Painting with Carol

A slideshow of the fabulous workshop in Batemans Bay. Thanks to everybody who made the weekend so enjoyable.

I do so like having a post, it is like therapy, but finding the time to update it is difficult, I don’t know how some people can update daily. I admire the discipline they must have.

Last weekend’s workshop was at my dear friend Judy’s in Batemans Bay. I drove down on the Friday - it takes five hours to drive  from my place to her place. The workshop was on the Saturday and it was a great success, I just loved it. It was so nice being with the girls again they made me feel very welcome. Often when people retire and move away, you loose touch, however Judy will never allow that to happen. In order for us to see one another at least once a year she organises a workshop. Thank you Judy for a wonderful week-end! We painted ’Pink and Grey Galahs‘ and whilst we were painting the wild Galahs were feeding from the bird feeders Judy has in her garden. I say ‘wild’ only because they are not caged (I would hate to think anyone would consider the galahs to be that wild that they would attack). Not many painters are lucky enough to have the birds to actually join them; they are such clowns, hanging upside down and playing around like naughty kids would. Real show-offs.

A few years ago I was lucky enough to go on a painting tour around Europe. I met an American girl on the tour named Arlene and we immediately became friends and had lot of fun together. When Arlene came to Australia the first time, she stayed with me and, as I had a workshop in Parkes organized for the week-end she was to arrive, I thought it would be great for her to come along as she would be able see a little of our country that most tourists wouldn’t get a chance to see. Parkes is a country town in NSW. ‘Why am I telling you this story,’ you might ask? Well as I was writing about the Galahs I was reminded of Arlene’s reaction when she saw her first pink and grey galah: she was amazed at their bright colours and that there was so many of them.

But anyway, back to the workshop. I somehow managed to leave all my good watercolour brushes at home but luckily I had other brushes with me that I could make do with. It made me realise, however, how much easier it is to paint if you do have the right equipment.

Some tips:

• Tip 1: As Christmas is nearly upon us why don’t you put a good watercolour brush on your wish list? If I could only have one brush, it would be a No.7 Raphail 803. This brush can be used for everything from washes to fine line work. I have an addiction for brushes, I just love them, if I have any spare cash I will always buy a new brush over a new bra any time.



• Tip 2: Another thing I was once again made aware of. Clean water is essential and you must remember to change your water often - otherwise you end up with a muddy painting. I have a double sided water container; I wash out my dirty brush on one side and use the other side for my painting.
• Tip 3: When signing your painting, always be aware that you will have a mount as well as a frame so you will need to put your signature a little higher in to the painting.

I have more to tell, but no time to write more. So I will tell you about my new addiction - Card making - that Judy started me on next time.

The problem with owning a blog is keeping it updated in order for it to remain interesting. I am not sure that I have a lot to tell you as I haven’t been painting at all lately -  it has been the school holidays and at the moment I am lucky enough to have my eight year old grand-daughter staying with us. What a joy she is to have around! I just love being a Nanna and I try to make the most of it while she still wants me around to do things with her.

There is much to be done over the holidays when you are eight and it’s so much better if you have a friend stay over. Thank goodness the weather was perfect for going to the beach, the water was a bit cold to stay swimming for too long but when you are young there is so much to discover in the rock pools. We came home with a bucket full of shells, star fish, hermit crabs, bits of glass washed smooth all that good stuff.

I have also become the cupcake queen, decorated by the girls with bright green and hot pink icing. We spent four days with my mum, who is ninety now and we like to spend as much time with her as we can whilst we still have her around. We went to the theatre to see a production of Just Macbeth, written for children by Andy Griffith. It was a lot of fun and on the way home in the car I asked Zoe to tell me the story of Macbeth. She said, “I am not sure if I understood it all,” but when she told me the story in her words, she was spot on. Would I have understood Shakespeare at that age? I don’t think so.

All in all the school holidays were fun. School started Monday so it is back to normal again. So I am trying to get back in to painting, even though I have been painting for so many years I still find it hard to get back in to the swing of it after a break.

I am lucky enough to be sponsored by Chroma, and they have asked me to design some Christmas cards using their iridescent colours, which I thought it would be a breeze. Not so! They have to be very simple so that anyone including non-painters can do them. I am inclined to fuss too much - I add a bit here and a bit there, so I have to discipline myself. But I am on the way and things are starting to take shape.

This weekend I am going to be the student for a change. I belong to The Sutherland Arts Society and every year they have a Paint-a-thon. I treat myself to painting with other well-known artists. I learn so much - I have always encouraged my own students to paint with as many teachers as they can, as everyone has something to offer. I am so looking forward to it, I have three days of painting watercolours with Ross Paterson. I will take photos for my blog if I am allowed.

Also, I will be teaching the Pink and grey galahs down the south coast at Batemans Bay on the 25th of October.

Well I should get back to painting Christmas cards. Talk soon!

I have been asked to exhibit my camel paintings in Hughenden, Queensland at the Arid Lands Australia Festival  on August 22nd, 23rd, and the 24th, 2008. Because of this I am going to be running a series of workshops in Queensland. At this moment I am unsure of the dates but they will be the end of August and in to September. I will let everyone know as soon as they’re finalised.

I will go from Hughenden to Innisfail where I will teach “THE DOLPHINS” and “THE GOLDFISH”. From there I will go to the Atherton Tablelands, then back to Innisfail again to teach “THE DAYS AWAKENING” and “THE CHOOK YARD”.

Then I’m off to Townsville although I am not sure how long I will be there yet. Brisbane will be my next destination, where I am lucky enough to have my dear friends Margaret and Charles. Margaret also is a wonderful painter so I am looking forward to seeing what she has done through the year. Margaret and I are like little girls when we get together with our show and tell - one thing is for sure we can always have a good laugh together, think about how many of your friends you can do that with.

I am so looking forward to the trip, as I will be seeing parts of Queensland I have never seen before, I will also get to see the camels I have been painting and visit the friends that I have been lucky enough to make through painting.

Always when I return from a trip, I kick myself for not having taken more photos of my workshops. The problem is of course is that I am usually so busy during the workshop that I forget to take them until it is all over and by that stage, of course, everyone is rushing to get away and the opportunity has passed. I did take photos of the workshop I did in Rosewood, however, which I have posted here.

Rosewood - how I love it! You can smell the clean air, smell the eucalyptus and it is one of the few places where I love to rise early so that I can see the mist lift from the Snowy Mountains that surround it. When the mist lifts you can see the snow on top of the mountains. Love it, love it, love it! Rosewood is a stopover on the road to Tumbarumba and it is worth the stop - if you are in the area you should go and have a look. You can even have a good cup of coffee at GONE BARNY which is run by Jenny and her wonderful family. They have built a barn and have made it into a coffee shop filled with beautiful gifts. I love the smell of the place; it smells not only of good coffee but of the Eucalyptus oil that they distil themselves.

I would like to thank Jenny Mursett, who is the teacher and the organiser of my Rosewood workshops as she does an incredible job. Most of the students come from the surrounding districts such as Wagga Wagga, Batlow and Tumbarumba and over the years we have all become friends and I look forward to catching up with everyone. I have found that country people seem to have time for each other. I like this way of life and I just wish that city people could stop and draw breath a little more. I guess I notice the hustle and bustle of the city and its people more because I travel to the country so often.

I have more to tell you but I thought I would write more tomorrow.

I took these photos during the workshops at Rosewood. I had a wonderful time teaching everybody. I haven’t included names but if you’re in these photos, please add a comment!

Just to let you know I will not be around for 12 days as I am leaving for Victoria to conduct some workshops.

I leave on Wednesday morning at 4am. I like to leave early so that I miss the early morning peak hour traffic through Sydney. It will take me about 12 hours to get to where I am staying, just outside of Ballarat. I will stop to have morning tea at the bakers in Holebrook where I meet Jenny who owns the studio in Rosewood, she will take the frames and paints etc. that are required for her workshop on my return journey home. It  means I will not have to take them with me and then bring them back again.

The bakers make good coffee so it’s a good excuse to stop. It is a long drive but I love it. I love being on my own driving through this beautiful country of ours, I just have to be very careful that I don’t pick up another speeding ticket, not that I speed as I have speed control on my car but I somehow have lost points in the last four years and they mount up. Anyway I am prattling on now,  I will take some photos of my workshops to share with you, there are some very talented painters out there. Till then Bye for now.

Cas

You gotta laugh

Hello all! I am sorry I haven’t updated for a while but I have been very busy painting camels and I haven’t had much time for anything else.

I thought I should let you know that I will be away teaching in Victoria for 12 days. I leave on Wednesday June 4 and return Monday June 16 2008. Originally, I was travelling to Victoria for the Avoca Camel Cup because that is where my camel exhibition was to be held. However, I received a phone call on Saturday saying that the Camel Cup had been cancelled. I was very disappointed at first, of course - disappointed for myself but very disappointed for the people that were involved in the organisation of it all as I know how much work has been put in to it. But I have always been a believer in one door closing and another one opening and by the looks of things that is what has happened.

I won’t say much more about it at until things are definite but, as they say: “watch this space”. In the meantime, I will be displaying a few of the camel paintings here so you can see some of my hard work. They are for sale if anybody is interested.

And here are the dates and locations of my workshops:

• Saturday: 7/6/2008 “THE SHEEP STATION HOMESTEAD” ROUGHING I will also be teaching, “NOVEMBER LILLIES” with watercolours in the same workshop
  Where? Wardlin Craft and Garden, 344 Kayleys Lane Brewster
  Phone 0353440641
• Tuesday 10/6/2008 “CHOOKS ON THE RUN” watercolours
  Where: Leony Hoekstra Phone: 0352419866 22 Waurnvale Drive Belmont Geelong
• Saturday 14/6/2008 “CHOOKS ON THE RUN” watercolours
  Where:Gone Barney, Rosewood, on the way to Tumbarumba.
  Phone 0269488380

I have just returned from a very successful painting tour of Victoria. I taught in Bendigo, Brewster, Geelong, Melbourne and Rosewood. It was the perfect time to go as all the spring and summer flowers are in full bloom - whatever did we do before digital cameras? I have posted some pictures on Flickr but I have also pasted them in here so you can find them easily.

On October the 23rd I’ll be leaving at 4am on my little jaunt to Victoria. However my daughter Georgina and son-in-law Micheal will be on their way back from fishing in the beautiful Tumbarumba area so hopefully we can meet up for coffee around 11am.

I am going down to Brewster, which is between Ballarat and Beauford on the way to Adelaide. It’s 20 minutes out of Ballarat and I’m going for some R&R with my friends Ted and Colin. I will be painting a new painting for beginners whilst I’m there, called Daisies Make Me Smile.  That’s on Saturday. On Sunday, I’m doing the Hunter Valley Shed with students who have painted with me before. I’m having a well-earned rest on Monday, but on Tuesday I’ll be painting Pink and Grey Galahs in Geelong with Leony Hoekstra at Friendly Folk.

And then, in Woodbe Crafty, on Friday November 2nd, I’ll be doing Daisies Make Me Smile again. Then I’m back home, stopping in with Jenny Mursett at Rosewood. We are doing the third of a series of Tuscan painting called the Fruit Shop. Then it’s back home again on November 5.