Dec 28, 2012
14 notes
Today I did not hang myself because of a day out with mum and Pip, with movies and shopping and good company. But the photo isn’t about that; it’s one of the most thoughtful Christmas presents I’ve ever received, and I wanted to tell you about it. Newcastle Art Gallery built a funny little building out the back when I was six, and started running art classes there. I think it was only meant to be a temporary installation, but it lasted for more than a decade. I must have gone to half a dozen different art classes there, from papier mache sculpture classes (I made a man swimming freestyle) to cartooning (where they asked us to draw without leaning our arm on the table and suggested that trees didn’t actually look like broccoli). Well, the pavilion was deconstructed a few months ago and I made some offhand comment on Facebook about how sad that was, and if only I was in town I could salvage a piece of it.My cousin must have seen that, because next time he found himself cycling past the (un)building site, he took some of the refuse away with him. Looks like it might have been a floorboard or something. He’s an artist himself, and he has carved the wood into a little monster for me. I love it dearly, and it will come back to Melbourne in a few weeks to live in my garden and frighten visitors. My great-aunt was astounded at how happy I was to receive it. “Fancy that,” she said, “give you a plank of wood and you’re over the moon!”

Today I did not hang myself because of a day out with mum and Pip, with movies and shopping and good company.

But the photo isn’t about that; it’s one of the most thoughtful Christmas presents I’ve ever received, and I wanted to tell you about it.

Newcastle Art Gallery built a funny little building out the back when I was six, and started running art classes there. I think it was only meant to be a temporary installation, but it lasted for more than a decade. I must have gone to half a dozen different art classes there, from papier mache sculpture classes (I made a man swimming freestyle) to cartooning (where they asked us to draw without leaning our arm on the table and suggested that trees didn’t actually look like broccoli).

Well, the pavilion was deconstructed a few months ago and I made some offhand comment on Facebook about how sad that was, and if only I was in town I could salvage a piece of it.

My cousin must have seen that, because next time he found himself cycling past the (un)building site, he took some of the refuse away with him. Looks like it might have been a floorboard or something. He’s an artist himself, and he has carved the wood into a little monster for me. I love it dearly, and it will come back to Melbourne in a few weeks to live in my garden and frighten visitors.

My great-aunt was astounded at how happy I was to receive it. “Fancy that,” she said, “give you a plank of wood and you’re over the moon!”

Newcastle art found art love thoughtful family gift
Apr 7, 2012
6 notes
Today I did not hang myself because I saw the intrepid Cratey for the first time in a year! Though I didn’t see that rearing horse until later.

Today I did not hang myself because I saw the intrepid Cratey for the first time in a year!

Though I didn’t see that rearing horse until later.

Cratey newcastle tunnel whee
Apr 7, 2012
9 notes
Yesterday I did not hang myself because I got back to Magpie Town.

Yesterday I did not hang myself because I got back to Magpie Town.

Civic park newcastle fountain margel hinder
Apr 7, 2012
9 notes
On the 5th of April I did not hang myself, but I also forgot to take a photo and then packing became a bit urgent. Here’s something on the theme of anticipated travel from today instead. CityRail’s sticky green pleather seats are hardwired to some fundamental part of my brain, and always make me feel like I’m going on an adventure.

On the 5th of April I did not hang myself, but I also forgot to take a photo and then packing became a bit urgent. Here’s something on the theme of anticipated travel from today instead.

CityRail’s sticky green pleather seats are hardwired to some fundamental part of my brain, and always make me feel like I’m going on an adventure.

cityrail newcastle train seats green olive
About
All photos are mine unless someone else is pointed out in the description. Clicking on photos will embiggen them. RSS is here. I also keep a blog full of my drawings and paintings; if this photoblog looks dead you should take a look for activity over there.