You too are a masterpiece!

This is absolutely beautiful!  We are all so different yet a common thread runs through us all...

To women around the world!!!

Every one, a masterpiece!

x donna

Veiled Flight

here's the latest from my studio...  It is a pice inspired (again) by the gorgeous seed pods of the Kapoc tree...  I'm getting so much out of exploring layering  and various techniques and textures...  Although this would look great in my kitchen/dining room, i will put it up for sale...  If it's one thing i've come to realise, it's that in letting go, we make room for more.  For more ideas, for new ideas, for growth and forward movement.  Although i do have favourites, i also love to see them go to someone who has fallen in love with it.  When the painting chooses a person, you cant stand in the way!  And i enjoy knowing that my heart remains wide open for more, more , more!

x donna

Let's Be a Voice For The Children...

Hands up if you like chocolate...  Yeah, I've got mine up too.  But until recently, i had absolutely no idea what was going on in the broader picture, every time I bought and chomped into a lucious piece of milky chocolate (room temperature if you please).  I had no clue that thousands and thousands of children in third world countries were being used as labour in the production process - do you?  Does it make a difference to you to know that?  It does now to me...  Have a look at this short video - and let's get behind the little people who don't have a voice, who don't have anyone to speak out for them, who have no 'top cover'.  If you don't purchase chocolate that isn't fair trade marked, then the product will sit on the shelves, and the shops wont re-stock it...  If the fair trade products continually walk out the door, then they'll stock more and more - it's a simple case of supply and demand. 

And there could be no better reason, and no better season than now to have a heart change...

Happy Easter everyone, I'm off to Woolies to find some right now - wanna come with me?

x donna

toward the sun

swirling,  twirling,

fat brush thin brush,

 fingers creeping

ink weeping

seed pods grow

leaves flow

across a sea

of blue and green

things unseen

secrets revealed

layers peeled

and leave you asking

is it love?

or expectation

a seed takes root

toward the sun

despite the odds

it presses forth

and leaves you with a sense

of hope...

Fond memories...

here 'tis!  my first painting on paper, and i had such fun watching this piece evolve.  It was inspired by the seed pods from the african mahogony tree which grows really well especially in the kimberly region...  Its shady canopy provides relief on hot days in places where the natural flora is low.  I planted one of these trees in my back yard in halls creek many years ago - it was a bare gravel yard with a few stringy eucalypts along the back fence.  over the years, whenever i drove past that house on my way from Broome to Kununurra I'd see it as it grew over the height of the fence and past the roof top to give a wonderful shade to the house and yard...  I can't wait to see this one framed, i just love it!

what are you up to in your creative space tonight?

x donna

Mahogony Inspiration...

here's a sneak peek at something i'm working on at the moment.  I'm so enjoying this piece that i hardly want it to end!  I'm loving the layers, the bits peeping through, the suggestions of something else - not quite visible but there in the background.  i loved the drippy ink stage at the beginning and how it inspired me to delve further.  i just really love it!  I think i'll definitely have to explore this further. Now to name it.  I've never had to name something abstract - this will be fun!  i hope you enjoyed your peek!

have a great weekend,

x donna

A Reminder to Myself...

i have to be brave with my life so that others can be brave with theirs...

i'm re-posting this today because more than ever before, i need to hear these words again.  I need to marinate in them and go back to them. Sit with them for a while.   It's been a tough couple of weeks parenting-wise, but this is where my heart really is - here, in the day to day.  growing these small people into the adults they are meant to be, because i know they will bless the world. 

x me

Nearly There...

just deciding if it needs a little extra detail, or to be left well enough alone...  any suggestions?  I'd love to know what you think!

x donna

ps I'm revelling in the feeling of complete joy that rain brings .  We haven't had rain in at least 5 or 6 months... 

My First Landscape

i have a canvas that is over two meters in length and only 43 cm wide!  When i saw it at Jacksons, i just decided that i needed the challenge!  You may have seen the videos i posted a few days ago now where i actually started by dripping paint all over it?  well this is what i came up with today - well, snapshots of it anyway!  I had one of those sessions where i just got lost in the creative vortex.  i got sucked in to that place where time stands still and my muse directed my brush and it all came together with a freedom i rarely engage in...  it's not quite finished yet.  not quite, but almost.  I hope to have it completed by tomorrow night.  Actually I had plans to complete it tonight, but one of the peeps woke up crying with a sore ear, so i was needed for some serious cuddle-therapy...  anyway, let's hope i manage a miracle tomorrow! 

and here's a bit of video to show a section of the process.  I only have one mp3 song - sorry!  so you get to hear it a few times!  I must download a few more for next time. 

 (musical credit goes to Lisa Hannigan, An Ocean and a Rock)

have a  great weekend wherever you are

x donna

Photoshop Action and my Booty!!!

just playing with some photoshop actions... i'm sure the purists amongst you will be tsk-tsking a disappointed glance in my direction with the mention of it.  But when one has the desire for such things, but not the time, i'm telling you, I for one am a convert.  At the click of a button, an average photo can become sharper, lighter, pop with colour, black and white, vintage or sport a nostalgic honey glaze...  These ones here are almost black and white, but with a hint of cinamon - just a suggestion of colour and i love it.  The original was way too pink for me.  Something also happens to my photos when i rotate them from lanscape to portrait - the pinks suddenly become almost fluorescent, so it was nice to bring them down a notch or two!

and more happy news today...  look what arrived by courier for me today!  The bookmarks - yay!!!  I'm very impressed with their quality and everyone's turned out fabulously.  That's my birdie on the left pile and some of the others' on the right.  And i also received four absolutely beautiful hard-cover coffee table books which i can't wait to devour.  Even from a quick flick I can tell I am going to find some inspiration within their pages.

This one is all about Indian textiles - yummmmm

and look at this space!  I now have a new dream corner for my dream home - a place to catch the rays and read - pick a spot, anyspot...

well, i hope you're gearing up for a relaxing weekend with the ones you love.  Don't forget to make a mark on the world!

x me

Would you like to see how i do what i do???

here's my first painting video!  it's not fancy - butlike most things in my life - i have to strike whilst the iron is hot!  well i dont know abou tany irons, but it sure was hot today!!!  Being an artist or creative and a mum of little people means you sometimes have to take the opportunities as they present themselves!  So you'll see interactions with my children as well - there's no perfect unhindered silence in this studio.  These videos will be first take only - no rehearsals and any manner of interruptions alog the way!  so i hope you like them.

Miss Moo was a bit upset and having a slight 'hissy fit' in her room - so i had to break this up into two videos and go and check that the screams weren't pain related :) (see what i mean about only doing one take lol)

ed: She was fine - it was just a misunderstanding :)

I would love some feedback if you can. Thanks for watching :)

x me

drippy drippy love paper

so here's my next project!  I've bought some really lovely yummy, heavy watercolour type paper to do my next piece on.  I really love the look of a piece of art behind glass, so hopefully I'll end up framing this one.  I also bought a tripod the other day with the flipcam - so i'll endeavour to get that set up today and start filming a new canvas  - the loooong skinnnny one.  I haven't measured it yet - but it has to be at least 8 feet tall!!! I've been deliberating over whether to create a landscape or portrait oriented piece - and decided to go with landscape.  I have an idea, and i'll see how it goes!  So i'll be working on two at once, finally!

Hope you're having a great day wherever you are, doing whatever life has lead you to

x donna

My First VLOG!!! (albeit a tad late...)

ok - so i'm about 9 hours late - I suppose if you're in the northern hemisphere this will be fine :)  but the whole excersise was a learning curve for me - just wanted to know i could get through the whole process from recording to uploading!  IDid i mention how much i love this little camera???

x me

Do you feel like a chuckle?

In another life, I was a primary school teacher, so this really appeals to my sense of humour :)

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.

'Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.'

A small voice at the back of the room rang out, 'And there's the teacher, she's dead.'

i'm trying to upload a vlog from my flipcam, but not having much luck... press on!

x me

Painting BIG!!!

wow!  I've finally completed my first really big (well for me anyway) canvas!  It measures about 1 m x 80cm.  It is a hwole new feeling and experience to go big - to get the whole arm moving as marks are made.  And now i think i'm definitely hooked!  I think the key would be to have a few on the go at the same time as i wasted time during the drying process for some of the layers where i could have switched over to another.  Lessons learnt...

I'm thinking of purchasing some type of flip camera - to tape my painting perhaps and load up here to the site.  If you have any experience with this i'd love to hear from you, esp regarding brand names/capacity and things to watch out for.  I'm researching the net of course, but experience is golden :)

I've so much to say - have been reading some great books recently about starting out in business, and running a business on the net.  But I'll have to wait until i'm not running out the door to do my errands.  Just wanted to share my latest with you.  so what do you think?  Honestly!!!

x don

LA to Ground Zero in 26 days. Remembering the fallen...

18 Firefighters. 26 days. 7392km. LA to Ground Zero New York

23 Feb 10 19:44 PM

Posted by Bradley Hosking for the CHILDREN'S BURN UNIT - PMH

Well I guess it's just not fair asking for your money without somehow doing something to earn it. So with this in mind and keeping with the whole 'Firefighter' theme, I've set myself a challenge to run the entire Busselton half Ironman run leg in 2/3rd's turn out kit and full BA (breathing aparatus) The set I will be using is the MSA BD-96 compressed air (not oxygen) BA set. It weighs approx 16kg and supplies air on a demand basis. The set will be on display and available to try on at the 'Tour Of Duty' tent we will have set up at the expo. So get on down try it on and make a donation per kg of extra weight I will be lugging around that course. Go a step further and enter the sweep to determine my overall run time with the winning time taking home a 30% share in the overall takings!!! So the more people that take a punt, the bigger the winnings and the more the PMH burns foundation benefits. Everyoners a winner baby! See you at Busso.

Ed: at the time of posting this, we find ourselves being torn - our brothers and sisters in Haiti especially have called on us for financial support.  But every dollar counts.  Be sure to watch out later in the year as Mel and Kochie follow this awesome event on morning sunrise - as we all band together to remember the sacrifices made on Sep 11...

http://www.everydayhero.com.au/todrun

 

http://www.tourofduty.com.au/tour2010.php

 

PLEASE - could you forward this on to your family and friends.  Lets make a difference

X Donna

Keep a Journal :: what a gift...

this is beautiful - i just love this man!!! my dad keeps journals, and i wish i had the discipline to do the same. what a gift...

At My Studio

You may remember a couple of weeks ago Tash Tapper came and took some photos of me working in the studio?  well the main reason for that is to have some noice (that's kath and kim for 'nice') ones to perhaps use in my new site.  Well congrats to Tash for having little baby Scarlett, and for also managing to put together the photos from the day onto disc for me.  Here's a sampling of some of my faves - great job don't you think? 

And what are you up to in your studio today?  I continue to struggle with the life/balance thing - being a mum to two little ones and finding time to paint... Do you have the same problem?  I wish i was posting more about my paintings and new techniques etc, but at the moment i'm either being mum, or feeling wasted on the couch at the end of the day!!!  ahhhh - soon!  I promise (myself) soon...