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The Present
I cannot believe it has been so long since my last entry . I am now in Australia looking after Felix, my 2 year old grandson, well until Jan 1018 anyway!
Felix and l going from Bondi to Green Point ... quite a journey for the two of us!
My son and his wife have moved from Bondi Beach ( :( ) and moved to a place called Green Point. It is about an hour and 40 mins from Bondi by bus and train. The area they have moved to is beautiful but full of hills and no coffee shops! :) . Andrew and Gemma have found the most amazing 3 bed house, huge garden, a granny flat downstairs and the most stunning views.
BUT ......
the most interesting aspect of the house ... is the built in slide .... Felix loves it!
The image below is one of the smaller hills around their house. Phew!!!! Who needs the gym???
The other great thing about this area are the beaches ... stunning and empty! Here are just 2 examples.
I am also seeing some amazing birds and wild life. The other day l saw my first wild Pelican, l was so excited. I have seen them in Hyde Park and in zoos but never "Wild" !
ART
One of the projects l have started here is on a long roll of white paper. I am trying to create something on it each day. It could be a drawing, a rubbing, a found object or a piece of abstract art. Here are a few of the many things l have created since l arrived. l am also trying to use lots of different mediums, as well. The first one is using charcoal to do a rubbing of a drain cover.
This was a 3 min sketch and watercolour drawing, while l was waiting for my son, at a hardware department. These two children were bored too! The paper will be stuck on to the roll.
This was a 5 min sketch, while out and about in Sydney.
A rubbing of a pavement in Bondi Beach, created using a wax crayon..
Drawing and water colouring sketch of found leaves.
As you can see from the image below ... felix is following in my footsteps ... :)
ART with my students.
I am always telling my students to "Look" when they are out and about. It is so easy to just walk to the bus stop or school. If you don't look at your surroundings, you could be missing sooooo much.
So you are walking down the street and you see a pigeon feather. Boring you think but look again.
Apart from noticing the lines on the feather ... look through the raindrops! Stunning.
I just love raindrops and the patterns they create on say, a leaf.
All these beautiful things are thanks to Mother Nature. the least we can do is look at them.
My Art
When l lived in the Bahamas, l used to paint on silk and l loved it. The first image is of a print of one of my huge paintings. In the Bahamas people often had huge white walls to fill and l was very happy to do that for them. I couldn't keep up with the demand. My work was in private homes, shops, banks, hotels and Embassies. The second image is one l painted for my son called " Death Masks ".
The model below is one l made for fun, she was made out of paper mache and wire. She used to sit on my balcony and scared the "baddies" away ... or so the night watchman told me, he thought l was an "Obi Woman" and into magic. In other words, someone to know but also to be frightened of!. One day l took her in the passenger seat of my car, as l was taking her to one of my Art Shows and l frightened an awful lots of locals, who thought she was real! :)
While l lived inPapua New Guinea, there was not much to do and no Art shops. I was lucky enough to be introduced to patchwork and appliqué, by some wonderful American ladies. I made loads of quilts but this Noah's Ark one was my favourites.
Papua New Guinea.
One of the amazing events l was privileged to attend, while living here was a Sing Sing. ( I think l mentioned it in my last blog). Anyway l blagged my way into the main arena, under the disguise of the Embassy's photographer!!!! Here are a few of the image l took, l must have taken hundreds, so they will be appearing in my blog, a lot ... l expect!
These next few images are off a story being acted out, about when many of the locals were forced into a type of slavery by the white settlers.
My younger life
Just before my father died in March this year, he went through some old photographs with me. When l was 10 months old l went to live in Singapore with my Military parents. In the days before the internet, mobile phones and coloured photography, my dad took and developed his own b/w images. these are two of them. The second images shows me and my wonderful Ahmah (a nanny)Raymah. I left Singapore when l was 4, it must of been very hard on both of us to suddenly be parted. I know l was a very unhappy little girl, as my english was not very good and l missed Raymah. Also l had left a hot place to arrive in a very cold one, l had never been cold before and l had to wear clothes!! In the years we had been away from the UK, my grandmother had had only a few images of me and no other means of contact. My grandmother was not expecting, in her mind anyway, a suntanned little girl who spoke Malay better than she spoke English. She "teased" my mother that she had swopped me for someone else!!!! Not the easiest start back in the UK for a 4 year old. Especially into a welsh speaking school, where l was just SO different. Military children were not liked at the best of times. To say l was bullied, would be an understatement!
Among the images Dad dug out was this one ... l think l was just 15 and had come home to live, as my Boarding school had suddenly had to closed down. I certainly don't remember it being taken. l find it funny to look at myself ... l don't remember looking like that at all! :)Funnily enough l have just found the necklace l was wearing at the time.
Goodnight from Green Point. xx
The beginning of this post seems to be missing ... l will try and print it here . fingers crossed it works.
I cannot believe it has been so long since my last entry . I am now in Australia looking after Felix, my 2 year old grandson, well until Jan 1018 anyway!
Felix and l going from Bondi to Green Point ... quite a journey for the two of us!
My son and his wife have moved from Bondi Beach ( :( ) and moved to a place called Green Point. It is about an hour and 40 mins from Bondi by bus and train. The area they have moved to is beautiful but full of hills and no coffee shops! :) . Andrew and Gemma have found the most amazing 3 bed house, huge garden, a granny flat downstairs and the most stunning views.
