Friday, May 30, 2014

Monster Mayhem and Madness...

It's what happens when a drop bear hits you out of the blue when you are walking through Noosa National Park... not those cuddly koalas, they are cool bananas, 'drop bears'... at a distance they seem just like your sweet little drugged up regular furball tripping on eucalypt leaves (aka - 'common koala') but don't be fooled, these are savage, & drop from the branches above as you walk in the coastal rainforests of Oz... and go straight for the jugular!!

Now everyman & his dog knows Australia is chocka with real live monsters, created by Mother Nature (bless her little green heart) some sort of cosmic joke she could play on unsuspecting tourists as they trekked through our great land, standing in awe saying things like..."hey it's freakin' hot & look how awesome that surf looks, let's go for a dip" alas... great white pointer sharks & deadly box jellyfish in wait that's IF the blue ringed octopus doesn't get you beforehand wading through the ocean rockpools to get there...

or... 

Monsters from the prehistoric era... yep... still lurk in Oz.
Agree, it can be dangerous on the coast... so lets head inland, mmm... 'a nice picnic by the creek would be fun'... apparently the last uttered words before an 18 foot monster (crocodile) silently glided over the terrain, grabbed the unsuspecting tourist in it's jaws and death rolled it's dinner into the muddy waters.

Of course no fair dinkum Aussie hasn't a tale to tell about our 'garden variety' monsters, from redbacks on the toilet seats to freaking funnel-web spiders in our shoes (we always bash our shoes against a wall before we put them on our feet) those buggers waiting full of deadly poison, like a vampire does for human blood, their deadly fangs exposed. As kid's we'd find them on the bottom of the backyard pool an air-bubble trapped between their legs that'd keep them alive until they could 'latch' onto a swimmer, also found also under rocks in the garden, on curtains in the bathroom... forget Norman Bates, these monsters are just as deadly, thank goodness the ticks in the garden don't kill (actually that is not true :( children & pets if treatment is not sought asap)

Wow, I haven't got to the kangaroos that disembowel those that get too close, dingos that really do take babies, the bull sharks that are breeding at a faster rate than imagined especially in the exclusive Gold Coast estate canals, Gropers (not Rolf Harris, the fish variety), Cone Shells (never EVER pick up that beautiful shell unless you know it's inhabitant is dead), reef stonefish (ugly killer, looks like a rock)... until the shooting pain of poison entering the nervous system hits when you step on it, common death adders, black snakes, brown snakes (soz we kill those monsters, but pythons are fine & we are cool with had a couple in the house), taipans, tiger sharks and even Aussie honey bees... but only if you are allergic to them.

So Oz MONSTERS, so many fictional ('drop bears' & didn't get to the Yowie or bunyips which has no real documented evidence to prove yay or nay either way) but the rest of these monsters here (and even more - Tasmanian devil & Flying Foxes) all those monsters... 
R E A L!

OK well I have gone on a bit, but I want to share a piece of my artwork, I saw what I felt was an inspired artist (well that list is longer than Aussie monsters) but this was done after viewing her work and seeing a tutorial on Community Thrive, the babes name is Mitsi B and I loved the way she does one eye open & one shut... and I think that is how we get to live with monsters, one always watching & one always trying to block out the dangers...

Anyway, this is 'Madonna & the Flowers' I painted on some pine wood my Big F got from Bunnings.
You see their are real monsters all around, problem is recognising them, and protecting those you love & keeping them safe.

OK, I am adding more to this post, but gotta go to bed, I'll be back & announce the winners of artwork from my last post (a million years ago), but too tired to go to Mr Randomiser now.... and to all who drop by, thank you, missed you, & look forward to visiting everyone on the weekend... YAY WEEKEND!!!! Thanks to the awesomest hosts Little Gothic Horror, Annie Walls and Something wicKED this Way Comes
who have given me LOT'S of monstrous fun creating a post & talented dudes to visit (when I wake up) this weekend ;)

20 comments:

Little Gothic Horrors said...

"Gropers (not Rolf Harris, the fish variety)"

Oh my god!! Laughed so hard, I nearly fell off my chair!!

I love this latest painting! The colours are so gorgeously jewel-toned and the symbolism of the one eye shut, one eye open is brilliant. I think most mothers will relate to the ever-vigilant one eye open, protecting our kids from danger, but also the one eye closed state of denial so we don't go insane from being in a constant state of fear.

Magaly Guerrero said...

I love that the babe and his mom look so much alike. And that monster needs to watch itself, that baby is packing some teeth!

I can't stop seeing cute koalas jumping from branches... and spiders waiting to latch onto swimmers, lol!

Sweet Dreams!

Ms Misantropia said...

Hah, that's a fantastic painting! Sweet colors, morbid scene.

Laughing Vixen Lounge said...

Oh my stars!!! This had me laughing and also now a little afraid of Australia ;)

Thanks to this, and that scene from Arachnophobia, I will be bashing the hell out of my shoes from now on!!!

I must know more about the Bunnyips! Have never heard of this but the name makes me giggle. Much like the "Batsquatch" they were talking about on some show last night. HA!

Thanks for the great fun ;)

Annie said...

Oh very nice painting! =D

Melancholy and Menace said...

I love your latest painting :)

JFM said...

Your painting is fantastic...as always, dear Shelle and I have read so many books and seen many documentaries on Australia's beauties and beasties! But I have to admit that I enjoyed your version the most :))

Great Big Hugs,
Jan
xoxoxo

Jane K said...

Wonderful painting, but you've now given me more than several reasons never to ever visit Australia. I'll just stick to reading your posts online. :)

Jo Murray said...

We live in a scary place alright! I feel for that child.

Unknown said...

I love the pic, too. And DEAR LORD, I'm never visiting Australia EVER!! :O

Fiona (anubis 1 ) said...

Oooh Fabulous art piece. Love this.

wicKED said...

Like the painting. Creepy and blue are two of my favorite things ;)

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

you just had to make my skin crawl, didn't you? I can't imagine all those monsters in close proximity to you and your lovely family....but then I guess I hadn't really thought about it.
Gawds do I love this piece. I went and looked at Mitsi B's work and it is just as you said....very kewl.
I'm loving this post. But I must admit, I'll be checking for spiders more often now. xoxo Oma Linda

Alison said...

That painting is twisted. I love it! Don't let the creepy crawlies get you down under.

Ali

Gothic Flamingo said...

Loved this post Shelle, you had me laughing all the way through it! And your latest painting is fabulous - the colours and the symbolism, LOVE.

BobSmash said...

I KNEW IT! I KNEW Australia wants us dead. Your wildlife is murderous. :D

Magic Love Crow said...

Shelle, you know, I hoped someday to come to Oz to visit you, but now, I don't know if I want to come? LOL! You freaked me out girl!!
Is this "the" painting???
Those people are idiots! It's totally amazing and so powerful! The colours are fantastic!
Big Hugs ;o)

MangaMem said...

Haha! The monsters totally reminded me that I told a New Zealander (who has been in Australia for a few years) that there were Drop Bears in the trees by UQ Lakes! He thought they were real for weeks!

Guillaume said...

Very creepy.

Gina said...

OMG Shelle!!!! and I always said Oz was the only place on earth I would consider emigrating too lol.
I love Mitsi's style...and your version is most awesome :D XXX