A Dave in the hand is worth two in the Bush...

So it was time to explore the new - down under. This was the exciting possibility before me.

I'd arrived in Australia, and was awaiting the myriad differences and similarities I'd be confronted with.

Here be Dragons

I was beginning to realise that a good amount of time would be needed to recover from the 44 hour journey I was experiencing (note to self, budgeting on the trip might have a cost somewhere else).

I had a long stop over in Melbourne though, and so had the chance to soak up some of the atmosphere, grab a bite, and sketch in my journal.

Melbourne skyline

Sitting by the river Yarra, having my lunch, I was to overhear a wee snippet of the city, and an old connection to Queen Victoria, in the guise of Lord Melbourne. A school teacher had taken all the school girls in his care to the river and was asking them what they knew about the city's name.

I was glad that I would not be relied on to answer, as my history of the Victorians in the old and new country is severely lacking. However, Governor of New South Wales, Richard Bourke apparently named the city after the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Lord Melbourne, William Lamb, a man close to Queen Victoria. As the years go by, I'm beginning to realise that a number of men could claim to be close to the Queen.

There was a vibrant air to Melbourne, and I loved being able to travel on the free trams within the city centre area. This really increased my chances of viewing more of the city.

Sights and sounds of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

After Melbourne, it was a then a final internal flight up to Darwin, and the Northern Territory (NT).

Hugely different climate in Australia's only tropical city, I was met by a beautiful, sunny, warm and occasionally stormy city as the NT moved into its wet season.

Fogg Damn, Northern Territory, Australia

I was incredibly grateful to be in the very capable hands of Dave, who had lived in the NT for over 25 years, and his scientific and tour guide background would prove invaluable. It is always better to be in the company of someone who has lived in the area, really experienced a place, and so knows its history. So I was happy to be led whilst we began the task of trying to track down some native wildlife, albeit that I was feeling incredibly out of my depth suddenly.

I had spent the last few months building to this point. All had been to get me here and experience this. And here I was. Now was the time to appreciate it, work with it, perform and produce and have a great time...to boot.

There was a moment of panic...of feeling doubt...of not knowing what to do.

A bit of advice from Dave would help me greatly. The true meaning of NT...

'Not Today', 'Not Tomorrow', 'Not Tuesday', 'Not Thursday'...dont expect too much...and then you can be pleasantly surprised...

And bird watching proved at first to not be such an easy task...wildlife not always being well behaved, nor predictable. Couple this to the challenge of identification, our work would be cut out for us, and expectations were low.

Trying anything new of course comes with a bit of trial and error, and we found ourselves going all David "Attenborough" and David "Bellamy" as we herded some Australian Ibis in the undergrowth!

The Ibis though is quite common in Australia, and is debated as either a nuisance, or endangered. Perhaps it is both, as we as humans judge animals as they attempt to adapt and survive in a world more and more dominated by humans. In any respect, these birds did us at least the courtesy of getting close enough to take a photo, and so work up an image.

The Australian Ibis in Berry Springs, NT

I was hopeful that this would only be the beginning of the sights we would see, as I learned more about the birds and animals on this massive continent.

Dancing Cranes

There is a stately, and elegant nature to birds. They carry themselves with dignity which is beautiful to watch. In the wetlands of Fogg Damn, the Brolga, or Dancing Crane could be seen in evidence around the giant water lillies.

Amongst the lillies

And I did have a burning wish to see another familiar, yet different variety of a familiar wee bird. The Fairy Wren. Only time would tell....and I'd try to remember...keep my expectations low...

A dash of blue, the Fairy Wren

Oz is calling...

So seven months have passed now since I returned from New Zealand, where my life changed significantly and projected me forward to build my business, find temporary work, and to plan my next Antipodean adventure, whilst following my heart to Australia, and Darwin in the Northern Territory.

The last seven months had been challenging, fraught, productive and also hugely satisfying and rewarding.

The double need to plan, and to act spontaneously was continuously present. That feeling of constantly living on the edge of a cliff, knowing that now is the time to leap. To leap, and leap again. Just as the house martin does each trip from the nest, the risk of the fall transforms into the supportive movement of the feathered wing. Hopefully growing stronger with each journey.

Plunging and hitting the ground, although avoided, does not mean you don't deal with turbulence and obstacle. But then the thrill is often at the edge.

This summer the business definitely took a big step forward. Two of the flights took me to two new galleries and shops. Bass Rock Gallery in Dunbar and 17Reasons in Moffat.

Carol Bowman's expert eye at Bass Rock Gallery

Going rural in 17Reasons, Moffat

Both of these creative ventures are run with a resonant joy that is both uplifting and inspirational. These people just radiate a wonderful energy that helps me on this journey. Craft and arty people themselves, they have been successful at growing their passions into successful businesses, and I am very grateful for that.

If art could be created whilst constantly in the presence of these people I'd be a happy chap...alas the work often calls for solitude and focus...but there are ways to bring people around you whilst producing.

A second summer trip saw me return to Scotland, and Edinburgh, to demonstrate one of my latest techniques in crafting.

It is a great experience to chat to people and show others how my particular style reveals itself and the crafted items are made, where the ideas come from, and also potentially encourage others in their creative endeavours.

A blissful afternoon



The great thing about demonstration is that it helps me reinforce my own learning as I describe the process and also learn from people too with their feedback. I aim to carry out workshops in the Art & Craft Collective in June 2018, so watch this space and stay tuned to either Facebook, or Twitter, or this blog.

It also became a time to begin making new contacts in my home county of Norfolk and selling art and craft at Fakenham Makers Market with the kind help of my sister-in-law Christine Good, who has begun to show me the new world of jewellery making...go team!

Setting up stall in St Andrew's Church, Fakenham, Norfolk

This had become a time of juggling...work, art and craft making, seeing friends and family and planning and organising my 6 month trip to Australasia. So much to organise I realised and an enormous amount of discipline, planning and decision making needed. There would be many moments of feeling frayed at the edges.

Now the countdown is on...back to wandering, but this time with a very strong pull, and goal in mind. Although events can take you to unexpected places, and although Australia is of course a fantastically wonderful country to explore...my path is guided not by place, nor by wanderlust, and perhaps not even by my artwork, but by a much greater pull of the heart.

It's time to take to the wing once more.

And so this brings me to October, and as I turn my eyes to the autumnal sky, the soft lonely cry can be heard.

The geese are flying south.
And the air is calm.
Still and cold, with melancholic notes
Of twilight shards.

The geese are flying south
And I stop and stare,
Alert to the cusp of coming winter;
Reflecting the deep indigo shine
Of the orb's gentle curve.

The geese are flying south.
The geese are flying south, at last.

Transitions in wood

Busy-ness growing your business is fine to a point.

A pause for breath is sometimes necessary, although not always possible. Events and opportunities come along at uncontrollable times, and decision making becomes intense, quick and harsh.

The last few months have seen me become busier and more challenged than usual.

Dreaming about a potential goal, and then taking action to fulfill it, makes your perspective change radically. Everything can suddenly appear either a help or a hurdle to that goal...if we let it.

However, having listened to a lot of people over the years, I have begun to change that mindset. A massive paradigm shift to my belief system. The growing awareness that everything helps you to your goal once you begin that journey,and once you truly commit to the goal that you know, deep, deep inside is yours. Because you will stop at nothing to realise it. And your emotional responses can be trusted,to enable you to act in such a way to keep you on your path. I suppose the trick is to realise what your goal truly is.

The goal of becoming an artist is very close to me. The past few years have seen that develop. Finding a balance between my artistic life and my family and social life has always created a tension. It's difficult to get that balance right, and I often struggle. This summer, with having to balance nurturing my art business with friends and family and with working ad-hoq in temporary work situations for various employers to help finance the venture hasn't always resulted in an easy-osey flow!

One success of note though was my chance to combine things. Spending time with my nephew, Daniel before he left home for University and I left for my next six month art venture in Australia and New Zealand resulted in a joint art project. Taking old items to be thrown away or discarded helped us both be creative, and helped me guide Daniel in the creative process, and helped me spend good family time. And Mother got a garden picture in the bargain!

Dragonfly close-up

Installation in situ

Dragonfly

Daniel in action

Fun painting in the sun

Another nice interlude was gaining the company of dogs in my life by dog sitting. This year has seen me look after Juno and Toby and so couple my Wandering Artist work with house-sitting. Two lovely dogs to look after and such great fun to be around. I have really enjoyed the walks and the cuddles.

Me and Toby...a shared happy pant

Juno, ready to play

And house-sitting gave me time to develop new artwork, and this time to change the medium. To use wood as my canvas. Small pieces of ply-wood, that would otherwise have been used for firewood, I have been going through a research and development phase to get them to a canvas I can use in various ways.

Scottish Terrier on wooden block

Scottish Croft on wooden block

New Cosy Croft range

Working with wood has become more and more of my medium of choice lately. Finding wood that would otherwise go to scrap or be burned or generally left unused is a growing fascination.

And again, I have been able to combine this with temporary work as well as pursuit in art and craft. This time working for a wood pallet company. My daily tasks...sort and stack various wooden pallets. Various sizes, weights and condition. Who knew there were so many pallets! Standards, Standard Longs, CP2s, CP3s, EPALs, medium Euros, heavy Euros, Sevens, Nearlies, Blocks...the list goes on...and either good or bad condition...so all this plays to my need for order by sorting and stacking into relevant piles. A mindful day's work and one almighty workout! Hopefully my muscles may soon appear!

New uniform - safety first!

To make this work though meant giving up Maude!

Yes, the time had come to wander on without my motorhome and switch to a more work efficient van...called Red.

Farewell to Maude...a year's adventure...hope you have many more!

It was a bit of a wrench when she was driven up the road. We'd had many adventures together and it has been a fantastic year of transition...good and bad times. And for a while, she was my home and haven.

I recommend motorhoming to anyone considering it. To look at the horizon. To wonder what's over the hill and go there...without having to pack.

So during this phase of various work and artistic pursuits, what is my goal?

Part of me believes that I know it, but I also have a very intuitive side to my nature so a lot that drives me is perhaps unconscious.

I know there are a number of drivers in my life. To help people. To be creative. To improve myself and learn. These things happen no matter what I do or where I am (though learning is sometimes slow). But there does come a moment when things just click. When circumstances happen and your ability to choose becomes easier...where it no longer feels like a choice, but a necessity.

I have wanted to be many things in my life. A biologist, an artist, a graphic designer, an actor, a friend, a husband. These are all goals, but at the same time they could be described as the same higher goal. To succeed.

Now of course, being older, I also know that it includes not succeeding. But again, only if I keep the same mindset in place that restricts things to being separate. Or rather an either/or. To succeed or fail at something is pure illusion.

You are either something or you are not. Once you've decided to begin, you are simply on the journey, and so are already there. You are that thing.

So that old adage is true for me. The only true mistake is not to do it.

Or in a much more fun and new age way of quoting:

 'Do, or Do Not. There is no Try.' Yoda, A Galaxy, Far Far Away.

Elders and Elderflowers

It's been a while since I posted. In the last few months, I've had many a challenge. It has been a more focused period of my artistic life, as I have geared up to promoting my work more, and heading towards exhibition, as well as travelling around the country, making a living to help balance the artistic production.

Being an artist often means balancing what we love to do, with what helps to pay the bills. That means juggling alot. To build towards an exhibition means devoting alot of time that is not instantly rewarding, and also means I have to invest in product, and risk it not being profitable. That's part of the game.

New work development for market

Proud  Watchful Scottish Ram

And hence finding other work to help support my passion. The trade, to support the art, whilst I continue to develop, hopefully sell, and refine my current style.

The energy and resources needed to do this felt enormous, and we all have our limits. I often met mine this time! And I began to rely heavily on the people around me. For a listening ear. For advice. For sounding boards. Or perhaps just to witness the tears of frustration and small deaths that happen each day. The steps forward and the two back...that old cliche.

"Elders" is a word that began to resonate for me during this time. People in my life that although have walked different paths, have experienced life to an extent that they can advise, and in such a way that helps me grow, rather than to talk direction and tell me what to do.

My elders are not always older than me, although that is often the case. They just tend to be the person that I happen to be around, and when I listen closely to them, their advice can help. Perhaps not immediately, and perhaps not all is actually helpful in my specific case. However, there is always a sense of support, love, care, and compassion... and endless encouragement.

I rely so very heavily on these people. My mother, my aunts, my uncles, my sisters, brothers and their partners, my cousins.

Enjoying the sun with Mum in Cromer...searching for the goats!

My friends too...at this time the advice I have received from my lifelong friends Karen Roberts, Mary-Alice Lloyd, Steven Ahern and Anita Sauvage, have bouyed me up, kept me sane, and kept me going, as well as people I have worked with before, with Linsay Given-Black's timely calming couple of words at my first market experience at the Art & Craft Collective's monthly pop-up exhibitions. Big challenges have come and with them a feeling of what's important, what's right and what it means to truly love and care for someone when they go through difficulties, as well as successes.

Mary-Alice and me in the garden!

My nieces and nephews, although younger than me, are often times able to give young seeds of elderflower wisdom too.

We flower so very briefly, and these days I wonder about how I use, and journey through, my life. I can lose perspective at times as I go on with my goal and passion for art, and I reflect on remembering to enjoy the fruits of my labours, which are the people's friendship and experiences around me...and as my new antipodean friend Dave is apt to say...the rest is just bric-a-brac.

Sometimes the letting go of a goal helps to let us see where we get to whilst persuing it.

Alot of my blog may appear very positive and upbeat and very adventurous, and yes it is, some of the time.

Then there are the darker, scarier, fear-filled and lost times. The introspective times. The times when you doubt things, and lose things. Like friends, family, opportunity, keys to the motorhome, artwork, your temper, your perspective, your emotional control. Without the elders in my life, those that have lost these themselves, and so know; without them, I could not be writing this blog now.

So I got back to the UK in early spring, and during that time planned, worked, drove from place to place, and made elderflower cordial.

Mother-load

Elderflowers don't last very long. You get a burst of sweet scent, and a window of opportunity to gather them, place in boiled water with lemon and orange slices, and perhaps too much sugar for our own good, and hey presto, as we go into summer, we can keep the taste of it through the months, and if you freeze it, into the winter months too.

Journey along the canal in Muston, Leicestershire

It was one of the seasonal paid jobs I got to help finance myself during this time, and I have to say that it was one of the most joyous jobs I've done. Foraging in the Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire countryside in woods and beside canals, I was of course lucky to be doing it in full sunshine. You get paid by the kilo, and so you do have to pick an enormous number of flower heads, but during my cycling to work as an invigilator for schools, I'd noticed them growing along the canals, and so I was armed with fore-knowledge.

After elderflowers came the cherry, and making home made (and my first, and extremely frustrating attempt at) gluten-free cherry pie..I have my sister Louise to thank for my growing expertise with this "so-called" pastry ;-). Again, the cherry tree is fleeting, and you have to take advantage of the season, and I loved that aspect of reconnecting with nature.

Cherry tree view

I'm hopefully going to develop my ability at growing things. Creativity comes in all things, and in growing vegetables I have found a highly rewarding pursuit (although at this point I literally only have 4 baby cucumbers, so whether I actually have green fingers or not remains to be seen...only time will tell...

In the undergrowth!

When that Maori God of Earthquakes shakes your world...

Ready to explore

Having become more comfortable with the constant changes of scenery, people, and activities during my travels in the UK, it felt like the time to take a braver step again and go further afield.

Time for a larger step.

Which almost proved to be too big a step when right at the start, just outside Thetford, vandals hurled a rock at the bus and cracked the window pane. Two hours later, and one replacement bus, meant we did arrive in time for the plane however!

Getting to the plane was an adventure in itself!

 
Sometimes, the massive shake-ups in our lives can be just what we need. Although not always welcome, they can lead to new, unexpected things. They can of course also be extrememly devastating.


We spend alot of our lives convinced we are in control, and that our lives are safe and protected. Living in the UK, earthquakes are not a fact of life. Arriving in Christchurch, New Zealand, I was met with the devastating effects of the quakes there, the last in 2011. The city is still recovering. And the people affected by the earthquakes will always carry the memory with them.

Ruaumoko - God of Earthquakes

And whilst being away in New Zealand, and witnessing what I can only imagine to be hugely traumatic events, I was struck by the resilient nature of both people living in New Zealand, and specifically Christchurch. Living with earthquakes, day in and day out, cannot be easy. 

But then, to think about the people who first moved out to this remote island in the pacific ocean, that resilience must always have been there.

The tram in Christchurch gives tourists a journey through the transitioning city

I was greatly struck by the touches of similarity, and the shades of difference here. A nice pace, friendly (oh so friendly) people, and whilst on South Island, so few people. Vast swathes of countryside without settlement. The 1950's is the decade most frequently associated with it, and this was often felt, in the architecture and the lifestyles.

The cows in the sunny fields

Gentle river walks

The landscape is hugely dramatic. A relatively young country, its mountains are still growing and shaping and they literally cut into the sky.

The grey waters rushing down from Fox's Glacier

Highrise roads winding through Arthur's Pass

Falling glacial waters

New Zealanders have a terrific obsession and love affair with the classic car, and examples could be seen on farms, in the street, at remote hotels, and in fields...anywhere really. They were a joy, and give a sense of period frozen in time.

Sitting comfortably at Otira Stagecoach Hotel

Grasshopper

More film set than street in Murchison

Old faithful

I was able to take more time working on my journal during the visit. There is nothing more relaxing than sitting at an old harbour on Golden Bay and sketching, or cutting and pasting bits and pieces out of old bus timetables to help re-create your travelling day to Lyttelton, Christchurch's port.

Golden Bay

Capturing the day creatively in my journal

As well as finding the people really friendly, the wildlife can be too, although sometimes a bit over-familiar. The curious Kea birds for instance can present something of a challenge, and have been known to strip the rubber off vehicles, and steal anything left unattended. A moment of horror was had when I realised that I had forgotten to close the driver's window of the hire car! Disaster was averted however.

Kea birds are full of michief!

Kea birds aside, other experiences with animals proved to be much more cordial, including friend Gavin's dog, Cody, on the beach, which proved to be much more civilised, and the three sweet dogs belonging to Shane and Damien in Picton...

Cody and friends at the beach

Zorro, Zanthia and Zina with Shane and Damien in Picton

There is a great contrast between the North and South Island of New Zealand. The South is sparcely populated, with the vast majority of people living on North Island. And the majority of people living on North Island live in Auckland.

Auckland harbour perspectives

The Ferry Building, Auckland

Auckland was exciting, and huge, especially when compared to my previous locations. Other cities on North Island were not as large, but had their own unique and perhaps gentler qualities. Wellington for instance at the south of North Island, although windy most of the time, does have a relaxed atmosphere to it. Towns and cities on South Island appear to be much more gentile.

Precarious at the seaside in Wellington, North Island

Grove Station in Nelson on South Island

And the towns and cities on South Island again have their own unique characters, with Nelson even presenting a train station from yesteryear.

Part of my stay in New Zealand involved volunteering at Autumn Farm, near Takaka, and there I spent a significant amount of time making new friends, and strong connections with people.

Faced with dashing all over to explore as many places as possible, I was to spend alot of my time in one place, and I found it a wonderful opportunity to delve deeper, really get to know people, listen to their stories and settle into a place.

As part of the placement though, I was able to take part in housekeeping, newsletter production and even a spot of being a waiter, and also ground maintenance and gardening...especially needed after a storm developed with hurricane force winds, bringing down one of the large trees shortly after my arrival!

Many people come to unwind here, and enjoy their time away from work, and as well as gain experience of varied tasks, I was able to take part in wine tasting events, as well as go on walks with guests, and even experienced the local agriculture shows, with sheep shearing and log chopping competitions.

Making friends whilst volunteering!

Housekeeping of characterful accomodation like the Ark

Even though there was ample work to do, I would still have time to unwind with friends and paint and travel out into the countryside.

The road goes ever on

Not all my experiences in New Zealand were fun however.

During the visit, I learned of the untimely passing of my good friend Alex Kinnear. Our friendship had lasted for over 18 years and to find yourself on a different side of the planet at that time shook my world. The repercussions of this loss would, I am sure, always be with me. And it reminded me of the precious nature of all our lives. This definitely reminded me to make the most of this time and every day. We meet people for a reason, I believe, and they say too, often for a season. I experienced many changing seasons with Alex, and the final winter came far too soon, and unexpectedly early. The influence she had on me though, was tremendous. As is the influence of many people in my life.

And although I was to experience the loss of such a good friend whilst here, I also gained connections with other precious people. Again, these people have appeared for a reason, and I look forward to exploring that further. The experiences gained have enriched my life and given me a much wider perspective. Something I shall always be grateful for.

A perfect day

Street painting

Oh, and although I didn't go to see Hobbiton, nor visit places made famous by The Lord of the Rings, during a visit to Otira Stagecoach Hotel, I may just have found the Precious!

Gollum?