'beach hair and bare feet'...and memories resurfacing

'Beach Hair and Bare Feet'
Jo-Ann Hunt©
'The Child Within' series
H120x120cm
47x47ins
Acrylic on Canvas
sold

Helping me sort through images for a publication, my daughter suddenly 
exclaimed...'that boy in this painting looks like my cousin when he was small!'
this young man is now 21, but I had to agree ,
and to admit that unconsciously I've put his younger self
in one of my paintings.

can you see any resemblance?

 I had no idea!
this photo has been stashed
in a shoebox for 15 years!

'Beach Hair and Bare Feet'
 detail
 Jo-Ann Hunt©

Funny how the mind works...

and how visual memory can linger!

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'Hello Beach'

'Hello Beach'
detail
Jo-Ann Hunt ©

It might be the first day of winter but the autumn colours at the moment
are exquisite.
But that's not to say I'm not still hankering for summer.
The days are so short and it's dark around 5.30.
....I'm looking forward to the equinox and knowing that we're over the hump
and rolling towards summer.

And as some encouragement...a painting from last summer's exhibition
at Manyung Gallery... Feb..2015...

'Hello, Beach'
detail
Jo-Ann Hunt©

'Hello Beach'
Jo-Ann Hunt©
'The Child Within' Series
H120x100cm
H47x39ins
Acrylic on Canvas
sold

....the tallest girl started life with a short blonde bob....
...you can see her original haircut here....
 I like it better this length.... wish I could  work such fast magic with mine!

                                      Jo  :)   :)
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'Siblings'

'Siblings'
Jo-Ann Hunt©
'The Child Within' Series
H122x92cm
H48x36ins
Acrylic on Canvas
xxxxxx

(quote found on the web)

'Siblings'
detail
Jo-Ann Hunt©

...always an inspiration!

               
                           Jo   :)
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'Surf's Up'

'Surf's Up'
detail
Jo-Ann Hunt©

I'm back to painting kids in wetsuits.
Lot's of blacks and neutral greys!
 This one is from the archives .....

'Surf's Up'
Jo-Ann Hunt©
'The Child Within' Series
H112x102cm
H44x40ins
Acrylic on Canvas
2010
sold

I love watching kids, I love being with kids.
I love their energy, their optimism.

I love the awkward years, the gangly years.....the years between four and twelve.....when they outgrow everything.....even it seems their own bodies.

when they're all elbows and knees.....and clutsy!

I love clutsy, clumsy kids!

and those kids that are so full on into everything, they can't wait for their brains to catch up with their bodies.

and those kids that just go about their business, lost in their own thoughts, planning, fiddling, creating, messing.

                     'We've had bad luck with our kids....
                                                           they're all grown up.'        Christopher Morley 

                                               ....  yes me too Christopher!  ditto!    Jo  :)
                                                         
                                                                       
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            And the words are from three plus years ago.

              I still feel the same....

                   some things never change!  

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...worms, anyone?....

miss Hop-a-long

I've been adopted by two young female magpies.
they know where to find me, sitting inside in the early morning sun,
reading the newspaper.

they're very insistent, bobbing their heads up and down at the window,
pacing back and forth on the deck, telling me they're ready
and waiting for their breakfast.

one has a gammy leg...we call her "Hop-A-long"...and they both are fearless
and take food from our fingers.
What I find astonishing is that they just bowled up one morning
and they trained me to feed them.....

...and I thought we were the smarter animals in the food chain!

love the slogan on the back door...'have worms will travel' !
...and how's this for a career path! the ingenuity of small-business never ceases to amaze me!

...wouldn't it be great  if  this delivery truck did home deliveries!
might have some very enthusiastic dinner guests!

Mordialloc Creek, Victoria

.......and I wonder if my two young lady-magpies are related to this rescued maggie?

                                               Jo   :)

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St Kevins Art Exhibition

'Faces of Summer'
detail
Jo-Ann Hunt©

I've been flat out finishing work for 3 Exhibitions.....

...next up is St Kevins Art Show.

 This was the very first Art Exhibition I showed  my work...  

and I can't believe that 2015 will be my 15th year ! 

It's always a classy, varied and enjoyable event.... 

...hope you make time to see it if you're in town.

Opening Night Fri 22 May 2015
Sat 23 May 10am-6pm
Sun 24 May 10am-4pm
Mon 25 May 10am-4pm
An Exhibition and Sale of Artworks by leading Australian Artists

Promotional work for this years show....
...a shot from 2014 exhibition....that picture at the bottom looks familiar!

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'Nature Boy'

'Nature Boy'
detail
Jo-Ann Hunt©

We've had some wild and varied weather of late.
From lashings of hail, and inky-violet stormy skies,
to stunning autumn days like today.

stormy skies ...violets and lime greens...perfect!

from Brighton looking towards Melbourne

blues and ochres...from Sorrento pier

Sorrento jetty and dinghies

And from 2010, one of the earliest paintings
in my series 'The Child Within' .... you can read
how this Series of my nipper paintings and
beach-kids started ....right here.  and here

'Nature Boy'
Jo-Ann Hunt
 'The Child Within' Series
H122x41cm
H48x16ins
Acrylic on Canvas
2010
sold

 And I'm still enjoying painting them!
Having a ball!  a painting-ball !
Who would guess!

                   Jo   :)

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possum ears and noses....

possum tenants!

The possums have been very insistent these last 4 months that I must
wake up every night between 3 and 5.30am to enjoy their galloping
across my tin roof.

A call to Pete the Possum-Man last November led to a one-way gate
being installed so the little critters living in my roof could leave and
not get back in.

Well that was the theory!

Installing a video camera finally revealed that, as I had insisted,
they had indeed managed to outsmart the one-way door
by squeee--eee--eezing in and out a new hole just above it.

To cut a long story short..... they are out, but still defiantly banging
and crashing at night at the old spot attempting to get back in.

Now I live across the road from a park with lots of trees, and 200mtrs
 from a HUGE golf-course and bush park with thousands of tall trees.

For goodness sake guys, give me a break! Get back  to nature!

Victorian Ringtail Possum

This gorgeous creature was so put out she / he? sauntered
across the window sill beside our tv, probably eyeing off
a spot to curl up on the couch!
I couldn't resist a photo....before I shooed her into the neighbours!

It was only when checking these shots I realised the similarity
between her and my paintings!

gorgeous! but noisy!
Ringtail Possum

Check out those gorgeous bumpy pink ears, huge liquid eyes
and that wet pink nose!  Oh, and sort of round, stumpy toes!

'Summer Freedom' no 1
detail
Jo-Ann Hunt©

work in progress
detail
 Jo-Ann Hunt©

And I've had my first full night's sleep in months....all the more energy
to launch into the studio and finish work for next week's Exhibition!
Onward!!

                                                      Jo  :)

( and I'm wondering if any members of my roof-squatting possum family
are the ones I rescued way back here .... humph!!   )

Western Pygmy Possum

This photo popped up in my Newsfeed on Fb...
apparently this little cutie native to Western Australia
is one of the largest species of Pygmy Possum in the world...
and it's only the size of a mouse!
wonder how many housewives have an opinion on this little guy!
photo via 'Australian Geographic'

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