raymon

After almost two years, fingers crossed, prayers to above, Raymon is over the hurdle of cancer.  Although the cancer was diagnosed as in remission over a year ago the ongoing effects of the radiation has been a problem.  When they extracted his back teeth for the radiation, they broke a piece of bone off and didn't extract it.  After many months of pain and the inability to open his mouth properly they re operated to remove it.  He had about 5 days a week for 6 weeks in the hyperbarick (not sure of spelling, its where divers go when they get the bends) before operation and another two after, its all now finished.  Other than the fact he cannot eat normal food, inability to swallow and no taste he is looking healthy.  While in hospital a nurse who had same cancer and lost her ability to eat told him, her taste came back after 3 years, so he has that to look forward to.  There are lots worse off than him, it was our scare and we are only too grateful that he came through it all.  Now he is getting his life back on track, his marriage has broken down but is still very good friends with his wife.  Onwards and upwards Raymon, we love you.

Exciting news

We put in an offer for our dream block in Donnybrook and it has been accepted now our home in Kiara Perth is on the market for sale, open day on Sunday.

 Half view of the block of land

Image from Storybook homes.  At the moment our plans are to build our new home something like this.
We found it so difficult to find a project home that looked like a country home until we found Storybook homes a kit set style home, which we both loved.  I will keep you up to date with our plans and progress when we start later this year.
Exciting aye!
Jacky

Van Gogh, Dali & Beyond

In Perth  we are very privileged to have a collaboration with The Museum of Modern Art, New York. As far as I am aware this show only comes to Perth, yay, for once Perth gets something the Eastern States don't get, we miss out on so many shows over here in the West.  I missed the last one, so made an effort to go to this one yesterday.  I want to share some of the ones that impressed me most.

 This oil by Salvador Dali was my favourite I think.  There is so much going on in this one masterpiece.  The clarity in the colours is amazing.  I hired the audio headset at $8, so glad that I did, I learnt so much more than what was written next to each one.  What I can remember of this one is, the head looking down in the blue box is Dali wiht blood running from his nose.  The womans face on the top represents a vessel which he thinks symbolises women and the rest I cannot remember, lot of violence.

 I am afraid I didn't get all the artists names, but this one tells a story of Tristan and Isolde and you needed to view it as a whole to appreciate the 25 paintings in sepia tones.

 This one was fascinating, hundreds of coils molded onto the canvas, black underpainting with a buff colour on top.  There where 3 next to each other, very large and very textural.

 This sculpture was made from junkyard finds titled Goats skull and bottle, it depicts the sense of mortality in the turbulence after the 2nd world war in Europe.  Isn't that cool.

 Love the sense of playfullness in this canvas, can you see the telephone in the horses mouth, a wheel for one of his legs with a fender over his raised front leg, and the old radiator.  Some of the art had glass on which made photographing a bit of a challenge.

 this one the artist had started a portrait of his wife and it lay unfinished for many years, when he came back to it this is what he ended up doing, much better than a portrait with her looking out through veils of lovely colours.

 Diego Rivera 1914 titled Young man in grey sweater.  What I want to know is how did he get all those lovely straight lines, no repositional tape in 1914, did he use a peice of straight paper as a mask, love it.

 Amedea Modiglianni, Anna Zborowska, 1917.  He would have been commissioned to do this portrait and in this period it didn't matter what the woman looked like the artist had to make the portrait look beautiful.  Modiglianni followed the African style of making the face oval.

 Selfie by Fried Karlos after separating from her husband, in a move to show her independence she cut off all her hair which he had always loved and dressed in mens clothes, you go Frieda.

 Francis Bacon, 1953.  With his mouth open in mid scream, he reveals the animalistic violence that lurks in man and the mood of anxiety after the 2nd world war.  This figure is a portrait of a pope transformed into a ghostly presence, and replaced his throne with cage like lines.  Sorry a lot of reflection on this phot you can even see me taking the photo, the background was mainly black and white with the lines in yellow it was very dramatic.

 Andy Warhols painting of Elvis from blazing saddles, he duplicated the figures to give a blur of movement, another pretty cool peice of art.

Wasn't much information on this canvas, but very impressive looking upwards to a man in white pants, great detail.
If you live in Western Australia you don't want to miss this exhibition, and hire the audio you learn so much more.
Have a great weekend I will be doing the Kalamunda Market and will be down the hill a bit, come say hello if you are visiting, I would love to see you.

Fragments in Time workshop

A lovely group of girls participated in my Fragments in Time Journal Workshop last Saturday and Sunday.  The girls where very industrious and produced very creative pages for their journals.  It is very satisfying teaching these workshops, I always learn something new from the students as well.  I love seeing each ones individual personality evolving in their art. I am always grateful and humble to be accepted as a teacher by the women who attend my workshops, I feel I do a good job by the quality of workmanship achieved.

Tree change

 I know butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, but if she plays hockey like she plays basketball I would be keeping well out of the way of that hockey stick.  She's a fiery little thing, must get it from her nana.

 We are thinking of escaping from the city to live in the country later this year or earlier next year.

 We headed down South to look at Donnybrook about 2 1/2 hours from Perth, and 30 mins from Kirsty in Collie.  After looking at houses in the price range we could afford without any debt, we are thinking maybe to build.  I love building a new home, find it exciting to stamp our creativity into the decor, love designing new gardens etc. Photo above is front of block the impressed, sloping quarter acre block, lots of trees. I love trees and don't want to wait for new ones to grow.  Below house opposite, shows me that you can grow a good garden this is important as want that challenge to keep me busy.

 On walking around to the back of the block it has established fruit trees which is a plus.  The big question will it still be available in 6 months time, time will tell.

Donnybrook is a lovely little village that we found appealing, has all the facilities we would need.  The street scene here is the South West Highway which is the one of the main route's down south.  We where there Saturday and Sunday of our Long weekend and it was pretty busy.  Would like to see it again on a week day.
This will be a big step for us and probably our retirement home, we want to get it right.  I am a country girl (cant take the country out of a girl)  whereas John grew up in a small city but I think he is ready for a quieter life.  Lots of research now of house plans etc and planning in general.  Will keep you in the loop and share our journey.

after gym muffins

After an hours work out at the gym I am quite hungry, and if I have to call into the supermarket its absolute disaster, buy totally inappropriate sweet things.  To overcome this I have made a batch of muffins from a recipe I got on Live Lighter.

Pear and banan muffins

olive or canola oil spray - lightly spray muffin trays

2 cups wholemeal self raising flour

2 cups self raising flour

1 cup brown sugar

sift flour into bowl, add husks, add sugar

2 eggs

150 ml low fat natural yoghurt

1/2 cup orange juice

mix together in small bowl

stir into dry mix.

1 large banana chopped

1 pear chopped

add to mixture, 1/2 cup milk depending on moisture in fruit

Do not over mix

Spoon into 24 muffin tin

Bake near the top of 170 deg oven for 18 to 20 mins

turn onto wire rack to cool

I added some ginger powder and chopped walnuts, sprinkled cinnamon on top

also after I started I realised I didn't have the yoghurt or orange juice so added more milk

I freeze these when they are cold and put out one a day before going to the gym, don't want to ruin all my good work at the gym.  I think next time I will half the recipe and just make 12 or make 18 smaller muffins as these ones are a bit on the large side for me.
Now for something for afternoon snacks when I cut out all carbohydrates and fruit, any ideas?

Kalamunda markets for Mothers day

 Yesterday was Kalamunda markets, as it is Mothers Day next Sunday, I made some more feminine
pieces.  When I can work out how to do a website I will start to sell this type of work online.

I did sell some of them, just as well they don't take up much room and I can put them away for the Christmas markets.  I like making them also.  People here in Perth seem to be very careful with their spending, it was quite slow for everyone.