A bit of a mixed bag for this post, but I've had my head down and brushes up for a while now.
Time to post something and to pay a few visits.
The other day started off with some painting... by the time MD had coffee ready, I'd roughed out a little acrylic. Have a new fad to paint at the moment - vases of flowers. The one in the photo below is of some pink nameless kind of flowers but I'm going to intermingle branches of the lovely silver grey eucalyptus leaves. You can see I've got one of my photos showing on my laptop and I'm using that as a reference. I'll post a photo when its finished.
We decided on a walk after brekky, so down we went to the lake. Saw this lone Australian White Ibis (I think that's the right name) having a feed way off in the distance. It was beaut because we don't often see them here.
(Sorry to not have joined in with Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday but I can't seem to be organised properly these days ... blame the painting and swimming!!)
I'd wanted to do some sketching after we'd walked. Got it into my head that I could do some boats and so we set the chairs up and I had a go. Lol, I think that'll be as far as I go with trying to draw boats somehow... lost patience pretty quick - back to flowers and other such things!!
It was a lovely spot though:
After a little while, we noticed this fellow paddling along towards us.
"Hello" he seemed to say !!!! "Got anything to eat?"
He soon got bored waiting for us to break out the snacks, so a bit of preening took place:
.... then a stretch. Oh, what a beautiful sight, just a couple of feet away from us:
Wings down and feathers settled:
obviously time for a walk. Up he came, right up close to MD. Totally friendly, but really, really hungry apparently !!
I'd been meaning to take some closeups of the swans' feathers when I next had an opportunity and this was as good as any. Aren't they gorgeous!
Back home I played around with the photo editor, applied a filter and enhanced the colour... I didn't change the colour to mauve purposely, it happened as I applied more contrast and saturation. (I'm not technically minded but I love experimenting... can always hit the 'Undo' button!).
Last of all, here's one of my paintings that I've recently finished. It's an acrylic that had been sitting on the easel (or near it) for the past 6 months. Finally, I got stuck in and completed it. "Kelp Forest Fantasy"... I enjoy painting the fishies. There's a little mermaid in there as well.
That's about it for this post. Thanks for taking the time to visit.
I hope life is treating all of you really well.
Cheerio and I'll see you over at yours :D)
the black swan images brought back soooo many wonderful memories. you should have written a children's book with that story, one i will never forget!!!
ReplyDeletei liked seeing you, in your chair, "working"!!! have a wonderful weekend!!!!
Aw, that's really lovely of you to say Debbie. I thoroughly enjoyed that special time too - and I'm glad you got to experience it with your white swans too :D) Life is full of lovely surprises at times isn't it.
DeleteThanks for your sweet comments! xx
The Black Swan is a beautiful bird, and your painting of goldfish is excellent, cheers Susan.
ReplyDeleteHi Bob ... and cheers to you too. Yes, no doubt about that - we see them nearly every day and I still get knocked out by their gracefulness, and those curly feathers on their back tails are fantastic.
DeleteSo glad you liked my painting - yay - it's such an absorbing hobby and I really love each one I create because I can remember all the peaceful moments spent as I painted them :D)
Thanks so much for your visit Bob :D)
oh, your painting is wonderful! love the black swan, too. you do what fills your days and fills your heart. no worries on missing link-ups. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's so lovely of you T, thank you. Yes, yes, yes, that's exactly what I'm doing. It's very lovely to have found what I love to do :D) Cheers and give a wave to your delightful Whistlers from me ;D)
DeleteI love the Ibis and the Black Swan. Gorgeous images and the your painting is lovely. Enjoy your day and the weekend!
ReplyDeleteHello Eileen, I'm really glad you enjoyed the birds - we don't see the Ibis much down in that particular spot, so it was a real treat. Thanks too re my painting - I'm so happy with it, was fun to do. Real beaut to have you visit Eileen. Bye for now :D)
DeleteWow love the fish painting ....love the beautiful swan feathers both untouched and edited... I enjoyed this post and will be looking forward to your flower painting when it is done.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you do Sandy, thank you very much - it took me a real long time before I had the courage to post my paintings online but it's my hobby and now that it's taken over so much of my time, it's comes so easily now to do a show and tell :D) Thanks for popping over and leaving your lovely comment. Cheerio for now :D)
DeleteSuch a wonderful post to read and see. Love your ibis and swan photos. The close up of the feathers is beautiful. And your painting is superb, so much colour and detail. Love it.
ReplyDeleteHi Lynda, so lovely to see you here too! Thanks very much, I'm glad you enjoyed the post. That close up kind of really amazed us - the feathers are something special aren't they. I shall have a go at the Pelicans (feathers, I mean, ha ha) and see how that turns out! So really happy you like my painting too, very kind of you to say, thank you :D)
DeleteFabulous post, Susan. It's great to see your work set-up... complete with coffee. :)
ReplyDeleteLove the photo of you sketching. The ibis and swan pics are beaut, too -- especially the one of the swan stretching.
Your "Kelp Forest Fantasy" is magical. But for the life of me, I can't see where you've hidden the mermaid. Clue?
Hi there Vicki, lovely to read you! You'd think I'd be more modest with showing my messy little corner but, no, ha ha ;D)
DeleteThe swan stretched and flapped and carried on like that for ages - perfect posing for me to take photos!!
Now, the mermaid... if you look at the largest fish, well, the mermaid (an abstract version) has her arm stretched out touching the fish. Her golden hair is splayed out and floating in the current and her tail goes behind the big kelp tree and extends towards the left hand side of the painting as you look at it :D) Enjoy your weekend both of you, hugs xx
My meaning in the painting is that the mermaid (or nymph) is very shy and elusive and the fish senses that and understands. He's told the other fish to stay back so that he can meet her without frightening her away.
DeleteGoodness knows where I dream up this stuff but I did call it a "fantasy" :D) Thanks for asking about it :D)
Aha! I see the shy and elusive mermaid now.
DeleteLOL It just shows what a wonderful imagination you have. :D
thanks so much Vicki ... it's fun in 'susanland' !! ;D)
DeleteI love the purple feathers. And the poppies in your banner are just great.
ReplyDeleteThat's really lovely of you to say on both counts Joan, and thanks very much for your visit. Have a great weekend.
DeleteI was just thinking then, about your beautiful, beautiful garden - I bet it's looking glorious in its Autumn beauty. Must pop over and catch up with you very soon.
Cheers now :D)
A very lovely day. Such talents as you have needs a bit of topping up and where better than by the water.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate you saying that Sandy, thank you very much :D)
DeleteI love the purpley feather photo! You are such a talent at your painting. Hope you enjoyed your day out.
ReplyDeleteHi Deb... oh gosh, it's been ages since I caught up with you as well! Thanks so much for your visit and your very kind words. See you over at yours :D)
DeleteBeautiful photographs and the one of the feathers is so fascinating and I especially love the enhanced one. Your painting is a great finish too. xx
ReplyDeleteHello Lin, thanks for your lovely comments and I'm glad you enjoyed the post :D)
DeleteYour post are always a delight. The swan shots are fabulous and your painting very good. Those ibises are a pest up here. They have inundated city parks and causing problems.
ReplyDeleteHi Diane, thanks very much :D) Isn't it funny where some places they're overrun with a certain type of bird/plant etc and others they're not. The Ibis must definitely like what's growing in your parks! We're getting real problems down this way with bats now.
Deletesusan!! i LOVE your paintings!! the swan feathers are gorgeous...and i really like what you did with it on the computer too!! beautiful art!! ALL of it!!
ReplyDeletethe Ibis almost reminds me of the Woodstorks we have here.
awesome bright flowers for your header & background!!
stay happy...do what you love!!
cheers!
Thanks so much Laura - I really appreciate your comments and, yes, doing what I love is wonderful... having the time in which to do it is a bonus too :D)
DeleteΗello dear Susan!!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous pictures of the beautiful Black Swan!
Great closeups!It was your lucky day indeed!!
Lovely images!!Love your painting!!!
You are an excellent artist!!
Have a happy week!
Dimi...
Hi Dimi, lovely to see you again... you're very kind, and thank you!! Cheers now :D)
DeleteWhat a cheeky guy that swan was ......
ReplyDeletelol, they're very cheeky indeed Vee - it's real nice how they can stroll around the place like that. The cute soft little 'honking' sounds are lovely when they talk to each other as they glide along the water is what I like about them as well :D)
DeleteHello Susan, I've returned from my "short" break :)
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures of the swan, I never got that close
to one without them hissing, so I stayed away :))
Love your fishies very much, I'm just a little disappointed
that I couldn't find the mermaid :))
And I'm missing the sketch of the boats! :D
Have a great day!
Tinna ✐
Hi there Tinna. It's nice to have a bloggie break every now and then I find! Thanks for your comment and am glad you enjoyed the swan pics... they're pretty friendly and used to people over this way.
ReplyDeleteThe mermaid is down over on the left hand side, she's peeking out from behind the kelp and has her hand outstretched greeting the largest fish :D) No boats I'm afraid, no sketches that I was happy with, but thanks for your interest... will try again another time! Cheerio for now.
I love your fishies too! Lovely pictures.
ReplyDeleteHello Jenny, sorry to have taken so long to reply. Thanks for your lovely comment, I really appreciate it :D)
Delete