Portrait

This painting is a portrait of taken from a photo "The Girl in a Hat"...it was a challenge painting from a watercolour group that I am in.......these challenges really stretch ones abilities but we learn a lot from them so it is all worth while

Watercolour Painting of Rhodedendrums

This painting was taken from a DVD lesson of Arleta Pech's..whose art work is wonderful....her detail in painting lace is magnificent......this lady has produced a book and DVD's which are very detailed....I really like her technique.

Ringtail Possum

A Ringtail Possum.....I find animals most enjoyable to sketch......

Sketch of a Baby Seal

Here is another sketch of a Baby Seal......this sketch was done using a 2b Mechanical pencil.

Sketchings

A Koala Bear

Still Sketching

The Polar Bear sketch

Rhinoceros

Another sketch...... this time a Rhinoceros......as you will see I am really getting disciplined to draw each day now!!!!

Sketch of a Buffalo

I am still trying out my sketching's.... all done with a graph and a mechanical pencil....this one of the Buffalo was a real challenge for me and I took some time over it...still it was worth it

Elephant Sketch

Here is another sketch of an Elephant......seeing that I am on a roll with drawing at the moment I am going to keep going for a while...the more practice the better

Kangaro Sketch

This was an interesting sketch to do.......I used a graph to do this sketch....I am finding using a graph is very helpful

Bunch of grapes

I drew this bunch of grapes with the Derwent Graphitint Pencils...then went over them with a small brush and clean water.....I have a box containing 24 of these pencils and they are a delight to use.

Hamilton the Hamster

A watercolour painting of Hamilton the Hamster.......as I love animals this painting was a pleasure to paint...most enjoyable

Partial hand drawing

This is a partial hand drawing taken from the book by Lee Hammond...I am finding this book to be an excellent learning tool....I used a 2b Mechanical pencil

Painting of Chickens

This is a painting in watercolour of Chickens done in the Chinese style of painting

Drawing of a Frog

I am trying to build on my drawing knowledge so this Frog is a start....drawn with a 2B Mechanical pencil using the graph method

Otty the Otter

I painted this Otter today........I have painted animals in Pastel pencils but haven't had much success painting animals.... so thought that I would have a go.

I am quite pleased with the way he came out so here is a photo of the painting.

My Hand woven Suit

This is a photo of my hand woven suit that I made myself and also one of my handspun and knitted jumpers........I have always been interested in all hancrafts and I really fell in love with my big loom, making many things on it for myself and my friends.
It went to a good home after I started having problems with my arms and shoulders....I still miss it though

Sumpwork Needlecase

This is my Needlecase and acessories I made from a pattern out of the Stumpwork book by Jane Nicholas............I really enjoy doing this kind of embroidery...it seems to come alive as I am doing it.......

My attempt at Gina's Frog

This is my attempt at Gina's Mrs. Frog...........I have been playing with this painting for a couple of weeks now I am rather pleased with the painting as it got me into making more greens from different mixes....something I really needed to learn.

I want to give many thanks to Gina for her help and permission to paint this picture............so thank you..... thank you......thank you my friend.

Floral Dance taken from Susan Harrison-Tustains book Glorious Garden Flowers

I have just started this painting called Floral Dance it is a lesson in Susan Harrison-Tustain's book "Glorious Garden Flowers" her paintings are wonderful to say the least....I love the way she works.

I will update this painting as I go along........but it will take some time between updating this painting

Black bobbin lace fan

This is my Black bobbin lace fan that I finished recently it is now waiting to be put onto the fan sticks......I must make another pattern of a fan in white to replace the one that went missing in one of our house moves............sooooo frustrating when things like this happen!!!!

This is a new piece of Bobbin Lace that I have just started it is a pattern from Henk Harmann's book...just one of many I like designed by this person...you can see my tiny bear Jamie that I made some years ago, sitting on my pillow just to see that I dont make mistakes in my work Ha Ha

Bobbin Lace edging on a tablecloth

This is a bobbin lace edging that I made for this round tablecloth......I also embroidered it in whitework.......I made this edging for a table centre too.

Tatting Demo number 3 of 3

How to tat a different way

Bobbin Lace Table centre

This is a Table Centre piece done in Bobbin Lace that I have just finished........all it needs now is a lovely piece of Linen inserted into the middle.........all hand sewn to the lace.

A Bobbin Lace Pony

Here is a photo of a bobbin lace Pony that I just finished......it was taken from a new book I bought called 100 New Bobbin Lace Patterns.....I really enjoyed doing this little piece and he/she will end up as a decoration on one of my jumpers I think

Took a few days holiday

We had a weeks holiday at a place near to us.....it is a fishing village called Lakes Entrance in Victoria Australia.......the weather was gorgeous and the food simply yummy......going to miss that!!!!!!
You can see in the photo the Black Swans which are native to this area and are lovely creatures.........the building to the right is a restaraunt floating on the water....we had lovely tasty coffe there a couple of times.

The motel where we stayed was called The Pelican......the management and staff were top class ....I would recommend it to anyone either living in Australia or a visitor to the country.

The Queens Size Quilt

This is the Queen size quilt that I made for my youngest grandaughter Rebekha as a wedding present...that is Sharon her mum on the right....... our youngest daughter.........

Paintdoodles

I have been trying for ages to put a link into my blog for a wonderful watercolour programme PAINTDOODLES .....yesterday I thought that I had acheived my goal but the link went into the wrong place.......right at the side of Watercolour Workshop....sorry about that....
Now I have to try to delete it and get it into the right place....just hope that I can do it
Have a great day folks

Great Joy I finally got Paintdoodles into my links list so go take a peek at this super site run by Peter Saw ...an English site.

This piece of lace was on my pillow and I was working on it when I got a phone call to say my dear friend Dorothy had died at the wheel of her car...that was 6 years ago ........... I didnt touch this lace again until just before this Christmas 2006........ I just couldn't face it then.

However I am now pleased to say that it is in the process of being finished and will be called Dorothys Torchon mat.....in memory of her, a wonderful lady always laughing and smiling.

Some of my Shuttles

The photo at the bottom shows just a few of my tatting shuttles.......three of these were made by Edward Clark in England and are the cream of shuttles...going from top right around...the fourth one is also a beautiful shuttle from the U.S.A. and made by another very talented shuttle maker David Reed Smith...the mat underneath them is not finished yet but is from a Japanese pattern being made in size 50 cotton

As you may realise I got addicted to collecting shuttle too !

The White Pineapple doily was made from a pattern by Teri Dusenberry of the U.S.A. this lady is an extremely talented designer and a really nice person who is passionate about her tatting and designing.....I only hope that I have done her justice in tatting this doily...this one is a real favourite so thanks Teri for making the pattern available.

Sitting on top of it is another one of my shuttles the GR8 made by the Shuttle Brothers in the U.S.A

This is a large white doily tatted in size 20 cotton it has lots of picots and is one of my favourites...but quite easy to do....I have tatted this one a few times now

Tatted Ice Crystal doily and Jamie

This is a tatted doily and my tiny teddy Jamie, he sits on my bobbin lace pillow...making sure that I dont make mistakes!!!!!.

The doily is made in 2 rounds and was a joy to tat........it was done in size 30 cotton that I dyed myself.

Travelling Pillow

This is one of my travelling pillows......a very handy size for tucking into the car if we go away......it was made in Holland and has a rachet type movement... you can see this ratchet on the right of the roller making the roller very steady

This is my swap painting that I recieved from Floyd ....the November 2006 SWAP from Watercolor Workshop Group.
Many thanks Floyd it is a great painting

Happy New Year

Hoping that you all will have a very "Happy and healthy New Year"
Thanks for all the comments thoughout 2006
Joy

Merry Christmas

HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS AND AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR 2006

Tatted baby Bonnet and Bootees

Here is a photo of the Baby Bonnet and Bootees I tatted quite a few years ago now.....thought that they might interest some viewers to my site
Thanks for looking

More of my Bobbinlace

Just another two pieces of my lace that I did a few years ago.......it really is a lovely old craft which has a fascinating history........I hope to teach a few of my friends next year so that this lovely work will continue for many more years

More Photos of my hobbies

I thought that I would put some photos of my bobbinlace in my blog for you to see...these pieces were done quite a few years ago...but I hope to update them soon......Bobbinlace and Tatting are another part of my hobbies and I enjoy them both.

This is my latest watercolour painting......I give all the thanks to Alan Woodland who gave me this lesson.......thanks Alan.... I think it came out O.K.
Hope you all like it

Geisha Girl for Julian

I am posting this painting of a Geish Girl for Julian to see.....hope that you like it Julian...she was taken frome a photograph wich was sent to me

This pastel painting of a Panda is also a lesson from Colin Bradley.........it was a joy to paint......thanks go to Colin for teaching me how to do pastel paintings of animals...I am ever grateful to you.
Joy

Katy our White Poodle

This is a photo of our White Poodle Katy when she was 4 years old..we gave her this Photo taken by a great photographer in Queensalnd to her as her Christmas present that year.......(Yes we are crazy and our pets do get presents) ...she died when she was 15 years old... we missed her terribly and cried for days..the house was so quiet without her.
We declared that we would not have any more animals as loosing Katy was just too much to bear at the time... but it didn't last long before we had another Poodle Mindy and then we got Jaycee too.
Katy will alway be close to our hearts and a wonderful memory of a faithful friend

This is the very first Pastel painting that I did.......it is a Colin Bradley lesson using the Faber Castell Pitt Pencils which are great to use and not powdery or messy like the other pastels....I started with the eyes which seems to work for me as I get the "feeling" of the animal that way....since doing this painting I have added one chalk pastel ...a Sminke White for the highlights.
I am extremely pleased with these lessons as Colin is a brilliant artist and a very obliging and helpful man....go to his site to see more of his lovely pastel paintings....I am sure that you will enjoy looking at his work

Watercolour painting of Aqualegia's

This is my latest painting...the Aqualiega is a very delicate flower but very beautiful.......I took this from a book called A-Z of Flowers....enjoy.

The two dark marks at the top of this painting are not on the original so I guess it must be my scanner.

Watercolour Lily

I managed to get back to my watercolour painting the last couple of days so decided to try this Lily using the wet in wet method........which I have been trying to do for ages but just couldn't get it right .......
This was done very similar to the method used by Susan Harrison Tunstain........
I think this one has been the best yet.

Myself and my husband Bernard

I tried to get this photo into my blog when I first started it but just couldn't work it out so now here it is.....taken a few years ago.......due to the flood we had here two years ago we lost most of our recent photos.

Benson Bear

This is Benson a bear I made in 1998.....seeing that this is a family site as well as art I though that you would like to see more of my art and craft work......I made bears for a few years from large ones like Benson to tiny ones.

Sketch Wild Roses

Here is the sketch I have done of Wild Roses......I have every intention of painting them in watercolour at some stage when I have finished painting the Lily......I am taking my time with the Lily...painting it as shown by Susan Harrison-Tustain....a slow method but her work is absoloutley the tops......so my thanks go to Susan and the DVD's I just recived from her.

Sketching.... Lily

I have been doing a little sketching this past few days so thought that I would put my efforts into my blog....I thought I could never draw but I am pleased that I have got this far ...and I am still learning.
I really enjoyed doing this sketch so will put the next one of Wild Roses on my blog too