Today’s lesson ....

We had to paint white Iceberg roses on white paper!

There’s more colour there than you think.

It’s not finished yet and needs some more shadows to make the flowers ‘pop’.

I’ll let it sit for a while and see how it looks when it dries.

I love the misty effect of watercolour painting.

This is the reference photo

 

And my painting so far....

It might be ok I think when it’s finished I hope.

A portrait...

Here it is my first attempt at doing a portrait.

Do you know who it is? I hope so.

Yes, it’s Tracey. 

I think it’s not a bad likeness even if she does look a little oriental.

It’s not finished but I’m not game to do any more to it 

without the input of my teacher. I don’t want to spoil it.

Here’s a card for Scott

This is Diesel - not too bad a likeness.

I made it into a card for his birthday.

And this is Woofie...

Using pen and wash technique.

Three years since my last post...

My adventure in Watercolours..

Here is the first one I framed. 

A chubby rainbow lorikeet. 

Taken from a photo I took in the front yard.

Catching Up with yesterday's bike ride.

I decided that as I enjoy reading other people's blogs, perhaps someone might like to read about what I am doing. 

So please let me know if you do eh?

It was a beautiful sunny day here yesterday so I decided to go off for a nice ride around the district.

I left home at about 1015 and headed off down the highway.

These are the playing fields at the end of our street. It's looking a bit brown, we could do with some rain.

The Illawarra Escarpment encircles us and is different at all hours of the day.

Early morning is best as the sun shows up all the rock faces.

Down the road a bit I passed the Illawarra Regional Airport. 

I always cruise around there to see what's happening and get a clearer view of the escarpment.

This big 'Jumbo' is a real draw card for HARS - the aircraft restoration group. 

It was donated by QANTAS earlier in the year and is now part of their display. 

There was great excitement when it flew in with its wings extending 3 metres over the edges of the runway. It was not build for Jumbo's!

They are replacing the engines with old ones as they still had some flying time left in them.

This one is taken from the northern end of the runway.

Across the Illawarra highway and down to the bike track along the Macquarie Rivulet.

The rivulet starts up near Robertson in the highlands and runs out into our beautiful Lake Illawarra.

The bike track follows the rivulet until it flows into the lake.

Further along the track, you can just start to see the lake. 

If feeling energetic, you can ride right around it. 

I just went along to Oak Flats and then home. 

It took me about an hour and a half but I was stopping for photo's.

What a shame It doesn't register as activity on my Mi Band.

Here's the first view of the lake along Koona Rd. Its low tide.

Yay. The bridge is fixed!  Here's some history ....

Slater's Bridge, is a key pedestrian link between Albion Park Rail. The bridge has local heritage significance and is named after Beatrice Slater, who in 1975 - at the age of 75 - rescued eight children from a flooded Horsley Creek then lobbied for the construction of the footbridge.

Described as a "lively pioneer", Mrs Slater lived nearby in a circa 1922 cottage she built with her husband Robert. She lived there until her 100th birthday and died in October 2002, aged 102.

Earlier, smaller bridges were believed to have been built at the location but failed to withstand floods.

The Shellharbour Heritage Inventory says the 20th century timber truss footbridge is rare at a local level and continues to be used as a major pedestrian link between Koona Street, Albion Park Rail and Fisher Street, Oak Flats.

I'm so glad I don't have to ride along Industrial Rd with the cars whooshing by.

Looking back across the lake from the bridge ....here are three geese walking in a row.

Here comes the train! I had better stop. He gave much me such a big whistle!

There it goes ..... Off to Sydney.

Looking back along the tracks towards Kiama.

And towards Albion Park.

There's home across the gully from Woolybutt Drive.

And from the bottom of the driveway.

Phew made it home. Time for a coffee.

A few snaps of my garden.

Pennie has inspired me to take a few snaps in the garden.

The second bloom from the wisteria - a bit unusual.

This is a Bleeding Heart. It dies back after a prune in the winter time yet here it is again covered n blooms.

Crepe Murtles down be side of the driveway.

And geraniums up the other - there is always a flower.

The Stephanotis is blooming madly after I thought it had died after pruning last year.

A clump of summer crocus.

Still a few roses flowering .....

And some Cosmos Daisies left. I hope they will seed down for next year.

I always think they look so cheerful.

And of course the African Violets love it in our courtyard.

Enough .... 

Remember these?

When I was a little girl, we used to go to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains.

My Grandmother bought me a Mountain Devil, made with pipe cleaners and dressed in a tartan kilt.

These seed pods - dried and singular, were used as the head of the little devil dollie.

If you split the flower into segments, pull off the bottom and suck it, you get the nectar that the honeyeaters love so much. A bit of trivia and my childhood recollections for the day!

A new Mini for Beryl

Picked up an iPad Mini on Gumtree for a good price.

Off to sydney tomorrow to meet up with Irene and Beryl to set it up for her

New Selfie Stick

I already had one that I use with the camera and delayed action shutter but wanted one to use with the phone. It works well because you can flip the camera and actually see what you're taking plus a remote trigger. No more setting up and running.

Maureen showing off that new tablecloth that Lyn sent for us from WA for Christmas. 

Thanks Lyn!

A quiet camp .....

Cup of tea in the shade with Leonie and Terry

2015 begins with a visit to Burrill Pines.

Well I have decided not to do photo a day this year,

So it will just be the occasional posts for me as I am not sure if anyone reads it anyway.

I know my family don't.

Here is a fellow I met at Burrill Pines just after New Year when I went down to camp the night with Lee and Matt.

We had a nice cool campsite under the trees.

It was nice to meet Matts patents Leonie and Terry and sister Lauren.

Lauren and Nathan live on site run the park office etc.

This is Lucas and Matt - Uncle Go-Go.

And Rusty a very well behaved Border Collie who just loves to swim and chase seagulls.

Ahhhhhhh

Enough said!

PHOTO-A-DAY DAY 365 - 31st December 2014 ...the LAST DAY .... My best bits of 2014

The photo for today is of the fireworks in Sydney at 9pm via the ABC blog.

It's now officially 2015 and all is pretty quiet here at the Rail.

The doggies are both sleeping and not at all worried by the distant pops of fireworks.

My best bits are no doubt already included in this epistle of daily entries so I don't see a need to repeat photos here. They probably would include the ongoing interaction with my dear friends - quilting, chorus and now U3A. And also spending tme with my lovely family throughout the year. It is great to watch the grandchildren grow and develop into their own personalities and to watch their parent 'parent'.

Then there were my 3 trips O/S, my bilateral arthroscopies and the purchase of my ebike which I love.

All I need now is to restore my legs to how they were last year and it will be ALL GOOD!

HAPPY NEW YEAR to one and all.

Noice!

PHOTO-A-DAY DAY 364 - 30th December 2014 ... Us

Here's my first 'us' - Maureen and I. 

Here we are on the top deck of the Big Red Bus in Hong Kong in January this year.

And my second 'us' is my lovely family.

All of us at Shoal Bay in December.