giveaway - name this print

I've called this new giclee print 'the shuffle'. If you can think of a more interesting name (and one that I like) I'll send you one for free on lovely ivory white 220 gsm acid free textured Prisma paper (without the copyright watermark on it). Go on - let your imagination run wild! I'll announce the new print name and winner on Friday 7th November. To see the print better just click on the image.

more thyme please

More garden talk.... my excuse is that everything is growing madly from the warm weather despite the lack of rain. We're back to using the bucket in the shower to water the garden. If you're unfamiliar with this little routine (most Australians know it well), one stands in the shower with a bucket between one's legs to catch the run off water. Then it is hauled from the bathroom to whichever part of the garden is looking the most dry. This is all fine if your lower back to doesn't get niggly from time to time like mine does. We just need some rain. Please.

Most of us need more time/thyme. Our herb patch is doing well. Note the thyme and oregano in the pic above. These herbs don't mind the dry weather so much. Tomato seedlings have just gone in too in keeping with the Melbourne vegie garden tradition of planting them around Cup Day now that the soil is nice and warm.

You'd be forgiven for thinking this is a garden blog. It's not. I just think gardening is good for the soul and compliments doodling around in a sketch book.

pink

A teeny tiny flower from a succulent plant in the garden. Well, ok yes, I did tweak this one which is why it's so fluro-like. Is it just too weird? I must confess to liking this kind of hot pink colour in a flower. (by the way, the natural colour is a softer pink).

slow days

Some days I feel like these snails: slow, slow, slow. But that's a good thing in my book because sometimes the pace of life is just too speedy for my liking. Slow walks down at the creek, sipping cups of tea slowly in the sun, slow afternoons of reading books and having naps, and best of all, slow food.

Unfortunately it's not really possible to print slowly. Well, not with the moku hanga method anyway. Too slow means inks and wood that dry up and does not bode well for the end result. The Japanese say that it's best to print on a humid, rainy day to keep the process moist. Our desert-like climate in Melbourne means that rainy days are scarce and the air is dry, dry, dry. So I had to print these new wee cards with a speed bordering on mania this morning.

Some favourite things from around my house:

• a wedding box from Vietnam
• sake cups from Japan
• op shop vase with succulent flower
• old Japanese multi-stack lacquer box with ikebana teapot on top
• blue vase from Japan
• chiyogami paper box from Japan

I've just realised how many of these things are from my travels and life lived outside of Australia. They also reveal my love of Asia.

I recently discovered the beautiful ceramics of Queenslander Shannon Garson. She's a finalist for the Home Beautiful Product of the Year Award and has some stunning ceramics made from porcelain with botanical designs.

seed pods

Seed pods collected from Edinburgh Gardens. See more here. Inspired by Yellow Monday's gorgeous seaside collection.

printmaking in japan

I was having an 'I miss Japan' day today and so thought I'd check out what my Kyoto-based printmaking friend Richard Steiner has been up to lately. Even though the print above is from 2004 (titled: Harvest View) I hadn't seen it before so I was really excited to stumble across it via Richard's website.

And Richard also has info about KIWA (Kyoto International Woodprint Association) that's worth checking out. KIWA exhibitions happen every 4 years and the next one is scheduled for 2011. The rules for print entires are listed here. Who knows, with this kind of lead time even I might be able to enter a print if I get cracking.