blackwood and gardens of st. erth

Sights in the main drag of the country town of Blackheath in Victoria included these wombats on a roof. The owner of the Two Fat Wombats created these wonderful animals. Not to mention the dog below. There was a pig in boots leaning up against an outside bar drinking an ale (albeit through a straw) at the bar next door and a few other creatures were about town too. Not to mention bits of garden merging into the street scape.



The Gardens of St Erth are just out of town and were looking marvellously green after all the summer rains (which are now flooding parts of Victoria not so far away)

This is part of the vege garden -

I didn't take many photos in the main garden but this plant is amazing:

Will try and make it a stitching post next - I have heaps of flower (and cactus) photos and will work on a sample in the next coupl of weeks.

Take care

cactus country

This cactus garden at Strathmerton, Victoria is full of inspiration - there were lots of flowers and wonderful spiky plants to provide a great kick start for some textural fiber art and painting involving modelling paste. I have linked the post title to Cactus Country's website - click it for a virtual visit.

Our visit was full on for sensory effect - fragile looking flowers in the heat of the mid day sun and birds flitting about. The strong sun goes without saying and we were thoughtfully provided with an umbrella by Julie when we started out on our walk around the gardens.

I can't imagine cactus without heat but I was surprised where many of the plants came from - some from very high altitudes which I imagine would have issues with the cold rather than heat.

Here are a few of the many photos I took:

And yes - the sky was that blue!

oil slick

the last day of spring brought some rain and lifted the oil in the tarmac

more painting and stitching

I have been working on my canvas piece - it is slowly coming together. The colours don't quite zing in this photo. I plan to put gold foil in the empty squares in the blue block. I have started working to the right of the yellow block and will have to unpick as the co lours aren't right!




Painting has helped on the colour theory front. My apricots look a little unprepossessing at the moment but the beauty of acrylics is I don't have to unpick but can paint over!

I learn more about colour every day :-)

painting and stitching

started stitching again - inspired by colours and designs of a semi abstract painting I did in art class - one of a pair - to be one of three if I get another canvas

this is one of the pair - not the inspiration piece - I will post that when I finish the embroidery



I have really enjoyed painting these abstract distractions. below is one of triptych. will add them all another time when the light is better and i set up a tripod (rather than a tissue box) to photograph them


Cheers all

annie's roses and Albury Bot Gardens

still life