The eagle has landed....

It's been a mammoth few weeks. As you can probably tell, my poor little blog has taken a back seat to everything else that's been going on. But even though there's been precious little blog action, I've been painting like a woman possessed! For those of you who follow me on Facebook, you'll have seen a sneak peek of the biggest painting I've done for quite a while. This bad boy is 1.5m x 3m long (around 5' x 10') - a real statement piece. The canvas was custom-stretched, specialist art transport was needed due to its sheer size....but it was totally worth it. I absolutely love it, but more importantly, my gorgeous client Helen loves it too. Here it is:

'Equinox'

mixed media on canvas

1.5m x 3m

private commission

We did plan to have it delivered and hung all on the same day, but there were a few hiccups which meant it was only hung today. I'll be heading over next week to get some lovely in-situ shots, and I'll post those as soon as I can. I'm so looking forward to seeing it in place in Helen's beautifully restored Queenslander - very exciting!

Thanks for bearing with me lately. Even though my usual blogging routine has been completely thrown out the window, I have lots of original commissions on order, as well as some new paintings of my own. For all the news, sneak peeks and previews of new work, you may want to head on over and 'like' my Facebook page. I'd love to see you there!

Have a great weekend everyone,

Before and after..

I'm sure it's no secret that I love a good before and after. Toni from Something Gorgeous has been working on her beach apartment, and has done a fabulous job so far. She's taken a tired and outdated space.....

...and turned it into this!

 You might recognise my turquoise prints above the bed 

She's a clever one, isn't she? You can see more over at Toni's blog, Something Gorgeous. And even better, this is just the beginning - can't wait to see more!

Soon to make an appearance...

...in a new painting. I think these beauties would make a gorgeous subject for a new piece - the colours are stunning.

Aren't they lovely? And from my very own garden too - not that they require any work on my part, they totally take care of themselves. Now, if only I could teach the crew to do the same.......!

photo via my iphone

Couldn't resist....

In spite of being absolutely swamped at the moment, I couldn't resist sharing my latest painting. I've just finished this commission - a new butterfly to add to my growing collection. I love the combination of green and aqua - fresh and pretty, it's the perfect way to bring a little colour into your home:

'Papillon Verte'

8" x 11" (210mm x 297mm)

prints now available here in my Etsy shop

This piece was commissioned, along with my first butterfly, 'Petit Papillon':

...and they're going into these gorgeous, brushed-silver frames...

forgive the terrible iphone pic - but you get the idea

I'll post all the pics once they're hung and in place. Oh, and btw - remember the huge original abstract I've been working on? Well, it's all done and about to head off to my client for hanging. Can't wait to see it in place - it's been a fantastic piece to work on and it's going to an absolutely gorgeous Queenslander home. Will show all the pics once it's done and dusted.

Hope you're having a great week, and I'll catch you all soon,

2011 Coastal Living Ultimate Beach House

I've loved Coastal Living magazine since I first stumbled upon a copy in my local newsagent a few years ago. It's right up my alley - gorgeous beach houses feature in every issue; from the quintessential shack, right through to homes where the word 'shack' definitely doesn't apply! The 2011 Ultimate Beach House is now open for inspection, and was designed by none other than Phoebe Howard - so you know it'll be beautiful. Come on in and I'll take you on a tour.....

Relaxed, casual, unpretentious - everything a good beach house should be

Phoebe chose to leave the base cabinets in natural timber, for durability

love the framed thongs (Aussie for flip-flops, not the underwear kind). I'd love to do this with some  fabulous Havaiana styles - I think they'd work a treat framed like this.

serene and soothing

and how about a carriage house above the garage - perfect for housing those extra holiday guests

and the side porch, for when you've had enough of gazing at your ocean view

You can check it all out here - there's a special digital issue, or you can let Phoebe herself walk you though, and give you all the deets. Love.

I'l be taking a little blog break - I'm seriously slammed with work at the moment, so I'll be back later next week with some new goodies to share. See you then,

J'adore Adore

I had the pleasure of attending Adore's first birthday celebrations last week, and what a great night it was. I met the lovely Loni, caught up with many fellow bloggers, and generally had a great night celebrating a really great local magazine. As an added bonus, the new issue is out now, and it's an absolute gem:

and look - there's my Sea Coral II in Turquoise in the Hamptons feature - love it!

Seriously, this latest issue is the bomb. You need to get on over here and check it out - stat!

Mellow Yellow

I've had so many requests lately for prints in bright, sunny colours. As we head into summer here in Oz, I know I'm ready for some sunshine, and so here are the latest prints just listed in my Etsy shop:

 'Seaweed in Marigold'

new print here

'Sea Fan IV in Marigold'

now here 

Nothing like a little ray of sunshine to brighten your day :)

House stalking

I have to say, it's been slim pickings lately in the real estate world. The recent slump has seen fewer homes coming onto the market, but I did manage to find this lovely weatherboard number in Glen Iris, Victoria. I'm a sucker for a pretty Edwardian cottage, so let's take a look around:

pretty, no?

You can check out the link here while it lasts.