tit-for-tat...

an email in the inbox on sunday

"Called in yesterday on my way home and left something for you to find"

wots this then?

I don beanie and gloves and head out to search for I know not what...

there at my gateway, tucked under a post I find a plastic sleeve 

and inside is a printout of a blogpost - an arty gesture I created for a this friend last year,

 another printout of a gippsland wren,

and 4 garlands of paper-cut blue wrens with the note....

"Here's a flock of wrens to welcome you home"

Today I taped one of the garlands next to my initial wren drawing 

(fading fast - it is now just a whisper)

tit-for-tat arty gestures playing ring around the rosie 

(or rather - ring around the spotted gum)

(ps I placed the other garlands in my wunderkammer...

 next to all my other treasures)

thanks M

....

mobbing...

What better way to spend a be-ut-ee-ful winter's day than turning out to support the very first Bega Cash Mob's first public mobbing... (that's what I've been up to this morning)

what's a cash mob did you say?

welllllllll this how one of the first cash mobs (from the US-of-A)  explains it:

"The general idea is to encourage people to go into small, local businesses and spend their money, en masse, to give the business owner a little bit of economic stimulus." 

(read more on the blog of one of the first cash mobs)

I accidentally heard about this first planned local mobbing via fb (as you do....) and thought

YES INDEEDY!!!! I'll be in that!

(ps here's where you can find the Bega Cash Mob fb page for all you fb peeps)

sooooo at 11am this morning a band of passionate (if slightly chilled) locals gathered in Ayers Walkway ready to mob a selected small Bega business - and here's what a mobbing looks like in progress.....

..... lots of folk lined up at the cash register with lots of small purchases --- 

a win-win situation for all

It was a small action that cost very little individually yet collectively makes a large statement about the sort of society we want... one where small businesses thrive and one where our money is kept circulating around our small towns for as looooooong as possible....

Yay to Marianna of Candelo Books (our local independent bookseller) for bringing this to the Bega Valley

viva la (local) revolution!


...

art gesture sunday - week 27...

 

unidentified Readers Digest condensed novel book leaves

three re-leafed winter apple branches

....

 

sturt....

I've just returned home from my sturt teaching stint 

here are a few snaps of arty bits around the school 

 

most of the time I was too busy, or too tired, 
or it was too late or too early (eg too dark) to get pics

I loved the bearded irises in garden beds everywhere...

and the walkway to sturt gallery was a delight 

(as were the crafted treasures inside!)

 

time flew by and before we knew it -

 it was time to show off our handiwork & skidaddle for home...

here's a peek at our informal show on the last day...

check out the amazing work of some very hard working 

and totally delightful students....

 

phew!

 ps - highlights of the week included ...

* the yummy food on offer every meal 

(yumbo scrumbo vegetarian dishes!)

* terrific company of fellow tutors staying on campus - a diverse bunch of arty-crafty folk 

who were AMAZINGLY talented & just delightful to chat with 

(hugs to ALL - esp tracey, caren and suzanne) 

* the diverse & interesting bunch of students trying their hands 

(and hearts and minds) on new things...
big thanks to my mob (T & C & G & R) for their generosity of spirit

* Dale and Mark from Sturt - who are tireless workers 

& passionate advocates for craft and education -- and soooooooo organised!

if you get the chance to attend Sturt 

(as a student or tutor) 

I've got two words of advice

 DO IT!

....

art gesture sunday - week 26...

a tall book stack on a hill

a bigger book fire

flames flick

 leaving....

  a monumental yet fragile 

 

 charred book stack 

....

 

here, there and everywhere...

I've spent a final day in the garden before I head off tomorrow 

for a stint teaching at Sturt Winter School in Mittagong

look at how lush everything is
(and its wintertime)

mustard greens and silverbeet

ruby chard 

broad bean flowers

and a first hellebore of the winter...

I'm looking forward to meeting everyone at Sturt 

and hopefully doing great stuff with passionate students

but I get soooooo homesick

sigh

....

art gesture sunday - week 25 ...

a small fire...

 creates....

'terra incognito'

hand-carved and charred book stack 

5 volume set of 'The Australian Encyclopaedia' 

.....

(a gesture that's now off to hazelhurst gallery)


...