Downstairs
This postcard, in the reception area of the theatre I work in, caught my eye as I was heading home this evening. Downstairs is a bistro a few steps from our office, and many of us make coffee runs, imbibe in a few Friday night drinks, or enjoy an occasional spot of luncheon there. Ours is not the only theatre nearby, either, so it is not surprising they should target the theatre crowd.
The whimsical antique illustration is an unusual choice, given that the venue is quite modern. It is clearly of a theatrical bent however, and it did tickle my funny bone. The gentleman’s dress on the far left dates the illustration to the Regency period in England (1811–1820).
On closer inspection, apart from the period details (dress) and the typical caricature style of the era, the sketchy – even scribbled – pencil strokes give the illustration an appealing immediacy and modernity. I suspect it is a sketch, rather than a finished piece, and therein lies its charm.
Now that I’ve read the menus on the reverse, I feel a bit peckish.
Self Portrait With Thorns
Self Portrait with Thorns, Frida Khalo (1940)Recently I was amused when I completed a quiz called ‘Which Famous Painting Are You?’ via Facebook. I, apparently, am Frida Khalo’s Self Portrait With Thorns (1940). I was quite pleased with this result because Khalo was one feisty, gutsy lady who suffered terribly for most of her life from injuries received in an accident when she was 18, and yet she did not succumb to them. Taking up painting during her recovery period, she mined her experiences to create extraordinary, powerful works of art, and is now one of the most well-known of Mexican artists.
I was more amused when a couple of friends also completed the quiz and disgustedly reported getting Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss!
No Really: Falling Down the Rabbit Hole
I’ve been quiet this month, I know. That’s because I really did fall down the rabbit hole, whereupon I tumbled into a surreal adventure in Wonderland. There’s that old adage, ‘be careful what you wish for’, and re-reading my last story and my blithe words, I have to laugh ruefully. It’s so true.
Here’s to the lovely Australian actress Mia Wasikowska, pictured here peering into the unknown, in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.
The Romance Quilt
A Gift for a Lion, by Sara Craven
Years ago I went hunting in all the Melbourne op shops for old 60s and 70s Mills & Boon romance novels, taken by the lurid titles and painterly style of the cover art that was in vogue at the time.
Over time I was able to buy dozens of books for very little – 10–50c each. Often I would exit the store and immediately rip the covers off, tossing the text pages into the nearest bin. It was hard the first time, but we are talking pulp fiction, so I become blasé before very long. I now I have about 150 covers, and am slowly stitching them into a Romance Quilt – I am up to row 7.
So in honour of Mills & Boon, may I wish you a happy Valentine's Day!
The Whispering Gate, by Mary Wibberley
The Widow and the Wastrel, by Janet Dailey
Bladon’s Rock, by Pamela Kent
The Last Landscape
I had a chuckle last weekend when I saw this on display on the back patio at my parents’ home. I painted this when I was either 15 or 17 (I can’t quite make out the date of the signature), but I am pretty sure it was one of the very few naturalistic landscapes I ever painted. It is an entirely imagined view, and I remember working on it in my high school art classes, with my teacher guiding me on technique. It was possibly the very first oil painting I created. Eventually I moved on from oils, and now my favourite media for drawing are oil pastels, charcoal, and soft pastels (in that order). Any strange or surreal landscapes I create still come entirely from my mind’s eye though.