Category Archives: Art

Includes music, dance, and visual arts.

on the first day of December

Santa hasn’t visited for quite a few years now. Not sure whether that is because I’ve ‘grown up’ or I’ve been naughty, but I’m still a kid at heart when it comes to having an advent calendar to anticipate the 25th December.

This year, Christmas New Year close down at work is 12 noon 24th December. So my special calendar is also to count the days until the holidays.

I often buy a cardboard advent calendar with perforated doors to open to chocolates with a Christmas motif. Last year, because of the heat, the chocolates did not release from the plastic mould in which they were held. So this year, I decided to make my own advent calendar.

I remembered that I had a collection of envelopes from birthdays and previous Christmas cards, so decided to place these in the shape of a Christmas tree on the wall. The envelopes contain my/our favourite chocolates, that is, milk chocolate Baci, white chocolate Baci, and Guylian chocolate sea shells. The tinsel star is from our box of tree decorations.

advent calendar 2014

In hindsight, I perhaps should have chosen some flatter chocolates, but the flat envelopes will help to indicate that a particular day has been reached.

I don’t know whether we are going to have similar temperatures to last year, but at least I will be able to lick the chocolate off the foil wrapper this year.

The advent calendar has also assisted me to declutter my writing compendium of 24 used envelopes. But now I don’t know whether to continue to collect, or whether I will be able to reuse my reused envelopes.

Day 2: What’s your name?

The Day 2 Zero to Hero assignment is to edit your title and tagline, and flesh them out more in a widget.

Technically, the widget part of the assignment was easy. one or two sentences describing “What’s this blog about?” was a lot more difficult, and I don’t think I’m there quite yet.

I’m happy with the ‘dilettante’ title and “The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.” tagline.

A long time a go I was called a dilettante. I didn’t know what it meant then, so I had to ask and I also looked it up later. I was called a dilettante, because they recognised that I was interested in absolutely everything, but once I figured it out, that is, the why and how, I moved my attention to the next curiosity. Fortunately or unfortunately, I also value finishing anything I have started, so any important projects are completed. I say unfortunately, because in hindsight, some projects I should have moved on from without completion.

The quote in the tagline was in someone’s email sig at the time, and I liked it. Doing some searching, it can either be attributed to Ellen Parr or Dorothy Parker.

Impatient maybe, but never bored, and insatiably curious.

Looking up ‘dilettante’ in the dictionary then (or Google now), I saw that it could be used derogatorily. But when I was called a dilettante I know that is was meant as a compliment as in the early use of the word, and that is the spirit in which I named this blog.

adj. n.

1. a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement, esp. in a desultory or superficial way; dabbler.

2. a lover of an art or science.

From Italian dilettante, prop. present participle of dilettare (“to delight”), from Latin dēlectāre (“to delight”).

So, my blog is about wherever my curiosity takes me.

Daily Prompt Post: Resolved

Fishing at Eco Beach, Broome, Western Australia

Have you ever made a New Year’s Resolution that you kept?

Yes, last year I resolved to become stronger and fitter.

It wasn’t what some people would say is a SMART goal, but I just wanted to go for the year making mostly the right decisions about nutrition, sleep, stress management, and health.

I am stronger because I can:

  • peddle my bike better by having increased my cadence. Note: Christmas present last year was to add an electric kit to my bike, so the only way I know how I’m doing is to look at cadence.
  • see that I am a lot more flexible while doing the Pilates and Dance videos on SparkPeople.

I can see that I am fitter because I have gone down a size. This has also helped with my decluttering, as I have thrown out or donated my big clothes so I am not tempted to fill them out again.

This year I am going to crank it up! Finances permitting, I wish to add dancing, swimming, Pilates classes, and running to my repertoire. Also, there are a couple of exercises that I find difficult or cannot do – yet. I want to be able to master:

Currently, I am continuing to practice planks and roll-ups, but I will start swimming next week when I return to work. The plan is to go twice/week on the way to work.

January, February and March I have streaks happening, but cranking up the exercise fits in with these, as it makes me happy, helps with the decluttering, and I’m sure will help me study better.

The Refuge

Started work late so could finish late and go straight to the Somerville to see Le Refuge.

I had my eyes closed for the first few minutes of the film as I don’t like needles. It was difficult to know when to open them as I don’t speak French, so I just listened until there was some dialogue recognising that using the needle either required much concentration and or was a private activity. But once the sharp bits were out of the way, I enjoyed this film immensely.

It is a sad story, but a feeling of hope and transformation unfolded from the miserable beginnings of drug use and bereavement. The characters were believeable, and apart from the ‘Mother’ likeable. The film ended unexpectedly, which was a delightful twist, and it did leave me wondering whether there was going to be a sequel.

The evening could be called ‘The Refuge’ too. It was wonderful to be able to just turn up and enjoy the film, company, food and wine. D brought the wine, and H and E brought the food. It was a great end to a busy week.

The ride home on our bikes was great. It was quiet along the cycle path, and the wind was with us most of the way.

going for five

Today was the fourth day in a row that I have rode my bike to and from work. Eight kilometres there and eight kilometres back.

Tomorrow, I’ll be riding to work, then to a film, and then home.

Admittedly, the Somerville is only ten minutes ride from my current Friday job. But if I ride home from the film, then I will have rode my bike for a whole week. Go me!

PIAF

We have booked three events to the Perth International Arts Festival. One dance and two theatre:

We are going to most of the festival films, even driving up to Joondalup Pines in addition to cycling to the Somerville.

I just wish that I had found out about salary packaging sooner. Being able to salary package tickets to the festival, including the films is a great benefit.

first pick of the festival

The launch of the 2010 Perth International Arts Festival Program was celebrated at the Perth Concert Hall with a full-house.

Attendance at the Program launch is a must. From receiving the festival brochure in the morning post, poring over the offerings, attempting to set a budget, confirming and adding more choices during the launch, to meeting up with friends and colleagues that we may not have seen since the last festival.

Our first picks from the brochure were:

After attending the launch celebrations, we would like to add:

Added to that are the Festival Films, Perth Writers Festival, and Visual Arts.

Phew! Now just have to get the money out and book.

The queues were long at the program launch, so having read that we could book online we enjoyed the refreshments and mingled.

I was unsuccessful at booking online as I hoped 😦 I persevered and attempted to work around issues as they arose, but finally hit the Contact Us button to view a HTTP Error 500 – Internal server error. Because friends said that we would not be able to choose our seats, I gave up with H promising that he would go into town to get them first thing in the morning.

inside out

Aesthetic Crossovers in Art and Science (VISA2214) allowed me to explore not only the art and science crossovers in the life sciences, but introduced me to a new way of seeing and interpretation by artists and scientists.

One of the assignments was to produce a prototype. As I was still considering the question ‘what is art?’ it took some time to decide on an approach that I perceived as suitable to complete the work. However, the prototype gave me an excuse to review the histology slides from my Medical Technology degree which was an added bonus.

From the many slides, I selected two views and prepared some digital images.

I did not wish to create a temporary piece, so settled on making a paper mache object. My idea was formed from remembering that a long time ago, anatomical models were made from paper mache.

During the lectures and tutorial sessions I learnt that ‘things’ can be be classified into non-human animals and human animals. I decided to create a cat as I thought I could observe my own pets and use the photographs to realise the 3D object. Also, I liked the idea that I was superimposing human animal cells on a non-human animal.

Having not made paper mache before, I found some resources on the internet to provide some guidance. I found the initial making of the shape or form somewhat frustrating, but the layering of the paper mache over some weeks was time pleasantly spent. Time really did slip by as I got absorbed in the project.

paper mache cat (liver cells, naphol green)

Green Cat (liver cells stained with naphol green)

Red Cat (lung cells stained with H & E)

Red Cat (lung cells stained with H & E)

The final part of the assignment was to give a presentation. I took my prototypes in our cat cage covered in cloth. It was quite fun to see my classmates looking into the cage to see if my biological art was alive. My presentation probably does not stand alone, but it is included here as part of the documentation for my project.

Green Cat and Red Cat are not yet completed. I have been asked to consider giving them a face. I’m still thinking on this.

the festival has started

The 2009 Perth International Arts Festival programme launch on Wednesday marks the beginning of the festival for me. Not only do we get to experience a glimpse of the festival, but the excitement of the events and activities to come is shared with some enthusiasm.

Throughout the evening, I found myself talking to complete strangers about the festival. Topics included: Welcome To Country, amazing didgeridoo playing, insights into the programme, presentations, and of course what tickets were you going to buy? Like the programme launch last year, BOCs set up terminals so that Friends of the Festival could purchase tickets then and there.

The formal part of the evening was held in the Octagon Theatre and the programme launch party was held in the Somerville Auditorium which was in a huge marquee surrounded by vintage cars, dance floor (with dancers), and live music. Food and wine were plentiful, but because the weather was cold and wet, those that wanted elbow room headed for the perimeter. The waitpersons all wore wigs to suit the theme, so they were easy to spot, but they too experienced difficulty making their way through the crowd.

We received our programme in the mail on the day, so it was already earmarked to take along to the programme launch. I got tickets for all that we planned, but I may get some more having seen the presentations.

Tickets so far:

Festival Films are on from 1 December, so still plenty of time to get our ticket pack to start the season.