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!

This years christmas present challenges

Charlie and Owen Penhall Dec 2010

It took me by surprise when Charlie placed a very specific order for Buzz Light Year (BLY), not one but two.  It is incredible that at the age of three he is understanding concepts and communicating in full sentences.  He knows that BLY is cool too!

I walked all over Marion Shopping Centre, dodging crowds of people to find BLY but BLY was very popular and had sold out at Big W, Target and Kmart.  By that stage I was getting tired of shopping but was determined to get what my little boy wanted.  I dragged myself to the most expensive store David Jones and to my delight found BLY with a 30% discount.  Awesome!

Later while the children were sleeping, I carefully wrapped all of the presents and placed them perfectly underneath the brightly decorated Christmas tree. I felt exhausted but excited.

The other Christmas present challenge was to stop the children opening them before the big day.  Many of my friends suggested ways of keeping those presents safe.  I visualised a baby gate totally surrounding the tree with tinsel on top.  Another friend was using a bean bag to deter her one year old son.  My mother thought I was absolutely mad.

The temptation was too great and the children were too little to understand.  As far as Charlie was concerned all presents were Charlie's presents.  As far as Owen was concerned all wrapping was Owen's wrapping.  In the end I decided to hide the presents inside our bedroom wardrobe.  At least they would be safe there.

On Sunday morning I was deeply engrossed in a phone conversation with a cousin who's having a baby and Jamie was busy too when Charlie appeared in front of me with Buzz Light Year (BLY).  To my surprise, BLY was no longer wrapped.  Did BLY break free of his wrapping in the night?  Or maybe he had a little helper like Woody? 

I ran into the bedroom to find all of the presents unwrapped and all over the floor. I found it amusing that Charlie had gone through every present to pick out any chocolates and put them in a neat little pile on our bed.  I actually thought it was funny and was not upset because how could you be angry at a three year old child who wants to open up ALL of the Christmas presents.  Bless him the Cheeky Little Monkey. 

Jamie and I re-wrapped the presents and put them in a safer place.  Times like these will be remembered.

I'm looking forward to Christmas Day.

Creative Life Writing

I'm gaining a new confidence to say out loud "I love to write". 

There's something in me that just wants to get in down on paper.  Gorgeous little stories about my life and my forebears has been a meaningful topic of late.  I've always kept a diary/journal and now I blog. 

Recently I met this wonderful lady Lindy Warrell - Anthropologist/Writer.  She runs a Buddhist meditation group and various types of writing courses.  She lives next door to my brother at Aldinga. 

When I heard she was doing writing courses I thought it would be a good idea to do the Creative Life Writing course.  I wanted to learn new ways to get my story down on paper.

Every week we focused on a different topic.  Some weeks I struggled with the concept.  As a shy person, it was hard bringing up stories about my life that were both personal and sensitive to a group of strangers.  Sometimes I found it difficult to bring out emotion, and tell the whole truth because of embarrassment and privacy. 

The practical side of the course was very interesting and provided us with insight into our own life. At each session we were asked to write short stories. Lindy would give us a few minutes to write a short story about a topic eg. write a short story about when you said yes to something when you really wanted to say no. Then one at a time we would go around the group to share. The different stories that came out of these practical session were amazing.

If we were not happy with what we wrote we were not allowed to say sorry otherwise we would have to put invisible money in the invisible money jar.

The different stories that the other ladies told about their lives were incredible.  Their ability to provide imagery to their piece and with feelings of emotion that excited the group.  Some sessions were like counselling, although we were always reminded not to council but provide a support of silence because many stories were very personal bringing up the stories of rape, abandonment, cruelty to children, physical and emotion violence, drugs, and more.  All of these things that were very personal to the writer.  Importantly, we were always reminded to keep it confidential and not discuss out of the group. 

Personally I struggled with the week we discussed emotions because I couldn't seem write the whole truth and Lindy and the other ladies knew this straight away.

Write about what we learnt here when i find my notes..................

Throughout the course, I wrote some lovely short stories and my final essay (was rushed sorry thats $10 in the money jar) but could be expanded upon with interesting feedback from Lindy and the other ladies.  One of the ladies who I adored said that I need to come more outward, give more emotion into the stories eg what it feels like to do my karate, the passion, the feeling, the emotion, and provide more of a sense to who I am as a person.  This person who is interested in all of these things, but what it is like to actually do it.  What I am like at home when I am angry, etc too.  This is definitely something I can work onto paper.  Positive feedback no doubt.  Write more about the feedback here. 

I loved all of the other ladies stories too.  They were all gifted writers and lovely ladies too with amazing stories. 

I have put my name down to do the course again next year because I will continue to grow, different stories will arise from each session about my life and Lindy will change the course outline and examples.  Some of the ladies have been doing the course more than once. 

My life story will become more outward onto paper which will be a lovely keepsake and it will help me work through different issues in my life too.  It will also help me gain confidence in both writing and public speaking too.

Nine months of...

At 34, the most important event of my life was the birth of my boys Charlie and then at 37 Owen. What an amazing thing to give someone life.


Nine months of pain, heaviness, mood swings, morning sickness and lack of sleep in exchange for the most amazing and deep feeling of love. Nothing can be stronger than that true love between the mother or parent and their child.

The first time I met them was incredible. Their little eyes staring back at me. It was like I knew them already. I just couldn’t stop looking at them. I was so happy. Remembering that feeling makes me want to have another baby.

Nine months of pain, heaviness, mood swing, morning sickness, and lack of sleep. All worth it.

I’ve forgotten that, and I have two beautiful boys to cherish.

Engagement BBQ

I'm at Ian and Jo's engagement party.  Everyone is having a fantastic time, small groups of people mingling, smoking cigarettes and laughing.  Maybe I will help with cooking the barbie, show off my multi tasking skills, in fact I can cook a BBQ better than any of those men over there, who are sculling down bears by the dozen.

I clicked on the ignition button to light the barbie, in fact two BBQs.  I piled on beautiful fat sausages, marinated shaslicks with chicken, mushrooms and capsicum about thirty of those and some beef ones too, big t-bone steaks, and burgers by the dozen. There was so much meat piled up on each plate, easy.

Turning everything, geez I'm so clever.  This is going to be absolutely delicious and I'm helping my friends at this very important engagement party. 

OMG the BBQ has exploded into flames, everything is on fire, its to hot, black BBQ meat, shaslicks, sausages, steaks all on fire.  OMG how embarrassing.  I could see all those faces staring at me. 

Parting ways with my son at child care

Tears welled up in my eyes.  I couldn't believe that I would feel this intense feeling of guilt and abandonment when leaving my little boy at childcare. 

Friends had talked about their own experience leaving their child in care with strangers for the day so they could go to work but I never really understood how they felt.  It just didn't connect with me until I was put in the same position.

So Charlie's first day was harder for me then him but at the same time I felt so sad and he knew something was going on.  He grabbed my leg and kept hiding behind me from the ladies and children.  Such a little sensitive soul my little boy. 

We encouraged him to sit with the other children around a small table to have breakfast and then when he wasn't looking I sneaked out through a door into another room and left him.   I couldn't bear to see him upset that I had gone. 

In the car I cried.  I felts so bad. 

It's been more than a year since I first parted with him and he still cries and I cry a bit inside too.  They tell me he is okay about five minutes after I leave playing with the other children.  He is fine.  I'm not completely fine but he's in good hands. 

Parting ways with my my little boy is hard sometimes.