The baby we had to have

The baby we had to have

Left to right: Emily, Lucy, Matthew, Alicia

I’ve told this story many times but in case you missed it, here it is again.   In early 1993 I was happily married with two daughters when out of the blue Matthew (husband) announced that he wanted another child.  This was quite a shock but after several weeks of thinking about it, I decided to rise to the challenge.  Have I already said that Matthew is one of thirteen children?  No wonder he wanted a third.

Lucy was born on 30th April 1994.  Today she is 20!  It has occurred to me during the past few hours that it is also 20 years since I put down my paint brushes and picked up coloured pencils – and it is all thanks to Lucy.

Working with my coloured pencils in the lounge while Lucy had a sleep, 1994.

Any new mother who is also an artist knows that it is extremely hard to do one’s art with a new baby.  I was working in oils back then.  I thought I’d be able to paint when Lucy had her naps.  The reality was anything but.  Once I thought she was asleep I would go to my studio and start to mix colours.  But…oh no…a sound from the nursery.  And now that sound is turning into crying.  Ahhh!!  And so it went.  I thought I might go mad.

I had a light-bulb moment.  Try coloured pencils.  I had used them briefly at art school; why not try them again?  Matthew thought it was a good idea.  I took myself off to the local art shop and bought a 72 box set of Derwents and a 36 set of Stabilo Softcolor pencils…and some paper.  I didn’t know what it would be like working in pencils but it had to be more convenient than oils.   And no matter what it would be like, at least I’d be doing art.

“Lucy’s Buzzy Bee” 1994, my first coloured pencil drawing.

“Summer Window” 1994, my second colour pencil drawing.

I also kept a pair of earplugs at my art desk so that I didn’t hear the small sounds that a baby makes when she is going off to sleep.  I was so nervous of those tiny sounds.  If I didn’t have the earplugs in I wouldn’t be able to relax enough to draw.  After an hour or so I’d take my earplugs out though I’d still hope she wouldn’t wake for another hour.   As long as I could keep doing my bit of art once each day I could nearly cope with what it took to be a mother-of-a-baby all over again.

Timeless
Drawing from collage

For the first few years of using coloured pencils I didn’t draw from my own photos.  Instead I bought all sorts of magazines, cut up the photos and made collages from them.  Then I would draw using the collage as source material.  This is mainly because I didn’t have the opportunity to go out to take photos – and – consumed with baby I didn’t even have photo-taking ideas of my own.  Much easier to find images from magazines and compose from them.  I could do my composing in quiet moments or at night.

Artefacts
Drawing from collage.

Lucy doesn’t mind at all that she is ‘the baby we had to have’.  She knows the story.  If it wasn’t for her I might never have stopped painting in oils.  I’m very glad I did though.  I much prefer pencils to oils.  And as to Lucy…she is the only daughter still living at home and … she’s OKAY!  As Wallace said to Gromit, Lucy is “a valuable addition to our modern lifestyle”.

Lucy riding in the New Forest, England, in 2010.

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Rue de l’Echaudé

Rue de l’Echaudé

Rue de l’Echaudé
New drawing. Coloured pencils on pescia paper. 410 x 560 mm.

I have drawn my favourite Parisian street several times since I first found myself standing on it in December 2010.  Today I have finished my latest drawing of rue de l’Echaudé.  What is it about this street?  It is narrow, intimate and so old that the buildings lean at strange angles.  A medieval street, beyond the reach of Haussmann’s renovations, it is safely tucked away in Saint Germain des Prés.  One can gaze up at one of Saint-Sulpice’s towers in the distance, framed between sky and buildings of the street itself.  This street favours pedestrians.  It does not want to be bothered by anything faster, louder or wider than a bicycle.

If ever you want to find this tiny street yourself, here it is on the map. I have coloured it with hot pink. I have circled Saint-Sulpice with pink as well.  (You will have to click on the map to enlarge it so that you can see.)

The time I like best on this inspirational street is very early in the morning when I am the only person around.  I marvel at the sky changing from night to morning blue.  I study the  electric light reflections glowing on various surfaces; wood and stone walls, plate-glass windows and (usually) wet ground.

Below are several drawings I have made of the same area.  The first is a drawing that I ripped up earlier in the year.  You can read about it on my post “A Time to Destroy“.  Unlike that sad story, the latest drawing simply fell into place.  It was like “PING!  I’m finished”.  I wish they all resolved as cleanly and neatly as “Rue de l’Echaudé” did today.

This is the drawing which didn’t work out a couple of months ago.

The six drawings below all made it to completion, unlike my comrade in misfortune above, and most of them have sold within the last 24 months.

Quiet
I did this drawing in February 2013. It is from the same photo session as for the latest drawing.

Blue Dawn
Drawn from the same photo that I used for the drawing below but I used a cropped area of it.

Paris en hiver – this drawing shows the street on a cold mid-winter morning.

de bonne heure
Same street drawn from another trip. You see how it is ALWAYS wet when I go to Paris?

Matin
On this quiet morning, my companions were of the feathered variety.

Reflecting on Art
Where the road forks between rue de l’Echaudé and rue de Seine is an art gallery, Galerie L. de Puybaudet. Here is a drawing of the reflections in the art gallery window.  (You can see the same window in three of the drawings above.)

I am sure I will draw this street again.  Rue de L’Echaudé in my mind is “Julie’s Street”.  I claim it as both my piece and peace of Paris.

Postscript:  June 20th 2014.  I DID draw rue de l’Echaudé again, only two months later.  Below is the latest interpretation of this mystical street which I have named “Rhapsody in Blue”.

Rhapsody in Blue
400 x 510 mm. Drawn in June 2014.

Related post:  Rhapsody in Blue

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Send in the Birds

Send in the Birds

A weka on the Milford Track.

When Matthew and I walked in the Fiordland National Park, all seemed quite perfect .  It was so quiet, so still.   We had found ourselves in a primeval and pristine paradise at the southern end of the world.  Hadn’t we…nothing was amiss?

A female South Island tomtit on the Milford Track.

The error was in the silence itself.  We knew that it shouldn’t be so quiet.  Prior to European settlement New Zealand forests had hosted symphonies of bird song and riots of chatter.  In the past couple of hundred years the music has been hushed by rats and stoats.    Can you believe it – the first rats were escapees from Captain Cook’s ship!?  Later, stoats were introduced to correct the problem of plagues of rabbits (also introduced).  And don’t forget cats, brought over to eat the (introduced) mice, and also to be our friends.  Oh dear, what a mess we have made of it.

A male South Island tomtit on the Milford Track.

Matt and I heard bird songs of course but in between individual songs there were very long pauses of silence.   A few birds came down to check us out as we walked in the forests.  Those we saw were quite bold and inquisitive…none more so than the South Island tomtits.

Another South Island tomtit at Borland Saddle (south of Lake Manapouri).

Often birds were just too fast for me to get photos.  The bellbirds were like that.  We saw them and heard their exquisite songs but I couldn’t get one to sit still enough or near enough to photograph it.  Same with the fantails; too gregarious, too busy to pause for me.

Female tomtit at Borland Saddle.

This New Zealand robin seemed very interested in us. He flew into a tree and scrutinized us. It was Matthew who realised that a huge worm was on the ground near us and it was this that the robin wanted. He was trying to figure if he could get to it despite us. We carefully stepped backwards and the robin took his worm.

New Zealand conservationists are doing what they can to help the birds.  They continually set traps and poisons for rats, stoats and cats.  They take the most endangered bird populations to offshore islands where there are no predators.  What a difficult problem though and can it ever be solved?

Kea are alpine parrots. I photographed a few who visited the accommodation area known as Borland Lodge where we stayed.

There were huge populations of kea in the past but they developed a taste for mutton (sheep).  High country sheep farmers did their best to wipe kea out as they didn’t want them killing their livestock.  As well as clearing the forests for pasture they actually had bounties out … ie paying people to shoot, trap and poison as many kea as possible.  Though kea are now protected, our walking guide at Milford Sound told us that right now numbers are dropping…again.  A theory is that they may be eating poison pellets which have been put down to kill rats.  Sigh!  And so it goes…possible solutions to environmental problems causing still more problems.

Kea will have a go at eating ANYTHING. They are especially known for attacking interesting textures on cars. Here one tests its beak on an old chimney.

You may think that kea look  drab….but…

…they keep their parroty extrovert colour for underneath their wings.

I haven’t mentioned possums yet.  They were introduced in 1837 from Australia to create a fur trade.  After all, possums are no problem in Australia where they have natural predators and such things as bush fires to control their population.  But in New Zealand they have no predators and plenty of trees.  They continue to wreak havoc as they eat their way through New Zealand flora.

At Mount Cook we saw a most excellent documentary called “Primeval New Zealand” about how New Zealand was formed and how the birds got there.  It was so good that I bought the dvd but I see that you can watch the whole thing for free on your computer.  Here is the link.  It is 44 minutes long.  Thank you “New Zealand On Air”!  Everything we think of as quintessentially New Zealand comes from Australia according to the theory of the documentary – kea, moa (extinct flightless bird), even the KIWI!

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This is New Zealand

This is New Zealand

New Zealand is magnificent.  Here are 20 photos from our recent trip to give you a taste.  Perhaps, overseas readers, you will be inspired to travel to this awe-inspiring country.   I  hope you’ll click on the photos to enlarge them so that you can really appreciate the splendour of the landscapes.

Our Air New Zealand flight is a direct 7 hour service from Perth, Australia to Christchurch, New Zealand.    The early morning sun is hitting the distant Southern Alps but is not yet on the Christchurch Airport tarmac.

God points a finger in the clouds. This is somewhere in the vicinity of a place which is called Paradise. (That is REALLY its name.) Somewhere near Glenorchy.  (I lost my sunglasses in Paradise.)

I often photograph out of the car window as Matthew speeds along. This is a view of the Remarkables – a mountain chain near Queenstown.

We have driven through  Te Anau on the way towards Milford Sound.  Anybody going to Milford should drive in.  The drive there is as wonderful as the arrival itself.

Afternoon shadows on the eastern side of the Homer Tunnel. One must go through the Homer Tunnel to get to Milford.  The tunnel goes right under a mountain and was built during the Depression.  The terrain is so steep that it takes your breath away.  Apparently there is a nude run down the tunnel once per year.  Those kiwis!

Milford Sound in the late afternoon. The peak is the famous and much-photographed Mitre Peak. The plant is Austroderia toetoe (commonly spelled toi toi).

Milford Track is an internationally known walk.  It takes several days to do the whole thing.  We went on a guided half-day walk starting from the Milford end.  The morning was crisp…luckily…a little too cold for the infamous sandflies.

Early morning on the Milford Track with the sun poking between the trees.

In the afternoon we cruise on Milford Sound. Though it is called a ‘sound’ it is actually a ‘fiord’ as it was formed by glaciation. Just look how steep those cliffs are!

A day or two later we are driving down to the southern coast of the South Island. This little school was built in 1913. I can’t resist a photo as we zoom past. I think this is Otahu Flat.

These ladies don’t notice me photographing them as they gaze out to sea. They are trying to decide if they can see Stewart Island or not. They can’t as the atmosphere is too misty.

I always like road signs in landscapes. They are so graphic. This sign is warning the driver that the descent is steep. Change down. This is typical of the landscape of Otago. We are crossing Lindis Pass.

Aoraki Mount Cook in the distance. Elevation 3754 metres, the highest peak in the Southern Alps. And we are driving there. See how the mountains are framed between the clouds and the lake-frontage. Beautiful.

We are walking up the Hooker Valley in the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park.  I take this photo of Hooker River from a swinging bridge.

A word about Aoraki Mount Cook before I go on with my photos.  Aoraki Mount Cook is the only place to have its English name preceded by its Maori name.  In 1998 it was renamed from Mount Cook to “Aoraki Mount Cook” to incorporate its Maori heritage in a settlement between Kai Tahu and the Crown and is gifted to the nation.  (I read that in the Hermitage Hotel where we stayed.)

Look at these colours! This water is pure and won’t harm you at all to drink even if it looks cloudy. Geography lesson: As the glaciers move through the valleys they grind and crush the brittle Sandstone, Greywacke and Schist rocks found in the National Park. This creates a fine powder known as Glacial Rock Flour which is suspended in the water in high concentrations and gives the water a milky appearance. That cliff of gravel is called moraine.

This is a photo of HAPPINESS. Matthew is delighted to be walking in the Hooker Valley.  Fifth generation New Zealander goes home!

The reward for a couple of hours walking up the Hooker Valley is the sight of the Hooker glacier and lake. These rock-looking things in the lake are icebergs. If you look closely you can see two artists sitting on the rocks painting…en plein air.

In the afternoon Matthew and I take a GLACIER EXPLORERS tour. We are taken onto Lake Tasman and in little boats we get right up to the icebergs. We can even taste them. The frozen water in the icebergs is 300 to 600 years old.  The ice tastes delicious.

Lake Tasman and Tasman Glacier. Lake Tasman didn’t exist before 1973. It started as a puddle and grew and grew as the Tasman Glacier retreated. I visited it 10 years ago as well as on this trip. Every year the lake gets more enormous as the glacier retreats. The dark-looking cliff in the distance is the terminal face of the glacier. Last time a huge bit of the glacier sheared off was on February 22nd, 2011. In other words…the day of the massive Christchurch earthquake.

A kea (alpine parrot) flies in front of Mount Sefton. This photo is taken from our hotel room at The Hermitage Hotel  early in the morning. What a wonder to wake to the sound of keas calling.

Driving back to Christchurch we stop at Mount John Observatory where there is a fantastic café (not to mention telescopes).  Mount John Observatory is run by the University of Canterbury.  I photograph Lake Tekapo from up here. This is Mackenzie Country.

I named my post after a film called “This is New Zealand” made in 1969 for Expo 70 in Osaka. I could try to tell the story about the film but it is beautifully told already on the internet…here.  The film is set to the music of Sibelius’ “Karelia Suite”.  I watched it when I was 10 years old.  It made such an impression on me that I can’t look at mountains without a mental soundtrack of Sibelius.  You can even see a three minute snippet of the film by clicking on http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/this-is-new-zealand-1970/ You’ll get the idea…

I enjoy a pink-iced cream-filled bun – unique to New Zealand.  Matthew took this photo.

I suppose I should have called my post “This is the South Island” as we only visited that island on our holiday.  But then I couldn’t have harked back to the National Film Unit 3-strip Expo film from my childhood.  South Islanders think their island is the best anyway and call it the Mainland.    Next time we’ll revisit the North Island.

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Christchurch Revisited

Christchurch Revisited

Beautiful historic New Regent street. Here you can almost pretend that no earthquakes had happened in Christchurch.

A few days ago I spent two days in Christchurch at the end of a 10 day New Zealand holiday.  I had also visited the earthquake-ravaged city in August last year.  I was curious to see the changes between then and now.  This post is a small photo album of how Christchurch is looking in April 2014.

How wonderful to see that the trams have started again. Also it is incredible that there is so little damage in New Regent Street! It is well and truly open for business.

I enjoyed coming across art in the streets.  This is a different kind of street art; SANCTIONED street art.  Some of it is organized by Christchurch Art Gallery.  Its own building is still closed while extensive repairs take place.  Therefore it has been instrumental in putting copies of its pictures out and about.

A ballerina from Swan Lake is being sprayed onto a wall. You can see the artist working from the cherry-picker.

Twisted reinforcing steel makes a good spot for pigeons. (I couldn’t help noticing the pigeons when I was photographing the big ballerina mural.)

Notice the art works on this building…

Here is a closer view.

Another piece organized by the Christchurch Art Gallery. It is lovely to come across these images when you are walking in Christchurch.

An enormous mural of sea birds covers a wall.

A striking abstract wall.

One of the two large gnomes who stand to attention outside the Christchurch Art Gallery.

Suspended dance floor complete with music and disco ball.

Here is the source of the music – a musicked-up washing machine. Please enjoy DANCE O MAT.  Seriously – you can choose your song!

Sometimes small gardens have been erected but in most cases it is just hard ground and lots of it.

This huge mural (you can see the size of it compared to the man standing in front of it) tells us that this is a strip joint.

Public art juxtaposes with buildings and space to make some strange compositions.

Sometimes it is the traffic sign which inadvertently becomes art.

There is too much space in Christchurch.  Remember this was a city.  It was hard to find a car park before September 2010.  Now one is so aware of SPACE.

Three walkers stride through – what was here? High Street, Manchester Street? I forget.

Huge spaces around the Forsyth Barr builidng. In the earthquake of February 22nd 2011, the staircases inside this office block collapsed.  Workers had to be rescued through an upper-storey window.

This was a block of extremely expensive and brand new apartments. It is being demolished right now. You can see a hole in the wall?.. (near the top and to the left). That is where the building next door was hitting it during the shaking.

Some of the massive empty spaces have been planted with grass making urban paddocks. Here is Matthew posing for me on grass where city buildings used to stand.

More grass with a church behind which I believe will be saved.

We briefly went out to the coast to the suburb of Sumner.

Here is some vertical space which developed with huge rockfalls. Nobody would have expected cliffs to fall away.

Not so far from the site of the cliff in the last photo is a landmark which had been known as Shag Rock. Can you believe the forces which shattered an enormous rock? Now it is known as Shag Pile. (Very droll!)

The Port Hills have some new shapes. There didn’t used to be a nipple here but now there is. It is nice to see that Ferrymead Riding School is still here by the way.

Back in town, I’ll finish by showing you the new Cardboard Cathedral.  The old Anglican Cathedral is still in tatters in Cathedral Square.

The Wizard of New Zealand – yes, there really is such a character – wants to save the Anglican Cathedral in The Square.

The Transitional Cathedral, better known as the Cardboard Cathedral.

While debate rages about what to do with the iconic Anglican Cathedral in Cathedral Square, there is a new Transitional Cathedral made of CARDBOARD!   It is designed by Japanese Architect, Shigeru Ban who has this year won the Pritzker Architecture Prize.  You can read about his award here – http://www.pritzkerprize.com/2014/announcement

Interior view towards altar. Even the cross is cardboard.

I thought the windows might be perspex but no, they are glass. There is a beautiful atmosphere of peace and hope inside the Transitional Cathedral.

A suspended sculpture of a steeple hangs in Latimer Square. Beyond the trees is the Transitional Cathedral.

Matt and I both had the song “(Nothing But) Flowers” by Talking Heads playing in our heads while we were walking around the city.  Some of the lines are, “There was a shopping mall/Now it’s all covered with flowers/you’ve got it, you’ve got it/If this is paradise/I wish I had a lawnmower/you’ve got it, you’ve got it/This was a discount store/Now it’s turned into a cornfield/you’ve got it, you’ve got it…” And the final lines are “Don’t leave me stranded here/I can’t get used to this lifestyle.”  (Apologies to Talking Heads as I have only picked out a few of their lines.)

If you would like to look back on my August Christchurch visit click here.  I was told that 70,000 people left since the shaking began in September 2010.  The population is growing again now as the city rebuilds.