give, love, inspire............

Give - love - inspire

With loving thanks to my dear friends for their love, and support. 

Where would we be without our friends.  They support us, give to us freely of their love and time, and inspire and encourage us to greater things. 

I have just started learning about textures - One of Kim's textures which I have used on this image is called "empty page" - fitting I think because doesn't every day of our life start as an "empty page"?

I have been doing a couple of texture classes with Kim Klassen - click on the link to check them out - there are several e-classes if you want to learn about textures -
www.kimklassencafe.com/photoshopecourses/

I have booked into Kim's 52 week - Beyond Layers - but pressing aging parent matters have sapped my energy and inspiration....hence.....  give - love - inspire.

I have just learnt this neat little trick where you can pick the colour of your text from somewhere on your image - ie as in this case purple from the lavender. 

 Lavender is one of my favourite garden flowers.  Below, I thought I would show you the textured version - on the left - and the unedited original -straight out of camera - on the right.
I wonder which one you prefer?

fly away to another sunset...........

Ever felt like you just want to fly away and touch a new sunset on a new horizon in another world? to escape?

This is a bit like how I am feeling at the moment - it has been an emotional week as we work through my mother's health issues, as well as being a support for my dad.  It has been, and still is, a difficult time as we work through our emotions and the needs and wishes of my mother and father.  What decision is right for both of them? It is never easy when one considers putting one's parent into long term residential care.....I pray that we make the right decision. And that in the end we all forgive ourselves, remove the guilt, and find our own peace.

This is posted "straight out of camera" - sunset, taken through aircraft window on a recent flight across Australia east to west. I loved the patterns of the clouds, like a wave curling over - and the colours! so glorious!


That is the cloud bank beneath. So pleased to have a window seat to enjoy the glorious sky. 

Take care, and have a wonderful weekend.

Mother love

My dear mother is sick in hospital at the moment, and I am not sure what the future holds for her......so I send her this rose with love.......
And my heart to my father and embrace them with my love during the days ahead for them both......

I am linking up to Texture Tuesday at Kim's Cafe. I have just started doing a couple of texture and layers classes with Kim at Kim's Cafe - please go to her site and visit Kim and the other talented contributors - you might like to take a class too - Kim's Cafe

To this image I have applied a levels adjustment, two of Kim's textures called "providence" and "embrace", and adjusted the words with a "soft light" adjustment.  Basic I know, but I have only just started learning.

Denmark and Walpole Wilderness, Western Australia

Here are a few random paragraphs from my latest published article - "Dandy Walpole"  - January edition of On the Road magazine, available in Australia. 

Towering red tingle and karri forests, wildflowers, rivers and inlets, and the Southern Ocean’s kilometres of picturesque coastal scenery, rugged headlands, rock pools and secluded beaches.  It is no wonder that tourists are drawn to this land of contrast along Western Australia’s south coast, where the seven National Parks of the Walpole Wilderness area form a biodiversity hotspot protecting around 2,500 species of native flora. 

Paperbarks, Wilson Inlet, Denmark

My first texture class

Well I have finally done it - I have taken the plunge and started a new artist direction.

With a huge thank you to Kim Klassen from Kim Klassen Cafe - I just completed my first lesson of my "Art of Texture e-course". Below is the result - it is a hydrangea from my garden.  What do you think?  I have wanted to learn about textures for so long - having seen the work of Kim and also other artists on Flickr.  Perhaps this will be my project for 2012. 

See here with textures added from Kim's textures - "beach sand" and "peacock" with painterly effect.

the original - straight out of camera..........

 I am joining Kim and other "texturists" for Texture Tuesday - please click on the link to see the work of Kim and other contributors - Texture Tuesday at Kim's Cafe

Thanks Kim! I am on my way!
ps - this took a while, but I was doing it step by step with the class video as I went. With luck as time goes by, with practice!, the process will speed up!

 I would be very interested which you like the best. You can be honest! My husband prefers the original!
Thanks all - I look forward to hearing from you.

I hope in 2012 you all dare to dream, start a new project, and enjoy the simple things in life that bring you happiness.

and so a new year begins

One year ends and another begins, and the circle of life begins anew. A time to reflect on the past year - both the joys and the sorrows, and a time to plan and look forward to the new year and the promises it holds for those who dare to dream.

As I look back over the past year, our aging parents have dominated our year (offset by the joys of our two grandsons), but we still managed to make time to get away for a few short trips. So here is a collage of our travel Western Australia 2011.

Across each row starting with top left - Row 1 - Greens Pool-William Bay-Denmark on the south coast, walking amongst Karri trees in the Shannon National Park, my grandson Owen exploring a pine forest near Balingup, leaving Bruce Rock in the wheat-belt on a trip after Easter, view of camp and beyond from John Forrest Lookout near Perenjori in the mid west.

Row 2 - the Pinnacles north of Perth, early morning mist over the ocean at Yallingup, coastal views from Cape Naturalist, vineyards near Yallingup, Hopetoun on the south coast.

Row 3 - Misty early morning view from McDermid Rock - east of Hyden, Cape Leeuwin lighthouse on our far south west corner, Jewell Cave near Augusta, harvest at Bruce Rock in the wheat-belt, and a small bush block near my home (if I want to go walking in the bush I just go there!).

If you would like to see more of of my incredibly beautiful state, Western Australia - then click on the link and go to my 52 week Tour Western Australia - tourwesternaustralia-lifeimagesbyjill.blogspot.com/

Some of you who come to my page regularly might know that photographing food has been a personal project of mine during 2011, so I thought I would put together a collage of some of the pics. Such a lot - so if you would like to see any of them in more detail, please go to my food file on Flickr - see the link below.

For those of you who have visited and encouraged me during the year with my food photography - a huge THANK YOU for your support. You have really helped my confidence and spurred me to continue, learn and grow.

A special thank you to Mary for hosting Mosaic Monday where I have been able to join the amazing work of Mary and other photographers from around the world, Lindyannajones for inviting me to join Flickr at the beginning of 2011, to all my Flickr friends, to "Tartelette" for her truly inspiring book and food photography, and other foodies I have "met" and who have inspired me through blogland all over the world. Thank you all! I have learnt such a lot over the year. I have no idea where the food photography is taking me....it is a work in progress....ps - I am sure my husband wonders too!
thank you all!

Here is a "little" collage of some of my food photography this year. If you would like to see more please click on the link which will take you to my Flickr food page -  Jill's Flickr food page

Thank you to my new friends at South Side Quills. Thank you Jo for inviting me to join. I have learnt so much from all of you, and you have helped me grow and extend my writing. Our monthly group meetings are a highlight of my life.Thank you.

And thank you to "On the Road" and "Go Camping" magazines for publishing some of my articles this year. Writing has again this year taken us to a few places new to us, and I look forward to exploring more of my country in 2012.

Thank you to my wonderful family for putting up with my photography obsession! especially to my husband who is happy to drive me, carry my tripod when required, and stand patiently while I take another photo!  and my son who travels with us with good humour - well mostly!
Also my family and friends and all of you who have visited me here on my blog and on my Flickr page during 2011. Thank you for your support and encouragement and caring.

I look forward to your company in 2012, and I wish you and your families all a wonderful 2012.

I am linking up to Mosaic Monday. Thank you to Mary and the other wonderful contributors who make this site a joy. Click here to visit Mosaic Monday at Little Red House - Mosaic Monday

I look forward to hearing from you and sharing with you in 2012.

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas!

Wishing all my blog-land friends from across the world a wonderful Christmas in the company of those you love. Thank you for your support and comments during the past year - it has been wonderful hearing from you.  For my fellow photography bloggers - I have learnt so much from all of you - and it has been wonderful seeing your part of the world through your cameras.  Thank you.

Food photography has been a personal project of mine in 2011 - and with the inspiration and work of Tartlette - Helene Dujardin - and other amazing food photographers out there, I think I have grown and learnt a lot.  You can see Tarlette's link in my link's list - please visit her blog.

Soon I hope to update my index list, so it is easier to find articles, and also my links list. This blog is always a work in progress! Thank you for visiting and for your comments. I love hearing from you. 

And so to Christmas baking - here are some lemon stars......

Below you can see - sausage rolls, lemon starts, little puddings (no baking, but fiddly decorating!), stain-glass Christmas cake, and fruit mince pies. I'm done! Well untill tomorrow when I cook the roast and pudding with brandy cream.  Hope it is not too hot! Madness really for cooking a roast dinner on Christmas Day in summer in Australia - but oh well, you know, tradition.....
Have a wonderful Christmas - and don't forget the Christmas cheer - ummmm....bubbly!
cheers!

Sri Lanka cooking show - SBS Australia

 I love this cooking show with Peter Kuruvita on SBS - so interesting - and the recipes always look so devine!
I just had to post the link - mysrilanka

Look for it on your TV program - not just a cooking show but a very interesting cultural tour around Sri Lanka as well!

I really want to try this recipe that was on last night - Lagoon Prawns with ladies finger sambol -
Lagoon Prawns - it looks like a delicious summer recipe.

When I have cooked it I will come back with a pic!

Happy cooking!

Her beauty only lasts one night...........

On Monday night my Moon Flower bloomed - 4 beautiful blooms. They really are magnificent - and the perfume - intoxicating. 

 Unfortunately they only flower for one night and by the morning they are finished. My plant only seems to flower a few times a year, and so I need to take the opportunity to photograph it. 

 So I stood out in the rain with an umbrella sheltering me and my camera (on a tripod) to take these images. You can see the raindrops in this image.  Rain in December? - unheard of! - we really are having a strange start to summer.

 These images are as taken - only a little minor sharpening. The light was from an outside tube light which is on the wall above my plant on my patio. I used ISO 800, Aperture Priority, with camera on a tripod sheltered by an umbrella! 

I decided to search for my moon flower on the web - and I found out it is the Dutchman’s Pipe Cactus.

Epiphyllum Oxypetalum or Dutchman’s-Pipe Cactus, is a large floral variety of cactus native from Mexico to Brazil. Plant can grow as tall as 20 feet (6.1 m) in height. It’s branches are dark green and it requires moist soil. It grows in late spring and early summer, somewhere around May 30th (northern hemisphere). It blooms for only 1-2 days. Individual flowers can be up to 11 inches (27.9 cm) long and 5 inches (12.7 cm) wide. It opens as the sun goes down. It has a very deep and fresh fragrance which spreads as soon as it blooms. 

Click on the link and scroll down to Number 1 - The Dutchman's Pipe Cactus

lovely-flowers-which-bloom-only-at-night 

Because the moonflower flowers only one night, you have to start watching the buds when they start to fill out, and make sure you check after dark to see if they are opening - otherwise you come out the next morning and they have all finished.........

 But there is still beauty......raindrops on petals.......

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my Moonflower - or more correctly - my Dutchman's Pipe Cactus.

I am linking into Mosaic Monday at Little Red House. Sincere thanks to Mary for hosting Mosaic Monday in 2011. Thank you to all my wonderful new on-line friends for your comments and sharing throughout the year. I have enjoyed seeing your work and your part of the world. I wish you all a wonderful Christmas in the company of those you love.

Take care. I look forward to hearing from you.

Please click on the link to see the work of Mary and other amazing contributors at Little Red House - Mosaic Monday at Little Red House

Slow down and take time to see what is around you

In these busy days as we rush around getting ready for Christmas, working, cleaning, baking, shopping, ticking off lists, writing cards etc, we need to slow down, sit awhile, and take time to see the beauty around us, the little things, and to think about and appreciate those things in your life that are important to you.

I hope these images will sooth and calm you.............as you listen to the new play list I have installed tonight on my blog. 
(You might have to scroll down to the application, and click on it to start the music - I haven't worked out how to have it automatically start.)


A palm softly blowing in the wind.....

The petals of a moonflower..........

The new lavender blooms....

A shell found on a beach.........

Fallen petals on the garden path.............

Remember to take time out...........and see the world around you..........