Alice in Wonderland-day3

I was a explorer once again. Up early, and out the door, with cute scarf. The 3 of us jumped into the car, put let's Party 1980 on the tape deck and off we went to the Dandenongs. Spirits were high, adventure awaits!

After reading my new book "How to be an Explorer of the World, Portable art life Museum, I was full of ideas and projects.

I'm going to Explore the Line today Bel, do you want to join me? So that was that, the 2 of us teamed up to do a fun photography project, "Explore the line" We relaxed into being chauffeured around, thanks John. And set about snapping off pictures, I really enjoy being a passenger in a car and taking photos.

Our first stop was Breakfast at Belgrave,in a gorgeous Victorian stone cottage, fire place roaring and the book shelf full of interesting books and things. I love to eat and try new foods. I ordered Moroccan Eggs. This is the only way I can describe it: a tomatoe and vegetable base with lots of spices,like cardamon, and cumin with a egg cracked into it then baked in the oven and served with plain yoghurt,a seed and spice mix on top and toasted Turkish bread.Delicious! My choice from the book shelf was a tarot card reading set and how to do manual.I set about shuffling the cards till my intuition kicked in, then lay out some cards and set about reading the outcome. The first 2 were upside down ooooooh! I have to work on my health, too true I've let the walking and light meals slip over winter opting for heavy stodgy home cooked feasts. Not to mention taking up the fags again. That will do it. Time to get my shit together, again! I'm hoping that our trip around Australia will get me out of my comfort zone and back on the healthy living treadmill. The next was very of the moment suggesting I need to outsource, use services to move my ideas, tasks and projects along. I have been thinking allot about this lately. I love to get things done and nothing depresses me more then having unfinished business. Time to hatch a plan and complete a few things before I go on my travels. I wrapped things up at that point. Another adventure awaits!

Willaim Ricketts Gallery was our next stop. Hidden in amongst the flora and fauna landscape are clay sculpture profiles and shrines to Aboriginal people. Much of Willaim's work is based on his philosophy "that all people need to act as custodians of the natural environment in the same way as Aborigines." This reminds me of the power of a comprehensible artist statement. I directed my gaze up, down, every which way and started exploring the line again, stimulated by the natural environment and tranquil surroundings. Next stop who knows?

We had no real plans, John just drove, he likes driving. We ended up in the Yarra Valley Region, and stopped off at Chandon Vineyard for a a little Vino tasting and look around. The landscape is just breath takingly beautiful, this is where we picked up exploring the line again. Their is something about Vineyards that just grabs me by the roots of my soul. The landscape, earth, growth, productivity, farming, it's all very seductive to me, however the realities of farming life can be very different, with drought, flooding rains and market fluctuation, very reliant on the weather. I come from a sheep and wheat farming background and through out the years have always been advised to stay away, Mum won't even allow Dad to have a few chooks as she miseries over walking in chicken poo most of her childhood. I think living on this acre with a small orchard has satisfied my soul, maybe just higher up in the mountains and I think that may do it for me. And I love having a fireplace in winter. although I'm recalling, weren't they going to band them a few years ago??? Something to do with the environment and gases??? I bought a bottle of Red Wine Vinegar-Green point Shiraz infused vinegar, which is just lush with olive oil and bread chunks.

It was way past lunch so we moved on to search for a nice picnic spot and bed down for lunch.
We ended up at Healsville bought some bread rolls, barbecued chicken and chips. While Belinda and John were sorting the lunch out I spyed a party shop across the road, I can't resist party shops with all their bright colours and fun things to play with. I was drawn to the balloons and couldn't choose between the flowers or the hearts, I ended up getting 3 red hearts filled with helium one for each and for our picnic centre piece. Amazing what walking with 3 red heart helium balloons attracts, lots of smiles, Bel and John loved them too. We picniced at Healsville Reservoir with it's Rhododendrons in full bloom, masses of cockatoo's and cheeky Kookaburra's trying relentlessly to steal our lunch. Distracted by a phone call from my family, I looked to our picnic and saw our red hearts gone. They decided to take off a little early. That was the plan, except I was planning ritual and ceremony. Oh well the thought was there, they obviously didn't want to be made a fuss of. Bel and I explored the massive Reservoir wall while John napped in the sun.

It was time to go, and stop in at Waltraud Reiner's house for a visit on the way home. I met Waltraud through appreciation for the hat through blogging and facebook and then in person at my recent group exhibition at Pine Rivers Gallery this July. As I was visiting Melbourne I thought it would be nice to catch up again. We ended up visiting while she was wrapping up the garden club she holds every Sunday at her house. What an absolute treat this was, children milling around cooking in the kitchen making cakes and chatting about what to make milo or hot chocolate. Belinda, John and I settled in very quickly in aure of the decor with clouds painted on the ceilings, felted birds hanging from the ceiling, and chandeliers in the garden; Alice was definitely in wonderland. OMG what a home, truly creative and absolutely soul enriching. We were invited to join in and share the gardeners bounty of home cooked cakes, roulade, fruit, hot chocolate and coffee. How do I find myself in these wonderful situations, someone must be listening. It was getting late and all the little Gardner's were making their way home, time also for the explorers to make tracks, but not without first thanking our gracious hosts and making plans to meet again. Which was to be Sunday at the St Kilda Eco Centre for a Echart Tolle presentation, Waltraud holds these every Sunday night. Oh! I thought as I'm very interested in spirituality and Metaphysics I have often wondered what all the fuss is about surrounding Eckart Tolle, "The Power Of Now" and "New Earth" many of my friends have read his books which I haven't got around to reading, I did start the "Power of Now, however I got lost, so I gave it a rest. Another adventure awaits tomorrow. Off home we go again. Today has only just begun! Jeez I'm feeling like a Springbok (Deer like animal) with energy and vigor.

We arrived home that evening, and Belinda got straight into downloading our explore the line photo's onto her mac. We talked about ideas on how to collaborate the photo's and then she showed me her wedding Album book she was making with the book program on the Mac. Too easy. Don't you just love computers. We stayed up late artistically arranging our photo's together. It's coming along beautifully, I'll post some pages soon. The explorers were shattered from another adventurous day. Time to hit the hay.
Camberwell Markets in the morning!

back soon with more trip................................................................................

Alice in Wonderland

Miss Japan- digital enhanced image from collage self portrait from series 'Sticks and Stones' - by Candice Herne

I have just returned from a mini mummy break in beautiful Melbourne, staying with my dear friends Belinda and John Young. This was the 4th time I had visited Melbourne. Childless and free from pooy nappies and the sounds of 'Mummy I'm hungry'.

I roamed the streets, lost like Alice down the rabbit hole feverish, looking for her way home. Exploring little lines, spaces and marks that had the faintist whift of adventure. Maybe more like a dog on heat.

On the first day I walked around St Kilda and Chapel St from 9am till 5pm, Belinda and I worked out that I had probably walked around 30km as she compared it to her walk across England. Why was my stomach still bulging? It must have been the huge spinich and ricotta pastry, I ate during my travels around St Kilda. OMG like no other pastry, I had ever tasted, from the coffee bar at the entrance of a little plaza on Ackland St, the name eludes me. I also picked up a cute little crotchet and lace scarf, that replaced the tangerine knitted scarf I walked into the store with. All set to continue my travels with cute scarf.

After walking all around St Kilda I headed towards the city and viaed right, towards Chapel St. I knew this was going to be great. After a few wrong turns, my first stops were vintage stores/op shops filled with eclectic goodies perfect for the imagination, what could I do with this or that. I am so glad the Japanese haute couture dress at Euro trash was sold, I have no idea how I would have paid it off. There is no way it would have fit me, however just looking at it, did excitable things to me. Fashion has been on my mind lately, leading me up to the wearable art show at the botanical gardens October 13th. I'll post more about this later. I've been thinking about, the colour yellow, pleating and collars for the last few weeks and the universe delivered once again, offering up some ideas to let me know it is listening. I past up on one perfect yellow pleated dress at Euro trash, however it instantly lead me to another little gem that I just couldn't walk past from Alphaville, a stunning black pleated wrap that could be worn so many different ways, I love the sculpture that it creates when you twist it all around the body, now I just need somewhere to wear it. Also checkout their flash presentaion on their website, theirs alot to be said about intuition and following up leads, I was delighted to find upside down portraits.

Exhausted at 5pm, ready to catch public transport back to Belinda's I phoned in to see how she was going. 'just about to pop into Dan Murphy's on Chapel St for some wine I'll be home soon.' 'where's that?' I said, opposite Coles, Bel replied. I happened to be standing opposite coles, within minutes the little red festiva zoomed around the corner, my feet thank you universe! The rest of night was filled with red wine, gossip, ideas and plans to save the world.

be back soon to continue my trip.....................................................