A tiny bit of Spring

As promise to the lovely Elise

Just a few desert wild flower that I have been fortunate enough to come cross on my treck's in the desert.
A lot of these images were taken on Sunday during a trip out bush with Jane and some of the ladies from the art centre......that is another story though.....

Its really quite remarkable to find such amazing colours in a very harsh environment. As you walk you feel the crunch of the cracked earth and the dry grasses beneath your feet.
But occasionally you wander across the path of the wild flowers                                                                          

I wish I had the names for all of these flowers however I think these look like desert violets                                                                     

These little yellow ones really looked like they were stretching for the sun

The fragile one flowers are my favourite as they have a striking purple centre but if you look at them some a distance they are just white heads swaying in the breeze   

I found this little fellow hiding under some grasses all alone

I can imagine that after the rains have come and gone the flowers comer the bush like a carpet but even without any rain for such a long time I was still able to see groups of wild flowers scattered across the ground in all directions 

    

  

exhibition sneak peak

In just under a weeks time the artists of Titjikala will be presenting new works for exhibition at the June Marriott Gallery in Alice Springs. 

For the last few weeks we have been preparing and getting paintings and pots finished. 
The Show will feature the bowls that have been beautifully decorated the hand made papa's that everyone has had a go at making. 
There will be the finished pots by Marie, Cora and Nora and of course some paintings on canvas of happy papa's and people no less.

There will be pots

Glazed and packed ready to be fired the little bowls so lovingly decorated

There will be papa's

Sandra finishing off here painting of the camp papa'a. This was taken on an afternoon when we were all seated around the table chatting and laughing away. A good mornings work.....

Cora just putting the finishing touches to her painting of the train through the bush

So in keeping with the theme we decided to title the show Painting's, Pot's, Papa's and People.

painted pots

first of all.....oh what a glorious day. It has warmed up considerably and everyone seems happy.

After the long weekend which saw the art centre closed for 4 days the centre opened a little quieter than usual this morning. It was nice and relaxed with only a few artists to chat to. 

That very quickly changed around morning tea time. As Angeline and I were preparing tea for the artists the centre became a hub of activity and soon I was called away to help mix up underglaze colours for three of the artists. 

Nora, Cora and Marie have all be working on paintings that cover the surface of three hand made pots. These pots were made by ceramic artists Robyn Best when she visited Titjikala a little while ago. 

These three artists have produced paintings that are whimsical tributes to the landscape around Titjikala and these pots are no exception to this style. 

Marie's masterpiece. I love how the landscape comes up over half the pot and then the sky takes over.

Marie adds detail to the purple mountains

pink Galah's close to the ground and black Cockatoo's in the sky. Nora's work in progress.

Cora's pot sitting next to Nora who is trying to match the colours I mixed up

This is Cora's pot. Look at how many colours there are in the landscape

The bright green budgerigar

I have thought about writing this post for a long time now....

since my first week in central Australia.

I hesitate because this involves the death quite a few bright green budgerigars.

I have seen some of the most beautiful bird since arriving in the desert

Red tailed, black Cockatoos, pink Galahs, brightly coloured finches

But there is one bird that seems to glow against the sky.

It has been while driving that I have seen these birds flying in flocks of hundreds
Riding the air currents and turning in mid flight to change direction.

They tend to fly across the road and when a car dives down the road they swoops and the group splits over the car and then they fly on their way.

Unfortunately it seems that the flock can not fly out of the way in time for some cars.

No it was not the car that I was in that hit these beautiful creatures but on a drive back from Alice Springs we stopped the Troop Carrier and hopped out to find almost 20 birds had been hit and were lying in the middle of the dirt road. A very sad event.

You can just see the glow of green hidden in the tree

This is the best photo I have managed to get as the budgerigar's Taking off in flight...not an easy bird to photograph and you really have to see them in flight to really appreciate how wonderful they are.                                                                         

BUT....they have the most amazing green and blue feathers. Jane and I had to collect a few to take home to draw.

 Just a few studies in water colour....

just some pink galahs

On one of my daily walks I came across a large flock of pink Galah's. I loved the patterns they made in the sky and the flashes of pink  

this flock were gathered in the stock yards before they took off

in the middle of this image you can just see the top of the arch that welcomes you into the Titjikala cemetery. 

Trip to the river

This is the river....I have been told that when the rain comes this spot is an amazing sight, a great torrent of water and all that you see, save the leaves on the trees, is under water.

This lake is still beautiful without water and it was calming to walk along the dry, sandy river bed in the winter sun.

Last Sunday I hopped in the troop carrier and took a drive part way down the road that leads to Chambers Pillar. Along the road, in fact right across it, is the river. I found it to be a quiet and tranquil place. Beautiful.  

The Titjikala Troop Carrier

The sandy bed and the roots of trees that would be submerged after rain

perfect light

I love this tree....I wish I had taken a better photo of it because this really doesn't show how old and strong it is.

Papa

                              

I learnt a new word today...Papa....or camp dog.

   

I had been told prior to arriving in the desert that camp dogs can be nasty and agressive. Not so for the camp dogs of Titjikala. Most of them are pure mongrel and a little bit feral but all so lovely and fun...so far.  Most of them have owners and names and just really want love and attention. I think their friendly nature for most part is due to the love and affection that these dogs receive. 

 

They looked so good all grouped together. A lot of people made papa.

this is Sandra and Nora, outside chatting and working with their dogs

The young boy in the hoody is Isac....it took a bit of convincing to get him to sit and make something. The two little girls didn't make a papa but they seemed to have fun

The dogs of Titjikaka are an important part of community life. Most of the artists have at least one camp dog, if not two or three or...... six or seven (as the case may be for some). On this basis we decided that they needed to be captured in some way to show other people the part the papa play and what better way than to say it with clay....... 

There are many papa in Titjikala but I am slowly becoming more familiar with some of them.