Spring has well and truly sprung here in the south west. The days are getting longer and warmer and everywhere I look there is another plant in radiant, full bloom. I have been enjoying the season to the the absolute best of my ability by getting out into the bush and searching for wildflowers, taking long strolls around King's Park and spending lots of time in my little garden. The beach has been a bit weedy and I feel it's not quite swim season yet - but it is imminent. Heck, it might even be today as we're tipped to reach the low 30's. We shall see!
All this Spring loveliness has meant that I've been spending most of my time outdoors, rather than in the studio, but I've learnt to never let a beautiful day pass me by so you know, that's how it goes! Still, I have made some lovely things lately. Let's see shall we?
I've been working on making my own unique range of jewellery and it's been so fun to explore using clay, thread, beads and trinkets. So far I've made some lovely pieces for myself but I have just fired a range of pendants to make into necklaces and once I've put them together I'll offer them for sale in my handmade store. But for now there are other things in the store, like the trinket dishes shown here. They turned out so beautifully and I hope they will find lovely new homes. I've also been doing some textile work, stitching up a storm on the couch in the evenings, creating whimsical creatures from the depths of my imagination. I just love making creatures out of fabric and bits of bric a brac I find in my stash. It's the most wonderful thing to spend an evening crafting a beastie and then waking up in the morning to find a big whale with wide eyes blinking at you from the coffee table. Haha! Oh, the joy!
Everything feels so fresh and colourful right now with the magic of spring imbuing the world with its enchanting vibrancy. I went through my photo roll on my phone this morning and it's full of flowers that I've had the pleasure of meeting these past few weeks. Look at all this lusciousness will ya!
I'm just feeling so incredibly moved and inspired by all of the colour, shapes, textures and forms. It's an artist's paradise over here in Western Australia I tell ya! I guess for me it's all still shiny and new, but I can absolutely see why there are so many botanical artists here - the flora is captivating.
Apart from staring lovingly at wildflowers I've taken a few trips out to see my darling friends, the whales. Oh, my heart, what wonders they are. It never ceases to amaze me how much they delight me. I always feel like a child again when I see them splashing about their salty domain. Last week I had the most amazing day out with the humpies - they were hanging out right near the boat and popping their huge heads out of the water to see what was going on above the waves. As they popped up their fins were pointing towards the sky and I swear it looked as though they were waving at everyone on the boat! It was so joyous! Here's a little snippet from that day:
Isn't it just the most fantastic thing ever? They just make my soul sing! Aaahhh, so yes, having the whales about, just off the coast, has added to the magic of this most glorious Spring and I'm so grateful to live in a place which inspires so much wonder.
Finally, I thought I'd share a few photos of a recent trip to Rottnest Island. I decided to go on a whim, booking a ticket the evening before and packing my sketchbook into a backpack. I went by myself and walked all day long along the gorgeous coastline, taking in the sights and the sounds of the sea. I love to while away the day like this - it's good for the mind and the body to be out in the elements with only thoughts for company. I hardly saw a soul all day, except for in the village where it was teaming with people! After many years of visiting Rottnest I have worked out a routine to avoiding the crowds and the bikes and I can feel truly lost on a desert Island during my wanderings over there.
So, I feel like in reflecting on the past month, it has been packed with a whole lot of goodness and bucket loads of wonder! I've made very little in the studio, but in being outside amongst the enchanting nature of Spring I've amassed a well of inspiration from which to draw over the coming weeks and months. I have so many ideas just bursting out of my brain that I don't quite know what to do with them yet. I've actually taken to keeping a notebook where I write lists of things to do and make and I've found it so useful in organising all of my thoughts. Having them all swirling around my brain with nowhere to go can get very confusing and disorienting. Anyway, I'm really excited for the rest of Spring and Summer and all it will bring. I feel like I am settled and getting organised and like my creative identity is crystallising for me again. So, onwards and upwards we go into the unknown, feeling excited and ready to unleash a whole lot of creative energy into the world!
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