Changing Seasons : November 2022

We have now settled down into more of a regular routine. No hospital visits, not many doctors visits. Now we have more time to do the things we like. I am back to my weekly art group, Jack can get back to his fortnightly surf club meetings with his mates (that I call his “old blokes”!!!) He also has connected with another group of blokes from our apartment block that meet for coffee and chat every Monday, and we go to the weekly Friday “happy hour” where we are getting to know some of the residents. With over 300 people in this complex it will take quite a while to remember names. We’ve also started using the gym and heated swimming pool and sauna, making use of the excellent facilities. 

We also have time to start looking around and exploring this area. A friend tolds us about Chirn Park an old suburb of Southport not far from where we now live. So with sketch books packed and GPS turned on we found it only a 15 minute drive away.

Majestic old fig trees, old style houses nestled among trees, Agapanthus lined road ways, an interesting cafe/bar venue and we stopped for an iced coffee and cake, it also has music on Sundays (we will be back), further down the street we find an art gallery and we were inspired to do a “plein air” sketch of one of the houses. Standing in front of the house with no where to sit the end result was a bit lop sided!!!

Another outing, a bit further afield, was to the Tweed Valley art gallery. A favourite venue of mine that I have been wanting to visit again for over a year.

Margaret Olley is one of my favourite artists and a display of some of her flower paintings were on display.

Margaret Olley died in 2011 and she left all she owned to the Tweed Gallery. They built an extension on to the gallery depicting her house room by room, then meticulously transfered everything to this venue, exactly as it was on the day she died. What a mammoth task. You will see what I mean when you peer in through the windows.

The winners of the Wollumbin art award were also on display and I was not so impressed by them. This was the first prize winner.

This was another “art work?” Well what do you think???

This is more to my liking. I would love to be able to produce art like this one.

This is another of my attempts at line and wash. Short Street is just across the road from the apartment. A street lined by more old, majestic trees, plenty of seats in the shade to sit while sketching.

Jack’s desert roses have adapted to their new home and are putting on a colourful display.

The view from our 30th floor is ever changing and though storms have been predicted, so far there hasn’t been a thunder storm. I think that will be spectacular to watch.

So it is now December and this tumultuous year is almost over and Christmas has made it’s looming presence felt when these characters appeared on our landing.

So another month recorded. Ju-lyn, “touring my backyard< and Brian, “Bushboy’s world” host this monthly challenge, which prompts me to keep an ongoing record and keeping up to date with the monthly happenings in other areas of the world. Pop over to see them.