Junk vine, a ditty made during my Portland Artist Residency for the 2015 Redfern Biennale

Back from a big trip and stay at the light filled Portland Artist Residency. Missing the friends made, the dahlias and all those wonderful views especially from the apartment window.

It's wonderful to be a part of this line up... 
Carmel Wallace, Catherine Bailey, Colleen Hughson

    Portland Art Centre Victoria 
    2 March - 27 March

a prelude to the Virtual Arboretum Portland on 28 March

The Virtual Arboretum Portland was made possible by the Australian Governments regional arts program, the Regional Arts Fund, which gives all Australians, wherever they live, better access to opportunities to practise and experience the arts. The Regional Arts Fund is administered in Victoria by Regional Arts Victoria. 

both images by Jo Grant.     Bird Books at Blarney Books & Art, Port Fairy

Working towards 2 ....actually 3 more shows to be seen in Portland and Port Fairy. I'll tell more when there - off now to  prep the chooks, home, garden and those other admin chores.

My trip was over the brim full of beautiful friends, great foods, stunning places and top art.. ooh and a little shopping (all practical stuff!). The sampling here starts at the Home Show in Port Fairy with Trevor Smith's Kevin and Julia; catching up with VIPeeps; picture perfect in Portland; a hanging Red Tide by Cat Bailey at 12/12; Jo Grant Standard Heavy Male exhibiting at the State Library of Victoria; Jo Grant and Sandra Eterović spotted at Melbourne Now; and Yahoo - celebrations all round!

    more here at Cat Bailey's website

a fabulous show and not only because I am in it

 

FEAST is on and ha, a splendid posting made today at 23 Sandy Gallery, Portland Oregon! See more details in the  catalogue and here on the cover is my Four and Twenty Magpies alongside work by Julie Shaw Lutts and Diane Jacobs. I am excited to be a part of this Gallery that specialises with the bookarts. And now I have another Portland connection. Thank you Laura Russell, great artist and galleryist!

HOT PIE Portland inkjet print, stab-stich book now in the Manly Library Collection

At home now after picking up my 3 "free" plants from Council's Carnival... and staying home. Yay - I need a rest day as my own carnival will start again on monday....

It is all about friends, food, travel and Art. Going back in time here when Jo Grant and I visited Sandra Eterović and Melbourne was having the horribly hot 42°C. Starting with Sally Smart's installation at Ian Potter; 3 of us feasting at Sandra's; "I didn't do it" by Monty;  Taste 1987-88 by Aleks Danko; Sandra's dancing lady found at her etsy shop here; and in Port Fairy, with Jo and Monty at home.

Portland

I hoped to have posted images during my residency in Portland, southwest Victoria and then also became too busy with stuff back at home. 

Yay! I now have a medley of.... the view from the end of Julia St, central Portland - where I was living; my first food moment; one of the many lovely evening views; on the front door; a stunning crotchet lady by the artist Trevor Smith who is also the Glenelg Shire Cultural Collection Officer; view of Portland's main exporting industries - animal, farmed timber and aluminium; included over the festive season - the annual EXTREME funfair; a worldwide fave tourist tower?; at Julia St Creative Space, Portland Art Society paintings of classic local images; built from the beautiful local bluestone; the shopping centre full of great vintage design; often with bogans, my daily view from the June Hedditch Apartments of Julia St Creative Space; and bushland near Portland - unfortunately now devastated by bushfire.