abundance...

I love the word abundance

 

 (part of our HUGE purple garlic crop just harvested) 

abundance (uh-buhn-duhns) : ampleness, bounty, deluge, excess, fecundity, fruitfulness, lavishness, lushness, luxuriance, multitude, myriad, opulence, overflow, plenty, plenitude, profusion, richness, sufficiency, teemingness, wealth...

I suspect for many abundance means having everything that you want  - aka oodles and oodles of STUFF. Here's the rub - for those on the 'get more stuff' treadmill, too much is never enough: the house isn't big enough, the phone isn't new enough, the body isn't thin enough... there's never enough time to make enough money to get enough stuff.... ENOUGH ALREADY!

Real abundance is the sensation that you have more than enough for a rich life: enough time to have a moment for yourself to walk, create, wonder, marvel and to cuddle with loved ones; enough space - physical and psychological - to feel free and unconfined; enough funds to pay for your needs (as opposed to wants); enough water to bathe and drink, enough food to eat --- enough of all the necessities.

Abundance for me means - overflowing dams & rainwater tanks, waist-high early-summer green grasses, a huge woodpile at the beginning of cold weather, shelves of books (libraries make me swoon!), jars and jars of colourful preserves. 

Nothing says abundance more to me than a garden full-to-bursting with ripe fruit and vegies


For months we've been picking and eating fresh produce from the garden beds: fresh asparagus spears, leafy greens, broccoli, beetroot, baby broad beans and peas..... the good things just keep coming (I've just harvested the first of the garlic crop - and the chickens are now in full production, so our house is overflowing with eggs!). It's hard to beat the feeling you get when you serve a meal made from your own fresh garden produce (we had yummy kale frittata with fresh garden salad for last night's meal...... mmmm DELISH!)

One of the things that comes close to topping that feeling is giving gifts of goodies from my garden - now THAT is something I never get enough of!

mountains of kale in the garden

 hey have you ever tried kale chips? 

place kale leaves on baking tray, drizzle a little olive oil, bake in low- moderate oven until crisp, 

sprinkle with sea salt - devour --- they are fantastic and kale is sooooo good for you!

And talking of abundance and things we can't get enough of - this week a lovely gift arrived in the mail from Fiona - so I'll leave the last word to her...

 

 

....

bicentenary...

guess what 

this is my 200th art & etc post 

and a bicentenary requires at least a little celebration don't you think?

will you settle for a couple of bits a bright news and a few more pics of my SotE work instead?

 detail 'closed book' installation - SotE 2011

'closed book' - installation

16 world book encyclopaedias set in a circle on compass points, 15 beach rocks, 1 half brick and one small river rock -
Bermagui headland 2011 SotE

‘panton volvit plenus orbis’ – (everything turns full circle) second version

 SotE small sculpture show installation

 

Circular bookforms created from discarded atlases

and the good news stories?

I've shared on the BookArtObject blog - that I got word today that our exhibition proposal for Impact 7 was successful (wheeeeeee - we're off to the international multi-disciplinary printmaking conference this year hosted by Monash Uni in Melbourne)

I didn't add in that post - I'm also heading to the event as a solo arteeest - I've been selected as part of the 'open portfolio' bit of the event as well (wheeeeee)

oh and did I tell you - my loooooong book 'serpens volumen - arcus pluvius' (rainbow serpent book) has been short-listed for the inaugural Manly Library Acquisitive Book Art Award  - so it will be wheeling its way to Sydney this week (I wonder if the exhibition visitors have as much fun with the beastie as we girlies managed...)

I packed up 'codex interruptum' today

and for the first time in a very long time I have time to enough to breathe and enjoy the glorious autumn days (watch out garden - here I come!)

** thanks everyone (including all you anonymous folk lurking in the corners)
for dropping by, reading my ravel, and sending vibes of support over the past 200 posts
xx

go....

'codex interruptum' - the interrupted book

some more pics for all of you that can't get to the show....

(if you are able to get to Sprial Gallery between now and March 9 -
avert ye eyes now lest you ruin the surprise!)

 

Through the door to the right.... 'codex nautilus' with the installation 'navicula' on the floor
(nicely bounded by the strange crappy coloured cement floor insert)  

on the right hand wall - as well as photographic works that you can't see (a girlie has to keep just a little bit of mystery...) there's a skinny little shelf that seems purpose-built for 'serpens volumen' arcus pluvius (it wasn't btw)...  above is 'virtus libris' (the virtuous book) and below is a de/recontruction of its (dirty) components - 'virtus ex libris' (virtues from the book)

if we quickly rush back to the front door again....

to our left we have various photographic work along with the installation of ‘panton volvit plenus orbis’ – (everything turns full circle) that has my carved reclaimed high school 'Gardeners' text..... 'ars gratia artis' perched on a plinth

(I do hope my old high school teachers don't come and look inside the cover of this unreturned textbook..... if they spy the 'Bega High School' stamp they may try to claim the work... hee hee hee)

at the back of the space on the left is my little 'book' shop with ‘novus libri scientia’  (The New book of Knowledge) overhead.... (I'm so pleased I included this little celebration of the craft of book binding... not only will it no doubt be the only place where I may recoup some of the exhibition costs.... it is a celebration of craft and bookyness amongst scenes of book destruction!)

oh and how did the opening go did you ask? 

 

wet

very very very very very 

WET 

 

I served huge platters of fresh fruit (mmmm yummy watermelon) and my mummy made her world infamous corn relish dip (very retro, as one arty friend pointed out) 

 

a small collection of mostly non-arty folk attended 

(and I thank every single one of you for braving the hid-e-ous conditions)

 

 my little 'book' shop was quite a hit

 

(mmmmm books!)

My favourite thing over the past few days of set up has been young kids coming past and spying the little paper boats in the window - they then come to the doorway to peek inside.... sometimes I see the same young ones returning (dragging reluctant parents along for the ride).... it's great to see them curious and thinking....

My least favourite thing has been the damn sticky stuff on the back of the magnarts (the magnetic hanging gizmos..... I'll show and tell more on these another time for the uninitiated).... in the durn humidity the sticky stuff hasn't been sticking! eeegads!

My favourite peeps have been (and I thanks them from the bottom of my weary little body): my spiralette curator - kimmy (heart of gold, patience of a saint, talented as all get-out); Chris and Rob (and shop girls) at Fletchers Bega (you guys are the best.... really... the best); Poppy and Emma and Tanja and old mates and new mates for making it to opening night.

and of course - de family (where would I be without my loving, caring, patient, giving, spectacular mob.....?)

now..... on to the next huge job...

(the garden looks dreadful!)

.....