L is for...

L is for lemons ... which I drew last week. Also one of my favourite foods/flavours.



L is for Limelight - one of my favourite quilts. This is a wholecloth using a coloured trapunto technique.

And of course (thanks Brenda - you know I'm a bit vague when snowed under) L is for my lovely friend Lisa, who is getting ready for her second solo exhibition this week. Make sure you check it out if you are in Sydney.

And L is for Lunar eclipse - which we have been watching tonight - an awesome display.

K is for...

K is for Kristen, who I drew today (I knew I'd eventually come up with something for K). This drawing was done with white gouache on black paper - an interesting and challenging technique. I really like how the wicker chair has come up in this one.

J is for...

J is for journals - I love making covered journals, and it's a fun class to teach too. I try hard to use my visual journals as frequently as I can, though I am a very poor diarist. And I'm fascinated by journals and sketchbooks belonging to other artists - they seem full of secrets and possibilities.


J is for Joshua - our nephew and god-son. Josh is just nine months older than Adam, and the two of them were inseparable friends when they were little. He's very athletic and intelligent, a great kid. Unfortunately he lives several hours drive away in Tamworth, so we don't get to see as much of him as we'd like.

I is for...

I is for Ink (& nib) which I employed in class today to do this self-portrait. It is my first attempt at this very confronting exercise, so I'm not unhappy with the result. Not quite right, but not too bad either.

H is for...

H is for HURRAY!!! Great news this morning from the UK - this quilt, which I did earlier this year for my friend and client Gay, won 2nd prize in its category at the Birmingham Quilt Festival plus 2nd prize in the longarm quilting category. It is very exciting to win prizes at such a prestigious quilt show.

H is for Hockey - everyone in my family but me plays field hockey. Pictured below (sorry about the blurry shot - she wouldn't stay still) is Emma suited up in her goalie gear, ready to play. Her team qualified for the semi-finals on Saturday - everybody wish her luck, won't you?

G is for...

G is for Gingko Blues - again with the blue and green!

G is for Georgia - what a gorgeous girl! Here is a pic of my little neice in a rare serious mood, most of the time she has a big grin for the camera. The little knitted outfit she is wearing is one that mum actually made for Adam when he was a bub (15 years ago) - it never fitted him in the right season (and was a little bit girly too) so I passed it on in pristine never-worn condition. Doesn't she look cute?

F is for...

F is for Frond Frenzy, another of my favourite quilts. I love the blue/green colour combo, and I am still happy with the quilting. I often get over the quilting as soon as a quilt is finished, and think of other ideas that might have been better - so it says something that I still love this one.

F is for food - I have a constant love/hate relationship with it. I love to cook (when I have time) and I definitely loooooove to eat, but the side effects are all too obvious (as anyone who has viewed me from behind recently could attest).

F is for family - my first focus and motivation, constant source of support, love and fun.

F is for friends - I am blessed with wonderful friends (you know who you are).

E is for...

E is for Emma (of course) - my gorgeous girl (with her puppy), gifted, goofy, creative and clever, she has been the light of our life since she arrived nearly 11 years ago.

D is for...

D is for Driving Force (show above) - the quilt I made my Rob for his 40th birthday. The images are abstracted from photographs of engine block and cylinder heads which I took in our garage (he's a bit of a rev-head).

D is for Drawing - which I'm trying to do as much as I can. One of the best things I'm getting from art school is a vast improvement in my drawing skills.

C is for....

C is for Crossroads - my first-prize-winning quilt, which hangs in pride of place in my family room. It is one of my favourites.

C is for Cooper, my gorgeous nephew - I love being an aunty!!

C is for Cara, shown here with Adam & Emma earlier this year. My first neice, first time I got to be an aunty. She is also the reason I became a mum - until she came along, I had decided that I didn't want to have children. She was a delightful baby and toddler, and inspired me to want my own family. Cara will be 18 later this year, and has grown into an amazing young woman who we all adore. I hope to get to spend more time with her if she comes to Wollongong University next year - she wants to be a teacher (and will be a fabulous one).

C is for Creativity, and living a creative life. I'm constantly working at it.

B is for...

B is for Bridges - this is the Bridges side of the family, otherwise known as the in-laws (or outlaws). I've been married so long that I can't imagine being anyone other than a Bridges. When did my maiden name start to sound so strange to me? Nic Bridges is the only name that fits anymore. I sort of like the idea of a bridge as a connecting structure - there are artistic concepts there that I will one day explore.


B is for Bonnie - my old faithful poodle. She is nearly 12 years old now, getting a bit crotchetty in her old age. But still a good dog through and through.

B is for Buddha - I'm not a Buddhist (nor anything else really), but I find the imagery (and many of the philosophies) of eastern faiths so appealing. This is a photo I took at the Nan Tien Buddhist Temple when we visited for the Chinese New Year Celebrations earlier this year.

B is also for Busy - as anyone who has visited this blog before knows, Busy is my middle name.

B is for Balance too - something I'm constantly seeking in my life, but beginning to suspect will continue to be elusive.

A-Z of Me

A few of my favourite bloggers have started a new Meme for August called the A-Z of Me. Check them out on Caity's and Pixie's blogs. I thought it seemed like fun, and might help me get back into the habit of blogging regularly. So here goes...

A is for Adam - my first-born child, gorgeous goofball, creative, clever & constant source of amusement and amazement.



A is for Art (of course) - any of you who know me will recognise art as my passion. I just love it - it feeds my soul, gladdens my heart, captures my imagination. Today was another painting day for the Tullimbah Painting School (see my earlier post). The weather was not so friendly today, it was blowing an absolute gale. Below is my morning's effort. After three hours of painting, we all troup inside to enjoy lunch in the restaurant. The paintings are hung on the walls and we vote on our favourites. I was thrilled that the group awarded me second place!

Art School Progress

Some snaps from my week at school - I am really enjoying having a full day of drawing on Tuesdays. Below is a sample of what was achieved this Tuesday - we had portrait models for the morning class plus a life model in the afternoon for general drawing. I was in the zone.


This is my favourite - another portrait of Kim, a lovely clear-skinned student. I am so thrilled to be able to get a likeness, something I doubted I'd ever be able to do.


I've finished two of these relief sculptures now - so much fun!!