2015!

Happy 2015. This is going to be a very productive year. My first deadline is in ten days when I deliver the finished illustrations to Two Fearsome Fairy Tale From France, retold by Adele Geras and published by Christmas Press. I think it is coming out in May.

I am working hard on a novel for YA audience which will be out of my usual fantasy, however, possibly classified as sci fi. I have to finish it and see if a publisher wants it, but at least I will be writing.

My toy shop, Granny Fi's Toy Cupboard is moving from Uralla, NSW, Australia, to Armidale (all of twenty kms away). The grand opening is the 23rd January.

And I would really, really like to do some painting. The picture above is from the early 90s. I dug it out of a folder last year I think and actually quite like it.

And thank you everyone who makes these lovely comments about my work. I'm sorry I don't et round to publishing it sooner. 

Unemployed Again! Can't wait.

A long time has passed since I posted on my poor little blog. If I want fame and fortune I shall have to work harder at it.

The good news is that my contract at uni is coming to an end and it doesn't look as though there will be anything more from then. This is a good thing because it has made me very, very, lazy. I am returning to self employment.

I shall be rebuilding my music studio: flute, recorder, clarinet and saxophone. this means I will actually get to play music myself.

I will be bringing out more knitted toys designs, including the long awaited dragons and other mythical beasts.

I will be writing more books-non-fiction and some fiction, at last.
And I will be doing lots of drawing and painting and illustrating.

And then I will be happy again.

Oh, and I will make a big effort to keep my blog updated.

 

Sunday is a large pastel. I began several years ago but only finished it early last year. I love groups of women not interacting with each other. There is tension but not open antagonism. I wonder what this says about my relationship with the females in my family? No, I can't say it's autobiographical.

The dolls' argument is acrylic on canvas. It isn't finished but I'm loath to get rid of the sketchiness of it. I must have painted this in 2007 I think.

These two charcoal drawings were done way back in 1990. I did them after a trip to the NT. We stopped at the Hermansburg mission and I did sketches of some of the buildings there. I've used the architecture in these two drawings.

I haven't looked at these images for ages but find them not too bad at all. I should build on this dark theme of solitary figures in ruined buildings.

I've been looking at so many exciting art works recently. I feel inspired. I'm going to put in for the Sculpture by the sea show and I've an idea for the Blake. I'm determined to re awaken my art career and ditch the teaching.

I'm going to post more pics, some might be duplicates but as I'm the only person who looks at this blog, too bad!

What am I doing?

I really haven't got the hang of blogging. I've linked this blog to facebook, I think. I'm hoping to use this blog to showcase my artwork and toys.
I dream of giving up my day job (casual teaching) and making enough money each week from toy sales to pay the mortgage and have some left over - like for going to Florence for the Biennale (or just sending some work over for it).
The recession should be a good time to start a business selling locally made, affordable toys and patterns and kits for making your own. Marketing is my downfall and the urge to give away my products to people because they like them. Any managers out there? I'm sending a call for help into cyberspace. Mayday, Mayday, Mayday...

Melusine

I've also bee painting again. It's great to have holidays in which to play without the worry of using them to make money. This is Melusine.