It was Jan 2, 2024. I was in beautiful Albany, Western Australia, that stunning coastal town I go to replenish, rest, restore and write. It seemed a perfect way to start the year. Staying in a beautiful home of a kind friend on Goode Beach, the view was so gorgeous it lifted my heart just waking up to it each …
We are not alone.
I have been thinking a lot about the role of art in everyday lives. My life is a little skewed on this perspective, given ‘arting’ is my profession! And also given that for the past 5 months I have been fully immersed in creating a new body of work, which means many journeys down tricky pathways that can lead to …
On Being the Architects of Our Own Delight
For me, July and August have been all about the intricate dance of creativity. I am devoting most of my waking hours to preparation for my October exhibition, and creating a new body of work involves a kind of total immersion that I can’t do any other way. Dancing is an art-form that has eluded me all my life, and …
The Problem with Butterflies
Not long ago, one of my students brought me an unusual gift – a Monarch butterfly chrysalis. I was bewildered. I didn’t know that “raising butterflies” was a thing. But I absolutely love gifts, especially something so unique. It was also beautiful – like a piece of jade with tiny gold dots. And it was a low-maintenance pet that you …
Did you have an ‘Aunty Betty’ too?
Two months ago, I lost someone precious. I’d like to tell you about her. When I was born, I was the youngest in the family by a LONG way. I had three older sisters, to whom I was a novelty, a plaything, a cute little baby… but that cuteness eventually wore off and I soon morphed into an annoying child …
Wobbly Legs and Covid Art
I’ve been hit. Finally. After two years of feeling ever so slightly superior that my less-than-robust body had managed to avoid the dreaded virus, I have been knocked over … and it seemed like very nearly knocked off. Three weeks in from a positive RAT, I’m still coughing, and still weak. I count very little things – like cooking …
The Queen of Shokakkou
For a very long time in my youth, I had a fantasy that I was conceived in Japan. A brief sojourn in Japan in my early twenties for work introduced me to a country and culture that I was immediately drawn to. That’s when the thought was planted in my mind … perhaps I was actually conceived in Japan, and …
On International Women’s Day – here’s a message from my daughter, Mary
I often refer to my daughter Mary in my musings. Mary’s life has been an incredible journey that has taken her on “roads less travelled” in more ways than one. Her courage, in the face of life-long challenges, continues to surprise and inspire me. Mary wrote Instagram post for International Women’s Day, after an experience on the train last night. …
Could this be a Year of Renewal (or is that too hopeful?)
I picked Renewal as my theme for this year with some trepidation. What if I don’t feel renewed? What if my over-arching feeling at the end of 2022 can be summed up with 2 adjectives: “tired and grumpy” instead of “RENEWED”? 🙂 And isn’t it selfish to focus on renewal, when so many are denied this luxury? I’ve thought about …