Life has definitely got in the way of art over the past 5 weeks. The death of a relative, and those of parents of two close friends,the serious illness of my close friend's husband, 3 evacuations and two trips to the country meant that a lot of the time I didn't know if I was coming or going. On top of that, I have either had a nasty virus or I was very badly affected by the smoke coming from the fires, so I was feeling lousy most of the time.
Also I never seemed to be able to find what I wanted because it was in a suitcase, or had been taken out and put somewhere else! I did have to keep reminding myself that by comparison with those who had lost family members or houses, I was really pretty lucky.
The past week has been much better. I spent 6 days with two old friends, one recently rediscovered. We talked, ate, slept , read books (one I had started 3 times previously) and visited several galleries. It was just what I needed for mental and physical replenishment.
I love the night sky in the country. The sunset on our first night was stunning. Two nights later, the moon and clouds were much more sinister.
On a drive to Nungurner, these mail boxes looked like little mouths open in anticipation
On a walk along the old rail track, I saw these rusty cans. Can't resist a bit of rust!
The day after I got back, I attended a workshop by Stephanie Lee which was organised by Bevlea Ross, and her daughter, of Soul Arts. I loved the workshop, particularly as as it was largely techniques and there was no pressure to finish a product. I rarely manage that in a class. I have some bits that I will finish when I find the right elements to incorporate.
A few of the "bits" waiting on the Muse, and the purchase of some flux, for completion
The retreat seemed to be very successful and I would have loved to have attended more workshops but, as I am going to Turkey and Greece at the end of May, I just couldn't afford it. Mind you, with the dive in superannuation funds, I can't really afford the trip either! But some of it was planned and paid for before I knew how bad things were.
Now I hope life can start getting back to normal. I have a lot of house cleaning to do, as there is a layer of dust/ash over everything. I also have to unpack all the stuff I had in the car to evacuate. In addition, I am planning a big clean out of ornaments and such. For some time I have felt very oppressed by "stuff". I feel burdened by possession and even things I love are giving me little pleasure. The problem will be to determine which of those bits and pieces that I love I am prepared to part with.
