Change of blog address

ANNOUNCING: this blog is to be continued...at a new location

NEW WEBPAGE....NEW BLOG
With the creation of a gorgeous, spectacular new webpage, www.katebroadfoot.com I now have a NEW BLOG LOCATION which is incorporated into the web page.

To view future posts please go to:

www.katebroadfoot.com/blog/

Once More to the Easel...

TOO MANY DISTRACTIONS!
No more exhibitions! It drains the creative juices and distracts the flow. Since the joint show in November, with Tony Hull and Ken Orchard, it has taken me weeks and weeks, (well... there was Christmas in there) to get my head around taking up the brush and painting again. I have just completed projects for the Fine Art magazine, this year's submissions...title" How to Paint Gum Trees" in 5 parts, is finally complete and has been delivered to Express Publications at Silverwater. That was an enormous effort, requiring sitting at the computer for hours and hours and painting many step-by-step examples...gum trees, gum leaves, tree trunks, gum blossoms...whew, gum trees DONE!. I don't know how people work at computers all day!
Now the slate is clean and I can concentrate on what to enter for the NSW Government Plein Air Painting Prize 2015...entries due in March. Maybe two caravans...

"Stanwell Park,Trusty Van"

maybe "Autumn Willow, Griffith", maybe "Mt Bobbara" . I am inclined to grab some larger boards and head out to a local view...is there time to dry an oil before March? Best drying spot in the world is the back window of the Kingswood...it gets SO hot in that beast! The problem at this time of year is the heat...I need a few cloudy days to be able to sit out  in the open and paint.

"Autumn Willow, Griffith"

"Mt Bobbara"

A week or so ago I headed up to Appin to paint some nice sheds...being parked on the street and really not bothering anyone, I didn't expect to have any problems however they are a bit nervous about strangers in Appin...an irate resident emerged with his whipper snipper and went up and down the footpath spraying the car with rocks and grass till I was forced to leave the scene of the crime, painting unfinished. They were good sheds too, I will return sir!

"Mittagong, Ready to Hit the Road"

The joys "en plein air"

After all the hard work and toil of life, taking a few minutes or hours to paint a scene is such a luxury. How lucky to have reached this time, when I can choose to do what I love most, be totally immersed in a location, to absorb the flocks of birds, insects suiciding in  my paint, the sounds of the place, to decide where and how I want to create this painting. See the whirring of the brain, as I decide masses of issues when applying paint to board, once the view is selected... will this great mental exercise be enough to keep dementia at bay?

Latest trip was to Griffith, a great view of the canal on a glorious clear day...what a treat!                                                                         

Back On Board

A Painting a Day in May, to make up for lost time...that was my goal! Not quite achieved, however here are some of my latest efforts. I have a  new morning routine: gym, coffee and then painting somewhere close to home. This works a treat as a great start to the day...no domestic distractions till 11am, when I am on deck for morning tea with Peter after his morning fishing session. Great start!+

Escarpment Views

Highlands Hayshed

Bulli Beach

view of Mittagong

Landslide, Wombarra



Greetings from Bellambi

Back of Bulli Pub

Alpine Oils

Trip To Thredbo...

Kate's Birthday Treat, an annual event since 2002 when I decided I should climb to the top of Kosziousko for my 50th birthday. Wonderful scenery, clear alpine air, great accomodation at the Lantern Apartmments, trout fishing and usually gorgeous weather...just watch out for march flies.
Balanced precariously on the apartment balcony I painted two large oil paintings of the view.
I have had a troubling time trying to get the grey version to "work" however the green painting of the ski-runs was an immediate success. What do you think?

 

Vale Bulli Brick...

Tribute to My Favourite Scene:

GONE!

Who would believe it? New housing development means my favourite view, from our backyard, has been demolished. The wonderful old chimney and buildings at the old Bulli Brick site have gone...in the blink of an eye. Chimney toppled! Why couldn't they have at least saved the chimney to create a focus for cafes, shops, village square? Ah Wollongong! You've done it again...

SO here is my tribute, all my paintings of this gorgeous scene on one blog!

Too Busy To Blog

Busy times
Require rhymes,
To take the pain
As I explain...

A week in Malaysia
In early June,
Then Melbourne to dog-sit,
Our routine in ruin.

Watercolours were surely
The easiest option,
For transport and fumes,
In our luggage concoction.

Home for babies and family,

No painting was done,
Then off to Griffith
For wine, oranges and fun
(not to mention bakery goods, olives, pub dinners etc etc,)

So here on my blog,
Are Melbourne and Griffith.
In oils and water colour,
Magic moments re-liveth.