Examples of Contemporary Aboriginal Art

Today I thought I'd feature just a couple of examples of modern Aboriginal art, but remember these are just two examples of the many varied and interesting styles coming out of 21st century Australia. Elements remain from traditional art but they are modified in keeping with the ability to use more colour and acrylic paint instead of natural paint and colours. 100 pieces of contemporary Aboriginal art from 100 different artists will produce 100 different styles, which makes the whole scene very exciting indeed. More to come when Rene's website is up and running.

Saturday August 25

Yesterday Rene and I attended the wedding of my nephew Simon and Tracey. It was a delightful event that had to be held indoors because of the unseasonal but wonderful rain we've been receiving here in Brisbane over the last week. There are floods on the Sunshine Coast where they've received upwards of 700mm in the past 24 hours. We've had much less than that, but more importantly some of the rainfall is actually in our dams catchment areas so we are breathing a collective sigh of relief at the present. Far from being enough, it is at least SOMETHING.

Back to the wedding...it was very nice indeed and the bride looked stunning and everyone looked happy. My parents would have been so proud to see their grandson extending the reach of the 'Langdale' name in this country.

I may have a little too much to drink because at one stage (quite early on if I remember correctly) my niece asked me the name of this blog and I said "Eternal Blow" instead of Beau - well, you can imagine how much reaction that received.

This morning we went to a little chat session lead by the guy who had the workshop a couple of months ago on Aboriginal reconciliation. It was tough to back up at 8am following a wedding and reception last night, but the three hours went by quickly. No easy solutions, but it provided food for thought regarding the communities we'll visit next week in Central Australia.

We leave Monday night for Darwin. On Tuesday we pick up a 4WD and drive through Katherine towards Lajamanu, a very remote desert community. Rene is visiting the art centre there to buy art wholesale. We continue on towards Alice Springs with one night at Rabbit Flat Roadhouse (Australia's most remote) camped by the road (there's no accommodation). This year it is operating 7 days a week, whereas last year it only operated Friday to Monday.

I found some ads on the net the other day and I'd like to share them with you. They appear quite clever to me, I hope you like them too.

PS With the issue of building uppermost in my mind these days - well, along with work, the new business and a trip to the Territory - this picture tickled my funnybone. I'm loathe to say 'Only in America' but, well, I think this is applicable:

Centred Art Website

The business cards arrived today for Rene's new business, and they look terrific. The design is on the website http://centredart.com.au/ which is being held open ready for a launch soon.

Rain, apartment and life

Glorious rain for the last two days and more promised this week. Great news.

Saturday Rene and I went to look at the latest work being done on our apartment complex. The landscaping is progressing well, the pool is yet to be filled, the tennis court looks ready to go and palms and assorted trees and shrubs are being planted all over the place. We get in to inspect our place on October 14. Can't wait.

Bought a new shirt and shoes on Sunday ready for my nephew's wedding this Friday afternoon. Should be a very pleasant affair at the Victoria Park Golf Club.

Today assisted the annual testing of the Year 3/5/7's at one school, again tomorrow. My ESL students try so hard, but even with explanations of text (no elaboration, just help with the reading) they usually find it difficult to carry out step 2 and 3 after just understanding what to do in step 1. Anyway, it proves nothing but keeps the politicians happy.

House designs and builders are proving to be a little challenge. Nothing solid to report just yet, but I guess it's early days.

Rene has continued framing his many Aboriginal art works. I have to say they look stunning framed and free standing. He's doing an excellent job.

Planning for next week's journey to The Centre is finished. I'll publish a map of the route at the weekend. Suffice to say it is around 1800km of often desert terrain and will be fascinating. We have booked a large 4WD for the journey. Looking forward to it enormously.

I'll finish off for now with this picture that I found on someone's blog - loved it to pieces. Until next time....

Mid week holidays

Today is the People's Day holiday for the 'Ekka', the annual Brisbane Royal Show called The Exhibition - but in true Aussie style this has been shortened to Ekka. School children have another holiday tomorrow as well, and state school teachers go back for in service, but Catholic schools (bless 'em) allow staff the extra day too. Tomorrow I have the car booked in for a service, Rene and I have to sign documents at the bank for his business loan, and Rene also wants to finalise the 4WD car for the Northern Territory trip in a fortnight. Additionally he also wants to buy a new digital camera for his business (my faithful Nikon is now incredibly four years old and still going well). So, a day off for me, but filled with interesting activity.

Rene's been busily making frames and stretching canvases for the existing 30 or so Aboriginal paintings he has bought for his private collection. They looked great as canvas, but now stretched on frames they look stunning. He's decided on the logo and now the printing of stationery and the creation of the website is underway. This is the final logo:

Our new block of land

Today we took friends to look at our new block of land in Nundah. We walked over it, around it, along the park both ways, and whichever aspect one looks at it, it's a beautiful spot adjacent to a park and creek right in the middle of a busy suburb. Hope you agree it's delightful.

Chinese Aussie stands up against Olympics

Today's NYT carries a story that I've not noticed in our local media about an Australian/Chinese lady in Beijing refusing to leave her family's business so it can be demolished for the Marathon route next year. Read more here http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/09/world/asia/09china.html?ex=1187323200&en=829c67969932453b&ei=5070&emc=eta1

Amazing update - just 24 hours since the last.

A couple of things: firstly Miss Saigon last night was good but far from great. Maybe we weren't close enough? I thought the sound could have been sharper, the diction a little clearer and the audience a little 'buzzier' (is that a word?). Don't get me wrong, it was very good, just not 'great'! I never realised it was so much like Madama Butterfly.

I came home this evening to a request by Rene to accompany him during his first week in the Centre at the end of the month. He feels for his first trip he needs a co driver just to be safe. I'd earlier indicated I'd go with him, but I was in fact the third person he asked. Some of the distances are quite impressively lengthy. We fly to Darwin on the 27th late arriving after midnight and a day later make our way southwards stopping at a couple of isolated communities before finally reaching Alice Springs by the weekend. He'll stay another 10 days or so, I'll fly back to Brisbane on the Sunday. I've never been to Alice Springs so it'll be fascinating for me.

Zandvoort in The Netherlands was the scene of a gigantic Lego man being washed up on the beach yesterday. It's thought he might have drifted from England, but whatever the source he stands adjacent to a drinks stand on the beach until someone claims him I guess (or is it finders keepers?).

Loved this cartoon in this week's NYT of a full plane. Very clever.

I know, it's been a while...

I can only say I've not had the time or the inclination to update this blog. For one thing I've had a cold since a week last Friday night. not enough to put me in bed, but enough to make me feel thick in the head and uncomfortable (where are those tissues?). Soon after our Dutch friends left Rene went to Melbourne for all of last week. He has been checking out galleries and generally establishing the business. While he was away a real estate agent contacted me and asked why our place wasn't listed with him (he had sold it to us originally). I said it was sold, did he know of any land around this area? Next day he rang me, he met me at this lovely block of land overlooking a park and brook. I was impressed. I told Rene over the phone, and on Friday when I picked him up from the airport I immediately drove him to the spot, he liked it, and the next day we haggled with the owner via the agent and bought it at noon. It is not very far from where we currently live, about 2 km away. It is three blocks from a station (Toombul) and is in the suburb of Nundah. Now we have to find a design then a builder to put a 2 storey 300+sqm house on it by the middle of next year.

The weather has been very dry but warm to hot. Last week we even topped 27 here in Brisbane, not bad for winter. Mornings are still cold, I think today we got down to 6, but the daytime temperatures are glorious.

I'm off to Miss Saigon tonight with three friends. Rene is staying home (not his thing). I'm really looking forward to it. Bye for now and I'll update this update perhaps tomorrow.

Oh, this picture is from beautiful Santa Fe, a place I stayed in for a week or so in 1996. The article from the NYT this week is interesting reading. Enjoy! http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/travel/05SantaFe.html