a quick getaway...

Images here are of work from a group show I'm currently participating in at Embiggen Books Gallery, Noosa. A recent post provided details on this wonderful venue on the Sunshine coast 2 hours from Brisbane. I was able to spend time with a number of friends yesterday in this great gallery/store. Finding out about the other artists was rewarding and browsing shelves laden with great titles from Science, philosophy, ecolgy to Art, design and literature kept us conversing with Warren Bonnett, the owner/director, for quite some time. All were very taken with the design and architectural details of the store, the brilliant range of contemporary titles. 

These are from Embiggen's Flickr site 
-below left is 'disperse I' , acrylic and ink on linen, 90 x 45 x 10 cm.

Lino-cuts on right : Geoff Stocks

Etchings on left: Warren Bonnett

'Coastal Reverie II' is the 120x 40 cm work on the wall - right. Ink and acrylic on linen.

On the left 3 small oval works - 'pod abstracts'  ink on canvas.

 

Paintings also by Isla Griffin

Ceramic vessels by Laura Ellis

Below: a series of images form the National Park Noosa, right next to where I stayed with friends Wednesday night

Tea Tree Beach, Noosa National Park. We swam here just on sunset after watching a Koala high up in a gum tree for a while. 

Noosa Heads, Hastings St looking towards the National Park.

swimming part III

...really... if you've been wondering where I've been these past few weeks - swimming to New Zealand, lost at sea, or gone fishing... its none of the above!
I am one of those creatures at home in the water and summer isn't summer without finding plenty of H2O. The first week or two of this holiday season the H2O came tumbling down from the skies. A lovely mellow quiet descended. I was happy - the painting was happening and it was a relaxing time. Then the sun started bursting through again, the temperature rose and the thirst for water was upon me!
I am just back from a brief visit to a very beautiful coastal spot north of here...and here I am posting images from elsewhere. This is the third post tonight with water images!
Inspired first of all by Louise of 52 suburbs - she got me going on this theme. Then, remembering the beautiful Bronte ocean pool in Sydney led me to the next post of Bronte images from Sally of Nearly Daily Photos. Then I discovered she had a blog called SWIMMING at swimsallyswim.blogspot.com and I thought I just have to post this... its curiously my kind of thing - not that I would have ever thought up this blog! Its rather wonderful with all kinds of references to swimming - literary, artistic, historic and definitely experiential! It got me thinking of the all the places I have swum and the layers of detailed thoughts that come flooding back once those memories are triggered.
Sally has even made some artist trading cards inspired by Bronte baths here. The rest of the images are either her own photos or images from her blog which you can read about at length if you happened to be as aquatically inclined as me!

It seems this blog was started in 1989... This astonishes me... being such a latecomer to the art of blogging! I have to add this small image below from 1989 as it is taken in Pamukkale in Turkey and I actually swam in this same pool in 1987 (if only I had photos!) It was absolutely astonishing. I seem to remember the water was sparkling spring water - carbonated - and the ancient marble columns were scattered on the floor of the pool for one to loll about on! This antique pool was a health centre during the Roman period and it was reshaped in the 7th century AD by an earthquake which toppled the columns.

photo gallery of this historical pool ( and surrounds) available here

Travertine pools flow down a steep hill-side at Pamukkale. This was a totally enchanting pace to visit over 20 years ago! Swimming amidst the marble columns was an extraordinary experience. I'd almost forgotten about this till viewing the 'swimming' blog tonight. During 2008 Sally has posted on a number of artists who have been in some way inspired by this theme:

                                                  Julian Beever - Taking the plunge

David Hockney: postcard image

1964 David Hockney - Picture of a Hollywood Swimming Pool

David Hockney - Rubber ring floating in a swimming pool, 1987

Edgar Degas - 'peasant girls bathing in the sea at dusk'

 Sydney Nolan - above: Anzac swimming at Gallipoli

below: Swimmers at Gallipoli

swimming in ancient Greece

Photo of Ian Thorpe

Enid Blyton's 'Famous Five'

Birthday Card

2 books related to the history of swimming

Clovelly, Sydney


also look at NSW Ocean Baths website.

Summer - images of Bronte Pool

photos found at sydneynearlydailyphot.blogspot.com -  once there click on suburbs- Bronte

SYDNEY: suburb no 16

Louise at www.52suburbs.com has been on a mission "to explore and photograph one new suburb a week for a year in search of the beauty in the 'burb." I twice lived in Sydney, many years ago now, never quite settling in or finding my niche. Hard to say quite why as it certainly possessed much to boast about and was wildly cosmopolitan in parts and diverse... with great cultural spots and ethnic enclaves, beaches and climate. It was always wonderful to visit though and finding new parts of this somewhat chaotic city to discover.
Probably the place where I felt most home were the ocean baths around Bronte and Clovelly. I enjoyed the egalitarian feel of these places... all ages, backgrounds, languages, BBQ aromas mingling...  and the pleasure of summer visits to these beautiful aqua ocean pools built into rock platforms with waves crashing over the sides! Plus I have some wonderful friends living here - hello D and guys!
52 SUBURBS is a delightful blog that brings to light some of the Sydney magic and here are a few of Louise's shots (with kind permission) from Clovelly, suburb no 16.









Below: another side of Sydney I always loved to explore - also found at 52 suburbs if you click on cuisine.