What’s one piece of travel advice you always follow?

I always take my travel painting kit. I used to always take enough books, my painting kit and Tea Bags. I still do but now the books are on Kindle on my phone. Since I have been creating hybrid images I also keep some stock images of paintings on my phone. The full moon above is useful if a full moon event is ruined by a cloudy sky. I can just digitally stick a moon into the sketch or photographs of the full moon event I am attending. Asian full moon events are so colourful and exciting, it can be a real disapointment if the principle character fails to show up, or rises behind a massive building development. It also gives me the freedom to put the moon in the best possible place for the location and occasion.

Last night I needed my full moon painting much closer to home. It was a full moon and the ‘Bobbers’ like to swim at high tide on a full moon.

Storm Austen and Storm Boelo had other ideas. Having completely reorganised the weekend they had left an unnamed love child in our bay. A nasty storm infant who thrashed about, causing mighty waves and whose breath created thick clouds that completely covered the moon. Worse than that South West Water had released sewerage into the sea nearby. Presumably hoping to blame the storm baby. The companies Share Holders must be very proud.

Storms, named or not do not stop dog walks. A night sight shot of our swimming bay captured every reason why it was not safe to swim last night.

A full moon placed in exactly the right place aesthetically makes me a happy woman.

For anyone interested in the painterly bit of this image. I swirled a circle of white Posca pen on black paper and pushed the paint around with my finger until the paint dried.

It took me a while to get to this picture . I wanted it to look as soft and believable as possible without ever wanting my moon to look as science intends it to. More cream cheese than moon dust.

Travel advice for nearer to home.