Farewell (for a short time)

I'm heading off early in the morning to go and teach in Adelaide and then have a week or so R&R (wineries, art galleries, reading, walks, lunches.........it's going to be HARD!)
But I couldn't leave without saying "goodbye"..........and what use is a blog post without a picture or two? Remember the poly tunnel that Bob built in the late winter? Well, it's been producing really well for us. We've already harvested salad greens, bok choy, radishes, carrots and rocket and now the slower growing crops are starting to look very promising - tomatoes, capsicums, chillis, basil - all things that need a little extra warmth here in Tasmania. Here are some pictures:

We've become quite serious about eating what we produce and not really too much else. For instance, tonight our dinner was roast shoulder of veal which had been given to us (delicious!) with roast potatoes from last years' crop, new beetroot, roasted; new carrots and peas and spinach with garlic ginger and sesame oil. Apart from the condiments and the gift of meat, we produced it all!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway - there's still plenty of time, because I won't be drawing it until December 12th after I get back from Adelaide. Just go to the post before this one and leave a message there - it will be a random draw from all the responses I receive.

Hasta la vista , amigos!

Celebrate With Me!

Yes......it's giveaway time! To celebrate the major blogging milestone of passing 500 followers on my humble blog, I'm having another giveaway. All you have to do is leave a comment at the end of this post and I will draw a random winner on December 12th. I don't know what the prize will be yet, but I will make something nice for the winner. And dear followers: Thank you! Thank you!

Meanwhile............I have been working on a new piece. NB THIS PIECE IS NOT THE GIVEAWAY PRIZE - I'LL BE MAKING SOMETHING ESPECIALLY FOR THAT. Apart from some finishing touches with paint, I think it is done. Here are some progress shots:

Working it out.

Full shot.

Closer.

Angled shot.

And a closeup of the head.

I took the colours to paint this piece from the beautifully rusted metal pieces that I have used on the torso. Working title: "Rust Never Sleeps".

 

Time Warp @ Artisan and a Little Christmas Cheer

Last Sunday saw the opening of a new exhibition at Artisan Gallery at Robigana celebrating the 20th anniversary of the opening of the gallery and ceramic studio in a converted apple shed. It's hard to believe the gallery has been open that long, but all credit to Rudolf and Lisa for making it such a success! As one of the early exhibitors at the gallery, I was invited to put some pieces into the exhibition. I managed three. The show is up until mid-December, so if you are local, you might like to pop in and have a look - there is some fine work there - you won't be disappointed!

And entering into the spirit of the season, here is a very Christmassy "Sukeshi" doll that I have just made.

*Pssst! I know I said I was announcing a new giveaway this week - can you wait a few more days?

New Work

I really like the look of hessian (burlap) and I've been trying to think of ways to incorporate it into some of my pieces. But it is very stiff, unyeilding and hard to work with on a small scale.......and it is so HAIRY. So I've been experimenting a bit. Here's a little head I made in the last couple of days where I've managed to make a kind of cap using hessian. I really like how it looks and I can't wait to get this painted so I can enhance the texture with some dry-brushing.

This piece is going to be more sculptural than doll-like and I plan to incorporate some of the hessian texture on the body. Not exactly certain how yet, but working it out is half the fun!

The finished piece will be along these lines:

Don't forget to watch this space - I'll be announcing a celebratory (500 followers) giveaway sometime next week!

New Work

Here's a piece of sculpture I'm working on:

...........and some finished "Sukeshi" orders.

*pssst*! I have just noted that my number of followers has reached 500 - I can't let that go by without a small celebration..............I'll be announcing a new giveaway next week. Watch this space..............!

Two Girls

One of these might look very familiar - she is the almost-twin of "Spring Girl" I made a couple of months ago. Someone saw that doll and wanted a similar one.........this is as similar as I could get it. She and her brown-haired friend are off to the same place when I get the finishing touches done. I never tire of making dolls like these that represent sweet young things..................but I'm getting an itch to sculpt!