Packing for Melbourne, Australia, September 2007

How do you pack everything into such a small suitcase when going away for two weeks and you are not sure what the weather will be like?

Part of my painting gear was in this case too, and the rest of the breakable things were in a small carry-on bag. What with painting gear and toilet things, there wasn't a lot of room for clothes!

The suitcase is resting on a window seat in our bedroom - you can see part of the courtyard out the window.

The exhibition (see below) was open to the public for two days and then I went to Ballarat to a porcelain painting school for 4 days where teachers from several nations had gathered to learn more about our art and to be inspired with new ideas and products.

The class I attended was taken by a very talented and creative young man from America, Andrew Orr and we painted peonies and lilacs. I will post the result of this class in a later posting ....so keep coming back!!

Melbourne Exhibition 2007

These are the three pieces I painted to exhibit at the APAT (Australasian Porcelain Artist Teachers assn) which was held in Melbourne, Australia in September 2007. All three pieces sold - which made me both sad and glad!

Sad that I had to part with them ('cos I really enjoyed painting them and I loved them) but glad that 3 different people thought they were nice enough to pay good money to purchase for their own enjoyment.

More Roses !

Another piece I loved painting!

* The silk the bowl is sitting on seems to be billowing out - but in reality was sitting nearly flat! You can see another side of this bowl in the mirror behind it.

Someone came today (3.11.07) to the opening of an exhibition which was combining with an embroidery group, and as soon as they saw the bowl they fell in love with it and purchased it.

* I painted the above lidded bowl for an exhibition in Wanganui, New Zealand in 2006 and as you can see from the photograph it was sold. I do hope it rests in a nice place in a nice home. In a way I was sad to see it go.

There is always a lot of "me" in a piece so when it is sold it is a little like giving part of myself away.

You can't really see from this picture, but the design follows right around the bowl with the pen work matching bowl and lid.

Watch my blog ....... more rose pieces to come!

Meet my Blog Maker!

Jim, my husband seen reading in the seat he made and hung from a tree in our garden. The tide is out (shame, water makes a better background!) but you can see the view is nice!

I have been married to this man for 49 years (wow, the years go by so fast).

He is my Blog Maker, the father of my three sons,

my very best friend, my encourager, my heart throb and lover.

He also hangs out the washing ('cos the washing line is too high for me to reach), my dish washer, the one who vacuums the floors, keeps the car clean and filled with petrol, mows the lawns, has a good sense of humour and is fun to live with.

And no, he is NOT for sale!! He's not even available to borrow!

Teaching painting is a great Joy !

Here are some happy student faces from my weekly classes.

I LOVE teaching!












I teach two classes a week - both classes around my dining room table! My Tuesday class are more advanced girls, and the Wednesday class are more beginners but progressing fast.

The girls sitting at the table in the top photo are painting 10" x 8" tiles with wild roses on them.
They are doing a wonderful job following a design by Ann Cline. (thank you Ann) http://www.anncline.com

The girls sitting at the table in the bottom photo are practising dusting pansies on a tile, before they begin a 10" round plate with a circle of dusted pansies on the outside edge of the plate.

The City Where I Live

I have had some encouraging feedback to my blog and several people have commented that it's good to see what a fellow porcelain artist looks like, the setting and surroundings they paint in, as well as samples of their work.



Many people are uncertain where New Zealand is, let alone the city where I live.


Tauranga is on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand, has a population of 105,000 people and we have lovely safe beaches all around us. http://www.tauranga.co.nz/




If you view the website, I live on the waters edge on land in the distance, under the helicopter rear propellor blade.