Dreamy little houses...

Found these inspiring images on Green Build TV's facebook page...so facebook is good for something after all! Merry Christmas!

Stick Ballroom

I discovered this divine construction in Fed Square by accident the other day and was totally blown away. It is soooo beautiful! I want one. (Thanks for the link Marijka).
Stickwork at Federation Square, Melbourne from Federation Square on Vimeo.

group show next week (I didn't pick the name- ick)

How gorgeous is this?

From "A Plate a Day" blog.

New show coming up

I'm going to be a part of a group show "Fallow" at the end of November at a brand new gallery space "Top Shelf Gallery"  set up by one of my very industrious co-workers on the top floor of the Deans Art building in Londale St.
This Sylvia Plath poem has been a big part of my inspiration for the pieces I'm doing-

“I Am Vertical

But I would rather be horizontal.
I am not a tree with my root in the soil
Sucking up minerals and motherly love
So that each March I may gleam into leaf,
Nor am I the beauty of a garden bed
Attracting my share of Ahs and spectacularly painted,
Unknowing I must soon unpetal.
Compared with me, a tree is immortal
And a flower-head not tall, but more startling,
And I want the one's longevity and the other's daring.

Tonight, in the infinitesimal light of the stars,
The trees and flowers have been strewing their cool odors.
I walk among them, but none of them are noticing.
Sometimes I think that when I am sleeping
I must most perfectly resemble them--
Thoughts gone dim.
It is more natural to me, lying down.
Then the sky and I are in open conversation,
And I shall be useful when I lie down finally:
The the trees may touch me for once, and the flowers have time for me.”
― Sylvia Plath, Collected Poems

It should be interesting- watch this space for more info...

My very first (and only) asparagus!

 Yes- I know it's quite a slim asparagus, however it is undeniably an asparagus...and I grew it!
Maybe next year I will have an asparagus patch instead of a single, slim but beautiful asparagus.
(It tasted delicious!)

Springtime

It finally seems to be warming up a little- and after a cold winter and a recent tussle with the flu I am REALLY looking forward to Spring. My snowpeas are leaping out of the ground, my zucchini seedlings are valiantly resisting the snails and a few of my Granny's Throwing Tomato seeds have sprouted- so there is a lot to hope for.
Was it the evil President in "The Hunger Games" who said the only thing stronger than fear is hope? I'd like to think he's right even though he's a really scary old bloke.

I was very disappointed to receive an email recently telling me that the Sketchbook Project has cancelled it's Melbourne leg- so I won't get to boast that my art has been shown at the NGV, but I do have another group show planned for November and I'm looking forward to creating some new work for that.

The new camera is proving to be a mixed blessing- I'm not getting the best out of it as yet but I am determined to figure out it's mysteries, and it had a real work out on my recent trip to Woodgate ( where my generous family shared their flu with me) so I'm getting better. Ironically I'm also getting back into the lo-fi photography lately - that's a Holga shot top left- they're so delightfully random.

I'm not sure if anyone ever reads this, after all- it's not Facebook, but I find it a lot more satisfying than a  brief comment 5 times a day saying things like "Just had a great cup of coffee." The first time I looked at Facebook and there were all these short statements- I kept looking for the rest of the post thinking "That can't be it- what's the point?" but that was it. I still don't understand it, but I guess I'm in a tiny minority.
Happy Spring time to all of you who still read blogs!

New camera

Very excited and a bit scared of my fabulous new Nikon D7000. Haven't managed to get more than half way through the manual yet but I have had fun experimenting.(Click on the photos to get a proper view.)

So far the only thing that bugs me is that even though you can turn it off, the flash seems to want to pop up all the time, (and I hate flash photography) and I do need to get a macro lens. But it sure is a clever little beastie. This shot of Lefty was taken at night in our dimly lit lounge room with no flash, and the one of  nasturtium leaves was taken in very low dusk light on an overcast day. (Sunny days have been rare!) Neither have been fiddled with, and are straight from the camera- mind you there's a world of in-camera post production you can do which I am yet to explore. Yay!

Places I want to go...

After reading this post on Poppytalk I was reminded about Austin...again.This is Barton Springs Pool in Austin, Texas and somewhere that has fascinated me everytime I've seen images or heard stories about Austin. Ben has been there and said this is right in town (apparently it's not really a big town) and the pool/springs are a wonderful relief from the heat. I have a theory that Austin and I would really like each other because it's somewhere that just keeps popping up all the time. (This photo is from cookinglight.com).
Of course, I have quite a fascination with New York at the moment...and Vanuatu- I have diverse tastes, plus right now all those places are WARM!

create create create

Finally about to get some more balance in my life with a day less work a week (loud applause with cheering), and I'm determined now to revitalise my creative life.
I have recently rejigged my Red Bubble site and plan to get stuck into the Sketchbook Project 2013.
In a nice case of serendipity, I have also been invited to join a group show coming up soon too.
My tax return is already earmarked for a new DSLR (hopefully the Nikon D7000)and I'm feeling those creative juices stirring again.
Yay- about time too.
I know I'm a shocking networker and I hate Facebook so it's going to be a case of forcing myself to talk myself up and find some hutzpah that's been lacking for a very long time.
Hutzpah here I come.

Sunny Sunday afternoon

It's been a cold Winter but it feels like Spring is nearly here thank goodness, and this afternoon I was able to actually sit in my garden with the sun on my face. I should have been working hard planting natives at my Community garden (sorry guys) but all the oomph just went out of me with the sun and I just plopped myself down and didn't move- much, just a bit of dabbling with the camera.
It's so nice to remember what it's like to do nothing but sit in the garden. It leaves space in your life for random thoughts and observations and just breathing. I like it.

Depth of Winter

My pinboard for July- a bit dark, but I'm loving the black inky cloud on watercolour paper. It makes a dramatic background for anything- including my dried gingko leaves.

On a more upbeat note I have just purchased some seeds for Spring and can't wait to grow a new (heritage) variety of tomato from Italy that Digger's have renamed "Granny's Throwing Tomato" after a cartoon by Leunig. Love it!

Izziyana Suhaimi

How beautiful is this? Thanks Simone for putting me onto this amazing artist,Izziyana Suhaimi. I just love the combination of embroidery and drawing. It's one of those things that you just wish you'd thougth of yourself!

Why I eyes ya'

Just saw this hysterical collage exhibition "Why I Eyes Ya'" by Tai Snaith and Lucy James at Craft Victoria in Flinders Lane inspired by this equally hysterical you tube video called "Oh Long Johnson".
You sort of do have to be a crazy cat person to get the best out of it, but a love of collage and cleverly chopped up and mismatched images will be enough to enjoy this show.
It unexpectedly ties in with my own little June pinboard which has a tropical monkey theme to counteract the vicious Melbourne winter.(click on the bottom pineapple photo to read the blurb- it's pretty amazing- they say 'appetites will boomerang' like it's a good thing...?).




Hmmmmm....well, no.

Stunning mushrooms

I bought this amazing selection of beautiful mushrooms at the markets yesterday and now I'm not sure if I can eat them...but I think a hot pan, some thyme, butter, garlic and truffle oil could make them even more beautiful...perhaps a splash of white wine...hmmm?

Coffee and sleep

Love this poster from Handz Restyle etsy shop spotted on How About Orange.I often drag myself out of the house in the dark and cold without breakfast...but NOT without coffee. I think my world would end if I tried to do that, it's the only enjoyable thing about getting out of bed at 7am...

I would like to be here...now, please... (Seen on Style Files).



or here would work for me too...

Some days you just want to fly away....

I have started playing with a nibbed pen and ink, and last night while feeling a bit blue I drew this little bird...wonder where he's going? He did make me feel better.
Autumn is in full swing and the persimmon leaves are always so beautiful I can never resist photographing them.

In other news I decided to do the Sketchbook Project again and have signed up for 2013- I'm really looking forward to seeing the show when it comes here to the NGV in Fed Square in November.
And tomorrow I get to go to the "Love Vintage" show- and I do love vintage!

Gorgeous bee scrapbook cover...

...from Just Something I Made.

Fiona's spatula

Here's a great photo Fiona has put on her blog of a spatula I gave her for her birthday...another one in my series of woodburnt kitchen tools. The soup is made of all home-grown veges too!

Winter in May

Melbourne has decided to pretty much skip Autumn and go straight to Winter. Sigh. Ah well at least we have managed to make the perfect lasagna to go with the weather. Home made pasta sheets are the key- and lots of 'em. Plus a slow cooked beef ragu and a handy Ben( you can't have mine) to make the bechamel and put it all together.

Not a lot of other creative happenings lately, no time or energy due to the 4 day week thing. I am hoping to negotiate to go to 3 so that I can have a creative life as well as being a wage slave, but it will mean very little money to live on- very little.
My sketchbook has been digitised and you can see it here if you're interested.

I love the Art House Coop and would happily enter every one of their various projects if I only had the time...

Random happy things

Recovering nicely now from the last few months of stress...
Here's some random things that have made me happy lately.

My awfully clever new little blue camera getting it right with this dandelion...

Beautiful, delicious and cheap lunch from Don Too in the city...

My April pinboard which I love.(That's Nancy Cunard top left and Bella and Marc Chagall in the middle).

And I've just realised there are actually lots more things that have made me happy too.. like seeing some loved ones I haven't seen in ages, and my broadbeans almost bouncing out of the ground and completing the first oil painting that I actually am pleased with.
Gee, I should make these sort of lists more often, it feels good!

Vintage vegies

After an horrendous afternoon at work with approximately EVERYONE in Melbourne wanting quotes on framing, (often with the wrong or NO measurements to speak of...Sure! I'll just look at your photo on your handy dandy iphone and then read your mind, no problem) I managed to find a few minutes of bliss in a second-hand bookstore and discovered this lovely little gem from the Victorian Dept of Agriculture.
There's a few scary moments in it where they mention DDT as if it's a good thing, but all in all it's pretty wholesome and very specific to my local area, plus it's just a lovely piece of history- so I'm happy. No iphones in sight...sigh.

This rock with the Einstein quote was on Gennine's blog and it is absolutely how I feel! I just love a bit of monotony and quiet- so many people just can't stand it if they're not busy, busy, busy, but I have so much I want to do at home I really don't like "busy".
Below is a shot of my pumpkin harvest. When I pulled them all out recently I was delighted to discover an extra couple hiding in the bushes that I hadn't spotted earlier. They are such gorgeous things to look at it always hurts a bit to cut into them, but they are so handy to eat through Winter. Planted broadbeans, spring onions, cauliflower and broccoli today- now I just need to protect them from the snails and cabbage moth...
Snowpeas next week...when I'm not forced to be "busy" by our ridiculous wage-slave system. You can't eat money.

Phew- what happened to February?

I've been flat out lately coping with a new job and as I am an old dog, learning the new tricks has been a real challenge but I'm getting there. As ever my biggest struggle is to carve out enough time to create as well as make enough money to eat- not easy. I so admire people who can put in a full day at work and then come home and make stuff all night! I just do not have that gene, and need a lot more energy and time to do anything productive.
But I can feel a lot brewing away in my mind and have even forced myself to do some drawing, which is fabulous for just disconnecting and getting into the zone.

In other news, after my last little Lumix F1 died a sudden, painful and watery death in Woodgate I purchased the F3 and it had it's test run in Merimbula in February. I was delighted with it- but I was a little nervous about killing it too, so I didn't take it fully into the surf with me, just plunged it constantly into rock pools. The battery/card door on the new model has a lock which the old one didn't have so it does make me feel a little safer. Here are some of my favourite shots...see- it's a pretty nice little camera!