the X facta

Art link

Pointillism, Dada, Warhol, Dali, O'Keefe . . .

Ever wanted a quick reference guide to art? Styles, periods, artists?

Then you'll love this site - Artcylopedia.

posted by Kel @ 29.11.07 1 comments

Hitting the heights

Our Anamrae home is making progress. Slowly...slowly...slowly.


The main living area [lounge and dining] now has a Fijian Cedar Ply ceiling with 6mm black shadow lines. Rising from 3 metres at the front door, to 4.2 metres above the celestial windows on the north wall, the height of the ceiling makes the floor space seem so much larger than it actually is.



Mr X also decided it was time to trim and band the external feature poles. Chainsaws are a marvellous invention!

posted by Kel @ 26.11.07 4 comments

Letter from the future

A few blog buddies are currently playing their way through "The Artist's Way" book. Have you done TAW? It's a timing thing - when the time is right - it could be the best thing you could ever do, for yourself, and those that love you. It could also be one of the most challenging things you ever do, for yourself, and those that love you.

While sorting through some of my journals this evening, I came across the one with my Artist Way exercises. Week 4 had a couple of Time Travel suggestions.

Describe yourself at eighty. What did you do after fifty that you enjoyed? Be very specific. Now, write a letter from you at eighty to you at your current age. What would you tell yourself? What interests would you urge yourself to pursue, what dreams would you encourage?

I don't feel compelled to share the first bit of the exercise. But I feel compelled to share the letter part [just maybe there is something in here for someone else]:

Dear Kel,

The view from here is a bonus. They say hindsight is helpful. So here's a few helpful hints on how to live life between now and the 80 year milestone.

Firstly - remember not to take yourself too seriously. Always be willing to admit when you don't know, made a mistake, or were wrong.

Secondly - respect yourself - your rights, your time, your dreams, hopes and heart, just as much as you respect others. It's biblical to love your neighbour as yourself, not to love your neighbour more than yourself. When others see your own selfworth, they will be more likely to treat you with respect, and learn from your example that a good self-esteem is a healthy thing.

Thirdly - hold onto your dreams. They were placed on your heart by God so you could be the blessing he created you to bring to this earth. Write from your heart, for in that way you will touch other's hearts. No matter how big the obstacles, keep writing and communicating. And take every opportunity offered to expand your depth of insight and knowledge in art as a healing and spiritual tool. Share with people wherever and whenever you can. Help them become their best, to learn and grow and connect with the Creator in a creative manner.

Fourth - Your voice is worth hearing. Take off the "softly spoken" mask that your heritage has endowed upon you. Learn to speak with confidence, clarity and calmness. But don't waste it on those whose ears are pink and pointy [pigs] or tuned to a different channel. Only spend your energy speaking into positive spaces - where people are willing to dialogue in an open and authentic manner.

Fifth - yes! Autheniticity is a big word. And a very hard way to live. But the world needs to see that Christianity cannot be summed up as a Hillsong charismatic pep rally, a woe-is-me sackloth and ashes seminar, or a club of pious finger-pointing people. It's about being balanced. And believe it or not, you will learn that rare talent - balance - both in body and mind.

Sixth - Don't spend the best years of your life being browned off and burned out by your experiences in the church. The best way to move on is to put the past behind you and walk confidently forward into a new way of life and living.

And finally, don't bound yourself up by what you think others might think of you. Most the time they're not thinking about you. They're too busy thinking about themselves!

As I sit here writing these words with my 80-year-old hands, I know you have done well. Looking back I can see the difference you made. Whether for 2 people or 20 people. Figures are immaterial. For people are not numbers.

But see, you already know that. And you already know all that I have told you today. Really, you do. Just keep living as you believe.

from

you know who


* * *

Why not try this exercise yourself. Back to the future . . .

posted by Kel @ 25.11.07 3 comments

Long Now

A faux 'display home' was Open for Inspection in Nowa Nowa this weekend. The rundown good-for-nothing-but-demolition house, was purchased by local artists Andrea Lane and Gary Yelen. In a community building exercise that we found most inspirational, they pulled together a group of artists to create a collaborative project Through the skills of gleaning, making-do, re-using, recycling, ingenuity and authenticity through art, sculpture, video, textiles, photography, recollections, scrap metal, words and sounds a multimedia/sculptural installation took form.

Favourite parts of the house: the wire "flies" emerging from the walls to feed on the remnants of McDonald's takeway containers; the cushions in the master bedroom, made of stuffed clothes; and the Tromp L'oeil ceiling themed around the word "kingdom". Mr X loved the creative plumbing. Sorry, but we forgot to take the camera. But if you go to the website, and blog, you may see some of what we're talking about.

The house was just one of the attractions at the Long Now weekend. Re-made was an exhibition of textile and fibre art created from used and found materials. The pub hosted a photographic competition featuring images of East Gippsland. Lake Tyers was busy with two boats offering cruises. A sculpture walk along the river. Demonstrations of traditional indigenous skills of bark hutmaking, and basket weaving.

After all that walking, we grabbed a coffee and some of the best fudge ever and sat ringside at the petanque tournament.

The Long Now weekend offered participants a space to reflect on consumerism, globalisation, and what we really need for a happy and content life.

The house will be open for inspection until Easter 2008. So if you're in the area, take the time to stop and have a look. And while you're there, grab a bit to eat at Mingling Water's cafe. If you like places with character, and characters, this little town has it in spades.

posted by Kel @ 25.11.07 0 comments

Don't stop the music

What Should We Do about that Moon ?

A wine bottle fell from a wagon
And broke open in a field.
That night a hundred beetles and all their cousins
Gathered
And did some serious binge drinking.
They even found some seed husks nearby
And began to play them like drums and whirl.
This made God very happy.
Then the 'night candle' rose into the sky
And one drunk creature, laying down his instrument
Said to his friend - for no apparent
Reason,
"What should we do about that moon?"

Seems to Hafiz
Most everyone has laid aside the music
Tackling such profoundly useless
Questions.

From: 'The Gift - Poems by Hafiz the Great Sufi Master'

posted by Kel @ 25.11.07 5 comments

The Persian Poet

posted by Kel @ 22.11.07 3 comments

Going batty

Mr X has been putting batts in the ceiling. Pink fibreglass, cheaper but itchier than polyester. After one session with the stuff, he was itchy and scratchy. So I went to the safety shop and bought this white suit. It looks hilarious, but it did the job. No more Mr Itchy!

posted by Kel @ 21.11.07 0 comments

Sailing anyone?

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain

posted by Kel @ 16.11.07 2 comments

The right to vote?

With a Federal election looming on the near horizon, it has come as quite a shock to discover that we've been listed as restricted voters. Apparently this means we can vote in a State or Territory election, but we are not eligible to vote at Federal level.

When the election surfaced, we decided we'd better update our electoral roll details since we'd moved from the city. So we sent in the forms with all the details they wanted to know. Being good law abiding citizens, we sent those forms well before the cutoff point - 8pm, three working days after the day the writs for the election were issued.

We had not yet received those little electoral roll cards they post out with your new details. So I sent an email enquiring about our updated enrolment. They sent an email back saying:
Dear Mrs X, I can confirm that you are enrolled at the address you provided below. I can confirm that you both are registered as restricted voters . . .

Of course I wanted to know what a restricted voter was and why we had suddenly become the owner of such a label. Several emails have gone back and forth between our house and the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). Each of their replies has got more ludicrous. They contradict what was said in earlier emails, and at no point has an answer been provided to my questions.

A google later and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission provided this information:

The right to vote is not enjoyed equally by all Australians
October 2007
A healthy democracy makes sure that all members of the community have equal access to the political process. Australia is a democratic nation where governments are elected by popular vote. However, even though almost all Australians over 18 years old have the right – and the obligation – to vote, not all Australians enjoy that right as a practical matter. If you are young, live in a rural or remote area, have a disability, are Indigenous, homeless or a prisoner serving a sentence of more than 3 years, your right to vote in a federal election may be restricted as a legal or practical matter.

As we are not indigenous, disabled, homeless or residing in prison, we are left to assume that because we have moved from the city to a rural area, we have just lost the right to have our say in which wallies get to run the country. But we don't know that for sure cos we can't get a straight answer from the AEC.

These government departments have to know everything about us. How much money we earn, where we live, how old we are, and all our known names and other identifying details. Each of these emails have been signed off, Regards, Communications and Information Strategy Branch Australian Electoral Commission National Office Canberra. In my recent reply I said, "Dear No Name".

To rub salt into the wound, the regional electoral office is hiring one of our classrooms to train their electoral volunteer staff. They were sent a one page form to fill out stating their needs, date, times, number of people and furniture or equipment requirements. Today I received a letter from them. It was a three page form I had to fill out because they wanted to hire a classroom from us. Today is Wednesday. They are hiring the room on Saturday. Yet now it is my responsiblity to ensure their form gets back to them no later than Friday.

Then I got an email from the guy at the AEC office. Could someone from your office please deliver the keys to our regional office. Apparently their staff were too busy to leave their office in the same town to come and collect the room key during business hours. I quite happily told him that our staff were too busy to leave our office, and if they wanted to hire the room, as per the conditions of hire, they had to pick up the keys during business hours.

So, Howard and Rudd, neither of you will be getting our vote. And it's all your fault!

This may not be something you feel is worthy of starting the bloghabit again. But it's simple. I had something to say. And this is my space. So I've said it. And now I feel much better.

posted by Kel @ 14.11.07 7 comments