Ladybird's Flight: March 2017

Friday 31 March 2017

Polish Cooking.

Today when sat at the computer to do my first daily writing session I found myself writing about making Polish Doughnuts with my Grandmother.

I remember making these with Nana at her Yarralumula house (pre 1983) and later at her Kambah home (post 1984-1994).

I was trying to remember if she used one or two dough circles then sealing the jam inside. I sent a text to Aunty Annette Schweikert hopefully she can remember.

So I have spent a bit of time looking on YouTube. Oh the Polish recipes that I found; chrusciki/bow ties, piroshki (pierogi), cabbage rolls, gulasz, dumplings (potato ones?)

My favourite Polish cook so far is Ania's Kitchen




Wednesday 29 March 2017

Last Event for CBCA ACT Branch

This was my last CBCA ACT Branch event, "And the winner could be..." & CBCA Book of The Year Award Short List Announcement.

I now officially begin my year of creativity. 

To see about the event more go here http://cbcaact.org.au/eventsgallery/#2017ATWCB

Leanne introducing Bernadette

Monday 27 March 2017

Our stories - Who are we?

Thanks Susanne Gervay for a fabulous afternoon talking about writing our family refugee/immigrant story and helping us finding an authentic voice. 

Wow I am a beginner without a clear direction.

While I might not have a clear idea for a story yet I now know where I will begin, a collection of stories about my family and around Canberra. Maybe one day I can write a memoir?

I also like the idea of writing articles for magazines, blogs or other print media.

Thursday 23 March 2017

Blog Content: What will I include in my blog?

Today I read Your Author Blog: What Should an Author Blog About? Not only did I find it interesting but it has come at the right time for me. I am early on in my blogging process and hopefully these tips will help me add content to my  blog that might interest others. 

While I'm not an author of books, maybe one day, I still found the words of wisdom helpful. My blog was resumed, really not properly begun in my previous blogging attempt, as part of the process of me exploring my creativity. The blogging is part of me documenting my inspirations and journey.  

What to blog about? 
(The topics outlined here are taken from the article above that inspired a rush of ideas for me to explore.)

Travel and Photos: Canberra
I have a great affinity with Canberra and the region and would like like to document places that hold a special meaning to me. I am two generations Canberrian. So when I travel around Canberra there are many locations that bring back memories and I find me telling stories associated with these places. Some of these places are associated with our family history and I recall stories told to me by my parents and grandparents. Though place we share family stories. 

Travel and Photos: Other Locations
This blog will also record other places that inspire me in some way, from its beauty to a story behind the location e.g. I love to look at art so every time I visit Melbourne we go to the National Gallery of Victoria and in an earlier blog I have shared some paintings and ephemera that inspired my interest or creativity.

How to's and recipes
In this area I have already blogged and photographed some of my cooking experiences and recipes. I find cooking at times a very relaxing and soul fulfilling experience. I see cooking as; an extension of my creativity, a connection to family and at other times it is the exploring of ingredients that is of import to me, as sometimes I have to eliminate foods from my diet for health reasons. So far my blog has explored the idea of cooking every cup cake in a specific cook book and Dairy Free or Gluten Free recipes. Now I'd liked to add FODMAPs into the repertoire.

Spotlight Your Genre
I love to read books in the genre of historical fiction and fantasy. 
Some of my favourite authors have included;
  • Kate Forsythe
  • Juliet Marillier
  • Tamora Pierce
  • Diana Gabaldon
  • Posie Graeme-Evans
  • Fiona McIntosh 
So in this blog there will be articles related to Historical Fiction e.g. clothing, art, music and places of the selected time period.

Informative Pieces 
At times the blog will explore things that inspire artistic thoughts. I used to be a volunteer guide at the National Gallery of Australia and we would often talk about influences on an artist. Sometimes this can be other artists, art styles or locations. Therefore I plan to document exhibitions, films/documentaries and places that I go to or that inspire me.

List and Reviews
Occasionally I will blog about things related to reading and children's literature and literacy. Over last five and a half years I wrote the eNews and developed partnerships for the ACT Branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia. During this position I have collected and developed a directory of useful resources relating to children's literature. Hence there will be blogs about events, book reviews and lists of helpful websites, blogs and Facebook pages.

Interviews and Profiles
Research is often involved in the process of exploring creativity. However this research can be rarely included in the creative product. Consequently a way to communicate this information is to share what has been discovered. Some of these may include other blogs especially when it excites the mind and intermittently interviewing people or themes further explore a topic. 

About your pets Here the article I read suggested blogging about your pets... not sure that I will do this unless it relates to my creative works.
What not to blog?
  • You will find no more apologies if I become slow at blogging
  • There were many more not to blogs on the article's list but I don't have anymore to add to this part of the conversation so read the article.


Wednesday 22 March 2017

Laurie Copping Award Winner Annoucement

So thrilled that local Canberra author and illustrator, Tania McCartney was awarded the The Laurie Copping Award for Distinguished Service to Children’s Literature in the ACT.

Tania is a great supporter of reading, children's literature and other creators of literature. She was the founder of Kids Book Review and 52 Week Illustration Challenge. Tania gives her time in helping others with their craft from speaking at conference, presenting seminars and workshops to answering questions at Ask Tania. She loves talking to children about her stories and gives a great book launch with reading, craft and food. Now while you are thinking wow she does so much let me also point out that she was an ambassador for the national Year of Reading and is a current ambassador for the Chief Minister Reading Challenge in the ACT. 

Tania is a great example of an advocate for reading and children's literature. Congratulations!


Tania with Julie Long OAM (President of CBCA ACT Branch)

Farewell CBCA ACT Branch Committee

  
Tonight the ACT Branch of the CBCA gave me a small farewell presentation for my services to the ACT Branch as a committee member; Author/Illustrator Coordinator, President and Vice President plus many other roles since the beginning of 2012. 

Thanks CBCA ACT Branch for the years of support in my various committee roles. 
Thanks Julie for your very kind words regarding my time on the committee. 

I look forward to seeing you all again at branch or literary events but from the audience.


Image may contain: 2 people, people standing


So what now?
I am dedicating the next 12 months to exploring my creativity. 

What does that mean?
I hope to do the following activities;

  • 52 Week Illustration Challenge
  • writing every weekday
  • playing the piano
  • exploring exhibitions of Canberra and elsewhere (especially art ones)
  • attending art workshops and classes or seminars
  • explore cooking more
  • explore the medium of photography
  • family tree research to update the story that I have previously compiled on the Foster Family

Tuesday 21 March 2017

Slide Photography and Art

Today I watched a program on ABC about using slides as part of art.
"First Person Kodachrome" by Andrew G. Taylor

It was interesting to watch how slides were part of Andrew's childhood. How slides documented the life of Andrew's parents, himself and his siblings. There are quite a few slides that my grandparents and parents took some that included me as a toddler. My sister who was born in 1980 felt left out as she didn't feature in this form of family history. In the mid 1990's my then boyfriend exclusively took slide film photos so we made sure to take some slide images of my sister so that she would feel that their was now a slide history of her too. My husband continued to take Kodachrome slide film images until processing the film started to become more difficult and he moved over to digital photography in after his last slide films were developed in May 2003.

Andrew's documentary explored how slide nights were used to showcase holidays. Then how he used slide images in creating new artworks. 

In the 1990's Andrew was asked a question why slide photography? His response is similar to my husbands, why not when I know that the quality is much higher than film?

I makes me wonder what exploring the use of this medium in art especially as Kodachrome ceased to process film in 2010. We recently disposed of our slide projector as it didn't work very well. Some of our slide collection has been digitised but this is a project that we now wish to complete.

This image is taken from my husband's first roll of Kodachrome slide film. He later had it developed into a A4 print to hang on his wall.


Hot Air Balloon by Mark Barrett

Saturday 18 March 2017

Shake It Up Exhibition

Shake It Up exhibition opening night at Nishi Gallery, New Acton.
Thought provoking art, great emcee Sheba Williams and a hilarious song from Yana Alana about a pussy with one life. 
Sheba Williams
Artists exhibiting in this exhibition include;
Sanne Kowlwmij, Franki Sparke, Josh Owen, Clare Jackson, Luke Chiswell, Mei Wilkinson, Eve Austin White, S.A.Adair, Amy Campbell, Sian Watson, Dionisia Salas, Cathy Laudenbach, Cole Bennetts and Jeanette Vonthethoff
Below is a sample of the artworks. 

 Hold Your Head Up by Luke Chiswell

 Reverb by S.A. Adair

Lampooned by Cole Bennetts and Jeanette Vonthethoff


Versailles exhibition NGA

What an opulent lifestyle these French kings had. 
The exhibition only shows a small scale of this. 
I Love water gardens and fans.






For some reason these fans reminded me of the silk fans that some of the Australian Impressionist artists painted even though the subject matter is quite different e.g. Charles Conder and Thea Proctor



Wednesday 15 March 2017

52-Week Illustration Challenge: Week 10

Week 10: Weekend

Last week I illustrated a retro housewife with a baked cake. This week the theme continues with a children's birthday party that are generally held on the weekend, this one includes the game Pin the Tail on the Donkey. 

I used to love birthday parties when my son was little. I would spend a month or more planning the party with a theme chosen by the both of us. We would have Pin the Tail on the ??? (donkey, puss-in-boots, Pilchard, sail on the pirate ship etc.) I'd make up games or craft based on the theme. We would decorate the house based on the theme and have theme appropriate food. I would cook the cake then supervise my husband who always wanted to decorate the cake. It was sooo much fun.


See the 52-week Illustration Challenge page for more information about this art work that I have created.

Monday 13 March 2017

52-Week Illustration Challenge: Week 9

Week 9: Baking

This week I was inspired by the idea of a retro housewife from the 1950s. 

The hardest aspect of this illustration was being happy with the body proportions then adding in the legs, feet and shoes. 


See the 52-week Illustration Challenge page for more information about this art work that I have created.

Wednesday 8 March 2017

Rainbows and Glitter

Wow! A room of neon rainbow glitter!
Initially the room seemed to be too busy and as I sat and soaked in the artwork I found if really calming.

Rainbows
Little Girls
My Little Pony
Lollies - Fruit Tingles
Unicorns

Pip & Pop, Perth : On days like this there are always rainbows by Tayna Schultz

Tuesday 7 March 2017

David Hockney and iPad art

David Hockney has created the most wonderful art using iPads but I also love looking at a canvas with brush stokes in the paint. It was fabulous to watch videos of how the art works were created with a sped up time-laps of the "brush" strokes.

Canvas Painting.


Printed iPad paintings

Exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria until 13 March 2017.

YouTube Link.

Romance Novels Come To Life

I love a good historical romance set in the 1800s so it's wonderful to see a walking dress and fabric samples. I had a good look at the hooks, ribbons and buttons, wow no wonder these ladies needed a maid to help them dress. The great thing about this room it also had a painting that shows a landscape that may appear in my highlander novels.
(NGV International)


Peter Graham - After the Massacre of Glencoe

Sunday 5 March 2017

3 Penguin Book Creators

A Very Entertaining and Inspiring Afternoon at Harry Hartog.
3 Children's Book creators that have a passion for story and it became infectious. What great advocates we have in Tony Flowers, George Ivanoff and R.A. Spratt for children's literature!

Rachel, George and Tony

    

Wednesday 1 March 2017

Fabulous Architecture.

After walking around the Acton precinct for six months and several times a day yesterday I finally noticed the pole made to look like a tree.