Big long sigh...

I finally get to share what I do!
ABC Open has launched the first project and the first set of audio-slideshows from regional Australia.
The project is called 'One on One: Change'. 

Each producer works with enthusiastic locals to enable THEM to make stories.

This piece comes from my region, the Sunshine Coast. It was made with a travelling 'grey nomad', Jenny Richards and it tells the heart-expanding story of Bill, who is travelling with dementia. You can read all about the process on the ABC local Sunshine Coast website. I took the photographs and the rest was a co-production. I'm still moved by the response from Bill and his wife. It seems that the making of stories is not just a gift for others, but a gift to the person whose story it is. Especially if it captures what they want to tell the world.

Do let me know what you think and stay tuned for regular updates as more slideshows come forth from my community! (nb It seems to take a long time to load, so press play, brew yourself a cuppa and then, enjoy!)

[current mood] Big Fry Ups with Old Folks & Drumming Circles

I sat by the window and drew little community garden scenes. Those little snippets of life within a garden that we all love. Piles of collected fruit, colourful windmills, spiralling beans and cheeky frogs.
I'm paid for this?

I scatter them over the paving stones to photograph them so I could bring them into my computer. It's there that I will turn them into an illustration based website for the Community Gardens Network, Western Australia.
I'm paid for this?

I brought the community garden scene to life by bringing the elements into the landscape of a page. I filled them with blocks of colour and let them hang off the edges of the site... because they can!
and I'm paid for this?

I placed my photographs underneath some images, to add a layer of the real juicy garden life. A life I'm experiencing NOW in Queensland. I'm picking and eating my food, I'm planting fruit for my future, I'm grounded when my hands are dirty.

So I'm happy, my client is happy and best of all, I'm paid for this!

Visit www.communitygardenswa.org.au

[current mood] Freshly Juiced Apples & The Shout Out Louds' "Hard Rain"

You're there.

And, simultaneously you took some photos of your beach scribbles reflecting on

Us.

[current mood] Avocado & The Eagle and The Worm

To explain the length and windingness:
I intended to leave Perth about 3 years ago so I put my stuff in storage as I prepared to go. Then a couple of relationships got in the way, delaying my travels for 2 years. In that time most of my things stayed packed and others came in and out of storage. When I finally left in the van I packed it all away again.

But the day has finally come where all boxes of things ever stored anywhere have been sent to me in one fell swoop (disguised as a truck).

I'm only part way through unpacking and already I have counted 3 Scrabble sets, 5 sieves, 40 spoons and more teacups than you can throw a teaparty at.

I sort of feel sick at the wasted money, and quite disturbed by how I forgot that I ever owned those other 30 spoons. Some op shop is going to enjoy my drop off!

But the process has felt like Christmas. It's been a continual unwrapping of presents. I love opening things like old bottles full of Cottesloe beach memories...

It felt like such a party that I made some chocolate cupcakes to go with the occassion and danced around in the pink corduroys I found (circa 2003).

And when I was putting my party decoration gear into the cupboard I decided that waiting for a future party was stupid and I should enjoy my party stuff every day. So I ran up and down the backyard stringing up colourful flags.

My house is a dream worth travelling to. I'm opening it up to guests shortly and hope they come in droves to drink multiple cups of tea simultaneously as we play scrabble championships and make music with spoons. 

Fruit and veges aplenty to snack on.

Almost ready...

[current mood] Sprouts & Listening to the unpacked Ipod

I was recently reminded of these portraits I took a couple of years ago on residency in the wheatbelt town of Mingenew in Western Australia.

They never got the chance to see the light of day (or LCD) but yay for my blog being a place to give them a showing.

The idea was centered around the fact that people in country towns take on so many roles in contributing to their community. One person might be a school principal, coaching the local footy team, on ambo call and father to three.

[current mood] No coffee & Mad Men

Here are some of those video pieces.

Washington sitting on the grass

Cloud Control on a buggy

Scissor Sister's wardrobe

And a couple of artist's with a black balloon totem pole 'endurance piece'.

JJJ did craft with bands. This is Miike Snow's pipe cleaner art.

It's always a thrill to stroll around with a backstage pass and get access to the sweet spots at a festival, however I really appreciated that the best fun is to be had in the sea of punters with a friend by your side, interpretative dancing and singing badly. Backstage was a mix of media madness, blonde PR chickies, folks getting tattoos and celebs stroking each others egos. I enjoyed it most when I was in my element taking photographs and operating the camera.

[current mood] Dancing in a Teepee & Roasted Parsnip

I head to the park and cover my old tracks past the mulberry tree, the tidal pool and to the concrete box we used to sunbake on. It's there I tend to get overwhelmed with a loss that I'm yet to understand. I head back up to the corner store and look at the step I sat on to sell posies to earn money for lollies, the park we make-believed in, the trees that smell like times long ago.

Part of this self-guided journey of going back in time is catching up with old primary school friends.

This trip I met some I hadn't seen over 15 years. And I told them my most prominent memories of them. I like that my memory is different to theirs, something they've forgot, something I can share with them like a little gift.

Here are my drawings of some memories I have of my primary school friends.

Kim:
In year four we planted a bean in cotton wool, when I went to your house you had a huge vine growing and mine was long dead. I thought this was reflective of your high achieving nature.

Sacha:
I'm sorry that I made you cry when I forced you to put a stocking over your afro so that we could perform a more 'creative' performance of 'Lean on Me' for our parents.

Heather:
Your toy 'Wazza' caused me to doubt your sanity, especially when you brought him to camp and spent the majority of our bush walks talking to him (and rubbing lanolin on yourself constantly).

Monique:
Remember those mischievous prank calls where we pretended to be calling from 'Neighbours' and we were running a musical instrument guessing competition in which people could win a television? I felt terribly guilty when one lady screamed with joy that she had won.

Jess G:
You were the prettiest girl in class and because of this you could get away with your spit trick where you'd eat a redskin and be able to produce red spit in a long piece and then suck it back up instead of it hitting the ground.

Jess F:
You were sex obsessed. When you sent Monique that postcard which had your invented word 'sexcellent'. Her mum called your mum and you got busted. You went too far.

Jess F:
I had to give you two memories. I distinctly remember you coming back from the bathroom to proudly annouce that you had counted three pubic hairs.

Celina:
You taught me how to make origami stars and we'd fill up jars whilst your brother played computer games and you ate weird asian lollies.

Madeline:
I don't know where you are now, but I stayed at your house and the door slammed causing a porceline doll to fall and break. Your mum came in to hit you with the spoon causing me to run away in fear and I peed on the newly shampooed carpet. I'm still pleased about this because your mum was a bitch.

Trent:
In kindergarten I thought you were cute, but why did you have to peek under my dress on the day my mum insisted on me wearing some bright red silk undies she told me were 'french knickers'?

[current mood] Splendour In The Grass & Multiple Blocks of Lindt

I've been given the job of media producer with the ABC's new initiative 'ABC OPEN'.
I'm the Sunshine Coast version. There are others like me scattered across the country in regional areas.

My interpretation is simple: I'm here to help you share your stories. And when I say that... I'm not going to hold a microphone to you and ask you questions. I'm going to give you the microphone and show you how to use it.

It's early days but so far I've been having a treat of a time in this so-called job. I'm living life, talking to people, opening up my heart, your heart. I'm discovering my community and soon they'll discover more of theirs.

Yesterday my palm was read by a sparkly blue eyed man with dimensia. We're sitting in a caravan and four of us are crying as we talk about it all. Moments later we're laughing about lost slippers and nicknames like 'the bandit'.

A few days ago I did a random survey with people at a cafe. What's your favourite colour? And what does it remind you of? I like where that conversation goes.... Answers with photos coming soon.

I've spent time in old bookshops, at community meetings, at universities, with students and teachers, in amazing arts spaces and at numerous cafes and shops. Everyone has a story, there is potential all around me, I'm almost overwhelmed with all that could be told...

I look forward to sharing the results of the media making in a couple of months once the initiative takes public flight!

[current mood] Edible Weeds & Cracking Fire

An opportunity to describe our sweet and saucy nights out at Perth's best restaurants was a challenge for me, not being a writer. But having done it, I noted the wonderful feeling at achieving something outside of my usual vocations.

Here's the first page:

You really ought to subscribe to Perth's juicy and informative Spice Magazine.

You can read my article here thanks to their generosity of spirit!

exiles on mains’ treat

Dessert Club skips mains and gets down to the business of desserts.

HAVE YOU EVER DREAMT whilst dining out that you could gladly skip straight to dessert and not be judged?
Or ever wanted to just get that fish of the day out of the way so you could explore the delicate textures of a saffron and vanilla crème brûlée with orange and tequila sorbet and citrus tuile?

If no ... what is wrong with you!?

If yes, then I think you will find that you’re not alone ...

It began late one night in the flocked surrounds of a candlelit restaurant. An unusual pair sat down to satisfy their sweet teeth, expecting a simple slice of tried-it-all-before cake. What came instead was sugar-coated enlightenment as they were delivered a visually splendiferous chocolate brownie, orange blossom poached pear with side of liquorice ice cream accompanied with specific instructions for consumption and a chef-recommended sticky.

An imperative of the senses inspired the heady decision to begin a club, an exclusive dessert club. A club exclusive enough to get itself into the doors of Perth’s finest restaurants.

The experience of Perth’s gourmet desserts is something to be taken quite seriously, not as some main meal afterthought, but as a experience in and of itself. A torrone and pistachio semifreddo with orange caramel, to be most fully appreciated, should not have to squeeze in next to pork belly with seared scallops. And yet, so often we sit in these glorious establishments with a gut full of entrée, main and wine, unable to attend to the dessert menu appreciably.

Dessert Club offers all the decadence of fine dining but on a smaller budget. So friends with varying economic circumstances found this regular $15 - $25 experience quite palatable. Of course many of them splurge the monetary equivalent of main meals on aperitifs, dessert wines, affogattos and all those other things you rarely order. Sugar lovers tend to follow their urges more so than those of a savoury disposition.
Dessert Club has become a somewhat secret society where one can indulge with likeminded pleasure seekers. No dessert is overlooked when ordering and with a clamber of forks and spoons, each meets the taste buds of the members.

Through the shared experience, complete with starry eyed ratings, the group is learning the language of desserts, from the unpredictably joyful olive oil ice cream through to the experience that is strawberries with rose petal sorbet and a Moscato induced spider. Nothing turns the serious conversation of well dressed guests into a gaggle of squeals like mango and coconut tart with a side of basil sherbert.

The Dessert Club circuit has included the finest of Perth’s restaurants, Balthazar, Harvest, C, Il Lido, Must … with new restaurants opening all the time, the list of hosts never tires.
The Club meets monthly, with empty stomachs, at 8pm on a chosen weeknight. The challenge is to secure the longest table in the restaurant, as the group often swells to sixteen or more. A restaurant has to be inspired to cater to such a large group who won’t be spending up big. We have had a couple of knock backs, or the request to make it later, but mostly restaurants are amused enough to offer us up their best seats and have a group indulge in the lower regions of their menu. Each experience has been entirely unique and a celebration of divine flavours.

That is, with the exception of Balthazar, where there was some suspicion as to whether the chef was toying with our senses. The dessert menu included pumpkin soup, which sadly tasted exactly like pumpkin soup. And other dishes that resembled bread with peanut butter and beetroot crisps with goo. Was it an avant garde deconstruction gone too far? Never the less, the experience resulted in one of the most entertaining Club meetups as we debated the tastes and pondered the motives.

The Dessert Club has actually held itself thrice at Harvest Restaurant in North Fremantle. Their desserts would be the finest of all and the menu keeps changing, bringing us back to do it all again. We have made requests to have the original menu back, probably for the one particularly architectural dessert that came with a side of mint tea that we just can’t get over. But perhaps, like love, familiarity of dessert would breed contempt.

The Club is as much a social occasion as a gastronomical one. The diversity of the members was designed by the co-founders to generate sparks of conversation. People were pulled from different social circles to create an engaging dynamic. Table discussions tend to take odd tangents, when fueled by glucose. We have addressed whether Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory was better in book, Gene Wilder or Johnny Depp format; or should oil rigs be made to dissolve over time for the environment’s sake (put sugar in with the steel)? All the while the spoons slide into clouds of cream, crack through toffeed edges and scrape off the remaining coulis smears.

Dessert Club has inspired a deep respect for the gourmet third course. Orange blossom poached pear and a rhubarb mascarpone dacquoise with liquorice ice cream makes it clear that to limit one’s self to sticky date pudding is, simply, a wasted opportunity.

[current mood] Apple Tarte Tartin made by Neets & Conference Calls from the Balcony Overlooking Mountains

And those hot red shoes...

Now I'm scouring the Queensland Sunshine Coast for wedding photography locations, planners and celebrants so that I can do the same over here.

[current mood] $2 bags of Local Avocados & Sqwarking Black Cockatoos