Well, we've all survived that heat wave, poor Adelaide though who continue in the 40s! I hear the UK are knee deep in snow though. My friend Adele is coming over from London to visit tomorrow, I hope she can get to the airport, let along her plane taking off!
I've started going on hour long walks in the morning along the Yarra River, I'm trying to get a bit fit and I'm actually really enjoying it. I was thrilled yesterday to spot a Tawny Frogmouth in a tree while walking. Today I decided to bring my camera with me, just in case he was there again today, and he was! I was so excited that I hung around for about five or ten minutes, pointing him out to other passers by, some of whom must have thought I was a bit odd and possibly weren't quite as excited as I was, but I just couldn't help it. Here is a picture.
On Saturdays after Rose Street Artist Market we all go to the pub for a well earned beer and dinner. At the bar in the Marquis of Lorne in Fitzroy (where we normally end up) I spotted a stuffed duck. Recently I've been trying to paint with one of my fellow rose street marketeers, but I find it difficult not to draw from life. Last week I had been trying to paint from one of my etchings and I just don't think it was working, so when I saw this poor stuffed duck I though Ah Ha! Maybe I could paint the duck! So I asked the bar maid and she said of course I could borrow the duck, as long as I brought something in to replace it in the mean time, just to make a story for it. So next Saturday I'm going to the pub with a gorgeous lamb soft toy I bought in a junk shop who will have a great old time sitting on a shelf in the pub for a few weeks, while stuffed ducky will sit and have his portrait painted!
I had a few funny looks walking to Abbotsford with my duck under my arm!
I made them in 4 different colour combinations and also as single birds. You've seen the fantail on the left before, the one on the right is new. I've listed a few on etsy already and will be listing the rest over the next few weeks.
