Me and my boys (no one said it was a photograph!)

30 June
Well, that's it - 30 doodles over 30 days ...posted daily to Instagram, and every few days to here. I have really enjoyed the daily practice of getting something ready to post. It was only the last few days that my enthusiasm lagged and it felt like a chore.  30 days was a good number ...I don't know if my attention could be held for the #100dayproject other crafters/artists are attempting at the moment (although what a great tag to explore!!). It may be down to the terms of engagement you set for yourself. I think I'll set out again in July ...but with a different focus to #doodlejune. Maybe watercolouring stamped images, or digitising doodles and draw/digitise/colour on separate days even? We'll see. #doodgitiseJuly - how does that sound? I have about 24 hours to decide :-)


Edited to add:  Thought I'd note my favourites for the month.

I love how this view of our feet turned, as we sat on the lounge with feet up on the footstool. I don't know how it looks to the outside eye, but I recognise us here - The way Blake's little legs are stretched out to fit his feet on ...Andrew's floppy slippers ...Tom's feet are a bit pudgey compared to his real life sleek ones  - but all in all, I can see us :-)

The duck is another favourite. Whereas our legs were first done in pencil, and modified as necessary to get 'just so', the duck I doodled blind. He's not perfect, but he has charm. I also like how he was coloured. Quack quack.

Dragonfly, sleeping

27 June

Dragonfly. I was freezing today doing this one ...too cold (lazy?) to move into the next room to fetch my glasses. As a result, I doodled on kinda cross eyed and out of focus for the most part. I'd better get my game face on now though - only 3 doodles left for #blogjune #doodlejune !

26 June

Back from a long weekend away tonight ...and this is all I had in me. Art anticipating life, but moments into the future. I'm sure the Zs are silent ...or at the very least, charming.

Grandma's umbrella song

#doodlejune is posted daily to
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20 June

Grandma's umbrella song. I have previously blogged about a sweet vintage embroidery pattern and a photo with me, my umbrella and my Grandma,  however since that blog is now offline I thought I'd post an excerpt here. It covers perfectly my soft spot for umbrellas.

[originally posted 15 April 2013]

...as soon as I saw the pattern it reminded me of my love of umbrellas as a little girl. My Grandma used to give me umbrellas. Well, in my memory she *always* gave me umbrellas. I'm not sure what the reality was, perhaps it was only one ...or maybe two? ...or maybe she gave me one, and I was expecting another when she came back next time? - I'll have to check with my parents, but she gave me at least one, as seen in this photo (from about 1977, I'd say).

I saw this picture again this past weekend during a visit to my parents' house and took a quick photo of it hanging in a collection on the wall. It's a little skewed due to the angle necessary to avoid the flash against the glass in the dark hallway. After seeing the photo again, I am now more motivated to get the embroidery done. I might do it on card stock for a scrapbook page.

What's that you say? Look at the little hippy chick? Well, what would you expect? My dad was the scoundrel new young teacher sent from inner city Sydney to his first teaching post in country New South Wales, wearing his green flares, purple paisley shirt, and wild long hair (not quite afro, but let's talk it up!). Dad grew up into a sensible librarian. And so did I. He escaped into retirement ...and well, I've escaped this year at least into long service leave. [update - and now forever too]

Now, back to the umbrellas ... the other strong memory I have is a song my Grandma taught and sang me, and I now sing with my two little boys just younger and just older as I was in the photo here. Although, I must say, I only know the first verse....

One rainy morning
A large umbrella crossed the street
Big, black and shiny
Covering someone tiny
And all that we could see were two small feet

In and out the traffic
Dodging here and there
That umbrella went with a Don't-Care air
I said in wonder
Who is that down under
Hugging that umbrella like a teddy bear

Horns started blaring
Everyone was staring
At that strange object in the street
Big black and shiny
Covering someone tiny
And all that we could see were two small feet

Then a young policeman
Called out from his beat
"That umbrella there has a boy down deep"
He swooped down under
Pulled out Billy Blunder
Just a tiny truant from his morning's sleep

Now Billy Blunder
Who was once down under
Recites by heart his safety code
"When you are out
In rain or hail or thunder
Hold up your umbrella when you cross the road!"

Quacker

#doodlejune is posted daily to
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19 June 2016
Even with a falling off beak, I'm really happy with how this little quacker turned out. It was this first time in #doodlejune that I doodled without a model to copy from. I just decided to doodle a duck, had a few practice goes in my notebook, and then completed the card for 19/6/16. Hooray. And hooray for #weekendwatercolour too. Quack quack. "It was the ducks".

Toothbrush, Parkrun, roundabout and rocket

#doodlejune is posted daily to
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10 June

After taking the boys yesterday, I visited the dentist for a check up today. I didn't score a free toothbrush and toothpaste like they did, however ...so I had to doodle my own.

11 June

Thomas and Andrew braved a chilly Saturday morning to do Parkrun ...while Blake and I stayed at home under the blankets. Thomas made a PB ...and is now at the stage where it's a case of Andrew needing to keep up with Thomas.

12 June

We finally made it to the Central Coast to celebrate me and Maddi's birthday (we're 60 all together!). This is the big roundabout heading down into Avoca Beach, from Kincumber, featuring a great bit palm tree. This is the view leaving Avoca - left to Kincumber, right to Terrigal.

13 June

While staying with my mum and dad, we watched Thunderpants again. Thomas drew the Thunderpants rocket this morning and here is my version of a rocket (more along the lines of a Wallace and Gromit style vessel). I copied Thomas colouring of the flames. He was impressed I blended the colours :-)   #weekendwatercolour

Wet weekend

#doodlejune is posted daily to
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4 June 2016

We were supposed to be travelling to the Central Coast this afternoon for a birthday dinner with my parents, and my niece's 18th birthday lunch tomorrow. However, today's planned were shelved with bad weather forecast meaning driving on the freeway would not be a good idea. Instead, we stayed in our pyjamas for most of the day. The boys read, wrote and made things. Andrew ironed his work shirts (he's in trouble!), and I entered all the school banking slips. Not a lot of anything, but a great lot of recharging our batteries. We went out to our local Turkish restaurant for dinner, and all up had a great day. Things are looking good for making a day trip tomorrow to celebrate with Maddi.

5 June 2016

Hmmm. After going to bed last night thinking we would be good for the trip today, after checking the reports this morning we have decided to cancel after all. So disappointing, but I look forward to sharing a champagne and guava juice with The Mooska next weekend. The birthday festival has officially been extended. Happy Birthday Maddi!! I'll say it again ....I can't believe you are now 18!!! #weekendwatercolour