Final Stages

With a month to go till the opening of the FACE UP exhibition things are getting exciting! Most of the images are framed and ready; the invitations and posters are done.

The portraits have been great fun to produce. Local identities were asked to bring a range of "artifacts" or items of importance (and themselves) to be photographed. We discussed ideas about how people see themselves, what is important or unique about them and in some cases people revealed who they would really like to be. The responses were very diverse and often surprising which made the process very challenging but exciting and rewarding for both me and the participants.

The photographed items are woven throughout the portrait and in some cases have been totally reconstructed to create the fantasy.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the opening but if you can't make it you will get a sense of the final product here.

This exhibition is part of the "Desert Fringe" an outreach of the Adelaide Fringe Festival. It will be on display throughout the month of March 2010.

Due to the cancellation of the accompanying exhibition I am able to fill the second gallery with marbled fabric... ;-)

40 Years

January 10 is our wedding anniversary.

In 1970 the possibilities were endless and we were young and willing to embrace the opportunities and challenges that life offered.

Here we are in 2010 in a unique partnership that could only exist through genuinely liking each other's company, a deep respect for each other's interests, skills and abilities, a remarkable sense of humour and the ability to allow each person to develop their full individual personality and potential.

You can continue the journey by visiting us from time to time at http://www.sharpsmusic.on.net/ to see what new adventures have come our way.

2010 ... more FUN I hope ;-DD

Well here we are in 2010 with lots of things to look forward to.

We have just returned from a fabulous Christmas and the perfect week in Hobart with my sister Steph. Steph's daughter Dani made it home from Melbourne for a few days and it was lovely to catch up with them both.

The weather was perfect and we were able to walk everywhere from the great holiday house that we shared with Tamsin and John who flew in from Melbourne too.

The Sydney to Hobart yacht race finale and the Taste of Tasmania food and wine festival were highlights and 3/4 of Hobart must have been out and about in the beautiful sunny , warm weather..

We managed to get a hire car for a couple of days and headed off with everyone else to Bruny Island where we waited patiently in line for the ferry and took in the scenery and checked out the boat prices.... hmmm perhaps a holiday home ;-))

A trip to Mt Field National Park along the Rivers Run was a lovely escape for us after the desert climate we usually experience and of course the camera was always at hand.

I have created a slideshow of images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/georgiesharp/sets/72157623111157662/show/

Family Newsletter Christmas 2009

Wishing you the compliments of the Christmas Season and a ... Happy New Year

Wow 2009 is nearly over… how can that be????
My first year of retirement has been full of surprises and as everyone warned busier than I anticipated.

I have managed to establish a routine that includes regular walking and this is also when I manage to take many of my photographs. The light is wonderful early in the mornings and in the evenings so I can loose myself in the moment. Surprisingly every day is different, the weather and the random nature of events continue to intrigue and delight. I have also lost nearly 10 kilos, an added bonus ;-))

Photography has become a paying hobby and I have done a few “GIGS” for ETSA Utilities, The City Council, Tourism Enterprises and various other businesses as well as selling images at the local Art Gallery and online. The ARTS has also been a focus and I participated in several exhibitions during the year. I have also become quite active at the new "Yarta Purtli" ( Place of Stars) Art Gallery and I am now a bit of an expert at hanging exhibitions. This will be useful when I hold my first “solo” exhibition FACE up in March Next year.

The surprise move of the year was starting a Photography Group at Curdnatta Gallery. This has been popular beyond all expectations and a source of new friendships and contacts.

You can keep up with the latest by visiting the SHARPSMUSIC website http://www.sharpsmusic.on.net or this blog.

We are all preparing for another wedding in March 2010. Carly and Brad announced their engagement this year. I have enjoyed the freedom of being able to go shopping for wedding bits and pieces without having to fit everything around work. The wedding will take place the last weekend in March at the Willows Restaurant between Port Augusta and Quorn. Brad is the son of local identities Graham and Julie Archer and is currently an assistant manager of the new Tassie Hotel in Port Augusta. Carly is still working for SA tourism in the Flinders Ranges and Outback region travelling the region and interstate... you can join the FACEBOOK GROUP :-))

Tamsin and John made several working visits from Melbourne and we also managed to visit them and attended some of the Melbourne Festival of Arts events. They have been very busy in their new business and you can get an idea of what they have been doing at their website

http://www.singingbowl.com.au/ . Congratulations to John for having his portrait of Julia Zemiro included in the finalists for the National Photographic Portrait Prize.

Yes the music shop is still a hive of industry something that has become very evident now that I am home more often ;-) I have no idea what I am doing but I often have to help out there too. John and his band have participated in many events including the Desert Fringe. Another successful concert was held recently and the new theatre is the perfect venue providing a sense of occasion and yet intimate connection to the audience with great acoustics.

Making sure everyone is well fed has been a focus this year with a range of dietary requirements becoming the norm :-// currently all is well and we seem pretty healthy.

Live music is alive and well, the weather has been good for golf and the snapper have been biting… almost a perfect year.

Enjoy the Christmas Season!

Love from John and Georgie Sharp

One Place Over Time.

I have been thinking about putting together another PhotoBook of images for quite a while but the dilema has always been "what topic?" ... "what genre?".... There are so many facets to my work.

Then out of the blue I won the opportunity (see previous post) and I had to make a decision.

The Curdnatta Photographers have a long term project "Same Place over Time" and I had been toying with ways to present my images so I decided this would be the topic of the book.

The PhotoArt team http://www.photoartgallery.com/ have a pretty good setup where you can work on the book and come back to it to make changes before you make a final decision and purchase. You can also share the book on line so others can see it before they make a purchase. You can take a peek at the final product here...

One Place Over Time PhotoBook

( if this link doesn't work for you you could try As I See It to get a sense of the layout or try viewing the 20 page version .

There is also a DVD with many of these images and more available at Curdnatta Gallery.

Oh .. now I am also working on a book to accompany my exhibition in 2010.

FACE up PhotoBook