Earth Hour 2020

#EarthHourDay

The search for homeostasis

Where have I been?

Two weeks into Term 1 of 2019's school term year, I officially "separated from the NSW Department of Education". Despite keeping tabs on the doings of my teacher-librarian colleagues, I haven't felt a burning desire to do any casual teaching or library work. Instead, have renewed my writing efforts on some fiction manuscripts and started making preparations for a future career(?) as a massage therapist. Recent changes in courses and career paths (to formalise which courses' graduates can access health fund rebates for their clients) saw me gravitate towards a Diploma of Remedial Massage rather than a Certificate 4 course. Endeavour College in the Sydney CBD offered my best option and I have just completed my first ten weeks of study. Some days, it hardly feels like studying: ie. give a massage, receive a massage, break for lunch, repeat. Now that's the way to study.

First homework involved removing a ring that has been stuck on my finger for about ten years...

All of which led to a firm resolve to lose some weight. This was a momentous landmark.

A few weeks into the course, the other students and I spent a day volunteering at the City2Surf marathon, massaging doctors and nurses who have their annual post-race gathering on the roof of Bondi Surf Club. (Talk about being "thrown into the deep end".)

We are expected to do at least two practice massages per week to consolidate our skills. When human volunteer crash test dummies aren't available for practice sessions, there are always other stand-ins...

Finding my way around the college LMS (learning management system) has made the last ten weeks relatively easy. Certainly a different way of submitting assignments since my last full-time course in 1990. Now I can take a three-week breather before the next term commences...

Meanwhile, I am back to writing Draft #2 of a Young Adult novel manuscript. No rest for the wicked, even a retired teacher-librarian.

Earth Hour 2019

#Connect2Earth

Again, Earth Hour

Earth Hour - #connect2earth

Earth Hour 2017

Earth Hour

Year 4 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 2

Week 2: Feathered animal.

Watercolour painting of an extinct, feathered Velociraptor, based on my own photograph of a model featured in the Tyrannosaurs exhibit of 2013 at the Australian Museum, Sydney. Highlights and shading in white pigment Signo, watercolour pencils and black finepoint Sharpie. In 2010, scientists discovered proof that many dinosaurs had feathers and, through a study of fossilised melanosomes (pigment-bearing organelles), they were able to ascertain some of the feather colours of Chinese dinosaurs!

Year 4 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 1

Week 1: Whimsy.

"Ready for a night out." Sketch in black Sharpie, watercolour pencils and white opaque Signo pigment ink on watercolour paper.

Update:

Week 1: Whimsy II.

"Working for peanuts." Watercolour and brown, black and white markers.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 52

Week 52: Reflection.

"The witch's mirror." Sketch in black and silver Sharpies, with red, yellow and blue coloured pencil.

Update:

Week 52: Reflection II.

"Duck on the pond." Freecut silhouette symmetrical collage using metallic bronze card, watercolour pencils, white Signo pigment ink and black Sharpie. Based on a photo viewed in Google Images.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 51

Week 51: Celebrate.

"Celebrating in their snowglobes." Sketch in watercolour, and black and brown Sharpie on watercolour paper. Snow created with masking fluid.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 50

Week 50: Festive.

Symmetrical collage and freehand white opaque Signo drawings and black pencil and Sharpie shading, mounted onto Quill Metallique card.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 49

Week 49: Gift.

"Always one in reserve." Cartoon in finepoint black Sharpie on watercolour paper, coloured with watercolours, white opaque Signo and red Sharpie.

Redbubble for art by andorianlad (Ian McLean)

I finally set up a Redbubble page to host my art on various stationery, clothing and drinkware products - even clocks and phone covers!

Click www.redbubble.com/people/andorianlad/ and scroll down to see themed categories and the full range of products! Service seems to be very efficient!

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 48

Week 48: Clocks.

"Cassius Cuckoo, Magic Circle Club." From the early 60s Australian TV series, Cassius lived in a longcase cuckoo clock and told a daily riddle sent in by viewers. Symmetrical collage and watercolour, mounted onto corrugated cardboard.

Update:

Week 48: Clocks II.

"Time flies." Quick sketch in black Sharpie with highlights in white opaque Signo, metallic gold Sharpie and watercolours.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 47

Week 47: Buildings.

"1960s Street". Sketch in finepoint Sharpie, with watercolours, white opaque Signo, yellow pencil and collaged road markings on watercolour paper. Based on a photo found in a Facebook image search.

Update:

Week 47: Buildings II.

"King Kong hug." Quick sketch in black and brown Sharpies with highlights in white opaque Signo and watercolours.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 46

Week 46: Treehouse.

Torn paper and corrugated cardboard collage with black ballpoint detail.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 45

Week 45: Zebra.

"Deconstructed zebras." Freecut zebra silhouettes in cartridge paper, collaged onto card and striped fabric.

Update:

Week 45: Zebra II.

"What's black and white and red all over? A sunburned zebra and a newspaper." Freehand sketch of a zebra in black Sharpie with a watercolour wash and collaged newsprint. I found an ironic headline to suit this big news week.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 44

Week 44: Spain.

Sketch in red and black Sharpie on white card, based on several Google Image photo references.

Update:

Week 44: Spain II.

"The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain." Cartridge papers of various colours, mesh baking sheet and photocopied flowers, collaged onto pink card. Some brown Sharpie shading. Inspiration from a Google Image search of publicity stills of Eliza Doolittle (My Fair Lady).

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, bonus round

Bonus Challenge: #AUSILLO

Sketch in black fineline Sharpie on watercolour paper, and coloured with watercolour pencils. (I did use an HB pencil first, before inking, which I haven't done in quite a while.) I decided to surround the girl with a few Australian inventions and icons. Based on two different photos of children, one from a Google search, another from my own collection.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 43

Week 43: Rainbow.

"Pot of Gold - Found!". Black Sharpie, watercolour pencils and Kindy Glitz glitter glue, on watercolour paper, collaged onto white card. Photographed under a halogen lamp.

Update:

Week 43: Rainbow II.

"Rainbow Paddle-pop." Just a quickie sketch of a kids' summer favourite - for all of its colours, the Streets Rainbow Paddle-pop is simply vanilla/caramel flavour. Drawing is coloured with a chunky Noor Hardtmuth rainbow pencil - multiple random colours compressed into the one lead.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 42

Week 42: Dog.

Freecut silhouettes collaged onto metallic card. Halogen light, indoors.

Update:

Week 42: Dog II.

"Bonnie." Watercolours on damp watercolour paper, black finepoint, white opaque Signo and brown Paint FX. Based on a 1962 photograph from my own collection.