LANDSCAPES
I took a copy of my film, PLAY- On the Beach with the Ballets Russes, to give to Ania, one of the soloists, now 91, who appears in it. We had a lively lunch ' just round the corner' ie 10k's away in Australian distance. Her son John was there too. He is doing a PHD in Fine Art and showed us some of his work on his computer. It explores the territory between landscape and it's abstraction in painting. I'm planning to go and see it in his studio as the subject really resonates with my own interests.
I seem to be making two series of photographs: GREEN and BARK
Several visits to galleries,particularly to look at the Australian landscape paintings
between the mid 19th century to the 1940's. Tom Roberts, Sydney Long and Frank McCubbin from the earlier period and later some slightly more urban subjects from three women - Grace Cossington Smith, Margaret Preston (flowers) and Grace Cowley plus another half dozen people I hadn't registered before. The early twentieth century painting is engaging me more these days.
GALSTON
A tame King Parrot visited the Galston garden one afternoon and fed from our hands.
MOUNT IRVINE IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS
It's sometimes much colder up in the mountains. The house is down an unsealed track, at the end of a road nearly an hour from the nearest shop. The giant stringy bark gums arch over it draping their long snaky threads over every branch and bush. My favourite huge gum at the bottom of the garden has been felled, and sad as that is, the view is now immensely expansive and peaceful.
The bower bird is still nesting in the bushes. I took a few blue things with me to see if it collected them: a rosellas feather, a piece of ribbon, some blue sweetener wrappers. Over the days these were added to the bower.
WEATHER
For the last few days the weather has looked like this:
THE OUTDOOR CINEMA
The setting is lovely, in the Domain right on the water and overlooking the harbour and bridge. We chatted and ate in the evening sun. The huge screen rises over the water like a vaste red- lit installation,very slowly. Once it was upright and the film started the rain also started and continued throughout. We were all provided with plastic ponchos and very few people actually left. The bats were an added effect as they squeaked and flew across the screen.
A FEW SIGNS
A DREAM
Burglars were climbing a ladder to break into my house. I rushed to the upstairs window to close and lock it but came face to face with the burglar at the top of his ladder. He just smiled and held up a large array of tools. I fled.
THE HARBOUR BRIDGE
One day Tim and I walked across it, just on road level.
THE RAIN
Last night was the hardest, loudest rain I've ever known. For hours. Then it calmed a little, almost to silence before the next great wave pounded the roof again. I lay awake,awake,awake and finally got up and went to stand naked in the cold, fresh, wetness as it sheeted down. The dogs kennels were awash next morning but they never use them anyway.
I found three horrible tiny leeches on my legs and feet after a short time pruning hydrangeas. And after nearly a month my tick bite is still hard and red. Later I found blood on my ankle from another leech I'd missed.
WASHING
A couple of new additions to my Washing Round the World series which I've been doing for thrity years on and off....It might also be called Women's Work.
ANIMALS AND BIRDS
I am learning to distinguish between the feet of cockatoos and possums as they walk up and down the roof. I no longer imagine it's an ax man. The cockatoo marches with big long steps. The possums tread more softly.
Dog Trudi pads, but not on the roof.
WORKING OR NOT
Taking an enforced break from working on MY 60's while I'm here is scary. I decided not to try and sort out what's the matter - me or a corrupt programme or both - but to wait until I'm home. I can use my time here better by reading and thinking and having new ideas. I have never gone so long without my work at hand to absorb me but now it's beginning to feel very nourishing.
I can look at the birds all day. Play with the dogs. Play with Tim. And my friends. I could get to like this life.