The Changing Seasons – October 2021

Canberra (Australia) – Mid spring and all systems go.

We had the luck of the Ken Behrens this month. Canberra avoided the damaging storms and tornadoes that have hit other parts of eastern Australia. Daily infections of Covid in the city dropped to single digits on the back of the highest vaccination rate in Australia. Non-essential retail businesses have begun to open for in-store shopping bringing joy to Canberra shopaholics. Students began returning to schools and next month, more people will be back in the office. Excitedly, Canberra is ready to welcome back travellers from other parts of Australia and from overseas. It was a good month for plants and animals too, and, of course, I was delighted about the return of daylight savings and warmer temperatures (albeit some days have been freezing). It was all systems go on my mosaic project too.

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“A” Is For Anarchy And Art

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge Subjects That Begin with the Letter A.

I have one subject and two photos for this challenge. I have chosen Art as my subject, and more specifically, my art. This is my first foray into “protest” art. It seemed an appropriate, non-violent way to express my rage over the last two months. This piece was completed today.

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A Piece Of Work

Some art to end the week. My first mosaic this spring. I made this one for a friend. It is one of Australia’s smallest raptors, the Nankeen Kestrel. The Nankeen Kestrel is about the size of a pigeon apparently. The mosaic is not an exact likeness. I’ve taken some artistic licence with colours, but you will get the general idea. My phone camera took artistic licence with the colours too! My good camera gave me a mess of reflections.

Kind Regards.
Tracy.

Creative Comforts

Do you like my title for this blog post? I like it, but I amuse myself. However that (thinking up pithy blog titles) is about the extent of my creativity in the time of Covid. Consequently, I’ve been thinking a lot about buying a new house – one with two bathrooms; one bathroom for the healthy people and one for the sick people. Not that we have any sick people yet, but you never know …. This (thinking about buying a new house) is what I do when I don’t spend time on my art projects. When I’m in the right frame of mind and the weather permits, fiddling with tiles is my passion. I’ve been inspired by a fellow blogger to be arty this month, so I’ve started the prep for a couple of mosaics.

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Take A Walk On The Re-Wild Side

Sometimes, ladies and gentlemen, my ambition gets the better of me.   I’ve always wanted to make a mosaic of a red-browed finch.  I tried, but it did not go well.  Perhaps I’m being too much of a perfectionist.  The finished product is a bit ragged because I de-constructed it a couple of times in a manner that was a touch violent.  Still, I got control of myself and made what repairs I could.  Read more

Bird Friend

My arm was twisted last year (not very hard) to make a mosaic for a blogger friend.  My friend’s property was burnt in Australia’s huge summer bush fires.  Fortunately, his house survived.  Some of my readers may know Brian from Bushboys World.  One of Brian’s favourite little birds is the Eastern Yellow Robin.  So that was the first mosaic that I made for him.  I’ve also made a second one of a Red-Browed Finch.  I had to make two mosaics otherwise the first one would be lonely.  Unfortunately I attacked the second with a sharp knife today because I didn’t like the shape of its head.  Not that anyone would have noticed the problem because it is not as though people will be looking at it close-up once its hung.  I would have known though, so it met its fate.  I’ll need to fix it, then I can share it with you.  Stand by for that one. Read more

Stir The Mountain Pygmy Possum

In Australia, the expression ‘to stir the possum’ means to stir up trouble, controversy, or interest in an issue.  So I thought I would use that expression to generate awareness of the critically endangered mountain pygmy possum.  There are less than 2000 mountain pygmy possums left in the wild and their survival is on a knife’s edge.  What a tragedy it would be if they were lost to us forever.  I have just completed my mountain pygmy possum mosaic and am excited to share it with you.  Then, one thing led to another, and I had to write a poem for them too.  There is always hope and as usual, good people are working hard to save them.  Find out more about these incredible little marsupials and how you can help them here.  Now for the poem. Read more