WEEK TWO (january 9-15)
Photos this week come courtesy of NGV where we spent a tiny bit of time before we flew home on Monday. We toured through Shut Up and Paint, appreciating the variety and the curation, rather than race through the current blockbusters. It turned out to be a very sensible decision as we left content rather than harried.
I also walked past and then did a double take outside the toilets as the beautiful colours and the restrained sensibilities of Seulgi Lee‘s papier mache works caught my eye….then I saw the quilts, again restrained, and with wonderful titles;
Blood of the bird’s foot
Lick the Watermelon
Swim on the ground
It was the end of the holidays and back to work for the bloke – although I for one don’t remember having ‘the holiday’ – such was the busy-ness of the season.
Without the holiday break I am still not ready to start the New Year. I have had no time to say goodbye 2106 and prepare mentally or physically for 2017.
So I declare that this year Feb 1 is looking like the best option for me to start anew and, in keeping with this creative push back, have written a mini manifesto…
2017 BASIC PREMISE
I have the possibility of changing myself – transforming myself for the better.
We all get stuck in outdated definitions of oneself……
My challenge for the year is to redefine myself and to work forward with clarity, with plans in place, but with flexibility to deal with family and the unexpected.
I need to go forward WITH GRACE.
So while January is already just about written off I am attempting to get stuck into some of the existing icky tasks that I tend to put off.
I am continuing to clear out the outdated things in my life…e.g. my computer is big and unwieldy after years and years of doing lots and keeping lots!
I am reducing, refining and ‘cleaning up’ process so that new good habits become entrenched.
For example, in my inbox I am making use of the flag priority and assigning each incoming email either a red high priority and grey low priority. The five pretty colours in between now correspond to weekdays.
I will also answer emails for a max of one hour five days a week.
My timer will help me.
The only problem here is that some emails take a hefty amount of time to deal with – so much so that they become real tasks. I need to allot time for them and come back to them later in the day…..easier said than done.
My flowing art projects are left set up to be able to slot straight to the machine or table for short break stints as well as the long hauls just as I did last year …. that little bit at a time makes an whopping great artwork. So initially I have some paint chip feathers that I need hundreds of for a Sulpur Crested Cockie work….off and racing….
Before I left for Melbourne hurriedly booked a ticket for a Tuesday night outing – listening to Louise Gardiner, an english textile artist, in Australia briefly. Well worth it. A lovely venue, Bathers Beach in Fremantle, and a lovely evening, and a spirited, entertaining and talented speaker.
Having just read ART & FEAR, and identifying myself in much of this book, it was fascinating to listen to Lou reflect on her ‘ self professed identity’ as a fraud when obviously WE know she is far from one.
The double positive of attending this event was conversing with other listeners, friends and bods I knew from parts of my past. The venue buzzed with catch-ups.
Another highlight of the week, a sad one really, was the closure of Eclectability, a little second-hand store in North Fremantle that specialises in the domestic, the feminine and textiles. With fifty percent off all prices I hoped to be able to come away with some doilies and embroideries.
Success.
A big bag of allsorts that will add to my stash that hardly grows of late….op shops, my first port of call for these items, are failing me. I have to crank up the camera to record these beautiful and ugly pieces.
I also have to take my BIG printer in for repair so that I can get onto projects that will make use of those photos.
A very busy start to the year….
