Swing set of Silly

MAKING ROOM FOR NONSENSE AND PLAY

“A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.” 
Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Ahhh.... nonsense.  One of my favourite concepts of being human. Children play at this game well. They know that it serves more than to pass time. They know that play is an essential part of nonsense. Just being there in that moment of time. It's not an experience as in something that happened in the past. Its EXPERIENCING. Being right there in that moment. Catching the wind in the face. Laughing from the belly. Feeling the rush of blood flowing through the body.

And enjoying the silliness.

Someone once said to me "life is rarely as serious as we believe it to be". We spend too much time worrying and fretting. The first three months of my course this year I think I spent a lot of time with my head down mumbling under my breath "this is toooooo hard!!" I didn't leave room for play or for the spontaneous. 

I am making a dedicated commitment to being easier on myself and to find a healthier balance of work, downtime and play time. To remember that balance is the key to a life well lived. As Dr Seuss says:

"You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know.You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.And never mix up your right foot with your left." 

 (from Oh! The Places You'll Go!)

So to remind me of this balance and this sense of play today I drew a picture of a girl on a swing set. Her pup looks up at her enjoying the sight.

How long has it been since YOU swung on a swing set?  

MAKING CONNECTIONS WITH CHILDREN

INSPIRATION COMES IN ALL SIZES

"Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up"
(Pablo Picasso)

So yesterday I told of a small boy Luke (aged 7) coming to my door selling raffle tickets. We got into a great discussion about drawing and he set me the challenge of drawing a tarantula and a bushmaster snake. If you haven't read it check it out so that this new post makes a bit more sense chronologically: All Things Creepy and Crawly

After I put the pictures up on the blog I took the originals, put them in an envelope and walked to Luke's house. I wasn't sure exactly of where he lived, but he had given me a house number.  So I rang the bell. Luke's Dad answered the door. And pretty soon I was chatting with Luke and his Mum and Dad and his little brother Liam. 

It's an odd and wonderful thing to find yourself standing in a neighbours house because a small boy changed the course of your day. I think we were all a bit inspired by the power a young boy can have to create inspiration and joy.

They were delighted to hear about the exchange and the challenge that Luke had set me. They also were impressed that I responded to the challenge so quickly! "You have to come and see this..." His Mum said. So I was led into the lounge room to see a coffee table COVERED in drawings that Luke had done since meeting me a couple of hours before hand. Apparently Luke had been talking about me for those hours as he drew and wanted to do his BEST work so that the drawings he put in my letterbox would really showcase what he could do as an artist.

I asked if I had permission to put his pictures up here on my blog. At this point he re-examined them and decided that a few more touches would be needed before they went on the internet.

So....

Today my door bell rang again. And there is Luke and Liam and his Mum. Apparently, to Luke,  I am (in his own words) "My best friend on the whole block!" And in my new buddies hand was a large white envelope with writing on the front.....

Apart from the words themselves (which I immediately treasured), I loved the drawing of the insect in the bottom right hand corner. Almost like a picture mark for the artist himself. Flying bravely forward with delight!

Inside the envelope are the best treasures yet: Luke's own response to the challenge complete with the final touches he promised. They are magnificent (and if I may dare say -  a little terrifying in their accuracy). 

First up, the tarantula. I love the shapes that Luke used to put this picture together. In fact I am AMAZED just how accurate this drawing is. The large back abdomen, the arched legs (complete with perfectly sized and proportioned sections on each leg), the fang (with a drop of venom), and the overall texturing. "You wouldn't want to get one of those needles in your eye!" Luke warned me with a giggle. Indeed not.

Did I mention that Luke is just seven?
The mind boggles.

His enthusiasm and commitment to create this spider (and all of his other pictures) is truly an inspiration. And his drawing skills are second to none.

Be warned... this picture of a tarantula is definitely NOT for the faint of heart!

Next we have the Bushmaster Snake. We see the ferociousness of the snake in it's facial expression and it's dynamic ready-to-move wavy form. It's definitely NOT to be messed with. The leaves and the twigs give this beauty an environment in which to live and to slither about. The red diamonds on the back of the snake scream out "Danger!" 

The whole page is taken up with this scene. Sometimes when I am drawing I tend to stick to a corner of the page or to be quite precious with small and fine strokes. Not Luke. He boldly makes his marks across the whole page. I think I can learn from this...

And here is another picture he gave me to "look up on the internet". This time it's a lizard. An Australian Monitor lizard to be exact. Goanna's fall under the umbrella of monitor lizard. They are beautiful yet fierce reptiles. I think Luke captured both of these qualities exceptionally well.

And finally, Luke's "most special" drawing of all. This last picture is of a completely new creature. Luke has lent me this picture as he would like me to copy it. 

"It's called a Roller Boller" Luke said.
"I'll have to research this creature on the internet" I told him when he showed me. 
"No. You can't do that Lou. Because it came out of my imagination. So there's no stuff about it anywhere. You just have to look at the picture." 
And look at the picture I have. I promised I would take great care with this picture as it's clearly a prototype for something never seen before. 

Between you and me readers, this picture is my favourite.

So without further ado, I give to you the contents of one remarkable seven year old's imagination...

Introducing: THE ROLLER BOLLER.....

I couldn't resist putting some colour in to Luke's amazing drawing:

So there you have it. 
My weekend of inspiration and creative imaginings all thanks to my new best friend on the block.

Luke and me at the front door.

The artist and his work.

ALL THINGS CREEPY AND CRAWLY

FEELING THE FEAR - BUT DOING STUFF ANYWAY

"Knowledge is the antidote to fear"

(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

So here is my latest drawing challenge. Again I find that this one isn't an "official" challenge (as listed in my first post). But it is one I couldn't resist as it came in the form of a cute little boy Luke, on my doorstep selling raffle tickets with his sister Ella.

I had met these lovely kids before. They had come to my door before selling raffle tickets to raise money for a scout group. I was tickled pink with the last visit as the little boy said "You could win a car - and other stuff!" I asked him what the other stuff was. ""Um... don't worry about that.... Keep looking at the car!" What a top salesman! Needless to say, I bought two tickets. I didn't win the car, but I think I won the affection of some of the youngest members of my neighbourhood community (and that's even better in my books).

Apparently I also met these two on Halloween as well. I put a sign up on my letterbox saying "Trick or treaters welcome" (I think that this helps parents and kids alike). I am not sure who the kids were though as I had them ringing the bell by the dozens. So many masked and costumed little kids (and big kids!) ringing the bell until all my glow sticks and sweet treats were gone.

So today the doorbell was rung again today by these two little sales people. 

I was sitting at my desk when my partner answered the door. The little boy Luke looked past my partner and his face lit up when he saw me. He waved wildly at me. So to the door I went. Today Ella and Luke were selling tickets to raise money for a netball team. We bought tickets (of course). Then we stood in the door way talking as one does. Troy went back inside. We talked about bikes, holidays (it's the first day of school holidays here in Melbourne) and then of course - drawing. 

"Would you like to see some of my pics?" I asked them. They were both keen. I brought a couple of my journals to the door and showed them some recent pictures.  They were both suitably impressed. I said "A lot of these are from a drawing challenge. I asked people to challenge me to draw things - so I did!" At this point I saw Luke's eyes light up. "A challenge? Could you draw a tarantula?" 

At this point blood drains from my face. I don't mind spiders. As long as they are out of sight. And out of mind. And very small. Very very small.

"And could you draw a bushmaster snake too?"

I grabbed the doorway. Snakes are in the same category as spiders with me. Even behind thick thick glass in the zoo is not to my liking.

"And you could put them in my letterbox and then when I get them I will draw you a picture!"

How could you refuse a bargain like that?

I asked Luke to tell me what they looked like. He explained them both in great detail. I promised I would give it a go...

So I spent the last couple of hours looking up pictures of snakes and tarantulas and trying to bridge the gap of understanding and learn about why a little boy might find them so appealing. Also trying to overcome my fear of even just LOOKING at these creepy crawlies...

I learnt some really cool things about tarantulas such as they are quite docile, they often wont survive a fall and they can regenerate lost legs. Here's a few more cool things: Tarantulas - 10 cool facts!

As for the bushmaster snake. Well, they are one of the most lethal snakes on the planet. BUT, they are rarely seen. So that's a cool fact too!

Drawing them both I decided to make them a little more cartoon like to enhance their "friendliness". 

Here they are....

DOING WHAT YOU WANT

CATS CATS CATS

“What's your name,' Coraline asked the cat. 'Look, I'm Coraline. Okay?'
'Cats don't have names,' it said.
'No?' said Coraline.
'No,' said the cat. 'Now you people have names. That's because you don't know who you are. We know who we are, so we don't need names.” 
― Neil Gaiman, Coraline

Today's drawing challenge comes from Bridgette B. She asked that I draw her cat: “Hi Lou, please draw my cat Louie looking at me with regret as he sits on the neighbours fence. I can use that in my blog” (Bridgette B) I have a feeling that this might soon become a bit of a theme - drawing for people's blogs.

Bridgette is an actor, director, writer and maker of Baggage Productions - an independent and wonderful Melbourne theatre company. As Bridgette is a writer I wasn't surprised that she gave me not only a cat and herself to draw, but set a whole scene out - including the emotion of her cat! I love the individuality of this request.

I am an avid cat lover. I throw my hand in the air and admit it. I'm smitten with the kitten. I love animals of all kind, but there's just something about the individuality of the feline folk that strikes the right chord with me. It's often said that dogs have masters, cats have staff. Ha! I sometimes think this with my own feline friend. But I must say I appreciate that with cats nothing can be expected and nothing is certain. They do what they like, when they like. And as long as you are not a mouse, grasshopper, lizard (or any other such "sporting game") then you may be lucky to find a cat friend. But it may take time for them to find you. They seem content in their own skin and flaunt their individuality and all it's spectrum for all to see. They stand proudly in there own skins.

I am learning to do the same.

BEST FUR FRIENDS FOREVER

ANIMAL COMPANIONS 

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened..."
Anatole France

This drawing challenge is one close to my heart. I was asked to draw my beautiful friend Christine's scruffy pup Cesario (he's the black and tan dog on the right). I was also asked to draw Christine's late puppy Eponine (the cheeky fluff ball on the left) who passed away a year ago on the Friday just gone.

If you have ever loved an animal and shared nights cuddling, or playing or talking, or had an animal lay close to you while tears streamed down your face, or while you sung your lungs out pretending to be a pop star or sat patiently at your side while you ate a meal you will know that nothing compares to this special unconditional love.

And If you have ever lost an animal friend my heart empathises. My friend Christine's world was rocked like never before just over a year ago. Her rock and her best friend were gone in an terrible tragedy. I know she is still healing from this. Her healing is helped with a new little earth angel sent to her in furry form. His name is Cesario. I suspect that Eponine helped Christine find him.  And so this drawing challenge I wanted to show that Eponine and Cesario are a spirit team, loving and supporting their mutual spirit friend Christine (who just happens to be experiencing a human life).

A STORY ABOUT MY FRIEND MISHKA

I lost my beautiful friend and cat companion Mishka about five years ago. When I moved to Melbourne she was one of the first friends I found (at the animal shelter). She was with me when my brother lived with me, then with the next two housemates. Such a great friend. She was feisty, independent, couldn’t be told what to do. She was a free soul. But we had an understanding. She was loyal to me alone. At night time she would push open my bedroom door with her wet little nose and sneak up on my bed and curl around my shoulders and purr like a little motor. Through the night she would often get up and walk onto the bedside table and drink from my glass of water (she only drank water out of glass - clearly she was a classy cat!) I loved hearing her lapping happily at the water in the middle of the night. I ended up having a bottle of water with a lid on for me and a glass for her filled every night!

One day my youngest brother invited me to check out his new apartment on the other side of the city. I bought him a box of house plants to make his apartment feel more homely. As I was leaving I didn’t notice that Mishka had slipped out under my feet through the front door. I would occasionally let her out the front with me when gardening, so she loved the “front” and the adventure that was otherwise off limits when unsupervised.

When I came back home later that night (after dark) I parked the car across the road opposite the house. As I got out of the car Mishka ran over the road to meet me and my partner. I went over to pick her up. But as I was about five metres away, suddenly a car came racing down the street. Mishka got unnerved by the sound of the approaching car. She bolted for our house - the safe zone for her. Unfortunately the direct path from me to the house was right in front of the car.

I watched her go under the wheel. Maybe the worst moment of my life.

I ran to her screaming, the driver stopped, and I held her as she coughed up blood and breathed her last breath. Poor driver didn’t know what was happening. I couldn’t stop crying and screaming out in utter grief.

My housemate Kit at the time was an earth angel in disguise. She went and got Mishkas favourite blanket and wrapped her in it and took her in the house. My partner talked to the driver and assured him it wasn’t his fault. We put Mishkas body in the back yard and lit candles around it. My housemate told me that when a soul leaves a body sometimes it may stay around for a few days, disorientated but at peace, trying to figure out the situation. So the candles would give her a chance to see her body and know that we cared for her. We buried her the next day in the back yard with her favourite toys. I made a photo slide show of all my favourite pictures and let myself bawl my eyes out while watching it back. I lit a candle in the back yard every night for a week in her memory.

I woke up during the first night in tears. The second too. I was pretty inconsolable even with my partner giving me support.

The third night I was alone. The third night is when Mishka visited me.

In the middle of the night I was awakened. But I did not know what by. I heard the door being pushed opened. I heard it and felt it. I felt Mishka walking towards the bed (as I had felt so many times before). I was confused. Wasn’t she gone? I lay on the bed straining my eyes in the blackness looking towards the door. Then I heard it. A lapping. Right next to the bed, right where her water glass was still placed. Then the sound became louder and louder and louder until the whole room seemed to encompass this lapping sound. So I sat up. And then my eyes adjusted. I was alone in the room. But I walked to the front door (right next to my bedroom door) and opened it to witness the Melbourne rain falling on the plants in the front garden. And I knew suddenly. Not believed, not hoped, but knew. Mishka had become the rain. The rain, and the soil, and the plants, and the earth. And for that matter, the sky and the stars and the rocks and the trees and ocean and everything in between. And she was fine. Absolutely fine. And she wanted to let me know.

My grieving stopped that night. Because she told me she was fine.
I still missed her, and occasionally would shed a tear but in my heart I knew all was ok. My friend was greater than just her physical form that she left.

This is a true story. I have never had an experience like it before. But it was as real as the sunrise in the morning.

I am now blessed to share my life with a gorgeous cat Ruby who follows me around the house and sleeps curled up in a little ball on my bed at night. She is a constant and true companion and asks not for much except food and cuddles. Ruby reminds me to practice unconditional love daily. I can't thank her enough for that. 

COCK-A-DOODLE-DO

WAKE UP! WAKE UP!

"No eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn"
(Jim Morrison)

Yes I am writing this in the wee hours of the morning at the tail end of the last week of my holidays. Next week I go back to early mornings and studying graphic design full time. The drawing challenge I chose today comes from my friend Daniel who asked I draw a cock. So here is your rooster Daniel. I am sure this is EXACTLY what you had in mind! 

I have been thinking about the rooster as a symbol and what it might mean. I researched a little and found a lot of references to religious ceremonies and cock fighting. Yeah. No so cool with me (I don't think I mentioned that I am a vegetarian and I love love love animals?)

So I went back to a different source of information (just as relevant as the wikepedia - actually yarn darn it - probabaly MORE relevant than old wiki - my own ideas.) To me the rooster reminds me to keep aware to keep awake and to be alert. I've always believed the world needs more lerts.

Tonight I spent the night getting some great tips and advice from my dear friend and sista in all things lovely and imaginative - Bekky (do yourself a little favour and check out her hilarious and beautiful blog: Saint Damascus) She said "Lou, you have a great attitude and you seem ready and willing to just learn and ask questions - even the ones that others wouldn't DARE ask!" And then she gave me some hot hot tips on sharing and creating work (yay for the digital age where we can actually DO this!) These words meant the world to me. A little encouragement from the right people really resonates. Yes. I am ready and willing to learn. And wanting to dive into the depths of creativity and see where this journey will take me. The rooster reminds me to keep being aware. It's a constant cockadoodledoo of "Keep seeking keep learning Lou!!"(and keep drawing.....)

CUPPA TIME

SLOWING DOWN

"Slow lorises are a group of several species of strepsirrhine primates which make up the genus Nycticebus. Found in south and southeast Asia, they range from Bangladesh and Northeast India in the west to the Philipines in the east,  and from the Yunnan province in China in the north to the island of Java in the south"

(Wikipedia)

This latest drawing challenge comes from my beautiful partner Troy. He asked me to draw a Slow Loris. Which happen to be the pretty much the cutest animal on the planet as they are a little like a possum and a lot like an Ewok. A winning combination. Though a little two winning as these little guys  are on the endangered list as poachers and pet shops are a threat. See this link for info: 

http://www.internationalanimalrescue.org/projects/25/Saving+the+slow+loris.html

I drew this little guy drinking tea as after all they are a SLOW loris. And what better way to slow down than with a cuppa. For me, tea is an essential part of the day. And as I drew this little guy I drank a whole pot of chai (my all time favourite tea). This little guy reminds me to come back to myself and give myself time for self care. Not just slamming down a beverage on the run, but taking time to actually relax, breathe and be aware of everything within and around you. I must try and incorporate more of this into my life!

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

HORSING AROUND

“He's of the colour of the nutmeg. And of the heat of the ginger.... he is pure air and fire; and the dull elements of earth and water never appear in him, but only in patient stillness while his rider mounts him; he is indeed a horse, and all other jades you may call beasts.” 
― William Shakespeare, Henry V

So this latest drawing challenge comes from my friend Steph. Steph is the owner of two gorgeous greyhounds. I must admit that to me greyhounds are like the horses of the canine worlds. They run like the wind, embody grace and people love them or have an innate fear of them. 

I am trying a different approach to my drawings this week. No pen/ink this time. Just my favourite pencil and a hint of colour added after. Will see how this goes!

Today I rode a bike for the first time in about five years. It was rather fitting as I have been working on an illustration for a friends website all week that has a red bike in it. I ended up drawing the bike three times. So I think I sent it out to the universe that it was time to get back in the saddle again! My best friend called me this morning and said "Let's go ride a bike to get some Vietnamese food for lunch." 

I have been minding another friends bike in my back yard for approximately a year. I have never ridden it before. But my best friend Kim convinced me that as the bike is just sitting there - it should be used and loved (and the original owner I think has pretty much forgotten about it). Kim lent me a helmet and I was off and away. Oh the sweet freedom of the wind in my face! Oh the joy of the down hill speed! Oh the challenge and torture of the uphill slog! (My muscles will let me know tomorrow how they feel about this new taste of freedom).

As a kid I used to pretend that my orange bike was a horse. I distinctly remember talking to it as we rode around the neighbourhood. That sweet freedom was one of the best feelings I ever had as a child.

I am going to get back in the saddle more frequently. No petrol required. Free exercise. Sun and wind on my face and the freedom to horse around again.