Monday, February 21, 2011

an embarassment of riches....

I've just returned from Bega (which usually causes me to grumble deeply for the rest of the day - me-no-likey going shopping in the Big Town....)

but today was a little different...

Today I drove in to meet up with Fiona and Barry who were travelling from Queensland through to Victoria (with a stop over in Canberra .... I think that's how it went) and the pair graciously (amazingly) made a HUGE detour (like a 6hr round trip in hire car..) to come down the coast to check out my small show at Spiral, and for us to meet up (we've never met - oh other than in blog- and email-land)

 ooo look it's a rare 'ronnie' pic..... looking my usual disheveled self - with ever-present boots
and the fabulishous fiona (barry held the camera so he's managed to stay incognito)
alongside are some of my bits in spiral..... I'm getting in first with this post/pictorial spread -
as I suspect barry has some damning pics of we girls doing beastly things with that 'serpent book' in the background....


Now as if it wasn't enough for these two to travel alllllll the way down the Very Big Hill (aka the Brown Mountain) - they then supported the work in words and deeds..... THEN as we skipped off to Cafe Evolve for a restorative cup of fair trade coffee barry whipped out two little handmade metal gifts (what the?! my cup runneth over already!)

please excuse the 'soft focus' shots....

look silver leaf.....


and four/fold bowl.....


(you can correct me when you resurface if I got that wrong barry!)

I just wanted everyone to know that the first thing I did when I got home was not to unpack the frozen goods.... no, it was to place these two treasures into my 'treasure cabinet' - they have good company - as everything in my cabinet is a priceless treasure - like my great-grans little ceramic doggie, my nan's crocheted milk jug cover, a scrub wren nest, a lyrebird tail feather, a glass unicorn and more.... I trust you approve barry!

today was vindication and verification of the loveliness of people and the good things that can flow from just a little blogginess.... it was sooo nice to meet and chat and sip my super-duper weak latte with what I could only describe as new old buddies....


(oh and talking new old buddies - for all my BAO mates - I took my collection of our BAO edition one and anna's marvelous work for edition two - for fiona and barry to fondle.... and I got to fondle a couple of fiona's works too! mmmmmmmmmm booooks - they sure bring folks together!)



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13 comments:

  1. Arghh! I had to sign in again and think I lost the comment ...in which I said that it's a wonderful thing when we meet in the real world. And I waved to Anna and Carol and Sara and Duck.
    A lovely post, Ronnie. Oh yeah - 'way better than shopping!

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  2. Oh, you blessed people - that is such a wonderful post.The generosity of our group almost brings tears to my eyes. What a lovely photo of you and Fiona - and you look great, as does she. (Though you're not as tall as I had imagined...) And I love your boots.

    Barry's gift of leaf and bowl - just so kind (Barry) and gorgeous (leaf and bowl). Can't wait to see Barry's photos...

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  3. Are you suggesting I'm short carol ;-}...

    *ps my mumsy is 4ft 10in, my auntie is 4ft 11in, my nana was 4ft 11in.... me - I'm the giant of 3 generations - I cracked the 5ft barrier! hee hee hee!

    but short and long tales aside - it was delicious to meet and greet and press the flesh... I'm astounded by fiona and barry's generosity.

    xx

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  4. What a beautiful coming together of such gracious friends ... all of you, Barry, Fiona and Ronnie! Gorgeous photo, just stunning both!

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  5. lovely, how wonderful that you all got to hang out together!
    i HATE shopping, too.

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  6. How amazingly wonderful for you two to meet and for the rest of us to get to see you in this glorious picture! No more fitting spot for these two beauties to pose than in Ronnie's full of arty flair and story telling book structures display! As for the gifts from Barry I am speechless! Not so for his generosity and kindness (somehow I had felt this already just by reading Fiona's blog) as for their incredible beauty, perfect form and artistry. Ronnie, thank you for sharing this friendship celebration encounter!!!

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  7. This is the sort of post that really lifts the spirits and shows why the interweb and blogging are so successful. Just lovely to see you together and to hear about your time together.
    I agree that Barry's bowl are stunning, but I've even more stunned by your chameleon-ish-ness Ronnie. It seems like every picture I see of you, you look like a completely different person! Are you sure you're not undergoing some kind of surgery as a performance art piece? xox

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  8. ahhhh the interwebby - some days you've got to love it eh (its worth all those eejit viagra emails when you have a good moment like this one)

    now as for my chameleon-like appearance.... its all about the hair! there are only a couple of pics of me in here - and my hair grows seriously quickly.... I hack it off and before I know it - its down past my shoulders again! (no surgery or performance art intended!)

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  9. Lovely post! It warmed my heart and made me smile (on a cold and dreary Indiana day...)

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  10. No words, just loads of cybersmiles for you and your wonderful day. As for the short thing - I'm 5'2 we're not short, we're just closer to the garden :-)

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  11. thank you jane and sandy for dropping in - so nice of you to stop by and add your kind words

    short cybersmiles right back at you both (I'm off to the garden right now sandy hee hee hee)

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  12. i like both your expressions...like you're anticipating or up to something.

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  13. R-the artist blog world, in the main, is such a connecting world; and I often feel I have known people for a long time even though I have not met them. The day of our visit to Bega and Spiral gallery - meeting you was such a comfortable mutual artist-person moment. I do have some good shots of fems playing with paper boas that I will share down the track. I am honoured that you have stashed my beaten recycled metal bits in your treasure cabinet. I think one of the great gifts of art creating is making stuff to share with friends. It did not seem that we had travelled 6 hours that day - the lightness of sharing art. We have fun and I really loved your rainbow serpent book; and as you know we share a passion for destroying encyclopaedias - you fire them and I water them. Thanks for sharing time with us. Go well, create well and may your cows produce heaps of milk. B

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thanks for all your lovely comments - your words are greatly appreciated xx