A double whammy...WOYWW (#176) and APR ~ Stargazing

I never thought for one minute I'd be able to spend any time drawing during this holiday, even though I did pack my journal and pens...but surprisingly a window of opportunity appeared this afternoon and therefore I seized it!

Hubby has gone off for a game of golf with our kind host so whilst the golfer's away...the artist can play!

Then the difficulty begins because I've seen so many wonderful sights over the last few weeks both here and in Australia whilst on holiday that have taken our breath away...amazing views, scenery, truly inspirational sights...so where do you start?

Then I remembered it was Wednesday....

Julia's WOYWW (What's on your work desk Wednesday) would be a great place to start. I normally enter each week to have fun snooping visiting other desks around the world and I did have a beautiful desk a few days ago which I thought you all might like to see...

So although I'm incredibly late I'll pop over to enter. Why don't you take a peek too?

(I have to apologise to all my visitors because I've not visited anyone since starting this holiday. 

I know that's just rude...but I do always reply to my visitors but I'll make up for it once I get home. Promise!

To make up for it...I've decided that I should have a 'giveaway' as a reward for your loyalty! Then I'll try and catch up with everyone...) 

I didn't produce any work sitting here...but then look who would want to work! 

I just enjoyed sitting there relaxing!

I'm being super sneaky maximising my time whilst I have some...so I'm entering into Jenn's Artist Playroom challenge at the same time. This week Jenn's topic is stargazing and other than staring up at the amazing night sky here in Whangamata on the Coromandel Peninsula I didn't really think I could enter.
But then we were discussing the differences between the Australian flag and the New Zealand flag... 'Eureka' the flags both have stars on them! LOL (how's that for thinking outside of the box Jenn?) 


It's funny that sometimes you look at something but don't really see it properly...but once you start to open your artist eye things change. Details become far more clearer.

The New Zealand flag is blue with the Union Jack (the flag of the United Kingdom) in the upper hoist-side quadrant. Four red five-pointed stars edged in white are centred in the outer half of the flag. The stars represent the Southern Cross constellation.
Notable points of difference between the two national flags: the New Zealand flag has nothing in the lower hoist-side quadrant (occupied by the Commonwealth Star in the Australian flag) and its Southern Cross comprises four five-pointed white-edged red stars (whereas all the stars in the Australian flag are white).

Now I do hope that no-one will be offended by my artists impression of their National Flag...I do know how sensitive these things can be...but forgive me this once!

I had to nip to the local shops to try and find a blue and red pen...the only ones I could find were Stabilo which have done the job but oh what I wouldn't have given for a larger nibs!

I couldn't resist adding the little kiwi onto the page...they're New Zealand's endangered, indigenous flightless bird...they are a little strange but so adorable. 

If you haven't heard or seen one before here are a few facts....

• The Kiwi cannot fly, and lives in burrows on the ground.
• Its diet is mainly worms, spiders, bugs, grubs and fruit.
• Kiwi's mate for life, some have been together for 30 years.
• A Kiwi's egg is large compared with the size of its body (An egg averages 20% of the females weight, compared to 2% for an Ostrich).
• The female is larger than the male. In some varieties the males are the ones that sit on the egg.
• It is the only known bird to have external nostrils at the end of its beak, and one of the few birds to have a good sence of smell. At night a Kiwi can often be heard making snuffling noises, which is caused by the bird trying to clear dirt out of its nostrils when it is searching for food.
  
  
  OH NO....the golfers return... 
  That's it folks until the next time. 
  Have a great week and I apologise Julia  for the long post...I know it's supposed to be short but I'm late so maybe no-one will be out there and notice?