Out in Central Victoria, Goldfield region. 

A Corroboree of Kangaroos... It amuses me how they can spring straight up on take off....

I participated in a collaborative exhibition between Australian and New Zealand printmakers, the brief was to produce 4 postcards, 10 x 15 cm. After being exhibited in Hawks Bay, New Zealand, they are currently at the Firestation Print Studio in Melbourne.  This is a circuitous incident for me, as I have attended a wonderful workshop there on Paper Drypoint with Enid Ratnam - Keese. The red brick building, sporting bright red doors, once was a firestation. Upstairs are artists rooms,downstairs a communal printing area with various presses, and next door a small gallery. Below are the prints inspired by layers of brackens and ferns seen in our native forests. 

This is a wonderful exhibition of small prints including  some of New Zealand's top printmakers.  
​My print is top right, layers of leaves......It is going to show in Palmerston North in February also.

Its been awhile since I have been on my website. A personal tragic event has changed the course of my life and how I view the world.  Circumstances meant that I lived in Melbourne for awhile, where I have family, and I now regard that city as home away from home.  It is interesting to be able to compare and enjoy living in a modern big city in Australia with a small rural city in New Zealand.  Maybe one day I will post some photos of the water under the bridge, in the meantime I picking up my love of all things handmade and continuing on this different path.....

At the Melbourne Museum I found a wonderful display of Baskets for all sorts of purposes made by australian Indigenous peoples.  So innovative using the materials at hand. Also intrigued with a quilt made from Kangaroo...
The leather side had patterns tooled into it, and the pieces stitched to give a patchwork effect.  apparently as a child grows older, more squares are added.. no hand me downs required!

A closeup view of the outer "skin" of the Melbourne museum, "stitched" similarly to the skin I had seen in the Museum.  The charming exhibition building is in the distance.

A long time ago I was a cane basket maker, and have been following the latest trends in free form designs of vessels, loosely termed baskets. The Aborigine are masters at making practical as well as cultural items from whatever is at hand. I was intrigued by a display at the NGV (Australia) of works created by the Torres Strait artists who used reclaimed abandoned fishing nets supplied by Ghostnets Australia. This is an environmental initiative in northern Australia that works with indigenous rangers and communities. 

Palmerston North has a hidden gem, that of Rose Garden, open free to the public, in the centre of beautiful gardens bordering the walkway along the Manawatu River. The gardens are locally called The Esplanade, as you can drive through part of them, they were opened to commemorate Queen Victoria's 60th Jubilee, and their official name is Victoria Gardens.
Anyway, in the Rose Garden are beds( of the soil kind) where breeeders can send their roses to be grown and judged weeekly on various criteria. 
I may add more photos to this blog as some of the roses are glorious, and i always have a new favourite. 

When I look around my garden, I realise that although I haven't been in the studio very much of late, I have been designing compositions using flora as my medium, and my property as my canvas! 

Another beautiful day in the Manawatu for the start of another year... that of the Horse I am told.
We went on a family picnic, reaquainting our children with a place we ussed to take them as youngsters... The Ashhurst Domain. It has mature trees, a huge park area, great childrens play equipment and a 5 minute bush walk to the Manawatu river. Recently an area has been developed as a Wetland Reserve, and there is a great lookout over it, with the Ruahine Ranges in the background, the Wind Farm windmills were very apparent today. 

I can prepare this loaf in less than 10 mins, I prepare the dry ingredients and the pan whilst the yeast is working, I make it a bit more spicy and add mixed peel for Christmas. I slice it thickly, and I have it toasted every morning. Yum!