Monday 15 September 2014

Sprinter

From time to time there is discussion about the inappropriateness of the 'four seasons' model in much of Australia. It's certainly not appropriate in Sydney. Spring started in my garden at least a month ago.

Aboriginal people around the country had different seasonal models (see link below).

Dr Tim Entwistle of Sydney's Botanic Gardens proposes a five season model:

Summer: December, January, February, March
Autumn: April, May
Winter: June, July
Sprinter: August, September
Sprummer: October, November

Read more here.





Wednesday 10 September 2014

Frank Gehry comes to Sydney


renowned American architect, Frank Gehry, is making his presence known in Sydney with this building-in-progress for the University of Technology, Sydney.


Monday 8 September 2014

Merchant of Venice


Meet maria, who has a shop at Leichhardt called the Merchant of Venice.

She sells beautiful, authentic Venetian-made masks, and costume jewellery.

You can find Maria in the entrance t the Italian Forum, just off Norton St.

Tuesday 12 August 2014

Hula milk crates


Have a cup of coffee at Cafe Art in Surry Hills, and you could find yourself sitting on a hula milk crate, resting your drink on a double-decker.

It's a new use for all those old vinyl record storage units!

Friday 8 August 2014

Spring 2 : Poppies in a vase





A huge thank you to my friend, Hainee, who organised for these to be sent to me at home while I recuperate.

Poppies, sweet pea and spring blossom.

Thursday 7 August 2014

Signs of Spring 1: Camellia japonica

"Officially" it's still winter here in Sydney, but the signs of spring are all around me, even in my small suburban garden.

Been confined to barracks lately after a small operation, so garden patrol is about as far as I have roamed.


Wednesday 6 August 2014

Afternoon tea


One of the cockatoos which raids the mandarin tree in my backyard. 

Monday 4 August 2014

Saturday 2 August 2014

Tiger in St Peters


This striking mural adorns the walls of a car smash repair and rust removal workshop in the inner suburb of St Peters.

Monday 28 July 2014

Not Just A Number


Word sculpture by Alex Woof, Amelia Calantzis, Catriona Calantzis, Elleni Karafilis, Rebecca Luhur and Rosie Wood. It was displayed at the recent Living Laneways "Handmade" market at Rockdale.

Its creators say:

"The word sculpture began its life as a national Youth Week 2013 workshop in Rockdale City Library. Under the guidance of artist Kelly Pearce we discussed which words were meaningful to us.

AUTHENTIC, ORGANIC, INDIVIDUAL, FORTY-TWO

"We ran our words through a barcode generator and over six sessions created four panels with our words and their corresponding barcodes. Barcodes turn everything including the authentic, the organic, the individual and forty-two into a number.

"Barcodes are everywhere. They're unavoidable. They can turn everything into a number....This is our way of reclaiming those words and their meaning."



Sunday 27 July 2014

Toy


This poor little fellow looked so lonely and abandoned when I came across him on the ground. So I picked him up and put him on the picnic table, hoping he's find his way home to his owner, or be adopted into a loving new home.

Saturday 26 July 2014

Tempe Recreation Reserve


A scene of tranquility just across the AlexandriaCanal from Sydney airport.  And there goes Flight QF7 to Dallas-Fort Worth.

Friday 25 July 2014

Welcome to Rockdale


The area of the Cooks River along the Princes Highway that marks the northern boundary of the City of Rockdale, where is adjoins Marrickville Council is pleasantly landscaped, and a popular cycleway. From here you can cycle west toward the Olympic precinct at Homebush and east towards Botany Bay.

Ryde to Botany Bay cycleway map


Wednesday 23 July 2014

"Smile Please"


This lovely Japanese lady stands outside a vintage camera shop in Newtown called "Smile Please".
They have a Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/smilepleasesydneysuper8mm.

I took in my Pentax K1000 to get a new case, and walked away a very satisfied customer. Now I'm keen to use it again after many years. Have to think of a special project worthy of it.




Tuesday 22 July 2014

Enmore Road


This pretty much sums up the  Enmore/Newtown vibe: cyclist (defying the law and not wearing a helmet), organic food, mural art (over-written with graffiti), dogs...missing: cafe, of which there are dozens.

Sunday 20 July 2014

Victory & Lore


These two lovely women have started a small local business called Victory & Lore, specialising in these great prints inspired by the area in which we live.

I was really pleased to see them at the Living laneways market in Rockdale yesterday, despite the cold, blustery weather.

Saturday 19 July 2014

Knitting is the new yoga


Anyone a knitter? The Granny Square in Newtown will supply you with all you need, and even teach you how to get started. (There's a branch in Katoomba too)

My mum was a beautiful knitter - she used to knit for Paton's pattern books. She made some beautiful garments for Ben when he was a baby, all of which I've kept.

Mum taught my sister and me how to knit and I made quite a few jumpers when I was younger. Haven't knitted for years now.

Friday 18 July 2014

Vegan ink


Newtown is such a right-on suburb, that even your tattoos can be vegan.

Wednesday 16 July 2014

Development proposal


Some, but unfortunately not all local councils require anyone lodging a development proposal to display the notice of development at the front of the property, including what it is intended to happen, and details about how to find more information and lodge objections. This is in King St, Newtown. 




Tuesday 15 July 2014

Ticket collection


If I ask you to collect some tickets from the Enmore theatre, do you think you'd be able to work out from where?

Monday 14 July 2014

The Social Outfit


Meet Jackie, CEO of an organisation called "The Social Outfit", in their shop and studio in Newtown.

The Social Outfit: "Good to Wear. Made for Good".

The organisation seeks to create opportunities for new migrants and refugees in employment and education in fashion, design and retail work.

You can see the creative studio space at the back of the retail area in the two smaller photos.

Jackie said that their presence has been warmly welcomed by everyone in the Newtown community.

Sunday 13 July 2014

I have a dream...we have the dreaming

This is the last day of NAIDOC Week. NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines' and Islanders' Day of Observance Committee.  To find out more, click here.

The Martin Luther King "I have a dream" mural was painted in August 1991 by Andrew Aiken and Juilee Pryor (with Tony Spanos), part of a group of mural artists called Unmitigated Audacity Productions.

The Aboriginal flag followed later, after several changes: see here and here.

I believe the complementary mural "we have the dreaming" mural was painted in 2011.