Markit, painting in progress, The Age, and a knitted Scottie

Hello!  Very neglectful of me to forget to post these printed cotton hemp bags, above, and painted bats, below, which were made for Markit last week.  Some of the items have sold, the rest are now in my Etsy shop.

Acrylic on wood painting in progress, above.  It's based on a photo that I took in Swan Street, Richmond. Something a bit different!  I have enjoyed working on this picture, and I look forward to being able to show more of it to you.

Fame in The Age! There is still something that feels so special about being in print, despite the internet having a wider reach these days.  Thank you very much Janai Anselmi and Markit.  (The floral bat has sold.  I hope to make more soon.  The portrait can be found in my Etsy shop.)

I'm in love with my new old sweater.  Now I just need a little black scottie dog.
There is a scottie that lives in the next suburb, maybe I can 'loan' him.  He is old, very furry and waddles when he walks.  (Actually I don't know whether he is a he or a she but I am always tempted to think of scotties as a 'he' because of that beard, I suppose....)
Happy Sunday.

Boom Gallery, Geelong

There is a great article on Geelong's Boom Gallery on the Design Satellite blog.  I have never come across Design Satellite before -- it's a really interesting read and testament to all of the creativity happening outside the major cities of Australia.  With life in the big smoke getting more and more expensive in this country, I'll bet that there is going to be even more creativity in regional centres in the future.  Photo above (with my clumsy cropping) by Bo Wong.
I am very proud that my work is part of Boom.  Kate and Ren are such achievers (why? read the article!).  I really like that they have combined a couple of my mirrors with my X and Why (2012) painted wooden hands here.  Looking good!  Thank you.

Around the place this week

Illustration for The Big Picture, Gardening Australia magazine, June issue.  Michael is happy to accept that severe frosts mean that there's only one winter annual for him.

A lovely ol' blue eye.  A portrait commission in progress.

And here: a kind-of self portrait in progress, 1991.  (As in, the portrait is me in 1991, not painted in 1991....)

Around the place in the last week or so

Hello.  The days are getting shorter in Melbourne.  Above: Last Thursday afternoon: a portrait in progress.  I finally remembered that I own a little easel (it had been pretending to be a bookstand for about two years).

Above: a little face in progress.  I like that she is somewhere between sullen or sad (what do YOU think?).

Above: a commission for two incredible artists, Lucy James and her husband Kent Wilson.  To have two people I admire give me a commission and THEN pay me double my asking price is a feeling beyond description.  If there were more people like those two, the world would be a marvellous  (and art-filled!) place.  'Champy' is one very lucky little boy....

Above: photo of me looking through my studio window by another lovely and talented woman, Tatanja Ross.  Do I look like I am talking to my mushroom?