GRANNY BAKER

This is Granny Baker who has four children, five grand children, and..., sorry, I've forgotten how many grand children. She'll be 95 next birthday, so, only five and a bit years before the queen comes to tea.

SOME RAMBLINGS ON DRAWING

This is a pencil portrait of Gilbert Chini, the village electrician and TV expert.
I drew him again because he has such an interesting face. It was done on a cold wintery day in what should be spring in Southwest France. And I really enjoyed the exercise, probably because it was a way of escaping from the deplorable weather, and rediscovering drawing.

Here's what some great artists have said about drawing:

An artist draws with his brains and not with his hand (Michelangelo),

Paul Klee said that drawing is taking a dot for  a walk.

The pleasure Van Gogh got is expressed in his thought that 'I sometimes think there is nothing so delightful as drawing.'

I also found one recently attributed to Salvador Dali that encapsulates my ideas on abstract art. 'Those who do not want to imitate anything produce nothing.'

Now go and get a pencil and paper and start drawing.

PORTRAIT OF TUTANKHAMUN'S MUMMY MASK PORTRAIT

I've already done my mia culpa thing about not painting and drawing much during our three months evading the winter in Europe.

However, I did do a portrait of Tutankhamun's mummy mask for Dawn, who lives in Blackman's bay, Tasmania.

The medium is watercolour, highlighted with a gold felt pen.

DON'T TELL ANYONE, BUT IT'S JOHN'S BIRTHDAY TODAY

HOT OFF THE PRESS

As you can see, John Buckingham got a little red sports car for his birthday from Bridge d'Albret.

It's for all his hard work and dedication in getting the club going in the first place and then for his deft footwork in dodging the occasional brickbats tossed in his direction from time to time: who plays with whom, where do we have our Christmas lunch, what's the best time to play, should we spend the subs on shuffling machines or alcohol, etc, etc.

TWILIGHT TARN HUT

The Tarn Shelf walk in Mount Field National Park is one of the wonders of the world. (So is the walk to Waterfall Bay, but I don't have anything to show for it).

Anyway, this is the refuge at Twilight Tarn.

It lives on a wall with Daniel and Annabelle in Hobart.

DESIGN FOR THE FRONTISPIECE FOR A NEW SHORT STORY

Here's a design for the frontispiece for a short story I started on the plane and finished just after I got back.

It's about two couples going on holiday together. They get on very well...
Here is the link:

http://rays-books.blogspot.com/

You can read it FOR FREE by clicking above or by using the link on this page

Please note that some people may be offended by the sexual themes.

SYDNEY NOLAN AND KEN AND SANDY BATE

I was walking in a suburb of Melbourne on the day Sydney Nolan died, (November 1992) and, on hearing the news, was amazed when I realised that one of the streets I had been in was named after the great Australian Artist.

Just afterwards I painted this scene which I called 'Homage to Sydney Nolan.'

It belongs to Ken and Sandy Bate who live in Mornington.

Lynn is only in the painting to show the scale. (I couldn't find a matchbox).