Hello!
The silly season is upon us and that means art markets galore! We welcomed Zara to our family in June and so I've had some time out to concentrate on family. My November eNews outlines the markets I'm doing in the lead up to Christmas and my big Society6 shop sale. Hope you have a safe and happy Summer.
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I'm excited to announce my first ever giveaway! I am giving away one of my 'Mermaid's Coin' limited edition collagraph prints. I have only made 10 of these and that is all there will ever be. They are all hand-painted and unique. I even named my art business Mermaid's Coin after I read that it was one of the names given to sand dollars found on the beach. The ProcessMaking the print is a multi-stage process. I come up with my design for a print and when I'm happy with it, I transfer it onto my printing plate. Then the plate gets sealed and then etched. Then comes the printing. I ink up the plate and put it through the press with my artist quality paper. When it is dry, I set to work bringing it to life with watercolours. The PrintThis print depicts a sand dollar and is printed in black ink then tinted with watercolours in turquoise, aqua and periwinkle. It measure approximately 10cm x 10cm and is signed and numbered by me, the artist.
It is protected by a cut mat board, all ready to be framed. It is valued at $90. (There's only a couple left in my etsy store) How to Win Instagram: 1. Follow @mermaidscoin. 2. Repost one of the two competition images (above) tagging it with #mermaidscoin Facebook: 1.Like www.facebook.com/mermaidscoin. 2. Share the competition image. For an extra chance to win, sign up for my eNews. Newsletters get sent out once every couple of months. A winner will be randomly selected on 10 November 2014 and contacted via facebook or instagram. I'll post the print that week! Good luck!
This is what greeted us. I took the 5'6 mini simmons and wondered if I'd even catch anything. As it was, we all had some fun rides and the reforms went all the way in to the beach. Managed to do some halfway decent duckdives - haven't done any in months and months as I'm always on the longboard.
So everything changed and this huge rip developed which is was paddling around in for half an hour trying to get in. But I went and had a cup of tea with some guys on the reef and they pointed me in the right direction to get in.
We had our customary BBQ bacon fry-up when we got back to Casa del Escher. We had a fun afternoon surf, did the trip to the shops and I squeezed in some geeky sewing before we walked to the pub. We look like a bunch of bogans (below) but I promise we're not. (They were next door at the house with the "peck deck" out front.
The weather came in on Sunday morning, although Lancelin missed the brunt of it. It wasn't worth the 80km round trip to wedge. We were super lazy and hung out and tried to stay warm. The deck/lounge leaks. We braided each others' hair, had a spa, wandered around in our jocks, but there was no pillow fighting.
I had a very lovely break in Bali at the end of July/ beginning of August. Surfed every day. Ate loads. Here's a taster - there's more on my instagram or facebook feeds.
This week I will have a stall at the Night Markets as part of the Ignite the Park Festival.
Thursday 28 August 2014
4pm to 9pm
818 Albany Highway in East Victoria Park.
Saw Mona in the airport who I hadn't seen for 14 years. I thought checking our bags in first would be a good idea, then we'd go grab a coffee. Turned out with their security that we weren't allowed to go back out again and Mona wasn't able to come in! So we chatted for about 45 minutes in the little section next to the X-ray machines. Great to hear about her life, different resorts she's worked at, crazy tourists and all of her cats!
All photos are copyright Hannah Katarski except those reproduced with the permission of Mikala Wilbow Photography.
I had a sleep in til 8 o'clock this morning! We went onto the island last night and watched some locals drumming. Then we were waiting for ever for a dinghy because our crew had all gone to bed. So, nice to have a little lie in. Some of the other girls went out at Cokes this morning, but we watched.
Poor Tamara got hit by a set out there and cut her leg on her fin. Needed three stitches from Gobi: Steward/Chef/Medic. :( Luckily it is the last day, and she will only miss one surf or so. She's disappointed though, but will just take it steady this afternoon. Surf Session # ?? Great day today! Surfed for four and a half hours or so. Before Lunch and after lunch we surfed til about 5. I had a great noseride in my first session! Technology.... GoPro started playing up because the disk was full. Then the battery went flat. So I'm not sure if that wound up on the video or not. Nice and small, some nice waves again. Had countless waves. Caught some set waves and shared three party waves with Mikala which were so fun. Got one of them on vid. Got a hang five on the second ride too, but battery was flat again by then. Great fun getting around the section, except when you don't get around it and then take three waves on the fase :P Happy Friday!!
It's our last afternoon. It has been fabulous! Hopefully surf early in the morn, before chucking the boards in the bags and then getting our boat to the airport. Waiting around for some dinner and then we'll chill out tonight. Catching a fast boat back to the airport around midday tomorrow. A few dramas trying to sort out our transfer as most of the girls don't fly out til 8pm. We've surfed so much! We were saying we'd need a break... for at least a week or so. i won't miss the sea lice though. Been so itchy. Just like stingers, I come up in welts.
All photos are copyright Hannah Katarski except those reproduced with the permission of Mikala Wilbow Photography.
Session #9 After lunch we had another surf at Ninjas. Saw a ninja turtle in the line up. I have so many itchy-bunkers, but it's been worth the stings. So many good waves again today. Can't wait to check the GoPro when I get home. Plus Mikala was in the water today, so some great shots to show for it.
All photos are copyright Hannah Katarski except those reproduced with the permission of Mikala Wilbow Photography.
Where am I: North Male Atolls Who am I with: Anna, who has joined the boat from another one, a pod of spinner dolphins and a fruit bat.
They really pound you here. Suck you back when you dive under. Got a bit emotional, but I'm totally fine. Some days you eat the bear and some days the bear eats you. Glad we're moving onto ninjas, which is meant to be much gentler. The size of the waves has been fine, but the sets are just massive. Might just play it really safe and sit out on the elbow at the next place. We were talking about how we were sitting out on the little finger yesterday. So I joined Leeann and Anna out there before heading in.
Magic Moments: Three boats full of girls all wound up here, so we had about 16 girls in the lineup. One whole boat was from Dunsborough. It was great seeing other people get stoked on this wave.
Spot: Ninjas
Conditions: Smallish and glassy.
I surfed my: longboard
This was such a great surf. Small enough that there wasn't the fear factor but the sets still felt decent. Only about two bigger waves in a set, which was more manageable. Best wave: one of my first waves was so long! Nice and wall-y. I tried to tuck and get past this section. I wound up in line with where the Haira was anchored in the channel! So then I ended up standing around the side of the island, on the reef 'having a cuppa' for a few waves, before a lull to head back out. Took the GoPro out today. Caught loads of waves!! Tamara and I were in our element on the longboards. Leeann had some fun ones and felt much more in her comfort zone here. Much more fun when you're trying to catch the set waves instead of the ones in between! Magic Moments: 2 turtles, 2 pods of dolphins and turquoise fish. Surf Session #8 Spot: Ninjas Conditions: afternoon. Higher tide than the lunch surf. Fatter. I surfed my: longboard We had dolphins out with us for this one! It was crowded initially with quite a few learners out with two guides. I've been trying to flick off the back of the waves before they start to close out but haven't been having much luck. One of the guides saw me and told me I needed to be right on the tail to get this done. We shared a great moment of stoke when I managed to nail this on my next wave. There was fist pumping.
Day 4
All photos are copyright Hannah Katarski except those reproduced with the permission of Mikala Wilbow Photography.
Day 3 Where I am: In the ocean. Who I met: Brian, our guide kinda reminds me of a cross between Grey and Uncle Bill. Steph has been sick for a few days so has spent a lot of time sleeping. Hayley is like my sister from another mother. Yesterday she said 'Buh bow!' and then in the line up she said 'uh oh spaghetti-o'. I wonder if her mother is a teacher too... What we did:
What we ate: Nicest paw paw I've ever had. Crepes with coconut and tuna filling. Food has been great! Crepes in the morning, toast, fruit etc. Eggs - scrambled, fried, omelettes...something different each morning. Curries for lunch, or garlic spaghetti. Fish and chips last night with coleslaw. It's all been nice and not too oily or heavy.
Ok. Time to watch the world go by for a bit.
All photos are copyright Hannah Katarski except those reproduced with the permission of Mikala Wilbow Photography.
Day 1 began about 2am and became a blur of planes and terminals. We met Leeann in the airport about 5am, told her I was pregnant, and we got on a plane. We had an eight hour stopover in Singapore airport where we walked and walked, considered the two hours and the four hours' sleep Leeann and I had had respectively, and pondered the LSD-inspired carpets. There was a surprising amount of pork. Neither of us being big into shopping, we attempted this lackadaisically. We discovered the city tour, but too late to book in, eventually found the other terminal (with different carpets!) an hour before boarding and were generally overwhelmed by the orchids, butterflies and koi.
Leeann and I watched the sun go down from the top deck of the boat this arvo. West trade winds blow continuously this time of year so all our breaks will be on the east side of the atolls. Permanent offshore! Had some ballsy bloody waves this morning. Dad would have been proud. A couple of clean up sets were quite alarming :P Just out of nowhere.
It will take me a while to get used to all the fish that keep leaping out of the water. Everyone is really nice on the boat. And as I said the food has been fantastic. We watched the sunset from the roof/star deck.
A little bit of swell around lately and everyone has been getting their share of waves.
This pink cruiser looked so picturesque overlooking the break. Loads of grommets and gromettes out. One guy, about 35, 6'ish, was catching loads on his green mini mal. Instead of sitting right out the back waiting for the one set wave every 30 minutes, he sat on the inside and caught about a dozen waves while I watched. Then he hopped out, climbed the stairs, unlocked the pink cruiser and peddled off up the main strip in his wetsuit. :)
My little man is seven weeks old and I enjoyed a fantastic surf today, thanks to his grandma minding him.
Slowly getting my surfing fitness back. All that baby holding is great for muscles, but not so useful for that burst paddling. My first time back in the water was when Rowan was three weeks old. I didn't catch anything, wrong board on top of everything else, but it is now great to know that I haven't forgotten everything. The turns and balance are still right there. Pop ups just happen and the fitness will come. I'd love to be doing yoga again, but turns out you don't have oodles of spare time with a newborn. Need to find a mums and bubs yoga. I could try do some at home but it just doesn't end up being a priority in the five minutes you have to yourself to race around and try to do 20 things.
Winter wonderland - Leighton
So since four weeks ago i have actually caught some waves. I've been out at Cove a few times, Isos and close out Scarborough.
Today we actually had enough swell for decent waves all along Cott. Even saw a rogue one break at the artificial reef on the way there. At Isos, there were a few peaks to spread out the crowd.
My first wave had some nice wall to it - enough to fit in some roller-coasting - and i rode it all the way to shore! Number 2 was a sneaky set wave that broke south of the usual peak. I was so stoked as i normally misjudge the wave and paddle too far out, then miss it. Or get cleaned up. I was the only one even close and i figured i had to go for it even though it looked a little late. I caught it and it was epic! Decent drop, a big bottom turn - hand in the wall, streaking along the face, cut back, another bt, and a fantastic dismount when the wave closed out onto the approaching backwash haha. Best wave I've ad in Perth for a year at least. I love random lefts at Isos!
Third wave was another sneaky left. Not as big, but bloody fun. Oh waves with walls: It's all a girl wants.
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WELCOME TO MERMAiD'S COiNSurf Artist, Hannah Katarski is based in Fremantle, Western Australia. She creates ocean-inspired art that is bohemian, retro and fun. Categories
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