Thursday 29 December 2011

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'



 

Friday 23 December 2011

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'




Tuesday 13 December 2011

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







Thursday 24 November 2011

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'







Thursday 3 November 2011

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'
 
 
 
 

Sunday 30 October 2011

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"
 
 
 

Tuesday 18 October 2011

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



Friday 14 October 2011

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








Monday 3 October 2011

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
 
 
 
 

Tuesday 27 September 2011

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



Monday 5 September 2011

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
 
 
 
 

Saturday 20 August 2011

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





Monday 25 July 2011

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




Monday 18 July 2011

Black moon-light

here is a rare advertisement
this is an image from my exhibition 
at the Stockroom, Kyneton

It runs from the 16th of July - the 14th of August, 2011
There will be a floor talk on the 6th august, at 3 pm and to which you are all invited.

here is a sample

I recently had a conversation with a local business man. When I explained that I was making art, he told me: and I quote, "Mate, you obviously have too much time on your hands".

here is my thought on that.

Without art or poetry, life would be hell. Imagine it.

I mean the art of everything. (by the way, when I wrote these thoughts, I accidentally typed: the heart of everything. Interestingly, in this typo lies some truth). The heart or art of cooking, the heart or art of architecture, the heart or art of writing, the heart and art of dance, the heart or art of painting, and on… without the art or heart all of these activities would be dead. Meaning they would not inspire, excite, enrich………

Art, like science, is important because it inspires both exploration and greatness in all fields of human endeavour.

The artist plays, and through his play with ideas and materials, occasionally comes up with a revelation, a beautiful idea, an exquisite object, a great building, an intriguing story, a moving poem.

The artist and poet explore and share the possibilities of magic in an otherwise ordinary world.

they show, in one way or another, that there is always another way.

The artist and the poet are important in our community because they teach us to play. They remind us of something as simple, but relevant, as our childhood, when there was much magic. The magic found in experiencing things for the very first time.

The artist and poet awaken in us a sense of wonder, which is the driver of a creative life. They take us on a journey, a special journey, in a world where we are perishing for want of wonder, not for want of wonders.

Petrus

           we will continue these considerations during our floor talk on August the 6th, here, at 3pm


Wednesday 22 June 2011

Nature'sPoetryVisibleInALog


 When nature's summer garments
have been removed, one by one, by autumn
and autumn herself stripped bare
by winter,
we find in the early exposures
of tree life
Patterns and structures.
explorations into the domain
of sacred geometry

'Creativity, getting lost and finding your way again'
 
 
 

Saturday 18 June 2011

InnerLandscapes

when, after the colour celebration of autumn
trees lose their leaves 
 to reveal their sacred geometry
It is time to haul the winterwood

and there, in the split half of a block of wood
as if by magic, appears
an image of the landscape from which it came
 
'you are holding your freedom on your own home made leash' 



 

Thursday 9 June 2011

WinterForest,MagicMoments

Wild Woolly Wintry Day
Walking the forest 
Warmly Wrapped
I saw a fire
floating in the sky
Imagination?
or Wanting Warmth?

'you are holding your freedom on your own home made leash'
 
 
 
 

Saturday 4 June 2011

Signature


The signature of my ceramic bowls
is a spiral,
since the bowl manifests through the spiral
and stand on it 
a stable base
fired into strength and longevity

and here it is, fired, like the bowl
 in a clearing of the forest

'The business of man is the arts and all things common'
 
 
 
 

Wednesday 25 May 2011

ThenItRained


although it may not at first be obvious
underneath a very thin topsoil
the earth in this part of the forest is mainly clay

when it rains heavily 
a number of trees always fall over
exposing in their shallow roots the ochre coloured clay

a while back, the local forest roads 
were covered in a red clay like substance
for a better road surface

walking in the forest the other (rainy) day
both the ochre and red clay 
became obvious additions to my making palette

I keep on thinking:

'The best is yet to come'.

Monday 16 May 2011

Tuesday 3 May 2011

BurningCargo

In the quiet of the forest
the burning cargo
floats in the eternal reflection
of trees

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


Reflections/Cargo

Found in the forest
 a nest of abandoned eggs
send on a raft to eternity
happy in the reflection of trees
carrying the forest spirit
 
'To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders'
 
 

Monday 2 May 2011

TallForestPiece

This is how it works

I am walking the forest

the ground is covered with
pieces of quartz rock
very white on an otherwise dark forest floor

the tall scar in the tree bark
is deep and black inside
and for no particular reason 
asks to be filled 
with white quartz rocks

I answer the request
and another forest work is made

'The business of man is the arts and all things common'

Wednesday 27 April 2011

equanimity



Finding the balance
in the walk
even slow breathing
in the artwork
even slow breathing
in the evaluation
even slow breathing
in the joy
even slow breathing
in the slow walk home
even slow breathing

'The answer to everything can be found in slow breathing'



Tuesday 26 April 2011

TheLateAfternoonMagicLightShow

I walked my daily kilometers today
at that time when the sun 
sits quietly on the horizon
while making the most 
of a glorious autumn day

It peers deep into the forest
and illuminates the trees with its magic
'just before going under' light tricks
warm tones of a somewhat mysterious quality

The moment is short, very short
It is therefore very special
to be savoured
wrapped up and taken home
for a special evening meditation

'The pace of happiness is calm'
 
 

TheWeaverSupreme

A fine ephemeral work
 
the forest is full of special surprises
a slow walk daily will reveal some of them
today I found this
and was grateful

'Is not the core of nature in the heart of man'



Thursday 21 April 2011

HotCrossedBuns

I made some hot cross buns today
I make them once a year
it used to be something special
bread with fruit, like cake.

there used to be lots of food
which appeared only once per year
for special events and festivities
which used to be special
now you can buy them year around
more of it? Not so special anymore.
Then there is seasonal food
once this was available only in the season
now it is available year around
Not so special anymore

By having so much
very little is special


'First we raise the dust, then we claim we cannot see'






Monday 18 April 2011

EasterBunnies


The illegal Immigrants of Manningham Gallery
have moved to be viewed at the 
Convent Gallery, Daylesford
where from a menace 
they have become Easter Bunnies

'When I awake in the morning, I always think: 'Be surprised'
and there is always moment in my day that I am'




Monday 11 April 2011

ForestTotem

After the devastation of the harvested forest,
there rises the totem of new growth
it is thus
a continuum
ad infinite

'Poetry is when you make new things familiar and familiar things new'
 
 

Monday 4 April 2011

InTheMoment


In the moment
there is a thought
In the moment
there is empty mind
In the moment
there is the nothing and the everything
only in the moment
can we find eternity
 and in the forest
I found the moment

'We are sleep walking in The Garden of Eden 
and may awaken to it'

Monday 28 March 2011

TheMostBeautifulWord


BREAD
One of the most beautiful words in our language
BREAD
A loaf of Bread, one of the most beautiful things to behold

I make bread weekly. I do not measure. This is what I do.
I take a bowl and put some dry yeast into it
I add warm milk, a spoonful of sugar (to feed the yeast)
and enough flour to make a runny mixture.
I place a tea towel over it and let it rise.

I pour some warm milk over a bowl filled with rolled oats

when the bread starter has risen to three times its volume,
I drop 2 eggs into it, some poppy seeds, some sunflower seeds,
a handful of wholemeal flour, the soaked oats
and enough plain flour to make a soft pliable dough.
Mix it all together and knead it so that it becomes nice and stretchy.

Let it rise, when it is twice its volume, punch it down to get rid of the gasses 
which helped the dough to rise. It is necessary to get rid of them so that they do not kill the yeast
Let the dough rise again and once more punch it down. 
Now add a little salt (last because it kills the yeast)
form the dough and drop into loaf pan
Rise in a warm place and when risen place in an 160 degree oven
you know when the bread is done,
when you push a knitting needle into it and it comes out clean.

BREAD
One of the most beautiful smells on earth

     
'The poet and the baker, both nourish the world'