October 2023 - Growing wings

24 October 202330 October 2023

Art in the Hills

On the weekend we followed some of the art trail exploring open studios in Perth’s hills. We found magic tucked away in hidden retreats, open homes and purpose-built studios.

It was a challenge choosing a mere handful from the 65 artists who showcase their extensive range of media. In a neighbourhood we discovered some hidden gems. Each artist I spoke to happily gave permission for photos to be taken of their work. Here’s a mere handful of the extensive range on display at some of the studios.

Hidden Gems

We started our trek with a visit to The Sound Temple in Sawyers Valley. In a stunning setting, (one home is built in the style of a lodge), works by Brenda Stovell and Mike Moore were captivating. With a Celtic background of my own, I was fascinated by Mike’s sculptures of the Celtic Cross. Also on display were his works which captured his in-depth knowledge of Mesopotamia, areas in South America and Byzantium imagery.

Creative Journals

A different approach to creating and saving memories, Brenda’s beautifully crafted journals inspire me to create my own. I have heritage lace, doylies, sheets of music, old paper from the early 1900’s, ribbons, buttons and fabric that would be a great start! Perhaps, one day….

Brenda’s art included a brilliant rendition of our iconic red-tailed cockatoo. We have many of these birds in the hills, often sitting in the gum trees, targeting anything below as they peck the honkey nuts from the branches! Beware! It pays to be wary if they are in a tree in the back yard. It can, quite literally ‘rain’ gum leaves and honky nuts that have had no opportunity to break out in blossom!

Brenda’s creative Journals inspired me to attempt one of my own.

We peaked inside The Sound Temple. As there were people already inside, we chose to appreciate the deep resonance of the drum as it vibrated through the space within.

Art connects with literature

Beautiful landscapes and a stunning portrait graced the Fly My Darling Studio. The artist, Johanna Zeelenberg, shared some of her family stories and experiences during her time living in the West Australian town of Wittenoom, a town now completely dismantled due to the risk of asbestosis. We shared stories, mine in the light of Michelle Johnston’s novel, Dustfall which captured much of the life and outcomes Johanna spoke of. A somewhat sobering reminder of a harsh reality lived in a harsh environment.

Johanna’s art reflected the environments she has lived in. A beautiful work of art capturing the family matriarch stood out as a lone portrait.

Stunning Grass tree by Johanna Zeelenberg

Love of the Land

A drive further into the hills, almost on the other side of the Darling Scarp, we discovered Leith Street Studio. Here I fell in love with Kat Hardwick’s art. Only the week before, in conversation, had I realised a desire to explore abstract art and Kat’s spoke to my heart. I’ve no doubt it has everything to do with being a girl who loves the land, meeting another! I could sense the stories and connection in her work – that magical space where an image touches one’s soul. I am delighted to give Petrichor a new home!

Art & Hot Beeswax

I was intrigued with Melissa De Winter’s encaustic (hot beeswax) works. For a wonderful few minutes, she gave a short demo of her technique. Much patience is needed as the process is repeated many times in creating a complete image.

Melissa De Winter demonstrates part of the process of her encaustic artwork

Heading back to base

On the return trip, feeling quite sated with the few studios we’d seen, we visited studios in our immediate neighbourhood. Katey Cunliffe’s Intuitive Art is a delight with its detail and bright colours. Magic comes to mind, as her work illustrates and captures the connection of one’s inner world with all that is, in the physical world.

Some of Katey’s art is mounted on aluminium

Playfulness in art

Our final port of call before walking back to our base, (yes, it is very close by!) was Jeremy Holton’s Peach Tree Gallery. I have a few of Jeremy’s paintings in my home. His vivid, playful renditions capture my imagination. From his varied range two I chose are a vivid pastel and ink flowers and an acrylic rendition of daisies in a bowl.

Check out more inspiring talent in Mundaring Hills Open Studios!

You may be lucky enough to find a slice of apple pie – more like delicious apple strudel, a Fly My Darling Studio special made by her mother.)

Some studios are open all week from 21^st – 29^th October, 2023. There are many more than we managed to visit. As you head along the Great Eastern Highway, take a left or right turn into the suburbs along the way.

Stop and enjoy a drink and chat on the deck at The Sound Temple.

Or be fortunate to catch a brief demo at The Hive.

Or simply share a conversation with a total stranger about the wonder of art and how it connects to one’s soul.

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15 October 202315 October 2023

Moving Forward

How do I move forward when faced with challenges?

For many years, way too many, I stagnated in dealing with difficulties. Stuck in a place of unhappiness and increasing frustration, it took a shake-up that rocked me to my core.

I knew I had and still do have much to to be grateful for. I simply needed to find a way forward that resonated with who I am. I wanted to “be good for something…” as Marcus Aurelius’s said: Death stands at your elbow. Be good for something while you live and it is in your power.” I wrote about it here.

Moving forward

In a year of deep inner transformation, in which I learnt a great deal about self-care, I wrapped it up with a deepening sense of who I am through attending a retreat and travelling across a country I fell in love with on my first visit, nearly 20 years ago.

Travelling

I travelled across Canada by train. In so doing, I ticked three items on my bucket list, to –

(I) travel across Canada

(ii) see Niagara Falls

(iii) visit Anne of Green Gables’ cottage.

An adrenaline rush, feeling the spray of the Falls was a once-in-a lifetime opportunity. I’d repeat it in a heart beat!

My purpose in travel

How does a trip contribute to moving forward, to achieving one’s purpose in life, to being good for something?

Travelling solo threw me onto my inner resources, providing numerous opportunities to deal with change positively.

Not having travelled overseas for several years, I spent a lot of time navigating the many changes to how to do almost everything in a post-pandemic world! Booking tickets, hotels, train trips, airfares, finding a brilliant agent* in Canada, cancelling and re-booking was a steep learning curve. Problem solving was key!

Eckhart Tolle at Becoming a Teacher of Presence

Thrown into the mix of bucket list items was an opportunity to attend an Eckhart Tolle retreat at Lake Louise. A beautiful experience that left an indelible print on my soul, that carried me forward in the following months.

Accustomed to sharing past journeys with a travel companion, I developed a renewed sense of confidence and resilience as I resolved to make my experience memorable.

Pluses of travelling solo

It surprised me to realise how many people I encountered thought it brave to travel alone. I always felt safe! I enjoyed the freedom! Yes, there were times I’d love to have shared the moment with a companion, like when I was feeling the intense spray of the Niagara Falls.

In travel I find my soul. The journey within is of equal measure in importance to the outer journey. One reflects the other. I discover an inner capacity to deal with life’s challenges. that carries over into daily life. Travel is a journey into discovering more of who I am – and therefore, more of whom I can bring to others.

Photography and travel

My love for amateur photography means I have hundreds, maybe a thousand or more images of my train trip, of things that caught my eye. I enjoyed ‘being present” / ‘in the moment’ appreciating beauty wherever I found myself, whether in the country or in a major city. I now have four albums of images to recall places I enjoyed seeing. Above all, I found ways to maintain a greater sense of peace and confidence which I now harness in solving issues that arise.

Niagra Falls spray is a wonder to experience! — Anne and Diana chatted to visitors at Anne of Green Gables house on Prince Edward Island.

* Brilliant agent: Fresh Tracks Canada

2 October 20232 October 2023

A walk along memory lane

Where do I start?

It’s time! Recently I began my journey of sharing family stories: I shared what I’d captured in writing and photos about my mother’s life with members of the family. Her request to withhold sharing her stories until she after she passed on has been honoured.

Questions around making family stories available to the wider circle, and ultimately to the wider community, is knowing what to write, where to draw the line in what is shared and when to publish.

Tough decisions

Shortly after my mother passed away, I wrote a short piece testifying to an energetic approach that helped both my mother and myself manage those last challenging months. It was a tough call, having responded to a request to write it and being entrusted to let it go forward to publication, to unexpectedly heed a clear and loud message from my ancestors to not publish.

You see, at first, I thought it was fear. Fear of putting self out there. Fear of what others might do with my story. Fear of not being understood. And not knowing how to handle all that, I pulled back. Yes, I’d been burnt before. This response predominated, yet it was much deeper. Sharing one’s life story and those of others is a journey of trust.

Honouring Values

In fact, it wasn’t fear at all. After deep reflection on why I prevaricated, it was honouring my mother’s wish for privacy, something that unfolded with increasing awareness in the days following her passing and my decision to hold back. In part it is called grieving. It is also called honouring family values. An incredibly private family, it is a wonder I am even writing this! Let alone thinking I’ll publish it!

But the time has now come. As poorly written as the memories of my mother are, (I could offer several excuses for that), they are nevertheless, precious memories. I know that she read and re-read what I wrote: they reminded her of who she was, of the life she had lived, of her input into life. They are now shared within the family, where they matter the most.

My mother takes a walk along the historic path in her home town. — My mother walks along a historical path in her home town.

What happens from here?

It is now time for me to move forward by looking back. How on earth does one do both at the same time?!

Naturally reflective, I like to learn from the past. As I enter an era heralded by a number I am loathe to disclose but glad to have achieved, I know I have more years behind me than ahead of me! It is time to write the stories, share them with family and prospectively publish them. That is my goal.

I’m now ‘keen as mustard’ to write my stories

Where will I find my stories?

My 50 crates of family history stored in a shed in our back yard need to be distilled into family stories that I can pass on to my children and grandchildren. Over the years I created both wonder and disappointment in family expectations to participate in family gatherings, collect history and so on. I’d wax and wane with enthusiasm.

Capturing other people’s lives on paper or in making sense of photos of people long gone was far less important than current matters. I was caught up in raising my own family: I just wanted to live my own life. Even so, my mother relentlessly fed me family history from a young age. Now, I am, in fact, deeply grateful. Oddly, now that she is gone, I am more able to focus on writing about the photos, memorabilia and stories that I can share from memory and uncover from research. I guess it comes down to having more time to do so.

I have made inroads and I am now writing, once again. I’ll share the process. I’ll share snippets, photos, possibly some of the stories, along the way. Wish me well on my journey.

CS Lewis Quote “… we write in order to understand”

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