William Ricketts

A rewarding trip with one of my daughters last Friday to visit William Ricketts Sanctuary.  The fact that it was a cold, dim day in the Dandenongs did not hamper our spirits in the slightest.

 
William Ricketts lived until he was 94 years old and even into his 90s, his passion and compulsion for his work was clearly evident in video footage of him that is available for viewing at the Sanctuary.

The sculpture work in the gardens is prolific and wonderful but it was Ricketts' views about the importance of connecting with and appreciating nature, and through that, of indigenous Australians, that I found particularly inspiring.

I have had intentions of visiting this Sanctuary for many years and am glad that I finally made the effort to get there.  Well worth it... although possibly better saved for a sunnier day :)

A lovely treat at the end of our walk was a visit to Churinga Cafe (which is "conveniently" located near the carpark), where we shared a delicious Devonshire Tea.  Wonderful!

Smile

I am off to my grandmother's home this afternoon, although sadly she will not be there.  She passed away a few months ago and our family are gathering at her place for the last time.

I came across this video yesterday (https://vimeo.com/44041666) which reminded me in particular, of my grandfather.  He wore a similar hat, had lovely eyes and was always a great advocate for "happiness".  What I wouldn't do to feel his rough, warm hands in mine once more.

My grandmother on the other hand, loved nothing better than a good argument and her son (my dad) was a great match for her - fun and fire!

I am sad that I will never see my loving grandparents again yet there is comfort in my sense that they are together once more.

Back in the swing!

Having been suffering from some back pain in the last few weeks, I took the opportunity yesterday to go and have a quick massage.  I came home feeling completely wrecked, as you do when you finally act on that long overdue call to 'take care' and 'nuture'.

It was late-afternoon on a dim wintery Melbourne day, dinner was bubbling away nicely in the slow cooker and so I extended 'that call' and took a short nap.
 
I woke about 1/2 hour later with that snuggly, warm, rested feeling. Rain was trickling gently outside, the day was coming to a close and most importantly of all, there was nothing that I had to do. I have missed this feeling.

Completeness

Well, I thought it would never be done and have almost expired in the process BUT I finally managed to complete all of my study requirements for the semester. I hate rushing the creative process and forceful squashing of the perfectionist in me was required numerous times (eeek!) in order to make the finish line... but I did it!

I am forever grateful for those that have so patiently and consistently heard my wails of despair!!!  It has been a long and arduous year and I am so thankful for their generosity and support.

From the outside looking in, you could be forgiven for thinking that all this emotional turmoil is hardly worth the effort but as always for me, it is all in the personal learning journey and I have learnt a multitude of lessons here.  Of most note are these - one, that it definitely is worth it (easy to say in hindsight I know!) and the other - that I must prioritise time for quiet reflection if my life is to have true purpose and meaning.

With the benefit of some of space now (and soon to be energy I hope!) that will be my focus.

Perfection

After dragging my poor daughter and her friend out of bed on their day off yesterday (so that I could hand in my work), we spent a wonderful day wandering around the City.  Perfect!

Imbalance

Reflecting back through my blog, I am fascinated by my post titled 'Balance' from 3rd January.  It is as if I knew subconsciously where my year was heading and if I have only one regret right now, it is that I did not heed my own warning.

I came across this image recently in a fantastic book called 'Crazy Art' by Chantal Alles.  The photo was created by the Swedish photographer Erik Johansson and it is an excellent depiction of how I feel emotionally right now.

The French artist Yves Klein is someone I studied earlier this year and his 'Leap into the Void' also resonates.

As it states so inspiringly in flavorwire.com,

From signing the sky and creating his own blue pigment that represented it to painting with fire and flesh, Klein paved the way for the conceptual, minimal, and performance art movements that followed.  He made monochromatic paintings and sculptures, constructed a gallery exhibition out of nothing, threw the value of a work of art into a river, used nude bodies like brushes to apply paint to paper, let the wind and rain shape his canvases, and took a monumental leap into the void.

I am not intending to be cryptic or fatalistic here today.  At some time or another, we are all faced with a crossroad and what I have been challenged to understand this year is that there is no "right" path.  There are no "answers" waiting to be uncovered.  For me it is only in being fully present to my true emotions and authentic self that I can own my decisions and feel in control.  As someone who seeks affirmation way too frequently, I am realising that there is much work to be done.

So today I have been drawn back to a postcard image by Clare Nicholson that I used in my first attempt at visual journaling, back in 2006.

I recall vividly at the time being so proud of my first page and showing it to my Mum, just three weeks before she died.  Along with Clare's beautiful image were cut-out butterflies and painted flowers.  The page was titled 'Learning to Fly' and it felt like a turning point.

It is a poignant reminder to me today that I have the power to fly.  There is no need to leap.

Nurturing Creativity

If you have a spare 20 minutes (what's one more distraction from your day?), I can highly recommend this presentation by Sir Ken Robinson concerning the education system's failure to embrace creativity.  It is entertaining and engaging and provided some great laugh-out-loud moments for me!  I would love to hear your thoughts.

and if you can spare an extra 10 minutes...

The Air that I Breathe

The last few weeks have been a challenge.  After a short break from work and study following my grandmother's death, I attempted to make a subdued return to the 'land of the living'.  Unfortunately but perhaps not suprisingly, I have struggled to regain my energetic pace.  In catching up, I have had little time to surface for air and have guiltily spent any spare time on homework.

I was at my most stressed last weekend when I made the risky decision to have the day out to visit some galleries.  I couldn't really justify the time but was desperate for inspiration and am pleased to report that it was well worth the effort.  I will share more in another post but basically it confirmed all that my instinct was telling me about the importance of persisting with my study.  It also energised me enough that I could establish a plan of action to get through the next few weeks without expiring.

If my job is to continue and I certainly hope that it does, then I will definitely need to make some adjustments with regard to study going forward but I am extraordinarily pleased that I am not giving up on this Semester.

Painting

Our current project has required the construction of a maquette and for this, my grandmother was at the forefront of my mind.

Since last weekend I have worked tirelessly to get up-to-date and by the end of today, I should be under control.  I am so glad that I have persevered and can't wait to get to the weekend and spend some quality time with my lovely family... and perhaps do a drawing or two!