I was in Tasmania over Christmas, Coles Bay, Freycinet, Friendly Beaches, Hobart - and while elsewhere in Australia tends to be scorching at this time of year, I walked along Tasmanian beaches in my winter coat. Mind you, an Australian winter coat isn’t nearly as serious as some other winter coats. And I AM a bit of a wimp when it comes to beaches...

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I was caught up momentarily making paintings to submit for consideration for a Tasmanian landscape prize. I’ll know on Feb 4th whether I’ve been sentenced to hang...then got caught up with a calendar of entry dates for tantalising art competitions and exhibitions sprinkled throughout the year and the world...then realised I was beginning to feel completely discouraged about doing any painting at all as I began to get drawn (so to speak) into the arena of competing so that each work was becoming a task based upon which I would be lined up against others and judged. How depressing!

Luckily I’ve snapped out of it.

Luckily I’m working on linen and have discovered that I can muck about as much as I want and at the end of each painting, if it doesn’t tickle me, can run the whole thing under the hose.

Luckily I remembered that I originally started painting so I could just experiment and see what happens, and sing my own little songs.

So I’m back to humming to myself.

WHAT a relief!


Painted in a paddock near Tamworth.