Road Trip!

The time is almost here: next week I'm loading my ute (truck) onto the TT Line ferry and heading over to Melbourne. I'll be driving east to set up my exhibition in Meeniyan in South Gippsland. After the opening, I'll be setting off to Canberra via Bonang and Delegate, where I'll be spending a few days with a friend who has a cattle property in the high country. In Canberra I'm teaching at the Canberra Contemporary Craft Retreat for a few days, before setting off back down south to catch the ferry back home. It's been so long since I've had a ROAD TRIP, I'm excited and really looking forward to it! And the back of my ute is large with a rigid canopy, so I'll be able to take everything I need for a comfortable trip.

Meanwhile, I'm still working away in the studio, kind of waiting for the weather to warm up and dry out, so that I can really get stuck into painting and tidying up around here, because I'm planning to sell my house and five acres in a month's time. In some ways it's a reluctant decision, because Bob and I built this place literally with our own hands, but I'm finding there is too much to do to keep everything in order with such a big property when my priorities are tending to be elsewhere...........of course, when I relocate, I'll need another studio of some kind. I've been spoilt by this one - I know I'll never have another like it, but c'est la vie! Time to move on.

Preparations

I'm in the middle of making arrangements to head overseas next month to teach at a number of locations starting in Albuquerque, NM. There is always plenty to do in preparation for a teaching tour like this. I have been making a number of moulds from my original head sculpts and making sure all my notes are in order. And booking tickets. And contacting friends. etc, etc.

Here is a mould I am making for a couple of "Historically Inspired " doll classes I am running. This will be cast in silicone in two parts to make press moulds for complete heads (for those students who are a bit timid about sculpting their own!) This head is loosely based on an Izannah Walker style of doll from about 1850.

Home Again!

Wonderful as it is to travel, there is nothing finer than arriving home after a long trip!

I had a great two months travelling and teaching: met some wonderful new friends, and renewed some friendships of long standing. Thanks to all the great people who took me into their homes, made me welcome and nurtured my body and my soul. Thanks to Stu, Guy and Sandy, David and Rosie, Apple, Gloria, Annie and Michael, Rose and Mike and of course Ted and Georgia in San Diego.

I'm still processing my experiences (and recovering from jet-lag) but here are a few pics - more later.

Update

I just got (gently) roasted by my sister for not updating enough.......so what has happened since my last post?
Well, my 'Discworld' entry won the first place award - I got STUFF! There were some wonderful entries in the challenge, so I feel fairly chuffed that 'Ella Saturday' won.......since I made her, she appears to have a life of her own!
Meeting and staying with Linda Apple in Columbus was a blast, as was meeting Cody, Judy and others I only knew as online presences.
Had a fabulous time at Annie Hesse's teaching a three-day class - what wonderful students - what a great host Annie is! That was in green, green, green Kentucky.
I'm now in Maryland at Rose Gibbon's house in the beautiful Maryland countryside having a few days R&R before a class here at the weekend, and then another one next weekend.

I leave at the end of the month, and due to airline stuff-ups, I can't get home until June 3, so I'll have a couple of nights in Brisbane. Oh well, at least I'll be able to sleep off the jet-lag, if nothing else.

I've got lots of pictures to post when I get home.

All in all, it's been a fabulous trip, but I'm looking forward to getting home now.