Painting workshop - Quioxte dog painting

group photo

I spent another day last week (in January 2011) doing a painting workshop with Cathy Leonard.  This time I thought I would really put myself to the challenge by painting a 80cm width by 100cm height canvas of by brother's dog Quioxte.

I had that canvas sitting behind the dining table for about a year.  It was quite scary for me to really finish off the painting I had started on it, so it was perfect for the workshop.  Also, at the time of booking the workshop with Cathy she had suggested to Tania and I that we do dogs, so I decided to embrace that idea, and make the most of my day exploring Cathy's style.  So that style was Pop Impressionist Art...



Quioxte

 

There were three other girls, Tania, Bec and Sarah all getting into it.  Tania painted some Thai dancers on a big canvas the same size as mine, Bec a portrait of her middle nephew Hudson, and Sarah her daughter.  They all did a fabulous job of their work and I am sure they would be proud to display their work anywhere. 

I enjoyed getting into the painting, although near the end I got a bit stuck so Cathy helped me with some finer details like that bloody nose.  It drove me a bit nutty, but everything else went fine.  I used my a4 photocopy of Quioxte (photo taken at Majimba about 8 years ago) to grid and draw (in charcoal) onto the canvas, then started smashing on the lights and dark shades in bright and darker colours.  It was fun.  I think I captured what I was looking to do on the day and also the painting will go to my brothers house in a few months.  Also, I love my brother's dog, she is a beautiful staffy and is getting very old.  16 years infact.  This painting is of when she was younger.

A very successful day and a big thanks to Cathy!  A link through to the workshop photos and Cat Leonard's Facebook page.

me painting

Bec's painting

Sarah's painting

Tania's painting

Christmas Eve and Day



Happy Owen

I had a lovely time with family and friends for Christmas this year.  As usual the lead up was crazy especially making sure that everything was going to be just right like presents for the children, and ingredients for the Christmas cake.

Mum and Dad decorated the Christmas tree that Diana had loaned us. Unfortunately, I did not get around to getting a real live tree this year and that I always love but we still had one not so live a little plasticy looking but it was still lovely adorned in glitzy, glowing and brightly coloured decorations. 

Charlie's new bike

Charlie was so excited about the whole Christmas thing and so much more aware.  It was great on the day to see the boys open their gifts, and then we played with the things they got.  Its nice to do family stuff like this.  I took a whole heap of photos as usual.   Charlie got a bike and also the buzz light year which he had already opened BLY a week before when snooping around in our bedroom wardrobe.  Owen got a box of blocks and a big green ball but he loved the wrapping more. Both the children were pretty happy with that, and it really did not cost us heaps and heaps of money because we do not have it. 

Santa giving gifts to the kids

Jamie and I and the kids spent the Christmas Eve with our German friends Stef, Pierre and Lara for their big event.  The Germans do it the night before Christmas.  We have been celebrating with them for a few years now.  It always lovely. There was a special visit from Santa who was a really nice bloke and gave the kids some presents.  It was great for Stef to have a party because she cannot celebrate with her own family who are still living in Germany and Pierre's family do not do anything because they are the Jovah Witness religion.

Later I saw some of the presents that people gave their children, it was absolutely ridiculous, so many presents that would have completely filled one of our tiny bedrooms.  I really believe they do not play with half of them anyway, but just throw them on the floor.  Maybe that's an age thing with my own children but honestly children these days have so much. 

Sorry, but it did kind of disgust me the whole spending money thing. There was so much pressure from shops to buy buy buy.

I made most of the girls in our family table runners this year.  Deb got a old fashioned looking one with yellows, blues, greens and lots of flowers, Mum got a Japanese one with fans in black, reds and purple, and Kate (Jamie's cousin) a pretty one with green and purple flowers.  I really love that one.  I loved making home made gifts.  Mum made the boys some hand sewn Christmas tree decorations, Owens with a Rudolf the Reindeer and Charlie with a Christmas stocking.  They were lovely.  Debbie made me a nappy and wipes bag in beautifully decorated materials, spots and squares in lots of lovely colours.  Also, Dad built Charlie and Owen a big cubby house in the backyard.  It is totally amazing, and it took him more than a week to built it.  Thanks Dad. I made a wall hanging for Kapri and for Kayne some massive textas and pencils pack to keep him going for the year and a colour in book.

BTW home made gifts are the best!

The whole family

We had lunch at Deb and Dale's house at Aldinga.  Deb was quite pleased to have the whole family there including her own Kobylas family who had not been together like this in years.  It was great!  The food was divine with lavish servings of meat, roast vegetables, salads, wines, and to finish it off Christmas cake with brandy custard.  I gorged myself silly.  We all sat around talking and eating most of the afternoon.

Later in the day Jamie and I and the kids drove to North Adelaide to be with his family.   Christmas dinner was being held in Auntie Jenny and Uncle Simon's flashy apartment near the city.  It is the first time I have seen their house, and it is awesome.  Their son Chris and daughter in law Gian could not be there this year because they had just given birth to their little girl Lucy Rose Drew on the 22nd December.  Giana was still in hospital with the baby.  Actually, Chris popped for a little while for dinner and opening presents with everyone then went back to the hospital.  He looked really happy and tired. I gave him a whole heaps of baby stuff to take home.  The food was a traditional spread with turkey, and some different types of roast meat and vegetables, and of course the famous homemade Christmas pudding.  Christmas pudding is the best and we were all merry!  We had a lovely time sitting around with Jamie's parents Chris and Diana, brother Michael, grandma Lenore, uncle, auntie and cousins Kate and her fiance.  It was lovely. 

I am so thankful for what I have in this life!