A jaunt across the ditch.

I am joining my husband at a conference in Sydney, Australia. I am the hanger-on. He is a big-wig delegate and I am the nutter who is going to see as many art galleries, exhibitions and look UP and IN as many old buildings as I possibly can in a week! I intend to enjoy myself! I love architecture, especially Sydney's great mix of Victorian and Contemporary styles. I want to have a sore neck from looking up at elegant facades and experience vertigo from heights. Bless, but there are few high-rises where I live as the ground keeps shaking too much for that situation to be ideal.

I am not taking the paints and easel, but am taking the Ipad with my newest painting app and will hopefully be able to sketch and paint...albeit with smoky skies. Poor New South Wales seems to be on fire. Sydney's outskirts are smouldering. I would be lying if I said I was unconcerned.

Whilst there, I am also taking the opportunity to catch up with some good friends and some old friends and some combinations of the two. I am very excited. When we are young, we take our friends for granted. Age has a way of letting the fragility of life become more precious as we continue racking up birthdays and other milestones. I want to see these people again and tell them how much I have enjoyed them in the past and soak up as much of their fabulousness as I can in the short time afforded.

My lovely children are billeted with friends, the house-sitter is organised and I have cleaned parts of this house I do not believe I have ever cleaned before ,in anticipation!!

I have a painting on the easel that will remain there till I return. I am considering my next move on it. It is a commission and a challenge( as I am working from photo references, trying to create an image of a place I have never visited myself) but very exciting. So far, so good.



For the record, if it gets to 28 Degrees Celsius in Sydney, I might melt.

No paintings, sorry. The only work done today was buffing and polishing a bathroom or two!