The Beach Up Close

Seed pods on the Causuarina Tree.

Banksia Tree against the sky.

Melalueca Trees by the Beach.

Yabbie holes in the water.

Eroded rocks by the ocean.

The Great Aussie Long Weekend

We really are living in the lucky country, we spent the Australia Day long weekend camping at Teewah Beach and swimming and boogie boarding down the sandunes over at the Blow (other side of Double Island Point via Leisha Track).

While the water on the surfside was littered with Blue Bottle Jellyfish, the water over at the Blow was crystal clear, calm, warm and there were little fish (including the human variety) swimming all around us.

Infinity Patterns

Some of the patterns Dylan and I created on our recent visit to the Gallery of Modern Art. The wonderful thing about doing this, is that once finished we could email our creations home. This activity is available as part of the current exhibition, "The 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contempory Art" (APT6) which is on until the 6 April. Click on the following links to check out our creations or why not go one step further and have a go at creating your own unique infinity patterns (there is another link on our pattern page to do this).

Dylan's Infinity Pattern

Dylan's Infinity Pattern 2

Dylan's Infinity Pattern 3

Katrina's Infinity Pattern

Katrina's Infinity Pattern 2

Family Mix-Ups

On our visit to the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) last Sunday, Dylan and I had the opportunity to use the equipment in the Kids Art Section to mix our faces together. What a laugh!!!

Dylan and Katrina's Queensland Museum and Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) Adventure

On Sunday, Dylan and I had the rare opportunity to spend some time alone together and took off early to visit the Queensland Museum where we heard all about the latest Dinosaur discoveries in Queensland. We listened to a wonderful talk by a leading palaeontologist at the Museum and then Dylan went on a Dino Dig to dig up bones which he then had to identify. While wandering around we were surprised by a T-Rex rampaging through the Museum causing madness and mayhem amongst the crowd - hilarious! If you get the opportunity, go! Its only on till 25 January so don't delay. Oh yeah and apparently the Dinosaur Dig planned for this year out at Winton in Western Queensland still has a few placements if you want to volunteer and go on a real Dinosaur Dig! How much fun would that be!

We also visited the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) to participate in the Kids APT Summer Spectacular which runs to 26 January and had an inspiring, artistic afternoon. There was so much to do, we made our own individual "Infinity Patterns" on a computer after being inspired by Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian , and a thaumatrope, also known as a ‘turning wonder’ and created many different pictures from different resources provided through the children's program.

Our final visit was to the Queensland Art Gallery where Dylan made an aeorplane from the pile of recycled material supplied to the Gallery.

Scribbly Bark Trees - Double Island Point, Northern Cooloola, Great Sandy National Park

Our 2009 xmas camping trip to Double Island Point reminded me of photos I had taken previously when there. The trees have these amazing patterns on them, I think that maybe the bugs that live under the bark of these trees create the marks. When the trees shed the bark, the story of the bug is etched on the tree. How wonderful.

My Obsession

I love making bowls out of clay and I love drawing and painting bowls, its been a passion of mine all my life. When I was in primary school, I remember Mum taking me along to Clay Classes on Saturday's and I loved it. The pieces I made then, and throughout high school, are still proudly on display in my parent's house.

Candy Herne kindly gave me permission to paint some of her pieces that she exhibited at the Brisbane Institute of Art back in 2004, when we did a couple of Clay Workshops together. This is Candy's work below. The bowls were hand formed and then either raku or sago fired. I think the way they are displayed here conveys a lovely sense of unity.

The bowls below are the work I did throughout a semester and were called my "Soul Bowls". After the exhibition I gave all my closest friends one for Christmas that year filled with affirmations. These bowls were formed by ripping pieces of flattened clay and pressing the pieces together in a mould. I used many different types of clay, buff raku, red raku, stoneware, terracotta and porcelain. I glazed the inside of each bowl and left the outside of each to show its natural qualities. I wanted my bowls, through my process of construction to convey strength, fragility, love and sacredness.

(SOLD)
These are the first 2 paintings from the series I am currently working on from Candy's beautiful collection.

(SOLD)
I am so excited about this series!!!