Thursday, January 21, 2010

A little about me and how i came to pick up a paint brush

Well after such a traumatic (yet inspiring year) in 2009, i step forward into 2010 with a goal of growing as an artist.

Introduction: A little about me and how i came to pick up a brush

2009 started relatively normally, enjoying a quick break in Queensland, family time, sun and swimming in our pool, and then on the 31st Jan while entertaining family and friends with a swim and dinner, everything changed. With those pesky mossies annoying our after dinner festivities, we reached for the citronella oil, and next thing we knew, our house was on fire, roof collapsing, fire engines, shock, horror, relief that no-one was hurt and the sudden realisation that our house was unlivable for a fair while.

Our insurance company was wonderful (nice to see after paying premiums for more than 20 years, that they would not wind us up in red tape). They arranged temporary accommodation near both mine and hubby's work and the kids school.

We couldn't believe our luck- it was the most beautiful apartment overlooking the ocean (i'm talking open the curtains to our bedroom and there is the beach!). With the prospect of staying here for around six months while the repairs took place, life did not seem so bad. (Especially given the fact that many families the following week became homeless with the terrible black saturday bushfires that spread throughout melbourne and victoria too. )



Night after night we watched stunning sunset after stunning sunset, i captured alot of the most beautiful, different sunsets with my camera and then that niggling feeling started in the back of my head.
I had always been very good at crafts, but never did art at school.
Friends always said i was arty/crafty, but i never really had the urge to express
myself like a true artist with paints.

But, with those beautiful views in front of me kept calling, finally i relented, i purchased a second hand easel and picked up a brush, i crossed my fingers and the paint hit canvas in March 2009............. and the rest is history.


I joined a local artgroup in May, have started painting in my own home made studio at home (we moved back in July 2009) and now i show off some of my latest creations on my personal facebook site. Near the end of the year i started a facebook page called "My friends keep telling me where to go" where i invite people to send me photos of holiday snaps, so i have plenty of inspiration. My facebook page can also be found doing a simple google search too.

So if you start reading my blog and want to know more, please look me up- i love new facebook friends and page fans. If you do friend request me or if you sign on as a fan of my page, please mention that you are reading my blog, so i know there are people out there reading this stuff.

i will try and update this blog at least once a month (at the minimum)- so don't forget to come and visit me again.
thanks
caroline martin
carolinemartin63@hotmail.com