events, events and more events....

I dont know about you but there seems to be a lot on at the moment. Someone said to me the other day that when you live in a hot, humid climate it makes sense to load everything on to the calendar at this time of year... its our winter...there are few holidays this time of year and so it is the time when things get very busy...and why not!
Before I tell you about these (local) events I am going to quickly find and post some images that appealed to me this week and you will see why!


...first up...I am going to come along with Mlle Paradis next time she goes to this place....













anyone else coming for the trip? Im not going to tell you where it is...go look here! She has a lot more wonderful places to take us up her sleeve!

....and after that exertion ....

how about this....




or even better really...for all those books waiting to be read.... the perfect spot...




these images come from Robyn at the lovely garden rooms. Pop over now and see more on this delightful (For me just now - escapist) theme!
This window reverie image made my heart leap...perhaps it reminded me of a wonderful home I had in Melbourne over 15 years ago now...or maybe just the aesthetic of absolute rightness about the parts that make this stunning whole - its the kind of beauty I adore in spaces... I want to be there... even though I dont know where is!

OK..now that I have gotten that part of the post out of the way....get ready to write in your diaries.... if any of you reading this actually live in this same city as me... its social calendar time!

I just looked up the website and it is fabulous.... not only that ... I have a CD of music by this musician that I love and have often had classes draw to it so I am really, really disappointed that I have a dinner to attend this friday night when this wonderful show will be on at the Botanic gardens for the World Wildlife Fund.  w:   www.linseypollak.com 

The Extinction Room

The Extinction Room is a solo music performance piece by Linsey Pollak. It is a sound  piece creating music from the sounds of endangered & extinct animals. In this performance of approximately 45 minutes,  the audience will wear blindfolds  and be taken on a journey into the Extinction Room….. a sound archive of endangered  and extinct species …… the calls of animals that no longer exist……or may soon not  exist. These sounds cry out to us in perhaps a more immediate and emotive way than  words can describe. They are a cry from the animals that share and have shared this  planet with us. This is an audio Library of loss, of despair AND of HOPE…….because  we can do something about it if we act NOW This is a solo performance using live looping (a process using real time instantaneous  recording of each layer of music) playing an Electronic wind instrument that plays  the  sound samples of animal calls. All the sounds used are animal calls and nothing has  been pre-recorded……it’s all being created as you listen. NEXT:

and last but not least:

If you pop over to my studio blog you can read much more on this and the venue... This is opening on June 18th and I will fill you in again before then... I am artist no: 4 in the pick-a-box. This will be a lot of fun so come along you Bris-based people...I'll see you there!

PS still painting but enjoying the process... 10 artists over `10 days... very doable!
caio,
S x

when the occasion calls for it - Part 2

The tail end of a cyclone seemed to be the state of things on the Sunshine Coast on the weekend. Grey, squally weather, a churning ocean glimpsed from our apartment, the most extraordinary bands of angry sea colours - greys and muddy browns and lots of foam! Luckily the 50th birthday celebration was taking place  30 minutes in from the coast and yes there was some rain with intense humidity, but we were happily ensconced in this superb marquee decorated beautifully I must add with lanterns from Vietnam (via the lovely Karen at Dragonfly Interiors). The Band was impressive, luring us on to the floor and adding to the wonderful ambience. Lara-Jane, my gorgeous niece joined them for some great numbers. I wrote a post on her here after she recorded an album of her own songs. As an aunt one could be accused of fondness colouring one's view - however this girl indeed has talent...in spades!

and now... for the cake!

Recipe for Chocolate Sacher Torte utilised by mother Olivia on friday (she did the baking) in readiness for trip up the coast - a good foundation for my innovations. She also made 50 copy-cat cupcakes we served rather than create a cake big enough for the crowd - a wise move! Saturday afternoon was spent melting chocolate and watching the gale outside. Concern over humidity led me to make a ricotta filling with fruit, nut and chocolate chopped into it. A modest layer of cream on top of that worked well (next day we SO enjoyed this cake!) and then chocolate ganache icing with shavings of roast almond chocolate I'd made plus toffee shards and chocolate shards. OK... it was no candidate for the Martha Cake of the year award - but with the candles matching all the wonderful garden finds it actually felt quite tropical and worked a treat! 

Jana, the birthday girl, going for the last candle. I think she will have wonderful memories - it was one of those times where all went absolutely beautifully,  her friends travelling from far and wide enjoyed the excellent reunion and some of us even stayed up very late singing good old favourites from the 70's. The garden glistened in the rain and the weather  didn't cause a moment's concern - all was so carefully planned by Jana and Roberto and hosts Tristan (their wonderful son) and wife the lovely Renee- truly a night to remember!

Son Tristan and daughter Lara-Jane making a speech - these 2 have always been adored by their Aunt! Sorry bout the less than fab image here!

on a completely different tangent

This morning I noticed in my sidebar blog-list a new entry from David Byrne's Journal. Even though in a hurry to go out I had to stop and read this post titled DREAM - THE ART TRAP . 

You will have to read the post to see what this image below left has to do with the story. I was a great fan of Talking Heads and Byrne's work. In 1986 whilst living in London I saw his film "True Stories' which I thought was ingenious. Coming from where I had been living in south east country Australia before moving to London there were things that resonated strongly in parts of the film. It certainly stayed with me and I bought a copy of the script in book form later on in Jerusalem of all places.

What happens after attending a VIP opening! It reminded me of the recent discussion on art museums of New York....with a uniquely quirky angle - Byrne's signature style! Have a look if you're the curious type!
      
        

for those in the Brisbane region...

This coming weekend in Brisbane a brilliantly organised Environmental Expo is bringing together a fascinating diversity of Speakers, Stall-holders, Eco-future initiatives, organisations and individuals all presenting their take on participating in a brighter future. Quite a number of artists and creatives have been asked to participate and the networking between people began weeks ago. This forward thinking, inclusive and dynamic organisational process has had participants wanting to sign on and bringing so much enthusiasm to their planning.Its been a wonderful model for creating and  enhancing community  life.

My participation is listed under S for Sophie below. Earlier posts have referred to this current project of mine  that ties together strong concern for  Seed saving, and awareness and preservation of our world's precious heritage of seeds.... increasingly at threat due to a number of key critical factors, very largely, lack of education. The Manifesto of the Future of Seeds  came through Slow food International in 2006 prompted by the convergence of special interest groups and the critical document 3 years earlier: The Manifesto of the Future of Food. Connecting also with The International UK-based initiative through Kew Gardens  -The Millenium Seed Bank project -which the local Botanical Gardens 'Seeds for Life' project was tied in with- all added to my sense of urgency for this important work. I'm hoping to look further soon into the excellent weblinks I have been discovering of late that marry Art with Ecology. For  a link to  my posts on ecology related topics go to the  categories list and click on ecology there. If you can get down to the Hillbrook Expo on Saturday do come along and say hello! I'd love to chat with you!

lemon jelly anyone?

As mentioned in the post on Art in Connu from earlier today (see below this 

post) Lemon Jelly provide an interesting diversion for a few moments on this 

video animation track with the memorable "all the ducks are swimming 

in the water'. If interested have a look at Space Walk which features audio 

track from an actual space walk where the astronaut is stepping out of the 

spacecraft and gazing at what is before him. Information here on the duo 

behind the music.

    

ABOVE LEFT: Lost horizons CD cover image from album which contains

both tracks mentioned above.

   

www.larajanethompson.com

Lara-Jane is my very talented niece who is launching her new EP "Wonder Floating Free" on Saturday night, 30th of May at the Upfront Club, Maleny. All the details can be found on her website  www.lara-janethompson. The proud aunt is spruiking her niece ...but not without good reason...this gal can sing, oozes the kind of natural stage presence her aunt can only daydream about...and writes songs with genuine aplombe. This is a girl who can fill journals with her words and images and has a penchant for philosophy, and in equal measure, conviviality. Looking forward to the new

release...  from June, 09 the EP will be available on   www.cdbaby.com/wonderfloatingfree. 


www.larajanethompson.com