Rara

Rara, that's my name! It was one of those moments of serendipity that delight me every now and again. I travelled to Drouin yesterday to catch up with an old friend. She's not old, mind you--only in her early twenties--but I've known her since she was five. It just happened to be the weekend of the Ficifolia Festival in Drouin. Apparently we'd missed out on the parade and fireworks the previous day. Doesn't matter, there were beautiful gum blossoms in the trees lining the main street and an open gallery tour. Cathy Scollo was sitting outside one of the galleries with copies of her new book when she overheard my exclamation. She looked up and caught my eye--I can be loud like that. I explained that the name Rara was given to me by another young-old friend. Alexandra calls herself Ra and decided some years ago that I needed a nickname of my own. I've been Rara to her family ever since. Cathy explained that my namesake, the little elephant's name means, "naughty girl" in Thai. "She's not always naughty, but she's always cheeky", she explained. On the strength of that introduction I had to buy the book. However the relationship blossomed quickly and by the time I left the gallery I also had one of Cathy's original watercolour drawings with me. It's a working drawing for the cover page and I just love the cheeky elephant's smile. The watercolour work is also brilliant. I've been dreaming and planning for the children's room at my house. This gives me a focal point and inspiration for the decor. And it seems a great way to celebrate the beginning of my next adventure by embracing the work of an emerging artist.