River Herstory

I have made a video which features the work that I  had in the Moreton Bay Region Art awards - 'River Herstory'. Enjoy.

Fairies again

In addition to the lodgings in our back yard, the fairies have expanded their settlement beyond the back fence. There is a walking path that runs behind our house next to the reserve and they seem to have set up an outpost out there. They have turned an old burnt out stump in to some kind of castle - maybe I was wrong about the Queens's house, because surely she lives in the castle, not in the grand house in the yard. There is also some other building that seems to be under construction...maybe a gatehouse?

Anyway, now that they are getting good at their constructions, they have let me know that they are happy to start building for other fairies, for a fee, of course. If you'd like some kind of fairy house for your garden, let me know. And keep an eye out for some in the online shop.

More in the flock

Have been working on the gourd birds and have added a few more to the collection  - some available for sale in store, and some that are commissioned. The flamingos were commissions and the other two are available online in my store at https://www.annrussellart.com/gourd-sculptures

Reality TV

I don't watch much of it, but I have to admit that a guilty pleasure this year has been House Rules, partly because I have always been interested in interior design, and partly because I love Lord Laurence Llewellyn Bowen and have done since I first saw him on his British TV show years ago.

For me, though, the cost of Reality Television is more than just potentially tasteless TV, the likes of 'Married at First Sight' or the dreadful 'Love Island.' Reality TV is helping to shape society. The thing I hate about it (and probably what most people do) is the whole thing with producers pushing people to do dumb things just for 'good' television and the way that cameras hone in on the smallest whiff of trouble. Of course, House Rules has its fair share of this, but by now, decades down the track, I refuse to believe that potential contestants are unaware of this.

Those who are 'cast' as the nasty ones - the trouble makers  - are often heard to complain that its the way that the filming is done, or the editing. According to them, they are just down to earth people like the rest of us. Yeah, I don't think so. For starters, most of us would never voluntarily submit to that kind of exposure regardless of how big the possible reward is. Even more to the point, even if we did apply, most of us wouldn't be selected because we are not young enough, pretty enough, 'out there' enough or whatever. The thing that blows me away, though, is the way people behave despite knowing all of the above - that if you happen to have a dummy spit, lie, cheat or stab someone (metaphorically or otherwise) in the back, the cameras will be right there. Yet they still do really nasty, selfish, underhanded or stupid things. Worse, and this is the kicker, some of these people are parents. One thing these people must know is that the footage of them at their worst is never going away, and even if they are really young right now, at some point, their children will see it.

And so, even if they win the big bucks or whatever is on offer, the ultimate legacy is that they will reap what they sew. If they are selfish, win at all costs, take no prisoner types, so will their children be. And that will ultimately affect us all.

Fairy Village Expands

Another fairy house has been added ro the mix, not far from the entrance to the first one. The thing I like about fairy architecture is that the make use of all sorts of things at hand like pebbles, sticks and moss. What I’m not so impressed with is that despite the fairy population increasing, there hasn’t been an increase in things done ‘by the fairies’ like magical cleaning or gardening.

Oh my gourd

Over the last few years, I have made a number of gourd birds for people's gardens. I start with the gourd (obviously) and add resin and polymer clay pieces for eyes, tails and beaks. At the end, I coat the whole thing in resin so they are pretty weather-proof and should last for quite a while. These are the latest ones I have made. If you would like a gourd, I will be selling them via my website starting at $50 for a single. I don't have any 'in stock' as yet, so if you'd like one or a pair, let me know.

Turf War.

Apparently, the fairy settlement is not going down well with the wildlife. I found the Queen's house removed from the tree it was located on. My guess is that a possum decided it was in the way of its nightly tree run and kicked it out of the way. I can't say I blame the possum really, it is just like the attempt currently being made by developers to replace local forest with high density housing in the Warner area. Anyway, I have relocated the fairy house to another location that will hopefully not interfere with the wildlife pathways and still work for the fairies. The fairies are keen to look after the wildlife, so I think that they will be fine with the relocation.

Fairies II

Looks like the fairy house construction is continuing. This new place is in the fork of a tree just near the washing line and faces the bird bath. Judging from the portico at the front, my guess is that it belongs to the Fairy Queen - she can stand on the balcony and address the rest of the fairies. There are probably more houses out in the forest that surrounds the property, but I haven't gone looking.

Fairies

So, it looks like the fairies are moving in to the backyard. I think they have always been there and to be honest, I have been expecting to see their little homes pop up ever since we arrived here. They exist in the 'other' space and commune with the the little creatures when we are not looking. Judging by the clock and decoration, I think this first construction is some kind of public building. Clearly they are establishing the foundations of their settlement before they start moving in properly. I expect to see their creations popping up in other places, so stay tuned; I will keep you informed. Meanwhile, there are some other fairies that I managed to capture today when I was out and about.

Friday Chill and Colour

Last night was the inaugural 'Chill and Colour' workshop held as part of the reboot of ann.russell.art classes. Essentially the premise is that people get together, book the studio and do some arty things along with some drinks and nibblies as a Friday night wind down. The ladies seemed to enjoy themselves and produced some great work in a limited amount of time. If you are interested in organising a group yourself, contact me at ann@annrussellart.com.

Taking a moment

Last week I was taking the back roads to get to an appointment and was stopped in my tracks by this beauty. I had to stop to avoid running her over, and decided to stay until she had completely crossed the road safely, just in case someone came from the other direction. The weather is cooling and she was moving pretty slowly, so the road crossing took about 5 minutes. So nice to take 5 and be in the moment with this beautiful creature.

Real Men Don't Hate Cats

Recently, I heard a male television presenter - one I had hitherto respected - declare that he doesn't like cats. I experienced immediate disappointment and expressed to my family that on this basis, I didn't like him as much as I had.

My daughter immediately dismissed this as nonsense and a stupid way to determine a person's likability. Perhaps. But I maintain that the stating that 'I don't like cats' is indicative of some deeper issues - ones that smack of misogyny and a considerable distance to travel before becoming a socially and spiritually evolved individual.

Why? Well for starters, 'I don't like cats' (or worse, 'I hate cats') is a very different statement to 'I prefer dogs (or fish, or birds, or guinea pigs...or whatever)'. A lot of people I know prefer dogs, including lots of women. Totally fine by me. This statement indicates a general affinity for animals, but a preference for the characteristics of dogs (or whatever). 'I don't like cats' writes off the entire species, and makes no allowance for individual differences. Further, it indicates a dislike for the characteristics common to cats and for anything they might stand for.

And consciously or otherwise, they stand for the feminine. We've all heard the saying 'Cats were once worshiped as Gods and cats have never forgotten this'. In point of fact, Cats were primarily worshiped by the ancients (like the  ancient Egyptians) as Goddesses, female Gods. Goddesses such as Bastet, an Egyptian Goddess were associated with the moon, considered feminine due to the similarity of its cycles with the cycles of menses. The link with cats was due to the moon-like qualities of cat's reflective eyes.

Cats are enigmatic - as Sir Walter Scott says, 'a mysterious kind of folk'. They can't be nailed down, they are visceral and other worldly. They are often moody and are fiercely independent. These are characteristics often associated with women. We call difficult, contentious women 'catty' or 'bitches' (the derogative term synonymous with that which refers to female dogs). There is something overwhelmingly feminine about cats, and as such, they don't appeal to some men.

Men who 'don't like cats' often talk about how the only good cat is a dead cat, and apparently fantasise about ways to eliminate them in the cruelest and most undignified ways. I don't have the best experience with horses - suffice to say horse-riding lessons were a disaster. But I still respect horses as beautiful, even magnificent wild creatures. I would never do anything to hurt them. Non-cat people, though, are often highly amused by inventing ways of torturing and maiming cats. I have no well-researched evidence, but I am willing to bet that the majority of cat-hating men, tend towards the chauvinistic. How many male perpetrators of domestic violence have 'I hate cats' on their CV? By contrast, many learned and creative men are self confessed 'cat people' : Christopher Walken, Leonardo Da Vinci, Jules Verne, T. S. Elliot, Sigmund Freud and even Chris Hemsworth among them.

Yes, real men, the ones worth knowing at least, don't hate cats.