Thursday Thoughts...

“Hope just means another world might be possible, not promised, not guaranteed. Hope calls for action; action is impossible without hope.” 

Rebecca Solnit

We so definitely need to work out how to have hope and how to hold on to hope at the moment. There are just so many places in the world, so many actions, so many disasters, so many looming crises that hope has to be  a major ingredient in our ability to cope I think.

Rebecca Solnit's writings on hope always give me pause for thought. I love how in these words, hope and action and intertwined. You really can't have one without the other; they are interdependent. 

Her way of describing hope as the idea or notion that another way might be possible. Despite all the signposts or indicators that might suggest to us that it's all going to hell in handcart; hope offers that a different outcome might be possible. That our future is dependent on our present; and our actions in the present can help determine that future.

I also like the manner in which she can live with the ambiguity and uncertainty. There is no promise of a wonderful, bright and beautiful future. There are no guarantees. Just hope.

Crocus blooms in early Spring time.

Some favourites

As we start the wander back to Maleny, I paused to pick my ten favourite images from our time here.  Some of them are beautiful imagery; some are memory triggers; some represent special places or moments. An interesting cornucopia which shows the full ness of life and beauty and wonder. 

In the end I came up with my top 15 I think; no surprises that there were many magical and special moments in our three months!

The bounty with which we were met and welcomed back with was amazing. From this beautiful pot of lavender and lobelia to potatoes and kale and raspberries and eggs and so much produce.

Our beautiful wee cottage looking loved and lovely in the sunshine.

I delighted and surprised myself by having left this beautiful small arrangement of dried seed pods and flowers in the kitchen. I adored finding it and have enjoyed it every single day. Simple beauty. Small moments.

The light and small moments. The drying of the flower and seed heads always seems so poignant and fragile and beautiful to me.

Mounting a successful solo exhibition in a remote locality on the opposite side of the world is an achievement I am proud of. It was a beautiful show and engaged locals and visitors alike with the gentle way in which it told the stories.

The joy of seeing so many of our friends and neighbours at the opening of my exhibition was so so special.

Our very first Northern Lights!

Working with the visitors' thoughts and comments and observations about home, and creating four beautiful books for the Museum was a really lovely thing to do.

Building a kitchen cabinet and bench, and replacing the sink and taps and all the plumbing was an experience! I now know more about plumbing than I ever thought I would, but a huge sense of satisfaction in working together and finishing the kitchen.

So many wonderful morning skies at this time of year; and this was a stunning evening sunset out the bedroom window with our favourite sheep Nellie.

We also enjoyed some bramble rambles, collecting brambles from the roadside and adding them to our breakfasts.

A memorable train trip with some of the magnificent West Coast Highlands opening up before us.

We discovered a great new bakery in Tongue, run by a young couple who make beautiful food and great coffee. It is exciting to see young folk making a commitment to the wild and empty places, and bringing their skills and delights with them to share.

Movement from the train - for me the beginnings of some artwork ideas; but also a sense of just how fast the time seems to have gone.

And now we are on the road again...

Thursday Thoughts...

“To create one’s own world takes courage.”  

Georgia O’Keeffe

In oh so many ways, being an artist takes courage.  There is a certain sense of bravery in taking the decision to try and express your feelings, responses, and observations in a way that becomes visible to others. Things that are in our heads, don't always translate magnificently to the page or the canvas, or the fabric, and the translation can disappoint, which can in turn lead to criticism.

I think Georgia O'Keefe is taking it further than the act of making or creating; beyond to the place where the making and creating IS your world. That you have dedicated your life to being an artist or a creative. That you go without all sorts of things in order to be able to pursue your passion. 

To follow your own uniquely of seeing and committing to it whether or not it is popular or in vogue or well regarded takes courage. I am glad she created her own world for us all to enjoy.

Glenn Ligon, I Found My Voice, 1990

Exciting News

 I received an email the other afternoon, which thrilled and excited me no end.  It was from the Museum and they advised that they wished to purchase two pieces from the exhibition: All That Was Lost; and Bundled and Burnt.

I sat there with tears in my eyes as I read it, to think that these two beautiful pieces had found a home in the place they were meant for. It was so moving, and so special.

I admire the Museum so much for the way in which they have become such a force for contemporary understandings of historical matters. Not only do they honour and value the artefacts they are custodians of; they tell the stories in interesting and visually and aurally stimulating ways. The volunteers are all knowledgeable and helpful and the building and displays are just beautiful.

Their commitment to promoting contemporary art which tells stories is to be admired. The fact that they hold exhibitions with contemporary artistic interpretations of local historical issues is wonderful. That they understand how art offers viewers and visitors another way in to understand nature of history in this area is worthy of applause.

That they then add to their collection of historical artefacts, contemporary artwork is just marvellous. The works will eventually be on show in the cafe near the Museum. As I understand it, the plan is for a renovated and refreshed cafe experience, and within the building the artwork collection will be showcased, which may of course,  encourage folk to go across and visit the Museum as well.

So I have diligently packaged up and labeled the works.

I also provided more information and images of the works for the record.

I included the 4 books I had stitched throughout the exhibition as they were being gifted to the Museum and you also need paperwork for donations!

We are beginning to turn towards returning to Maleny. As ever, the leaving will be bittersweet; but I go with a slight spring in my step knowing that these precious pieces have found the perfect home.

The completion of Hame

 On Saturday afternoon, Barry and I headed to the Museum for one final job. We packed up the student exhibition; collected the furniture we had used for the show and popped it in the van to come back to the cottage; we folded up the calico; and we took the words off the wall.

It always seems fitting that the words are the last to go. They are the first to go on, and they indicate the show will begin. As they come off and disappear they very firmly share the message that the show is over.

This is really just a series, and not even a sequence, of the disappearing...

You can see that the 'e' at the end is going to take some paint with it when it goes...

No matter how careful we are, there are the odd points of weakness on the wall and this spot will need patching and painting.

It was enjoyable, even if tinged with sadness.

Barry finished with the smaller sized text, and I was left to remove the title.

You can't really see here but my thumbnail is trying to lift the letter at the bottom.

And the final letter H is removed.

We were in such a rush to get to dinner, we didn't photograph the blank wall, but there is indeed a blank wall, and the show is over...

What a great delight it has been.

Thursday Thoughts...

“Wear the old coat and buy the new book.” 

Austin Phelps

Oh  my goodness, what can I say, but Hard Agree!!!

I am more than happy to re-work, re-configure, repair and renovate my clothes, and can never walk by a bookshop without stopping in.

In fact we oftentimes make decisions about places to stop and visit based on whether they have an art gallery and/or a book shop! Dingwall had a great gallery and two bookshops...

I am glad that for whatever reason I am a person who is less concerned or excited with new looks and fashions than with new books, new ideas and new perspectives.

Books!

The light and the dark

 The weather has turned towards winter. It has clearly decided to leave thoughts of summer behind and instead, make us all consider again the wintering, the closing down, the quietening.

The sun isn't actually rising where we are until almost 8am now, yet we still get up to go walking around 6.30am, which is relatively dark but with the sky beginning to lighten.

Here are some photos from around 7am during the week. I love the moodiness and the light and the shadows.

Mid afternoon sky on a wander to Sandside.

And then today. We slept in and went walking about 7.30am and were rewarded with the soft pink sky.

Which became a big blue sky... the light!

And sparkling reflections on a lochan.

So much variety, so much beauty in the dark and the light. The Highlands continue to surprise and delight.

Sunny as it was, the wind made it feel quite chilly; it still had the hint of winter about it...

The way of things here - this and that

Little bits of this and that.

Small things, making and thinking art in small ways.

Stitching. We bought a couple of pot holders, but they were too heavy and chunky for me, so I unpicked them and thought to maybe make 4 potholders instead of 2. With no sewing machine, I found some random bits of bias binding at a charity shop in Dingwall and went about hand stitching the binding.

And the last one is underway.

Pebbles.

My fascination with pebbles of all shapes and sizes continues, and I have bene pondering new jewellery opportunities for when we return to Australia.  During the week we wandered to the beach and collected tiny wee pebbles and some slightly larger pebbles which we brought home and sorted. we clearly also brought a fair bot of sand home with us!

The sort of thing I have been pondering...

Watercolour.

I have enjoyed having moments simply to play and practice doing different watercolours. I prefer the graphic look, I like a layered look and I like an abstract look. These are things I have learned as I have played. 

And so this week I tried out just random mosaic shapes.

I have a container of Koh I Noor watercolour palettes and there are 8 in the stack. I chose to work with just the colours in one palette for each window.

I expect I will take the masking tape away, and work further into them to add a bit more interest/distinctiveness, but for now it has been fun.

And just in passing, we thought to head out for our afternoon walk yesterday but thought better of it. A wicked tempest blew through and the temperature says it might have been 6 degrees, but it felt like -7!!

We stayed inside.