Sometimes it’s hard to say goodbye….

 "Byron Bay"

Kylie Marie Stevens

915 x 610mm

oil on canvas

1999

Today I deliver this painting; I thought I was quite happy to let it go... l until I wrapped it up last night.  

It’s been part of my life and home for such a long time now and was painted after a much needed beach escape.  I’m sad to see it go, but I know it will be loved in its new home.  Do you ever feel sad as your creations leave your life?

Inspired

I’ve been inspired by my community as the flood waters receded and thousands of helping hands have been offered to those in need.  It’s amazing the creative ways that people have found to help and contribute. 

The Swich Contemporary Art Space have called for donations of artwork for a flood relief auction and I have painted and submitted this piece for consideration. 

"Community"

Kylie Marie Stevens 

encaustic on linen

450 x 450mm

2011

The background symbolises the receding flood waters and the circle of dots the people coming together to help and contribute as we begin to rebuild.   I hope this feeling of community spirit and strength continues long beyond the clean up and recovery stages.  



Check out our tree house….

Our new house is really starting to come to life.  Work stopped over Christmas and then the floods stalled things for a while, but now it is full steam ahead again.  

The purple isn’t as dark as we expected, but it has grown on us, it is going to look great when the timber stair case and railings are installed. 

Check out the chimney, the fire place is in and we are thrilled!   

We are getting REALLY excited about living there now, it is so peaceful out on the back deck looking over the little creek and listening to the trees rustle.  Not too long now…

My sketchbook is in the mail….

My little book is now on a big trip to America to join 28 000 other sketch books on a national tour and then to take up residency at the Brooklyn Art Library.   

The good folk at The Sketchbook Project granted all participants an extension and boy did I need it!

My theme for the project was “Sleepless” and after a couple of false starts (and completely destroying, rebinding and recovering my sketchbook!) I decided to build my sketchbook around a music festival we attended in December.  The festivals name was “No Sleep Til” and we anticipated a sleepless weekend!  

I must give a big shout out and thankyou to photographer Elleni Toumpas who was gracious enough to let me use some of the shots from her blog as reference, as I didn’t get as much sketching done at the festival as I anticipated…

So here it is without further ado, your very own sneak peek at my sketch book…

 

What an adventure this little sketch book is off on… I wonder who will flip through it and what they will think...

Support

"Support"

Kylie Marie Stevens

oil on linen

900 x 990mm

2010

I survived the floods unscathed, so many in my community are not so lucky.  It’s overwhelming and so very sad to witness the devastation so close to home.  The last few days have been a flurry of getting batches of donations to the evacuation centre and keeping an eye one of our family’s homes for flood waters and looters.  

Curly Guy was out offering his muscle to the clean up yesterday, but I was home with Little Guy, I feel so useless and want so desperately to help anyway I can.  

I have donated the painting above “Support” to The Queensland Flood Appeal Raffle. I thought it was appropriate as it has been amazing watching the way the community has pulled together to “support” one and other through this disaster.  

There are so many fantastic prizes on offer in this raffle, please pop over to the page and find out how to purchase a ticket and help us get as much money as possible to the people who are suffering. 

Back in the Studio...

I spent some time in the studio this morning, it’s the first creative time I have had for myself this year, actually since the silly season started and it felt sooooo good.  I had been getting quite stressed, cranky and really out of sorts.  I’m glad I finally remembered how to fix that mood, shame it took me so long to remember! 

Hope you are having a good start to the New Year.  Thanks for sticking around while I had my little bloggy break.  I determined and excited to carve out the time to hang out in blog land more again….  I can’t wait to pop over to your place and see what you have been up to.