blue birds

As I have mentioned in a previous post, in the cracks of time between work and everything else, we have been painting our living room. (I can finally say that!) For the last 2 or so months we have been doing the prep work - lots of prep work! - but today we finally started painting. What a difference with just the undercoat! with two coats of paint it will look fab.

We are painting a burnt orange feature wall and on an adjacent wall, I am planning on painting this:

(i love owning a house and being able to paint murals!)

Inspiration

I recently got the above book of lullabies featuring illustrations by some wonderful australian illustrators. It includes a piece by one of my favourite aussie illustrators, Alison Lester, (below, cropped as it wouldn't fit in my scanner) which was the inspiration for my last IF post, Late.

There were plenty others, like Stephen Michael King: (for you, Monica!)

and especially this one that caught my eye, by Tamsin Ainslie. I was really struck by her use of collage and her sweet characters. I was sure I had seen her work before, and sure enough, I had! - through Illustration Friday, Illustrators Australia, and her various work around Melbourne. I have added her blog to my blog list - go check out this talented artist!

Also, as an added bonus, here is a card I picked up for a little friend of mine, isn't it gorgeous? The artist is Gemma Hardy (sorry, couldn't find a good link for her)

I-F: Late

I guess it's appropriate that I'm late for the IF topic 'Late'. This week's topic is 'repair' - um, so I suppose if the bough did break, there would be some repairs necessary? There you go. brilliant.

This is for my friend who is about to have a baby. I don't think she'll be so foolish as to put her baby in a tree top, but you never know.

Made fresh today using watercolours, coloured pencil, ink and collaged paper. (it's only a paper moon...) Hope you enjoy!

ps. I am having a giveaway of my latest children's book Surprise! - check out my earlier post if you would like to be in the drawing, and click on the graphic to the right to see the 'making of' xx

Surprise! Book launch + GIVEAWAY!

Last weekend was the official launch of my latest book Surprise! and I would have to say, it was quite the success. Music, a magician, cupcakes & lots of kids! what could be better than that? Here are a few pics:

Magician Max being silly

The best part - a reading! This is the ultimate success to me, to see kids enjoying the book.

Look at those faces! Just enthralled with the wonder, the mystery, or possibly just confusion...

and I've never posted an image of me on this blog, but I thought I would keep the mystery a little bit anyway with this faraway pic... But if you don't really care about the unwritten law of not showing your face on a blog and are just DYING to see what I look like, I think there will soon be some videos posted on Youtube - will update :)

And well I guess this is a post of 'firsts' because it is also my first GIVEAWAY! It is VERY exciting. This book is really about giving, and not the kind of giving to simply receive kudos, but the kind where no one will ever know who the giver was. Those random-acts-of-kindness that are always such a joy, but so rare. So, it is my pleasure to give one of these books to YOU. If you would like to be in the drawing win a copy of Surprise!, here's what you need to do:

Please leave a comment on this post with your name, and also what was the best surprise you have ever given, or received. (and if you have never been a perpetrator of a random act of kindness, then maybe now's the time!)

A winner will be drawn on Sunday November 9th (Australian time). Good luck! :-) And if you don't win this giveaway, stay tuned, because there will be some other opportunities as well....

** update ** Deadline extended to Sunday November 16th!

I-F: Strings

This is a bit silly now that I look at it, but this is what I fear I will have to do to my little lime tree, who has unthinkingly produced about 20 flowers on one spindly branch alone. I don't know if they will all turn into limes, but if they do, there will have to be lots of strings attached!

That said, I love my lime tree (who I have named Kermit). I have only had him for about 6 months. The prospect of having my own lime production centre is very exciting because my husband and I have this motto: "everything is better with lime" which we decided upon in Mexico, when we couldn't think of one food that wouldn't be better with lime juice. Can you?

Surprises galore

Life is full of surprises. I haven't been blogging lately because I was off surprising by mother by arriving on her doorstep (from Melbourne, Australia to Portland, OR, USA) for her X0th birthday! (and I know she reads my blog so couldn't give any hint towards the trip here either!)

It was an absolutely wonderful time that I will never forget. And now back in Melbourne, I have come home to a few surprises myself.

First of all, a mail surprise, which is always so much fun! Recently I won a giveaway on flossy-p's blog of her Happy Happy Garden Card Pack. Now, I didn't actually know what this was at the time, but it turns out to be the most beautiful thing: a small series of cards, about half the size of a business card, with illustrations and phrases such as 'You have such a lovely garden' or 'Your tree is so tall'. The idea is to walk around your neighbourhood and 'sprinkle compliments' by giving out these random-act-of-kindness cards. What a great idea don't you think? The problem is, they are so beautiful!! I don't know if I can give them away! oh, it's going to be hard, but I'll try... In the little mail package wrapped in the coolest paper ever (top of picture) was also a bookmark and a flossy-particles tag. This made my day amongst all the junk mail and bills I came back to - thanks flossy!!!

and still more surprises, this one not so good. There are some major revisions to do to the roughs for the 4 book series I am working on. My art was well received, but it seems that the marketing department has decided that elephants are not 'sellable'. Who would have thought? So back to people it is. I see a lot of erasing and redrawing in my future... sigh.....

BUT, this last "surprise" lifts my spirits, as next Saturday Oct 18th is the launch of my book Surprise! at Eltham bookstore. I have seen one advance copy so far (which I have already given away), but next weekend I'll finally get my hands on a stack of em, so 'watch this space' for a giveaway!! And if you are in Melbourne and fancy a drive out of the city, please come along - all are welcome, especially kiddlies...