Good News

Had good news last night when my sister rang to say that  a drawing of mine had won the drawing and pastel section at the Heartland Art Exhibition in Blackall. It was good that she was there to collect the prize on my behalf. The drawing is a large nib pen drawing of a horse bucking with a bare back rider on top. I have had quite a bit of success with the rodeo red Ink drawings. It would be a great if this could also find a home.

Just thought I'd add this picture for a little bit of something different. This was taken by me from inside the house, that's my husband Tony outside and there in the middle balancing very well indeed on the top of a glass louver is a very large brown snake. On the right hand side of the photo is the door into the house, I had been outside and had pushed open the door and put one foot inside and something caught my eye looking down there was the snake he was trying to get out as I was trying in get in. I don't know who got the biggest fright I do know that I didn't think I could move that fast any more. Anyway to make a short story out of a long one this is where it ended up. The problem we were having at the time this photo was taken was what to do with a very cranky snake who had no where to go and how to get him down without wrecking the glass louvers. We knew that if it launched it's self at me and got down on the floor we would never find it as snakes can live in a house with you and you wont know until it shows its self. We lived with a brown snake once for I don't know how long, it was living in the pot plants on the verander and when it did accidently show it's self it was a very strange colour as it had started to change as some times happens when they are adapting to a new enviroment. I used to wonder why the cat took wide booths round the pot plants!! So we eventually decided to open the door and watch it from a distance and see if it would leave with out being hassled. It did. The joys of living in the bush!!

Just thought I would try and see if I can put up the paintings sold at Beef Week for general interest. Here GOES....I did it!!

This is an acrylic painting called 3 Kimberley Girls which was sold to my surprise as I only hung it for shock value and to try and stop people in their tracks! This was achieved especially when a long line of school kids WERE stopped in their tacks when one of the boys spotted the tits!!!

 A lot of people liked this painting and again I was surprised as I thought it was a little too out there for your average man or women on the land. I think a lot of the time people will admire your work but  actually handing it on their wall is very remote. But that's fine... I love the fact that the painting create's a conversation and at times a reaction and then when you lest expect it someone WILL fall in love with it and buy it. I must be getting better as Beef was this paintings first outing. Some hang round for a long long time before they find someone to love them.


This is another one.... now this is one is an example of how a painting will hang around and wait for that special person to love it. As it turned out a very good old friend of mine who lost her beloved recently saw some thing in this that reminded her of her of their love. To me this is one of the reasons why I paint to hopefully bring joy to the viewer, and when this happens I feel very blessed. Oh and it is callled
 " Love on a Wire"
It is an acrylic on canvas painting.

That will do for now as I have managed this far with out tooo much trouble and don't want to push my luck

Phew!!!

I am starting this blog to try and share my life as an Artist and to also show how I get through my days wearing all the hats that are ME. I am very new to this blogging thing but my friend and website guru Bronwyn (FM Studios) assures me that under her guidance I will become a social media wonder?!

I have just been to Beef Week as a site holder with my paintings where I had an amazing time talking to people and getting so much feed back on my work and selling quite a few paintings and drawings which is always a boost both to my bank balance and to my confidence.

Since Beef finished I have been flat out sending paintings here and there and getting my website overhauled, which turned out to be a bit of a shock when I realized I haven't many paintings left. Don't get me wrong I am not complaining, it is a great sign that I am doing OK.

So what now?  I have a commission to complete the commissioner has been waiting for a while so as of next week I will get stuck in and get it done. I don't do many commissions so when I do I worry a little because I think that people have an idea in their heads of what they want the painting will look like and then it turns out completely different. But that is our lot as Artist  to doubt and worry.  I just wonder if you ever reach a stage where you have complete confidence in yourself.

A little bit a about me

I welcome you to view my paintings and drawings of Outback Australian bushmen, Outback Australian Aboriginals, Outback Australian Horseman and many other Outback Australian inspired work. Some pieces are hanging at the Eagles Nest Bar and Grill in Eagle Street Longreach, if your passing through please have a look. Feel free to contact me if you need any information on the pieces. 

I was born in Longreach in 1957 where my 3 sister’s and myself spent a wonderful childhood riding our ponies and swimming in the local pool. I attended school in Longreach and then later spent 4 years at boarding school in Brisbane. I then jillarooed on property’s in the Blackall district in Western Queensland, until I married and settled on a sheep property south west of Longreach where we had 2 of our 3 children. 

In the early 1990’s our family moved to another property at Augathella, where my last child was born. It was here that I started to paint again something I hadn’t done since leaving school. This time at Augathella was overshadowed by a fall in wool prices and one of the biggest droughts ever to hit that part of Queensland. Surprisingly it took these trying times to make me really use my talents as an artist, I went round the area drawing the impressive homesteads in pen and ink and reproduced them into a calendar. 

They were very successful selling thousands around Australia and overseas. I also donated $1.00 from each calendar to Drought Relief to help other farming families in the same situation. Towards the end of the ‘90’s our family moved again this time to a property in the Bollon district in South Western Queensland. Again my art took a back step to work on the place. After 8 years we moved to a cattle property north of Rockhampton and in the past 2 years I have bitten the bullet and spend about 80% of my time shut away in my art room doing what I love best.