Sprekelia, Maltese Cross Lily or Jockey's Cap ?

 At this time of the year these lilies always make a welcome appearance, however what to call them? I always stick to the name Sprekelia, but I have heard them called by at least 2 different names.

Although spectacular to look at, they are very hardy and multiply year after year. I can't bear to throw any of the bulbs out, so I have them in the garden and in pots and troughs all over the place.

One More to Go.

Down to number two, 2 Pink Galahs. It was quite a challenge to get the pink colour onto the birds as well as the brown branch that they are perched on and the grey wings etc. I ended up stamping the birds onto scrap paper, and making a couple of stencils, one for the branch and one for the breasts of the birds. The wings and tail were stamped in grey, then the branch through the first stencil and then the fronts of the birds through the second stencil. Since each picture is only 15 cm x 21 cm in size, the slightly misaligned stamps are not really visible. One more to go, the Emu in a Gum Tree !

Three Kookaburras.

 Above are the first prints from my carved stamp for the 3 kookaburras laughing page. The one on the right hasn't got enough white on it's front, but I'm happy with the one on the left after a little more work in the white areas.

The photo is one I took in a forest quite recently and although I didn't see any kookaburras there that day, there isn't any reason to suppose that they don't sometimes settle in those trees even though the trees aren't native to Australia.

Nearly Finished.

 With Christmas just around the corner, I will have finished  my Aussie 12 Days of Christmas digital and stamp series just in time. Above is a photo that I took looking along under the Point Lonsdale pier with my carved shark stamp added in various sizes.

This is a photo that I took of some bush that is vaguely the sort of area that one might find lyrebirds in. The stamp was quite hard to carve with the delicate tail feathers, but I think that it looks O.K in this setting. Only 3 more stamps to carve and 3 more photos to choose.

Services Resumed!

Having been overseas for 3 weeks and then spending  a couple of weeks trying to get back into the swing of things again, posting here has been very much on the back burner. However with exhibition dead lines looming I have had to try to find time for some more printmaking. I'm still fascinated by the process of collagraph making and printing, so of course that's where I made a start this week.

This fantasy butterfly was made with pressed leaves, making sure that the veins were in the appropriate place. Unfortunately parts of the leaves began breaking away after a couple of prints, but by the end of the season real butterfly wings are pretty tatty too. It's always a fine balancing line with collagraphs using natural materials, too much shellac blurs the details, too little and the elements often break off with the rubbing of the ink.

What I Saw.

 I spotted this swarm of bees while on my morning walk today, and was fascinated by the colour of the massed bee bodies.

 There appeared to be two swarms, but the beekeeper that I contacted to come and rescue the bees told me that it was all one family and that it 'hadn't got it's act together'.

He wanted to know was it a 1, 2 or more bucket operation to re-home them, hence the photographs. I imagine that it would depend on the size of the buckets!

Wonderful Wisteria.

 Whilst I have seen wonderful wisteria like this before, this particular property had masses of it.

             But I have never seen a double wisteria before like this one above and below.

Not only are the flowers so beautiful, but the colour varies from pale lilac to quite a dark shade on the same 'bunch'. An absolutely spectacular form of the climber.

Bits & Pieces.

                                         A wonderful dragonfly piece of artwork beside a pond.

                                                                  Tree snails ?

                         I wonder what this caterpillar will turn into, a moth of some sort I expect.

                                                  Wonderfully textural seaside grass.