Jane Davenport Blog

I have just spent the must intense 5 days at the Brisbane Craft fair… i did three workshops each day and talked nonstop in between.

I pour out so much energy in my drawing demonstrations, and talking about journaling, teaching online and art supplies (How did I create this AWESOME job for myself?! Too cool!)…you would think I would run out of batteries.

But all i needed to do to recharge was turn on the ipad and have a peep at the work form the final week of Supplies me that is flooding in. Honestly… it blows my mind. BLOWS. MY. MIND. The creative courage that my students show is so freakin inspiring. I get a bit choked up about it. It feels really, really, really good to walk with people I have come to know and respect – and heck I’m just gonna admit it – love, on their creative path. It is so much fun!

I am working on the details for the next class so we can keep on this amazing journey together. I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed today – but that could just be exhaustion setting in after the show… and a little too much French champagne cheering on the French in the Rugby Union World Cup final last night!  So later this week will be the big announce of what I’m doing next…

Here’s a little Happy Mermie that appeared in my journal at the Brisbane Craft Show:

Happy Mermaid - Jane Davenport

My Book, the Garden Guardians won a prestigious prize at the Horticultural Media Association’s night of nights. This is the 4th Edition of the book…all rewritten and freshly spruced up with new images. Not that the creatures in it changed, but I did have to add some of the bigger ones… like fruit bats! I needed to expand the section on small birds (they need their own book really), and ladybirds…well… I am always gathering new images of them!

This is the little movie I made of the 2nd Edition:

The Garden Guardians won an Image Laurel when it was first published in 2007. It has been a best seller ever since!.

We are having a free postage offer over at the shop this week to celebrate!

http://www.instituteofcute.com/garden-guardians-4th-edition/

I nearly filled a whole journal in Bali… I cocooned myself into my own little art Nest that was balanced on a cliff and held up by butterflies and tropical flowers. Looking out of my cliff side bali daybed to the vista beyond… Just filled me up with joy. I looked out at the bright blue kingfishers, turquoise waves, small fishing boats, and the occasional monkey. The food was healthy and delicious. Angus surfed for 7 hours a day. Best waves of his life….he even swam with sea turtles and a Dugong…yes! A flipping sea-cow! Helloooo, who does that? Too awesome right?!

I drew and drew and drew… And when I wasn’t drawing I was painting, and when I was painting I was journaling…I even got to draw with cute, little, 7 year old Bella Boo in her journal nearly every day. Her family was staying just near us and hanging out with the Greens was a highlight of the trip. Being the wife of a dude who loves surfing is a pretty sweet deal…tagging along on Hubby’s surfari was beyond super-awesome, it was Bintangtastic… and completely Balinificent.

I’ve seen a millionbajillion photos of that place in surf mags… They made it look so good… And being a seasoned traveler, i knew not to expect the photoshoped version of Surf Mecca… What I wasn’t expecting is that it would actually be better.

I was expecting heaps of Aussie bogans, too many people, drunken idiots, maybe feeling uncomfortable in a place that has had some poverty and terrorism issues… What I got was heaven on a stick. Scratch that. Heaven riding a chocolate unicorn over a rainbow made of Aquamarkers ( new favorite art suppLy… More news soon!).

We stayed at the Villa Kelly Slater chillaxes into during surf comps…nothing fancy, but very private, which I have come to realize is the greatest luxury of all.

I immediately planned to host a workshop retreat there next year. Hopefully it will be just as mild and mellow. I can’t wait to create a hotspot for juicy journaling… I floated the idea with my students on Supplies Me, and it’s pretty much sold out. To say I am excited about this is to not take into account my rabid frothing over this adventure.

Bali is going to cop bad publicity with the teen who got arrested for buying drugs (eeeeediot). Reading the press you would think the whole of Bali is druggies, bogans, corrupt cops and just general low-lifery. It’s people making stupid decisions like that that nearly kept me from discovering ‘The Islands of the Gods’ for myself…
That is not the Bali I experienced. I found bliss and I intend to go back there as soon as possible!

Bali, I love you. Bali, my Art Journal misses you. Bali, you complete me *insert Dr Evil voice here*.