My partner is still interstate working on Baz Luhrmann’s new film ( I hope Baz is thankful! ) The Great Gatsby and I’m finding it very hard to find time to work. Almost impossible in fact. I was trying to paint out in the shed but it’s not resistant to weather and the heat. So I decided that since I have pushed myself so much for the last two years, it’s time to just scale it right back and wait for the new year.

I am still writing, photographing people and sketching. The sketches are mainly for Berlin Domestic.

Part of me thinks that this is good though. This forced time away from painting and drawing large works is making me do research, sketches – the ground work. I just miss my other half and I never get a sleep in – it’s so fucking hard!

But you just do it.

Next year, it’s going to happen. I’ve also been super blessed with having some of the most incredible people sit for me.

Today I got in my nanny so I could go to Brunswick, pick up three canvases newly stretched, go to my framers and pick up two paintings freshly framed, throw it all in a cab and get back here within two hours.

I did this because the first place offered to deliver my works at such an obscene price that it actually worked out to be cheaper to hire a nanny and do it myself.

But transport didn’t show up, I forgot where I was and went one too many stops far on the train, I had to stop for coffee ( take away ) and then the canvases turned out to be really heavy. Really, really heavy. It took me all of my strength to carry three large canvases from one end of Brunswick to the other and my framer wasn’t in when I arrived. Sweating and flustered, I tried very hard not to cry. A lovely lady had opened the door, she was really nice and attempting conversation and I was freaking out because I had no more money for the cab nor the nanny..

The lady said I looked too young to have a baby! ( Believe me, I do not. )

The works framed look amazing, I am so impressed with this framer behind the obscure red door. Everyone who has seen my work has had a lot to say – a lot of encouraging, nice and generous things.

I managed to catch a cab with eftpos home – with a man who told me it was lucky we were people who did not have money because if we were, people would be after us. They’d find out about our children and then kidnap them only to call us and tell us of all the horrible things they will do to said children unless we paid them ten million dollars ….

I got home in time, the nanny left for her appointment and then I had to cook for five people, change a pooey nappy, facilitate a phone conversation between Anja and her father and then blog here and there.

I haven’t drawn this evening and I feel slightly guilty.

Only slightly.

I unpacked a whole lot of vintage cameras and pieces last week. Some of them still work and I really want to use them, but alas – I have not the time! For now, I will just slowly clean them.

My precious.

I drew at my old haunt, A Minor Place, last week. It was super nice to be there. It’s an amazing thing to be retracing my steps.

I am working on a few pieces but will talk about them in future posts.

And finally, I found this painting which I started and destroyed a long time ago:

Until soon,

Lily Mae

This is me after my talk at Squishface Studio in Brunswick last week. It went really well! Public speaking does improve the more you do it.

I got a chance to talk to Sarah Howell in person and had a nice chat to Jo and Pat also. I’d like to go back when I am not so focused on not fucking up a talk and see the space and them in action!

Thanks for having me.

And then Friday night happened and I drew some drawings..

Last week I had the pleasure of attending two gallery openings, the first was Natasha Bieniek’s at the Dianne Tanzer Gallery. Which is a great space and the exhibition was fantastic. I have heard about Bieniek’s work as she has received a few awards recently. I think seeing her work in person has really made me appreciate her skill, her eye, her hand and her palate.

There is also an exhibition of Becc Orszag’s drawings in the back room and I recommend that also. It’s really nice to see drawing and painting coming back here in Melbourne town.

These woman are genius.

I also attended the opening of Joshua Yeldman’s “The Tongue Has No Bone” – awesome title – at the Scott Livesey Galleries. This gallery is also a fantastic space and the works were rich in texture, colour, subject. Richard Roxburgh opened the exhibition with a really warm speech and after the artist talked we all felt part of something pretty special.

If you’re in Melbourne both these exhibitions run until November the 17th.

She Hangs Brightly by Natasha Bieniek.

Tomorrow night at 7PM I will be speaking at Squishface studio in Brunswick as part of their   Ladies Drawing Auxiliary series. ( I think there is someone else speaking but not too sure who! )

Here’s the facebook event, directions and links : EVENT!

I’ve been faffing about in powerpoint for the last week and am very much looking forward to presenting my work back in good old Melbourne town!

So, I moved AGAIN.

My other half has gone to Sydney to work and I’ve been overwhelmed trying to work out time to work, looking after my awesome two year old full time, trying to catch up with friends and family, trying to remember how to get around Melbourne. I think it’s going OK.

I’m making steps to begin a series of portraits of people’s hands and feet. I am trying to work out how to get the models.. I hope they will come to me..

.. if you build it, they will come.

Readings bookshop, Melbourne & The Unicorne, Ballarat: