'Ewes in Waiting'

"The baby born today, is one day old tomorrow. We are all ageing. That, at the very least, is why we should listen to the elderly. They are farther down the strange bewildering road we must travel."
....Florence Houghton

As we get older, we find many of our experiences are hard-earned, and to let them 'slip into the ether' and not pass them on would be wasteful. Finding a young person who wants to hear is harder again.

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We have 5 young ewes, who hopefully, are all in lamb to 'Herbie', a delightful Cheviot ram who came and stayed for 6 weeks. They are due September/ October. The recent drought has caused our limited pasture supply to falter, so they are being hand fed until spring.

They wait impatiently and loudly, for the man of the house to return home, and take them their bucket of pellets and hay. Sometimes we close off our steep driveway to let them nibble the edges down, and they watch me through the windows and baa (see below).

One month to go, and the weather will warm, the grass will take off and they will be knee deep. I can't wait.

Gentle words

I was in the doctor's waiting room last week and browsing through the 'Women's Weekly'. I came across a lovely snippet about women who have poor body image and worry about being attractive to their husbands. It said, 'As long as a woman is soft, warm and smells nice, that's what most men are happy with'.

Sets a lot of girls free.

Today's photo from 'the Hill'

'Nude 2' - 5" X 7" original oil on canvas board.

'Nude 1' - 5" X 7" Original Oil on canvas board.

'Desiderata'

I place great import on wise words I hear or read anywhere, so have decided to put them in on a daily basis, plus regular photos from our front veranda ..........

"Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons … avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit."

Maxx Ehrmann, Desiderata

'Green Bottle' - 5" X 7" Original Oil on Canvas Board

I was shopping in town today, and thought I would go into the local Opportunity Shop to see if I could pick up some quaint pieces to paint. The building was quite large and bulging untidily with heaps of secondhand goods.

'What a tangle!' I thought, and began to wander about. After about five minutes, a small, officious looking lady called out to me asking whether I was looking or had some other business. "Just looking' I replied. Well that cranked up the poor dear, and she told me in no uncertain terms, that it was the 'sorting room' and the shop was up the road. The only goods for sale were in the window.

Duly disciplined, I left with what remaining dignity I had and went obediently up the road. I did find some small treasures, one of which you see here below.














This painting is for sale for AU $50 -
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Parrots living Dangerously

I feed beautiful Crimson Rosellas during winter on my studio deck. They disappear in summer when there is plenty of wild food, but during the colder months they are very attentive, whistling to me when they hear me in the yard and hanging off the window frame peering in at me when I begin to paint.













We also have lots of rabbits, who tear up my garden, and dig warrens into the steep bank next to my studio, which could bring the bank down and cause catastrophic damage. My partner is a terrible shot, so I have to resort to poisoning them, which I hate. But too many bunnies means no garden and the dogs go crazy at them through the fences.

I laid out some Rabbait (Pindone) in neat piles and the rabbits duly nibbled away at them. Rabbait works by depleting Vitamin K over a series of feeding days, so successive feeds are necessary to 'do the job'.

Yesterday morning I went out to check, and my lovely parrots were nibbling away at the seed. The experts say the seed is dyed green to deter birds, as they usually like red and yellow colours. Not my hungry parrots, it would seem. I chased them away, dug the seed into the ground and covered it with mulch, and got on the Rabbait website. It stated that parrots husk their seed which left them without eating the Pindone, but I am now very nervous about using it. My beautiful feathered friends are too valuable to risk.

I can do carrots in a concentrate, so may try that next. Poor bunnies.

My studio heater is fixed, finally, so I am looking forward to getting out there tomorrow. Back to work!

Nothing Worse than a Cold Model

Local artists usually have a fortnightly meeting at a local hall, hire a model and draw for two hours. Mid winter at Yarragon Hall is not a good place to be at 10am, and our model was battling serious goose bumps, and we were having to work on the extra drapery she needed to keep warm. So I offered my studio, saying we had plenty of room and an excellent heater.

A week before, the said heater decided to pack it in, and led me into a panic stricken series of phone calls and visits from the repairman. A new compressor was put in the day before our session, and I relaxed somewhat, but no, it was still a no-go.

Plan B had to be put in place, and I readied the house for an influx of artists and easels. We all jammed into our dining area, and the model had a prized place near the fire. Tight, but friendly. All had a productive day and certainly pronounced it a great success. No-one knew the hostess had been rushing around preparing for a head-spinning two hours beforehand, to meet them all calmly at the door.

Still no heater, and no new paintings as it's as cold as a grave down in my hidey-hole. Maybe I'll list some life drawings! Or drag everything up here..........

'Egg' - 5" X 7" - Original Oil on canvas board

This painting is for sale for AU $50
Please email robynrinehart@dcsi.net.au for purchase details.
Thanks!

'Magpie' - 5" X 7" - Oil on canvas board

I worked very hard today, trying to make up for days off.... family, doctor, etc. It gave me time to rethink how to paint these small cameos. I am used to working large - drawing and blocking in using acrylic, then layers of oil on top. I still draw in roughly in acrylic, but now am practising to build the painting using mostly the one layer. That way there is no mud!

My magpie is one of our babies. I love my maggies, but at the moment we have a lot of delinquent teenagers, who soil our water-catching roof, verandahs, and anything else that takes their fancy. I'll be relieved when most move away and take up their adult responsibilities. BUT, they play, and chat, and catch the breeze. Oh to be so free..........

This painting is SOLD.

'Onion No.1'

This painting is for sale for AU $35.
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Nemo Found

Rest Day today! This painting is drawn from my collection of completed works and measures 12" X 16", on stretched canvas.

The reference photo for this beautiful clown fish was kindly released to me by the photographer, who snapped him on the beautiful reefs of Papua New Guinea.

This painting is SOLD

'Reaching Out for Life'

This was the last clove from my garlic. It had this beautiful green shoot growing that made me think of how fragile life can be, and how resourceful nature is. Finally, after posing for my painting, it has been planted in my vegetable garden, hopefully producing more from that green shoot.

This painting is for sale for AU $50
Please email robynrinehart@dcsi.net.au for purchase details.
Thanks!

'Watch It'

This painting is now SOLD

"Then I Ate It'

This painting is for sale for AU $35.
Please email robynrinehart@dcsi.net.au for purchase details.
Thanks!