Sunday musings

Hi everyone,

I know I said I'd be back with a book review post and I will....just not today.

I moved my workspace yet again so I could have more things at my fingertips. On the wall opposite, there is now a big white cupboard housing more of my regular art supplies.

Here is my main workspace...loving it so far!

If I want more light at my desk throughout the day, I can just pull the vertical blinds fully across.

I haven't been doing daily sketching but I did drag out my sketchbook to work on another Sktchy portrait last week.

Still a work in progress....

I seem to have lost the creative urge lately — maybe because I've been feeling down in the dumps with daily pain — either back or hip, or both. Scribble Picnic is starting back up on Wednesday so that might give me a bit of a boost to snap out of the doldrums.

Speaking of creativity...check out this masterpiece! Spider webs amaze me...all that work and effort! This one has a regular type web above and some sort of conical shape of web just below but both appear to be connected...never seen that before. I wonder if both webs were created by the same spider?

I will leave you with another masterpiece — taken just after we had a spot of rain. The rainbow span was huge and the photo just doesn't do it justice.

I will be back soon with those promised book reviews...

Sketches, a spider, and a couple of roos...

 Has it really been over two weeks since I last posted?!

Doctors, specialist visits, medical tests,

and family birthdays, including my own, were in there somewhere. 

My niece also gave birth to a beautiful 9lb baby girl 

who now shares the same birthday as my own daughter.

Doctors, specialist visits, and tests were more to do with my Mum 

who is dealing with some health concerns right now. 

Life can sure get busy fast around here.

I have managed a few sketches here and there.

One of my favourite cereals is the Be Natural range.
It's low in sugar and has no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives
 unlike so many of the supposed healthy cereals out there. 
I love mine best with soy milk....no added sweetener!

 I decided to use up the blue water-soluble ink that came with
my Lamy Safari fountain pen by doing some pen and wash sketches.
I didn't think I would but I like the variations with the LAMY blue ink.
I added some definition to Jack with some permanent black ink.
Sadly, for Jack, his skin condition persists
and I am now trying a natural, home-made pest repellent that
includes five aromatherapy oils mixed with water.
I spray it on him every morning before he goes outside to go toilet.
I'll keep you posted on how effective it is.

For the selfie sketch, I sat in front of a mirror
and sketched directly in pen (LAMY Safari; EF nib),
then used a water brush to wet and shade.
You might notice that my hair is now much shorter...
Yep, one morning, the scissors found their way magically into my hands
and, before I knew it, I was chopping away at my hair.
A whole 10" or 12" gone over a spur of the moment decision.
That's how I roll when it comes to my hair.

I didn't intend to go that heavy with the lip outline
but hey, when working directly with pen,
you have to accept and love the mistakes too.

***********************************

OH, and for those wondering how things went with Charlotte
I did go out to look for her the next morning
and was very happy to see her and her web
glistening in the sun.

The view from side-on in the shade...

And just to show that spiders aren't the only creatures lurking around these parts,
I spotted these kangaroos grazing at dusk on a street two suburbs over.
The photos aren't great but I didn't want to get too close
and frighten them off.

 Nature is painting for us, day after day, 
pictures of infinite beauty 
if only we have the eyes to see them.
--- John Ruskin

For the love of spiders

I like spiders...

and they seem to like me. 

I think spiders are handy to have around because

they help to keep the bug population down. 

In some Native American cultures, 

 A 'Spider' is seen as a symbol of Creativity. 

No surprise there considering the magnificent webs they weave. 

BE WARNED NOW - IF YOU HAVE ARACHNOPHOBIA, 
THERE ARE 'REAL' SPIDER IMAGES FURTHER DOWN
 SO DON'T SCROLL PAST MY SKETCH!

As for me, I can't bear the thought of killing a spider and,
if I do so accidentally, I can feel very guilty about it for hours afterwards.
Normally, I will safely relocate them to our pergola outside.
Growing up, my kids always knew to call for me
if they spotted a spider indoors.
Killing spiders is a taboo in my household.
That said, if a Red-back Spider crosses my path, 

I do help them get to spider Heaven quickly,
considering they are venomous.
After all, I also have an affinity with wolves
and a she-wolf fiercely protects her cubs and pack.

I have been seeing a few different spiders over the past two weeks.

A Golden Orb Weaver took up residence 

not far from my bedroom window under the house eaves.

I named her 'Charlotte'! 

No guessing required to know
where that name came from. hehe
Every morning, when I let the dogs out to do their business,
I'd pop on over to her web for a visit.
Yes, I sketched her too.

I'm linking up with Sunday Sketches HERE.

The real Charlotte, pictured below, in all her glory.
Note that she is missing a leg, poor thing.
I have no idea how it happened.

 A partial profile view of Charlotte, below.
She has quite a bulbous body in full profile.
You can see my bedroom window in the background.

And, below, a close-up of her trail of debris...
Yes, these spiders actually keep a graveyard for their victims in their web.
No, it is NOT a deterrent to other unsuspecting bugs,
unfortunately for them.
Note the yellow colour of her webbing,
hence the name Golden Orb Weaver.

 This morning, I had to carefully relocate Charlotte to our corner garden

because Aaron wanted to Gerni the eaves
and was quite cavalier about poor Charlotte's possible demise.
Believe me, I was not impressed with him!
I hope Charlotte will be happier and more safe in her new place.
She has moved out of sight for now but
I will be checking first thing tomorrow
hoping to see her radiant, golden web on display once more.
___________________________________________

At our other back door where we pop out to the clothesline,
there are a group of St. Andrews Cross spiders.
I snapped a picture of this one yesterday.

This group lives happily among the snake plants.

___________________________________________

Then, two nights ago, Bradley woke me up close to midnight
to inform me that 'a big, black bug' was on his bedroom wall.
Bradley is legally blind and didn't realise it was actually a Huntsman spider.
I was very relieved that it wasn't a nasty cockroach.
Being night time, and considering my sleepy state,
I didn't get a photo but this night-time 'visitor' was about 4½" across.
My biggest concern was whether, or not, I'd be able to house him
inside the disposable container without harming any of his legs.
My heart was aflutter I can tell you!
Lucky for me and him,
he cooperated and, once housed,
I was able to slide a Manila folder
underneath to form a rather loose seal.
Then I took him out to the pergola
where I hope he will be much happier....
considering there are way more bugs to feast on out there.

___________________________________________

I've relocated a few different, but smaller, spiders over the past two weeks
Ones which had found themselves lost indoors.
In a way, I'm kinda relieved they find their way to our house
because, at least, they are given a second chance at survival.

Many may classify me as some weird Spider Lady but hey,
that's the way I roll....
or should I say 'weave'?