fiveandtwo

Taking Up The Brush (Again)

I've been going to an "art class" most Fridays lately. A very casual affair, an assortment of us doing various things - painting, drawing, mosaics. There're two tutors whose expertise and fresh eyes I am very glad of.

I sit and paint, not  surrounded by all the stuff that needs doing at home. I've finished three paintings that have been WIPs for ages.

An abstract which was once a failed landscape. It'd been kicking around for about four years!

A portrait of Nora Heysen that isn't working - look at those weird eyes! Nora was the daughter of Hans Heysen and a very talented painter in her own right. I didn't know of her until I read Stravinsky's Lunch by Drusilla Modjeska. Also discovered Stella Bowen and Grace Crowley in the same book. They are women artists, so didn't receive the recognition that their male contemporarys did.

I found some photos of Nora Heysen on the internet. A beautiful woman. I had an idea to paint a series of portraits of her. Two were begun and then they languished for over a year.

I'm pleased with this one, "Nora Seated".

You can't see from the paintings but all of them have had areas painted out and repainted. Often several times! It's hard to get faces right.

This is a little abstract of some figs that was started while waiting for the painted out areas of the others to dry. Can't waste any of this Friday time!

I aim to finish it this Friday, barring cancellation of the class, and start a portrait of my three older children when they were little, from a B&W photo.

Then the class is in recess until school goes back next year. It's been like going to a studio to paint, but with people to help you and provide feedback. It's been terrific!

Procrastinating (and a Visit to the Big Smoke)

Leah and I took the train to Melbourne at the crack of dawn yesterday. A trip I really enjoy - three or so hours of reading time there and again coming home. I read Peter Goldsworthy's Three Dog Night which I am still digesting. Not because it was indigestible, because I'm still thinking about parts of it. The disturbing "love triangle", Western Desert imagery, the way Walpiri language bird names echo the call of the bird, the ushering in of memories: living in Alice Springs many years ago, the astonishing and beautiful landscape, sadness at the hideous limbo that's snared so many of the aboriginal people.

I enjoyed Goldsworthy's book Maestro which caused me to buy the other at the op-shop.

Unfortunately I finished the book before reaching Sale. Had an hour to try and be meditative with Leah sleeping on my shoulder. It was lovely to have that closeness with her, to have her to myself for a day. She really suffered when the twins were born, I think sometimes she's been scarred by the experience. It was a pleasure to indulge her yesterday. We spent time at her "Mecca", the shop Supre, and a number of other shops, where she got loads of bargains. Leah is pretty much fully grown now, and so petite. Imagine buying extra small!

The other purpose of the visit, however, was to catch up with my sister, who'd flown down for a long weekend to see Phantom of the Opera. Cathy is a big fan of musicals, and Anthony Warlow who I believe plays the lead. She lives in Singleton (NSW), and rather than wait until it opens in Sydney she decided to lash out and see it in Melbourne. And why not: she's single! While we've never really had lots in common, we get along quite well these days. I noted that we're looking very alike now. I'm not sure what to think about this because Cathy was always "the good and pretty one". Perhaps I've become more good and she's become less pretty! Who knows (and who cares). Well, just by having mentioned it reveals that I do care, even if it's marginal now, obviously it's been an issue in the dim, dark past. I do admit I was a bit thingy, but yeah, it's been a long while since I went there. And basically, now, I'm too happy with my life to bother.

And now some more wattle:

Dwarf fringed wattle, acacia fimbriata.

I've two, on the other side of the fence. Not from here, but very hardy here all the same.                               

Sewing, no. Procrastinating, yes. So much so, I've even taken up the brush.

After more than a year.

Fiddling with something from about three years ago

   

A dud from about four years ago. A landscape that I wasn't happy with, obviously, since I did all that white painting out. One day, on a dog walk,  I had an idea of what to do. the start of it is in the lower right hand corner. It's a start. With many sewing and craft projects cut out or partially finished  it's crazy to embark on this. Crazy. Definitely .