The Perth Writers Festival Brochure is out now. I’m speaking for children on Family Day Sunday March 1st.

Dianne Wolfer came up from Albany and stayed over for a PJ party.
She’s meeting her publishers this morning about her exquisite new book Lighthouse Girl due out in early March. Here’s the blurb:
It’s 1914. Fay can shoot a rabbit and make a mean nettle stew. She understands Morse code and the semaphoric alphabet. She knows where penguins nest and when humpback whales migrate. But until she starts writing to a soldier named Charlie, she’s never known friendship – and she’s never had a friend to lose.
Based on the true story of Faye Howe, this gentle tale brings to life the hardships of those left at home during the war — waiting, wondering, hoping. Drawing on fascinating archival material, and interweaving fact with fiction, award-winning author Dianne Wolfer deftly recreates this period in Australian history from the perspective of a young girl.

Last night: Music wafted up our road and we discovered that the Survival Day 2009 concert was held a mere 100 yards from our house - a national celebration of Aboriginal music, performance, visual art and culture. An exciting alternative to the official Australia Day event’s although we also indulged in prawns on the barbie doll at David and Lindsay Lloyd’s house with stunning views over the Swan River for the annual Sky show.

Empty nesting. My studio has a empty easel and an empty art desk. My Archibald is being shipped to the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the first set of sketches for “Ned Kelly and the Green Sash” are also traveling to Sydney. Perhaps they should have gone together for comfort over the vast Nullabor plain.
Regarding the Archy, I’ve won against myself. The process was paramount. I’ve raised my own benchmark and will do it again next year.There is something about breathing life onto a canvas nearly life size.

As for “Ned Kelly” here’s a peek at 3 of the spreads. Loved creating the roughs in a book. Being able to turn the pages in a tactile form like a finished project was methodical.

Every oil painting I’ve ever created left their mark on this palette. It’s never been cleaned. It was a present from Kate Summers back in 85′. It holds all my stories.

It was hard finding a canvas big enough to contain her head.
I have 2 weeks to get it dried and freighted to Sydney. 900 entries maybe 30 selected. There is always the Packing Room Prize, the guys who unwrap the entries get to vote or the Salon de Refuse exhibition.
In any case, I’m so loving the process.

The souls of the Indigenous are never forgotten here. I pay my respect.

Visually it’s a cross between Antigua, Zakynthos, and Australia. Careful not to swim too deep. Reports of white pointers abound. Still, I cool my brain in the undersea world. Knowingly, I’ll get back to that painting with vigor. Ned awaits too.

Read Helen Garner’s “The Spare Room” and revisited my own guilt and horror. Helen’s interpretation of the anger that comes with the job gives me solace.

On a lighter note, trying to visualise how 14 people slept in Cody’s room which contains only 2 beds.