AEDM - Day 15 - Trotsky the pig

This is Trotsky, a senior pig at the sanctuary we visited. He is 8 years old and so darned cute! I'm disappointed in this sketch as I rushed it and it didn't turn out the way I'd hoped.  I may play a bit more with him tomorrow as I hesitate to call it finished. 

I started with a rough free-hand pencil sketch

Then a first layer of watercolours mapping out his different areas of colour

For now, he will have to do but I don't feel like I did him justice 

Meet the real Trotsky. 

He's so sweet and loves people!

Trotsky was raised by a family but sadly, earlier this year, they decided they didn't want him anymore and he was surrendered to the animal pound. Thankfully, he ended up at Happily Heifer After Sanctuary. 

To see what my fellow AEDM-ers have done for today, click HERE.

I have fallen behind with comments on other AEDM blogs but I promise to catch up with all the ones I have missed. 

Love, Light, and Peace to All.

INKtober: the last sketches I managed

I tried and failed but I enjoyed taking part. I had an emotional week which got in the way unfortunately.  So these are the last two I managed to get done for the INKtober challenge. Both are on a somber note but the reasons for sketching them are very close to my heart.

I sketched this greyhound in support for a protest rally held in Sydney last Sunday. The rally was to voice opposition against the overturning of the greyhound racing ban in NSW. Thousands of these beautiful greyhounds are killed every year because  they don't make the cut in training or they don't do well on the track. 

On top of that there is the horrific live-baiting scandal that was uncovered last year, where several greyhound trainers were found to be using possums (a protected species), kittens, piglets, and rabbits as live bait in training. This despicable treatment of innocent animals was exposed via hidden video taken by animal activists. Live baiting is illegal so you'd think it would be enough to warrant an immediate shutdown but, yet again, it's a battle because the almighty dollar always seems to take priority. 

Greyhound racing is a cruel industry that should be stopped and we will not give up the fight! 

And the last one I managed to do. 

Day 24 - A chicken who doesn't have a great life either in yet another cruel industry. 

"Humanity is accruing an enormous debt of karma by its treatment of animals."~ Eckhart Tolle

Linking up with Sunday Sketches this week. 

You can see the work of other participants HERE.

The activist in me...and a sketch.

There was a protest rally
in Brisbane, on October 17th,
calling on our government to
ban the live export of animals.
Live Export is an unnecessary, barbaric, and evil trade
that is literally a hell on earth for animals.
Those beautiful, innocent beings suffer tremendously
and we need to speak out against such atrocities.

Profit should NEVER come above the well-being of the innocent.

"Humanity is accruing an enormous debt of karma by its treatment of animals."
~ Eckhart Tolle

Moleskine A5 watercolour sketchbook 
Platinum carbon fountain pen 
LAMY Joy fountain pen 
Derwent watercolour pencils


This was my first ever protest rally
and I was determined to go
despite being a little nervous.
I made up my poster the day before.

I headed off early Saturday morning by bus
with plans to sketch before the rally
but that never happened.
Time just got away from me.

For lunch, I enjoyed a delicious vegan all-you-can-eat 'Feast' meal
at Govinda's, a vegetarian restaurant, in Elizabeth Street.
It was my first time there and the food was divine!
Their vegan chocolate mousse was the best I've ever tasted.
I met a few other vegans whilst eating lunch there
and one has been a patron of Govinda's for 25 years.
I'm not surprised.

I intend to take Bradley there when
we are in the city next.

It was a blistering hot day
but hundreds of protesters still showed up.
 I found myself sitting beside
a few more vegans which felt great!
We chatted, shared info, and discussed future dates
for more animal causes.

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress 
can be judged by the way it treats its animals.
--- Ghandi

"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures 
from the shelter of compassion and pity, 
you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men."
~St. Francis of Assisi

Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, 
man will not himself find peace.
--- Albert Schweitzer

I made a sketchbook entry about the rally.

The soul is the same in all living creatures 
although the body of each is different.
~Hippocrates

All in all,
I am so glad I went along to the rally.
It felt right!
It felt good to be a voice for the animals
and I plan to take part in more events
to help animals.

I already have the T-shirt for one coming up in January 2016.

Some sketches...

I have been crocheting like mad on the ripple blanket 

for Granddaughter number 3 

but I have also managed a few sketches here and there.

I've not long completed the Sketchbook Skool course called 'Stretching'. 

One of the teachers, Lapin, enjoys sketching in old ledgers. 

Vehicles and people with big heads and small bodies 

are his speciality and our homework 

naturally involved these things.

I was happy with the way it turned out 

considering I used only pen and sketched 

super-fast while looking at my image in the mirror.
It has a quirkiness that I like.

It was loads of fun to do and no, 

it does not reflect a personality trait.

Another sketchbook spread from May 

Another Sketchbook Skool teacher was Jason Das 

who is big into Urban Sketching. 

I found his klass to be very informative.

I sketched him while watching his klass video.

He was part of a bigger spread

And a couple more from May

Brad and I visit the Mater Hospital each week to practise for choir. 

I did a couple of sketches whilst waiting in the hospital grounds. 

Many years ago, I used to do nursing at Aubigny Place which, 

in those days, was the Mater Private Hospital.

A new Mater Private Hospital was opened in 1993

and Aubigny Place is now a Heritage Centre for the Mater Hospital.

An old tree in the Mater Hospital grounds.

Cody signed up for a campaign! 

We are hoping to help bring an end to Puppy Factories/farms.

It is an incredibly cruel and callous industry. 

Visit Know Your Best Friend to add your fur-kid's voice

to this worthy campaign.

That's Cody in the photo below.

Decorating with turtles and fish...

If you have been following my blog for some time, 

you will already know that I am very big into animal rights and welfare.
I've sponsored bears in the past and I have donated to animal causes worldwide
ever since I was a working teen.
This year, I'm going to adopt a baby orangutan.
No, no....it won't come to live with me in Australia. hehe
The baby orangutan will stay in it's own habitat
 but my annual adoption fee will go towards it's care and support.
More details on that in a later post.

Lately, I've been wondering about ways I can use my art to help
or bring awareness to animal causes 

OR whether it would be better to keep the two separate. 

Well, I think I received my answer the other day.

I was in the studio painting a sea turtle canvas for my kitchen 

when a knock came at the door. 

It turned out to be a guy from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) 

and he was collecting donations for their latest rescue cause...

Green Sea Turtles in Northern Queensland!

How uncanny is that?!

I've NEVER had anyone from WWF knock at my door before
and, there I was, painting a sea turtle....the very thing he was promoting! 

I'm thinking there is definitely a message in there for me 

considering the timing.

Here is the turtle canvas I was working on.

I changed the colour scheme in my kitchen from reds to blues, greens, and purples
which is my favourite colour combo.

 I already had some metal fish tea-light ornaments from Bali
so decided to go with a fishy/sea theme too. 

The blue in the pic below is more true to the actual colour.

And I did not stop there....

Aaron liked my fish art so much he asked if I could do one for his room.
Lucky for him, he caught me while I was on a roll.

So the one below was done very quickly to keep him happy.
It looks great in his bedroom where he also has an aquarium.

IT ARRIVED!!!

My artistic license validating my completion of the 75 day sketch challenge.
I still can't believe I did it.

75 pencil-free sketches using only pen or ink in 75 consecutive days!

Brenda Swenson, the host of the 75 day challenge,
sent me one of her art cards too. Lovely!

I was going to post pics of my kitchen with it's new decor colours
but I'll leave that for another day as this post has become over-long.

I hope you all had a wonderful start to the week.

~ Love, light and peace ~

Rainy days and rhinos

Happy Sunday to all!

We've had a rainy few days here so, yesterday, I popped some of my potted plants out onto the lawn so they could enjoy a delicious drink of fresh rain-water.  I'm sure they were very grateful.

This a photo I snapped a week ago when Aaron and I went for a walk to the shops.
A bee on some gumnut blossoms.

And here is another sketch I did during my blog break. It's a mix of graphite, micron pens, watercolours and coloured pencil in my large Moleskine sketchbook.

There are various threats towards the Rhino, nearly all of them human-based. Poaching of the Rhino horn for use in Traditional Chinese Medicine is, by far, the greatest threat facing the Rhino today.  Sadly, these unique animals are being hunted into extinction.  Habitat loss by human hands for human settlement, logging and for agricultural purposes also have a negative affect on the Rhino.

Humankind has a lot to answer for.

Visit this link to help Save the Rhino.

Reference image used is credited to Martin Pettitt at Flickr via Creative Commons.

 "If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men."
~St. Francis of Assisi

I still have the rotten asthmatic cough so I'm seeing my doctor in the morning. Apart from it driving me to madness, I need to get it cleared up before my angiogram....still no date for that yet.

I hope you're all enjoying a beautiful weekend.

~ Love, light and peace ~

A crazy week, a self portrait, a sketch and orangutans!

Another crazy week has passed which is why I haven't been around much.

I had three migraines!

Aaron broke his arm at high school on Wednesday.

Some kid managed to kick his arm into a pole when they were playing.

It was an accident and they feel really bad about it.

Aaron's arm is now in a cast for six weeks which he's not too happy about.

It was his writing hand too but, thankfully, the school are supplying him with a laptop to use in class.

My Pre-Op appointment didn't go too well either.

My blood pressure was through the roof despite me already being on blood pressure medication and this had the anaesthetist quite concerned. I'm booked in to have a Stress Echo-cardiogram done on Wednesday as she wants to clear any problems that could arise during my surgery on the 22nd.  Admittedly, my Pre-Op appointment was on the same day I was running Aaron back and forth for his arm so I did have a stressful day.  I hope my surgery won't have to be postponed as I'd rather get it dealt with and out of the way.

WEEK 10 - 52 weeks of ME 2012 self portrait challenge

I saw one of our Aussie actresses, Cornelia Francis, on SUNRISE this past weekend.  She is now the Australian ambassador for the Save The Orangutan project in Borneo.  Orangutans are our closest living relatives in the animal world. They share 97% of our DNA....so interesting. These amazing animals are now critically endangered because their rainforest habitats are being flattened to make way for Palm Oil plantations. Sadly, the almighty dollar comes first yet again.

Please help if you can ~

I paid tribute to this critically endangered species in my large Moleskine sketchbook.

Drawn directly in ink pen and only used graphite pencil to shade a little here and there.

Reference image is credited to Daniel Kleeman at Flickr.

I sure hope your week was better than mine.

~ Love, light and peace ~

self portrait and gorillas

Sunday was an overcast and rainy day so I declared it a jammie day for myself.
I never used to be a jammie day person but I'm a changed woman.

Jammies are SO comfy!

Week 9 - 52 weeks of ME 2012 project

After watching a video of an amazing chance encounter with wild mountain gorillas recently, I felt inspired to sketch one. I loved the movie, 'Gorillas in the Mist' which was about Dian Fossey, an American zoologist/scientist who studied and protected groups of wild mountain gorillas from poachers in the mountain forests of Rwanda. She did this for 18 years until sadly, she was murdered in 1985, it is assumed by poachers. The gorilla fund organisation she had originally set up continues the fight to protect the wild mountain gorillas that she loved so much.

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International

Reference image is credited to lisilk at WetCanvas.

And the video footage I found on Sandy's blog that inspired my sketch.
I got goosebumps watching it.
Amazing stuff!

Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.
--- Albert Einstein

~ Love, light and peace ~

elephants, UK circus news and a dog

I've heard a lot of animal abuse stories lately which have weighed heavily on my heart.  It's nice to see a story like this with a happy ending....although it did take 20 years.  Here is the direct link in case the video doesn't work - Reunion after 20 years.

And more good news from the UK.
 They have banned the use of wild animals in circuses.
Ministers cave to demands
Well done to the UK!
I can only hope that Australia follows suit.
Cody thinks that, if all animals were treated like him, the world would be a happy place indeed.  Here he is in one of him most favourite spots in the world.....my pillow.

 I've had a few ups and downs with back pain and migraines the past few days so nothing to show art-wise.

Stay tuned ~

~ Love, light and peace ~

a funny pooch, inspiration, motivation, sketches & a self portrait

I just had to share.

I couldn't stop laughing out loud while watching this pooch.
Too funny!

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 And here is an inspirational story on TED by a young woman who, at the age of four, escaped to Australia by boat with her family.  I hope her story makes people who are against the 'boat people' really stop and think.  These refugees are real people who have suffered greatly and are only looking for a safe and better life.  In case the video doesn't work, here is the link - Tan Le - My Immigration Story.

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I was quite devastated yesterday after attempting to watch a movie called Earthlings narrated by Joaquin Phoenix. It shows atrocities committed against animals around the world by human hands. I guess it is hoped that people will take a stand and make a difference.  It shows the truth of it all. The movie is over an hour and a half long but I could only make it to 17 minutes before I was crying my eyes out and feeling physically ill. I just couldn't watch any more and don't know if I will be able to. It truly hurt my heart and soul and, if you're the type of person who empathises deeply with animals like I do, I would advise you NOT to watch it. Some of the images are still haunting me and, no doubt, will continue to haunt me for some time to come. Seeing things like that can truly make me hate the human race for what they do, or choose to ignore, when it comes to the animal inhabitants of this planet...and even their own kind, let's not forget the Holocaust.  We are all God's creatures and animals deserve our respect, compassion and love too.  I just can't comprehend how some of us can be so indifferent and desensitised to another creature's agony and suffering?  It's those people who really need to watch this film from beginning to end as hopefully it might restore some of their humanity. I can only pray that things change for the better.

I now feel motivated to get back to focusing my art on animals.
I also want to consider other ways I can make a bigger difference apart from my donations and bringing awareness via my Animal Love links.

 My actions are my only true belongings.
— Thich Nhat Hanh

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Speaking of art,
here are a few recent sketches in my journal.


The birds in our family - Maelik (pronounced 'mail-ick'), Surya (pronounced 'sue-ree-ah') and Jacob.

Budgies are native to Australia and, over the years, have fast become a popular pet around the world.  In America, they are known as parakeets because they are a member of the parrot family.  As far as talking goes, the male budgies are much easier to train whereas it's not very common for the females to talk.  One tip - If you want to train a budgie to talk, it is best being on its own in a cage as another budgie companion will just distract it.  That's why they say not to put a mirror in their cage either.  These little birds are full of personality.


The finished page I started the other day.

Here, my main focus was sketching directly with ink pens - no pencils - so I only added a hint of colour to the background.

And a collection of Asian influences around my home.
The leafy plant is called Lucky Bamboo and lives in a large vase of water.

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Week 8 in the 52 weeks of me 2012 project.

Contemplating what to sketch next perhaps?

We're having a very rainy weekend here with humidity and temps alternating between muggy and cool.
I'll just have the coolness please.


OH, I received a date for my hysterectomy surgery!
March 22nd - the day before my birthday which means I'll be in hospital on my birthday.  Ah well, at least I won't have to cook. lol

Btw, I think Blogger heard the outcry about people being frustrated with the NEW Word Verification.  I've noticed that, while it is still the two words, they have done away with the indecipherable B&W wonky word...YAY!! While I still hate Word Verification on blogs and refuse to use it on my own, at least Blogger has opted to make the words easier to decipher.

I hope you're all enjoying a beautiful weekend!

~ Love, light and peace ~

Making a difference

This story just breaks my heart.

I'm all for dangerous dog breeds being banned but this particular case is based on Lennox being condemned to death purely because of his looks, despite DNA tests proving he is not one of the banned dangerous breeds.

Addendum - 29th April '12 - After doing research and reading many sad stories about the plights of some dogs which are classified as being a dangerous breed, I have come to the conclusion that it's not the dog breed that can be dangerous, it's their owners.  Sadly, these breeds get bad names due to bad ownership, plain and simple.

Please watch this video

I signed the petition and I pray Lennox is given a reprieve and returned to his loving family.

Lennox's Official Website 

Sign petition here

Campaign to Save Lennox on Facebook

~ Love, light and peace ~

Donkeys aren't asses!

Yes, they are known for being very stubborn animals but heck, wouldn't you be stubborn if you were used as a beast of burden on a day-to-day basis, quite often overburdened with goods?!  Sometimes, being forced to put your life at risk for your human counterparts as they put you into dangerous situations carrying explosives in wars. Apparently, this was done in the Afghanistan war in remote areas.  A donkey's life is not often an easy one so I think they deserve a little slack.  They are actually very loyal and intelligent animals.

Donkeys can be fierce protectors of their charges too and, in North America, have even been used as guards for livestock such as sheep, goats and other farm animals. I didn't know that until I read it over at the Primrose Sanctuary website.

Unfortunately, they are often abused or neglected and this is why places like The PrimRose Donkey Sanctuary are a Godsend.  Sheila Burns is its founder and saviour.  The sanctuary and its volunteers are committed to the rescue, protection and rehabilitation of donkeys and other large farm animals in crisis. They are also trying to educate the public as many people believe that donkeys are stubborn, vicious or dumb which is not the case.  I believe it all depends on how they are treated. 

Anywhoo, I decided to do a sketch in my journal to acknowledge the great work they do at The PrimRose Donkey Sanctuary. Whimsical art is not my thing but, what can I say, I tried.

Pencil-free sketch using only Pigma micron pens and watercolours in large Moleskine sketchbook.

Please consider visiting The PrimRose Donkey Sanctuary website as they have some great information and you can meet their animal charges one-by-one in their photo gallery.  They even have a blog written by, Primrose, one of their resident donkeys. A very enjoyable and informative read.

I have included this wonderful sanctuary in the Animal Love page link under my blog banner so, if you can't donate now but may consider it in the future, you will easily find their link there. A permanent link to Primrose's blog can be found in my sidebar.

In other news, my muse has returned and I am finally getting some sketching done. YAY!

I hope you are all enjoying a perfect week!

~ Love, light and peace ~

caring for animals

If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.
--Saint Francis of Assisi (mystic and preacher)

in 2008, i sponsored a rescued bear for six months and, recently, i felt the yearning to do it again.  his name is 'BOUNCER' and he is an 'asiatic black bear'.  as a cub, he was found by wildlife rescuers after he'd been caught in a trap.  bouncer's forearm was so badly mutilated that the whole limb had to be amputated.  today, he is fit, happy and healthy as he is now cared for in a beautiful, lush jungle enclosure along with other rescued bears.  this was all made possible by the beautiful people at the FREE THE BEARS FUND INC. who run the sponsorship program and it makes me feel good to know i have helped to make a difference.

i'm using the image above for WEEK 36 of the 52 WEEKS OF ME PROJECT

you too can help make a difference by giving a small donation to any animal cause of your choice...perhaps there is one in your local area?  i have listed links for a few worthy causes in my sidebar if you're interested. the animals will love you for it.

"If a man aspires towards a righteous life, his first act of abstinence is from injury to animals."

--Albert Einstein 

i hope you're having a fabulous week! mine has been a little up and down with fatigue, pain and new medications but i'm hopeful things will get better. life IS good!

~ love, light and peace to you ~

Cody - Trip to the Vet

Yesterday, my little Cody was desexed and micro-chipped so spent the day at the Vet's clinic. The house felt so empty without him here. Aaron and I could hardly wait until 3PM rolled around so we could go pick him up. Cody was still groggy from the anaesthetic as you may be able to tell from the pic. He slept for hours in his comfy, new bed with his new toy. He has to wear the 'cone' on his head for seven days to stop him getting to the stitches but it doesn't seem to bother him too much. The 'desexing' thing was not an easy decision for me to make but I did a lot of research and came to the conclusion that it was the right thing to do. If you are undecided about desexing your pet, you may find this site helpful. It certainly helped me to feel better about making this choice.

Free the Dancing Bears

Nearly a month ago, I watched a documentary (I think, it was on Animal Planet) about rescuing the Dancing Bears of India. I was so upset to see the plight of these beautiful creatures that it has played on my mine ever since.

Last week, I purchased a 6 months sponsorship from Free The Bears. Her name is Pinky and she is an Indian Sloth Bear. Mary Hutton, the founder of Free the Bears, helped to set up and fund the Agra Bear Rescue Facility in India.

Click on image to enlarge

After the slaughter of their mothers, young cubs are taken by poachers and sold to, the Kalandars, a nomadic tribe of India. In primitive conditions, and without anaesthetic, a red hot poker is used to pierce through the cub's very sensitive snout area and then jute rope, deliberately used because it is rough and painful, is pulled through and left there. The wound often becomes infected and never heals properly. The canine teeth are then knocked out with rocks or hammers and the bear's claws are also removed. The Kalandar tribe then force the bears to 'dance' by hitting them about the body with a stick and tourists pay money to watch them. The bears literally live a life of agony. This cruel practice was banned in India in 1972, however, it still continues illegally. Thankfully, welfare organisations are making a difference and have set up sanctuaries for rescued bears to live out their lives in peace and safety. They are also helping and educating the Kalandar people so they can find other means for earning a living.

How we can help -

1/ Tourists - Please DO NOT give them money! It is not entertainment but a terrible act of cruelty! Money is what motivates the Kalandar tribe to continue with this barbaric treatment of a threatened species.

2/ Donate money, purchase a gift from the welfare organisation, or sponsor a bear.

Please take a moment to visit the website and read more on the great work they are doing to help the bears.

Other links to help Save the Dancing Bears -
Kartick Satyanarayan
Wildlife SOS

Jack Russell Terrier Sleeping - Finished

Here is the finished piece.....apart from painting the edges and varnishing, of course.

Meet Lachie! He is a Jack Russell Terrier and belongs to Deidre, the lady who lost her beloved, pet Rainbow Lorikeet last year. My sister commissioned this painting of Lachie as her gift to Deidre.

Lachie - Acrylics on 12"x12" Gallery-wrapped Canvas© Serena Lewis

I was reading this post on Julie's blog this morning where she showed a cute ATC of a Chihuahua. Julie went on to comment how blessed she felt living in the States and she prays for people starving and/or suffering in other countries. I join her in those prayers. I believe that this also applies to animals worldwide. I look at my little dog, Cody, and see how loved and well cared for he is and my heart then goes out to all the animals in this world who are treated with such horrific cruelty, insensitivity and indifference. When I read of the shocking atrocities being done to people and animals alike, I feel pain in my heart. I think this world would be a better place if ALL people had compassionate hearts towards all living things other than themselves.

Animal welfare organisations worldwide rely on our donations to help make a difference in animals lives who have no voice of their own. If you are so inclined, please visit any of the Animal Welfare links in the right column of this blog and BE a part of that difference. Thank you.

Stop the Whale Slaughter

Today, Japan launched its whaling fleet to the Southern Ocean Sanctuary around Antarctica where it plans to kill more than 1000 whales over several months under the guise of 'scientific research'. You don't need to kill whales to research them! How stupid do they think we are?! They plan to kill 50 threatened humpback whales, 50 endangered fin whales and around 930 minke whales. I am so upset and outraged at this news. It has been condemned internationally and even the International Whaling Commission has called for an end to the killing of whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary but yet, Japan persists. The Greenpeace ship, Esperanza, is just off the coast of Japan with plans to follow the whaling fleet and, no doubt, try to stop the senseless slaughter. Click here to keep up to date via the Esperanza crew's blog. Visit Greenpeace International to find out how you can help.
Gentle Giant - Graphite in A5 sketchbook - © Serena LewisClick on image to enlarge