A creative weekend continues...

Such a burst of creative activity this weekend! 

I discovered a zentangle challenge at http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com.au/. and thought I'd give it a go. This week's challenge was to begin with a spiral. 

A bit late but this is for Weekly Challenge #210. 

Shadow Shot Sunday - March 29th, 2015

Some stars (aka marshmallow weed shadows) for Shadow Shot Sunday today 

and an interesting one from some stray grass.

See other people's shadow shots at www.shadowshotsunday2.blogspot.com. 

More play with patterns...

I posted last week that I had begun experimenting with drawing patterns. I did them on A4 paper using a black texta and a fine tip pen (and in one case a biro). I've continued playing with patterns this week and had fun experimenting, in part thanks to ideas on Pinterest. Part of the fun is in the evolving. I've made a few 'mistakes' and then in the changing of them been happy with the result. It's almost time to get some more black textas/ pens too I think. The two I'm using are getting rather tired. 

This morning I've had a few attempts at a weaving optical illusion and am thinking about how I can include it with other designs. Can you notice the small line I'm not happy with? Will I start again or somehow incorporate it into the design? I'm thinking of doing two different patterns, one for each direction of the ribbons. More experimenting to do!

What a racket from the parrots!

When I got home late yesterday afternoon I could hear a lot of squawking. I'm not the best at identifying birds by the noise they make. These ones, though, were quite easy to see when I looked up I - many parrots in the palm tree in the backyard. What a feast they were enjoying! 

This is a Six Word Saturday post. You can see how other people describe their week or part thereof in six words at www.showmyface.com. 

Shadow Shot Sunday - March 22nd, 2015

It's back to shadows around my yard for Shadow Shot Sunday today. In what is a great day for shadows I found these beauties hiding under a gate. 

See lots of other shadow shots at www.shadowshotsunday2.blogspot.com. 

Iridescence at the South Australian Museum

Last Sunday Brianna and I went to an excellent exhibition at the museum. It was all about iridescence and there was plenty of beautiful colour and shimmering to admire and well as lots of information to explore. It was at the museum from the 12th of December until the 15th of March so we made it just in time. I'm glad we made the effort to get there on the last day. Sometimes its hard to find activities of interest to both myself and a fourteen year old and Iridescence certainly was. We both learnt quite a lot too. 

The following photos give a bit of a taste of what it was like - 

There were lights moving around on the ceiling and creating gorgeous patterns and colours on the walls. The last photo is of a doorknob through which the light refracted creating gorgeous rainbow colours on the wall. Overall it was a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. 

This is a six word Saturday post. See how others describe their week or part thereof in six words at www.showmyface.com. 

and third!

Another one today - 

Sometimes first is very closely followed by second

My second zentangle for the day. This one is done completely with a black biro as I began it at my sister's house and didn't have the textas I used for the first one with me. Beginning inspiration was the packet of tiny teddies nearby. 

On to the third one now! I am feeling quite relaxed and recommend giving it a go if you haven't already. 

Zentangles and the ART of STARTing

Today I learn again, as I have so many times before, how useful it can be to just start something. I've always been a bit of a doodler. My notebooks from university are covered in lots of different patterns in the margins and sometimes out of the margins too. When I used the landline more than I do now there was usually a notepad nearby with multiple doodles. 

For quite a while I've admired various zentangles I've seen on the internet and have pinned a few ideas on Pinterest. Alysha often does zentangle and similar designs and finds them a great way to relax. Until today I haven't gone much beyond thinking I could do that. Today though I actually made a start. And found as I often do that once I start the rest follows. I noticed too that it was quite meditative. I'm keen to experiment some more and expand some of the ideas that came up while I was patterning away. 

The finished product

Another start I am about to make is on a new book to read. I've yet to decide what book it will be. My experience of reading is quite similar to my zentangle experience in that I take quite a while to begin a new book but once I do the momentum is there and usually I finish it quickly. A couple of my measures of a good book are that I want to keep reading and don't want it to end and then when I do finish it I keep thinking about it. According to these criteria the book I have just finished (The Eye of the Sheep by Sofie Laguna) is a fabulous one. Thinking about it now, how I felt towards the end of the book and how I felt towards the end of the zentangle are rather similar. That duality of wanting/not wanting to get to the end! 

Shadow Shot Sunday - March 15th, 2015

Brianna and I made it today to the Iridescence exhibition at the South Australian Museum. We were just in time as it was the last day today. I'm really glad we made the effort to go as it was fabulous and we both enjoyed it. There will be a longer post about it in the near future. In the meantime, here are some shadows I enjoyed. 

You can see lots of other people's shadow shots at www.shadowshotsunday2.blogspot.com. 

Shadow Shot Sunday - March 8th, 2015

Palm tree shadows on bricks and grass shadows on the underside of an old trampoline for Shadow Shot Sunday today. 

See other people's shadow shots at www.shadowshotsunday2.blogspot.com

So many treasures at Writers' Week

So many treasures at Writers' Week

I've had a good week, particularly the three days I was able to attend Adelaide Writers' Week, part of the Adelaide Festival. It was held in the Pioneer Women's Memorial Garden from 9am to 6pm over 6 days (February 28th - March 5th). There are two stages, the East stage and the West stage, and seven 1 hour sessions at each. Over the six days the place is packed full of treasures - the authors, the interviewers, the audience, the staff, the volunteers, the book tent, the blue sails providing shade, the coffee, the food, the children parading in nylon costumes, the Story tent,  the book tent, the signing table, the children playing on the slope (with palm tree fronds as swords), the shadows, the plants on the stage backdrops, the program, the beautiful hand soap in the bathrooms (Aesop brand) and more. 

I made it to a total of 12 sessions. Sometimes it's difficult to choose between the two offered sessions! Authors I heard speak were Helen Castor, Jenny Uglow, Andy Griffiths, Martha Baillie, Elia Barcelo, Omar Musa, Julia Gillard, Nicholas Clements, Miranda Richmond Mouillot, James Bradley, John Darnielle, Smith Henderson, Rohan Wilson, Graeme Simsion, Jenny Offill and Roxane Gay. All (and those interviewing them) were very impressive. One of the highlights for me was the line at the microphone for questions at the session with Andy Griffiths. Lots of confident children aged from about 5 up asking very interesting questions. Unfortunately there wasn't time for them all. The line at the signing table afterwards was one of the longest I saw. 

I love the familiarity of the event, as well as some of the small changes. How wonderful too that it is every year now. It used to be every two years. One of the small changes this year was the backdrops behind the two stages. For the last few Writers' Weeks they have been made up of twigs and looked quite fantastic. As they did this year as well, comprised of small native plants which had been grown by Trees for Life volunteers over the past six months. Volunteers watered the plants during the week. The plants were also used for the arch entrance and you can see them in the photo above. 

As well as the wonderful memories I got to take home a couple of treasures. After hearing Jenny Offill talk I decided to buy her book, Dept. of Speculation and am enjoying it very much. I also brought home an envelope I was given by one of the volunteers. Inside were some seeds to plant so I can grow some Enchylaena Tomentosa (ruby saltbush) at home. 

The envelope I was given. 

Inside the envelope

I'm already looking forward to next year's Writers' Week. And in the meantime I have some reading to do and plants to grow. I still have some books from last year to read too. 

This is a six word Saturday post. See how others' describe their week or part thereof at www.showmyface.com. 

Shadow Shot Sunday - March 1st, 2015

Looking up at shadows on blue sails at Adelaide Writers' Week. 

This is a Shadow Shot Sunday post. To see other people's shadow shots go to www.shadowshotsunday2.blogspot.com.