Modern Monet...

Have you been to the NGV lately? I was on my way to see Monet's Garden, and this is just one of the little joys I found along the way.

It is a pond of china bowls drifting in eternal motion.

Clinking as they go.

Drifting.
Bumping.
Turning...
Twisting and spinning...

Mesmerising.

It's an alternative take on Monet's Lilly Pond I believe.

And totally beautiful.

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!

Magical Melbourne morning...

What a great way to start the day. This is the view on my walk to work.

Have a good day everyone, wherever it is you are.

x

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?

Monster Melbourne find...

In the city today, I stumbled across this little shop "Monster Threads". It's the first time I have noticed it, though I believe it's been open there since August... and it's a great find.

If you are in the city, look it up... It's in Centreway Arcade (259-263 Collins Street) which runs between Collins Street and Degraves Street/Flinders Lane. I'm sure i have seen these guys online, but their store is definitely worth a visit.

Illustrated T-Shirts are $35, and there are hoodies, other clothes, plates, mugs, mouse mats, and some really funky jewellery.

Or you can always check them out online on the link above.

There is more to life...

"There is more to life than increasing the speed."
 GHANDI


It's been a busy week here and the long weekend is just a breath away. I do plan to take a bit of a break at some stage...
though in the meantime...

Tonight am off to see Banksy's movie "Exit Through the Giftshop" at ACMI.
On Saturday I hope to head to the Sister's Market in Brunswick.
Sunday I want to head to Camberwell Market.
And Monday? I might get to sleep in! Catch up on some reading. Watch a movie.

And amongst all that, there's sure to be a bit of planning and dreaming about my impending trip to the USA... (more details next week).

I may even get a bit of blogging done (and belatedly return some comments to all my neglected faves)!

Enjoy the weekend everyone.

Sew it Together... a lovely crafty gathering

Well, it's Monday night and I have promised myself a computer free night, but before the week disappears, I just want to tell you a bit about my weekend. A weekend where I got to hang out with over 60 amazing crafty lovely ladies, all connected by the world of craft, sewing and creativity and everyone of them bloggers.

First up. It was busy. It started straight after work on Friday when about 30 of us met at Nikki's studio to meet and greet and enjoy a few nibblies with one or two drinks... and really I didn't stop until I hit the sack on Sunday night. 

Today at work, when asked what I did on the weekend, I could happily say that I caught up with friends. Now, understand that I had not actually met most of the people I spent time with on the weekend, but   (being lovely bloggy readers) you will understand that having spent most of the weekend with creative bloggy people was heaps of fun. And that whilst I had never met the majority of these people before, I already counted them amongst my friends

Across Friday night and the Sew it Together day on Saturday, there was much squealing, smiling, hugging and laughter as people met one another (more often than not for the first time) and as people put faces to blogs and made connections with people they had met and got to know only through their blogs. Throw in lots of crafty inspiration, sewing, good food and sharing of tips and tricks, and it was always going to get noisy and be lots of fun.

What a treat to spend time with such lovely women and make connections that had begun on the internet! And make lots of new friends too.

Sheridan and Susie (and others) made the trip from QLD. Trash came along all the way from the UK (well she was here visiting family but what great timing... and it was so nice to meet her and sit next to her on Saturday while we all sewed and knitted up a storm together)!  

I was lucky to hang out for most of the day with these lovely ladies... Deborah, Rachelle, Jan, Lizzie, and Jodie travelled all the way from Ballarat! Imagine! Crazy hey!

I also got to spend time with Holly, and Cathie and Sandra and Nikki, and I met the lovely Karen and Juddie and Ellen.

There were lovely prizes, swaps and even the paparazzi were there!

If you were there and I haven't mentioned you (sorry - there were so many new faces and names to remember), please make sure you say hi and I will come and visit you!

Sheridan, you did an amazing job organising it all. Thanks for all your hard work, it was a fantastic couple of days.

And then, as if I hadn't had enough excitement for one day, I spent Saturday night making kiddie cocktails for one gorgeous 11 year old and her friend!

Happy Birthday Violet!

Stitches & Craft loveliness

Last Friday, I took the day off work and headed to the Stitches and Craft show. It's always a treat to take a Friday off work, but to be spending time doing crafty workshops and meeting lovely crafty people and bloggers is hard to beat.


And then, as if Friday wasn't enough, I also went on Saturday too to catch up with more crafty goodness.

I created a sock owl, in Claire's workshop. Go take a look at her blog and say hi at Craft Schmaft. She is gorgeous and the workshop was lots of fun, she was so patient and looked after us all (even when I took the LONGEST TIME EVER to decide what colour sock to choose. The owls were all so different and so so cute.

Then, how could I possibly go to the Stitches and Craft Show and not do a workshop with Sandra from Pepperberry. I actually met Sandra last year at the same show at Flemington, where we found ourselves in a few of the same classes. She is AMAZING and I love her creations! And she has done such incredible things in the last year. Truly, I don't know how she does it all.

She has such an incredible energy and is obviously loving what she is doing, it's impossible not to be inspired.

I also caught up with other faves Nikki, Michelle, Cathy, Jodie, Bec, and met lots of lovely new blogging friends too... Caitlin from pippijoe, Holly from two cheese please, Jacqueline from Zippyzippy in Horsham, Gillian from Silly Gilly fame, and Kim from Emiti Crafts (she is new to blogging, so make sure you drop by and say hello).

I know I met lots of other crafters and bloggers too, so I am sorry if I have forgotten to mention you here, but it was lovely to meet you all and thanks for dropping by and saying hello to me. Leave me a comment and I will come and visit.

And, as it is Friday already, I am excited to say I will be meeting lots of these lovely people again, and lots of other crafty bloggers too, as we all head to Sew it Together, tonight at Nikki's studio, and then all day tomorrow in the city. Hopefully I'll see you there.

Yay!

Mueck Magic...

When I first saw a picture of Ron Mueck's sculpture of 'two women' in a magazine, I'll admit, they gave me the creeps. They were just a little too real, a little too lifelike for me, and maybe even a little too ugly! I know, you would think that lifelike is the intention (and surely it is), but the expressions of the two old women was plotting, if not nasty, and I just didn't like them.

A couple of years later, and yesterday I find myself eyeball to eyeball with the same old women, but find their stature rather less intimidating. They are less than 3 feet tall. And up close and personal (though I still feel they are up to no good), the detail and their lifelike features are too incredible not to be impressed.

You could get up close and look at the tiniest of details and wonder at the creation and observation of the artist. The temptation to touch was hard to resist, as it was sometimes difficult to believe these sculptures weren't more than just resin and hair. Mueck did not attempt to hide the realities of life. There were wrinkles and blemishes and hair in noses, and expressions that told of the strains and pressures of life. He chose to get straight to the point and capture people, spots and all. Sometimes in such vulnerable poses or situations that I couldn't bare to look for more than a moment.

You could take photos (though not with a flash) and I was happy to have captured the one of 'wild man' with the gallery security in the edge of the pic, just to show the scale.

If you can, go and see this exhibition. It is on at the NGV until the 18th of April and is worth a visit. And while you're there, watch how other visitors interact with the sculptures, they are almost as fascinating as the sculptures themselves.

Luna Park Fun... how can it be called the scenic railway, when your eyes are tightly shut?

My Christmas gift to my cousin Jen and her 4 kids was to take them to Luna Park. It took a while, but we finally made it today.

I was determined to be brave and go on everything they did. No backing out. If I was scared, there was no way they were going to know a thing about it.

All good in theory, until we went on our first ride. Violet (the second youngest) was with me and I could feel her heart beating as she sat snugly against me. She asked me to hold on to her tightly. No problems, I thought, just who's holding on to me?

When we got off just two short minutes later, she was fine. Said she had a great time. Me on the other hand... my face was pale and sweaty and I am told I looked rather sickly. And I sure as hell felt it!

I don't remember the ride's name...
I call it the nauseator.
Two words...
NEVER AGAIN


Stunning day of sunshine and craziness.
And just in case you are wondering?
No. I didn't.
Not after the nauseator.


I did however, manage the Scenic Railway. The rollercoaster that has been scaring people witless for generations. What I don't understand is the name... yes I know it's high, I know it runs the border of the park, I know the view stretches to the beach and across the entire park... but how can it be called scenic, when your eyes are tightly shut?


Dodgem Speedster Monty.
You're never too young, or too old for the dodgems. So much fun, even for me at 42!


G-Force. And in the background, just part of the tracks for the Scenic Railway.


There were smiles all round.


This is the crew.


It was always going to be fun, with such a crazy bunch!
Thanks guys, I had a great day.


Glad to see I wasn't the only one exhausted at the end of it all!

Taking a peek at artist's studios and working spaces...

For the people out there who like to look at other people's spaces, there is a beautiful photographic exhibition currently at The State Library of Victoria and I really recommend you go and have a look. STUDIO: Australian Painters on the Nature of Creativity. The exhibition showcases 61 of Australia’s most respected and important painters working in their studio environment.

Unfortunately, your time is running out as this it's in it's final week in Melbourne and finishes on Sunday 29th March (this Sunday). But it is free, so even if you just manage a quick look, it is worth it I think.

From here it travels to Perth and Hobart...
According to the website, the exhibition will be shown in Perth WA at the CENTRAL TAFE ART GALLERY August 6 to 29, 2009 and the CARNEGIE GALLERY Hobart, Tasmania May 27, to July 4, 2010.

There is also a companion book and DVD. The book is an absolute treat (thanks Dad) and I am sure I will go back to it again and again.