GEMMA BLACK : ARTIST / CALLIGRAPHER

Easter is almost upon us. Six documents have to be created for the federal government a.s.a.p. Each document is 38.5cm x 57.5cm. The information is embargoed, not because the documents are grand or flashy, they're not but rather because the Minister will make an announcement and nothing can be said before then.  Anyway this is not the point of why I am writing. The point is how does one go about creating said documents in a very short timeframe when there are hours and hours of work to be done.  The answer is all in The Plan ... I hope! And the plan is: v   Tuesday (today): create first roughs and rule up the entire six documents – this is doable. v   Wednesday: pen the main text block in a gorgeous specially mixed charcoal gouache on all six – oooo this may not be doable but I shall try if I get up at 6am v   Thursday: design headings and pen on all six documents - achievable v   Friday: paint six ti...

I am very excited and pleased with my new "drink" mugs which arrived today. You will find references to my "drink design" earlier on in here. Feel free to scroll through.

Cousins and kin, Alex & Netta McLaren Kettering Marina, Tasmania I am a MacLaren on my mother's side, note the difference in the Mac's? This particular MacLaren family (I'll spell it my way :-) was so large and quite a diverse group of relations, that on coming to Australia generations ago, some chose to use the original Mac spelling and others the truncated Mc form. It doen't really matter which Mac any of us use as the real name of our family goes back to Celtic Balquidder of the 13th century with the Gaelic name MacLabhruinn. Over lunch we watched yatchs come and go as well as the Mirambeena, the Bruny Island ferry with it's cargo of passengers, cars and trucks. Lunch was lovely at the Mermaid Cafe. And rightly so!