A Very Large Thank You to Australia

thank yous 2

These are some of the “thank yous” I receive from students in Australia. They always come as a surprise at the end of a workshop because the students are so clever at keeping them hidden until a formal presentation on the last day. This does not happen to me here in this country but over the last nineteen years I have quite a collection of them from down under. I can’t read them at the time they are given. It’s the “good-bye” parts that I don’t do well with. But isn’t this a lovely thing to do?

 

thank yous 3

It was a wonderful trip and so much was done in the twenty-eight days. Beginning down in Tasmania and then traveling to Melbourne. From here friends took me to Baldessin Press to work on my own and teach a workshop. Along the way we always find microbreweries and this time added a gin distillery. All before lunch!

four pillars

four pillars gin tasting

four pillars vase

home at baldessin

Leaving Baldessin Press is not easy. I managed to get a terrific lesson in photo polymer plate printing and made several dry point etching prints. I taught a two day workshop in book bindings for the addition of prints and received cooking tips from Silvi. Here is what I made for my Art Group meeting last evening using her way of cooking “pies.”

Silvi's pies

She uses filo dough (I substituted puff pastry sheets), then mixes an egg with ricotta cheese, spreads it over the dough, adds whatever vegetables are handy and bakes for about 45-60 minutes on medium high temperature. It was delicious and so simple. I especially liked the beet, mushroom, spinach and onion one. A sprinkling of Parmesan on the top before baking also added some saltiness. Very good with a deep red wine.

flat white

I will miss the best coffee ever anywhere. In the airport in Los Angeles Friday I heard a man tell another that even in Italy the coffee can’t measure up to what you get anywhere in Melbourne. I think he is correct on that. Flat whites are what I ordered every time. Here are some other things I will miss about Australia.

Eucalyptus Pink

wallabys watching

emu curious

Halls Gap big eucalypt

It was a wonderful trip and I miss it already. Now I am planning on doing it all over again next year.