Christmas 2010

Handing over the reigns....

Tamsin and John arrived a few days ago from Melbourne and it has been delightful to sit around catching up on all the latest news...

This year we had the first Christmas at Carly's house carefully watched by Max ( the dog ;-)

In the capable hands of Brad, who is an excellent cook, 'gourmet' touches to the Christmas Dinner magically produced amazing results and complimented the classy decorations by Carly.

It was the hottest Christmas we have had for a few years but the barbecued prawns, the glazed ham and turkey roll were very tempting .....

The 'no flour' chocolate cake "whipped up" by Tamsin topped everything off.

Christmas Greetings

CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE ANIMATED CARD


Season’s Greetings!


Wishing you a very merry Christmas and good health and happiness in the New Year.

2010 has been jam packed with great experiences and as I have outlined here at my online blog at http://georgiesharpreflections.blogspot.com/ and our website http://www.sharpsmusic.on.net/ just in case you are interested ;-))

Some of the highlights of the year included…

· Fabulous Christmas last year with Steph in Hobart.

· “FACE UP” – my first solo exhibition.

· Carly and Brad’s WEDDING

· The European River Cruise.

· Touring Ireland with Tamsin.

· Local Art and Music events.

· The wonderful wildflowers in the North of the state after the best rainfall in years.

· Developing my photography.

· Taking up pastels (a hangover from the days using chalk ;-)

· A few renovations around the house.

· Lots of enjoyable family gatherings.

One of the surprises of the year was unexpectedly meeting Tamsin in Paris when we were lining up at the Eiffel Tower, in the same queue… uncanny.

Love and best Wishes
Georgie and John

Music Concert

Every year at this time the "SHARPSMUSIC" end of year concert takes place.

Now that we have the new theatre it is a pleasure to attend and students have the opportunity to have a real "stage" experience.

The students are taught by several teachers in the town who combine their efforts to hold the annual event.

City Mayor

Currently taking photos of members of the new City Council.

Port Augusta's Mayor Joy Baluch has been re-elected for another term.
She has served for 27 years, making her the longest standing female mayor in Australia.

Welcome to Kaylee .

This is Kimberly and Klay's daughter. Kimberly is my niece.

3 weeks old she is already taking on the world.

Artist of the Week

I have been selected as Photographic Artist of the Week at .....
PHOTO ART GALLERY
My images will be headlining the homepage slide show on Thursday 18/11/2010 This means Photo Art Gallery will be promoting my gallery of images! So watch these spaces:
http://www.photoartgallery.com/
http://www.photoartgallery.com/blog/
http://www.photoartgallery.com/artist/GeorgieSharp

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me!!! ;-DD

Postcard Possibilities

I am currently designing a range of postcards for the Port Augusta Wadlata Tourist Centre. This is an opportunity to use some of those wonderful images of our town that I have been collecting.

Port Augusta certainly looks like a great destination when the images are seen collectively.

If you click on the image above you will see all the possibilities to date ;-))

Pastel Art

During the ARID event I attended one of the workshops at The Port Augusta Cultural Centre. This was a pastel workshop run by Barrie Goddard. It reignighted my love of drawing with "CHALK" all those years of blackboard ART came rushing back and I felt that this is a medium I could enjoy working with.

Recently I have been joining the artists at Curdnatta on Tuesdays and working with pastels is a great medium to pick up and work with immediately, no mixing, easy to store.... it is only a beginning but I enjoy the freedom and the raw colour.

Resident Photographer AALBG

This week I was asked if I would like to be the resident photographer for the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden.
Paid to have FUN ... who wouldn't jump at the chance ;-))

I will be working closely with Michele the City Council's brand designer who is overseeing the new sales outlet at the Garden. The management will have unlimited use of these images on AALBG postcards, greeting cards, posters, gifts, labels, signage, promotion and advertising etc. The great thing about this association is Michele likes my "arty" perspective so I can play to my heart's content.

This has been a L O N G apprenticeship as I remember taking groups of students to the garden, when it first opened, to take photographs of the plants ;-)) I have watched it grow from tentative beginnings to a thriving tourist hub.

It is on my list of "morning walks" and you never know what little treasures you will find, now I will be able to share these with a wider audience.

Promotional Pics

This week I have been taking Photos for Aaron and Christine at the The Comfort Inn Augusta Westside to update their range of promotional photos.

Aaron runs the very popular Gulf cruises and has a wealth of knowledge about the local waters and the outback.

You can see more at http://www.augustawestside.com.au/Cruises/

Sturt's Desert Pea

Sturt's Desert Pea, Swainsona Formosa, is the floral emblem of South Australia.

This year they are in abundance with large areas near Roxby Downs and Broken Hill covered in the bright red blooms. The best displays the locals have seen for 10 years.

Amongst the red there are a few mutant varieties . Searching for these has become a local past time and the tourist information centres are handing out "Treasure Maps".

Along with the Sturt Pea many other wildflowers are in bloom and the countryside is very picturesque. The contrast between skeletons of trees, a legacy of the drought, and the soft undergrowth is quite striking.

Designer Solutions

The Theme for ARID this year is "ADAPT or DIE" and members of the FIBRESPACE have interpreted this in their own way. FIBRESPACE is a wonderfully liberating group that provides the opportunity to PLAY and explore ideas and concepts.

FIBRESPACE decided to use some of the poles that have previously been used in displays as a base for some fibre totems that can be grouped together as a display.
As usual life has been hectic for some members and only a few are able to participate in this exhibition but happily that left the door open for me to make more than one piece.

The title for my entries is "DESIGNER PLANTS".Description: Genetic modification and the adaptation of plants to specification is the new order of SURVIVAL.Plants that are “TACTILE” , “CONSERVE WATER” and “PROVIDE SHADE” will be on everyone’s must have list.
TACTILE - This is for Cynthia who is fighting her own personal battle at the moment and who expressed the wish that we make our work "touchable". A range of tactile fibres and a couple of bird's nests thrown in ;-)
CONSERVE WATER - Hand printed fabric in gold, using leaves from the garden. "Laced" up the back and rows of plastic piping stitched into place at the base. Plastic spoons bent to form "leaves" to catch the available water.
PROVIDE SHADE - Created with all those things one uses to set up shadecloth.
We have a great position organised, along the wall near the entrance to The Arid Lands Cafe. As these are soft sculptures we don't have to place them in the garden.

Jon
Title : SURVIVORS
Description: Protoplasmic ooze evolving more and more complex chains of organic coding developed from the primordial ooze. These living creatures evolved from this increasing organization. As they evolved, they had to adapt to changing environmental conditions or die.
Two variants of evolutionary change are exhibited as they adapted to terrestrial aridity AND SURVIVED!


Zena
Title: THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT
Description: The butterfly effect is a metaphor that refers to the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately alter, delay, accelerate or even prevent the occurrence of some climatic conditions. Adapting to climate change may lie in harnessing the power of these tiny creatures.

Ruth
Title : CLIMATE SNAKE TOTEM
Description:
All bush animals have to adapt to their changing environments constantly. We humans adapt the environment to suit us. Have we gone too far??? Is climate change the proverbial snake in the grass?
My snake starts the climb up his totem as a fat well fed snake in rich lush grass but the higher he climbs the thinner he gets. Is this due to climate change? He can’t adapt as he gets higher as his environment is changing too fast. Is that smog or the quick fix bandage we are trying to impose on the world that he crawls through part way up? As he reaches the top he has become almost a shadow of what he once was. Has he struck a barren dried up mud patch?
Is he dead or alive????
Only time will tell!
How can you help???



Slideshow

Desert Blooms

There seemed to be a break in the weather at the weekend so we headed North in search of wildflowers. It wasn't long before we realised that there was rain ahead so we made the most of what good weather was left by deviating off the main highway to take photos. There were plenty of opportunities to capture the wildflowers popping up amongst the dead wood, remnants of trees that didn't survive the drought.

We were listening to "Macca" on the radio and a woman announced there were Sturt Pea clusters North and South of Glendambo.... we decided we might as well head up to see what we could find.

On the way we pulled in to have a look at Lake Hart which is normally a dry salt lake surrounded by desert. It was full of water and the rain cloud moving in from the North created an amazing soft misty landscape which was enhanced by the lovely display of wildflowers in the rich orange earth. Breathtaking!

We arrived at Glendambo and sure enough there were several clusters of Sturt's Desert Pea our State's floral emblem and the recent showers had covered them with jewel like drops of water... wonderful!!!

A Great series of pics to sort through and share....Flinders Ranges And South Australian Tourism were quick to make a purchase.. ;-))

Images may be viewed in my "OUTBACK SET" on Flickr.

FIBRESPACE Adapt or Die

With the Photography exhibition set up I have concentrated on my FIBRESPACE pieces for the ARID sculpture event.

See more at......

http://georgiesharpreflections.blogspot.com/2010/09/designer-solutions.html

Adapt or Die

It is over a week since we returned from our wonderful travels. As I open this page I am greeted in Aussie English not German or Czech language ;-))

It will take quite some time to work through my photos but I am taking the time to relive the moment, what little treasures they are.

I am back in the swing of things with regular meetings leading up to the "Adapt or Die" sculptural exhibition at the Arid Lands Botanic Garden. The Curdnatta Photography group is holding an exhibiton to coincide and we are currently gathering these pieces. My contribution is illustrated here.

After the heatwave in Europe the weather here is colder that we have experienced for quite a while and the regular rain has produced a bumper crop of WEEDS!!!... I am sure some of those seeds have been hiding for 20 years waiting for their chance at life ;-))

Ah well ... plenty of exercise awaits!!!

London

Cloudy but perfect weather for exploring London. We are both feeling better and ready to pick up the pace again (Summer colds ;-(( )

At last the opportunity to connect to all those iconic places that have been referred to so often in our lives.

The place is buzzing with summer holiday makers so there are long queues to see many of the highlights including Buckingham Palace which is currently open to the public… good thing we have seen several palaces already ... didn't fancy standing in line for most of the morning... ;-DD

We spent the day getting our bearings and taking photos of anything that caught our eye ;-)


Tomorrow we tackle the railway.

Photos at FLICKR!

Ireland

It is difficult to believe our week in Ireland is over. Tomorrow we fly to London.

A week of beautiful countrysides, warm, hospitable people, rugged coastlines, music, history, more fabulous food, Guinness and Whisky...

Spending time with Tamsin was precious ...

Sooo many photos.... and we managed to get some sunlight as well as the beautiful Summer Irish mist...

End of Cruise

Well the cruise is over and we are currently in Praha (Prague). The hot weather has followed us all the way and we are now used to tramping all over cities and the countryside without a complaint.
The final evening in Budapest was magical as we cruised up the river to view the city lights from the top deck of the boat. This wonderful city really appealed to me, we had heard so many aspects of the history connecting this magestic city with Communist rule and the cruise was a poignant moment with the opportunity to reflect on how we should value our heritage and lifestyle.
Prague is a similar grand old city.
Today we visited Terezin where political prizoners and Jews were held before being shipped to concentration camps. A very sobering experience and a complete change from other tours.
Off to Ireland tomorrow and catching up with Tamsin and John.

In the footsteps of Mozart

Salsburg, Melk, Durnstein, Vienna the heart of tourism in Austria.
Huge numbers of ships and buses conveying thousands of tourists to the most popular places.
Surprisingly the tours work like clockwork. We have earpieces connected to a receiver that is worn around the neck. These tune into a frequency and microphone unit used by the tour guide so we can wander around within close range and hear all the information without the guide having to shout at us….
Remind me not to get famous… the thought of a cardboard effigy outside every souvenir shop in my home town is not appealing ;-))
The weather is still warm and many places do not have air conditioning the river is attracting many families who are on Summer Holidays and you can see people dotted along the banks swimming, fishing and boating.

Austria

We have left Germany behind and are heading towards Venice. Cathedrals, towers, monastries, castles and lots of steps. So many buildings have been recently renovated, all competing for the tourists and of course we actually pay for the continuing upgrades which attempt to bring the buildings back to their original glory. In Germany in particular many buildings were destroyed during the war and have been completely rebuilt to original plans...



Many buildings and towns have architecture which includes Roman influence , gothic architecture and baroque decoration... an interesting mix .....

More Wonderful Experiences.

More beer, wine, ice cream and now sausages, sauerkraut and mustard.
We have reached the highest point in our tour and now begin the descent down through the locks. The Canal from the River Main to the Danube actually passes over highways… it is an amazing construction, which has opened up the water ways from the Black Sea to the North Sea. All the ships are built to fit into the locks and pass under the dozens of bridges, even the steering cabin collapses and no one can stand on the top deck in some stretches because there is the likelihood of hitting your head on a bridge ;-)
In Regensburg we decided to wander around by ourselves. The guided tours are good but I enjoyed the chance to soak in the atmosphere and do some shopping away from the tourist centres without having to keep up with the fast pace.

More photos on Fabulous Places at Flickr.

The River Rhine

We spent several days travelling down the River Rhine and are currently on the River Main. The countryside is GREEN, GREEN, GREEN!!! Such a rich delight.
The weather has been very hot, up to 35C and quite humid. There have been at least 2 tours offered each day but today we decided on taking part in the morning tour only. Most tours include quite a bit of walking and as the sun sets at about 10pm the afternoon walks can get quite warm, especially on streets with cobblestones.
Everyone seems to have flocked to the camping sites along the river for the Summer holidays and even in the cities people walk along the edge of the river late into the evening.
We have had the opportunity to sample some of the wonderful beers and wines and ice cream rather than coffee and cake ;-))
There are many locks in this part of the river so bus tours have been organised to take us to some of the small historic towns while the boat navigates these locks.

Antwerp

Most of Tuesday was spent on the road from Paris to Amsterdam where we boarded the cruise ship Amadagio at about 5pm. It took quite a while to drive out of Paris and it’s surroundings as many people were heading off on their annual summer holidays. We stopped for lunch at Antwerp, in the quaint historic area of the city known for beer, waffles and chocolates. Wonderfully restored and maintained, cobbled streets and buildings around the square offered some picturesque photo opportunities. We were welcomed on board the cruise ship with the usual pomp and ceremony and wonderful 4 course meal.

City of Bridges

Today we saw Paris from the River Seine. Another perspective on this beautiful city.

Each bridge adds it's unique character to the city scape.

Following the river cruise we went to Montmartre the bohemian artist area. Here the streets are very narrow,. there are many tourist destinations and once again endless cafes and restaurants.

Sacre Coeur the imposing Catholic church dominated the landscape with yet another amazing view of the city.

Oh!!! Surprise surprise... guess who we saw going the other way on the river ???? See Eiffel Tower Surprise...

UNBELIEVABLE!!!

Eiffel Tower Surprise

A beautiful Summer day showed Paris in all her glory.

We had a morning tour where we we were introduced to many of the significant landmarks including the Eiffel tower. In the afternoon we visited Le Louvre with a million other people. The first Sunday of the month is free admission and with this being the first weekend of the Summer school holidays everyone in Paris seemed to be out making the most of the beautiful weather.

7 million people visit the eiffel tower each year so what are the odds of meeting your own daughter lining up in the same queue at exactly the same time????? Well that is exactly what happened.
We plan to meet in Ireland later in the month but we didn't expect to meet today in such uncanny circumstances... maybe it is time to buy a lottery ticket ;-p

Paris

Kuala Lumpur to Paris in 12 hours!!!

We arrived at 6.30 am and after some initial complications with the pick up arrived at the Hotel Du Louvre where we sat and had coffee and croisants while we contemplated how to tackle the local area in the midst of a thunder storm. Le Louvre beckoned but so did the streets. We decided to plunge in and walk along the river to get our barings. We arrived back soaked but happy and delighted to find our room was ready.... a chance to catch up on some sleep.

There are many restaurents and cafes in the vicinity so we will have much pleasure in testing as many as possible.

Day 2 Kuala Lumpur

Today we travelled to Malacca with the very knowledgable and talkative Mohammed our "praisworthy" tour guide.

I know more about the history or Malaysia now and have a better understanding of the succession of rulers that shaped the country.

Mohammed also explained the "mind set" of modern Malasians around development and the reasons why this country is expanding so quickly to compete with other Asian destinations. We also saw the extent of the suburban development and the infrastructure of highways and toll roads that are necessary to service the expansion.

Visiting Malacca was like stepping into the past with the opportunity to view architecture and practices no longer common.

It was also great to see so much of the countryside which is palm trees and jungle as far as the eye can see... green, green, green. Of course the day ended with a thunderstorm and we hope to start a fresh shiny new day again tomorrow ;-)

I will continue to add images to Flickr.

Historic information.