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Well, here we are, heading up to the top of Mount Kosciuszko (very difficult to spell, easier to hike!). It was a glorious day, about 22 degrees at best, to summit the 2228 metre highest point in the continent. Great company, great scenery, fantastic weather (especially given all the rain about the rest of Australia!), wonderful food at the restaurants in Thredbo. We were treated to a special chef's meal at "Knickerbocker" Restaurant at the end of the path to our chalet, after the first evening dinner there when we were so impressed that we asked if the chef would just cook anything he liked for us if we came back the next night.

The next day we hiked the Dead Horse Gap which was about 10 km, mostly downhill from the top of the chairlift.

And by the third day our legs were so tired that we only drove to Charlotte Pass and looked over the lookout on our way back to Sydney.

On to the next adventure, which was watching the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Sydney Dance company do a free concert for Sydney Festival at the Crescent in Paramatta Park. It was another gorgeous day & we set up early with our little beach tent (to protect against the sun) at the best spot in the venue. That's what happens when you're there first, with trusty Di who always knows the best ways to celebrate Sydney!

Today we're headed to the Domaine, a beautiful park in the centre of Sydney, to watch another Symphony concert, on yet another gorgeous day!

What a life I lead! Hardly enough time to paint (although I did do a little pen & wash sketch of the stage last night.)

One of these days I'll get some paintings up! Until then....cheerio oh--so sad for all the flooded out places in Australia, and all the cold winter places in Canada...

Oh yes, the trip to hike in New Zealand has been cancelled, and a trip to Tasmania starting February 18 has been added to my itinerary. More updates to come!

Well, I can't believe how fast a month has gone by! I've been travelling so much and without proper internet access so sorry about the lack of news.

This week I'm posting from Bellingen, a little town just west of Coffs Harbour which is about half way between Sydney (one of the most beautiful cities in the world) and Brisbane (which you may have seen flooding all week. Luckily we're about 6 hours drive south of Brisbane so although it was raining a lot of the week, and a local river and bridge were flooded, it was nothing like what's going on in Queensland. Thankfully!!)

I've been painting all week at a wonderful event called "Camp Creative"--a brainchild of Bryce Courtenay (the novelist) and classical pianist David Helfgott, among others. It's been a magical affair with all kinds of art, music, drama, crafts and writing classes. Soon I'll get some of my paintings up so you can see what I've been up to.

I'll be travelling some more, heading to Sydney tomorrow and then down to Jindabyne, which is in the heart of the Snowy Mountains. Monday we'll be heading to the high country (such as it is in Australia) to climb the highest "peak" in the land--Mount Kosciusko, 2227 metres (about 7000 feet). It'll be a bit of training for the Mount Kilamanjero trip next year.

Hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and New Year's--I'm delighted to have sold my first painting of the year, off this website. Crescent Beach Sunset is now gone to a new home, near the beach!

Talk to you later!

How does the time go by so quickly? I feel like I was in a bubble for a week after the flight. No news while on the plane, then my friend in Buderim has no internet and his TV wasn't on because of house renovations either. It was great to settle into such a quiet place and the poinciana trees were stunning me again. I did a little painting but thought I'd remind you of them with my better one

painting of them that I did last year.

It's great to be back in the tropics, a warm 20 (night) to 32 (day) degrees. I've been doing a little swimming and walking to stay in shape and the heat definitely keeps my appetite down!

On Thursday I took the train down towards Brisbane where my second cousin Lynda lives, and I'll stay here until Monday when I fly to Melbourne to have Christmas with the cousins and aunt and uncle there. Yesterday we went into the city to see two art galleries--the older one with some wonderful paintings by the Australian impressionists, McCubbin, Streeton, and others, that I love, and a great sculptural display with a couple of Rodins. After that we went to the GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art) and had good fun there. I must say I understand very little of it but it's interesting to try to work out what it's all about!

This morning I spent a little time painting with Lynda's mom, 88, who's a great artist in her own right. There's a lovely little bird feeder statue with cherubs holding it up that has inspired me. Will post more later!

Well, in 24 hours I'll be on the plane to Los Angeles and from there to Brisbane. I've had a great weekend at my last sale of the year--actually the most successful sale I've been in, I think! So I signed up early for next year (for those of you who are working into 2011 calendars already, it's December 2-4!)

Somehow my sales seem to take off whenever there's an event in the near future--in the leadup to the sale I was selling a painting a day for almost a week! And since the sale there have been email orders for cards, and an enquiry about the beautiful painting I did of my sister. We'll see where that goes--I'm happy to do another one, on commission!

This little card is the model for a larger piece, in progress, although I think I'll leave it until I return. I've packed some reference material for down under but really, it's summertime there and unless I'm stuck in the rain somewhere I'll likely stick with Australian images.

It's so great to be looking forward to sunshine and ocean swimming and re-connecting with all my southern family & friends. The only drag is leaving my husband and family here behind. Still, I'm hopeful that at least he will come & join me and some friends on a 6 day hike in New Zealand (The Grand Traverse) in early February. It'll be a training hike for Mount Kilamanjero, in Africa, which we are planning to climb in 2012. I think that will require much more tenacity than this Kiwi hike, given the elevation of over 18,000 feet.

While I'm in Australia I'm hoping to track down and meet with some world class artists of the Antipodean variety...it was such a thrill to meet Robert Bateman in Ontario, and since then I've been touring and assessing art studios and galleries to do some homework for a world-class studio to operate out of in our next property. And I'm still enquiring into what it is that makes someone a world-class artist--any answers out there? Do email me if you have some ideas.

This is another small painting I did after returning home from Ontario. I matted it with a dramatic black mat and the first person I showed it to bought it! I've found a wonderful framer, Lyn Thomas in Maple Ridge, Lynton Studios. If you have any framing needs, look her up & let her know I sent you. She'll give you a great discount.

Well, that's all I have time for today, since I still have suitcases to pack and calls to make and a husband to snuggle with. I probably won't be posting until just before Christmas, when I arrive in Melbourne. From there I'll be driving up to spend New Year's Eve on Sydney Harbour with my great friend Di. She has just sold her family home of decades and is moving north, but she's sticking around Sydney offering me hospitality for the first part of the year. It'll be great to see her and her amazing city again--she always knows the best places to go to enjoy Australia!

So, just in case I don't get back on before Christmas or New Year's, I'll take this opportunity to wish you & yours a very happy holiday season, with lots of sun (if you like that ) or snow (if you're inclined that way!) The first decade of the millenium is over--and what a decade it was! Hope you had as much fun as I did!

Ciao for now, stay tuned for more adventures and paintings!

Hi Everyone! I'm busy getting ready for the final sale of the year, next weekend, just before I head south until spring. There's lots on my magic list to do, let me tell you!

I've also been musing more about what it means to be a world class artist, and with that in mind have visited three friends in their studios over the last few weeks. A world class artist needs a great studio and I've got some excellent ideas. Whether I can do it here in my current house or it has to wait until our next property in the Okanagan remains to be seen.

Meanwhile the painting is going well too, and the calendars are selling like hotcakes. I wanted to sell out before I leave and now I'm deliberating about whether to order a few more, just in case. The word must be spreading.

It's very cold here in Vancouver, snow on the ground and no sign of it melting for another few days. Maybe I'd better get my paints out and do a winter painting for next year's calendar while I have the chance!

A last-minute thought--what do YOU think it is to be a world-class artist? Email me here, at Elaine@ElaineWatts.com! I'd love to hear it!

Wow, almost a month has gone by and I can't believe it! I've just gotten back from Ontario and had a great visit. The fall colours were awesome so I'll add some photos here.

I'm saving the best ones for reference material (& I got a lot!) You might see some on next year's calendar, once I've painted them up.

Highlights of the trip include meeting and getting photos taken with Robert Bateman. I'd been pondering, given my aim to become a world-class artist, who I could talk to as an example. Initially I was thinking that anyone I considered world-class was already dead, & I didn't want to go that way, just to have a conversation! Artists like Monet, Degas, Turner, the Group of Seven, Georgia O'Keeffe, Emily Carr, Toni Onley...they're all gone! Who is left in the art world that a) could be considered world class and b) was potentially someone who I could meet and c) I somewhat knew and liked their work? And Robert Bateman came to mind. Now, I had an impression of him based on reproductions and marketing but at least he was still alive, and around BC...and then, when I went to Ontario, the strangest sequence of events happened.

We were supposed to go into Toronto to have dinner with old friends on the Saturday night, but although I was determined, it just seemed to get too hard. Meanwhile we were checking out some art galleries in Milton, where I was staying, and lo & behold, on Saturday night, Robert Bateman was coming to one of the galleries to promote his latest book and sign purchases! So, we went, stood in line for 2 hours (that's when you know you're famous!) and we were all most impressed by how classy this elderly (80, although you wouldn't know it to look at him) man was after signing all night. He spent 5 minutes chatting and talking about his art, just to us, and I really understood what it was to be operating at that level. And then I read his essays in the latest book and got further insight into how much he loves the land, environment and animals and that's what his art is about. His charitable activities are a much better barometer of his purpose than are the reproductions.

The next few days I painted (including the leaves above, which immediately sold), played the piano every day, and then we had a trip into Toronto to see the Art Gallery of Ontario, which has a

fantastic collection of the Group of Seven and Emily Carrs, and some great curating of their rooms. However what I enjoyed the most, I think, was the tour of the whole gallery highlighting the wonderful new (18 month old) architectural renovation done by Canadian architect Frank Gehry. The titanium blue exterior bits in the adjacent photo are only part of it--the opening into the light and views of the city from every direction, and the wonderful Italian gallery on the north side, along with the wood staircases introduced everywhere, were amazing.

So, back to Vancouver, with some more paintings under my belt (including another one of my sister Shelley that you can see in the "What's New" Gallery), and I have some more inspiration for painting the current season in the Northern Hemisphere before I head down under.

It's just over a month until I go, and there's lots of preparation, including fine-tuning for the last sale of the year, Coquitlam Christmas Craft Sale, December 3-5, on Poirier Street. Thankfully it is local so in the event of weather I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get there!

Hope you enjoy the blog and photos, if you want to keep track of me don't forget to add your name to my mailing list and each time I post I'll send you an email.

I seem to be in a whirlwind of activity these days! Still working on the bathroom and also getting my 2011 desk-top calendar out for sale. Here it is, similar to the last 2 years and the same pricing as last year, $12. A special deal for those wanting 10 or more--$10 each. There is a limited supply and I'll be selling them at the Coquitlam Craft Sale December 3-5 if they last that long! That's my last sale of the year, and I have a few different items to add into it for Christmas gifts, including some additional cards, journal books, and magnets. I'm hoping all the little items will go well as stocking stuffers, and some of the bigger ones and the "Reaching For a Star" canvas reproductions will be a hit as gifts.

I've also finished a painting of a friend's dairy barn that I have been working on for a few years now, and I'm happy with it now. Another painting of my favourite swimming place in Sydney, Freshwater Beach, looking over to Queenscliff and Manly Beach, that has been a work in progress for at least 3 years, is also complete! And a larger version (15" X 22") of the painting that was on my first business card, Rosebud Sunset, is out on my board ready for finishing before I head off to Aussie. You can see the above paintings in the "New" gallery on this website.

Before you go there, if you want to keep up with my blog please add your name to the mailing list on the website, as I will send out an email each time I update the blog. That way it's easier for you to know what I'm up to!

It's 2 months today that I head south and I can feel the time ticking now, along with the weather getting coolerand the days shorter. The autumn leaves are just changing here so I might do another painting with some of them in it, maybe with my nieces the next time I paint with them. I think they'd like the colours and shapes!

I'm not sure if I'm catching up with something or something's catching up with me, or you, for that matter! September has been a busy month and I've been painting more regularly, as well as ordering lots of items for my next sale. And my 2011 calendars are here, all 200 of them! Email or call me if you want one or more, they're again $12, or special deal 10 for $100. I've also got some fridge magnets ($3), of both the mermaid and the lone tulip, and there are more coming. I've also got "Reaching for a Star" reproduced onto a small card (4"X6"), and "How Many Fairies" as well.

The inside of the mermaid card reads 'We're all reaching for a star in our own way" and inside the sunflower it says "Have you been counting all the fairies?" With envelopes they cost $2.50.

And I have some "Reaching for a Star" journal books printed as well, for $8.

Along with all these things came a t-shirt, a banner for my shows, and a few other assorted odds and ends so I think I've done very well with transforming my art onto usable and practical items that people can enjoy.

On another painting note, the transformation of our ensuite bathroom from a vintage 70s lavender-colour base to natural, slate, granite, and vessel sink (that's the term for one of those sinks that sits, like a bowl, on top of the counter) continues and while hubby is away hunting for the next 2 weeks I'm committed to getting the light lavender-tinted walls painted a sunny yellow colour, and finishing off the backsplash with tile.

No rest for the wicked! Stay tuned and enjoy the last bits of warm sunshine before winter really hits!

I'm "away with the fairies" for a while, painting up a storm!

Well, I'm surprised that it's not longer since my last blog--it seems so long ago. September has started off very busily, as it does, I suppose! I've been travelling a bit, and getting some sales since the August show, as well as finalizing my calendar printing for 2011, a little early this year but I got a good deal and will be able to sell them for $12 again, and 10 for $100. They'll arrive in a few weeks so get your orders in!

Here's what the calendars looked like for 2009--the format will be the same, desk-sized and a new painting every month. Once they arrive I'll put a new photo up here.

I've also had some great success with my mermaid reproductions, which look great on canvas! So far I've had a 30"X30", 20"X20", and 12"x12" printed, and I'm going to see what a 6"X6" looks like to see if I think they'll sell well at my next show--a Christmas Craft Sale at Dogwood Lodge, Coquitlam, December 3-5, 2010. Additional orders taken, if you like!

And, amongst all that, I've booked my next Aussie home-coming for December 8 until mid-March, and got the new countertop installed in our ensuite (an artistic renovation project that started, if you remember from my last blog, LAST September when we ripped out the shower & toilet--they were lavender--and I put in the slate tile myself.) Well, now the lavender sink is out, the new cabinet (without doors so far, mind you!) & flooring is in...and once the plumbing is hooked back up, well, it's not over yet, there's prep & painting (I've stripped that--you guessed it--lavender striped wallpaper out) and tile backsplashes to be installed. Luckily I'm painting ART every week with a couple of excellent friends to remind me of what I'm here for!

And I've put a few new paintings that I've done up on this website for you to see, and a few more in the wind. Here's one that didn't make the cut for the calendar.

So, I guess Autumn is coming soon, the weather has cooled down, I'm a bit disappointed that the days are getting shorter & we aren't eating out on the patio any more. Still, there's a certain energy about the crisper air that I seem to be latching onto. What will I get up to next??

Stay tuned!

It's been a while since I blogged--sorry to those of you who regularly check back! I'll get into more of a routine now that all the exciting events of summer are over. August was one giant rush, wasn't it?

The show at Minnekhada went really well, especially the first day which was magnificent weather-wise. Sunday was a bit of a wash-out and I was very happy to be inside the Lodge that day. I was happy to sell a couple of originals, a few books and cards and magic lists and a magic bag, and even a fairy cave! As well I was offered a million dollars for my last magic pencil, and was only able to resist since I already had a million dollar bill (from the magician who was entertaining the crowds both days!). One little boy kept coming back, trying to entice me to sell the magic pencil (it changes colour in your hands) because he was just enchanted by it. I'll have to look for a supplier as the kids just go wild for them!

Looking back on the summer I am delighted to have sold about 10 original paintings, mostly newer ones, and have sold a canvas reproduction of my mermaid painting with some more ordered. (Limited edition, all signed and numbered, available almost any size you want--for pricing just email or call--anywhere from $50 to $300! The biggest so far is 30" X 30", I've got a 20" X 20" one coming, and another 12" X 12" to show as a sample too. The original, on silk, is 14" X 14" and I think I have a buyer for her.) Very exciting to see the mermaids flying out of here!

In case you've forgotten, here's the image to the right -------------------->>>>>>

My next public show will be December 3, 4, 5, 2010 at Dogwood Pavilion, Poirier Street, Coquitlam--although if you'd like a private showing before that just contact me to arrange it. I'll be heading to Australia shortly after that, December 8, until March. Between now and December I'll be working on getting my 2011 calendar selections ready and printed, and out for sale, along with creating some more beautiful paintings. I might even dabble in another silk painting course, and see what I can create there.

Stay tuned!