Last Saturday, having gazed at the bookcase from my chair, I was inspired to create something using three ceramic pieces modelled on nature. A leaf, a shell adorned cornucopia, and a hyacinth leaf vase.
I arranged and drew around the objects in pencil then ink. I decided on purple for the cornucopia using the colour of mussel shell for inspiration, predictably green for the leaf, and finally orange for the vase.
On Sunday, I thought the shapes I had chosen worked well together as there was movement between them from the colours intermingling. Wishing to add depth and luminance, I added yellow washes to the orange and green and redid the ink outline.
After deciding the abstract picture was called harmony in nature, I added three black undulating lines to ground and orientate the central image.
This was my first foray into fountain pen ink sketching and an ink wash. The Parker Qink dried extremely quickly. I diluted it, painting onto dry paper.
The ink is from a time of my youth in the 1980s, the Parker Sonnet pen, a gift from work colleagues when we left the UK to emigrate to Australia in 1998.
My naïveté continues to be a theme. I had not considered the inked lines would run when with watercolour was added. I worked with it.
Aging and some of the medication I take have a side effect of shaky hands. I used one of my pencil sketches of a dinosaur. I cut the sketch out, pencil shaded the outline and inked in the outline.
The painting developed as it was created.
Salt was added to the night sky, the background of the ovoid contained figures, and the centre of the seven orange shapes. They represent one thousand miles markers across the Pacific Ocean and the equator from South East Queensland to California.
It is night time where I am, represented by pink Airhead. I engage with my blogging buddy Ra as Rawr the dinosaur through thoughts, dreams, and engaging with each other’s work.
The painting can be viewed with night at the bottom or the top.
My new boss said, it is one thing to record positive feedback in the notes of a telephone conversation and another to receive an email. When one of my clients takes the time to mail a thank you card that is something else.
I feel humbled by the recognition and thankful for being able to make a positive difference in someone’s life.
Emerge from Central gloom into a brash world. Persevering down pain filled steps, Hunched against chilly drizzle, I am engulfed by swishing traffic And beep beep crossing noises To traverse Creek Street.
Epiphanic; time and raindrops slow Gaze catches a leaf of coffee shade Resolutely reclining in the gutter. Dew bejewelled before dusky rose kerb Gold, ruby, sapphire, amethyst Shimmering in the spartan morning rays.
In minds eye, the moment lingers While crossing over Ann Street, During descent of Creek Street, And left into Adelaide Street, Ad infinitum The image remains to this day.
When we arrived in Queensland six years ago we were introduced to the quirky mayhem of Drag Queen, Scarlett Fever at the Beat Megaclub, Fortitude Valley on a quiet Sunday night. I was struck by the originality and grace of this gazelle like performer.
Scarlett Fever, 2024
Nowadays, connecting with our gay tribe is limited to discrete preplanned visits to Brisbane.
Last night, I was thrilled to see Scarlett Fever at the busy Wickham hotel. Scarlett’s eyes and character have grown into the wonderful contemporary artist they are today.
Inspired by the 21st century couturier, Iris van Herpen at Queensland’s GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art), Brisbane, I present a modest collection of organic poems and images from the exhibition.
For the last two years I have been in a state of threat at work. While the employer proclaims it is a place of inclusion and authenticity, I wonder if this statement relates only to the loud and pushy at the expense of others. Perhaps I am not resilient enough, unwilling to speak out, and too sensitive.
When my values were tested too much, I fought back (in a shy introverted way). I was labelled ‘emotional’. I resorted to my go to fawn response with underlying frustration and at times anger. I aimed to please and appease by sacrificing myself.
Over the last twelve months, somehow, I sustained this tiring performance, achieving a personally unnecessary glowing annual performance review. Satisfactory would have been enough.
When I recently found out the perpetrator was being reassigned, I felt numbness and disbelief.
I developed fawning from ages 9 to 16 years. The seemingly constant aggression directed at my mother and brother by my first stepfather brought firsthand experience of rage, domestic violence, and abuse. I largely kept my thoughts and feelings to myself. Withdrawing my marshmallow being behind a protective shell. As soon as I was able, I fled away to college.
At the beginning of this week, perpetrator free, I felt like a huge weight had lifted from my shoulders.
This painting reflects pleasing and appeasing while dark emotions and discontent underlaid my view of my workplace. The grey background represents compromise, neutrality, control, and practicality. I am represented by an anonymous outward facing ovoid, outlined with dark blue and red inks. The teal inner self displays responsiveness, integrity, and practicality. It contains pink organic shapes of kindness, caring, and compassion; essential for my role. Salt adds fractures to the composition.
theINFP 