First Love, What inspires me

 Have you ever been somewhere, done something that make you say "Ahhh" and feel like spreading your arms out wide and dance a little happy dance?  

   I decided to take Saturday, last week, off from making all the Mother's day cards I have to make for a womens group I belong to.  I belong to a women's breakfast club and every year I make at least 20 Mother's day cards to sell to the group.

 Some Mother's Day Cards I have been making

 

 

    This past weekend, my husband and I went on our usual market scouting.  We went to Red Hill, Market,  Melbourne's, "Grand Dame"  of markets.  I have always liked to visit the craft markets to get creative ideas and to ensure what I am making is unique.  Of course I love to do my "grandma shopping" at the markets.  I think by buying handmade items at the markets I am supporting other artist  and I also like buying one of a kind items. 

 We bought several items at the market.  I picked up some amazing Chilli Jelly.  My mouth waters every time I think of that smooth flavour and the bite at the end of the taste. YUMMY!  

     

Our Market Haul...Not including the dog hehe

  After the market,  I decided to go on a road trip. My husband always says my son's and I have my father's love of the 'road trip'.  

   

 I remember as a kid I use to have this feeling of wonderment, joy and peace every time my father would take us on a road trip to see the mountains or the sea. There were many places I remember visiting in  North Carolina, and Virginia, but the mountains and the ocean were the places that always made me feel like I belonged there,  and I was at peace.

   I  went back to NC to visit my family in Jan 2013.  It was a mild winter and I spent nearly every morning going to breakfast with my dad.  After my favorite breakfast of grits and an egg (over easy of coarse), my dad always liked to go for "road trip' around the country side of the Randolf, and Davidson county areas of NC. It is a rural area with plenty of open country to explore. I loved hearing my dad's stories about all the people that lived in the area, seeing all the old homesteads, the red barns and the one thing NC is famous for, those old tobacco sheds. 

Pilot Mountain, NC USA

Every time I go back to visit my family I feel that same feeling again, peace, joy, hooome.... However, there is one place that my dad has taken me several times and that is back to the place of his birth, and the place near where his family settled when they came to America as settlers, Pilot Mountain, NC . 

 

Visiting Pilot Mountain, NC always reminds me of my first love, the mountains.  The beauty, the art of nature!  Nature is a living breathing art that surrounds us every day of our lives. It is certainly the inspiration for my painting.

 

Our 'road trip' on Saturday morning, last week, my husband and I went to several areas of the Mornington Peninsula (http://www.visitmorningtonpeninsula.org/).  

 

 

 The one place that made me think back to that first love of the mountains, and made me stand in awe of this planet we live on, was at Cape Schanck, VIC. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Schanck,_Victoria).  

 Looking at the limestone formation that overlay the volcanic basalt formation, reminded me of my studies at Flinders University, in South Australia.  It brought back many happy memories of all the things I learned about Geology at Flinders University came flooding back.  The beauty of nature. That old feeling of first love, that feeling of peace, and that feeling of home all came flooding back in a rush. It may not have been the mountains of my childhood, but just seeing those rock formations and remembering how fascinating nature is.  I felt again that wonderment that nature is art and I am surrounded by so many influences for my art every day.

  Yes, I live in a city, a very large city!  My husband says it is like living with a caged animal sometimes and that my whole demeanor changes when we go 'bush'.  He's right about that!  I really enjoy going to all the amazing places in Melbourne,  but I just have to get out in the open air with 'no 4 walls' now and then.

   Though I have  been many places in my life, lived in 2 countries, traveled most of both my birth country and my adopted country, but one thing always makes me feel free like an eagle soaring.  That is when I go "bush", in the country of my birth or here in the country I currently reside.  (Bush is an Australianism term.."Bush : the hinterland, the Outback, anywhere that isn't in town" )  The colours of nature are so rich I want to get out the paint brushes and paint what I see.  I am never sure I would ever capture the diversity of the colour I see but I certainly give it a try now and then.

Cape Schanck

   Now back to reality...I have a whole week ahead to get moving on some Mother's day cards.  

 

Happy Blogging and let nature inspire your art next time your out 'bush';

Tracy @ Warratahstree