Heaven Stairways...

From here

Meeting Sir David Attenborough...

Sir David Attenborough is my hero. His early television awakened in me a love of all things natural, but in particular my breath was stilled as I watched him hang out with the gorillas in Rwanda. It was 1979 and I was 12 years old. Nine years later, inspired by this remarkable film  I followed in his footsteps and visited the mountain gorillas of Africa in Rwanda's neighbouring Zaire.

Meeting Sir David Attenborough has been a longtime dream of mine, though I expect I would be incapable of intelligent speech and the conversation would be rather one sided! Thankfully it seems David Attenborough is never short of something of interest to say or a story to tell, so maybe my muted awe would go relatively unnoticed.

I saw Sir David twice when I lived in London. I lived in Richmond at the time and we shared the TW9 postcode, though I imagine he was 'further up the hill' than I. He was walking about town the first time I saw him,  strolling along, hands behind his back, quite happy in his own space and though I desperately wanted to, I couldn't bring myself to disturb him.

The next time I saw him, I was standing at the end of a long, slow moving queue waiting to buy a ticket at Richmond Underground Station. Unbeknown to me, he was quite near the front of the same queue, though close enough to hear me sigh and curse at the delay.

It was aimed at my late departure from home and the frustrations at my own tardiness (aided thereafter by the world that turned all it's efforts to making me miss my train) but I did not realise quite how loud my comment was, nor how well it travelled.

In the moment immediately after it came out, I was shot a look by Sir David that bought shame upon me and left me in no doubt that that particular day was not the time to introduce myself as one of his biggest fans. Nor the day to tell him how he inspired me, and certainly not the day to tell him how much I admired and tried to live my life guided (in part at least) by his example.

Quite a few years later (and surely long enough after our Underground incident for all to be forgiven and forgotten - I suspect it was a rather less memorable moment for him as it was for me afterall) he was scheduled to talk in Melbourne and I managed to get tickets. I was delighted. My hero! He was going to be signing books and I was determined to meet him... but then at the last minute, his appearance was cancelled due to illness and for a third time, I missed my opportunity.

When the announcement was made early this year he was to return for a show at Melbourne's Regent Theatre, I was thrilled. I was not alone. The tickets sold out in just a few short hours and I missed my chance. I was so disappointed, but unwilling to pay scalpers elevated ticket prices, I just had to accept it.

My friend Mal and his wife Marion managed to get tickets and my excitement for them was genuine, particularly when I realised Marion was also a huge fan (she cried when she realised they had managed to get tickets 2 rows from the front). It was to be a special occasion for her 40th birthday and they were both thrilled.

When I received a message from Mal to tell me Marion was sick the night before the show, I hoped with all my heart that she would be well enough to make it the next day. But she didn't get better, she got worse and the next morning they decided she would not be leaving her bed, let alone the house. She would not to make the show and they offered their tickets to me. I didn't want to go in her place, they were meant to go. Not me. I was devastated for them. But they insisted that they wanted me to go and to take their tickets and so the arrangements were made. And that night my Mum and I went and saw Sir David Attenborough.

He did not disappoint. What an incredible man. At 86, he is the world's most traveled person. He has been to the North and South Poles and everywhere in between. He has been on our TV screens for sixty years and in that time the world population has trebled. He is passionate and so so excited to share his stories. He has gratitude for a full and exciting life and is full of praise for the people in his life. Without the cameramen taking such extraordinary footage he admits, there would not have been a show. They captured the magic, he was merely fortunate to be there to stand before them.

He spoke for just on two and a half hours, after which we all gave him a standing ovation, as he stood and nodded his head in humble thanks. And whilst I have yet to meet my hero in person, I do feel as if we sat together and shared a chat. And as expected, the conversation was a little one way, but I'm ok with that... I was a little awe-struck afterall!

Make sure you click on the link below to watch his rendition of "It's a wonderful world." It really is magical.

It's a wonderful world...

Even in hindsight and having loved being able to go to the show, I still wish Marion and Mal had been able to attend. And rest assured, if/when he ever comes back to Melbourne, I will be queueing up to get them (and me) tickets.
*As an added bonus the two nights he appeared in Melbourne were being recorded for DVD, so I'll be keeping my eyes open for that too!

Canadian in Aus...

  

This past weekend I welcomed a family friend to Melbourne who I had not seen for 36 years! I know, you thought I was only 28 right??? Crazy stuff I know!

In any case, he lived in the town where I grew up for one year during his primary school years - I think he was probably 12 at the time... he was a great friend of my brothers and I was great friends with his younger sister Becky.

When Mum and I visited Canada a couple of years ago we stayed with his Mum (a great friend of my Mums) in Ingersoll, and visited his sister too, and it was as if the years dissolved and the laughter picked up right where it left off 34 years earlier...

So, when Tim (who we did not manage to see in Canada) said he was coming back to Australia and high on his list was a visit to Melbourne and Point Lonsdale, we were excited to have him come stay.

And boy did we keep him busy... a few meals out, a lot of walking around the city of Melbourne and an introduction to the sites... A smiley shot beside pie-face in search of the great Australian pie, a visit to a few great galleries, and a match of Aussie rules.

After the footy on Saturday night, he headed to Lonny with my parents and with the two remaining days in Victoria, they re-visited the local sites and did a road trip down the coast along the Great Ocean Road. They travelled via Anglesea golf course where Tim got up close and personal with the locals (kangaroos) and walked in the tree tops at the Otway Fly.

Seriously, this is such a great place to live, full of natural beauty, great architecture and fabulous art... It's impossible not to have fun showing someone around. It helped of course that he was great company.

Safe travels Tim, would love to see you again... bring the family next time!

Accepting the inevitable...

To cheat or not to cheat... THAT is the question...

It's over a week now since I have posted - and this from someone who was going to blog on a daily basis this year. It's my first major slip up... and though I could list many things that got in the way, I'm not much of a fan of excuses, admission of guilt is somehow easier. And inevitable.

Having said that, I am going to share with you what I have been up to and give you a quick round-up, of my life since last week...

I have been busy with school. I have had regular Tuesday night classes for the last 4 weeks which have been fantastic. Some of it confronting, a lot of it challenging, and all of it confirmation that this is right. I may not know the destination at this point, but I do know that I am on the right path.

I had last Friday and Monday off and spent nearly the entirety on art and study. It was a really good chance to re-visit some of the theories and practices we have covered so far, and a chance to ponder and reflect. I also managed to finish one of the major parts of the first module which I was happy with, though I have yet to complete a 2000 and a 1000 word essay in the next few weeks. No time to take a break.

Last Friday night I had a friend come and stay and it was lovely to see her. She came straight from work and we went out for dinner, did the final artwork for her upcoming wedding, went out to brekkie the next morning, and spent time hanging out in the city for a few hours, just browsing the shops and sitting by the river with a drink. All the while chatting without break. About all the important things, work, family, weddings, love, loss and grief, clothes and internet dating... Pretty much everything! So so nice to catch up.

I have seen 3 movies, all of which I would recommend - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, My Week with Marilyn and The Artist.

Wow - what a line up. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was a delight to watch - full of colour and spirit, and a great cast to boot. An extraordinary adventure into the exotic.

My week with Marilyn was a moody and beautifully shot insight into another era and beautiful to watch. Both Michelle Williams and Eddie Redmayne were fantastic.

The Artist was an unexpected surprise. Despite it's awards, it was not top of my viewing list, but due to an expiring ticket, I took the chance. Wow. It was really really good. I Loved it. Totally connected with the characters and was captured from beginning to end.

I have been on bookdepository.com and ordered a few books which will add to my pile of reading, as I have realised very early that my reading will have to increase if I am to even survive, let alone thrive, in this course. The TV is not getting much of a showing, apart from maybe a couple of faves, but none of this gazing blankly at the screen when the viewing is of no real interest.

Last Sunday I was invited to a family dinner to farewell my cousin's daughter who is off to India for 3 months of volunteer work. Such exciting times. And so nice to be a part of it and hang out with the young people of my family. They are such great company and full of energy and character.

Work has been ok. Quiet on a few days which has allowed me to catch up on some additional reading and internet surfing/googling. And this morning, my blog. If it lasts for a few hours I may even add in some posts for the last few days.... just to fill a few of the gaps.

I'm feeling good today. It's a Friday, the sky is a bright autumnal blue and I am looking forward to a busy weekend.

Enjoy!

Against the grain...

Hudson - Against The Grain from Dropbear on Vimeo.

Aurora Australis may be visible tonight...

Yes, it's true. For people in the southern states of Australia, this may be the perfect night to see Aurora Australis. Conditions are right apparently, after solar flares earlier this week.

This is incredibly exciting to me and I would love to see it (have been wanting to see them for many years), but living in the city, chances are I will not see them tonight. BUT it is possible they will appear tomorrow or maybe Saturday night too, and given I will be down the coast and with a clear view South... there is time. There is hope.

But in the meantime, as you think about heading to your bed tonight, or as you wake in the early hours of the morning, please please please get out there and take a look to the Southern skies. And by the way, I believe (though I could be wrong) this also means the chances of seeing Aurora Borealis are also increased. So those of you who live in the Northern parts of the Northern hemisphere, eyes up too...

If you see them, be still and soak up the moment, because this is a rare occurrence... Capture it if you can... and make sure you come and let me know.

If you want more information, you can go here to spaceweather.com.

The above photo is of Aurora Australis over the city of Hobart, found here on the internet. Amazing isn't it?

Hugo, I love you...

I finally went and saw the movie Hugo today. And thank goodness I got to see it at the cinema, because THIS is one of those movies that you really SHOULD see on the big screen.

And whilst I'm not a huge fan of 3D movies (they often seem to be 3D for no real reason, going for a wow factor that is perhaps absent in the actual film), Martin Scorsese has created magic that is truly enhanced by the 3D effect. It is beautiful.

If you have seen it, I hope you enjoyed it too.
If you have not seen it yet, try and get to it at the cinema while you can.
Lose yourself for a couple of hours.

Last day of summer...

I would like autumn if only it wasn't followed by winter.

And so it is a sad day as I say my goodbyes to summer.
But in honour of my favourite season, here is a pic of one of my favourite places in the world, on a beautiful summers day.

"sigh"

The Hobbit House...

Have you heard of Inhabitat?

Their catch phrase is 'design will save the world' which I love. They're worth a look when you have a spare minute (or 3 hours!) As stated on their website, Inhabitat.com is a weblog devoted to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and home design towards a smarter and more sustainable future.

Here are some pictures that they posted recently about a home in the UK, rather aptly named The Hobbit House. It cost just 3000 pounds (and a lot of ingenuity) to build.

Visited by mountain gorillas...

Some days ago I was sent a link to a youtube video of one man's extraordinary encounter with mountain gorilla's in Rwanda. It's came in a trail of clips that people forward en masse in a flurry of enthusiasm, many of which I ignore. But this one, given that it starred gorillas in Africa was irresistible.

Many years ago I was fortunate to see the gorillas in Zaire in their own habitat, having trekked into the jungle in search of their daily hangout. It was without doubt one of the highlights of my life. I have a few images of my time there, but nothing that I experienced compares to this...

I heart home #4...

My special treasures board. 

And surprise surprise - a few more J's.

I'm not really liking the way the iphone blog app is bringing in images... there is no formatting options (size, position etc) and it seems low res. Hmmm... will have to look into this at home.

Have a good day everyone!

Creative weekend... Lino printing using an old mangle as a press

Some time ago I bought an old restored clothes mangle on ebay. It is a beautiful piece and I bought it with the sole purpose of using it to print lino artwork... pretty much giving an old piece of machinery a new lease on life, reinventing it as a printing press. It is old, it is beautifully restored, and it is extremely heavy! Given it's weight and size, it is difficult to transport and is unlikely to fit into my flat. Thankfully my parents are both encouraging of my creativity and have been good enough for me to leave it in their home just waiting for me to get motivated to put it to good use.

Well over a year ago now, a friend and I gave it a bit of a test run, but it was quite hit and miss and we didn't do a great deal, though some results showed promise. Since then the mangle has sat dormant in my parents home.

Another friend has been saying for a while now (knowing our shared love of the art) that he would like to come and give it a shot too. At last we finally managed to organise it and Timmo came and stayed this weekend and we gave the press another run. This time round (after a bit of trial and error) we managed to get some great results.

Take a look...

This is Timmo's beautiful piece which measures about 6" square.

These are both my pieces and are around about postcard size. 

The bird is a rerun of of a lino I carved a couple of years ago.

Here we are with the press - note Timmo's newspaper printer's hat.

Thanks Mum and Dad for hosting our creative chaos this weekend, and thanks to Timmo also for a great weekend, a great chance to catch up and to get creative. Now it's time to get carving more lino's, so we can get back there soon and give it another go!

Love at first sight...

Seriously...
How could I resist...

He's totally adorable, he's got a cute smile and a great sense of fun. He's cheeky and just a little bit bananas...

I think he might just be the man of my dreams.

Meet Monkey Moo!
(My amazing Birthday gift from the super talented Marion and her hubby Mal).
Thanks guys, I had a great weekend, and  I just love the new man in my life!
xx

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona #2

So, let me give you a hint about traveling and technology...

Overnight is the perfect time to recharge your batteries (both physically and technologically), but be warned... when you recharge your camera overnight and get up early, specifically to beat the crowds and the long long queues, make sure BEFORE you depart for the day, you collect the battery from the said charger and put it in your camera.

Don't wait until you get to your destination to realise the battery is still attached to the powerpoint back in your hotel room.

Afterall, a camera without a battery is kinda useless! Trust me, I know.


Thankfully my iphone came to the rescue and through the magic of instagram, the photos still look pretty amazing.

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona...

More Gaudi greatness...

Beautiful Barcelona...

Barcelona is an incredible city with so much to see and do. For us, the highlights were without doubt all of the fabulous Gaudi architecture and the Picasso Museum.


Gaudi's architecture was bold, creative, innovative, artistic, prolific and beautiful. The scale and nature of his work was astounding and even the smallest of details were way beyond what I had imagined. That he was given the opportunity from early in his career to build and create such amazing buildings (mostly through his patron Eusebi Guell) was incredible and many of the buildings are now open as museums for the public to visit.


This is a great city to visit. Many of the sites of interest are in the central district and within easy walking distance of Las Ramblas. And if you want to venture further out, or you are not wanting to walk, the metro system is amazing - clean, prompt and clearly displayed, it's easy to navigate, even as a non Spanish speaker.

Barcelona is Gaudi central. But it also home to the incredible Picasso Museum, with an amazing collection of Picasso's works from his earliest years through to the end of his remarkable career. Make it high on the list. You won't be disappointed. His work from his teenaged years is truly awesome.

Here are some pics of some the wonderful places we were lucky enough to visit.

 

Casa Batillo

Casa Batillo

Casa Batillo

Casa Batillo

Casa Batillo

 

Sagrada Familia

 

Park Guell





















Gaudi Home
Park Guell

  

La Pedrera

La Pedrera

La Pedrera

This is what it sounds like...

A friend from work is part of an all male choir and they'll be performing this weekend in Caulfield in Melbourne. Unfortunately I won't be able to make it, but maybe you can...

“THIS IS WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE”
Saturday 25 June 2011
3pm & 7.30pm
Glen Eira Town Hall, Caulfield

They do songs like Chasing Cars and It's My Life.

Tickets
Concessions $20
Adults $25

Expect that the child ticket would be less than concession.

Check comments as Sam is dropping by my blog this evening and will hopefully add the details there.

Magical Melbourne...

I grew up on the coast of Victoria, about an hour and a half from Melbourne. As a child, going to the city was always a special occasion. I was lucky that my parents loved the arts and I remember visiting the National Gallery of Victoria and running my fingers through the water that ran continuously down the waterwall at the Gallery's entrance arch, and lying on the floor under the spectacular Leonard French stained glass ceiling in the Great Hall.

It was here I first gazed in wonder at the art of Australian and international artists. Where I was introduced to Jackson Pollock, Arthur Boyd, John Brack, Tom Roberts and Sidney Nolan. And the thought provoking paintings of Frederick McCubbin. Artists and paintings I revisit to this day.

Nowadays I am lucky and grateful to call Melbourne my home. I live withing 6kms of the city and often walk there to take a look around on a weekend. Now there is even more to entice me into the city, on the basis of arts alone. Federation 'Fed' Square, Melbourne's active street art and many many independent galleries hidden in city side streets and lanes... are all waiting to be explored.

Degraves Street is a perfect place to meet friends or hang out by yourself, and if you want something a little more subdued, 'The Journal' is a favourite of mine (they do an awesome chai).

Flinders Lane, Degraves Street and the Nicholas Building are a great place to start if you want to find a few hidden treasures, or a great place to grab a coffee (or chai) and just soak up the atmosphere. There are any number of indoor and outdoor cafés to relax and watch the world go by.

What a great city we have just waiting to explore. So, to anyone who lives here, or has been to Melbourne as a visitor, I'd be interested to know... what do you love about Melbourne? Any hidden treasures you'd care to share or recommend for a visit?

A weekend in the country...

The weekend before Christmas I went on a road trip to visit my good friend Malcolm and his wife in their home in Mirboo North. Mal is an ex boyfriend and we are still great friends. I find this is the best way to be with an ex. 

Until this weekend I had only met his wife Marion a few brief times, and I was a little bit nervous about spending a weekend with them both. I needn't have been concerned, the weekend was lovely and it was really nice to get to know Marion better, hang out with them both and meet their menagerie of pets. Elvis the new kitten (totally adorable), Nino the cat (my roommate and the boss), Pixel the very energetic pup/dog (I didn't manage to get a pic that was in focus - she never slows down long enough) and their chickens.

They have bought the old bank in the main street (which is also their home) and are currently setting it up as a gallery and photographic studio. It's a great space and has wonderful light. Importantly, it is also located next door to the local chocolate shop, which of course we had to include in my visit.

We went walking along a railtrail where their dog Pixel roamed widely and introduced herself to a resident echidna. We also hiked up into the bush where we saw fresh re-growth after the bush fires in 2009 and we went to nearby carols by candlelight (where the 3 wise men were missing in action!). So you can see it was a good balance of exploring and relaxing.

When they open up their gallery I will make sure I post about it, so that if you are ever down that way, you know where to find them so you can visit and see Mal's wonderful photography. It's a beautiful place and the studio (and chocolate shop next door) will definitely be worth a visit.

Flossy love...

Way back last year, in December 2010, I told you the exciting news that I had won a blogger giveaway from one of my fave blogging artists, Flossy-P. I was totally excited, but a little worried, because at that stage I couldn't decide on which of Flossy-P's prints that I wanted (pretty hard when you want them ALL!)

In any case, I finally made my decision (thanks for you patience Flossy-P) and continued on my way through the frantic pre-Christmas phase at work! On Friday (Christmas eve) I arrived down at Point Lonsdale and there was a package of goodies waiting especially for me full of Flossy goodness!

OMG.

I am totally chuffed. What an amazing collection of goodies. Including the print I selected and so many extras too (many of which were items that made my decision so difficult in the first place)

Dear Flossy,
What a sensational surprise! I have always loved and admired your artwork online and it's even more precious in real life!
I am totally delighted with every single piece. Thank you so much. 
All my very best to you in 2011.
Love to you, 
Cinta
xx