Weekly Drawing: Singing to the cows

This drawing is an illustration of something I mentioned in the blurb of Weekly drawing 53 

"We lived 5km out of town along the coast and my sister and I were the only kids at our school bus stop. However this didn't seem to bother us. While we waited we made a hand ball court by sweeping the clay, so there was a smooth area to play. And the property over the fence was dairy farm, I would sometimes amuse my sister by singing to the cows "Da do ron-ron- ron". To our amazement they would all huddle over to listen. These were magical days."

Weekly drawing 63: Alcohol fuelled Australia Day, 1808

The Rum Rebellion come for Bligh

This drawing is based on one of Australia's earliest cartoons. The Overthrow of Governor Bligh 1808 a water colour by an unknown artist. I get the feeling it was commissioned by William Bligh's rival John Macarthur. A clever piece of propaganda, depicting Bligh as a coward hiding under his own bed.

The original cartoon neglected to depict the soldiers in their alcohol fuelled state. I think if a bunch of armed and angry drunks charged into my house, I'd hide too.

Reference book: Cartoons of Australian History
by Peter Coleman and Les Tanner. Published by Neslon 1967

Weekly drawing 57 part 2: Salty Dog

Weekly drawing 54: Ibis infestation and child art

Feeling inspired this week, so it's two drawings...

Drawing 1

Ibis infestation is a kids book idea 

Eat your worms about eating the right foods. 

Why would an Ibis's would love eating Subway Wrappers,
McDonalds rubbish and hairy bits of chicken instead of foraging
in their native wetlands far from the cities?

Drawing 2

Sailing in a storm

My daughter 18 months has started enjoying to draw (scribble, scribble turn the page scribble, scribble). She has trouble understanding why I won't let her scribble all through my sketch book. So this is a drawing we did together, in my sketch book to prove that I can share too.

Weekly Drawing 51: Enjoy diversity

"Dogs like busking

Cats like jazz

Dogs like home cooked leftovers

Cats like sushi..." 

                                                      Joel Tarling

Kids book idea about accepting others and enjoying diversity

Weekly drawing 50: Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy attacks my little girls big heart

At home after many months in a critical stable condition with a pacemaker

This weeks drawing I'm processing one of the scariest times of my life. When I thought I'd lose my little friend and loving baby girl to heart disease. She had always been such a strong and healthy baby. My wife and I were shocked by the news. During this time cried for two weeks and I actually said goodbye to her three times.

The week prior to her birthday Liberty was dis-interested in her usual favourite places the playground or the local pool. She had a small cough and was breathing noticeably heavy when asleep. We thought she wasn't eating very much because she was teething. We thought she'd lost weight because she was walking. How wrong we were...

First Birthday

During her birthday party she wanted to be held by Mum (Bec) the whole time instead of socialising which was out of character for Liberty.

Lethargy

The day after her birthday. She had an extremely sweaty head (beads of sweat) and slept most of the day and night.

RPA

The following day Liberty showed no improvement after nurophen we went the local GP. Thinking we would get the over anxious parent talk. GP told us to go straight to Emergency get x-rays and we would probably stay over night. At RPA we were told she had Cardiomyopathy (a swollen oversized heart). I knew this was serious and couldn't stop crying. We were transferred to Randwick Children's Hospital after a scary night Libby was successfully ventilated the next day and we somehow faced the seriousness of this horrible situation never leaving her side and rarely sleeping.

We couldn't of done it without my mother-in law who stayed with us at the hospital the entire time. She is an amazing person. I think I have the greatest mother-in law in the world!!!

We also owe a great debt to the NSW Public Health System's amazing Doctors and Nurses, Social workers, Ambulance drivers, NETS, Music Therapists, Therapy Dogs, Starlight Children's Foundation, Heart Kids, The Book Bunker, our loving family and friends. Also to Liberty's amazing strong will. All these I feel carried us through these horrible three months. 

She is currently in a critical stable condition with a pacemaker and many medicines at home. She is walking again and looking happy and having fun.

Dinner time

A poem for Libby, March 27th
Nothing is black and white except our love for you

How did this happen
How did we get to this stage
You've always been so strong
Isn't a big heart an asset

Well I want to go home,
I've had enough.
Can't we just go back to our normal life.
With only you, Mum and me. Walks to the park, the library, the local pool, playing in the hall and in front of the mirror. Dinnertime, bathtime, bedtime and family hugs.

My hope is that the Cruel hand of fate is running late. I wish he would sleep in or have the year off. Because we all really need a break.

Love Dad

Weekly drawing 45 (out of order): troubadour grasshoppers

Weekly drawing 44: A Blue Lion

Weekly drawing week 42: The Surly Water Dragon

The Surly Water Dragon sits by the river.

This weeks drawing is a tribute to all the surly Water Dragons I've recently seen sun baking by Toongabbie creek. As I would walk up to the creek bank they would scurry as fast as they could and splosh!! into the water. I think the term "Chicken would be in order for the these fearsome looking scardey cats"

Weekly drawing 40 second drawing: Storm Boy and Fingerbone

This drawn directly from a scene in the movie were Fingerbone and Storm boy are runing through the marsh land to stop the hunters. They both blend into the land as though they are a personification of natures protectors.

The actors Greg Rowe and David Gulpilil are brilliant in this movie they have a wonderful on screen chemistry.

As a child growing up in a small coastal fishing village near Wallaga
Lake this movie always struck a chord and felt very close to home.