The Streaming Artist
An Airstream and an Easel
Melbourne, Australia
Our latest journey had us Streaming via the air to Australia. This was an unexpected journey for a sad occasion but we tried to make the best of it.
Our first few days were spent walking around Melbourne hitting some of our favorite spots. The weather was absolutely beautiful and there is nothing like a long walk after a really long flight. Ross and I generally stay at the same hotel each time we visit so it feels a bit like a second home. We choose that location because it is an easy tram ride into the Downtown area but also really close to some great walks and green spaces. We started our days with walks around Albert Park Lake, The Tan, the Botanical Gardens and along the Yarra River. It was really nice for me since on a few occasions I took advantage of that beauty and was able to paint some Plein Air paintings while Ross attended to some family duties.
Melbourne is a beautiful city with a lot of European flavor. The markets are amazing and remind me so much of when I lived in Florence, Italy. The specialty stores and the quality of food makes me want to eat my way though the markets. The city is also filled with a lot of diversity and has many neighborhoods to reflect each culture.
As I mentioned our trip down under was for a sad reason. Ross’ niece Lilly passed away. She was a special girl who had some struggles. I always felt a connection to her even from my first meeting of her many years ago. This water lily is painted to honor her life.
After the funeral and burial we were able to have a few nice days hiking at Pt. Nepean near Sorrento/Portsea where Ross’ family spent a lot of time as a child. We go to that area every time that we visit since it is a beautiful spot.
On our way back to Melbourne we were able to do a few new hikes including the Bush Rangers Bay track at Cape Schanck and the Kokoda Memorial track (also known as the 1000 steps track) . The Bush Rangers Bay walk is a beautiful walk along the coast with magnificent views and ends at an old lighthouse.
The Kokoda Memorial track is a steep hike up 1000 stairs which is supposed to be a small replica of the climb that the Australian military made to stop the Japanese advance on Papua New Guinea in World War 2.
Needless to say we also spent a great deal of time with family. It was nice to see everyone even though it was a sad occasion.
We are now back in Boulder and I am getting ready for the Boulder Plein Air Festival. I will be one of the 26 juried artist and this will be my first time participating in something like this. After I finish the week of Plein Air painting I will blog about the experience and share my thoughts. Feel free to come and see me during the week at the paint outs or at the opening night exhibition. The link to the event is:
https://www.boulderpleinairfest.com/
The Streaming Artist 
The painting of the water lily gave me goose bumps, how sweet of you and it’s beautiful. I’m so sorry for your loss and glad you made the most of the trip ❤
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