Illustration Friday - Myth

Narcissus (mythology) 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Narcissus or Narkissos (Greek: Νάρκισσος), possibly derived from  meaning "sleep, numbness," in Greek mythology was a hunter from the territory of Thespiae in Boeotia who was renowned for his beauty. He was the son of a river god named Cephissus and a nymph named Liriope.He was exceptionally proud, in that he disdained those who loved him. Nemesis saw this and attracted Narcissus to a pool where he saw his own reflection in the water and fell in love with it, not realizing it was merely an image. Unable to leave the beauty of his reflection, Narcissus died. Narcissus is the origin of the term narcissism, a fixation with oneself.

NB....Beginning to get frustrated by the limitations of scanning. Never seems to scan exactly like the original. Beginning to think photographing work is a better idea. Any tips...anyone??

Illustration Friday - Ocean

A weekend in Adelaide, spanning time in the easy comfort of old friends. Children never forget and so when on Saturday when Jonah realised we were going to my friend Robyn's house, he insisted we have a repeat game of Picture Tag. (see: The Spanish Indian Jungle).

By Jonah (age 5), his mum (me!) and her great friend Robyn Finlay.

Illustration Friday - (On) Edge

 

A new year has begun slowly and with uncertainty. To say I'm feeling a little "on edge" would be putting it mildly. I feel strange talking about this here but as you've all been so lovely I feel I need to tell you the end of the story that drifted into my IF submission a few months ago. On the 22nd December as my dad, my sister Tara and I held her close, my beautiful mum died peacefully. She had battled for six years with lymphoma. She was strong and fearless and even though I am missing her like crazy I know she had battled enough and is now at peace. We have spent three months living in my parents house with my sister, my dad and my family. Today is the day we edge our way into the real world, beyond the comfort of being so close in grieve and love. I'm not sure I'm ready but I know she's out there somewhere watching over me.

International Book Giving Day

Doing my bit for International Book Giving Day by designing a couple of bookplates.

Check out their website http://bookgivingday.com/ to see how you can help celebrate too!

Bookplates are available at their zazzle website 

http://www.zazzle.com/bookgivingday

Illustration Friday - Snow

Illustration Friday - Explore

 

I should explain that when I started to draw this I incorrectly remembered the saying "Keep one's eyes peeled" as "Keep one eye peeled"!

Illustration Friday - Stretching the topic of Stretch

 

So it is now Monday and I have well and truly missed last Friday's Illustration Friday deadline for "Stretch". First time in eight months. 

So what is my excuse??!!

For the first part of the week I was in a panic. My day job is managing an indigenous art centre in... as you all know by now....the middle of nowhere!! (see map for exact location of nowhere!)


View Larger Map

But this wasn't the panic. We have been only open six months, but on the day I found out my mother was critically ill I had just left a meeting in Alice Springs with a gallery who had offered us our first exhibition on Friday 7th December (last Friday, "Stretch" deadline!)

So this was exciting, very exciting. But the closer it came to the deadline the more I worried about leaving my mum, especially as the days leading up to leaving she was becoming day by day physically less able. But she insisted I go. So on Thursday morning I flew with my family back to Alice Springs to meet my ladies who had been bused up from "nowhere" for their big day. When they drove in at 8pm that night they burst out of the bus, brimming with excitement. 

Twenty-four hours later, as the clock struck on the Illustration Friday deadline we were all going to sleep after the opening night of their exhibition. And, for a little trivia... the twelve beautiful canvases had been "stretched" twice before they appeared on the gallery wall. Once, to prepare the linen for painting on ...and twice, once completed to frame them for the exhibition. 

So... no illustration from me this week (or last week...if we are sticking to schedule), but here is a slightly amusing "How to stretch the perfect canvas" instruction video for you!!



And if you want to check out the ladies paintings come look at their blog:

http://minymakutjara.blogspot.com.au/