Filling the creative well.

 

Breezy on the Brisbane River, Brisbane Qld

Two posts ago I wrote about procrastination.   With the benefit of hindsight I feel I was tired and just a bit overwhelmed with everything that I had achieved last year and all the thoughts swimming around my head as a result of it.

This post I feel revived.   I have been fortunate to have been travelling, resting and filling the creative well.

We journeyed up the east coast of Australia between the Sunshine Coast and Townsville getting around by train and bus.  It certainly offers a different perspective to driving by car and you see different things.

 

Fitzroy River, Rockhampton Qld

Views , Ross Creek, Townsville

Me and my little brother on Magnetic Island.  I revert to childhhod pose when aware a photo is taken!

Looking out to sea from The Strand, Townsville

We took in water views on ferries on the Brisbane River and to Magnetic Island.  We walked along the Fitzroy River and admired the substantial old buildings and wondered about the towns past history.  We watched the changing landscape through the train window. 

I was fortunate to be able to see POP MASTERS at HOTA . It featured works from Warhol, Haring & Basquiat together with works of artists I didn’t know.  I fell in love with Mickalene Thomas’s large bold portraits and use of a bit of bling.

Keith Haring, Untitled

Though I was familiar with the work Keith Haring seeing his work real life rather than in a spread in a book really gave much more sense to his work.   There was inspiration in his work which I could take forward in a textile and stitch format and inform some projects I have in mind regarding text and textiles.

Embroidered detail on dress

In Rockhampton we caught an exhibition of clothing by Brisbane designers Easton Pearson just before it closed. It was a delightful surprise.

We rested at Airlie Beach.  I swam in the pool and watched swallows fly down in front of me and scoop water on the wing.   

Birds were a big feature for me – looking for birds which I would not see in my home environment.  From our balcony in Townsville we watched small flocks of Black Cockatoo’s fly by in the distance, spotted Sea Eagles and Kites circling over Ross Creek and were entertained by small birds on the wires in front of us.    And there were familiars like the Ibis, Honeyeaters, Galahs and Cockatoos.

I went with a small sketch book, a glue stick, scissors and water-soluble graphite.   I did a couple of collages but mostly I just soaked up the sights and contemplated. And filled the well. 😊