Quan Yin and purple orchids

Swathed in enchanting Vanda orchids, Quan Yin showers very real blessings along Brisbane's river front. Except the orchids are unreal. They're cleverly crafted by Nong, a talented Thai girl who travels weekends from the Gold Coast to display her wares at South Bank Lifestyle Markets beside the Brisbane river. As real as nature but intricately fashioned in fine white clay, each hand made leaf and petal is delicately painted and styled into authentic looking flowers that stopped me in my tracks. I swore never to accept artificial flowers, but never say never. These artworks share pride of place with Quan Yin.

Jacaranda time at the Regatta Hotel

Brisbane's slightly infamous old watering hole stands right across the river from our new apartment. So near yet so far. Takes me back to college days. The Brisbane Boys College rowing shed once stood on the waterfront adjacent to the pub. Head of the River. I was too young to row but not to slip into the then hotel gardens. Actually saw a woman chain herself to the foot rail in the bar to protest that females were not served in the bar. Police dragged the lady off to the lockup. We've come a long way, baby.

Brisbane connection working a treat

Quickly discovered the river is the link to inner city living in Brisbane. What fun to welcome Sydney visitors Mark Roeder and Janine Bavin. Mark, author of The Big Mo spoke at the Brisbane Writers Festival and stayed to update on my new inner city digs. Janine lunched with us at Mecca Bah a new haunt just beyond Fortitude Valley. Home made pizza [Spit roasted lamb, rocket, yoghurt & sumac and Sardine, caramelised onion, roast tomato & olive] preceded a seriously good tangine with beetroot salad - almost no room for a round of middle eastern ice cream. Almost.

The last orchid to leave the garden

Smashing results at the three day mega sale. Every single orchid sold and there were approximately 2,000 plants on the Cooroy Gardens six acre property in the Noosa hinterland. 

Publicist and popular Noosa personality Helen Flannagan scored the last orchid and garden manager Seyen Surjan was there to see the sale went smoothly. Most everyone left happy and there is enough running-away-from-home money to tide us over to the next big event. Time for a little R&R methinks. Part of the jade collection went to family friends in Ipswich and the cinnabar lacquer lions will soon return to Sydney and the couple who first introduced me to Apple Mac – I am forever in their debt.  Stay tuned.

Jesus Bird Kakadu Australia

Usually these bird visuals are studies of life on and around our property and surrounding Cooroy Creek.This new illustration is developed from a quick diary thumbnail made decades ago while tripping the Northern Territory. A photographic assignment for one or other of the glossy magazines but, as was often the case, my quick diary sketches sometimes caught the immediacy of a situation faster than the Canon camera. For two decades the Jesus Bird and Giant Lotus quickie rested in the back of a travel notebook and came to light yesterday. Then followed this all night session drawing on the Mac to create a new bird-n-bush study for electronic media.