G'DAY USA

Just looked at my Stats and noticed a lot of American interest in  my blog.
This is great ...means I'm getting out there.

I just love the internet!!
It appeals to me on so many levels.

Firstly, I am pretty well obsessed with information and you know back in the day you had to look things up at in books and I was sooo disappointed when I couldn't find the right book or find anything that would quench the current thirst....but now we have the internet and I sometimes find myself getting up in the middle of the night to look something up that I have been thinking about.

Does anyone else do this or is it just me?

Secondly, it is amazing when you are isolated as I am and also can look at art and artist from all over the world. I can see what is happening in every part of the world and how good is that! I love to google stuff...random stuff like " What did Elvis do on his last day on earth "...or  " Or how do I make a really great orange colour and bang there it is AMAZING.

Or I can follow a dog race on the other side of the word....and really feel like I'm involved!!

This is how my new American readers came about...see killed 2 birds with the 1 stone...and learnt something to boot.

At first I couldn't figure out how this had happened....but then I realized that due to my information obsession I had been following the Yukon Quest which is a 1000 mile Dog Sled Race which starts in Whitehorse Yukon Territory Canada and finishers 7 to 9 days later in Fairbanks Alaska.

I had made a few random comments and liked their facebook page which.... OF COURSE... led to people then looking at me.
I feel as though I have made a big step forward with my understanding of how things work.....some may think this is elementary dear Watson...but not for little ol' sometimes slow on the up take me!!

So I welcome my USA readers.


These are some photo's taken by my daughter Lucy who is currently living and working in Whitehorse

 The start in Whitehorse

The dogs are mix of different breeds. But they say that all they really need is a need to RUN!
As you can see they just love it and are very keen to get on the "trail'

 Off they go...notice the bale of hay...this is used for the dogs to sleep on when they pull up for a blow in between check points. The booties are so cute don't you think...love the fact that they are " glow in the dark"


I could go on and on about this race and the people and dogs involved.
I love things that are a little 'left of centre' or where man and beast combine to achieve amazing feats.


Think I am going to have to go see this first hand.

That's it for now

Galah Talk

I have been a little slack with my blogging of late.
But I have an excuse
as my blog is about painting then it is hard to blog when I haven't really been painting much
But I have managed to finish a couple in the past week

2 Galahs
91 cm x 122 cm
Acrylic on Canvas
$1000.00

I enjoyed doing this painting as I did  it quickly with a large brush and tryed not to think too much...just went for it.

But of course before hand I had to do the drawing this I did with a small brush.

 I think some times you are better off drawing in with a brush rather than a pencil as the result is usually less fussy and uncomplicated.

I then mixed up the galah pink and slapped it on with gusto. 

MUCH FUN!

The galah's were finished in no time but then I had awful trouble with the background colour. Probably serves me right for achieving such a fast result with birds.

But I think this is OK

I have promised this painting to be auctioned at the Gaia Women's Festivel Gala Black Tie Event to be held on  the night of the 27th October at the Girls Grammer School Rockhampton

more information contact Jessica Ph 4926 3633

But if anyone falls in love with it before hand... so be it.....let me know

ALSO

Annie
81 cm x 81 cm Square
Acrylic on Canvas
Framed
$500.00

Once again I have painted Annie my dog she is very paintable as you can see and very obliging and that is her exact look

 Kind and Tolerant.

That's it for now

To view more of my paintings and drawings click here

http://www.theoutbackartist.com.au

Mustering to Wean (part 2)

The second day was spent drafting off the calves and then carting the calves up to the top yards which are close to the house and easy to get to by big semi trucks. 

How's this for a great photo

Heading to the yards

Cows  

Cattle in the yards

Tony shifting cows in the
yards

Some of the cows in the yards

Early the next morning we mustered again, this time we did 3 smaller paddocks. We mustered the cattle though these paddocks which head in the general direction of the yards so that at the end of the muster we have them at the yards as the last paddock joins the yards. We got them to the yards at about 11.00am so started to draft, after a good count of the mob again we were short and had to go back. As luck would have it they were at the last paddock's trough and easily got.

We were still some short so looked in an adjoining paddock and found the 3 bulls we were missing. So we eventually had all cattle mustered. Then Clint carted the calves to the top yards and Tony and I started taking cows back to their paddocks. It is a very noisy time weaning as the cows continually bellow for their calves and the calves moo for their mothers, the cows walk the fence of their paddock trying to get out to find their calves and it usually takes about a week for the cows to eventually give up on finding their calves and every thing settles back to normal again. These cows are already pregnant with their next calves so it all starts over again for them.

Cow waiting for ear tag

Cow getting an ear tag

Now all is back to normal and this is the start of a new week which will find me back in my art room, it is a good thing as this morning it has turned chilly and blowy and wet so a good time to hide away for a while. Here's hoping my next post will be a great work of art!!

Some Things Never Change

Some things never change.....like the weather in Toowoomba. It excelled it's self last weekend when I visited. I decided to go down and take my cards to the Queens Park markets, and also it was a good opportunity to catch up with some good old friends. We hit the Park at 6 a.m. on Sunday morning and it was bleak and cold with a wind chill factor of some thing very low. Anyway by about 10 a.m. it was beautiful and what a great part of the world to sit and watch the Sunday morning traffic through the Park, lots of people taking there dogs for a walk in the crisp morning air. It was great to see all the different dog breeds and to compare the breeds with their owners...very interesting. But that's wasn't why I was there. I have done a series of blank cards which I have mentioned before. I did them for Beef Week and they were well received so I have put them on my website. I have managed to get them into a few different shops, but I can sell them cheaper at Markets as there is no middle man, so to speak.

Willy series Card 3

Sweetie series Card 3

My friend and I just set up a table with my cards and the gift boxed cards and we did very well. It is very interesting to watch people when they spot my cards ...they start to smile...which is very nice to be able to make people smile.

Cocky series Card 1

The other interesting thing happening at the same time was a cycling comp which I didn't really find out what it was but there were lots and lots of people of all ages peddling flat out round the Park. One amazing woman pulled up on her bike to buy some cards having just finished a ride of 80 klms !!! I asked her if see was going home to drink a BOTTLE of wine she said ABSOLUTELY!! (she was probably well into her fifties, what a woman.!)

Annie series Card 2

We pulled out of there at about 3 pm and met another friend then went to a lovely little coffee shop called The Angle Coffee Shop. We had a couple of glasses of wine then a great meal as we hadn't eaten since 5 am and were a little tucked up!! We then went inside and had a coffee before departing company. We had lots of laughs as old friend do.

There is nothing so nurturing for the soul as good meaningful and inspiring conversation.

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To order my Australian Rural Cards visit www.theoutbackartist.com.au