Christmas Day in the Country

After eating we went for a walk

Hints of a Front Coming Through

I collected my brother from the airport and on our wandering way home we went to St Kilda pier. Above were these bands of clouds marking an incoming front.

Something I wrote a while ago

These things were written awhile ago and when I look back they still seem ok.

Sadness

wafts around me

it's trying to descend

to land on me

crush me to dust

God I know you're here pervading everything, holding everything

and yet

I live in faith - holding on

a sort of contingent surety

I live in Paradox

I know and yet don't

faithfulness withers around

people fall away

despair tempts

and yet I know

you are

just are

eternal love & compassion

the unwavering

presence

of creation

bearing all

making all

Nativity Installed

And so the Nativity panel was installed.

Leaf Silhouetes

Atalanta's car parked under a tree with accidental silhouettes.

A Children's Nativity painting begins

This evening was the years end of Jaffas, the afterschool primary age club. We finished with a sausage sizzle and the beginnings of painting a nativity to put in front of the Church. My inspiration for the design was Giotto originally, but as you can see there's not much Giotto in this, in fact none. I love the way  that things become what they will be.

Sunday with painting

Both of these paintings have been hanging around for quite a while because I could see no obvious way forward. On Sunday I got them out and played. I think they're better. Probably finished. They feel at the moment like they've reached stasis.

From an unresolved painting

 The elements are fine, but how to get them to relate together.

Just lovely.

At Mt. Dandenong

Last Monday we went to Ringwood to visit Athena's mum in her new place. After that we drove up to Mt. Dandenong, to which neither of us had been for many years. Late Spring and the weather was delightful. The winding roads and trees gave an arcadian sense of the world. The view towards Port Philip Bay. After this, relying on the sat/nav we wound through the ranges to the freeway and then home.

Selene's untended garden

An addendum to waiting to go shopping

Sketches finished

 Aeagus

 Aenon

Aenor 

 Aerilyn

Aerin

In Morwell

I'm in Morwell waiting to go shopping.

Some sketches on the way

 Aeagus

 Aenon

 Aenor

Aerilyn

I'm trying out ideas in sketches.

Aeagus and Aerin

Two paintings, sketches, that express a corner of my work that I enjoy making, but don't seem to employ enough 'suffering' to be serious and yet they 'say' something valuable.

In the garden at the moment

I can't say that I know a lot about gardens, but it does surprise me how the beauty of flowers, of the natural world, can break through my into consciousness and make an impression.

Looking out to sea

Muted colours on a warm day with still air.

Aemy and Aeneas

The, almost, end result for Aemy and Aeneas. I'm happy with how they look, but still have to deal with cracking, which will require more fiddling with mediums.

Our Indian Sojourn

Here are a selection of photos from our Indian sojourn.

 Jama Masjid

Raj Ghat &  Gandhi's tomb

Humayun's Tomb

Home decoration

Landour Bazaar, Mussorie

Sinkunda Deva

 Yes we saw the Dalai Lama

Looking from Mussorie down to the plains

 The ubiquitous Taj Mahal

The mosque that is part of the complex

Fatehpur Sikri

Palace of the Winds in Jaipur

The Amber Fort, Jaipur

Instrument at the Observatory, Jaipur

Pushkar

Jodhpur at night

Guards at Jaswant Thada

Part of Jaswant Thada

Meherangarh Fort

 Blue houses of Jodhpur

Inside the Meherangarh Museum

A Duhrie maker

Celebrating Ganesh 

Rankapur Temple 

Udiapur 

 Rajahstani dance

Into the Udiapur Palace Museum 

On Udiapur lake

Mumbai evening at the seashore

From the hotel rooftop

Inside St. Francis Church, Fort Cochi

Fish for sale at Fort Cochi

Keralan Dancers

 A houseboat on the Kerelan backwaters

 A decorated truck

 Cherai beach

Cherai lagoon, chinese style fishing

Cherai lagoon