End of Year Art Snippets

Hello! I just wanted to pop into your inbox to wish you a very Merry Christmas/festive season, however you celebrate this time and also wishing you a Happy New Year for 2026. Thanks for sticking with me and this 'little baby' newsletter. I will continue with it next year but I realised that every two months works better.

Artist Trivia

Ah Henri Matisse, what a wonderful artist he was. His philosophy was that making art should be soothing, calming to the mind and familiar like a 'good armchair'. He also never stopped making art even as he aged and it became difficult to stand at his easel. Who would've thought of cutting paper into shapes as a way to diversify his output. Some critics believe Matisse's best work came about when he reinvented his practice in this way! Inspiring huh? More about Matisse...

Studio update

I’m so happy to have finished these magpie acrylic paintings (20x25cm). I’ve named them after people I’ve met — from gym instructors to various inspiring (and sometimes complex yet endearing) characters along the way. I’ve vowed to keep the stories private, but just know that in each of these beautiful birds, I saw an aspect of that person’s personality and magpies are such an iconic Aussie bird! The link above will take you to my Instagram where you'll see me signing them.

Art Hack

 For years I've been lightening or darkening colours with white and black paints respectively but often that's not the look I want - it's desaturation of a colour. Desaturating a colour brings it into more of a muted, softened, neutral hue and is excellent for use in shadows and to give texture and more. One way to do this is to add a complimentary colour. For example you're using a red colour and you want to add some shadowy parts - add it's opposite from the colour wheel (complimentary colour) of green and see what you get... colour is a whole area of study so don't get me started!

Desaturating colours link

School Funny 

 Arriving into the school quadrangle and hearing a dozen greetings from students is a common occurrence for many teachers but I had one student who really took the cake. I'll call him Kenny. So this boy would run towards you, jumping with excitement, repeating his greetings over and over, laughing and replaying dialogue from the latest movie he'd watched. I felt pretty certain I was well liked by this student. He once said to me after a long weekend, 'nice to smell you again, Mrs G'!!? Well, Kenny eventually finished year 12 and there were tears and congratulations, farewells, gifts for him, also gifts from him and more, it lasted a good half a term, what a lead up! Not a week after he'd left school, I was on the Manly ferry heading over from Circular Quay and there was Kenny, out with some other people enjoying his day. I was bracing for the big greeting, a heartfelt reunion, lots of jumping.... he looked at me, a hint of recognition glimmered in his eyes, he looked away and then he got up and walked on by without ONE WORD! Whaaaaattt????

Books/Films

I've been thinking about a poem lately and it's pertinent to the industry I work in, namely, special or inclusive education but it can also relate to many things that don't turn out how you wish or expect. Over the years I have met so many incredible parents of these beautiful children and despite my contact, meetings, discussions with them, I couldn't honestly say that I know what it's like to have a child with specific and/or high needs. I have never forgotten a poem that I think goes some way to explaining all the emotions, thoughts and feelings that, I imagine, would arise at different times on this kind of parenting journey. It's called 'Welcome to Holland' by Emily Perl Kingsley. What an amazing piece, written nearly 20 years ago. All the best to you and your families over this holiday period. See you next year.