From Hobart we drove to Strahan on the west coast of Tasmania, which took us nearly five hours. We stopped a couple of times, including in Queenstown which was a booming mining town during the early 1900's. The impact of logging and copper mining in Queenstown was...
We had a really comfy Airbnb in Hobart overlooking the Derwent River. The natural consequence of the view was a big hill, so we timed our outings to walk downhill into town and then at the end of the day we caught an uber back up again! This was the view from our...
We unpacked our bags at the little beachside town of Bicheno on the east coast of Tasmania. It was our anniversary night, so priority was getting hold of dinner - of course! It was too late to sit down in a restaurant that night, but we bought the most delicious...
My sketchbook was packed. So was my travel palette. We had a bounty of food tips from Tasmanian friends. Places to see. Things to draw and experience. And we (I should say Stephen) drove to Port Melbourne and on to the ferry to Tasmania for a 12 and a bit day trip.I...
I was caring for my dad when I first started drawing Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. It was late 2018. Dad lived in Bourke Street, right near Parliament House, and our family was taking turns supporting him to stay at home during his last months. When my brother dropped in...
This week we should have been exhibiting another year of Brunswick Street sketches at the Black Cat. But, alas, due to Melbourne’s coronavirus lockdowns it is now on the back burner 🙁. The Black Cat in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, is a Melbourne icon. It is Cool, with a capital C. It’s retro. It’s quirky. They have a DJ. They support local artists. Like us.
Three years ago today my husband and I were staying at the most fabulous Airbnb - Pete's castle in Galway, Ireland. It's also known as Cahercastle, Craughwell, and according to the Irish Times it is one of the most popular listings in Europe. I'd spotted it many,...
Almost every Tuesday for the last six months, since January 2019, I have been catching a tram down Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, to draw beautiful Victorian buildings on location. It started as a personal passion project to draw the street, and I have to say that I...
I have spent weeks (possibly months) pouring over my collection of watercolour paints to choose a new palette for this year. The fact that it is nearly the end of May says a lot! I am nothing if not indecisive, and I can um and ah for hours over whether or...
I am constantly asked to share the colours in my watercolour palette, but when you have this many that is easier said than done! I love to play around with different combinations, and I test new colours all the time, but this is my collection for 2018. I...
For years I have shared a free poster to celebrate Carers Week, which this year is held in Australia from 14 to 20 October. My annual posters came about as a result of my own experience as a mental health carer, and the website I created at...
I love the idea of having a tiny art portfolio that can be carried in my pocket. Moo cards make that possible, as you can have up to 50 different designs on one side of the card, with one on the other. I don't know where else you can do that. It seems pretty amazing...
A big portion of my ancestry is Irish, so visiting Ireland for the first time was something I was really looking forward to. From sunny (and often not so sunny) Melbourne it was hard to imagine the accents, the brilliant greens, the castles (yay CASTLES!!) and the...
I spent about six months in 1994 drawing up this family tree for my mum. She had done all the research over many, many years, the slow and painstaking way, long before anyone dreamed up ancestry.com! It was before my now adult children were born. I worked Monday to...
I drew this a couple of months ago. I really enjoyed the process, the experimenting and then playfully adding polka dots just for the fun of it. I never shared it because there was such a mixed reaction from a few people - it is something you either love or...