Art Exhibition – MakeCookGrow.com

Empress Josephine’s Garden

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To the Maritime Museum in Fremantle to see the remarkable ‘Empress Joséphine’s Garden’. This project tells the story of Empress Joséphine from her life as a child in Martinique, where she was known as Rose, through to her time as the most powerful style icon in Europe and further afield.

Empress Joséphine in an empire style gown. She and Napoleon epitomized the Empire style in furniture, clothing, crockery and cutlery and interior decoration. The style was popular throughout Europe and the United Kingdom, where it was known as Regency style.

Botanical illustrations on crockery and fabrics.

Joséphine was betrothed to a French aristocrat Alexandre de Beauhamais in 1779 and after the marriage, returned with him to France. They had a son and a daughter and later separated. They never divorced. She had custody of the daughter, he had custody of the son. Her husband was beheaded in the French revolution, she escaped the same event by a change in the course in French politics. She married Napoleon Bonaparte in March 1796.

Empress Joséphine purchased the rundown estate known of Malmaison in 1799, making it her primary home. She hired a Scots gardener, Alexander Hawatson, to assist with the planning and construction of the garden. Unlike typically formal French gardens of the time, Malmaison’s garden was based on English designs. The garden featured winding paths, bridges, temples, lakes and little cottages, mimicking a grand English garden.

As an amateur botanist, Empress Joséphine sought flora and fauna from all over the World. She was especially fascinated with the newly discovered plants and animals from New Holland. She was determined and competitive about acquiring botanical specimens. She collected Australian specimens from Nicholas Baudin, who explored Australia and the Pacific as well as many other sources.

Empress Joséphine collected exotic specimens from Western Australia taken back to France by Nicholas Baudin, including melaleuca, eucalyptus, plus kangaroos, emus and black swans.

Leaders in all things fashionable, Napoleon Bonaparte and Joséphine were leading figures during the Age of Enlightenment. Along with the exotic plants and animals she coveted, she dressed in light transparent fabrics, which also immediately became fashionable. She created the Empire style of furniture, which reflected symbols of war and victory, such as golden eagles, classical palm leaves and laurels. Symbols of power linked the regime to the glory of the ancient Roman Emperors. This style was widely adopted throughout Europe and the United Kingdom.

Empress Joséphine developed Malmaison, 12 kilometres out of Paris, from a run down estate to the most fashionable destination in France.

Adept at promoting their style and influence, Bonaparte and Josephine dictated the style of everything. They dispersed paintings of themselves in Empire styled clothes and dictated what was fashionable. They entertained lavishly and shamelessly promoted their own style.

Empress Joséphine employed the then unknown botanical artist Pierre-Joseph Redouté to make a record of the plants at Malmaison. His exquisite artworks were acclaimed throughout Europe. Books of his works are still considered the epitome of flora illustration. His paintings and engravings, particularly of roses, are iconic and still appear on address book covers, note book covers and writing paper.

Unable to provide Bonaparte with children he divorced Joséphine and married a younger woman, Marie Louise, who became the second Empress of France. They had four children.

This presentation runs until January. All these images are from the audiovisual presentation.

We went back down the port to a brewery for lunch. It was lovely sitting in the gentle breeze eating squid and chips. The only problem was the Leeuwin, moored along side. Once the magnificent barquentine pictured above, it was hit by an enormous container ship entering port on a stormy night.

The hull. It will be repaired but is a very sad sight now.

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Sunrise, National Gallery of London, Neighbours & Egg, Ham and Vegetable Pie

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sunrise

The days are getting longer! The sun is up before me now. I took this photo a few days ago.

national gallery of london

We have no plans to revisit the UK this year or next year but have very happy memories of previous visits to the National Gallery of London. Celebrating its 200th year, the gallery is considered one of the world’s greatest art galleries. A film has been made as part of the 200 Years of the National Gallery of London celebrations called My National Gallery. Various people working at the gallery, including cleaners, curators, security guards and the director were asked to identify the piece of work which meant the most to them and to explain why.

Great art can communicate with anyone and well known celebrities and other art lovers were also asked to identify one artwork that resonated with them and to explain why it was their favourite. Well known and not so well known people and paintings featured. Their stories were told along with stories about the original gallery, the architecture and development of the current gallery, the modernisation of the new areas and information about how some of the works travel for exhibitions around the UK.

During World War 2 the artworks were safely stored in a slate mine in Wales. Each month a painting was chosen to be returned to the Gallery and displayed. If there was an air raid warning, the painting was quickly taken off the wall and stored in a safe place below the building. During this time a famous concert pianist Myra Hess organised a series of lunchtime concerts, too.

Two things struck me as surprising. So many of the works chosen by the people being interviewed for the film were based religious or Biblical events. The second thing was with few exceptions, the artists were male. Women artists were not taken seriously. This was a thought provoking and interesting film.

JMW Turner (1775-1851) ‘An English Packet Arriving at Calais Pier’

Image, Royalty Free, Wikipedia

My husband’s favourite painting in the gallery is Turner’s ‘An English Packet Arriving at Calais Pier’ . We have visited it many times but often the gallery was crowded. He laid a plan. We’d be first in line when the gallery opened and would go straight to the painting, which was towards the back of the building. When we arrived, I talked to the guard and my husband had nearly fifteen uninterrupted minutes in front of the painting before anybody else arrived. Very satisfying.

neighbours

Do you have lovely neighbours? Since Anzac Day 2020 five neighbours on our side of the street have gathered regularly at each others houses for ‘get togethers’. Sometimes it’s to commemorate Anzac Day together, sometimes it’s ‘Christmas in July’ and sometimes it is for no reason at all, just an opportunity to chat and eat together. The dogs come, too.

Then circumstances resulted in one household preparing to move to another suburb! They’re currently packing and making moving plans. We will miss then being nearby but I’m sure we’ll keep in touch with regular ‘get togethers.’ So on Sunday we converged on another neighbour’s house to say goodbye and good luck. Everyone brought food to share and we settled in for a good catch up. Sad to see them go but they’re happy with their new house and they’ll be invited to every Neighbours Get Together.

Zucchini and Corn Fritters made with sourdough leftover mother/starter.

sorting

We’ve spent a lot of time sorting out my Mother’s house which involves a four hour journey as well as time spent doing jobs. So it’s no surprise that I couldn’t even recognise some of the things in our freezer. They might have been there for months. Time for a clean out. One of the finds was frozen ham. Half of it, chopped, was added to leftover corn from Sunday’s Zucchini and Corn Fritters, along with tomatoes and some spinach picked from the garden. Added eggs and some yoghurt and baked the resulting pie. Good to tidy the freezer and a rather nice pie, too.

Looks a bit rough, I know, but it tasted very good.

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Darwin

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Darwin

Have you been to Darwin? I have been to every capital city in Australia except Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory. The rest of my family have come here over the years because of work commitments but despite traveling through a lot of northern Australia, I hadn’t been to Darwin. About 53% of the population of the Northern Territory live in the capital.

It is known for its multicultural population with about 70 groups of different ethnic backgrounds calling Darwin home. This reflects the history of the Northern Territory and Darwin in particular and has resulted in famous street markets, featuring food from every corner of the World.

The warm climate and coastal position promotes a relaxed feeling. The surrounding coastline is very beautiful but you need to be mindful of crocodiles anywhere near water.

Only had five days to see everything so planned carefully. We had intended to spend six days, but Virgin canceled our flight after we had checked in and we couldn’t go until the next morning!

My first real memories of Darwin are from Christmas Day, 1972, when Cyclone Tracy devastated 80% of the City, killing 71 people and injuring hundreds more. Before the anemometer was smashed by the cyclone, wind gusts reached 217km/h, 255mm of rainfall fell in twelve hours and at least 70% of the houses suffered serious structural failure.

More than 36 000 people left Darwin, filling every plane arriving with supplies, equipment and specialist personnel. Government intervention resulted in the Darwin Reconstruction Commission and most of the City was rebuilt within three years. The degree of destruction led to the introduction of improved building codes across Australia.

The ferocity, the timing and the loss of so many people remains embedded in the memory of many people, myself included. It was a sombre Christmas Day.

I have discovered modern Darwin is a vibrant and diverse City. We started our break with a list of museums. The Military Museum included a lot of information about the bombing of Darwin. Really well presented with interactive opportunities. The film about the Japanese bombing the town was compelling viewing but also really awful. Lots of interesting artifacts.

Lunch, overlooking the water, was a nice break between museum.

Next was the Darwin Aviation Museum. My father was in the Air Force so I found the second World War information really interesting. Lots of aeroplanes and helicopters on display. Really surprised by the size of the B52 Bomber.

So many different food vans and the market smelt wonderful!

Later that day we went to the Mindil Beach Markets. Pity we’d had a great lunch because the food stalls were all enticing. Settled on a leg rub instead. The three other ladies having massages when my husband and I arrived were also tourists. They came from Busselton, just south of where we live in Perth. Small world.

I’d been really looking forward to the Museum and Art Gallery. We’d enjoyed a lovely breakfast of bacon and eggs at a cafe in Cullen Bay. The hotel buffet breakfast was a bit sad. So, great coffee and nice food, off to the Museum and Art Gallery overlooking the water.

The first exhibition, 52 ACTIONS was a collection of works ‘addressing the themes impacting the World today.’ These were the works of contemporary artists reflecting on the role of art as a political motivator, resulting in a change of perspective. I read all the descriptors and liked some of the artworks but some of them left me puzzled.

Another exhibition was about Cyclone Tracy. The deaths and devastation was shocking. This was a really interesting gallery but very sad, too. Next was the exhibition of Year 12 Practical Arts Students. I like to go to our local gallery in Perth to see the work of the graduating students and marvel at the materials now available in schools.

There is a huge shift from drawing, painting and using materials to make objects to digitally enhanced photos. Interestingly, many of the students wrote about their ethnic group and traditions and customs along side their works. These were very introspective pieces.

We wandered through the museum, admiring Sweetheart, a huge crocodile, and other creatures, painted, pinned and photographed. Ended up in the shop. I love the shops in art galleries and museums. I’ve bought scarfs, books, cards and fridge magnets. Traveling light, so no shopping this time.

We could hear birdsong everywhere around Darwin. I enjoyed the displays in the museum as I could identify a few of the birds we’d seen.

We visited the Chinese Temple and Chinese Museum. The Chinese Temple is a rebuild on the original temple site, built in 1887. The existing temple was built on the same site after Cyclone Tracy destroyed the previous temple, rebuilt after the Japanese bombing of Darwin in 1942. Unusually, Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism are all practiced in this temple.

Many Chinese came to Australia seeking gold. Most of the Chinese in Darwin were shop keepers or fruit and vegetable growers. The artifacts in the museum tell the stories and traditions of Chinese families in Darwin.

Glad we went to Darwin. I realised I only had a fairly sketchy knowledge of the Japanese raids on the area, I heard and read personal stories of people who were in Darwin when Cyclone Tracy hit and read histories of the various ethnic groups who called Darwin home. There’s every sort of cuisine available and lots of opportunities to acquire Aboriginal art.

Really liked the masses of street art.

I found the heat tiring but locals kept telling us we were there at the best time as it is awful during ‘the wet.’

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Monet, ‘One Life’ and Another Way to Minimize Landfill

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Monet in Paris

Image Pixabay

We went to see ‘Monet In Paris’. Claude Monet (born 14th November 1840, Paris, died 15th December, 1926, Giverny) belonged to a group of artists known as Impressionists. This electronic immersive experience with both images of paintings and photos projected onto 7 metre high screens highlights the most famous works of Monet and other artists working during the same period. This list includes Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Camille Pissarro, Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas and Henri Toulouse Lautrec. These artists tried to capture 19th century Bohemian Paris and the lush French country side, highlighting the social and political environment of the time. When they exhibited their works, a journalist said they were more like ‘impressions’ rather than traditionally detailed paintings. The name stuck.

Image Pixabay

The images at Monet in Paris were shown on huge screens allowing the viewer to hone in on the details of the paintings. These are not overly detailed works of art, they are ‘impressions’. The subjects are not posed in the traditional manner, but show people going about their every day lives. Accompanied by classical music and some intriguing moving visuals I found this show captivating. It was also very entertaining watching a small child nearby try and catch a fish and a dragonfly, both images projected onto the carpet.

Image Pixabay

The invention of tubes for paint opened up the outdoors to artists. John Goffe Rand invented a type of syringe or tube in the 1840s which evolved into tubes for paint as we know them now around the 1900s. This meant artists could paint en plein air, to capture immediate and everyday images away from their studios.

Image Pixabay

Many of Monet’s well known artworks feature his garden. He claimed to be good at two things, painting and gardening. His famous garden, Giverny, continues to attract thousands of visitors every year. He developed strict rules about mixing colours, shapes and surfaces, analyzed over time by many garden designers and historians. He admired reflections and movement on water so much he employed a gardener whose sole responsibility was to keep the pond clean and to ensure the water lilies were separated by variety. Many of his most famous later paintings feature aspects of his amazing garden.

‘one life’

It’s blisteringly hot in Perth at the moment so we went to the cinema. We saw ‘One Life’ starring Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Flynn and Helena Bonham Carter. This is the story of (Sir) Nicholas Winton. Nicky, as he was known, was a young stockbroker living in London with his Mother. He set off for Prague in 1938 to visit a friend for a week. The Czech Sudetenland had been annexed by the Nazis and they were expected to invade the rest of Czechoslovakia imminently. He was confronted by the masses of Jewish families fleeing the Nazis.

Nicky Winton did what he thought was right. Overcoming enormous obstacles he organised visas, trains, sponsor families and the money necessary to temporarily home 669 Jewish children in the United Kingdom.

Nicky Winton was haunted by the ninth train he arranged being intercepted by the Nazis on the station in Prague. Fifty years later he is invited to a television program where it is revealed that everyone in the audience was a child who had survived and grown up in the UK, due to his efforts. Most had stayed in the UK as their families were murdered during the holocaust. This was a very moving film.

‘One Life’ is a beautifully told, one of many about repatriating fleeing Jewish families ahead of the Nazis arriving. All tell of immense bravery and determination to do the right thing.

‘If something is not impossible, then there must be a way to do it…’

Sir Nicholas Winton, 1909 -2015

minimizing fabrics going to landfill

Fashion is an enormous contributor to landfill or to the pollution caused by burning, especially clothing made of manmade fibres which do not break down quickly. Another source of fabrics to landfill has been decorative fabrics. These are often made of cotton, wool, silk or linen although cheaper curtaining and furniture covers are often synthetic or blends as are cheaper carpets.

Image Pixabay

An interesting shift is occurring in the UK with the end of season, display samples or end of roll fabrics from decorative suppliers. Some fabric houses are extending access to their textiles by offering warehouse sales with considerable discounts offered, direct from their websites or instore sales. To view warehouse sales the shopper needs to register. Fabrics offered can be as little as 2m and up to 40m.

The smaller pieces are ideal for cushion covers, slightly larger lengths are good for stools, table linen, blinds and headboards, four or five metres will upholster a chair and the larger pieces will make generous curtains. Hope to see this become common practise, adopted everywhere.

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Singapore

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Singapore is less than six hours flying time from Perth. It is a very modern, clean and bustling city but still maintains some unique characteristics of ‘old Singapore’. Although I’ve been to Gardens on the Bay, an amazing botanical wonderland, twice before, I’d never really explored the surrounding parklands. That was my plan for this visit as I wanted to see The Planet sculpture, aka the Floating Baby.

This enormous artwork by British artist Mark Quinn is made of painted bronze and steel. The sculpture is of the artist’s 7 month old sleeping son. The baby seems to hover peacefully in the air, surrounded by green gardens. The artwork divided the masses; either you love it or you hate it! I love it and enjoyed walking around it a few times, seeing different details each time.

The gardens were green and beautiful but the late afternoon heat was stifling. We walked across to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and went straight up to the top for the sea breeze, coffee and a big bottle of sparkling water. Calm and cool but very misty over the water. Followed later by a relaxing hour of reflexology then yum cha. A lovely day.

Restoratives.

The heat and humidity was stifling and misty at times.

Great yum cha.

One of the other attractions of Singapore is the food! Singaporeans take food seriously and you can buy amazing food for a few dollars at a street stall or spend lots and eat in beautifully designed restaurants with carefully presented food. We ate at both and some places in between. We hadn’t had high tea at The Raffles for years nor been there since the major renovation was completed so we went there, too. It was lovely.

Scones, sandwiches, beautifully presented cakes and little chocolate treats….we enjoyed them all!

Since living in China over twenty years ago, we have sought out massages, particularly reflexology or foot massages. Although the cost in Singapore is similar to an hour long session in Perth we have never found a really good reflexologist. We’ve had lovely foot and leg rubs and very half hearted massages but nothing like the systematic reflexology we’ve had in China, in Vietnam, in Thailand and Singapore. Bali can be a bit hit and miss, too! So, several visits to the spa for reflexology for us.

Airy, colourful entrance, in glass roofed foyer created by joining the two buildings.

The National Gallery of Singapore is an amalgamation of the former Supreme Court and the original City Hall connected by a modern glass and steel structure. (There’s lots of information about the transformation from early planning and funding to constructing and utilizing the building available on Level 4, plus a daily walk and talk you can join and be shown around. Ask at the desk for daily times) The amalgamation works really well and has created a wonderful National Gallery of Singapore. It is always worth a visit. We skipped the regular exhibitions and went upstairs to the third floor for Living Pictures: Photography in South East Asia and fourth floor for Liu Kuo Sung: Experimentation As Method, both new, temporary exhibitions.

Sunlight pours in through the steel and glass middle section.

Followed by cold drinks and a snack in the cafe before a serious look around the gallery shop. Beautiful things but very expensive. A great range of art books, too.

Carefully restored former Supreme Court.

Enjoyed a wander through the National Design Museum, too, a bit different from the usual displays Really enjoyed walking around Chinatown again but got caught in a monsoonal downpour. Had a lovely chat with the shop owner until the rain stopped. Chinatown has so many wall murals designed for interaction. One difficult thing was the tour groups on bikes who really seemed unaware of the pedestrians they were running into. We visited on the weekend, so the temples were busy and loud. Chinatown is vibrant and interesting. Look out for the old shopfronts still up and down many streets.

Grand old buildings.

Interactive street art in Chinatown.

You’ve been warned.

Are you interested in the Barbie movie? I was a huge fan of Barbie when I was 10 and my Father brought me a Barbie from America with bendable legs and arms. She was followed by Ken and her little sister, Skipper. I loved my dolls and built and decorated houses for them and sewed clothes. My father made me perfect tiny wire hangers so I could organize their wardrobes. I’ve still got them. Still interested in houses, interior decoration and clothes but mention all of this because Barbie and the movie are BIG in Singapore.

Image Pexels

Confronted by a Barbie photo opportunity display in a shopping centre. Not only were there males and females from babies to about eighty dressed in pink having their photos taken clutching bunches of pink balloons amongst the Barbie paraphernalia, there was the Barbie jingle, ‘I’m a Barbie girl in a Barbie world’ warbling on repeat, very loudly. A quick look at the Sunday paper when we returned informed me Perth is going Barbie mad, too. So much pink! Plus a World record singalong attempt of Barbie World!

Next week’s blog will be about our visit to Melaka

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The Eclipse, ANZAC Day and Vermeer

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THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN

Now you see it and then you don’t! Did you see the images of the eclipse of the sun on 20th April? We live in Perth, about 1 300km (808 miles) south of Exmouth, the ultimate place to view this eclipse. For a second or so the sky darkened a little in Perth as if a cloud passed the sun, but the effect was spectacular in Exmouth.

Image PIXABAY

The actual movement of the moon passing across the face of the sun takes about three hours. During this time, the sun is completely obscured (eclipsed) by the moon for about a minute.This was seen most completely in Exmouth and was witnessed by people from all over the World who traveled there to view the event.

Actually, total solar eclipses happen about every 18 months but are usually only visible at sea. This one on April 20th, was clearly visible from the coast, at Exmouth. Normally a township of about 2 800 people the population swelled by more than 20 000 visitors. Best known for fishing and the North West Cape Naval Communications Base, Exmouth is also the northern gateway to the Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Park.

Beach at Cape range national park in Australia royalty free stock photos

The beach at Exmouth. Image DreamstimeANZAC DAY

Anzac Day, celebrated on the 25th of April, commemorates the Australian and New Zealand involvement in all wars and conflicts. (ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Historically we have tended to fight and drink together.) It is a public holiday in Australia. Traditionally we gathered at local memorials for a formal service of remembrance but Covid changed how we commemorate Anzac Day. These services acknowledge the bravery and sacrifices of all servicemen and women in all countries and all conflicts.

Image IStock

During Covid we were unable to attend the usual service at our local war memorial. The compromise was for people to stand at the end of their driveway with candles, listen to the Last Post being played on the radio then stand in silence for one minute. We did this along with our neighbours.

A new way of remembrance was established. Afterwards one neighbour brought out coffee, we all brought fold up chairs and sat on the verge chatting and sharing Anzac biscuits, made to celebrate on the day. The next year we met on someone’s driveway, commemorated with the Last Post and a minutes silence then shared breakfast with my husband acting as the barista. He makes the best coffee!

Image iStock

Actually, the same group of neighbours host evening get togethers every few months and they are such lovely evenings, sharing food and news. We are very lucky!

JOHANNES VERMEER (1632 -1675)

This year the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam presented the largest Vermeer exhibition ever seen. Many of the paintings were loaned to the museum from private collections and have not been seen by the general public for many years. Unable to visit this amazing exhibition, we went to the cinema to see ‘Vermeer: The Greatest Exhibition’ a film showing the exhibition with the director of the Rijksmuseum and the curators involved in presenting the exhibition providing the commentary.

Image Wikimedia Commons

Vermeer was a Dutch Baroque painter known for his paintings of middle class domestic interiors. His first paintings were based on Bible stories and mythology but he soon specialized in paintings of interiors. Generally, the paintings feature light coming from a window, seen or not seen, on the left of the room and usually the subject is a female. For example ‘The Milkmaid’, ‘The Music Lesson” and many other works.

Image Wikimedia Commons

Within the close Calvinistic society of the time, it would have been difficult for Vermeer to find female models so historians assume he relied on his wife and eight daughters to sit for him .His wife was a Catholic. Unlike so many other famous artists, we know very little about Vermeer’s life as he didn’t keep a journal nor are there recorded any letters by him.

Image Wikimedia Commons

His works are significant also because there are no apparent brushstrokes. He developed a style which create smooth finishes. He is also known for using white dots to create highlights. Probably his most famous painting “Girl With The Pearl Earring” demonstrates this technique at its best.

Ninety minutes packed with information and beautiful pictures. I really enjoyed it!

We’d also gone to the cinema recently to see Living starring Bill Nighy. I’d read rave revues and the lines went out the door when we were at the cinema to see the film about the Mary Cassatt paintings. So we went one night. Neither of us enjoyed it. The acting was good, the close, intimate settings, such as a train carriage, an office, a cafe or dining room were well done, the acting convincing but the story? So predictable and tedious and obvious. Nothing was left unsaid. It has many five star reviews but not from me.

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Living the Simple Life, Rubic Cubes, Packing and Dog Toys

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living the simple life

A week down south during the Margaret River Region Open Studios was great for seeing a huge range of artworks, but also interesting in other ways. Mostly, the artisans work from studios within or attached to their houses. So as well as hearing about their philosophies, motivations and work habits, you learn, in many cases, what makes their lives fulfilling and satisfying.

Image Upsplash

The artists we visited live in suburbia, on hilltops with nothing between the beach below and Antarctica, on small bush blocks and on working farms. Heavy winter rain means the southwest is lush and green with masses of arum lilies and many wild flowers beginning to bloom. This is a very beautiful area. ( The arum lilies are considered a weed and used to be sprayed every year but apparently not this year!)

The people I spoke to often referred to seeking simpler lives. My immediate image of the idealised simpler life is living on enough land to support chickens, a horse, a cow for milking and a large area for growing vegetables. This is not necessarily what everyone was seeking. Being without the constraints of traditional work hours, living in ‘off the grid’ houses, as often the usual services are not available, and reusing existing housing styled to suit their needs were common discussions. assorted-color paintbrush lot

Image Unsplash

Tending to vegetables and animals would eat into their working time, there’s amazing wild flowers in the bush, so why grow your own flowers, working digitally at times that suit their other interests provides sufficient income and there’s still small rural schools or school buses for their children if they’ve chosen to live out of town. These were people who had chosen to live simple lives by their own standards.

Many of the artists are tech savvy and you just swipe your card on a tiny machine to pay and a receipt pops up on your phone. Many of these people have taken what they really want to build simple, harmonious lives for themselves. They have created time to follow their artistic passions. Sometimes that’s creating amazing food, beautiful pieces of art, glorious gardens but only after they’ve had a surf !

This area is extremely diverse. There’s traditional farming, vineyards, breweries and distilleries, every imaginable type of accommodation, plus deer farming, olive oil production, patisseries and lavender products. There’s all sorts of little shops selling lovely things, views that stop you in your tracks and some of the most amazing houses. Plus lots of people living simple lives and achieving their artistic goals.

rubics cubes

Do you like this Rubics Cube birthday invitation?. The 3D puzzle cube was invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Emö Rubic. He intended it to teach his students about three dimensional squares. Clever invitation, clever puzzle.

traveling

In a previous covid free time we liked to travel. My husband’s work meant he was frequently overseas, so our son and I would travel to spent time with him during every school break. I must have sewn and embroidered this drawstring bag for stowing slippers very early on as I soon adopted far less grand ways of packing. Not so pretty but very efficient.

Laughed photographing these slippers as we are currently sleeping under a zebra print rug and I have a leopard print dressing gown.

These boubouche, bought in Paris nearly 20 years ago have been worn and worn but despite looking a bit misshapen, still fit well.

I actually ended up with quite a few pairs of slippers. It was often customary to remove our outdoor shoes and wear socks or slippers indoors. I wore slippers until about four years ago when I left work and wanted footwear to suit every situation, indoors or outdoors, including long walks. I began wearing Skechers most days and my collection of slippers live unworn on a shelf. Not in a pretty drawstring bag!

We spent last week in Margaret River and I briefly contemplated the embroidered drawstring slipper bag, just like I considered a tailored, wool coat. The slipper bag stayed home as did the wool coat. The puffer jacket which came with us is light, warm and doesn’t need dry cleaning. Unfortunately it makes me feel like the Michelin man, a warm Michelin man but a very well padded one, too.

The zebra

When we’re not using the zebra print rug, Louis, our groodle likes to claim it as his own. He likes to spent hours asleep partially under it, only rousing himself if anyone comes to the door or he can smell things cooking. Any food aromas require instant investigation.

Seeing a very cute zebra toy in the pet section I bought it for Louis. He tolerated it being on the rug with him but them ignored it. He is very fond of soft toys and his reaction was a bit puzzling. Zebra has been totally ignored since he and Louis were introduced. I think it’s because zebra doesn’t squeak! I watched him chew zebra’s body, legs and head and getting no reaction, ignored him.

Body doesn’t squeak, legs don’t squeak, lost interest.

Did you watch the royal funeral?

A magnificent display of pomp and ceremony and an appropriate farewell to a remarkable person..

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Margaret River Region Open Studios 2022 and Farewell to the Queen

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open studios

Margaret River just before it enters the Indian Ocean. Later in the day the wind was so strong there were little waves on the river.

Margaret River, south of Perth, is well known for it’s vineyards, restaurants and amazing surf but it is also home for many talented creatives. The Margaret River Region Open Studios is a wonderful fortnight when 168 artisans in the region open their studios. Visitors can watch them working, admire their work, chat about the process and also buy their products. The region is divided into four areas. Just as well as the project actually covers a large area.

Lookout overlooking where Margaret River joins the Indian Ocean.

The four regions are Busselton and surrounds, Dunsborough and surrounds, Cowaramup and surrounds and Margaret River and surrounds. If you can spare the time, visiting one region each day and visiting about six studios seems to works best. Obviously, not everyone can commit five days including travel time if you’re outside the region, so it might be easier to focus on your particular interest.

Amongst the art works on display are paintings, sculpture, jewellery, ceramics, textiles, glass making, woodwork, photography, hat making, printmaking and even tattoos. Some studios have more than one artist displaying their work.

All the information is online, but we prefer a paper copy. To begin refining our plans for the week my husband and I mark the studios we’d like to visit, then select our joint bchoices by negotiation! This year I wanted to revisit one studio we went to last year; I’ve often thought about the artist’s work and wished I bought one of his prints last year and intended to this year.

Adam Ashdown, the printmaker we revisited is an Gyotaki printmaker. This is an obscure form of 19th century Japanese printmaking begun about 100 years ago as a way for Japanese fishermen to record their catch. Using sumi ink they would coat one side of a freshly caught fish then carefully apply a sheet of rice paper before before rubbing it all over to print an exact copy of the fish.

I originally saw gyotaki fish prints in Dunsborough at Adam Ashdown’s open studio last year. Ashdown, the owner of Saltybones, has perfected gyotaki printing to record the fish caught locally around Dunsborough. Like the original Japanese printers, he also prints trophy fish for fishers pleased with the fish they’ve caught.

Leon Pericles is a well nationally and internationally. Visiting his studio and garden was a delight. He is a master printmaker, painter and sculptor with a wicked sense of humour. His displays and garden were so popular it was impossible to get photos but I photographed the entrance to his house and studio as I couldn’t capture the artwork, the whimsical landscaping nor the waterfall in the bush.

Another artist I first discovered years ago is Rebecca Cool. I have one of her paintings carefully stored somewhere but mislaid as we moved several times locally, then overseas and then returned to Western Australia and built a new house. By then we had the goods and chattels from four houses in storage and a container coming from overseas so many, many things are somewhere safe, but just where is a bit of a mystery.

Apart from her artworks, Cool has illustrated several children’s books and has two more being published soon. Cheerful, happy pictures.

Milliner Kimberley Box makes a dashing range of ladies fur felt hats. Gorgeous designs and interesting to talk to her about becoming a hat maker. I’m pretty sure I’ll be back to see her next year!

A collection of lasts and feathers and other decorations.

.There’s an enormous number of accommodation options in the south west. Putting up a tent is probably not one of them! This is the coldest I have ever been down here. There’s motels, hostels, many bed and breakfast places, resorts and lots of holiday houses to rent but you might need to book well ahead. Unfortunately, due to post Covid extreme staff shortages, finding venues open at lunchtime is tricky but most of the well known cafes and restaurants in towns and vineyards are open in the evening. There’s several supermarkets, lots of bakeries and light meals available in coffee shops.

HM Queen Elizabeth 11.

Image depositphotos.com

The Queen is dead, Long Live the King! A cry not heard since the death of Queen Victoria nearly 120 years ago. So much has changed profoundly in that time. For most Australians the Queen is the only Head of State we have known. Stability and certainty are reassuring during troubled times and our Queen will be sadly missed.

The best tribute was expressed by Paddington Bear, “Thank You Ma’am, for Everything.”

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Vincent Van Gogh Alive and The Winter Garden

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van gogh alive

Are you a fan of Vincent van Gogh? I love the way he boldly applied paint. When we visited the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam I stood in front of the paintings, intrigued by the texture and sweeping application of bold, unexpected colours. So when Van Gogh Alive arrived in Perth I booked a ticket for the 29th of July. He was born 30/03/1853 and died on the 29th of July 1880. Due to timed tickets it seemed safe to visit the exhibition, wearing a mask. It was a multi sensory exhibition using many screens, 3,000 images and a soundtrack. Amazing and lovely.

It was remarkable! Seeing his works on huge screens, then sections enlarged even more with added animation all accompanied by a well chosen soundtrack was wonderful. The artworks dominated the walls in both darkened halls. The pictures were interspersed with his reflections on life in text on screens. Some thoughts resonated, some suggested his ongoing battles with mental well being, but all fitted well into the exhibition.

Leading up to visiting Van Gogh Alive we had watched a documentary ‘A Shot In A Starry Night: Van Gogh Case’ which investigates the circumstances around his death and questions whether he committed suicide. Due to the lack of knowledge concerning forensic evidence and the reliance on the memory of a very old lady, recorded in 1935, no real conclusion can be made but it was lovely seeing the part of town where Van Gogh lived. The house, cafe and adjoining buildings, the church and landscapes he painted, all featured.

I’d like the ceiling in our bedroom painted just like his Almond Blossoms but the suggestion was not received enthusiastically.

winter garden

Trees bare of leaves, climbing roses stretched over arches but without blooms or foliage, rose bushes pruned back and other plants not doing much in the cold, wet days of winter. This creates a good opportunity to assess and maybe refine the garden. Our verge was stripped bare, had new soil added, plus weed mat and new reticulation and was then replanted with hibbertia scandens (Snakevine)). It will take two years to thicken and reach about 40 cm in height but is already doing well.

The front courtyard just needs the hedges clipped. Both the plumbago and box need tidying. The roses in pots have been pruned, tucked in with mushroom compost and are beginning to shoot. The lime tree needs some light pruning but mostly needs weeding and restoration of the three metal orbs which sit at the base. I can’t finish sealing them as it hasn’t stopped raining for days and days!

Need some touching up before they go back under the lime tree. Always raining! Good for us, not good for drying paint.

These orbs have been there a very long time. They have slowly deteriorated. I really like them but close inspection revealed lost, rusted off bits. The orbs were in bad shape! So, I scrubbed them carefully, left them to dry, treated them with rust retardant and then sprayed them with bronze coloured paint which claims to slow down the rust. Hope so!

The back garden is a much bigger job. The neighbour’s palm trees have gradually reached a height where they were blocking out the sun from reaching our espaliered apricot tree and the two Pierre de Ronsard climbing roses over an arch. The rats enjoyed the few apricots that survived so I decided the tree should go. The upcoming council ‘green’ pickup determined when this would happen. So, only the trunk remains and I’ll get that sorted out soon.

The sad trunk of the apricot tree, starved of light, it ceased producing masses of fruit. The rats were often quicker than me at spotting the ripe apricots. They live in the palm trees over the fence which have blocked the sunlight.

The next decision was what to do with the very leggy roses on the arch. The roses had grown to the top of the arch where they enjoyed sunlight. Unreachable blooms! I began cutting them down, too, motivated by the green verge pickup but can’t really decided what to do; the arch was very beautiful in the past, covered in blooms. I’m not sure when the palms will get tall enough for the roses to flourish again. At the moment, the palms are home to the rats. I hear them scuttling about in the evening and occasionally see them racing up the trunks. So, for now, I’ve cut the roses right back to the base, still cogitating!

Pixabay

The tulips have germinated, as have ranunculus, poppies and some dahlias. The pansy seedlings are doing well. The other thing doing well is weeds. I have some many and it’s so hard to eradicate them. I do make lots of weed tea which goes on the passion fruit, blueberries, snow peas and celery.

I hope you are enjoying a good week!

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Going Down South

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Going down south is a popular break for people living in the Perth metropolitan area. Down south refers to the area south of Bunbury along the south west coast of Western Australia. This very beautiful region offers thick bush land, amazing coastal views from clean, yellow sandy beaches and striking granite cliffs, coves and reefs. There’s a huge wine and brewing industry, fabulous fresh artisanal food, so many talented artists and crafts people, authors and photographers and surfing breaks famous around the world. It’s a lovely area to visit for an active break, a relaxing time or anything in between.

Map Department of Regional Development

We booked into a resort, Bunker Bay, which we visit at least once a year. It nestles in secluded bush land on the Indian Ocean past Dunsborough heading towards Cape Naturaliste. There is a scenic drive to Busselton and Dunsborough one way and Yallingup, Cowaramup and Margaret River another way. We like to come down here and visit old favourites and always find something new to enjoy.

Set off from Perth Monday morning and headed down the coast. Stopped in Busselton for lunch. Once a sleepy retirement settlement plus beach shacks and camping areas Busselton has become a thriving arts centre and there’s the amazing jetty, too, the longest wooden jetty in the world; nearly 1.8 kilometers /1.1 miles long with so many activities to enjoy. These include a train trip along the jetty, a sea bed underwater walk and viewing windows under the water. Busselton has grown and now stretches almost to Dunsborough. Also many beautiful old buildings in the centre of town.

Ben Ing, previously Head Chef, Noma, Copenhagen,now at his own cafe, Alberta’s in Busselton.

Really good coffee, really good treats.

Home to about 86 restaurants and cafes, Busselton is also the home of Alberta’s, run by two former employees at Noma Copenhagen, considered the best restaurant in the world with 3 Michelin stars. Kirsty Marchant (head gardener Noma) and Ben Ing (head chef Noma) opened their cafe Alberta’s, the name a nod to Ing’s Canadian heritage, at the beginning of June. For now they are open in the morning, Thursday to Sunday, serving ‘morning’ foods, listed on a black board. Broths, baked goods, small bites and coffee. Nearly everything is sourced from local suppliers.

Our bed picnics don’t usually take place on the bed but you get the idea.

Once we were unpacked and settled I headed for the beach. It was a short walk along the boardwalk over the lake and through lush greenery.

We’re fans of long lunches at wineries, local cafes and restaurants and then settling to “bed” picnics for dinner, which aren’t eaten in bed! We collect punnets of seasonal berries, cherry tomatoes, some local apples, goats cheese, some crackers, sometimes cold meats and soups. Spread out on the coffee table this is our usual dinner when we are traveling.

We’re on either side of the bush in the middle of the photo.

We can hear the waves crashing. Peaceful and picturesque.

The next morning was relaxing and slow, reading, making some phone calls, watching the birds. Then we set off for lunch with some friends. We hadn’t seen them for ages. So much to talk about!

Lunch became afternoon tea and suddenly it was getting dark. Tuesday was the shortest day of the year and darkness fell early. Such a lovely, relaxing day.

We had visitors every day. They just wandered in and waited for snacks. My husband was happy to oblige! Sometimes we had five water hens lined up waiting for a treat. They attract our attention by tapping on the wooden slats on the deck.

On Wednesday we set off to have lunch at one of the very few local cafes/restaurants opening for lunch. More venues advertise they will be open from Thursday to Sunday, but we will be gone by then. The staff shortages in Western Australia mean no-one should be unemployed! Currently there are 1.4 full time jobs available for every unemployed person in W.A.

Left, scallops and right, fennel. Delicious.

This bistro only offered small share plates on their menu. We began with Scallops, duck xo, smoked avocado and allium ($36) and another plate of Confit fennel, yolk emulsion, edamame, goats cheese ($16). These were well balanced, interesting dishes accompanied by sparkling water and pinot noir. Things went down hill from there! The second two dishes were Beef short rib, maple mop, parker house roll, pickles ($40) and a bowl of shoestring fries, duck fat, herb salt ($16.)

The beef short rib was covered in a lump of fat, the sweet, soft bread roll a gluggy mystery ( I noticed other tables left theirs, too) and the gherkin was just sad and floppy. I added vinegar and salt to the shoestring fries and they were still pretty plain. The duck had truly flown: we couldn’t taste any duck fat at all!

I enjoyed the post lunch coffee and the wander around the adjoining art gallery. The bistro was an attractive area with views to a lovely green outlook, the food was disappointing.

Had intended to have the icecream for dessert but felt it was wiser to go elsewhere. The local well known, wonderful icecream shop, Simmos was our next stop. They were very, very busy and we both thought our icecreams were just right!

On Thursday we set off quite early to spend some time with my Mother on the way home.

As usual, we had a great break down south and we’re already planning the next one!

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