Wednesday, April 27, 2011

do look down

with views out to Wollongong, even on an overcast day, there was every reason to look down.


as we have had a bit of rain recently, it was all looking very green.


at 45m above ground and 710m above sea level, the view from the tower is spectacular, if not a little scary for those afraid of heights (btw if you are not best friends with being somewhere high, like Mr Decoro or another guy we met up there, they did it and made it down all in one piece).



"Green is the prime colour of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises"
Pedro Calderon de la Barca


I always love a place with a view

views over Albion Park to Lake Illawarra and Wollongong in the faded distance

if you want to look down too, this is this place to go - Illawarra Fly Tree top walk

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

happy birthday


Plenty of incredible journeys have been made in 80 years, and still many more to make
Happy birthday Dad
love xxx

Thursday, April 21, 2011

colour to write about

  • take some old doors
  • sand them down and in the process burn out the electric sander
  •  do some more prep work
  •  add a bit of colour 
  •  add some more colour

  • leave for a few days to thoroughly dry
  • start making notes, drawing, doodling and generally having fun




    Wednesday, April 20, 2011

    an easter feast

    continuing yesterdays taster of the Sydney Easter Show.

    My children now think that I can produce something similar for their birthday - at least their birthday parties are towards the end of the year, so hopefully they will have forgotten just how fantastic these creative cakes are.




    feeding the animals


    A very sharp, shiney axe plus muscles, they made it look easy.  I know I could not do the wood chopping without losing a few toes.


    A large display of photos and paintings. There were many that caught my eye, including this one that the style reminded me of some of Margaret Preston's work (a influential Australian artist from 1920-1940s)


    Then onto the main arena where the country battled and won against the city in the Rodeo.

    A brief history was portrayed of when the postal system in this vast land was delivered by coach and horse - those were the days when post had a much greater importance as a form of correspondance than it does today. Sometimes a coach would set off without a bag of post.  It was up to the skilled stockman (a lone horseman) to gallop, catch up with the coach and throw the swag onto the coach.
    3 man teams from 4 of the states and territories competed in races to portray the stockman's job,  finish off carrying the Australian flag around the stadium.


    fireworks and lasers rounded the evening off.


    Tuesday, April 19, 2011

    taste of easter

    here is a little taste of the Easter Show, held each year when the country comes to the city (on til the 27th April if you happen to be in the area)

    lunch?  no, one of the many cakes on display

    egg decorating
    more to follow....

    Monday, April 11, 2011

    sydney sunday walking

    You can always find unexpected surprises around Sydney, like a maze... 
    Neild Avenue Maze, Paddington

    Neild Avenue Maze, Paddington

    For those that have not been to Sydney, it may come as a surprise how hilly it can be.

    Even house numbers can be a work of art.

    Kinghorn Cancer Centre is being constructed in Darlinghurst next to St Vincent Hospital, funded by Government grant and private donations.  Instead of seeing plain ugly boards to hide the construction site, colourful hand prints cover the wall including this lovely mural.  The far end includes Delta Goodrem's glittering gold hand prints, who was treated and recovered from cancer, now is the Patron of the centre.
    'helping hands, healing hands' mural created by the children of Darlinghurst Primary School

    A little bit of fun with the water feature at Taylor Square


    Saturday, April 9, 2011

    end of term + easter creations

    Yesterday was the last day of term and my daughter had her Easter parade, for which she had to come up with an Easter hat.

    I had hope she would make it all by her self, but she was clear that it had to be made out of fabric, like last years, but different.  Which meant, as she is not able to operate the industrial sewing machine or complete any hand stitching this side of Easter, I would be the one making it.

    'Ok, so what do you want?' I asked. Maybe I should not have asked that, like I said before she has some clear (in her mind) and very set ideas.

    Trying to describe the hat, I was not always sure what she wanted, so she was asked to draw it. The little designers' mind set to work.


    She choose the colours, watched the making and oversaw the all design decisions along the way.  It may not be the most fashionable of designs, but who cares?  For her, she got to see her ideas come to life and to wear them!  It is also a wonderful reminder that as a child, their minds are so creative, and that as adults we should try to free our minds as much as they do.

    leading the Easter Hat Parade


    And the day before: the tired walk home, leaving Mum to carry her school bag



    
    


    Have a wonderful Easter holidays

    Thursday, April 7, 2011

    not wasting an opportunity

    Recently things seem to have got in the way of up dating the blog. It started when I sat down to start a post a couple of weeks ago, found something out and ended up have a night never to forget.

    There was a mad rush of grabbing food, toys and my 4 year old, into the car, then on the train into the city.  The destination was King Street, but other people were quicker and we ended up on York Street.  We joined the end of the of the queue and waited as it slowly moved forward.  At least our queue was moving unlike the one the other side of the road - they still had over 4 hours to wait until Apple started selling their latest gadget.
    Trying to get into Red Eye Records

    Then it was down to numbers, there was only a limited amount but there were all these people in front - would there be enough?  2 hours later (and still with a very patient good 4 year old), getting closing to the front, it was anounced there were 20 left.  Phew, only 5 people infront of me.

    5 minutes later I was excitedly wearing my green band.



    The Foo Fighters were in town and they were playing a gig.  These guys can fill the largest of stadiums up many times over, but that Friday night they were playing to just 600 people, and I was lucky enough to be no more than 3 metres away from Dave Grohl for nearly 3 hours. 

    They rocked big time. What was inspiring to me, was that they looked to be enjoying every single moment - I've seen some big names who turn up on stage, looking like it is was the last place they want to be - but when the Foos were smiling, giving it their all, carrying on when the equipment failed, it all added to the experience.

    And if this was not enough, they played in Auckland to raise money for the Christchurch earthquake and in Brisbane for the flood victims there.  Even if you don't like their music (why?), you have got to admire these guys.  And if you do like the music, then the album is out tomorrow in Australia, and if you can't wait then you can hear it now Wasting Light


    Find something you really love to do, and don't waste an opportunity.