SlowLooking

2012WhatWillThePastBring

2012-01-06T09:52:00.000+11:00

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

2011-12-29T17:00:00.003+11:00

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

2011-12-23T19:16:00.003+11:00

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

2011-12-13T15:54:00.002+11:00

"he, to whom nature

begins to reveal

her open secrets,

will feel an irresistible yearning

for her most worthy interpreter:

art"

goethe

FreeForestGifts

2011-11-24T14:25:00.001+11:00

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

2011-11-03T15:43:00.000+11:00

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

2011-10-30T16:01:00.001+11:00

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 attentiongets you"

SandAndSurf

2011-10-18T08:24:00.002+11:00

'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 offocus

gift

2011-10-14T09:23:00.001+11:00

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

2011-10-03T20:59:00.001+11:00

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 whocan't handle drugs

VisualSurprise

2011-09-27T10:31:00.001+10:00

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

2011-09-05T09:11:00.000+10:00

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 yourimages, they are the future waiting to be born

TreeScribe

2011-09-05T08:57:00.000+10:00

remembering the old school blackboards

of the past century,

the scribe leaves his mark

Your imagination is yourpreview of life's coming attractions

Pastoral poetry

2011-08-20T22:56:00.004+10:00

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

2011-07-25T09:44:00.000+10:00

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

Black moon-light

2011-07-18T09:00:00.001+10:00

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

Nature'sPoetryVisibleInALog

2011-06-22T14:27:00.000+10:00

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'

InnerLandscapes

2011-06-18T15:29:00.000+10:00

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'

WinterForest,MagicMoments

2011-06-09T08:19:00.000+10:00

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'

Signature

2011-06-04T11:05:00.000+10:00

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'

ThenItRained

2011-05-25T07:25:00.002+10:00

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'.

Cargo

2011-05-16T13:02:00.000+10:00

'Cargo'

sensing the mysterious

'Quiet Contemplation'

BurningCargo

2011-05-03T13:15:00.000+10:00

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

2011-05-03T13:07:00.000+10:00

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'

TallForestPiece

2011-05-02T09:07:00.001+10:00

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'

equanimity

2011-04-27T20:28:00.000+10:00

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'

TheLateAfternoonMagicLightShow

2011-04-26T20:42:00.000+10:00

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

2011-04-26T15:28:00.000+10:00

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'

HotCrossedBuns

2011-04-21T23:26:00.002+10:00

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'

EasterBunnies

2011-04-18T20:46:00.000+10:00

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'

ForestTotem

2011-04-11T12:39:00.000+10:00

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'

InTheMoment

2011-04-04T23:23:00.000+10:00

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'

TheMostBeautifulWord

2011-03-28T20:27:00.001+11:00

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'

JustAnAutumnMorningImage

2011-03-15T08:38:00.000+11:00

Just one of those somber grey mornings

when the spirit needs a bit of a lift

that is when I re-visit

some of the sunnier places

I have stored in my memory,

and physically in my computer,

If you are having a similar day

I hope these images will also lift your spirit

"Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present". 

ColouringIn

2011-03-08T12:00:00.001+11:00

When you reach just that little higher

than you can imagine

you enter heaven,

that space where the creative process places you

I didn't think so last Sunday afternoon

when I filled in the negative space

between the two trunks and the lot collapsed

I rebuilt is three times

the problem was that the wind moved the trunks

just enough to make the project unstable

but that didn't stop me

'The function of the artist is to provide what life does not'

SlowSculpture

2011-03-04T16:49:00.000+11:00

walking the trees

stopping here and there

to place a rock on top of another rock

a Korean zen like activity

therefore seeing the trees

'Honour the playfulness of spirit that lets everyone win'

MonkThoughts

2011-02-27T20:17:00.000+11:00

A nun once asked the abbess:

"What is the meaning of life?"

The abbess replied:

"What motivates your question?"

The nun thinking for a while said:
"Fear."

The abbess said:

"Resolve your fear and you won't need

an answer to the meaning of life."

Gil Fronsdal

MonkThoughts

2011-02-27T20:11:00.000+11:00

A visiting monk asked the abbess,

"How do I know if I am wasting my time?"

The abbess replied:

"If you are suffering."

Gil Fronsdal

MonkThoughts

2011-02-27T20:07:00.000+11:00

The Abbess taught:

"If you want to discover

what you don't know yet about yourself,

investigate why you say what you say."

Gil Fronsdal

MonkThoughts

2011-02-27T20:03:00.000+11:00

A young monk asked the abbess:

"How can I recognise if someone is enlightened?"

The abbess replied:

"The first thing to consider,

is if they are helpful to other human beings."

Gil Fronsdal

ThenIFoundThis

2011-02-23T06:22:00.001+11:00

still watching my shadow

watching found works in the forest

there is a rich booty

to be found daily everywhere

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

BeEphemeral

2011-02-10T19:49:00.001+11:00

On my daily walk

another ephemeral art work

found in the forest

join the movement

and be ephemeral

make a work and email it to me

I will post it on my blog

art@petrusspronk.com

"Believe in miracles"

SilentSentinels

2011-01-26T20:12:00.000+11:00

The ephemeral work continuous,

next to a solid bridge which

as a result of the floods also

became ephemeral.

as did lots of what we understood to be solid stuff

during the flood affected areas

which reminds me:

"If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back"

TheEphemeralArtMovementActivated

2011-01-12T21:40:00.000+11:00

The best is yet to come

TheGiftOfBread

2011-01-11T11:38:00.000+11:00

It was a rainy day, which stopped me from finishing a paint project.

I used the opportiunity of the rain softened earth to pull some weeds

in readiness for some more vegetable planting

Then, inside I decided to make bread.

I took a mixing bowl and placed a handful of flour,

some dry yeast, a spoonfull of sugar (food for the yeast)

and some warm water, mixed it and let it stand.

I mashed some cold potatoes with cream to a creamy substance

when the flour mix was bubbly and twice its volume

I added the potato, a couple of eggs

and enough flower to make a pliable dough

Nothing was measured, its simply bread, an ancient food

I kneaded it and let it rise, punched it down

kneaded it once more let it rise and punched it down again

kneaded it again and shaped it into two balls

placed them into a bread tin, proofed it and baked it

'It is nice to be kneaded'

ItIsCatching

2011-01-11T08:11:00.000+11:00

0n my daily walk in the forest

(and this day a soft summer rain created

a gentle fragrant poetic experience)

I found that the idea of the rock on the log

which I found and created some weeks ago

is catching

and has been inspiring others' creative spirits

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

ASoftRockOnAHardLog

2011-01-10T09:45:00.000+11:00

and then there were two

this one a soft rock

on a hard log

'The Power Of Limits'

NightSkyLandingInMyBackyard

2010-12-29T12:09:00.000+11:00

This morning,

after a night under a clear starry sky,

I found an image of that same sky

had landed in the field next door

the selfsame configuration

At the cosmic filling station always ask for a "full Tank"

RockOnALog

2010-12-27T19:19:00.000+11:00

There are no words needed for this post

It is a found log with a found rock

Without vision the people perish

ClayPlay

2010-12-20T09:53:00.001+11:00

Starting with a new form on the wheel

involves playing with the material

to allow the clay to tell me the various directions
in which it is able to go
in which I am able to go

play

explore

don't have expectations

discovering new ways

'Yield'

CoastalJourney

2010-12-14T11:58:00.001+11:00

A journey along the coast

from Adelaide to Victoria
stopover in Robe

with beautiful imagery

of nature and human endeavour

no more words needed

Follow that way which experience confirms to be your own

illegalImmigrants

2010-11-01T14:44:00.004+11:00

The sand work I entered into the
Glenlyon Annual Sculpture Show
Title:
'Illegal Immigrants'
Material:
Leather and Sand

'It's never too late to have a happy childhood'

ReachOut

2010-09-27T06:45:00.002+10:00

on a recent spring journey
I came across this oak
in a park near Smeaton
it had the most remarkable reach
which seemed to go on and on......
and

"The best is yet to come"

Celebration:My100thposting

2010-09-24T17:00:00.006+10:00

On a recent drive through the local landscape
I was rewarded with an image of a FarmerArtist
Drawing large chocolate brown abstract shapes
into a huge green canvass.

And, as a result of his recent tractor drawing activity,
the brilliant van Gogh yellow
of his efforts now also manifested
in huge water colours under the warming spring sun

"everywhere I go I find an artist has been there before me"

IntoTheFloodIntoTheMystery

2010-09-16T21:00:00.002+10:00

This magic board walk is at st Georges Lake Creswick
I sat there and contemplated
the beauty of this special moment
TheFlood
which was so good for some
and so devastating for others

"Water The Seeds Of Joy First"

TheMightyBlowhole

2010-08-30T15:54:00.003+10:00

BeautifulEnergy

the blowhole at Hepburn has been created
by Chinese miners.
By dynamiting a hole in the rock bridge/wall
and thus creating a diversion in the Old Sailors Creek.
Not quite sure why, but related to
gold mining techniques.

We are left with the blowhole
Always worth a visit, however, these days,
with great amounts of water everywhere
it is an intense place for a energising visit.

The power of the water,
gushing with great energy,
from the rock hole, is palpable,
and transferred to the viewer

Visit the blow hole for an energiser

"Yield"

BowlFilledToTheRim

2010-08-24T08:59:00.002+10:00

Lake Wendouree in Ballarat Victoria,
which I titled: 'LakeWhenToBe'
for a project I presented to a primary school,
an empty bowl filled with weeds
for a number of years,
has with the recent rains re-filled
and been restored to its beautiful self

when I visited it recently
the joy of this replenishment
was for the many visitors,
walking the almost 6ks around its perimeter,
visible in their smiles, attitude and energy

"we are perishing for want of wonder, not for want of wonders"

ShadowFromShadowLand

2010-08-10T10:44:00.003+10:00

I have been absent from my blog for some time
because I have spend my time writing
my memories into text.
Memories from a period as
'artist in residence'
and a 'writer in residence'
both in Korea

It is becoming a book

I take time out
from this sitting and writing activity
by walking in the forest
and daily exploring the beauty which surrounds me.

I am accompanied by my shadow
a comfortable companion

"We Are Perishing For Want Of Wonder,
Not For Want Of Wonders"

ForestJewellery

2010-06-06T18:27:00.004+10:00

Found: an exquisite Forest Brooch

I found this brooch on a recent walk
there it was, like a visual surprise,
altogether still, lying in the forest,
quietly emanating loveliness.

An elegant set of rain-drop pearls,
sown into a base of exceptional quality silk

My daily forest walk offers remarkable
surprises of the positive kind, and
Here is one of them.

"Don't audit life, show up and make the most of it"

ForestEyesWatching

2010-06-02T08:35:00.012+10:00

Forest Eyes

The forest is impassive. The forest is indifferent.

It does not care, yet is beautiful nevertheless.

The forest is silent. Yet I found words everywhere,

in and around the trees, all across the sky, in reflections of puddles.

Everywhere I looked and listened.

I gathered a few handfuls of these words

I took them home and placed them on the table.

I arranged and re-arranged them

and from the silence of the forest magic, a story.

everywhere forest eyes are silently watching me

'You Already Have All You Need'

FloorTalkAtTheBallaratFineArtGallery

2010-05-16T11:37:00.004+10:00

Wednesday 26th May, 12.15pm

During this floor talk,
Bridget Bodenham, Tina Lee and Petrus Spronk,
will talk about their ceramic work
presently exhibited at the Ballarat Fine Art gallery.

This is a chance for you to see the work
and hear the stories about it.

There will be a ten minute presentation by each artist.
After this there will be time for the audience to ask questions.
The moderator is Richard Perry from Hepburn.

Come and join us

'When a good idea gets out, things begin to happen'

NewExhibitionInvite

2010-04-30T13:16:00.004+10:00

Lutea's imaginary cloudscapes

Dear Blogger Friends

Below please find an invite
to the opening of an exhibition
of my new ceramic work
and that of two of local ceramicists
Tina Lee
and
Bridget Bodenham
at the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery

This exhibition runs from 30th April- 31st May

In addition there will be a floortalk
to which you are also invited, on
wednesday the 26th May at 12.15

Hoping to see you at both events

Petrus

P.S.
would you please inform anyone who maybe interested

MyKoreanPeriod

2010-03-26T16:45:00.005+11:00

Tea plantation

Rice Harvest

Temple visit

Images from my time in Korea
both as artist in residence (1999)
and writer in residence (2004)

As you can read from the images
a rich and enriching time
which has inspired me for years
and will continue to do so

"Travel, getting lost and finding your way again"

EverywhereIWent......

2010-03-24T08:24:00.002+11:00

Alhambra Spain

Oxford England

Santorini Greece

Bornholm Denmark

N.W. Greece

Everywhere I went I came across
beautiful doorways
Each journey started and finished
with a doorway
I was led from one space into another
through a doorway

Everywhere I went,
a poet had been there before me

TheUltimateDryStone

2010-03-05T12:36:00.005+11:00

I was hitch-hiking in England when someone
gave me a ride to StoneHenge
For the ultimate dry stone experience
what more is there to say but
enjoy the images
from a time before it was fenced

"The Best Is Yet To Come"

KoreanDryStone

2010-03-01T13:46:00.004+11:00

Stone offerings on a temple walk

composition of ceramic pots and dry stone wall

dry stone tribute

following the interest on my last dry stone posting,
I will follow this up with some more dry stone.

my dry stone interest having been awakened in Ireland,
I couldn't help noticing the intricacies
of Korean dry stone work.
therefore,
Above some of the many examples.

"For man is by nature an artist"

DryStone/StackingStones

2010-02-26T16:27:00.005+11:00

Many years ago, when I hitch-hiked around the world,
I started to photograph beautifully made objects.

I found these dry stone walls above
while travelling around Ireland,
specifically around the West Coast,
in an area called the Burren,
a raw and beautiful environment.

Someone told me that people that made the walls
could be recognised by the pattern.

(someone also told me, when I was lost,
and asked for directions, to follow the smoke,
I did and came to a cottage with a smoky peat fire)

"Go outside everyday, miracles are waiting everywhere"

FromTheShadowsBackIntoBlogLand

2010-02-23T20:11:00.003+11:00

This is my live in neighbour
he lives in a nest in the vine
where he sleeps most of the day
when I discovered the nest
and tried to photograph him in it
he came out, indignant, and wanted
his picture taken properly.

at night he awakes and plays
constant drum beats on the roof

He awoke me to do some more blog postings
I have been absent because I was busy
scanning 8000 images from slides into my computer

well, now I am back, and in time,
show you some of them

"scanning my past into the present"

T-PotProject

2010-02-22T20:40:00.005+11:00

Tea for Two TeaPot

InsideOut TeaPot (handy for travelling)

DoubleBarrel TeaPot

During the seventies I was working
in a design center in Kilkenny, Ireland.
Using that which was available
which were plaster moulds
I made a series of fun tea pots
which everyone enjoyed but the boss
"this is a serious project"
"Sorry I was only trying to be Irish"

a comment left on my last posting
reminded me of this project
if the same people look at this
please make yourself known.......

smallBIG

2010-01-12T06:35:00.005+11:00

I had no idea that something so small
(the birth of three golden chicks)
could be so big
(I am totally smitten)

I watch them learning day by day
and am surprised by their rapid growth.

I watch them understanding the language of
"here is food" which elicits a certain call
"here is danger" which elicits another

when at the age of four days the chickens came out
and a crow flew over
the young chicken ran for cover under a plank

hardwired?

"Is not the core of nature, in the heart of man?"

From90Into09

2009-12-31T07:11:00.004+11:00

scanned images from sand works I created in
the early days of the 90s
into the last day of 09 (I just made it)

These works were made for the Adelaide Festival of Arts
and depict various architectural aspects of the city

In order of appearance an aspect of:
the art gallery
the museum
the parliament

Happy creative new year

"Make your work movements as unhurried as caresses"

aBarryBarryXmas

2009-12-26T12:00:00.003+11:00

Dear Bloggers, blogFollowers and Blogenthusiasts

A BarryBarryXmas and a veggy new year

May 2010 be filled with loveliness
and many surprises of the positive kind

May it also be filled with blogging good words
plus encouraging and cheerful ideas
Cheers

"If you have a good idea, act upon it"

image from my 'Real Irish' selection

LetThemEatCake

2009-12-22T08:21:00.002+11:00

I have bought a scanner
and I am resurrecting the past into the present.
the past which was documented on slide
into the present of the digital age.

since I have got some 10.000 slides
there is more to come
watch out for it

this image is from the time I worked with sand
as an artist in the street

a commissions for the Food and Wine Festival
in Brunswick Street, Melbourne
titled: 'A Piece of Cake'

'Industry without art is Brutality'

Brambuk

2009-12-15T09:40:00.006+11:00

whenever I visit the Grampians, or Gariwerd, its aboriginal name,
a sculptural mountain rock formation in Victoria, Australia
I am sure to call in at Brambuk,
the Aaboriginal cultural centre

The architect, Greg Burgess, in consultation with the local aboriginal communities,
designed and built it in the 1980s
It withstood the test of time and is a building of great inspiration
filled with symbolic detail.

for instance:
it is shaped in the form of a cockatoo with outstretched wings
as if sheltering its eggs or young
It is made up of five circles which represent the five aboriginal communities
The stonework in the building represents the stone houses and the fish-traps of the area
The poles which hold up the building represent the Framlingham forest nearby
the spiral ramp leading up to the second floor represents the eel dreaming

It excited and inspired me the first time I saw it and it continues to do so

"When a good idea gets out things begin to happen"

TheSpriritLine

2009-11-26T13:18:00.003+11:00

I came across this circle just outside
the Aboriginal Brambuk Cultural Centre in the Grampians
(of which more in the next posting)
With its opening in the left hand side, it reminded me
of the spirit line I came across when I studied pottery
with the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico.

There I was told that the opening in the spirit-line,
painted on the lip of their bowls
was there to allow the spirit of the potter to get out
and the spirit of the bowl to get in.
This, I was told, was important, because if your spirit gets caught up in anything
you cannot move/grow anymore
Important advice for the rest of my life......

'Always choose Life'

TheBigAllotmentGarden/Paddock

2009-11-23T14:04:00.004+11:00

Found Art Compositions

I love these accidental compositions
of the strong 3 dimensional rolled hay bales
placed in large 2 dimensional fields

There is an harmonious order which is the result
of the volume of the crop
in relation to the skill of the harvester

The outcome always holds a certain mystery for me
and hence an annual fascination

'Industry without art is brutality'

AllotmentGarden

2009-11-16T07:56:00.003+11:00

As an artist I make one painting per year.

I do not use conventional paints for this work.

I use earth colours.

The painting is not exhibited, although anyone can come and look at it,

nor is the painting for sale.

This painting is for eating. Some of the colours taste delicious.....

Early summer.........

All of a sudden the garden is filled with colour.

It seems as if the colours have been waiting underground for the energising rain,

followed by the warming sun.

Not unlike a water-colour painting where pigments wait for water

to manifest in all their glory on the surface of the paper.

The various pigments in the garden come

from the seeds and seedlings which I have sown and planted at the end of winter.

I am working on this huge painting for pleasures of

the aesthetic, working and relaxation kind.

Occasionally I eat a bit from one of the corners of my painting.

Some of the colours taste delicious.

The orange of a freshly pulled carrot.

The red of a ripe tomato dropped into my hand.

The purple of a richly filled aubergine.

The bright yellow of a capsicum.

The various viridians of lettuces, spinach and other leafy greens.

all enhanced by the blue of the sky, as reflected in the bird bath.

Magic and loveliness abounds.

"The poet and the gardener, both nourish the world"

a Gang-Gang gang

2009-11-13T15:49:00.003+11:00

The other day
when enjoying a quiet cup of tea on my veranda
I was alerted to a new sound in my space
and there, not far away, I spotted a Gang Gang.
The first such bird to ever visit my garden

(or the first one I have ever seen there)

this discovery made my day
coloured it in the tone of happiness

"for man is by nature an artist"

WeddingDress

2009-11-02T10:58:00.003+11:00

If I were a woman
(which I am not)
If I were considering marriage
(which I am not)
I would definitely use this as a wedding dress

"honour the playfulness of spirit that lets everyone win"

RichGardenBountyHarvest

2009-10-27T18:06:00.002+11:00

Spring
the other evening I walked into the garden
and, using a knife, I cut a bunch of silverbeet stalks
took them inside, cut them up and washed them
leaving them in the water for a while
I returned to find this beautiful
and intense colour experience

I am grateful for all I receive,
especially small mercies
and visual surprises

'The Poet and the cook, both nourish the world'

ArtFromRecycledMaterials

2009-10-24T13:32:00.006+11:00

Ian Jowett: 'Fly', metal

Ian Holton: 'Cedar Trunk', Recycled wood

Lynn Ashton: 'The Ark', Found wood

Images from the Art from Recycled Materials Exhibition
plus, below, opening remarks delivered by me 24 - 10 - 2009
exhibition runs from 25th Oct. - 1st Nov. 2009
Creswick Victoria, at various venues

Each work in this exhibition is like a book, written in two chapters. The first chapter is the story of what the work used to be and the second chapter the story of what it has become.

You can start to read these works by realizing that the beauty of this kind of art-making lies in the magic act of transforming the material. An act of love, involving both the artists’ hands and heart.

You can start to read these works by realizing that the beauty of this kind of art- making lies in the fact that we can enter and enjoy the process on any level. That recyclable material, as we can see all around us, is capable of true magic.

Each of the works in this exhibition started from what most makers would call a disadvantage, the artists brief, asked to use recyclable materials and useless stuff, fit mostly for landfill. In all cases, this turned out to be the defining feature of the work.

Thanks to the nature of art there are no rules, and thus it was easy to start from the premise of ‘anything is possible’.

In addition, the works in this exhibition also explore the makers’ skills. Wonderful skills. Most works seemed to have arrived at the understanding that the magic of the artist’s work does not lie in the expense of the tools and materials, but in the knowledge of the hands. And that, in the main, it is the limitations of the materials that have created the art.

Recycled materials, as we can see, do not necessarily mean less sophisticated work. Most of the true magic, of that on display, came from working with that which was available, and finding that inspiring and invigorating. This gives the work its potency, while at the same time, allowing the audience a whole new point of view into the process of art making.

This exhibition contains many stories but, besides the story of re-cycling, it is basically just the one story. The story about the true wonder of everything.

LookingAtSpring

2009-10-18T07:07:00.003+11:00

a view of spring

With the blue grey greens of the winter forest, for a background,

Spring's palette is emerging with wonderful brilliance in the garden.

As bright as the colours squeezed straight from the artist's tube:

Dobs of Yellow in the cups of the daffodils,

Splashes of Red around the tulips,

A hush of Blue of reflected sky in the bird bath

Shades of Purple in the Dutch Irish,

A Flush of Orange in the wall flower display

While a fresh sea of Green fills in the remaining space.

Spring's rainbow springing about.

'Trust The Day You Get Into'

WingedPotters

2009-09-30T15:24:00.005+10:00

beak made bowl, clay/earth and bird spittle

The nest filled with down feathers

Detail of nest, coloured feather enhanced

Each September the swallows return to the safety of the veranda
they fly around and find a place for their annual nest building
this year they rebuilt an old nest
which a few days later, fell onto my day bed.
They started all over again
as if nothing happened
their aim, a nest, whatever the cirumstance

"To be made visible by the sight of another" anne michaels

SpringSpringingIntoAction

2009-09-28T20:35:00.002+10:00

this image greeted us at the car park of
'the Garden of St. Erth'
where we viewed a garden about to explode
into spring extravagance
Everything was restrained,
held back,
but ready to bloom into a myriad of colours
mid October should be a good time to visit

thought: they are great gardeners, but lousy coffee makers

"every flower is a watercolour" anne michaels

TheReceiver

2009-09-22T10:05:00.005+10:00

On the way home from a journey to the coast
the evening before the Spring Equinox
I noted the moon in the sky
a golden bowl drifting slowly down to the horizon
while contemplating the absolute beauty of that
I remembered my time with the Pueblo Indians
who called this manifestation of the moon
'The Receiver'
(which set me off on the path to making bowls)

The next morning I noted the evidence
of the bowl spilling its gold into the landscape

"The Best Is Yet To Come........"

softPencilDrawing

2009-09-07T13:12:00.002+10:00

Yesterday, on a different way home,
from elsewhere and otherness,
I came across this wonderful, and surprisingly poetic, image.
A copse of willow trees.
It inspired the artist in me
with its soft pencil drawing like quality.
A minor moment of beauty awe

"Get outside everyday. Miracles are waiting everywhere"

SacredGeometry

2009-08-30T13:25:00.002+10:00

when nature's summer garments
have been removed
one by one
by autumn
and autumn herself
stripped bare
by winter
I find
in the early exposures
the inner drawings
of tree life

patterns and structures

explorations
into the domain
of
sacred geometry

"Without vision, people perish"

Spring'sHeralds

2009-08-28T14:44:00.003+10:00

this is a small daffodils garden bouquet
around here it heralds spring
then, in many places in the forest
similar bouquets spring up
showing us where houses used to be
(around hundred years ago during the gold rush)
and if you investigate you usually find evidence of a fireplace
the hearth, the last remaining remnants of previous occupiers

"The Best Is Yet To Come"

ItStartedInnocently

2009-08-25T17:52:00.002+10:00

It started innocently last week
I had in mind to start my vegetable garden
but an hour into the project it started to rain
I came in and decided to make a cup of tea
and noticed how grubby the enamel pot was
when I washed it I also noticed all my enamel collection
on the top shelf had years of dirt accumulated
I washed each item
which led to cleaning each item in the whole of the kitchen
I then washed down the shelves, that done
went to the hardware shop and bought a tin of warm ochre paint
and painted the whole of the kitchen

"when a good idea gets out, things begin to happen"

PatternMakingChooks

2009-08-10T13:18:00.003+10:00

This morning I fed 'the Supremes', my three black chooks,
some left over food in a white bowl.
When, some time later I came in the collect the bowl
I was rewarded with an intriguing, and very beautiful, pattern
left in the bowl after picking it empty

'Getting lost and finding your way again'

KineticArt/LenLye

2009-08-03T13:26:00.003+10:00

This is an image of the entrance, plus the first sign which greets you,
to an exhibition by Len Lye

An inspirational exhibition at ACMI, Federation Square, Melbourne,
featuring two aspects of Len Lye's creative career.

Part one: many examples of his work with film
where he manipulates the actual film
draws on it with colour
scratches it with various tools
all accompanied by jazz music of the era (the thirties)

Part two: Kinetic sculptures which with their strong lighting
and precise movements
created not only the most astounding shapes as a result of the movements
but also a joy in the audience which was palpable

The exhibition is on till 11th October
it is free and well worth a visit

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

WetWinterWonders

2009-07-29T17:18:00.007+10:00

Fungi, Lichen and moss
delights of a winter forest
discoveries on my daily walks
same walk, different scenery
today it was wet, dripping, misty
which made for an introspective kind of walk
walking from and to the warmth of a wood fire
simple pleasures

"If you observe well, your own heart will answer"

ImageDownUnder

2009-07-24T16:54:00.003+10:00

"Mirror on the forest floor
what's revealed behind this door"

After last week's winter showers,
every where I walk I find rain-mirrors
scattered in the forest,
pulling clouds from the sky
and light into dark forest places.

'The Man who never in his mind traveled to heaven is no artist'

SharingShinyStuff

2009-07-22T14:48:00.004+10:00

The other day I found myself parked in front of a Freedom store.
Liking the name, I wandered in.
Inside I found a wonderful metal salad/mixing/storing bowl
I took it from the shelf and held it. It felt good.
then I looked inside.
Behold, the world as a 'bend' entity

I took home the bowl plus its ever changing contents

"watch what you are doing you maybe making a memory"

LeafBlowerMadness

2009-07-11T17:10:00.006+10:00

This is an image of Mt Franklin

a magical park inthe bowl of an old vulcano
somewhere near Daylesford

It is poetically inspiring anytime and any season of the year
recently I made a visit, well before this welcome rain
there I was in the magic of the trees' geometry
standing ankle deep in a wonderful autumn leaf carpet.
the nutty fragrance was delightful
you get the picture
there was, however, one discord
two workers (and I have no idea who employs people to do these wasted tasks)
were using a leaf blower, moving leaves away from certain areas.
the sense of which was completely lost to me
Think of the sound
and the breeze which returned the leaves
and completely wasted the effort
Crazy world

"reality is the invention of unimaginative people"

MagicMomentsSeries

2009-07-08T17:54:00.004+10:00

Another magical moment in the home garden,
there for the taking.

It had just rained and the skeletal branches
of the birch trees
supported numerous raindrops.
Each one reflecting the world around it

all of the draped tingling veil
suspended in front of the colourful foliage of the oak,
the last tree to shed its leaves
autumn in winter
leaves waiting for the new growth to push them off
'time to go colour, green is here'

"The mysterious is not how the world is, but that it is."

SomeLeftOverHolidayPics

2009-07-08T04:46:00.007+10:00

some images which did not make it with the stories.
This is the last you hear of my SA journey

"The things we see but don't marvel at anymore"

TravelsIntoMemoryLand3

2009-07-07T20:00:00.008+10:00

In the beginning

The I-Ching I threw before building the house

neglected clay house under boat-like roof

Greek Icon

Strong memories of building my own nest/house from clay
(Not unlike the swallows under my eaves now)
clay made into bricks from the earth the house stood on
and so started the house around the concept of a sunken floor
A whole house build without electric power
But basically with the use of a hand saw, drill and hammer.
All this under a roof like an upturned boat
The prow facing the north, cutting the strong winds which buffeted the house

Strong memories of building my first studio
And creating my first exhibition in it
The result of an 8 year travel experience
The one which set off my ceramic career proper

Strong memories of living with Sophia, a Greek Icon Painter
And sensing her feeling of isolation while creating her exquisite religious icons
All this and much, much more came to the surface during my visit
to Nelshaby and the family Pearce, who made the depth of the experience possible

all the while realising

“that one’s ignorance grows at the same rate as one’s experience”

TravelsIntoMemoryLand2

2009-07-04T16:48:00.006+10:00

The lovely hospitality and generosity of the Pearce family
In opening their home to me for a marvelous weekend family-like experience
(Even though I hadn’t visited for 23 years, when I left the district)
Was absolutely wonderful because it allowed me full access
to those sleeping Flinders ranges memories
(the passing of time was marked most tellingly by their two children
who, when I left, were kids of 3 and 6
and now are both fabulous adults of 26 and 29 )

During the weekend memories surfaced, like watered seeds in spring
Strong and shaping memories

Strong memories of the landscape,
the power of a landscape with its quiet million years old intensity re-revealed.
Revealed once again also its poetic beauty regardless of the seasons
An ancient landscape which imprinted in my mind the story of primal beginnings
Which so strongly featured as part of the beginnings of my ceramic studio work
And to which I return again and again

To be continued…….

TravelsIntoMemoryLand1

2009-07-03T19:38:00.007+10:00

I have been on a journey

(This was a while ago and because
like water in a muddy pond stirred up
takes some time to settle and clear
so too the e-motions of my journey had to settle
in order to see clearly what I have gained)
A journey which revealed those hidden kind of memories
A journey to visit and get in touch with my 96 year old mother
And seven siblings. All this too personal to publicise

Then, since I was in Adelaide I decided
to extend my journey into some long ago memories,
memories of a place I used to live.
I decided to travel to the Flinders Ranges, and Nelshaby in particular
Not the memory of Port Pirie, the town which brought me there.
It is far too ugly a town to sew any seeds of useful poetic memory
(although I had some of my best teaching experiences there)
Therefore, when my Nelshaby host, my ex-neighbour,
Mark Pearce (blog: Road Kill) pillowpassengered me into Pt Pirie
On his RoadKing Harley Davidson
The ride thrilled but nothing about that town did

To be continued…….