ART AND CELEBRATIONS

Cosmos, 2015, Choi Jeong Hwa, Seoul, South Korea

I have been busy...

Last week saw the opening of APT8, the 8th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art at Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art.

We went to the opening party, a festival for thousands.

The performance art is always fun:

Look behind you...

Sol LeWitt Upside Down - Open Modular Cubes (small) expanded 943 times, Haegue Yang, Seoul, South Korea.

Suspended above the Water Mall, this glittering installation was created from over 1,000 Venetian blinds.  As title suggests, Haegue Yang recalls the art of American Conceptual/Minimalist artist Sol LeWitt, known in the 1960s for his 'structures' made from a simplified open cube:

Sol LeWitt

The Triennial runs until next April, and in future posts I will show you some of the most interesting contemporary works.

Our Jacaranda is exceeding all expectations with its three bountiful blossoms.

Last week I had a Christmas lunch with my lovely friend Michelle, of Michelle Ridgway, her delightful blog.  Michelle made me this beautiful pink heart.  Just look at her delicate pink embroidered 'grub' rose - Perfection. 

A beautiful bird card, the bird gift bag, and the sweet fat quarter of Christmas fabric - with birds, of course... thank you my friend.

Michelle's book of Christmas designs is gorgeous -

'A Holly Cottage Christmas' should be essential buying for those who like to stitch.  It is full of patterns for a range of small projects, and the most beautiful Christmas quilt.

We had lunch at the Wild Canary cafe and garden centre, which has another exhibition of outdoor sculpture:

My Woodland tree is looking good, while I continue to add extra features.

And then, there is the pink tree, in another corner...

My annual pansy garden competition with myself, is about to conclude.
The aim is to keep a pansy or two blooming until my birthday.
Which is this weekend.
Each year, the pansies bloom wonderfully through Spring, and then as Summer hits, they die off, sometimes in just two or three days.
We have had a run of scorching hot days, 35 degrees plus, during November.
All that remains is this little gathering in a pot.
They have shrunken in size from the bountiful blooms of September - 
but thank you for staying around, little pink friends.

Stay cool (or warm), whichever applies..

XXXX

GOOD TIMES AND BAD

Hello,

My father is five years older than this 1925 Ford.

We spotted it on display when we took him out for his favourite coffee.

He loved it!

He carefully counted: 1, 2, 3, 4 cylinders...

Best of all, they took him for a little spin round the park...

Good old Dad, a car devotee all his life.

Still coming along...

In other heart-warming news, the small boy formerly known as the Little Bebe turned three over in Canada.

Possibly a future rock star, he loves guitars now.

Adorable one...

This year, a woodland theme for the Red Cardinal Christmas Tree.

A work in progress.

The Easter Bunny decided to participate.

And the Canada Duck.

I love Paris..

the history,

the beauty,

the elegance,

the love of life..

We are all shocked by the horror of the attack on Paris.

My heart goes out to the people of France.

Prayers for them, and for a beautiful city which will endure.

XXXX

RAINBOWS

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day in Australia - 

I like to remember my grandfather, an Australian far from home in the snowy fields of Flanders back in the First World War.

I took these pictures when we visited in 2009.

Lest we forget

See those few blossoms on the top of our Jacaranda tree?

We thought the day would never come, but....

our five year old tree has finally decided to bloom!

Other trees have been covered in purple for weeks, but just when we had given up on our tree for 2015, I looked up and there they were - tiny little buds, about to burst forth.

Like proud new parents, we will probably take pictures of every new development....Heaven help us!

The Blue Sapphire has been giving a good example..

Roses are popping out on a daily basis...

along with the Agapanthus.

There have been storms.

Lots of Summer Storms with ear-splitting thunder and scary flashes of lightning.

I went for a walk as the sun re-emerged the other afternoon.

The sky had quite a glow.

In other lovely news this week, the Sewing Ladies celebrated the Spring Racing Season in Australia with a flourish.

Champagne?  Of course...

And Little Aussie has been to visit.

He is now into complex cardboard constructions..

This is a tool shed, with his plastic tools taped to the inside walls.

He decided on free-form murals for the external decoration:

Hope your week is full of rainbows.

XXXXX