2012WhatWillThePastBring

during the new of new year

one likes to think about the possibilities 

of what that year may bring

standing on the edge of 2012

i would like to think about what the past may bring

my grandparents born, sometime during the 1880s

in a small  place in holland,

and long since past  into that other place of existence

where they are an occasional memory,

would maybe both be excitedandannoyed

and amusedandconfused

to find them selves on a blog

in a small town somewhere in australia

and thus, post mortem, be exposed to the world.

their past brought me that future

the same past which brought, and will continue to bring,

magnificent, super, glorious, sublime,

lovely, delightful, fantastic, tremendous,

incredible, fabulous, and magical surprises

'The heart has its reasons that the mind knows nothing of'

SexAndDeath

the venus flower basket

has a tale of sex and death.

the basket is a curved tube like glass sponge

created in intricate lattice work.

it is a bridal chamber

for a pair of tiny male and female shrimps

of the spongicola family.

the pair enters the bridal suite,

made in their beautiful home of the sea.

the young ones produced from this union

escape from the basket

while still in the embryo stage,

while the parents die  inside the chamber.

'Your children get only one childhood'

 

TheLastPost/TheDeathOf2011

 burned forest bones

"death

all things summon us to death.

nature, almost envious of the good

she has given us,

tells us often,

and gives us notice,

that she cannot for long

allow us that scrap of matter

she has lent..........

she has need of it for other forms,

she claims it back for other works."

found at the mona art museum of old and new art

'after each big event take some time of'

snowflakes in the summer forest

"he, to whom nature

begins to reveal 

her open secrets, 

will feel an irresistible yearning

for her most worthy interpreter:

art"

goethe

FreeForestGifts

this is an elderberry tree

i found it in the forest

and remembered the variety of ways this was used

when i visited europe

elderflower wine, elderflower cordial

and then later elderberry wine

i harvested a bowl full of flowers and made a very fragrant cordial

i took a suacepan and filled it with 1.5 litres of water 

and poured in 2 kilos of sugar

while this was brought to the boil, i occasionally stirred it.

in a large bowl i placed the elderberry flower heads

pared the skin of a couple of lemons

tossed them into the bowl

then sliced up the lemons and also tossed them into the bowl

when the syrup water was boiling 

i poured it over the elderberry flower heads

and put in a small container (75gr) of citric acid

i covered the bowl with a cloth and put it away for 24 hours

next day i sieved it through a cloth

and poured it into clean glass bottles

then put it away for a sunny summer's day

'every roadside is suitable for planting fruit trees'

FieldBreadStacks

everywhere i go at the moment

the farmers are cutting their hay 

rolling it up and and 

storing it in plastic wraps

I can't help but thinking of times past

when there were haystacks

that smelled of sweet, sweet, grass

'Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now'

 

 

 

 

TheForestPatientlyWaits

my contribution for the 2011 glenlyon's sculpture show

the work wonders if humanity, as represented by the chair,

is imprisoned by nature, as represented by the tree branch,

or protected by it

"What gets your attention gets you"

 

 

 

SandAndSurf

'illegal immigrants'

sunday the 16th of october i took part 

in the ephemeral aspect of the lorne sculpture event

and, over the course of the day

created yet another plague of rabbits

there was much movement of sun, wind and rain  

plus many people

the work which was being created at one side

was being removed by the sea at the other

such is life

 You can't depend on your judgement with your imagination out of focus

gift

 yesterday i received a cd from the national Gallery of Victoria

it contained a series of special images

of an installation of my work

if you would like to view this installation

you will find it on the second floor
of the ian potter gallery at federation square

at the back of the joseph brown collection gallery

the best is yet to come

GoldFind

this morning on my way to clunes

i came across this image

a slab of gold lying quietly in the landscape

creating wonderful energy

the energy of nature's and the farmer's gift

i stopped the car to appreciate the sudden beauty of the work

soon, filled with loveliness, plus the energy of the pure sunlight

i resume my journey, a lot richer

Reality is for people who can't handle drugs

 

 

 

 

VisualSurprise

this morning i awoke to the surprise of spring

the window frame of a life painting

filled overnight with the magic of colour

splashed about in great abundance

with the enthusiasm of a child's art

another Aahhh..... moment

we seem to be perishing for want of wonder

not for want of wonders

TheMoment

Wandering in the woods,

at the time the sun sat comfortably on the horizon

and without intention set the forest alight

with the magic of its illumination,

for a moment there were ephemeral rivers of gold

I stopped and wondered at the magic of that moment

like life, oh so short

You must give birth to your images, they are the future waiting to be born

TreeScribe

remembering the old school blackboards 

of the past century,

the scribe leaves his mark

Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions

 

 

 

 

Pastoral poetry

the other day I was traveling from one place to another

when I came across this poetic scene.
It took my breath away.

It also reminded me of the inspiration of art
in whatever form we come across it.

 The mind is something to express, not something to figure out

vanHouse

During midwinter

on a rainy Monday morning

the clouds hanging so low

they have become oppressive

I made a fire and took out a book of images

I came across this one

and thought I would share it with you

for the beauty in it

just that

The universal is always the same, the specifics are always different