goodbye renee

May your journey sparkle. I will miss you.

circling my head

Okay, I've started writing this post 5 different ways now and keep restarting, so please excuse me while I just go ahead and spit it out.

Renee, a very dear blog friend is not doing well at all. I've been in tears this morning. How does this happen? How do we never meet, never "really" get to know each other, accept that we may never meet, but somehow become so linked with each others lives?

I think it's because somehow, across the world, we find people we genuinely click with. When it's often so hard to find that in real life, finding people who genuinely seem to care about you is amazing. It doesn't take too much to blog, sending your thoughts out into a nameless ether, but as soon as someone connects with you it changes. It takes alot of trust, faith and love to share yourself with a perfect stranger, and that does not go unnoticed. It is warmly reciprocated.

This isn't the first time I have ended up crying for an un-met friend. And I'm not talking about a little weep. I'm talking about curling up in bed with a box of tissues crying my heart out. (To people who aren't part of this little community that would sound completely looney, but I'm telling you this because I know you understand.)

But I'm so far away. What can I do? Really? Send a comment, a card, a gift?...

In this case what I am going to do is show you our wedding photo's.

Strange leap I know... and one that may seem incredibly self-centred and off the mark. But I know Renee would really really loved to have seen them. Really, it would have meant so much to her. And I can't tell you how bad I feel that I've left it too late now...

So to honour her I'm going to pull my finger out and finally share what I've been dying to show you all for months now. And in some way I hope she feels this gesture, and knows it comes with all my love.


So, I shall pull on a brave face, smile and glow from within, and recount our wedding day in all its love, joy and happiness. (After all these are the very qualities and abilities that makes Renee such an amazing woman).

out of the blue

See that dog with his paw on his overwhelmed heart? That's exactly how I feel.

Out of the blue yesterday a very sweet card arrived from Renee along with a packet of wild-flower seeds. (I have no idea how they wrangled their way past the quarantine beagles! But they look gorgeous.) Completely out of the blue! How nice is that?

Then, next thing I know, the delivery man arrived with a package for me. This one was a complete surprise too.

A new village store tin for my collection!!!!
All the way from Tinniegirl in Melbourne, with a sweet card saying she found this while cleaning out her studio and thought I may like it. Huh! :)



(Here's a pic so she can see where all of her donations are going):



What a week. I won't deny the putrid mood I've been in. Foul is all I'll say. I wrote a big "Wedding Wednesday" post, but didn't publish it... I might do a heavy edit, cheer it up a bit... okay, a LOT... and post it later.

All week I was tugging at wanting to post something reassuring, but I'd get near then do a complete about turn, unable to deal with it. I wanted to thank-you all so much for all of your AMAZING comments for me over my last two posts, but just couldn't bear my own blog.

Then out of the blue these gifts arrive, and I'm given a happy-slap in the face; a big reminder why blogging is so important to me. It's not me writing, or sharing, documenting, marketing, or anything like that. The thing I love most about blogging is the overwhelming feeling of good. The friends I've made, the community I feel part of, and that our little world is absolutely engorged with creativity, sharing, generosity, support and friendship. Where else can you find all that in one place?

I mean I don't know anyone, not really, but that doesn't stop me laughing along, shedding a tear at the sweet posts about your babies and pets, feeling hell shiver through me when one of you is going through a big personal issue, squealing in delight at happy news, and almost... almost buying a plane ticket to fly one of you out from America to photograph our wedding (almost, I didn't do it in time though and missed my chance. But we were serious about the idea). I even report your news to Mr You, like I've been chatting with you on the phone. And he does the same to me when he's beat me to it.

The point is I feel a great, great sense of friendship. And that's why my blog has morphed over the years. That's why I've continued to blog. And realising that I feel SO much better. SO much.

One of the reasons I've have had trouble blogging is that my head is so full of wedding crap, that's practically all I can think about right now. But I'm afraid of my blog turning into a wedding only thing, and that any extra wedding related opinions will snap me. I feel like I'm failing by not illustrating and keeping up with my creative endeavors. I feel like my blog is becoming banal. But you guys are WAY more understanding about it all than some others. So why am I holding back? I should just share, right? Like friends do, without concern of judgement.

I mean it's the internet, what could go wrong? Heh heh.

Anyway, my point is THANK-YOU! Both to Renee and Cathy, and everyone who commented, and even those who didn't but read my posts all the same. I think this reminder will really help me get myself out of this blue.

Renee Day

To a woman who has befriended, supported, and encouraged me, and showered with with gifts and love...

To a woman that gives new meaning to generosity, warmth, and heart...

To a woman who is strong and delicate, tender and funny...

To a woman who is feisty, sharp, sweet and caring...

To a woman who more than anyone else I know deserves an entire world-wide day all to herself...

Let's all celebrate Renee Day!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RENEE!!!!!! :D


(This was initiated by some friend's of Renee, who have been madly contacting her online buddies to hold a simultaneous Renee Day in her honour. They say you can tell alot about someone by the company they keep.)

little old inuit

Yet another gift arrived from the ever generous Renee today. This time it was an engagement present. Inside the card she wrote:

"This little soapstone carving was given to me as a gift about 20 years ago. It is carved by an Inuit from the North West Territories (here in Canada). It is being sent from my happy home to yours."

When we unwrapped him and picked him up out of his bubble-wrap coating, he was icy cold to touch. Almost as though Renee had somehow picked him up and handed him right to me, all the way around the world. From the depths of the Canadian Winter direct to this balmy Australian Summer day.

Half an hour later I picked him up again to take this photo of him, and he was still cold. Holding on to where he's from, as if to remind us of Renee. I hope he holds onto his chill. There's something almost magic about it. I love it.

Isn't he lovely? I had an Inuit art calendar last year, which I loved too. I wonder what he's reaching up for? Maybe he's cheering for Obama too. Or maybe he's waving with delight, or pointing to all the stars, or about to launch into flight.

Thank-you Renee. We adore him! :D

(p.s. This is such a common event now, that I've allocated a tag especially for Renee, heee)

renee's picture

Now that Christmas has passed I can start showing you the commissions I was working on during the last few months of last year.

The first was a commission for the lovely Renee in Canada. She wanted a picture to give to her baby granddaughter Josephine for Christmas, (although if Renee's generosity towards me is anything to go by, I doubt that's all Josephine was given for Christmas, hehehe).

This was a special commission. One that took me ages to know where to begin, one that needed to carry a great deal. But one that I knew needed to be joyous at the same time.

I won't say too much more than that... I'll just show you instead.








The words written on the pages of the books are from this post that Renee wrote about her granddaughter, that to me summed it all up.

I hope Josephine loves it! :)

all you will ever need

It's happened before... and now it's happened again. A package arrives, unexpected. It's a gift for me, for no occasion, for no reason, just a spontaneous, sincerely generous gift. And again it's from Renee. Full of love, generosity and heart, Renee.

It's a book. It's called Imagine a Place, and is filled with the most amazing illusion illustrations that grab hold of your imagination and make it fly. Each illustration is accompanied by a prose, here's one of my favourites:

Imagine a place...
...where your ship holds
all you once knew
and the horizon offers
all you will ever need.

And here's one of my favourite pictures from it:


(The lady at the back is holding a big saw)

Thank-you Renee. I love it! I really really love it.

As I discovered yesterday (the postie delivered it bright and early), it's great book to browse through as you're waking up over a cup of tea. It puts a new boundless perspective on the day ahead. So not only has Renee given me a great book, she's given me days with no bounds, imagination, inspiration, and of course she always gives her love.

The book is Imagine a Place. Words by Sarah L Thomson. Paintings by Rob Gonsalves (he's from Cananda).

the nicest people on earth

It's one thing getting a "for no reason" gift from an old friend, but it's a whole other thing getting one from someone you've never met.

Yesterday this amazing ceramic disc arrived in the mail, along with a sweet card that read; "My daughter bought me this in Mazatland, Mexico years ago. Since you love all things Mexican, I decided I would love you to have it. Take care sweet girl. Love Renee."

Those words along with the gesture brought tears to my eyes.

You see Renee is someone I've come to meet quite recently (on the web only). She has become somewhat of a patron of my art, and is buying alot from me. She emails me often with the loveliest compliments, and supportive words, and tells me I remind her of her daughter. And if that's not enough, she's doing all this during what must be the most difficult time of her life. She has terminal cancer.

(I don't think she'll mind me sharing that fact. She is quite open about it).

I find it difficult to believe actually, because of how much life she has in her. How it beams out strong and bright, with a melody and a damn good dance to go with it. She is absolutely full of spunk and charisma, love, generosity, tenderness, and humour. She is embracing. And I imagine her hugs would be unforgettable.

I don't know her well enough to know if she was always like this, or if this new life she's been given (in boldly defying how long she was told she had left) has brought these qualities to the surface more. Either way, I'm not sure I've ever known anyone like her before. I'm not convinced I will ever again. And I almost feel like the "chosen one" to be gifted with her company and friendship in this way. If I haven't made it clear yet, I feel completely honoured to know her.

I have no idea how I would react if I was in her shoes. But with her I have the feeling though that cancer really doesn't get a look-in. (although I'm sure she battles and suffers to no end in all sorts of ways of course)... What I mean is that with all of her bountiful qualities and abundant sense of life, cancer is way back in the queue, on tippy toes, straining to even get a look-in. It does not define who she is. She alone has taken that steering wheel. With her foot on the accelerator, music singing out, honking the novelty horn loud and happy, waving to kids out the window as they laugh with glee at seeing her, and the flowers at the sides of the road bending in to be close.

... And with a lump in my throat, a grin on my face, and a pencil in my hand, I wonder how on earth I get someone like that on paper in the painted form.



Thank-you so much Renee.