Hi, I'm beachbum Andrea, and I'm interested in creatures and plants both wild and tamed, and people of all sorts. I have only had a digital camera for about 5 years,and I love being able to get it into a back pocket, and not have to cart heavy kit about. I carry a Panasonic Lumix TZ1 if the dogs are with me, (as it has a lens cap and is safe in a pocket), binoculars and a hand lens almost everywhere. I also have a TZ3 which I use when unfettered by dogs. I am beginning to get the idea of how to use Photoshop for some basic procedures, thanks to some very kind folk on RR! 


I have a wildlife garden in Bournemouth, Dorset, in the UK, and spend a lot of time there and at the beach. I retired from teaching art to teenagers a while ago and now occasionally teach lots of different art and craft skills to adults at home in my studio. I'm now getting some good results with my digi compacts; it took me a while to make the switch from my old film camera, an 1960 ish Pentax Spotmatic, but  the mistakes are much cheaper!  I have 4 lodgers, 3 dogs and a parrot and 2 budgies.

The toy poodle died 29th November 2010.

Update November 2010. I'm moving the early part of my gallery to Flickr, and most of my 2D work to a set in my Flickr account and if your are interested in looking at doodles and scribbles you can see them at http://www.flickr.com/photos/16054928@N07/sets/72157625354630136/