Back again

I've been away!... The reason for my last post being so rushed and unedited - and I couldn't SAY I was going, as it was a surprise for my sister Vivienne's (Big!) birthday. I really wanted to do a post saying "Coo-o-eee, I'm over here, in Austra-a-aliaaa!", but it was a very short week with lots of lovely family and other people to talk to and wonderful things to do, so I didn't do any painting or blogging, besides these few sketches. Perth is a lovely town - relaxed and friendly with a vibrant art life and loads of outdoor attractions for the energetic. My second visit, I still couldn't get over the brightly coloured parrots and cockatoos that I've only seen before in cages, darting around and decorating sky and trees. I would love to do some watercolours of them, but my eyes can't quite make them out in the tall Norfolk pines, though I might try from a photo or two that I took.
These sketch-journal pages were done on rare occasions where I could sit and look, and draw a little - dear dog Harry chewing an enormous bone and fending off a cheeky marauding crow; an attempt at a frangipani tree, which grow so lushly in that climate; a harbour pub and boat club, and the airport, which always obliges to provide plenty of opportunity for sketching while you wait!