Weekly drawing: Wind and rain monsters

As a kid some monsters seemed more honest and friendly then some of the adults who pretended they weren't monsters. This is a drawing and poem too the honest monsters who would walk through the bush on stormy night. I enjoyed their Muppet appearance and Wild Things ways.

The wind and rain monsters

I can't sleep.

The wind is wild,

The rain is insane

The trees are alive

like never before

I want to see more.

But I have school 

in the morning.

                         by Joel Tarling

Weekly drawing: The big tree in playground

In Bermagui public school there is a grand old tree growing in the middle of it's playground. I have always loved this tree, it reminds me of the kind of tree that would grow in Tolkien's Mirkwood forrest.

When I was in year three, Scott and I played cars at it's base. We made camouflaged Batcave's for our cars by placing sticks between buttress roots and covering them with leaves and soil. In the company of this grand old tree, we were lost in our own imagination and a thousand miles from the school yard politics of footy and kiss and catch.

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: At the tip with Dad

Bermagui tip collecting yellow bricks

There were lots of good things to salvage at the local tip. Our best score was a pile of yellow bricks. We used these to make a windy yellow brick path to our front door through the spotted gums and burrawongs.

Weekly drawing 75: Underwater gardening

Realising the joy of underwater gardening.

Before: I built the stone steps and oyster-free swimming cove

I was just out of Art school doing odd jobs and my friend Matt offered me some work, building stone steps for a property at Cottage Point. I have always enjoyed landscaping with stones, so I jumped at the opportunity.

The stones for this particular job were all gathered from the site. Experience has taught me, when working with stones it should be within a 5-1o meter radius from were I want to use it. By doing this the stones will suit the environment and I won't break my back moving them around. To my joy, I also discovered stones are a lot lighter to move underwater. So I used this to my advantage and saved a lot of time.

The time I saved making the steps, I used to landscape underwater, creating a small oyster-free cove for launching a row boat or a place to swim. Unfortunately the couple who paid me for the days work thought I was just mucking about in the water.  To give you an idea of what they must of seen, use your hand and cover the underwater part of my coloured drawing - I just look like I'm just playing in the water.

It wasn't until I'd gone home, they went down a had a closer look and realised what I'd created for them. A functional and subtle design which the fish also loved.

Weekly drawing 74: Wes Stacey's home

Wes Stacey's home camped by the sea

Over the years growing up in Barragga Bay our family became close friends with Wes Stacey and his partner Narelle Perroux. During this time he showed me that an artist can create serious work and also have lots of fun just being yourself.

I was extremely lucky to have my childhood with someone like him around. Wes along with Harold Cazneaux is one of my favourite Australian photographers.   I remember the first time I saw his book "Timeless gardens" a photographic record of Australian environments which included coastal flora, desert flora and even underwater flora (coral reefs). I'd never considered that these were actual gardens to admire until he photographed them and highlighted this concept to me. It was quite a revelation and changed how I viewed the natural environment.

When I was 9 years old, I would walk the rocky coast to visit him and his partner. He was often full of energy and cooking something like pasta and loudly calling out to the commercial fishing boats. Saying things like "Allan catch a big fish mate! catch us a Bea-uty! And drop over for dinner, we don't mind we've got lots of pasta!!!"

I loved his place so much. It was hidden in the bush on the edge of the ocean with paths that blended into the environment. This clever camouflage was subtle but made his camp more secure and extremely hard to find unless you knew exactly were it was. Even the chimney was disguised as a termites nest. To me it was designed like the ultimate cubby house, but it was actually a home. So it was the best of both worlds.

Signing the land by Wes Stacey
'Remote shore'
A beautiful example of Wes capturing the south coast
coastline, which I'd often venture.

Weekly drawing 73: Barragga Bay rock pools

This drawing is my celebration of a magical place and the amazing
times spent with Eileen Scollay, Dan Scollay (her grand daughter),
Amber (my big sister) and Bridget (Eileen's Labrador).

In the 1983-85, a family friend and neighbour Eileen Scollay would often babysit my big sister and me. One of our favourite places she took us were the rock pools hidden under the seacliffs at Barragga Bay beach. I remember the first time my sister described them to me. I couldn't believe there were so many pools in one place, It sounded like some fancy resort. And I loved it.

Weekly drawing 72: Camping in St Ives bushland

Anthony and I camping at St Ives, 1989

When I was 14, Anthony and I spent many weekends camping in the bushland at St Ives . We would walk down from Acron Oval to the Cascades and then along Middle harbour creek to our favourite sandstone overhang, were we would camp overnight. 

I felt a great feeling of freedom in the bush. I was relived to get away from the bland suburb of St Ives and it's ever growing shopping centre. At times while camping I would imagine how the local Aborigines once lived in St Ives, fishing in the creek and sleeping in the same sandstone shelter which we used for our camp site.

Unfortunately we couldn't enjoy the same simple pleasures because the creeks were now very polluted from urban and industrial runoff. So we had to carry everything we needed into the bush and ration our food and water for the journey. To conserve water and save energy we cleverly hid water bottles at certain secret places along the track (behind trees under leaf mulch) 

To me pollution doesn't mean it's all over and everything is destroyed. It just makes me think we need to clean up our act, so one day we can have clean waterways again. Imagine one day going for a walk in Sydney bushland and confidently drinking or swimming in the water, it would be awesome.

Weekly drawing 65: Sir MacPherson Robertson, inventor of Freddo Frog, Cherry Ripe and Old Gold

Robertson creating novelty sugar mice and dolls
 in the family bathroom 1880 

This weeks drawing is of Sir MacPherson Robertson the inventor of Freddo Frog, Cherry Ripe, Old Gold, Milk Kisses and Columbines. I was intrigued by his story, especially his eager can-do approach. A very independent and resourceful person like Louisa Lawson, I admire his DIY attitude.

On June 10th 1880 in the working class suburb of Fitzroy. Robertson at 21 years of age started his own sweets business, which would go onto become Australia's largest confectionery works by 1900. I wanted to illustrate this moment in time.

"With a small furnace and a sixpenny nail can boiler he made his first sweets in the bathroom of his family home. He created novelty sugar mice and dolls each week between Monday and Thursday. On the weekends he would sell them to local shop keepers. He walked the streets of Melbourne for a year building his business."

By Jonathan Wright (ABC Goulburn Murray)

Sculpture of MacPherson at Fitzroy Library
I like that he looks like he's made of chocolate.

For more information you can check out:
Chocolate History Tour of Fitzroy and Collingwood
Fitzroy Historical Society

Weekly drawing 59: Vercingetorix

52 BC, Vercingetorix lead Gaul's most significant revolt against the Roman occupation of Gaul (France). Unfortunately most of what was recorded of him historically was written by his Roman enemy Julius Caesar. Personally I prefer Rene Goscinny's account of events.

Weekly drawing 57 part 2: Salty Dog

Weekly Drawing 57: Sea goat the resourceful sailor

Sea goat's favourite saying " Any port in a storm"

Drawn in my daughters sketch book, she drew the red and green lines.

She is now 18 months old and loves drawing.

Weekly Drawing 56: Tinker-man

Tinker-man rides to the village. Milford - on sea, Hampshire

"Tinker-man rides to the village on his butchers bike to buy some bread.
As always he scans the back streets to see what he might find along the way..."

                                                                                                         Joel Tarling

Weekly drawing 53: My big sister

This weekly drawing is a tribute to my wonderful big sister and is based on a Bermagui primary school photo of us. My childhood was definitely more fun because of her.

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 52: Sketching on the train

I have finally reached my personal goal. Draw a picture every week for 12 months. It's been a good challenge and I feel inspired by the process. I have drawn everywhere from trains, playgrounds, pubs and hospitals.

It has been one hell of a crazy year for me:

• We moved house, packing up a large share house of 5 years discovering things we didn't even know we owed such as 5 garden rakes.
• I become a stay home Dad and so my wife could return to work after 12 months maternity leave. Being a stay home parent is a massive change, goodbye 7.5 hour working day. As I write this our little girl is sleeping in the next room.
• I thought my baby daughter could die when she diagnosed with a heart condition and spent 2 months in intensive care and 1 month in the ward. 
• My computer died.  

Despite all this, I have managed to achieve what I set out to do. Draw faster ideas, jot down silly ideas and do what I love. The great thing is my sketch books is full of ideas and drawings. My Children's book portfolio is filled with new material. Unexpectedly, I discovered the process helped me deal with some really big emotional challenges with my daughters condition. I think it has kept me sane during this turbulent year. 

Thanks for all the support it's really appreciated.

Joel Tarling

P.S 

I will have a small holiday and return for another Weekly drawing in 4 weeks time

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 44: Wise old forest Red Gum - Sydney's oldest citizen

Wise old forest Red Gum

This weeks drawing is the start of children's book idea about the massive Forest Red Gum living in the Sydney Botanic Gardens. As the oldest living Sydney citizen the tree has seen many changes from Aboriginal corroborees, arrival of Governer Phillip, First fleets farming attempts, the building Harbour bridge, the building of the Opera house and the growth of the city. The story will follow the tree from young impressionable seedling to wise old Forest Red Gum.

The original seed of this idea began after reading Tim Low's insightful book 'The New Nature'

"Inner Sydney's oldest citizen is surely the massive Forest Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis) in the botanic gardes near Lion Gate Lodge. She is a stand-out example of Sydney's original architecture, with no plaque to tell her story and no rail to guard her dignity. Australians can't see the past for the trees"... Tim Low  The New Nature