Summer

It is hot and humid here in Auckland today. The opposite of what I'm used to in February. Where are the minus temperatures and frosty windscreens?!

To take advantage of the season, we've just been on a little holiday to explore the South Island. The above instalment in my terrarium series has been inspired by this trip, particularly a place called Alexandra, which sits in the rain shadow of the Southern Alps. It is the driest, hottest and coldest place in NZ. We felt lucky to see it in it's summer glory - warm and dry, with clear blue skies and the kind of bright sunshine that makes for excellent photography. The below of which made it's way into the digital collage. 

Terrariums

What do you get when you mix these ingredients with a polar bear?

Ta-dah!

There's something magnetically appealing about small versions of things. 

I created this little world after having been happily sucked into the current trend for terrariums. It's now hanging pretty in the space where there used to be fireplace. 

I also started an inspired set of drawings - putting a landscape within the frame of a container. There'll be four in total, each depicting a unique micro-climate based on a particular season. This is the spring version (from a UK perspective). The others are on route.. 

Dinosaurs can be festive

Yeah, so various projects remain in progress. And I can't blame it on seasonal festivities because I'm feeling quite the opposite in summery sunny NZ. I simply got distracted by drawing my new pet.. 

 .. And then by cutting and sticking lovely bits of paper into and around the shapes that my pencil makes..

It's not festive but it brings joy. Merry Christmas :)

Life drawing on the other side of the world

Found a class to attend in NZ within 5 days of arriving and it certainly helped in making me feel more grounded. Here's a drawing of a contemplative pose to which I later added some collage-y bits.

Capturing home in New Zealand

So this month I've gone and relocated to Auckland, and I've been trying to make myself feel at home. This has partly involved getting a new pet. But I've also spent time admiring and pondering the traditional kiwi home. Here's a not very well photographed example:

White, wooden, single storey (aka a bungalow!), with decorative trellis-y bits (I'm yet to learn what these are actually called..), a corrugated roof, and the all important deck. (They also seem to be single glazed, although mentioning this makes me feel like a right diva, so ignore that..).

They've got a certain charm that I tried to capture in a couple of drawings (from a stealth position in my car), but I'm not quite there yet. 

I think it might be something to do with the amount of lines.. But I'll persevere into November and see if I can find my feet a bit more, both visually and physically..

Tiles

I've spent some quality time drawing some lovely Lisbon tile patterns, inspired by recent trips and this excellent collection. Here is one of many little sketches, of which there will be many more. I feel a project coming on...

Dino party times

This is absolutely, totally, factually what a dinosaur party would look like..