Discussion Thread 🎨 Monday 25 August 2025

Comments

• RustyRaven@aussie.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  A bit windy out there. Wind + van on the Western Fwy gives an extra challenge to the drive. Seeing all the lights in the city is rather pretty, as is the view off the West Gate Bridge. The flashing lights of the emergency vehicles attending an accident were also rather pretty, although I suspect the drivers of the cars involved didn’t really appreciate the effect (looked pretty minor, lots of dents and inconvenience rather than trapped inside mangled wreckage type accident).

  Driving down the Fwy at night is always fun, especially in patches where there are no cars in front of you. Something about the lack of reference points starts to give me the feeling that I’m sitting still and everything outside is moving, or like it’s a video game.

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• Gibsonhasafluffybutt@aussie.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

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  Her majesty’s nest has been restored.

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  • Seagoon_@aussie.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    cats be crazy 🥰

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• melbaboutown@aussie.zone ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Oookay. I found a plastic palette knife that actually was the right shape and had some matte medium to thin some white acrylic, so decided to give the Bob Ross method a try.

  It wasn’t bad… I made a passable painting (which does NOT reflect on my skills) but believe me when I say you do need to use the materials he says to.

  The wet base wasn’t as much of a problem as expected. I used heaps of medium with a little titanium white and applied it excessively as a base because I knew of the tendency of boards to absorb moisture and acrylic to dry very fast. Thankfully it was enough.

  Blending was hard. Very streaky, brushstrokes galore, I had to blend very gently to minimise them. Especially with synthetic brushes. Many hairs and pieces of dirt to pick off with the corner of the brush.

  The clouds ended up blobby and smeary cotton balls because the paint was too thin and wet.

  Again, the paint was too thin and wet to ‘break’ on the highlights and give the desired texture. As you can see I gave up halfway.

  I couldn’t get nicely detailed trees or give the highlights on the trees enough definition because it was hard to get the brush dry enough to give thin clumps of bristles with concentrated pigment. I gave up.

  There is a reason Bob Ross beats his paintbrushes so viciously. It’s because of the moisture that is so hard to completely get out and will badly mess with your painting.

  Wayward drips removed paint from the sky. And as I tried to paint the ground and then to highlight the ground, instead of applying paint the brush removed the paint beneath it. I blobbed brown on to get the dirt down but had to do the same for the highlights because the alternative was the brush taking off everything beneath it.

  I almost didn’t want to post this because of embarrassment but wanted to show what happens when you use inappropriate materials.

  I didn’t finish this so much as give up in disgust. I hate the clouds the most. Trust me if I had had thick dry pigment they would have looked very different.

  Also MELBCAT STEPPED ON THE PAINT PALETTE

  spoiler

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  • bacon@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago

    painting pretty

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  • Seagoon_@aussie.zone ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    that’s awesome 🌞

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  • Gibsonhasafluffybutt@aussie.zone ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    I thibk that’s beautiful tbh :)

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    • melbaboutown@aussie.zone ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      Thanks dude

      It really could have used some more texture on the middle of the mountain and/or trees there but that paint really wasn’t cooperating

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  • Force_majeure123@aussie.zone ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    I like it! I like all the different colours in the trees

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• Gibsonhasafluffybutt@aussie.zone ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  2nd interview here we go 🤞

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  • tombruzzo@aussie.zone ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    You still turned up even if it’s online so that looks good for you

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    • Gibsonhasafluffybutt@aussie.zone ⁨7⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      For sure. He emailed back and apologied and the message from the recruiter was a very strong “yes they definitely want to speak to you”.

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  • Seagoon_@aussie.zone ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    🤞

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• Seagoon_@aussie.zone ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Beach. 😊

  Today I found a little mushroom coral. There were lots of happy people at the beach, having picnics or playing games or just chillin and the weather was lovely 🌞

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  • Force_majeure123@aussie.zone ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    Prettyyyy

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    • Seagoon_@aussie.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      I love how the second picture looks like it’s two different unconnected places

      I suppose they are three different worlds and the surface is where they meet; undersea, earth/rocks and air

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• anotherspringchicken@aussie.zone ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

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  View from the kitchen window. Am starting to feel like Tippi Hedren…

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  • Seagoon_@aussie.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    is there a telephone booth nearby?

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• Nath@aussie.zone ⁨9⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Woolies would like to remind you that Christmas is only 4 months away and it’s time to start thinking about spending season.

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  • MeanElevator@aussie.zone ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    I think they’re just trying to dump stock early. At least I hope so.

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• Seagoon_@aussie.zone ⁨4⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Also painting here, just finished the first coat of the chair of the vintage bedroom suite. It was fiddly.

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  • melbaboutown@aussie.zone ⁨4⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    Well done you. I used to repair and paint salvaged furniture (before all this) and the painting is very fiddly

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• melbaboutown@aussie.zone ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  I’m wondering if I should just go for it and get some cheap oil paints and linseed oil. But that takes cleanup from dish soap and water to the risk of spontaneously combusting rags and Melbcat licking something genuinely toxic off her fur.

  (She’s currently traumatized/sulking because I bullied and mauled her forced her to unwillingly stand up and give me her feet to clean of paint. I don’t think I got it off.)

  I cannot stress how much more complex safety and cleanup would get with oils. Also like, money. Melbcat has just gone onto a much more expensive food and is eating very well on it so I don’t want to be spending on proper gear or an easel.

  Also there is a particular texture to the paint, it has to be thick and dry enough to stand up 2-3 inches by itself when squeezed from the tube. You’re either trying to get a specific quality brand in Australia or really taking your chances. Both sound expensive.

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• melbaboutown@aussie.zone ⁨9⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Life is really tough. I’m trying to take it day by day, rest a lot, and think about other things.

  Art rambles

  I’m trying to break this art block by drawing small things. Little exercises/doodles. I’m doing so little and stressing so much. I don’t know how this was so easy and automatic when younger. The Bob Ross painting method looks fun and easy, much less rigorous than drawing. But when you look into it the actual materials and tools aren’t very accessible. The palette knife is a particular style and proprietary. It can be bought in Australia but is like $30. The magic white is proprietary but can be duplicated by diluting titanium white in linseed oil. However I don’t want to work with linseed oil due to the risk of spontaneous combustion of the rags, and don’t want to use turps in the house around Melbcat. I don’t know how I’d go about getting paint that is thick and dry enough without hunting down a particular substitute which could be expensive. I considered water based oil paints but they are softer/spongier and don’t cure well, are much more expensive than traditional oil paints, and I don’t know what medium is appropriate to thin them. Wet on wet with acrylic has been tried by others but it’s not suited to the purpose and involves a lot of additives like thinning mediums and drying retardants that would add to the cost. That’s all without getting appropriate canvases. It needs to be stretched rather than a board (which would suck up all the moisture) and not treated with gesso (same result). It’s fine, I’d probably just be too lazy anyway ___

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  • Seagoon_@aussie.zone ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    use daiso paints, really cheap, very good, and it’s not a problem if you waste it, the daiso paper is also very good

    many op shops have unused art supplies too

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    • melbaboutown@aussie.zone ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      The problem is doing wet on wet (the easy painting)

      Doesn’t really work without some very specific materials

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• Gibsonhasafluffybutt@aussie.zone ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Turns out I have income protection insurance through super. That should help a lot.

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  • Force_majeure123@aussie.zone ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    That’s only if you’re off due to injury or illness, doesn’t protect you from unrelated job loss

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    • Nath@aussie.zone ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      You can buy insurance from being made redundant, but it’s bloody expensive.

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    • melbaboutown@aussie.zone ⁨9⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      With this could you take sick leave for mental health or undisclosed reasons to get the insurance and spend that time job searching? Just wondering how it works

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    • Gibsonhasafluffybutt@aussie.zone ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      Yeah just looked into it more :(

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• MeanElevator@aussie.zone ⁨14⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Solid weekend, bit of grief still hanging around but overall spirits were positive.

  Hope everyone is in a good mood today.

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  • CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone ⁨14⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    YL goes for her drivers licence tomorrow and we are 99% sure she’s got it this time. It’s exciting times.

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    • MeanElevator@aussie.zone ⁨14⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      Good stuff!!! P plates? My daughter got her L’s last year and has been very slack in driving. Very slack.

      Best of luck to YL…

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  • Seagoon_@aussie.zone ⁨13⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    so many hugs

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    • MeanElevator@aussie.zone ⁨12⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      ❤️‍

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  • LowExperience2368@aussie.zone ⁨14⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    Hope you feel better soon 🫶🫶

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    • MeanElevator@aussie.zone ⁨14⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      Thanks we’re over the shock of it, and just processing slowly now. Little things serve as reminders and our routine is a bit off, but better overall.

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• SpinMeAround@aussie.zone ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Mental struggle street today. Not sure what’s going on, but fighting the urge to just run away. Found myself browsing flight prices. You can’t run away from yourself though.

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  • melbaboutown@aussie.zone ⁨9⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    That’s a mood. But where would I go (and wherever you go there’s the same issues)

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    • Seagoon_@aussie.zone ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      actualleee, going somewhere else is called geographic solution by psychs and it can be quite effective

      we won’t encounter as many triggers, anyone who was abusive won’t be there , the relief from these stressors gives us breathing space, a rest, and that can give us the energy to understand people and events around us

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• tombruzzo@aussie.zone ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  I intended on having a quiet weekend but instead had to go up and down slides at a play centre then shepherd the kids around the city. I don’t feel as sick but I feel like I’ve had a massive gym session now

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• LowExperience2368@aussie.zone ⁨17⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Yeah there is no way I am going anywhere today. Still sick and waking up every hour of the night. I shall try to stay awake now so I don’t fuck up my sleep schedule but it’s been shit.

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• RustyRaven@aussie.zone ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Toasted lamb & vegie roll for lunch was delicious. The kiwifruit & chili chutney is really good on that sort of thing, adds just a bit of kick with the chili and pulls all the flavours together really well.

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• LowExperience2368@aussie.zone ⁨13⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  A friend and I have been asking each other each week what we’re looking forward to this week, and I wanted to do it with more people! So, what are you bunch looking forward to this week?

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  • imoldgreeeg@aussie.zone ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    Busy work week but should get some good stuff done. Three week holiday/conference BIG TRIP overseas on the weekend…eeeek

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    • LowExperience2368@aussie.zone ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      Obviously don’t have to share but can I ask what line of work you’re in? I feel like conferences overseas typically happen in science and technology!

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  • Gibsonhasafluffybutt@aussie.zone ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    Band rehearsal, job applications (oddly lol), maybe a night out on the weekend on the cheap.

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  • Bottom_racer@aussie.zone ⁨13⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    Heading down the beach hopefully Thurs. for a day or two off.

    Getting a cheapo metal file to reshape and sharpen an axe and refurbishing the handle.

    Chopping wood lol.

    Also getting a new fast 'puter and building that but the axe is more exciting.

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  • MeanElevator@aussie.zone ⁨12⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    Watching the new Naked Gun this weekend (day and time undecided)

    Trying a new pizza dough recipe for Friday’s dinner

    Catching up with a former colleague for coffee this week

    Putting in 3-4 solid days on the mats in the gym

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  • tone212_@aussie.zone ⁨12⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    It’s basic but just having a regular week where I can move freely. Going back to social sports after a few weeks off. Last week was awful from my back injury and the constant pain.

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  • Seagoon_@aussie.zone ⁨13⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    getting my dairy and bread free diet sorted, I’m nearly there

    finishing painting some furniture

    doing some reading

    designing a vegie garden

    going on some more hikes 😊

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  • underwatermagpies@aussie.zone ⁨12⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    Pilates tonight

    New shoes that have just been delivered

    Crumpets for work lunch in the new toaster. This was previously a toaster-free workplace, so strange.

    Roast potatoes

    A free weekend.

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• Seagoon_@aussie.zone ⁨17⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Thank you for posting Melba 😊

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• CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Yarrabyte on a bender.

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• PeelerSheila@aussie.zone ⁨19⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Thankyou Melba for the post

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• bacon@aussie.zone ⁨19⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Beep Beep 🚚
  🍏🍎🍐🍊🍋🍈🫐🍓🍇🍉🍌🍒🍑🥭🍍🥥🥦🥑🫛🍆🍅🥝🥬🥒🌽🥕🥐🍠🫚🥔🧅🥯🍞🥖🥨🧀🧇🥞🧈🍳🥚🥓🥩🍗🍖🫓🍕🍟🍔🌭🥙🧆🌮🌯🥗🍲🍜🍝🥘🍛🍣🍱🥟🦪🍥🍘🍚🍙🐠🍤🪼🦀🐙 🍗🥮🍢🍡🍧🍰🧁🥧🍦🍨🎂🍮🍭🍬🍫🥜🌰🍪🍿🍯🥛☕️🍵🍺🍶🥤🧋🧃🥂🍷🥃🍸🍹🧉🔋

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  • Force_majeure123@aussie.zone ⁨18⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    Something extra noodly please

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    • bacon@aussie.zone ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      🍜🍜🍜

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