399. Mermaid and little fish

Fineliner ink pen on paper, December 2009.

I’ve said it before (I think), that junk mail is an incredible source of ideas. These lingerie and underwear catalogues turn up in the letterbox. While in the past they were a source of distress as I compared myself to the models in the images, these days they’ve demonstrated a significant usefulness in sometimes inspiring ideas for my illustrations. Funny. That, and I don’t really worry about my figure so much these days. Well, not as often as I used to!

Somehow, this turned into a mermaid surrounded by cutesy sea creatures. Fun!

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http://flokot.redbubble.com/sets/107560/works/4377001-1-mermaid-with-octopus-and-assorted-fish

398. Australian Soil II

Photograph, September 2009.

More little purple flowers at the local cricket reserve.

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Redbubble.com Bubblesite.

397. Australian Soil III

Photograph, September 2009.

We live in a really odd suburb. To the untrained eye it is just another collection of old houses and roads and shops. Not a  whole lot else. After living here a few years I started to discover things – like the massive reserve with two cricket ovals, walking tracks and heaps of Australian native plants that is hidden at the end of our street. It makes me wonder just how I missed it. It’s tucked away out the back but the area is absolutely massive and a haven for people walking their dogs or jogging.

It’s very hot there, for some reason, and parts of it feel more like an outback desert rather than a southeastern suburb.

In September all these tiny purple flowers appear in the ‘desert’ part of the reserve. They’re really cute and add a lovely splash of colour in an otherwise brown, yellow and dry bike track.

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My redbubble.com Bubblesite.

396. Christmas Cat

Watercolour pencil and colour pencil on paper, 2009.

I wanted to create a Christmas card friendly design. It was good fun drawing this cat by a fireplace. Even though it’s summer during our Christmas, those of us in the southern end of the continent do get a decent amount of freezing cold days.

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This drawing can also be found at my redbubble.com Bubblesite.

Horsey!

Christmas Greetings

Hi, everyone!

Just a quick post to wish my regular readers a happy and safe Christmas season. In Australia, that means being aware of bushfires and not throwing cigarette butts on the roadsides when you’re travelling in rural areas!

I will be taking a bit of a blogging break, probably until early next year. I plan to do less frequent blogging next year, as I will be working on my sociology honours dissertation (eep!). However, the drawings will still be coming and please check out my RedBubble site at http://flokot.redbubble.com.

Thanks!

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http://www.vic.gov.au/emergencies-safety/fire-prevention/bushfire-management.html

Winter Sport in Australia

Great article I just read

http://www.esquire.com/features/best-and-brightest-2009/shane-claiborne-1209

I know… Esquire? But it’s a great article for Christian and non-Christian alike. Check it out!

Heavy Hauler Truck Thing

395. Yellow Daisy

Photograph, October 2009.

 

Heavy Haulers 2008

Why oh why do I have so many train stamps?

394. Puddle With Gum Leaf

 

Photograph, October 2009.

Spring, in south eastern Melbourne.

Christmas Wise Man

Slavery

At church this evening, they spent some time exploring the issue of modern day slavery. I guess it’s one of those things that sits in the back of my mind. It’s a surprise that slavery is still a very real, very common practise. Surely, in this day and age, we would think ourselves enlightened enough to completely abolish such evils. So, when I learnt that slavery is most certainly extant across most of the world, it was really quite troubling.

Not having the knowledge nor expertise to formulate a commentary, I simply list here a couple of links that might prove useful for the reader who wants to learn more.

http://www.worldvision.com.au/ourwork/Solutions/DontTradeLives.aspx

http://www.fairtrade.com.au/

http://www.myspace.com/lc2lc

http://www.joyfulheart.com/misc/newton.htm

http://www.melbourne.anglican.com.au/main.php?pg=news&news_id=18665&s=1470

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/abolition/slavery_business_gallery_05.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/wilberforce_william.shtml

(All links accessed 21 November 2009.)

Mawarra Victoria

Christmas Island Piggy

Shocking – Melbourne Cup 2009 Winner

G1 VRC Melbourne Cup 3200m 2009 Results

SHOCKING (b h 4y Street Cry (IRE) – Maria Di Castiglia (GB). Trainer: M A Kavanagh) 51 (C W Brown)

CRIME SCENE 53 (K Mc Evoy)

MOURILYAN 54.5 (G Schofield)

Master O’Reilly 55 (V Duric)

Harris Tweed 52.5 (C Newitt)

Alcopop 52.5 (D Tourneur)

Viewed 58 (B Rawiller)

C’est La Guerre (Nicholas Hall)

Kibbutz 52.5 (Chris Symons)

Newport 52.5 (Peter Wells)

Daffodil 51.5 (C Munce)

Munsef 53 (Z Purton)

Gallions Reach 52 (D Dunn)

Leica Ding 50.5 (Craig Williams)

Ista Kareem 53.5 (L Nolen)

Allez Wonder 50.5 (Ms Michelle Payne)

Capecover 51.5 (N G Harris)

Basaltico 51.5 (D Nikolic)

Zavite 53 (M Zahra)

Spin Around 52 (M R Du Plessis)

Roman Emperor 54 (J Bowman)

Fiumicino 55.5 (S R King)

Warringah 52.5 carr 53 (D Oliver) last.

Scr: Changingoftheguard.

3/4 len, 1-1/2 len. Time: 3:23.87. (Last 600m 36.60).

Most years I sit down and do a little study into the pedigrees of the horses running in the major Australian horseraces. I am not remotely interested in betting, but I do appreciate a good horse and get a lot of enjoyment linking history and horses. Thoroughbreds are of particular interest to me – and if you ever get a chance to see it, I do have a bookshelf devoted to tests the history of Thoroughbred, Arabian and Standardbred horses in Australia!

Unfortunately, this year I did not get a chance. Otherwise I might have taken more notice of the eventual winner, Australian-born Shocking (b h 2005 Street Cry (IRE) from Maria Di Castiglia (GB), by Danehill (USA)).

As I have to run out the door to do some errands, I cannot ponder too much longer on this; but I pose this question: what kind of impact have descendants of Danehill (USA 1986) had on the major Australian horseraces?

In restrospect it does not seem a huge surprise that a horse of Shocking’s calibre would take out Australia’s major horserace. A grandson of Danehill on his dam’s side, and a direct male line descendant of Native Dancer (USA gr h 1950), he carries some high quality bloodlines!

One thing that fascinates me is that every name in a horse’s pedigree is a tie to the history. Every one of those horses has been bred for a purpose, linked to people who perhaps tied their hopes and dreams into their animals, and many of these Thoroughbreds carry an impressive genealogy of major race winners with them. If only I had more time to explore these ideas, but more pressing priorities await!

References:

http://melbournecup.racingandsports.com.au/

http://www.studbook.org.au/Horse.aspx?hid=895792

http://www.studbook.org.au/Horse.aspx?hid=616135

http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/horseracing/2009/11/04/1257247659785.html

http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/native+dancer

Green Train In Aussie Desert

393. Leaf Litter With Rose Petals

Photograph, April 2009.

I was really taken with the bright red rose petals on the brown oak leaves.

Australian Desert

392. White Roses On Bright Autumn Day

Photograph, April 2009.

391. Horse With Sunglasses

Sharpie marker on yellow cloth-textured paper, August 2008.

Sheffield Shield 1992

390. Horse On Yellow Paper

Sharpie marker on yellow ‘cloth-textured’ paper, August 2008.

389. Galahs

Photograph, May 2008.

Galahs - Eolophus roseicapilla albiceps

Galahs are very common in our local area. I think they’re cute!