it added to the texture. I can convince myself of almost anything.

After I made the note books I found one more of the tin signs I used as the focal point of each book. "spirit" started out red, the others were shades of cream and white to begin with.

Smiles, Joys and Gratefulness

The 'view' as I leave my room and walk to any other area in my little house. Fish (yes,that is his name) in the bowl, art by Natalie, Misty and I, a lone kangaroo paw in my favourite vase (an old milk bottle) and a light shade I still love after five years of looking at it.

Homemade gifts ready to wrap.

Sunshine and sun scented sheets as summer finally arrives in Western Australia.
The sunlight filtered through the native garden, the rather intense looking Phantom as he enjoys the space and the leaves on the lawn.
The delicious fruit salad chilling as I type.
This knobbly native flower in my back yard.
No more stitches; I had a nasty little melanoma removed just over two weeks ago and my wonderful Doctor had to take WIDE margins. It is so good not to itch, and I am so blessed Geoff was on the ball and picked this up.

The geranium blooming behind washing drying in the sun.
Planning a birthday gift for a special seven year old, to be.

The faded roses against decking stump.
Knowing there are five more sleeps until the school year ends and I can catch up; house work, friends, garden, cleaning and -yes - school work.
Archer's delight when he managed to roll the treat out of his ball, the pile of mulch (a gift from my parents) and the hibiscus (a gift from a friend) in bloom.

Cuddles with my handsome nephew.

In a year where I have had more anti-biotics than in the last dozen combined, and faced more issues than in the last five. In a year where the fur-babies have all had their turn to be ill and the rain has fallen to the point where I wondered about buying a boat. In a year where I have never ever felt 'caught up' there has been much to be grateful for. Too much for one post, so today I am sharing just some of the things which have brought me smiles, moments of joy and made me grateful this very day...

Hello

Antique bisque doll head earrings

Archer: Are you in there?

Hi everyone, time has flown since I last blogged and so much has happened good and bad.

I have been sick, and truly the list sounds like the Lament of Job, my foot continues to be an issue, a winter cold, conjunctivitis, mouth ulcers and more - just when I though I had escaped winter without being sick. So there was not much art completed at all.

These earrings have been sitting waiting to be constructed for ages, it is nice to finally have them finished and dangling merrily.

I thought you might like these pictures I managed to capture during a game of hide and seek, often the pace is too fast as the game is combined with chasey in the furry world and I get pictures that are a blur.

Last week my new nephew was born - he is smoochalicious and i am besotted already! While he was arriving my Mum had my niece to stay and we had a giggle playing hide and seek -it was nice to be a participant.

Work has been difficult. I have to be careful what I say, but essentially for the first time in my life I had to raise a concern about some abuse I was experiencing. The decision about how to handle that was taken out of my hands and some interesting decisions were made which ultimately left me feeling unsafe at home as well.

More houses for the Creative Soul Retreat village.

Now I am feeling almost 100%, the dark cloud that has come as I battled situations and sickness is lifting and I can enjoy the outdoors as summer saunters in with the help of daylight savings! Long afternoons in the garden are coming, furries all coming to pester and chase the weeds as I pull them. Early evenings on the deck with a cup of tea or a glass of red and all while unconstrained by jumpers, jeans and joggers (OK, I couldn't resist the j's).

Harvey: At last she recognises my Indian roots - dahl on nahn bread.

I just checked I have well over 200 blog posts to catch up on so there will be a nice night or two browsing for inspiration and catching up as well.

Phantom: Can't a bloke have a bit of privacy while he cleans.

Art and more..

These little houses are the first 7 of 45 I am making for a swap as part of Creative Soul Retreat in March next year. I think perhaps I am nuts, but they will look fantastic when we all have 45 in different styles, sizes and shapes. the backgrounds are all the same, torn vintage papers, and they will all be coated in shellac, as for the in between - whatever is on my desk.

This Tassel Secrets Doll is a step out for me - working in pinks and some purples. She will be available on my Etsy in the next day or so.

This needle felted ATC and the one below were so fun to make, and a great way to use the tiny fabric scraps on my desk. The 'River' tassel doll was a commission and is (I think) hanging in her new home.