Wednesday 2 October 2013

Pelicans in south west New South Wales Australia..

hello?...were they flying south for the summer?

a lot more rocks....


Love paint...another one on the go...


my half finished painting..


talking to myself

I have not been writing here...stating the obvious, huh? But I have been reading many blogger's postings and finding a common thread amongst we middle-aged women. There is an all pervading search for comfort on a daily basis that is driving us mad! That quest takes us into domains of calming offerings for spiritual affirmations....poems, quotes from the wise, sites to purchase candles, crystals, astrological or tarot readings, self-help books and the love of people we have never met. It also drives us to dwell in fantasy by reading about the lifestyles of others, seeing beautiful objects that transport us to exotic places and trawling on-line fashion shows so we can be in the clothes...in them for a moment. You may notice that I am a little taken with all things French...but I am not French so I can appropriate there. My ideal in food is Mediterranean style and I am lucky to live as an Australian.
Free from much of the world's horror in my own backyard.
So I have been talking to myself a lot about what I'm looking for these days.
It's still the same thing...contentment....je ne sais quoi.....bien dans sa peau....(comfortable in one's skin).
So how do you, after 56 years on earth, continue to chase that pot of gold when it keeps moving?
The Delphic Oracle says 'Know Thyself'....'Connais-toi toi-meme'....
Look at the Blogs I follow and you will find many more answers on the same theme.
It is all about Mental Health, Style, Fashion, Body Image, Relatedness and Nos petits demons....our little demons.
What are yours? And how do you deal with them?

Friday 23 August 2013

graduates - authentic artworks - happy students

My senior art class are nearing the end of our time together. I have enjoyed teaching them immensely and find that they have all jumped a gap in the past few months. The knowledge that their world is about to be redesigned is both daunting and exciting. I have encouraged them above all, to be authentic beings. To be true to oneself can make us periodically unpopular, difficult to be around and restless until we figure it all out. Of course, it takes decades. All the self-help books, slogans, platitudes and outside advice serves to stir some ancient truth in us, but making art and writing from the heart are two of the valuable practices that will ensure the quest resonates with something close to joy. I do wish them well and am cheerfully grateful for what they each have taught me in return.

Tuesday 20 August 2013

Gay Marriage is a right...bullying isn't

How foolish is it that we as a nation are so crippled by the comments against gay marriage by non-gays that are being thrown into the debate? Are we heterosexual people really such an authority on the needs and rights of those who feel differently to us? Do we have a right to continue to make decisions on behalf of a percentage of society who are adults, employees, graduates, tradespeople, teachers, students, professionals or simply people and law-abiding citizens? Is it as if the Gay Community are children - not yet mature enough to own an opinion about their personal welfare? Check out the overall behaviour of the people who are pretending to know who should be allowed to marry? How laughable that many of the individuals who are barking on about how wrong gay marriage is are rather 'badly married'?! Should we look closely at the issue and note that the percentage of men and women who wish to live in partnership with someone of the same gender is irrelevant and they should not be referred to as a 'minority group'? I have naturally curly hair, am left-handed, have obvious OCD traits, am not at all fat and don't like eating lollies. Am I in a minority group? I think so! Everyone needs to stop making discriminatory excuses, scrutinise their own social/relationship/parenting/ecological crimes/addictions and other nationally damaging habits and demand marriage equality. Then the mewing pollies can start to be real Politicians instead of pseudo gate-keepers.
It is really just...Bullying....