What Do You Collect?

Last week, I was at the Logan Art Gallery doing my volunteering shift on my own.  My partner in crime at the desk had come down with a stomach bug; how unfortunate.  I hope she's feeling better.  

Well, on my rounds around the place I noticed a pamphlet on the counter about collections.  The GoMA in correlation with the Logan Art Gallery are doing a few workshops where people with strange and wonderful collections can show them off at Kangaroo Point; and I thought to take part, seeing I collect a few different things.

The collection I'm going to show off - as I have about 4 completely different collections that are growing and I'm perfecting right now, and I'm only allowed to pick one - is my collection of rare and out-of-print books.  I began my collections of these by pure accident at the age of 23.  When I found my first out-of-print/rare book, it didn't cross my mind that a young person was allowed to have something as fine or as collectable as this in their possession.  It just wasn't something that I didn't think about at that time in my life.

Now, I'm almost 40 and I have been hunting down these particular types of books for 15 years now; and I'm not about to stop.  This collection of books I'm going to display is going to be something I've never let out of my house, let alone shown any of my friends.  So, this will be an absolute first for me to do with my collection:  letting the public see something of mine that has been hidden from everyone in my life except me.

So, do you collect something specific?  What is it?  Do you show off your collection or hide it to preserve it - like I do?  Until my next post, keep creating.

On the Train

I was on the way to my brother's place yesterday when we were on the train from Roma Street Station and I spotted some outsider artworks.  These really impressed me to no end on how graphic and detailed the work can get.

Fresh Paint!

Last Wednesday, I was on the bus going shopping when I spotted some new outsider art on a fence.  I was so excited that I wanted to photograph it, but the bus was traveling too fast to catch it!  Darn!

So, today, I was out taking a walk to the chemist to buy some antihistamines when I came upon and took some photos of it and some other graffiti that was behind the shops where a gate was open!  How wicked is this find of great, fresh art?  I even found a tribute a young man who died in a car crash 6 months ago that I spotted around the same area; and thought it needed to be shown.  Enjoy!

 

 

The tribute to the lost young man.

This work can be found along Kingston Road near where Pet County used to be, on the same side of the street.  It's great work.  Until my next post, keep creating!

Knitted Beanies for New-Borns

One of my friends on Bookcrossing has asked anyone who knits in the UK to knit up some beanies for the newborns in the hospital they work in as they have a beanie shortage for the little guys.

When I saw the plea for these, I knew I had some yarn that was the right colour just sitting around doing nothing and I could help them.  So, I e-mailed my  good friend and asked if they minded me doing some up and posting them off to them.  The replied saying they hadn't thought of asking people from across the miles; and gave me their address to post the ones I get done to.  

And so, last night, after I completed a short scarf, I started on fixing up a beanie pattern with smaller needles.  I'm looking at getting about three done and posting them off; maybe more if I can do more in a month.  Wish me luck!  As well as those cute little babies who will be receiving the knitted headgear.

Two Scarves Finished!

I have finished my second scarf for this year!  The first one was a long, thick, luxurious one that flowed as its fluffy surface kept my legs warm.  All it needs is some short tassels on each end and it's complete!  And when Mum saw it, she ran her hands over it saying it was gorgeous!

Then, immediately after I finished that one, I started on a green and red one that was thin, but it's a lot thinner and shorter.  However, unlike the last one, where I knitted it in a Moss Stitch, I knitted this one in an Irish Moss Stitch.  This latter one looks like it's traveling and makes a scarf look longer and feel more textured if it's a soft wool.

Now, I'm going to look through the bag of yarn I have to see which one is going to be the next ball that will become the next scarf... you never know which one it will be!  Until my next post, keep creating!

Discovery of Old Work

Today, I was busy around the house and then went for my morning walk around Kingston Road and down Randall Street.  While I walked past large businesses, I found a tree I where I had installed some knitted work of mine years ago; and I though the Logan City Council had removed it while they pruned the tree.  However, they haven't.  It's been there all this time; and it's still attached to the tree; along with the piece of leather I used to tag my work.  When I tried to remove the leather, I found I was attacked by a nest of ants who had made the knot in the leather their home. How's that for nature taking over where we had interfered?

Old Tree Art 

Back Into My Knitting!

Woot!  I'm back into my knitting... okay, I never really stopped.  Queensland didn't really have that much of a Summer, so I was knitting throughout Christmas and the NYE and enjoying every minute of it.

However, I've been enjoying my knitting more seeing I've sorted through the 'Green Bag' by my feet and found that I have two unfinished scarves I started last year!  So, I thought it would be a good idea to finish one of them; well, the easier one of the two at least!  I picked up the purple fluffy one and started on it last week and have knitted half the large ball of yarn. 

But keeping track of how far I'm getting hard as I'm using bigger needles.  So, I grabbed a yellow bulldog clip I had in my supplies in the kitchen counter drawer and clipped it to the right side of the scarf and started off again.  Within two hours, I had around 6 inches of it done up!  How cool is that?  So, that mean, every afternoon of knitting for two hours each, I'll probably get that much done; even more if I knit past dinner time. Yep, I'll have this scarf completed before I know it and up for sale on PayPal before I know it.  Now, I've run out of photo space here on Blogger, so to keep my photos up on here, I'll install a link for you all to click on instead.  This will take you to my photobucket account where you can see my art; and to the photo I'm referring to, like this one here. Until my next post, keep creating!

The Art World Loses Thomas Kinkade

On Good Friday, Thomas Kinkade passed away unexpectedly at his home aged 54.  Most popular for the kitch and very sentimental-style oil paintings of houses and landscapes which appeared as though dream-like, Kinkade made millions from their sales. It's believed that his art hangs in 10 million American homes.  Their sales, plus their licensing on everything from greetings cards to plates, made him immensely wealthy.  

"He lived life to the fullest," said Ken Raasch, his former business partner who co-founded Kinkade's company more than 20 years ago. " He was a very eclectic character, an amazing artist who was not a stereotypical man in any sense. He created his own mold, I'd say, and I think we were all blessed because of that." 

He was known to be a very generous and sentimental man who once gave an Anaheim widow $25,000 of his art to replace what she had lost in a fire.  He frequently paid tribute to her by hiding her name, and those of his four daughters, within his paintings.

Kinkade's fame and fortune, however, were complicated by personal and business struggles, as he struggled with alcohol abuse.  This led to a drink driving charge which he later pleaded no contest.

He is survived by his wife, Nanette Kinkade, and his four daughters, Merritt, Chandler, Winsor and Everett, and a brother, Pat, who worked for Kinkade's company.

Clean-Up Time!

Today, it was time to start cleaning up the house - as it's a long weekend with two public holidays and plenty of time to myself.  So,I got in and cleaned out my art area.  It looks a lot better don't you think? 

So, what are you doing this long weekend?  Cleaning up your art area, painting, photography?  Love to know. Until my next post, keep creating!

Scrap Scarf Update

Since I've begun this project, I've had fun with it.  The colours have been great to work with, some of the yarns have run out and I'm working in a Moss Stitch; which uses up a lot of of the yarn too.  However, I have found that there's a lot of leftover balls of yarn that I haven't used - and there's a lot of new yarn in a bag yet to be used.

So this is what I'm going to do:

I'll knit the scarves I want to knit over the next year or so; completing them as gifts and selling others for profit.  Then, in between them, while I'm figuring out which scarf to work on next, I'll be knitting the scrap scarf to keep my skills up with knitting. 

This will keep me fast and the scrap from the scarves I've done will be used up in this one over time; and the scrap scarf will become longer and more beautiful over that time.  In the end this scarf will eventually take years to complete.  Something I thought would only take months has turned into a project which will occupy my time.

Have you done this kind of thing and begun something that seemed harmless to begin with; and it turned into bigger project than you first thought?  How did it turn out?  How big did it become?  And how small were you hoping it to be to start with?  Until my next post, keep creating.