PHOTO MONDAY - something odd, strange or funny

i thought i was going to have to miss out on this theme, until yesterday, when the perfect subject came into my line of vision.  it fit the bill PERFECTLY!

remember you can click on any image to enlarge it 

my daughter, Michelle, calls it 'The Brain' because it reminds her of brains

....though it looks a little intestinal to me. lol

it's definitely odd or strange-looking, don't you think?

is it a door-stop perhaps?

or some sort of giant paperweight?

nope, it's a hand-made bowl that my eldest son, Bradley, made for me when he was 13!

a wonderful achievement considering Bradley is legally blind.

Bradley moulded this clay bowl by hand in his manual arts class at, Narbethong, a school for the blind.

he can't remember if it was air-dried but i'm thinking it was.

he painted and varnished it himself too.

the loosely painted design reminds me of army camouflage.

this bowl is solid and quite heavy and, for the past thirteen years, i've been using it as my odds and ends bowl on my art table.

I LOVE IT!!!

i tend to hold onto things that my kids made for me when they were at school.

Bradley has also made wooden items which i use for holding art stuff.

i will share them with you in a later post.

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this morning, when i went to wake Aaron up for school,

this was what i found

is this cute, or what?!!!

Cody didn't budge as i ran for my camera

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as for the home-front, i'm still working on Pay It Forward gifts so no photos of artwork just yet.  the hardest part when painting a gift for someone is deciding exactly what to paint for them.  this can take the longest time because i procrastinate so much.  i ask general questions of the recipient which helps a little but then....

i worry if the recipient will like what i paint them? 

will it be the right colour? 

the right subject matter?

i'm one crazy artist, that's for sure. lol

anywhoo, i'm just glad to be working on the gifts when i can because life has been pretty busy lately.

WARNING - RANT AHEAD - it's been raining, on and off, the past couple of days and i'm hoping it doesn't get heavier or stay around for too long because i certainly don't want to go through all the backyard swamp drama again.  to add insult to injury, our landlord sent out a lease renewal and had the cheek to actually put the rent UP!!!  we were not happy, considering we are still being treated for termite infestation and, after that, there will need to be substantial internal damage repairs done....a major inconvenience for us!  on top of that, the backyard needs to be graded on a slight slope and a larger drainage system installed.....another BIG job and inconvenience!   i rang the property manager yesterday and told her our grievances which she will pass onto the landlord. after all, we have an excellent tenancy history, i keep the house in great condition and, only this past fortnight, i paid $200 out of my own pocket to upgrade and improve the front garden bed.  you would think if a landlord has good tenants, he would show them some appreciation and understanding, wouldn't you?  legislation states that tenants should be able to live in  reasonable peace, comfort and privacy. if he isn't willing to keep the rent at the current price we pay, as compensation for the inconveniences we will have to cope with, we will definitely move.  as it is, i'm  not even sure that we want to stay considering all the invasive problems with termites we've had since september last year, not to mention all the upcoming repairs and work that will need to be done. apart from all the dramas, i am trying to focus on the positives so i don't stress out too much.

i hope you are all enjoying your week without any drama

love, light and peace