Do Art

The Grad Show opens November 10 at 6.30pm in the Trapezium Gallery. Put the date in your diary, watch this space for more info..........

When I left the dentist yesterday at 11:30 AM, I was in no mood to go to the Designers'Open. So I just went to my favourite Starbucks and had a Double Chocolate Muffin and a Chocolate Mocha for Breakfast. Yes, the dentist had given me the okay to eat and thanks to the pain killer I was reasonably well. So I waited until the shops opened, bought some pain killers specifically for my toothproblem and some black photo boards to be the background when I take new pictures of my new and old artwork. After that I did take a stroll through the park near the monument of the battle of the nations and then walked home over Leipzigs Southern Graveyard, which is amazing and calm and relaxing and beautiful. After that I did some of the housework that I hadn't had the energy for during the last weeks and then I finished the scarf for my friend and watched dvds. What did you do on your Sunday?

  images from Cath Barcan's website   Fine Arts Head Teacher Cath Barcan has launched her website, featuring artwork from the last twenty or more years. Have a look at http://www.cathbarcan.com/

Here I am on Sunday morning wide awake at 5:30 AM, due to the early shift of the last weeks and what's much worse: toothache. And that on a day when I wanted to sleep in. Nevertheless thanks to swing music my mood is fine. I just invested in some good swing music by Tony Bennett and Michael Bublé and enjoy it thoroughly. It just fits. Anyway, so before I get to see all of those fantastic creative people today at the Designers' Open and the Grassimesse , I have to go to a dentist. I checked it at midnight and I know where I have to go to.

In architecture and in life. This doorhandle belongs to the castle gate of castle Wolkenburg. For my life I found out that swing is best as the musical background for my artistic work, doesn't matter if it's photography, drawing, knitting (christmas is coming ;)* or other creative work. I do it best with some swing, I've created a playlist containing Tony Bennett, Robbie Williams, Michael Bublé, Michael Andrew & Swingerhead, Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers and Frank Sinatra. This music has style and the kind of humor I like. I wish you all a magical weekend. * The groan you heard were my old friends "Oh no, she's knitting, that means even more scarves for christmas. Gee, I don't have space for the new one."** ** Good thing they don't read this blog.

One of those fabulous etsy Handmade Portraits.

 We just spotted this article in the Mount Druitt Standard describing the ongoing industry practice of our graduate Linda Brescia. Well done Linda! http://mt-druitt-standard.whereilive.com.au/news/story/artist-returns-to-childhood/

 "Self Portrait" lino print by Elaine Shipp Cetificate IV in Visual Arts and Contemporary Craft student Elaine Shipp has recently had a lino print included in an  anthology of poetry published in Scotland. "I was contacted in May by Margaret Preston (a flautist and composer from Scotland), asking me for permission to reproduce my lino-cut print, ‘Self Portrait’ that she had seen on my blog, in an anthology of poetry entitled ‘Lovelorn’ she was self publishing", said Elaine. The blurb on the back of the book states: “Lovelorn is an accessible anthology of poetry which reflects on the up and downs (and ins and outs) of love. Each poem is poignantly illustrated by a specially selected linocut picture. The artists are from all over the world and their styles are equally diverse.” ‘Lovelorn’ was published in September by Matador, Leicestershire, ISBN 978-1780880-365 and is available through Margaret’s website ( www.ceremony.uk.com ).  Congratulations to Elaine...

Would you have asked me a week ago if I would like to move to another city, I would've said no. But the tide has finally changed enough to see what's happening with me and I just realized that I'm getting restless again. I want to move on to another town. I've been back to Leipzig for almost 2 years now (only one week missing) and I have the impression that two years is for me the point when I get restless and want to move on. It has been this way in Stralsund and Villingen and it is so in Leipzig too. I don't know yet if it is because I'm a wanderer or if I just haven't found the place where I belong. I thought that I belong in Leipzig, but now I don't think so anymore. You see my motto is: "The world is big and colorful and I want to see a lot of it." Therefore I think it is only natural that I want to live in different cities. This feeling of restlessness is the reason that I show you those pictures from my Ireland vacation in 2009. I took t...

Still from FOLD {Live} Performance in San Francisco , 2011  Parramatta Artist studios are hosting an exciting performance art project, and they are looking for participants. Keep reading for all the info on this exciting opportunity........... What is FOLD {Live} ? FOLD {Live} is an on-going project by San Francisco based artist Surabhi Saraf – a series of site-specific public performances where performers (volunteers) fold laundry per a choreographed routine. FOLD {Live} celebrates the mundane by taking a private, solitary activity and presenting it, multiplied, in a public space Who are we looking for to perform? Surabhi is looking for volunteers to participate in the upcoming FOLD {Live} public performances in Parramatta, NSW on 3th, 4th, 5th and 6th of November (times tbc). The volunteers will need to commit to approx 8hrs for learning the choreography. Participants don’t need any performance or dancing skills: everyone is welcome. Surabhi is particularly interested in having ...

See, these are the pictures I love to create. This one I took at Leipzigs graveyard north. I've been to another old graveyard in Leipzig yesterday and I took some nice pictures. While I strolled over the grounds I thought about my life and my choice of profession. I'm an engineer with an emphasis on knowledge and information transfer, that's what I studied. I'm a project leader for knowledge transferring events, that's what I was trained for at my first real job and I'm good at it. What makes me happy is creating things and so I'm wondering if I should have gone into craftsmanship. Maybe I should have become a cabinet maker and then trained to become a restorer of old furniture? (A classmate of mine did so.) While walking over the graveyard I realized I could still make that switch! But I also realized not too long ago, that I really don't want to go back to school, be it university or vocational school. A few weeks back I checked out Leipzigs famous art...

This was the first time I encountered this in real life. I had seen some of this in the Photodiarist blog before. There are Yarn Bombers in Leipzig too and I will show you some pics of Leipzig soon. I found those yarn bombings in Leipzig only after I had seen those in Austria. Anyway, more on this topic here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarn_bombing I think this yarn bombing is a fabulous idea. What do you think about it? Are there some yarn bombers where you live? If so want to share some pictures? Post them on your blog, comment here and I'll link to your post.

My joy of cooking new dishes, trying out new tastes and food. The last few months I couldn't for the life of me be bothered to actually cook out of joy. It was a boring task that every now and then just had to be done. Whenever I bought veggies they tended to rot away in my fridges veggie box. However in those last two weeks I started to crave new tastes, different tastes. This lead to some foolish behaviour yesterday, I bought pudding (Grießpudding) which contained wheat. The foolishness? I'm allergic to cereals. To top that off I'm also allergic to sugar, I learned that because I ate a lot of chocolate this week (without fructose-glucose-syrup, that stuff is the devil: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM ) and my skin showed almost immediately signs of inflammation. Not good, in fact this is very bad. However this very morning when I woke up of 11 hours of blissful sleep, I felt that I finally want to cook again. So I start into this day with an extra yummy and fl...

click for a larger image Students from the Certificate III in Ceramics are showing their work in an upcoming exhibition called Trilogy . The exhibition opens on Wednesday the 26th of October at 12 noon in the Trapezium Gallery, and runs until the 4th of November. You are warmly invited to attend the opening, where many pieces will be for sale. (Please note, purchased work may not be availbale for pick up until after assessment in the first week of December.) The Certificate III in Ceramics is a three day a week course covering many aspects of ceramics, with an emphasis on wheelwork, handbuilding and mold making and casting. Students also learn about glaze technology, and kilns and firing. If you are interested in studying in the CIII Ceramics next year, please visit http://tiny.cc/wzkb0 and register your interest. You can also call the College on 131 870 and register your interest by phone. To download an information leaflet, visit our course information page her...

miniature sculpture exhibition including work by Fine Arts teacher Di Holdsworth NADC Fine Arts Teacher Di Holdsworth is included in an upcoming exhibition at Defiance Gallery: Defiance Gallery invites you to the 16th Annual 6x6x6 Inch Miniature Sculpture Show Opening 6-8pm, Wednesday 26 October at Defiance Gallery I, Newtown Preview 11-5pm Saturday 22 October To be opened by Terence Maloon, Senior Curator of Special Exhibitions at the AGNSW at 7pm. All works in the exhibition can be viewed at http://www.defiancegallery.com/artists/mini-majors1.htm?page=2 Opening night - 26 October Exhibition runs until 26 November 2011 The exhibition features 80 artists with over 120 works, and $10 000 in prizes. For a video of Di's work in the show, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzfjtmVf_WQ

I didn't have any energy left as I got home. But I got to enjoy this show provided by nature. Life is beautiful. Have a great day.

Nope, it's the northern beach of the Darss. Have a great day.

Norman admiring his work, Pasay City, Manila, 2011 Certificate III Ceramics student Hilary Latta is undertaking a major community art project between Australia and the Phillipines. Hilary, who is know at  NADC for her high energy, is not only studying ceramics full-time this year, but also employing her art skills  to facilitate an art project  that connects both young and old artists from the two countries. Hilary has recently returned from a two week residency in the Phillipines, where she worked intensively with children from the local school and orphanage to develop artworks on the theme "My City". The children were encouraged to explore their relationship with their enviromnment, and delved into ideas such as sense of place and belonging. Hilary has conducted workshops with children in Sydney that explore the same theme, and is also inviting local schools to join in. The work from all the children will be exhibited together at Newtown Mission , 28...

The early bird catches the worm. Well, the next two weeks I'm an early bird. No sleeping in for me.  These are some detail shots of a house that I went by on Saturday. I played a bit with frame as you can see. What do you think of them?

Congratulations to our Advanced Diploma of Fine Arts for their favourable mention in this week's Penrith Press. http://penrith-press.whereilive.com.au/lifestyle/story/amazing-art-puts-talented-in-frame-at-penrith-regional-gallery/

Most of us photobloggers only present the best pics we have made. I'm often wowed at the prowess of each of you.  And I'm sure that for every pic posted there are countless misses.* When you photograph with a digital camera, getting rid of crappy pictures is really easy, photographing with an analog camera you are often stuck with the bad pics because most of the time the perfect pic is on the same piece of film as the miss. As I'm a bit different, I have also posted some of the misses. Not so much because I wanted to show the world that it is okay to fail, but because I held the drilled in believe that my photography isn't good enough anyway. Same goes for my drawings. Have you ever heard of Yogi Tea ? They produce ayurvedic infusions.** The fun part is that on the little piece of paper at the other end of the string of every teabag, they have printed a small aphorism. Which makes it fun to play little mind games*** and it's always fun to drink some of the tea. Now...

In honor of World Poetry Day we thought we'd share some of the books near the top of the pile of all the books we are currently reading. THE POLITICS by Benjamin Paloff, Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2011. "Deep within the folds of / my being I am carrying an urgent message. / I'd pay attention if I were you," the voice of 'Diptych of the Annunciation, Left Panel' implores. "People I do not know put words / in my mouth,  take my picture. And still I am not / untouched by beauty." The warning is a reflection of a way to read these poems, which pulse with a willingness to embrace ideas and philosophy in tight, clear lines that build arguments but also aim to create something as equally ephemeral: beauty. The juxtaposition of history and contemporary elements is effective. As the California Journal of Poetics remarks: "Paloff has a gift for combining the historical with the contemporary." The effect is like a lush Sofia Coppola film: fille...

The current temperature in Leipzig is 0°C or 32°F. However on the first glance outside you'd think it is warm with the sun shining brilliantly and the green woods and the moon (first pic). The second glance reveals that it is really cold: hoarfrost. Brrr, Baby it's getting cold outside. However looking again, on third glance you realize it is still a really beautiful day. In any case seeing this hoarfrost and feeling the cold when I ventilated my studio, made me switch my wardrobe from summer to winter. Getting out my sweaters and stuff. And I even slept with my thick planket this night. Which was nice and comfy. Last but not least I turned on the heating. What are you doing this weekend? Mine is chock-full with things to do. One very important thing is recovery time for my muscles. Meaning I will eat a lot of fish, do some yoga, trink tons of magnesium and use other muscles than the ones I need to walk. Meaning I will use my bike instead of walking or using the bus. I will als...