AUGUST ALREADY

JULY was a bit of a down time for me, i often feel a bit glum in winter - all that grey.  but it was nice to get together with the girls for greek lunch at Mavs in Geelong.  We've decided to make it a monthly catch up which will be lovely.  i miss our old thursday night drinks and after living so far away for so long it's nice to be able to whip into town to see them all.

I've just been working on the house, repairing broken patches in the slate floor by filling them in with mosaic, mooching around and feeling like i'm not getting anything done.  but trent came round and is quoting on putting all the new windows in the studio, so i'll have a lightfilled space for the warmer weather :0).  I'm still dealing with a stiff neck and dodgy shoulderblade but i'm getting help and exercise.

the end of the month was the highlight - i went to melbourne on the portarlington ferry for the first time.  what a trip, leaving just on sunrise and arriving through docklands, seeing a whole new view of melbourne and so many buildings i haven't seen before. 

i saw three exhibitions - Spirit Rising, fabulous rooms of indigenous art installations upstairs in flinders st station.  the ballroom work was just stunning as was the space itself.  then across the road to ACMI for Goddess - glamour, power, rebellion  Fab costumes, photos, clips and information about the history of women and power in the film industry, then up to NGV to see Pierre Bonnard, rooms full of wonderful paintings, photos and prints slightly diminished by the very big design of the exhibition, advertised as a feature.  i thought it was unnecessary and distracted from the gentle nature of the works. on its own it was attractive but i didn't see the point of trying to complement Bonnard's work. 

ACMI - a beautiful

outfit worn by Tilda 

Swinton in

'Orlando'

- never seen it,

must watch

my favorite - Mae West's platforms, worn 
80 years before Lady Gaga, they added
to Mae's tiny 5' and were instrumental
in creating her famous sashaying walk

Pierre Bonnard show - also works by Vuillard and

other contemporaries including the Lumiere

brothers and their early photos and film

    the amazing ballroom installation, moving projections on an Uluru 

    colored termite mound shape, the cyclic seasons, growth, death . . .

    it was absorbing and wonderful

It was a full day, i also had a look inside st paul's cathedral and a sunny lunch at Time Out watching the people in fed square :0).     then a tram out to sunny's for an evening with family

NEXT DAY - a full day with sunny and etta, museum, pub lunch, 

time in the park.  just lovely