Nov/Dec 2024

Season: Spring/Summer

My cousin Hali joined me for a day of planting in the veggie garden. We planted the remainder of the tomato seedlings and some Lebanese cucumbers & tidied up all that was overgrown. We fixed the irrigation so each plant gets enough water. We grew up with a Grandfather who adored his garden and definitely felt his presence watching his granddaughters working together. Rod has set up the Netro app so we can control the irrigation and time of watering from our phone, it’s not perfect but pretty damn handy.

I finally learnt how to drive our old tractor so Rod can walk behind and spray the weeds, it’s a clunky ride but fun.

We haven’t had nearly as much rain as we did last year, the green is turning a soft shade of yellow. Which I still find incredibly beautiful.

In December we started harvesting the lettuce, spinach, beetroots, radishes, broad-beans, parsley and sweet yellow capsicums.

Rod’s began to strip the wooden posts on the verandah it’s a huge job and will look great when they’re stained and finished.

Most excitingly we finally emptied the garage that’’s attached to the shed and soon I’ll be able to work out of it on some larger canvases. I’ve been slowly cleaning it up over the Summer break it was filthy. The plan is to take off the roller door and replace it with a glass sliding door sometime in the New Year.

A fond activity: when I go for walks with Bodhi there is a 6km loop I love doing. I’ve started speaking out loud all the wonderful things I’ve noticed along the way. This practice has helped me be in the present ensuring I am taking in the beauty with all my senses.

We had a lovely Christmas lunch with our neighbours. My daughter and her boyfriend are spending New Years Eve with us. I’m feeling blessed, stimulated and happy for all the new experiences we are navigating together. Living here has opened us up to new creative endeavours, there’s a lot to learn, life feels full.

Wishing you all a happy New Year. May the coming year be expansive, peaceful and full of kindness.

My work:

Over the last two months I’ve continued working through The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. It’s the second time I’ve done it. The first led me to creating a strong meditation practice. This time around it’s been incredibly helpful in gaining clarity around my creative desires. It’s taught me to be bold and brave, and that it’s in my hands to make things happen. The pages dared me to contact a local artist whom I much admire and introduce myself. We ended up meeting and really enjoyed each other’s company. A few days later the stars aligned and she agreed to mentor me. Magic happens when you dare to show up. I’ll write more about it next year when we are up and running.

Setting up the garage as a place to experiment, play and get messy feels good. I’ve been painting in the house which has had its limitations and has kept me working small. Spending some time preparing a space to do the work feels like I’m backing myself. The garage was filled with rotting furniture, rat poo and covered in spider webs. I’ve scrubbed and cleaned it now there’s nothing left to do but make the art. My husband wrote a note for me to put up in the studio. Dear Sam, just make the art. Love, Rod xx It’s amazing how easy it can be to get off track, my commitment for 2025 is to get messy and do the work. STOP PROCRASTINATING - don’t worry about sales, representation, other artist’s journeys. Everything will fall into place when it’s meant to. Just make good art that you love. Full stop, end of story.

The things I’d like to work on next year:

Work with a mentor
100% focus on experimenting and making stronger work
Create a themed body of work
Work bigger
Make my own paint brushes from sticks
Be still and allow my impressions of being in nature alchemise into colour, shapes and textural mark making.
Continue dreaming about offering creative gatherings on the property

Shared resources:

Podcasts:

Tim Ferris interviews Jon Batiste

My favourite interview in 2024.

Substack reads:

Andrea Gibson’s article on A New Kind of Bucket List

A bucket list of small things. To find the glory in what a seasoned eye might falsely consider mundane, reminds you how incredible every single moment can be if you allow yourself to be truly present.

Here’s a few of mine:

To sing and dance like a crazy women in a torrential downpour

To roll down a soft grassy hill in fits of laughter
To crunch and throw fallen leaves in celebration of autumn. Shedding what is no longer useful.
To build mandalas on a beach holiday out of found objects: shells, pebbles, sea glass and seaweed.

To laugh with the kookaburras

To enjoy the warmth of the sun just as much as Bodhi our border collie
To observe the stillness of the day with all my senses
To tend to my garden & converse with the plants
To waddle slowly like an echidna
To witness the beauty of the white winged choughs as they take flight
To sing out of tune with gusto
To enjoy the fresh scent of our washing swaying in the wind on the hills hoist set amongst the gum trees.
To humour in the realisation that the shrill screech of cockatoos transports me back to prehistoric times

Sulieka Jaouard from The Isolation Journals Mothers, Daughters and the Artists Life

An exquisite conversation with her mother Anne Francey (you may need to be a subscriber to view it. Being part of this community is worth every penny.)

Nov/Dec in review 2024

Sept/Oct in review 2024