Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes....

It's been a busy couple of weeks since I last posted...

Aaron, my baby is graduating his final Senior year this Friday and I've been feeling emotional and so very proud. Needless to say, there have been lots of errands with suit shopping being at the forefront. It's hard to believe that my baby also turns 18 in December.

Desert Rose (Adenium Obesum)

This beautiful succulent sits just outside my front door and it is currently in full bloom. Beautiful, isn't it?

As you may notice in the top picture, the only down-side to this plant is that it seems to attract mealybugs at certain times of the year. They cover the underside of the leaves which end up turning blotchy yellow and fall off. Any tips on natural ways to deal with mealybugs would be greatly appreciated. Thankfully, these periodic insect attacks haven't stopped it from looking magnificent when in bloom.

As to the title of this post?

I've been mulling over some ideas lately and I've made the decision to bring some changes to my blog. I feel like I've neglected my blog, here and there, over the past four years and I really want to change that.

I was sucked into the realm of social media for a while but, in an effort to simplify my life, I now see some of the social media platforms as big time-wasters. Twitter was the first to go and Facebook may well be next. I'm finding Facebook harder to let go of because of the art, animal welfare, and vegan groups I belong to. It's also a way for me to keep in touch with family and friends who I don't often see in person. I guess they can always message or follow my Instagram account. I do love Instagram so I will keep that.

Admittedly, social media hasn't been the only thing to keep me from my blog over the past four years

but it has been the one thing that wasn't a necessity in my life.

As my regular readers know, my Dad's rapid decline in health and his eventual passing from Parkinson's and Stroke in 2015 was a big part of my life focus for a couple of those years. I certainly don't regret that time. I dearly miss my beautiful Dad every day.

This past year or so has brought a few changes to my life and I plan to share more on my personal path here.

So, you can expect to see more posts, each covering a specific topic to make it easier for my readers. However, my art/illustrated journals will still be my main focus. 

Stay tuned...

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.

INKtober: More daily sketches from week 3

Oooooops, running a little late....no excuses 

apart from the fact that I completely forgot to do my blog post yesterday.  

So a recap on the past week of INKtober sketches. 

I post these daily on my Instagram feed is you are interested in seeing them earlier. 

I recently purchased Season 11 of Supernatural so, before I watch it, 

I am doing a recap of all the previous seasons again as a refresher. 

You may guess that I'm a huge fan! 

So I thought it fitting to sketch some of the cast for INKtober.

Jared Palecki who plays Sam Winchester. 

Sketched entirely with ballpoint pen. 

Jensen Ackles who plays Dean Winchester

Sketched entirely with ballpoint pen

Jim Beaver who plays Bobby Singer
I didn't quite get his squint right but we live, we learn, right?

Done entirely with ballpoint pen

Felicia Day who plays Charlie Bradbury 

Charlie was one of my favourite characters on the show

I loved her quirkiness!

I was disappointed that I lost the likeness with this one 

but when sketching directly with pen, 

you have to learn to live with it. 

Then I decided to sketch a little robin with coloured ballpoint pens 

and a 005 ZIG Millennium ink pen (it's extra fine). 

A quick ink sketch of a fake succulent plant I have. 

Trying to loosen things up a bit here. 

Sketched with Platinum Carbon and Lamy Joy fountain pens. 

I LOVE my fountain pens!

Another loose sketch of my left hand this time. 

This was sketched with a Platinum Carbon pen 

followed up with Sumi black ink applied with a brush.

Speaking of my left hand, 

I will be making a doctor's appointment today 

as it's been over three weeks and I'm still dealing 

with a lot of pain issues. 

It's strange because I can use it normally 

apart from certain positions.

Linking up with Sunday Sketches (a little late). 

To see the work of other participants for this week, click HERE.