Welcome to Life Images by Jill

Welcome to Life Images by Jill.........Stepping into the light and bringing together the images and stories of our world. I am a photographer, writer and multi-media artist.
Focussing mainly on Western Australia and Australia, I am seeking to preserve images and memories of the beautiful world in which we live and the people in it.

Welcome!

Welcome!
PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO GO TO MY RED BUBBLE STORE.

Monday 18 March 2024

Doodling on botanical-contact-eco-prints

 Hi everyone, looks like I have been missing in action. My last post on 25th February said where did February go? and I am thinking March is going much the same way. 

But I do have an excuse, I am getting ready for the annual Treet Street Art Safari on this coming Saturday 23 March. This is something I have been involved with for a few years now, at the home of my wonderful host Maggie, in Banksia Street. It is a great opportunity to get my art out in public and hopefully make a few sales. 


One of the things I have been doing this year is doodling on my eco-prints. I call it tizzying up! I decided some of my greeting card prints needed something to lift them. Below you can see originals on the left - papers printed with cosmos flowers - and the tizzied up on the right - overdrawn with Posca ink pens - a fast drying water-based pigment ink. Comes in many colours and thicknesses. I have been using the 0.7mm white mainly or the black or gold. I don't plan too much, just pick up the pen and doodle! 

Some more over cosmos flowers

And over coreopsis flowers on the left and some eucalypt leaves on the right. 

and some eucalypt leaf prints


I have been overdrawing on and off for a few years, and I have heard of other ecoprinters doing this also. Originally I was using caligraphy type ink pens, but I love these Posca pens. And no I am not an agent....

I also eco-print on scarves, upcycled tops and tote bags ..... 

eucalypt loves wool - this is karri leaves from our great southern region


If I was younger and slimmer I would be wearing the little (previously white) denim skirt printed with eucalypt leaves! 


Still a few things I need to do so I must get back to it - only 4 days till the market day! 

The art of botanical ecoprinting is an experimental process. Also learning, trying new approaches. You might also like:

Art market in the garden - 2023

The Art of Botanical eco-printing on paper - 2021

Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!
   

Sunday 25 February 2024

Where did February Go?

Oh my goodness - February has gone in a blur - where did it go? Here today, gone tomorrow. I hope you and yours are doing well in these troubled times. 

It looks like I have been busy during February. 

3rd February my husband and I were in the on-water control boat during an afternoon dragon boat regatta for our club, the Forza Dragon Boat Club, in Bunbury. The event was well supported by clubs from Perth, Mandurah and Albany. It is a colourful spectical on the water and land. 

That is Forza in the blue and red in the second photo below here. One of my sons is second from the front in this boat. 



It is always a good opportunity for me to take photos


Last weekend my photography group assisted the Bunbury Triathlon Club by taking photos for their big annual competition. I was located on the bike leg  along the beach. It was a great opportunity to practise panning. I was glad for the cloud cover on the day. 

I've previously blogged about Taking photos at a sports event - but when I photographed the dragon boat regatta and the bike riders at the Triathlon this year I put my camera in Sports mode - it worked well for me. 



Late yesterday afternoon I was again with my photography group taking photos for the South West Multicultural Festival. I always enjoy going along to this, enjoying the cultural displays, dances and food. It is always a great evening. In the past I have danced at this with Sol y Sombra Spanish Dance Company. This year our Principal, Nicole, performed solo. She is always a joy to watch. 
Sol y Sombra have been a part of the Bunbury dance scene for over 33 years. 

Below clockwise from top left you can see an elder playing the didgeridoo as part of the Welcome to Country, two Indonesian dancers, a dancer from Brazil (their costumes were amazing, Filipino Folk Singers, Ukranian Cossack Dancers, and an Indian Dancer. 



The Ukranian Cossack Dancers were amazing. The girls were so pretty in their costumes, flowers and ribbons, and my goodness these guys are fit, agile, energetic, and fantastic to watch. They look like they are having a LOT of fun! 



In between all this I have been getting things done in preparation for my next market at the Tree Street Art Safari in March, and also working on my photo book from our nine week Queensland trip last year. It was my plan to get it done over the summer - and I have! I sent it off to the printers this week. 


That's it from me today. I pray for those in war torn countries around the world and hope the leaders can sit down and find a way to peace. 

You might also like: 

Multiculutral Festival 2020

Dragon Boat Festival 2022

Taking photos at a sports event

Sol y Sombra 30th Anniversary

Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!
   


Monday 29 January 2024

Australia Day - I am, You Are, We Are Australian


Friday 26 January was Australia Day -
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet and the raising of the Union Flag of Great Britain by Captain Arthur Phillip at Sydney Cove, a small bay on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour.

In present-day Australia, the government Australia Day Council organises events that seeks to recognise the contributions of Australians to the nation, while also encouraging reflection on past wrongs including towards Indigenous Australians and also giving respect and celebrating the diversity and achievements of Australian society past and present                 wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_Day

There has been a great deal of controvosy, discussions and protests over the last few years about whether we should be celebrating on 26 January - the indiginous people of Australia claiming it to be "Ïnvasion Day" and wanting to change the date.

I won't buy into this debate here. I am proudly fourth generation Australian on both sides of my family - both early free settlers and convicts, those who fought and died for their country, battled the Depression, cleared and farmed the land, worked hard for what we have. No matter what colour, religion, or nationality we are, we are all an important part of what makes this country a wonderful place to live. We should celenrate this.


Instead I will share of song with you, which I think says it all.

Aunt Stella Floyed, possibly at the time of Federation

I am, you are, we are all Australian.
I AM AUSTRALIAN.
(1987 - by Bruce Woodley, The Seekers and Dobe Newton, The Bushwackers)
I came from the dreamtime from the dusty red soil plains I am the ancient heart, the keeper of the flame I stood upon the rocky shore I watched the tall ships come For forty thousand years I'd been the first Australian.
I came upon the prison ship bowed down by iron chains.
.I cleared the land, endured the lash
and waited for the rains.
Great Great Grandfather James Fairhead
arrived Australia 1853
I'm a settler. I'm a farmer's wife on a dry and barren run,
A convict then a free man
I became Australian.

I'm the daughter of a digger
who sought the mother lode, The girl became a woman on the long and dusty road

I'm a child of the depression
I saw the good times come I'm a bushy, I'm a battler I am Australian

Great Grandmother & Grandfather Floyed 1887
Great Grandfather born in Australia 1858 






[chorus] We are one, but we are many And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice: I am, you are, we are Australian I am, you are, we are Australian.

I'm a teller of the stories
I'm a singer of the songs
I am Albert Namatjira I paint the ghostly gums


Great Uncle Norman Clayden, died Gallipoli, WW1
I am Clancy on his horse I'm Ned Kelly on the run I'm the one who waltzed Matilda I am Australian.

I'm the hot wind from the desert I'm the black soil of the plains I'm the mountains and the valleys I'm the drought and flooding rains.
I am the rock, I am the sky The rivers when they run The spirit of this great land I am Australian
[chorus] We are one, but we are many And from all the lands on earth we come We share a dream and sing with one voice: I am, you are, we are Australian I am, you are, we are Australian.

And below from You Tube an inspiring rendition of this song.


You might also like -


Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

Australia Day Fireworks

Monday 15 January 2024

Chinese Lantern Festival - The Year of the Dragon - 2024

 Welcome everyone to the Year of the Dragon - allbeit slightly early. But on Saturday night we visited the Chinese Lantern Festival in our International Friendship Garden. 

The Lantern Festival aims to promote reconciliation, peace, and forgiveness. The holiday marks the first full moon of the new lunar year and the end of the Chinese New Year. 

Chūn Jié, in China, marks the beginning of the Spring season. The Chinese Lantern Festival ( 元宵节 Yuán Xiāo Jié ) marks the final day of these celebrations. The lanterns symbolise people letting go of the past year and welcoming the new year with good fortune.

2024 is the year of Dragon based on Chinese zodiac. It's the year of wood dragon starting from Feb.10, 2024 to Jan.28, 2025. The Dragon is the fifth in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac signs. The Years of the Dragon include 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024...

Chinese Dragon is an imaginary animal, also the only fictitious creature in the 12 zodiac animals, which is composed of 9 animals, including the body of a snake, the horns of a deer, the head of an ox, the mouth of a crocodile, the claws of an eagle, and the scales of a fish. The Dragon enjoys a very high reputation in Chinese culture and it represents auspiciousness and imperial power since ancient times.

Chinese people regard themselves as descendants of the Chinese dragon and emperors entitled themselves exclusively as the 'dragon'. It is the token of authority, dignity, honor, success, luck, and capacity.  Chinese Zodiac

The personality traits of people born in the year of the dragon are: charismatic, intelligent, confident, powerful and they are naturally lucky and gifted. In everything that they do, they tend to do it to the best of their ability with high standards.

The image of the dragon dance below is from our Multi-Cultural Festival in 2020. 


Part of the Lantern Festival was the Chinese Wishing Tree where we were invited to write our dreams onto red paper and hang them from the tree. Experience the tradition of hope and abundance and let the Chinese Wishing Tree grant your wishes and usher in a year filled with blessings

Chinese wishing trees, money trees, and hong bao trees are a big part of Chinese New Year festivities. People toss their red ribbons up into the wishing tree with hope that it will stick and their wish will come true for good fortune in the coming year.

Over the last few months community members and children have been making the lanterns

There was also Chinese dancing to enjoy. 

And two girls made spinning light sticks and danced with them to Chinese music. 


I hope you have enjoyed this little look at the Chinese Lantern Festival. It is wonderful living in a multi-cultural community. Have you been to a Chinese Festival? Perhaps you might like to tell us about it in your comments. 

What sign of the Chinese Zodiac are you? I am the Goat. 

You might also like:


Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!