"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home" (Twyla Tharp)

New life ....

Wisteria is blooming and the fragrance is incredible!




I'm really enjoying our spring weather so far and especially  looking forward to longer hours of sunlight, an array of beautiful colours and abundant inspiration.



The May Hedge is in bloom, stunning white hedge

In amongst all the gorgeous foliage and blossoming flowers we found a little bird's egg on the ground today.

Love the pretty colours, almost edible!

I think it's probably a magpie egg, happy to be corrected though.  It has a small hole at the back and was empty but very fragile.  There is protective birdlife everywhere and much squawking and chasing of rivals.


The birds around here are pretty tame and often allow us to feed them and help them - many of the magpies are brilliant at mimicry and imitate dogs barking, sirens and people talking to you - can be most confusing!




They love our little world and are pretty spoilt with all the trees and creatures in our garden.


Pink and grey galah - comical birds 

This kookaburra came right up to our window at breakfast
The egg we found alongside a vintage picture of painted eggs

I would love to have the time to paint the egg but for now will have to put it on hold.  Instead please enjoy a beautiful painting of quail eggs done by my friend and botanical artist Sigrid Frensen, from the Netherlands. The link to her painting is below .....


Going back home .....

 An emotional journey heading home to the farming district  ... we took my wonderful Mum back to see where many memories were made .... at a time when the region comes to life in wildflower season.













 The journey was a  trip down memory lane  ... it was  wonderful hearing the old stories and memories of my parents  settling in this rural area.  Like so many families in the country, life was not easy - hard work for often little reward when you are at the mercy of nature.


But nature made up for it by the little things which  stand out, picnics with the family amongst the beautiful wildflowers, the lovely sunrises and sunsets and even the awe inspiring storms. 



Coming back in spring in the middle of wildflower season makes everything look so colourful ...
It was wonderful to see the beautiful displays in amongst the harsh landscape ....





 It was a whirlwind trip but we managed to get to the popular old picnic spots ... it was a lot of driving but worth it to see the wildflowers in their natural environment.



I look forward to returning again one day but for now I have hundreds of photos .... will post a few more as I sort through ....

All images © Vicki Lee Johnston

Stretching Artwork ...

Artwork in progress, paper warping already!

 One thing that can spoil a completed painting is to see the paper warped from the use of watercolour.  So much time and effort taken to get the painting right and yet once it's framed the warping casts shadows or detracts from the artwork.   I work very wet and always have a buckled finish to the paper.  Most artists I know stretch their paper before painting ... see below


Wet side down,  tape around edges
Face down spray BACK of artwork evenly

 I had only been shown how to stretch on completion so I'd love to show how ... I should run a disclaimer beforehand though - never do this for the first time on a cherished artwork.  

First place the finished artwork face down on a clean, dry towel.  Then use a spray bottle to wet the BACK  of the paper completely and evenly - same as the pics above but consider it on a finished piece.

 Carefully lift the paper and place wet side down - artwork  face up on a window or glass surface, carefully smoothing it onto the window.     Tape all sides with pre-wet gummed artists tape.  Be very careful not to get water on the artwork side, and when smoothing down tape with a clean dry cloth, be careful the glue doesn't ooze onto artwork.


Wet side on glass, artwork facing, tape all around



I usually tape the completed artwork to a window - not in direct hot sunlight - but well lit.  I leave it on the window or a glass coffee table surface for 24 hours at least, 48 in winter.  Very carefully use a razor to slide under tape and around artwork - you can peel the excess tape off the window afterwards.   Happy stretching!!