Thursday 31 May 2012

Rainbow on Mater Hill



'rainbow on Mater Hill' using Polaroid app.

Last night a rainbow appeared over the Hotel Diana opposite the Mater Hospital, as I arrived to view my art therapy students' case study presentations. Its the end of semester, which means no more assignment writing (for me - hurrah!) but lots of marking activities in the next few weeks. I have now completed (as long as I pass all my assignments) a quarter of my Masters of Social Work. 

Do rainbows really appear at symbolic times, or do we just notice them more at significant moments? I remember seeing one just after my father died, in March 2010, and at the time I found this very comforting. 


'mantra' - pastels and dyetex

This drawing is about meditation, and reflects how the mantra (sound) which I repeat in my mind when I meditate (using the Transcendental Meditation, or TM method) becomes overridden with thoughts. The mantra is represented by the letter 'i' (the mantra starts with the letter 'i') and is in pink, faintly visible inside the white shapes. Meanwhile, thoughts crowd in, and overlay the mantra. Some of them follow pathways, represented by the wiggly lines, and some are more random, represented by colours. The overall effect, although distracted from the intention, is still positive.

Visually, this image appeals to me: it creates the effect of a colour field, which besides being an art movement, also makes me think of the Tamla Motown and Phil Spector's 'wall of sound'. The element of cohesion, and the submersion of individual parts into the overall image, seem to fit with this style of composition (whether music or art). Interesting, since I started this by writing about the sound of the mantra. 

'yarn-bomb' on riverside bikeway near QUT, using Polaroid app.

I spotted this piece of knitted 'graffitti' whilst cycling a few weeks ago, but only just stopped to photograph it. The link above is to a site which details a collective yarn-bombing of King George's Square in Brisbane, tomorrow. Amazing what a google can unearth.

Meanwhile, I am still knitting a jumper I started last year. (As it is sleeveless, it is possible I may complete it this year, while its still cold enough to wear it. I made the mistake of putting it in my handbag the other day, and lost some stitches, and I picked them up slightly incorrectly, so its now flawed, but I don't think it will matter...) 

The middle of 'Caution': location of yarn bomb and bicycle

During the break between semesters, I am hoping to post more often. We'll see how that goes. 

succulent, South Bank, using Pin hole app.


more later. 


Sunday 20 May 2012

Mother's Day, Milestones, Marking: Morning Meditations in May



two views of Hiromi Tango's 'X chromasome', mainly textiles, found objects

 
Sally Smart's 'Artist's Dolls'

Judith Wright's 'Wake'

 I found time to drop into GOMA ten days ago, to see Contemporary Australia: Women, on until 22nd July, and QAG, for Modern Woman: Daughters and Lovers: Drawings from the Musee D'Orsay in Paris, until 24th June... images above - to get an idea of the scale of Hiromi's work, you can walk inside the fibre structure, its like a magical hollow tree, much better than Enid Blyton!
Mother's Day couscous


drawing tools


'finding a still centre': wax crayon and dyetex

One more week of the first semester to go: that is a huge milestone for me, both as a social work student and as an art therapy lecturer. Also, this blog is about to reach its three thousandth view, which is also huge, especially considering my neglect this month. 

Although I have all but abandoned my original blogging structure and commitment to self-scrutiny, I am feeling very motivated to continue, and I know its helping me to 'keep it real'. Morning meditations have been happening most days, and have extended to 25 minutes. The image above is an attempt to capture the feeling of inner stillness, despite the external panic and craziness. Mainly, its working.

Mother's Day last Sunday (my lovely sons made the couscous salad) was a nice in-breath before the most insane week this semester, mainly due to over-commitment and 'marking activities'*. So being on placement next semester could be almost like being on holiday, ha ha...we'll see. 

All assignments should be in within the next week or so, phew...

more later.

*sadly this is not about 'mark-making'!

Sunday 6 May 2012

Teen romance, mindless gang violence, underage sex, and youth suicide: What's not to love about 'Romeo and Juliet'?



Having started a year or two ago with Hamlet and King Lear, and now with the added incentive of being able to take advantage of student/youth-rate theatre tickets*, I am trying to take my sons to as many Shakespeare plays as possible while they still agree to come (one is in year 11, and one is a new English/ESL teacher, so it makes sense!). Last night it was Romeo and Juliet. Strangely, all the themes resonated exactly with my current assignment on young people and mental health issues.

'no shelter' - pastel drawing and watercolour

Its been a tough week - or should that be fortnight? (I am losing track of when I last posted, always a bad sign). The image above is in relation to one particularly difficult client situation, with the sense of hopelessness I am feeling about the possibility of change, and below is the detail, which in fact, turns it around to focus on the four of us (me and the client's family) standing under the (inadequate) umbrella during a very violent storm...

detail of 'no shelter'

Changing the colour electronically changed the mood somewhat - if only it were that easy in real life! 

This week I left my phone at work, lost my keys (found them later), missed a train, and left an assignment at home that I was supposed to bring to class. On Friday, my I-Phone blew a fuse when I tried to charge it, and it died, along with it four months of 365 Project photos, and all my phone contacts. Then I went to the gym with only one new orthotic to correct my posture/cure my plantar fasciitis (need one in each shoe or feels very lopsided) - so I did Body Pump with no orthotics and no insoles - very weird (you have to take out the insole to insert the orthotic). 

'enough is enough' - pastel and watercolour

I did this (above) in class with my art therapy students, looking at cognitive approaches, and thinking about Affluenza, which I have been reading this week. Its about having enough, which according to the authors, is never enough...but it was written before the GFC.

So, in  a week in which I 'had to buy' a new phone and shoes to fit my new orthotics, I have been reading about overconsumption. 

 
'on Goodwill Bridge'

However, there is a happier ending. Turns out that buying the phone was relatively easy, and I didn't have to wait for 25 minutes to be served, as I didn't go to the Telstra shop. The sales assistant was a very personable engineering student (I know!) who even gave movie recommendations when I told him I was a social work student. And the phone was 'free'!* 

Actually, I have to pay another $10 a month, but no upfront fees, and it includes more calls than I will ever need to make. I am sounding like an ad, argghh. And speaking of Urgghh boots. Allelujah. Ugg boots accept orthotics! The next few months are suddenly looking much brighter. 

And cycling was fabulous today, in the bright sunshine, chilly, but made the coffee on the bridge that much more wonderful. May is a beautiful month in Brisbane. Now if I can just get my assignments done by the end of the month...

more later.

Ugg boots accept orthotics!

*This bizarre logic derived from the 'save by spending' philosophy outlined in Affluenza.