I started this little Favourite Quotes series some time ago, with a specific purpose in mind, but it fell by the way-side in the busy-ness of life. However, I regularly come across statements that I'd love to document somewhere useful so that I don't lose them - and so I am resurrecting this series with … Continue reading Favourite quotes: from the artist Hans Heysen
Art and craft
The meeting of art and literature, at the Singapore Art Museum
Mr Gums and I have had a busy few months, with, unusually for us, two overseas trips in less than four months. Both were family-inspired: Canada in April-May to visit our daughter, and then last week Koh Samui to help Mr Gums' sister and husband celebrate their 40th anniversary. We decided to spend a few days … Continue reading The meeting of art and literature, at the Singapore Art Museum
Canada’s Group of Seven
You've seen me write about Canberra's Seven Writers, a group of seven women who got together to share their writing and support each other. All of them published well-received books - novels, short stories, poetry. Well, I was amused - I'm easily amused - to discover the other day as we explored the Art Gallery … Continue reading Canada’s Group of Seven
Vale Jeffrey Smart
There is a logic for writing a brief post on the death of an artist on my litblog ... For those of you who haven't heard, the Australian artist Jeffrey Smart died today in Italy (20 June in the Northern Hemisphere), at the age of 91. He painted in a style described as Precisionism - … Continue reading Vale Jeffrey Smart
Monday musings on Australian literature: Patrick White and those Blue Poles by Jackson Pollock
A change of pace for this week's Monday Musings to give you a bit of a rest after my few rather lengthy posts of late. Enjoy! I have already mentioned Patrick White a few times this month. One was my reference to his calling himself a "painter manque" in my review of his debut novel, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Patrick White and those Blue Poles by Jackson Pollock
Josephy Furphy and the Australian scrub
Last weekend I ran across Joseph Furphy, whom I've mentioned before in my blog, in the strangest of places - on a tapestry in the Melbourne Museum. It's not strange of course to find Furphy, one of Australia's pioneer novelists, in the museum, but I was surprised to find him quoted on a tapestry. Except, … Continue reading Josephy Furphy and the Australian scrub
Monday musings on Australian literature: Martin Boyd, Writer or Potter?
Last week my reading group discussed Martin Boyd's A difficult young man, which I read and reviewed a couple of years ago. This weekend, Mr Gums and I went, with another couple, to the Grand Opening and River Music Fair at Australian Pottery at Bemboka. Why do I mention this? Because, in another one of … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Martin Boyd, Writer or Potter?
Jennifer Forest, Jane Austen’s sewing box
...and so the current Jane Austen juggernaut rolls on. The latest that has come to my attention is Canberra writer Jennifer Forest's book Jane Austen's sewing box. Must admit that I was a little sceptical when I first heard of it, but I saw it, bought it, and was pretty impressed. It's a nicely produced book … Continue reading Jennifer Forest, Jane Austen’s sewing box
Stitching up the NGA
What a thrill! Today, as the result of blogger Ms Textual's posts about her knitting for the National Gallery of Australia's Knitta Project, I decided to pop over and check it out. I only planned to go for ten minutes or so, and who should I spy but Ms Textual herself. After a moment of … Continue reading Stitching up the NGA
Whispering Gums 