Monday 26 September 2011

Spring ~ it's a new day.

Welcome to spring at Garden Terrace Studio.  This is my first blog post which is a tad exciting for me.  To introduce myself ~ Hi...I'm Cathy and I am a Decorative Art teacher with my own studio on the Central Coast of New South Wales.  I have been teaching this wonderful art form for over 10 years now and if you would like to know more, please visit my webpage http://www.gardenterracestudio.com.au/  where there will also be a link from the webpage to this blog.  I hope to make regular updates to let you all know what is happening in the studio, in this beautiful corner of the world and hopefully even some helpful hints and things of interest and beauty along the way.

I just love Spring ~ the promise of new life.  All that has laid dorment to protect itself in the colder months of winter feels the first touch of warmth and before you know it buds are appearing; birds are singing; baby ducks are down on the waters edge keeping their mums on their toes (well, little webbed feet); magpies and plovers are protecting their young (at our expense); daffodils are dancing in the breeze and all seems well with the world.

In our garden at Garden Terrace Studio there has been great excitement with the success of finally growing cold climate bulbs.  After moving from the cold winter frosts of a lovely country town where we lived for 17 years, one of my missions for my new coastal garden was to grow beautiful bulb flowers.  Well this year I succeeded with jonquils; minature daffodils, blue bells and snowflakes.  Placing the bulbs in the crisper in the fridge for a long cold sleep first, seems to have done the trick.

The studio has also been busy with High Teas.  Oh how girls love to play ladies!  Birthdays, baby showers, farewells and just for fun bookings have all taken place over the last few months.  I love to make these events so special for the clients and of course sipping a cup of tea from Royal Albert Old Country Roses tea cups with ones pinky in the air does make for a fun time, not to mention the 17th century parlour games and scrummy food!  You can see more about these on the webpage too.

There is lots happening in the painting world with the artists that come creating amazing pieces that help me love my work even more!  Estelle has just finished a lovely Australian outback scene surrounded by a garland of Australian Wild Flowers to remind her of a trip to Central Australia earlier in the year.  She chose to paint this work on her paint box and it really does look grand.  Kath is continuing on with her geese taking a leasurely stroll down a peaceful lane, Gail is working on a box for her coasters that match a huge modern canvas she painted earlier in the year.  Wendy is doing so well in her beginners course and has chosen deep red poppies for her project this term.  Honor came and painted for a term while she had a free day from her work and painted some magenta pink hydrangers that are now hanging on the wall in her spare bedroom.  Oh the joy of finishing a project to adorn ones home.  That is what it is all about ~ using your gifts to beautify the world you live in and bring joy and pleasure to others as well.

Well haven't I rambled on for my first post ~ I hope you come visit me again soon and also visit the webpage....or even come visit me at Garden Terrace Studio.  At the moment you can just follow your nose as the perfume from the French Lavender lining our driveway is so strong it really does fill the air with the feeling of peace and tranqulity.  Oh I am having a flash back to a painting I did a few years ago at the foot of the mountains in the country where we lived.  A beautiful Lavender farm stretched for miles ~ you could have thought you were in the countryside of southern France.  I will leave you with this scene and hope spring where you live is blessing you with warmth, love and laughter:)



Cathy XXX