Weekly drawing: My place

My place

I'd sneak through the farmer's property always fearful of a bull (which was never there). Jump the fence again and disappear into the bush following a small creek to disguise my tracks.
It was here, I'd built a secret sheltered oasis out of sticks, bark and leaves. Looking back, I rarely played there. I just built stuff. At the time Mum and Dad were designing and building our family home, so I couldn't see why I couldn't build my place too.

It was also partly inspired:
1. A picture book about a kid who wasn't allowed to help build the family home, because he was to small. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of this book.
2. The desert children's sheltered oasis in Mad Max beyond Thunderdome
3. The Ewok village in Return of the Jedi.

As children we called this the Ewok village but as an adult I've called this drawing "my place" after seeing the TV series My Place which high lighted to me that children do claim a place as their own, and that's what I did as a kid too.

weekly drawing: Sea cave

Walking the coast to Wes and Narelle's place, I became quite keen on investigating a dark and mysterious sea cave. Every time I walked past it, my imagination ran wild. I'd somehow managed to convince myself there must be pirates treasure hidden or at least a secret passage way.

So the next time it was low tide, I took my torch and I had a look around. However it wasn't what I'd imagined. Instead of vast riches, I only discovered a small group of bats who wished I'd stop shining my torch so they could keep on sleeping. I didn't find what I was hoping for but I hadn't ever seen wild bats in a cave before, so I was still pretty excited it was a bat cave.

Weekly drawing: The Broadhurst's great tree swing

Kate Broadhurst and me play on the swing

The Broadhurst's had the best tree swing in the world. As kids we were amazed by it's design "How could someone throw and tie the rope at such a height?" Well, I never really worked that out. So instead, I visited as much as possible and concentrated on enjoying it and pretending be Tarzan.

DIY Kids bamboo tepee from stuff around the house

Tepee ingredients

1. Bamboo

2. Old Inner bike tube

3. Double bed Sheet

4. Bull dog clip

1. Bamboo cut from back garden

Old Inner bike tube to tie the bamboo

Double bed Sheet held on with Bull dog clip

Weekly drawing 58: Harold the crow's nest crow

Harold's favourite saying "alert but not alarmed"

Up in the crow's nest by Libby and Joel

Libby in the moment

Being a creative parent can be hard to find time to create while caring for a baby. 

But lately I've had some really golden moments drawing with children. 

Which is a great way for us all to have fun and I get still get to create. 

The next two photos are of chalk drawings I did with Libby and other play friends at Jarvie Park in Marrickville.

Chickenpox Chicken on a skateboard. 

 Libby and a friend added the details such as spots and the thing that looks like a 

choker necklace, I was told this is actually a trampoline. Which I find oddly amusing.

Weekly drawing 35: My Bed is a Boat

My Bed is a Boat
by Robert Louis Stevenson

My bed is like a little boat;
Nurse helps me in when I embark;
She girds me in my sailor's coat
And starts me in the dark.

At night I go on board and say
Good-night to all my friends on shore;
I shut my eyes and sail away
And see and hear no more.

And sometimes things to bed I take,
As prudent sailors have to do;
Perhaps a slice of wedding-cake,
Perhaps a toy or two.

All night across the dark we steer;
But when the day returns at last,
Safe in my room beside the pier,
I find my vessel fast.

Weekly drawing 31: Hope

CICU - Sydney Children's Hospital Randwick. Little babies hooked up to monitors with hundreds of chords. No parent wants to see their child like this.

This is a hard ward, but I wouldn't want our poor little baby anywhere else. These people are saints.

Weekly drawing 32: Trust

..."trust me Little one, I'll get you back home. So rest yourself there's plenty of time" ...

The Elephant and the Baby
By Joel Tarling