For the first time in a long time, I have had extended time off over the festive season. I was able to spend time with my Mum and dad who visited from Perth for Christmas.  I can honestly say it has been very cathartic. The recent hot weather here in Melbourne meant that my hubby and I spent two days in the aircon, reading, watching a bit of TV and doing mundane things in the house.  It was fabulous!
Each year at the end of the year, I sit down and think about what I would like for the coming year.  I then create a vision board for that year.  This is also the time I tick off what was achieved on the current years vision board.  Except for one bold audacious goal, everything had a tick next to it for 2024.  This was very pleasing to see.
Although, we can start a project, set goals, make plans and move ourselves forward any day of the year, the start of the year seems to be the one most people choose as a line in the sand.
Some of the areas I want to focus on in 2025 to make positive changes are in in the area of my personal and creative life.  Often, we can put areas on hold to focus on another area, which can lead to an imbalance.  So, what does this have to do with art?
Having a balanced life can help in so many ways with your creativity and can open up the portal to success in every area.  I am aiming on spending time catching up with people I didn’t get to spend as much time with as I would have liked to.  I also want to spend more time creating for myself.  It is true I create art with each art class I run, that is my practice sessions so to speak, I mean creating pieces that sing to me.  I want to Spend time experimenting and playing using my sketchbooks.
Now all I must do is fit this in with my planned travel and classes for 2025.  What a great problem to have, don’t you think? 

How do you start the new year? Leave your comments below

Featured photo:  A page from my grid sketchbook "Loose & abstract landscapes" 

Loneliness is on the rise in Australia, I imagine we are not alone, and it is happening globally.   It is not fussy about your age or gender
According to the APS (Australian Psychological Society) one in four Australians feel lonely.  During the 2020 and beyond lockdowns, this number may have been significantly higher.  There is a plethora of information and statistics on the internet regarding loneliness and it’s mental, physical and health factors.  The facts are frightening.
I know when I moved to Melbourne coming up now 27 years ago, I didn’t know anyone.  There wasn’t any family here, initially there weren’t any work colleagues, it was me on my Pat Malone.   I found the loneliness extreme for the first three months.  It was a fight to keep mentally positive.   To meet new people, I attended courses such as photography and golf lessons.   Each of them got me out of the house and meeting new people.  It was an opportunity to break the isolation factor.
Recently, I was running one of my art classes and, it caused me to think back to my own efforts to fight loneliness.  I listened as the conversation hit a crescendo of multiple conversations, laughter and connection.
Could art classes help the loneliness epidemic?  Could those few hours each week, create deeper connections, could they foster a feeling of community and belonging?  I believe it can.  Those few hours of sitting in a room with likeminded individuals, deep in thought, or sharing titbits of daily life, recommendations of a movie or recipe, or a glimpse into family life, as you create, paint, and draw, transport you into another world.  Does a world of connection and creativity, enjoying a new hobby or interest, come from those regular art classes?
What re your thoughts?  Do you think art and art classes could help with the loneliness epidemic?  Please leave your comments below.

Featured Artwork:  Cityscape on the River

When I run classes at any of the programs I run, including at my studio "Art in the Garden Room", I always recommend to sign the artwork and date it on the back. 
I wish I had done this when I started back painting. Fortunately, modern technology means I can work out dates based on the photos on my phone.

I love to look back and see the progression in my artwork, how my brushstrokes have changed, my colour palette and style changes. My art has always been inspired by nature, the style and colour palette has changed over time, yet my artwork continues to be inspired by nature.  Over time, I realised, I  prefer to paint impressionistic and abstract work, using mixed media. 
 
When we look back at our artwork it can trigger ideas, identify what we love, what we prefer to leave behind and monitor our development. Looking back can move you forward to exciting new ideas, spark joy in following your own artistic journey and create a sense of accomplishment.  This is why, I highly recommend having a sketchbook for practice as well as a safe private place for experimentation. 

Do you sign and date your work? Do you like looking at an artist's earlier work?
Feel free to leave a comment below.

Featured Artwork: Spring Meadow
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When I picked up painting again, I went straight into acrylic paint.  It was fun and forgiving and I enjoyed the medium.
Over the last couple of years, I have taken lessons in watercolour, pastels and gouache.  I love various mediums, given I do mixed media, that is a good thing!

For the last twelve months, I have been enjoying the medium of gouache. So what is gouache, I hear you ask.
Gouache is a water-based paint not dissimilar to watercolour, it is however, matte, opaque and creamy.  Being similar to watercolour, it is more opaque, which means you can layer from dark to light and correct mistakes. I love how the medium quickly dries to a matte finish, making it ideal for photographing, and scanning for prints and doesn't have that shine.  

As I have been venturing out on en plein air excursions, gouache is an ideal medium to take out and about.  It is compact enough for a small palette, dries reasonably quickly and can be activated with water.  I enjoy being able to sketch and then paint while I am out, sometimes in my sketchbook and sometimes on watercolour paper. These en plein air paintings are then reference guides for future work.  The fact I can paint in the colours of the day is ideal to capture the moment, the shadows, the highlights and the essence of the session.
   
Although you can paint larger paintings using gouache, it is often associated with smaller works from an A3 - A5 painting. Smaller work on A3 to A5 is ideal when you have limited time and space, making gouache the perfect medium. 

The artwork you see here is a small artwork on paper using gouache. This was done with an initial light translucent wash and then layered with a more creamy gouache texture to give depth to the piece. 

Have you heard of gouache or do you use it?  Leave your comments below, I would love to see your comments. 

​Featured Artwork:  The outback shed

At the time of writing, this morning was the monthly paint out on a cold, windy and drizzly morning.  It would have been oh, so easy to snuggle up in bed and not venture out into the Melbourne Autumn weather. Yet, eight of us rugged up, packed up art supplies and made our way to the park and gathered under the rotunda.  We all came with varying degrees of art kits, chairs, cushions and layers. For some it was the first time to paint en plein air, for others, it was a familiar way to spend a Saturday. 
We were all there for the enjoyment of spending some time to indulge in our love of creating, being outdoors and most importantly connecting with like-minded creatives.  The monthly paint out sessions is not about who makes the prettiest work, the best kit or has the best skills, it is about the enjoyment of connection, and the people, it is about painting and creating too.  I believe the biggest benefit of the monthly paint out is putting ourselves in the priority seat. 
It's great to take two hours once a month on a weekend to say hey everyone “I’m not available on this morning, this is my morning of meeting up and doing what I enjoy.”   The pleasure that is derived from being in the fresh air, chatting with familiar friendly faces and losing yourself on the page of the sketchbook is so fulfilling.  Sharing ideas, tips, and stories and finding out more about each other is building a new group of people to enjoy.
As we pack up and finish our hot drinks, the chatter reaches a crescendo of last-minute info and well wishes until the next time we meet. We all head off back to our various tasks for the day, helping each other to take our bits and bobs to the car, and then off we go.  And that is what meeting monthly and painting outdoors is all about, painting, people and priorities.
 
Do you want to join us?  It’s free and everyone is welcome.  Visit here to register for the next one.

"The stories of our mind, become the stories of our lives."  I'll never forget this saying; from the CEO of a company, I was involved with a few years back.  What we feed ourselves comes out in our skin, hair, nails and our figure. Yes, let me tell you, I have a sweet tooth and know if I give in to the chocolate cravings, the scales find out very quickly.


So too is what we feed our brain.  You know, the little nasty conversations we have with ourselves. Those snippets of useless information such as, I'm not good enough, no one will like this, I have no talent, I'm a fraud, I'm useless at this. Toxic conversations we have with ourselves.  We would never talk to our best friend, family member or neighbour this way, yet we allow ourselves to participate in this one-way hurtful conversation. 


What if we turned the conversation on ourselves and spoke as though we were speaking to our nearest and dearest, replacing admonishment with praise?  Hurt for joy, negative for positive, sadness for happiness?  Imagine how we would feel about what we do in life.


It doesn't matter if we're talking about creating art, gardening, writing or any matter of hobbies or tasks.  Being kind to others starts with being kind to ourselves.  
Next time you are about to have a nasty conversation with yourself, take a breath and replace the negative chitty-chatter with a healthy dose of positivity and praise.  You know you can change your story, it might just change your life.  

Do you have positive conversations with yourself?  How do you stop negative self talk? Let us know in the comments below.

I remember as a small child the gift of a point and shoot camera, the type that had a flash cube click on top. ​Pocket money was saved up for the purchase of film and then developing. Being able to capture moments in time was thrilling to me. 

My love of photography continued into adult life when I completed a  photography course which also had a component for dark room developing.  
Nowadays, we are so lucky to have a camera with us wherever we venture.  Our phone can capture those moments in time. We can capture any exciting or beautiful inspiration right then and there.  

I take many photos when we are out and about.  It may be the perfect rose bloom, an unusual colour combination, a bike leaning against an old fence, a cloudy sky, some shadows playing amongst trees or the reflection in a pond.  If you look with art in mind, it is amazing you will find something for inspiration, everywhere.

At the art classes I run, I am often asked, where do I find ideas for my artwork.  The answer is everywhere.  I take photos when I am out and about, I save photos from the web, I cut out photos from magazines that have a colour, texture or design that speaks to me. Found objects such as shells, twigs and leaves are a particular favourite. All of these combined offer me inspiration for creating a new piece of artwork. One piece or many pieces together may spark an idea for an artwork, sometimes it could be a single word that carries me away.

​Where do you find inspiration?  Leave a comment below.
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I am an all or nothing type of person.  When I start a new hobby or project I seem to swamp myself with he must haves and a few might grabs. I can't help myself.  
​There are a few essential items to have in your kit if you are planning to start creating. 

Instead of starting on canvases there is the option to start in sketchbooks/journals or pads. Not only is it cost effective, as someone that is starting our you are more likely to experiment and have fun than worry about wasting a canvas.
  
A few quality pencils starting with a HB and then a range from 2H to 6B is a terrific starting point and often can be purchased in packs. A kneadable eraser and a rubber eraser are also ideal to have on hand.  

For those wanting to explore painting a basic brush set is indispensable. Include a variety of sizes and types such as  filbert, round, flat to give you different brush strokes. A couple of palette knives are also a worth while investment.  You can buy packs of brushes with a few palette knives to give you a reasonable variety of tools. 

Choose your medium, do you want to use watercolour, acrylics or gouache?  Start with a basic colour palette of your chosen paint, this will inspire your to mix your colours and experiment.  You can always upgrade the quality and colour range as you become more comfortable. 

You don't have to spend big on palettes and cups.  I use recycled food jars for my water cups and a plastic palette.  I also use a perfect for me size cardboard and tape greaseproof paper to it.  This is perfect for acrylic paints and for watercolour I have an old plate.  One tip I do have is try and work on a whit palette so you don't change the look of the colour you are mixing by the distraction of another colour or a pattern. The photo above is of my mixing palette using the greaseproof paper. 

Finally, learning resources are something to tap into.  I run over 80 classes a year if you live near my studio or use the internet and check out some of the great resources on Youtube.

There you have it, you can get creating on a small budget and enjoy the process.  I have put together, my favourite tools as a starting point, if you are not sure where to start.

Do you have your favourite tools you would like to share?  Leave a comment below.   

I love painting, I love sketching and I love spending time in my art shed.  As soon as hubby heads off for golf with his buddy's, I have whipped open the door of the studio before he has even reached the end of the driveway.  There is something about having no one around, no distractions, no noise, nothing for me to even think about. 

I open my sketchbook and lose myself in the pages.  sometimes I decide to use watercolour, other times acrylics or there are times I delve into the art supplies and enjoy the freedom of mixed media. There is no rhyme or reason to what medium I choose.  Sometimes, I flit between sketchbooks,  Just the other day, I went from sketchbook watercolour (the photo is the end result of my sketch book watercolour) to a canvas using bold vibrant colours with impasto medium.  As one part dried I worked on the other.
  
Can you believe three hours had passed by without me even knowing it. There is something said about immersing yourself in art.  For me I go to a place where worries, sadness, hurt, frustration and negative thoughts don't live.  This is a place that is void of negativity and a place where time stands still. This is a place that time forgot and peace exudes. 
Does art give you a happy place?  Does art give you a sense of peace that can reinvigorate you and send you back into the world refreshed and positive?

​Leave your comments below and let me know what art does for you and if you can relate,  

I once knew a lady who spent so much time talking about how little time she had that she never actually got anything done.  We all have the same mount of time in our day 1440 minutes to be precise.   It is how we choose to use those minutes which makes a difference. 

Personally, I am a paper diary gal, I write everything in it and schedule time for particular tasks. Yes, I schedule medical appointments, classes I run, business tasks, cleaning the house and also studio or painting time. I also have non-negotiable times which often my painting or studio time falls into that category.  Non-negotiable means it must be something super important for me to schedule over that time.

If your hobby of art is important to you, you will schedule in time to spend pursuing it.  It may be as little as  30 or 40  minutes a day. The first step is giving ourselves permission to take the time to enjoy our hobby,  I don't know about you, as I was growing up the fun stuff could only be done when the work was finished.  Our brains have been programmed to allow ourselves pleasurable pursuits after the work, chores and responsibilities have been completed. Guess what?  They never end, they never are completed so we don't end up enjoying our hobby, art, painting, knitting or any other hobby.

Think about the last time you "indulged" in your hobby or a pleasurable pursuit. How did it make you feel? Did you feel calmer, less stressed and revitalised?  If like me, the answer is yes, this is the time to grab that diary, planner, phone and schedule in the time to enjoy your hobby.  You are no good to anyone else or yourself if you are frazzled, stressed or feeling down.  

Making our art or hobby a priority is helping ourselves to a better, less stressed and more rounded life.

Leave a comment below on how you prioritise your time to pursue your hobby or what you plan to do now.  I would love to see your ideas. 
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At first, I just didn't get why you would have an art journal or sketchbook.  I thought what a waste of time, why not create directly onto your paper or canvas etc.  Then........ I did a sketchbook course and that completely changed my thinking.  
I now have a few sketchbooks on the go, some I made during my Creative Circle program earlier this year.  I also ahve a couple of sketchbooks in different orientations and spiral bound and hard bound. These books have been invaluable to me and my artwork. 
I use them for experimentation of colours, mark making, new supplies and ideas.  If I happen to do a course, I use a sketchbook to document my learnings.  If an idea comes to me, I put it into my sketch book. One of my favourite things to do in creating art is to colour mix so I use it to swatch colours and experiment with different palettes. 
Recently, I was working on a piece and knew it needed something, there was a little something that was missing.  I flicked through a couple of sketchbooks and voila, there was my answer with one of my mark making experiments.  It is just what was needed to bring the piece to life.   
Of course, when you are out and about a small sketchbook, a couple of pencils and even a small watercolour set is a great way to capture a moment in time.