Mountain artwork in progress 09/2025

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I now finished the mountains in the foreground, and it’s been a fun and smooth sailing so far. This artwork is one of my more structured pieces, a bit like putting together a jigsaw puzzle with little room for experimentation. It’s a more rigid process perhaps, but I also find it quite soothing. As always, no matter how much leftover fabric I’ve got, I still need to make trips to the fabric stores for more shades!

Trim the Cat

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While looking for more cat-themed paintings, I came across what is considered to be Australia’s most famous feline: a black-and-white cat called Trim, who accompanied explorer Matthew Flinders on his voyage around the coastline of Australia. Trim was a true seafaring cat, born aboard the ship in 1799 and made a favourite for his grit, intelligence and cheeky personality.

The plaque at the Mitchell Library in Sydney has this moving dedication written by Flinders in memory of his cat:

The best and most illustrious of his race
The most affectionate of friends,
faithful of servants,
and best of creatures
He made the tour of the globe, and a voyage to Australia,
which he circumnavigated, and was ever the
delight and pleasure of his fellow voyagers

Top Ten Tuesday – Book Villains

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Villains: you love them, you hate them, your favourite books wouldn’t be the same without them. This week’s topic from That Artsy Reader Girl is dedicated to the best of the worst.

As an aside, when making this list I had to separate the literary villains from their film versions. Someone like Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs is memorable to me mainly because of Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal rather than the original novel, so these are my favourite picks based on books alone. 

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