Greetings!

Hello - I've taken it upon myself to write this post as Mum is racing around like a headless chicken - has been for the last week really !



So, she's neglected her blog and I thought I should tell you that she's leaving me here in charge of the studio as she's heading for Dubai for something called 'THE WEDDING'. Whatever that is has meant the printer has been working overtime producing menus and place cards this week and she's had no time for sitting with me in the studio. The cases are packed with the posh frock and fancy shoes and she'll be back to tell you all about it in a couple of weeks! Purrs, Tia.

Illustration Friday - Spooky

Yes, I'm very late but here's a little offering for last week's Illustration Friday, 'Spooky'.

This is one of my 'plastic wrap things'! I pushed cling wrap into folds and creases on wet acrylic and watercolour inks, and allowed it to dry. Turned it upside down and spotted few things - rats, bats, birds and faces - worked into it with watercolour pencils. Spooky! Click to enlarge to see all the weirdness!

Sunday breakfast in the garden

Couldn't resist sharing a few photos of this morning's breakfast! The sun's shining and we're in the garden enjoying sunny poached eggs on toasted rye bread, accompanied by grilled tomato topped with sesame seeds.

And to follow....

Bring on the fruit! From left to right, Rambutan, Buah Nona (Sugar Apple or Custard Apple), Chiku or Sapodilla (top right - looks like a potato!), Longan and Dukong (larger of the two).

This is what they look like when peeled. Clockwise from the top Custard Apple - sweet, you gotta suck the flesh from the seeds (too many of those!). Longan - delicious, tastes like, but is better than Lychee. Dukong - yummy, sweet, fresh, - a bit grapefruity, even - (do not eat those seeds - sooo bitter!) Rambutan - sweet, again a bit lychee like.

Here are the seeds.

Potted up - let's see what happens!

Illustration Friday

watercolour ©Caroline Soer 2010

Transportation is this week's Illustraton Friday theme. In this watercolour pencil and ink piece, the wind is whisking the little mouse with his parasol up into the air and his friends try to rescue him! The image is a little small, but if you click and then click again you'll get a better view.

I thought I'd add a few photos - below are some local means of transportation.

Malaccan trishaw

Hong Kong Rickshaw

Singaporean Ox cart

Doggie stroller - Hong Kong!

Illustration Friday - 'beneath'

Mangosteen fruit
watercolour ©Caroline Soer 2010

It's that time of week again already - where does the time go? It's flying at the moment! Herewith, my offering for 'Beneath' - this week's Illustration Friday theme. A watercolour of the delicious Mangosteen fruit - you'd never know that such a delicious little fruit lies beneath that leathery skin!



I've been sketching and painting these fruits on and off all week - getting the colour right by layering on the pigment without disturbing the previous layer has been a test of my patience! I've tried sloshy effects on scrap paper, this more precise version and now I'm part way through a textured painting on tissue covered mountboard. I'll share the finished painting at a later date (if it's a success!).

Illustration Friday

'Old-fashioned Remedy'

watercolour © Caroline Soer 2010

Here is my offering for this week's Illustration Friday theme of 'Old-fashioned'. Lavender is an old-fashioned cottage garden flower and has been used for centuries as a remedy for various ailments as well as for its fragrance. My little watercolour illustrates an old-fashioned remedy - you may have to click to enlarge if you'd like to read the writing on the label!

Dried Lavender

watercolour © Caroline Soer 2010

Just what you need to fill a little old-fashioned lavender sachet to pop into your underwear drawer!

I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts!

Had a weekend of hassle with overflowing water tanks, but every cloud has a silver lining.. our plumbers harvested the coconuts from the palm tree! Now just gotta put de lime in de coconut!