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June Gover was an amazingly inspiring lady and an artist. The picture above is of a painting of a tree at the entrance to Brachina Gorge, Flinders Ranges, South Australia, that was painted with Vegemite paste.


I treasure my memories of June. She passed away recently. This is what I'd written about her in an earlier blog:

June Gover is a sensational senior; she is an amazingly inspiring lady who painted the work in the photo above, using Vegemite, on canvas.
I had the enormous pleasure of meeting and getting to know June Gover and her family on visits to Western Australia.

June is 81years young, and she has refused to give in to her rheumatoid arthritis despite being told about 35 years ago that she would be in a wheelchair in 5 years. She is the mum of one of my very best friends, who tells me with great pride in her mother that her dad used to call her mum, a "Pig-headed Aussie Bitch," said with affection. This is why she drove a car until recently, displaying with humour and pride, the number plate, PHAB.

It was June’s determination not to be beaten, that saw her, even though severely affected with this dreadful rheumatoid arthritis, walk the Busselton jetty much to the admiration of onlookers and the intense pride of her family.

June Gover had always wanted to learn to paint (not an easy task when you cant hold the brushes properly), and her family and I are very proud of her efforts.

June’s children and grandchildren mean the world to her and it is reciprocated. I am told that they feel she is a good friend as well as a good mum and knowing the family, I can vouch for the closeness and love you feel within the close family. June’s daughter tells me that her mum is generous in spirit and actions, as she has been known to go up to strangers, particularly young frazzled mums and give them $50 to treat themselves when she could ill afford to do this.

June has a young outlook on life, and no topic is off limits, I know because I love spending time with this ‘young’ spirited woman. June used to enjoy a nightly nip, not so often now (darn medication) but is allowed to occasionally still have the odd one. June loves to read, enjoys quirky things in the garden (she is looking for a skeleton or mannequin for a bath in the garden at the moment).

I think June’s landscape painted in Vegemite, shows outstanding artistic talent, the light and shade and composition are excellent. Inspiring work, June.

June offered to give me this work. I was so touched by such a generous offer but declined. Not because I did not love the work nor value the generosity of the gift offering, June, but because I did value it so highly that I would not take such a beautiful work away from you or your family. It’s something for you all to treasure, as I will the photo I took of you with your painting you told me was inspired by my work of Brachina Gorge, Flinders Ranges, South Australia. June it took me a lot many more years of experience than you have had before I could paint as well as you can. You are fantastic, and I treasure all my memories of meetings with you and your family.

I travel extensively to draw inspiration for my paintings and writing from life experience.
You will discover my Australian rural-lit novels at www.rural-lit.com

This cute pair of original oil painted miniatures are so tiny, they were harder to paint than a large work. I created them especially for these two matching, fairly heavy, gold leaf frames. POA.

While I don't have the time, with my novel writing these days to paint large works of art, I don't plan to paint any with this much detail as tiny as this again.

I travel extensively to draw inspiration for my paintings and writing from life experience.
You will discover my Australian rural-lit novels at www.rural-lit.com

This is Buninyong Dairy. It is on private property at Buninyong, Victoria, Australia. It has always been a favourite of mine. Note the teaspoon positioned, near the corner, to get an idea of the size of this work.

My husband Reg was my mount cutter. he did a fabulous job of cutting the triple mount to set off this beautiful artwork.

I took the photos outside in the shade, late in the day. In my home, under artificial lighting tonight, it appears warmer in colour and brighter in tone than in this image.

I travel extensively to draw inspiration for my paintings and writing from life experience.
You will discover my Australian rural-lit novels at www.rural-lit.com

Definition: (noun) - A remarque is a small, personalised drawing or symbol that an artist adds (near his or her signature) on a print. The presence of a remarque increases the print's value.

Initially, remarques were remarks made, in pencil, that identified the various stages a printing plate went through while being finalized. Whistler pioneered making remarques desirable to collectors, particularly in the case of his "butterfly" mark.

Nowadays, a remarque is primarily a "value-added" option for print collectors - meaning: You can have an artist's remarque added to your printed edition.

Pronunciation: ree·mark

Also known as artist's mark

I travel extensively to draw inspiration for my paintings and writing from life experience.
You will discover my Australian rural-lit novels at www.rural-lit.com

DNA tests are not as accurate as many think. They do not tell you of recent (last 80,000 years) ancestry lines. For example, there were 600 Australias Aboriginal nations, most dating back 65.000 years, but a DNA test would not give any Aboriginal origin, it would most likely give an Asian, African, or Northern Hemisphere origin.

Current DNA testing at the commercially available level is extremely general, and not accurate. It will often give three different results on three separate testings of the same person, or for identical triplets.

It is not capable of tracing the race evolvement of the past 65,000 years in Australia the oldest continent earth. I discovered this because I had wanted to do a DNA test to check my background. I now know it would be worthless information, aside from a vague guide to the extreme ancient history that predates settlement in most lands.

While the tests might discount some lineages, for example, if I had no Asian DNA then I probably would not be part Australian Aboriginal, the results in these commercial tests are only of benefit to those earning money doing them. Paternity DNA testing is a bit different and is more accurate for recent family connections. Here is a link to a report suggesting that these common DNA tests are, in their opinion, meaningless. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/9912822/DNA-ancestry-tests-branded-meaningless.html

Believe in them or not, I only put this here to show that your family can probably tell you your more recent ancestry better than the DNA testers can. More accurate testing is perhaps available but isn't what these commercial venues offer.

I travel extensively to draw inspiration for my paintings and writing from life experience.
You will discover my Australian rural-lit novels at www.rural-lit.com

Shepparton Victoria and surrounding districts feature M0ooving Art; Fiber Glass Cows decorated by local and internationally renowned artists to celebrate the SheppARTton region's famous dairy heritage.

This is titled, "World Peace Cow," and it is by Artist Sharon Davson and 48 Hours Towards World Peace Volunteers.

This is located in the park beside the Goulburn River in the main street, Stevenson St, Murchison a others in Monash Park Shepparton.
There were 3 MOOOving Art Cows, created for World Peace.

The artist has added a message: Thank you very much for publishing one of my 'cows.' It was a wonderful project, and the cows 'grazing' around Shepparton are a great attraction. I also totally support your encouragement of other artists to learn and develop their art. All the very best,
Sharon Davson

It is a beautiful work, Sharon.

I travel extensively to draw inspiration for my paintings and writing from life experience.
You will discover my Australian rural-lit novels at www.rural-lit.com

“Paint a rainbow inside of you, paint a rainbow, let your smile shine through.
When it's cold and gray, push the clouds away, paint a rainbow in your heart.”

This rainbow was captured to share with you outside the rural retreat studio door.

I travel extensively to draw inspiration for my paintings and writing from life experience.
You will discover my Australian rural-lit novels at www.rural-lit.com

One of the things I love about bush camping is the campfire we sit around and often cook our dinner on.

After dinner we enjoy the atmosphere, surrounding the fire, to talk and sit gazing at the stars, especially enjoying the first hour or so of darkness when the flying objects, in the sky, the satellites and if we are lucky the shooting stars, are most visible.

Painting of dusk, by firelight, adds a unique effect and many times I have worked for an hour every evening for up to a couple of weeks, capturing this particular effect in an artwork.

Often I have sat gazing into the fire, trying to capture, the image of those dancing flames, the light, and the colour, in my brain, trying to work out how to paint, a near impossible, to paint moving subject.

I travel extensively to draw inspiration for my paintings and writing from life experience.
You will discover my Australian rural-lit novels at www.rural-lit.com

Our car is back from its 45thousand mini service, and I can begin to make plans for the Queensland leg of our tour, I spent today wandering around Ballina, filling in time while the work was being done.

We crossed the Richmond River in the ferry at $4. A one-way crossing, this saved a long round trip, and it was an interesting crossing. The river is tidal, the boat ramps were mostly pontoons, and these were bobbing up and down in the waves making a noise.

I found a small shopping complex in West Ballina; there were cheap butcher shop chickens for $5. Each a better price that the $25. each I paid further south and the avocados here are 10 for $7, I had been paying up the $4. each for these. Great to finally, be able to shop at good prices again.

Reg and I wandered into what we thought was a nursery and discovered it was more like the tip shop; garden recycle store only there were no salespeople and no prices on anything??? Just plants in all conditions, from huge clumps to small pots, and oddments of garden ornaments and signs that they had recently been watered by someone. Certainly different, I have not seen a garden recycling place like this before. The sign said to come in, wander around, look and sit and relax, though there was nowhere to sit, maybe the seats had found new homes.

We had a dream drive from Hervey Bay to Marlborough, Queensland, Australia today.

Here I am adding to the graffiti mural at the invitation of the Marlborough Hotel tonight. I'm adding my name to the internal walls of this country pub which has become my office for the evening.

Travellers can camp overnight in the hotel carpark for a modest cost.

I travel extensively to draw inspiration for my paintings and writing from life experience.
You will discover my Australian rural-lit novels at www.rural-lit.com

There is a bit of a funny story to Reg and I purchasing a George Forman grill and roaster oven a few years ago, for our caravan kitchen.

We told both our daughters that we were going shopping with the intention of buying one or the other.

We were advised by one daughter, that we could just use nonstick foil and cook on our existing frypan and save out money. OK, well-meant advice, but we wanted to buy one or the other, not seek a low-cost alternative.

Our second daughter, equally caring in her nature, advised us to go to the Warehouse and purchase a no-name product to do a similar job as the more familiar grill. At that stage, the oven was a new concept, and there were no low-cost versions we liked.

Somehow, Reg and I felt a little rebellious at being in our 60's and often being advised by thirty somethings as to how to manage our money so after a quick check of the one daughter spoke of and the warehouse the other mentioned we headed to the department store and joined the SKI Club. We became official members of the Spending the Kids Inheritance Club and in buying both, went over our budget, and we have never regretted either purchase nor the fun we had, laughing at our 'rebellion at being told how to spend our money, by our own 'kids.'

Tonight’s chicken dinner was a free range, organic, local chicken, and it was divine, cooked without any salt or seasoning, just onions and potatoes cooked in the pot with it and all the fat drains out into the dish beneath the roaster, making it low-fat cooking. Delicious!

PS. We LOVE our children and understand they meant only to have given us good advice.

We had a dream drive from Hervey Bay to Marlborough, Queensland, Australia today.

Here I am adding to the graffiti mural at the invitation of the Marlborough Hotel tonight. I'm adding my name to the internal walls of this country pub which has become my office for the evening.

Travellers can camp overnight in the hotel carpark for a modest cost.

I travel extensively to draw inspiration for my paintings and writing from life experience.
You will discover my Australian rural-lit novels at www.rural-lit.com