Archive for the ‘Victoria Cooper’ Category
GIRRAWEEN National Park: A sunny weekend
Shadow fun @ Bald Rock Creek crossing
A few days away at Girraween celebrated a moment of clear sunny weather between weeks of inclement rainy and particularly miserable weekends. With water everywhere it was hard not to be compelled to image its flow and pattern. We shared this weekend with Felicity and relaxed in Nature’s place with fine foods punctuated by bouts of photography and drawing.
Feb 11: STORM LASHES Toowoomba – Blackout most of the evening
When the clouds get dark in Toowoomba these days we check the Bureau of Meteorology’s website to see what’s in store … Last year’s floods have made us sensitive to potential disasters. Today we checked BOM at 6.00pm as a storm appeared to be coming in from the west …
BOM Website 6.00.41sec 11-02-2012
Within a half an hour a severe thunderstorm hit Toowoomba and caused a power blackout lasting 3.5 hours. Just as well the MACs were charged …
Doug and Victoria caught out after storm blacks out electricity
ALLORA SHOW: Bush Poets and passionate people
Telling living stories: Bush Poets and passionate people
FOR MORE PHOTOS OF DISPLAYS CLICK HERE!
Beyond the football and cricket ground there is a great Australian tradition of the agricultural show. In Allora recently we had the privilege to spend some time with a regional show – a show that had been running since 134 years. Doug judged the photography section and then we spent some time with the people and the exhibits that made the show an interesting and engaging event. These were passionate people busily supporting this local community event.
There were displays showcasing with their creative pastime pursuits and community projects. The local schools had creative displays; there were the hobbyist awards for hand made objects and Leggo sculptures. Also in the big shed were the usual competitions for the best cakes, scones, dampers and my favorite – the fancily iced arrowroot biscuit, the heaviest pumpkin and the best Dahlia and the woodwork and quilts displays.
Allora Show - Best Dahlia
In the main oval there were suitably attired young girls with their horses in the dressage event. With their plaited hair matched the plaited mane and tails of the horses they competed with serious attention to the requirements of the event for the judge.
Lindsay Ashcroft with landscape photo and poem (see below) Photo: Victoria Cooper
Lindsay Ashcroft poem
Lindsay Ashcroft, the bush poet, seasoned regional traveller, with his lyrical repartee made impromptu performances to our group of workers as Doug judged the photos. He passionately recited his poems of Australian sentiments that referred to iconic symbols like the poems of Banjo Patterson. Photographs taken by Lindsay or a graphic and artwork that inspired the words accompanied each poem, were available for purchase.
Baillie Boys Show Photo: Victoria Cooper
Beside Lindsay was a miniature show, a scale model carnival, with a painted background featuring Toowoomba buildings. A trio of enthusiasts, the Baillie Boys Shows, created this as a departure from the usual model trains display. They are now working on their next venture. You can see more of their work on their website, www.baillieboysshows.com , where they show the construction of various elements and display venue schedule.
Margaret Phelan and Chief Pavillion Steward Barrie Geitz
It was fun to spend time with these people, their passions and their stories.
FOR MORE PHOTOS OF DISPLAYS CLICK HERE!
Words and photos: Victoria Cooper
VISIT: Georgia Hutchison & Beverley Bloxham – daughter & mother artists/designers
Georgia, Beverley and Victoria with the book
We had a visit from Beverley and Georgia, we shared ideas and methods and secret knowledges on the art of simple binding for handmade books, referencing the notable texts and work of Keith Smith. Georgia showed us her submission for her degree in Bachelor of Design, Industrial Design at RMIT, which she had only recently been awarded as First Class Honours. This unique state handmade book , Wild Order was beautifully designed – its simplicity belied the complexity of the content. Georgia utilized, Riso print, to produce monochrome images, diagrams and texts: black and white some were pale shade of colour eg yellow or green. These delicate and grainy images were astutely placed with texts and diagrams to tell the narrative of the major project the Georgia produced. See www.georgiacharlotte.net
Beverley, is an artist, designer and curator of note and substantial experience you can check her work on http://www.behance.net/BFBloxham She has worked hard to establish local community arts organizations and networks and is now working with others to establishing online presence for an NGO community in India.
IAN SMITH: “On and Off the Road” in Toowoomba Regional Gallery
On Sunday January 8, Ian Smith presented an artist’s talk to accompany his exhibition On and Off The Road, a travelling exhibition from the Gold Coast Art Gallery, at the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery. Attended by around 60 local and visiting artists from the McGregor Summer Schools, Smith spoke about his life and work. The follow are a few comments and observations inspired by the man and his talk.
Ian Smith is like the Australian version of one of those characters straight out of Jack Kerouac’s 1950’s trans-American crossing, On the Road. He is the kind of person who would give you a lift as a hitch-hiker and keep you amused with every kind of story you can imagine, embellished with obtuse observations of life, art and doin’ what you need to. And if the narrative about Smith can stretch that far, his art is as big and crammed full of life and insightful opinion. Just by standing before it you can have a conversation with it where it tells you its story and you will not get a word in yourself.
Smith was born a brought up in Cairns. He didn’t ‘discover and fall in love’ with north Queensland as so many artists have. He is a self-confessed ‘Tropicale snob’ and wears his regional slant on things with all the swagger of a true regional artist. Smith is a figurative painter but somehow landscape gets in the way, although these landscapes have figures and life-signs of humanity.
VIEW THE ALEX CHOMICZ VIDEO of the exhibition and the artist: Ian Smith Paintings On and Off the Road
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1kZi1ZHIGw.
Ian Smith presenting an artist's talk @ the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery 8 Jan 2012
Ian Smith and crowd @ Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery
Watching the Alex Chomicz video "Ian Smith Paintings On and Off the Road"
Ian and I had some connections from the past – He exhibited in my Gallery (Imagery Gallery) in Brisbane in the 1980s and we shared teaching experiences at the Queensland College of Art in the 1970s and friendship with North Queensland photographer Glen O’Malley. So he came over home to my garden for a few beers (Ian) and coffees (Vicky and I) and a chat.
Ian Smith talking
An animated Ian Smith makes his point!
31 December: NEW YEARS EVE – Toowoomba
TOOWOOMBA NEW YEARS EVE 2011 FIREWORKS
Not Sydney but it’s all we’ve got (and we can walk home in 5 minutes!)
A great five course dinner with friends, the fireworks was course two, Champagne, exotic cheeses, home-grown baked veggies, Felicity’s rack-of-lamb and Beverley’s famous raspberry sauce!!
Fireworks in 'Frogs Hollow' Toowoomba 7.30pm December 3, 2011
2012 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
26 December: Xmas Lunch with Ruby + Sandy
A Christmas ritual is lunch with our Mothers – Vicky’s Mum passed away this year so Ruby and Sandy Barrie were our main connection on Boxing Day.
Sandy and Ruby preparing late Xmas lunch
25 December: Magic Revealed – Xmas Light Displays
Clown shape - Christmas Wonderland
Have you ever been enthrawlled by the sight of those amazing Xmas light displays that become such a feature of the Yuletide season? Darkness hides the ‘how it’s done’ and all you see is the vibrant colours and the shapes formed.
SEE MORE IMAGES IN THE BEHANCE FOLIO – CLICK HERE!
READ ABOUT THE “CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND” – CLICK HERE!
Two Angels
Spikey star
25 December: Lunch in the Park
We Hope You All Had a Great One Too ! !
Christmas lunch in Toowoomba’s Botanic Gardens
Toowoomba Botanic Gardens setting
Smoked trout, salad, fruits ad watermelon – A Christmas Dinner feast
A bull ant tucks in as well!
Lying back after lunch – looking skyward
Maybe Christmas is for the birds!
20+21 December: Heading Home
It always rains when we turn for home. The Newell Highway, rain and big B-Double truck rattling along the flood tortured bitumen is an experience that is full of tension.
Drivin' down the highway - Photo: Vicky
Another thing – Don’t check into motels that are too close to the highway. Sometimes, in the dead of night, it feels as if the truck is coming through the room …
The sun did shine @ Forbes …
Outside the Forbes Courthouse
Santa up a pole
wotwedid 