Eleven years and one day ago...

(16th September, 2008.)

This photo was taken eleven years & one day ago,

on the 16th of September, 2008.*

An auspicious date that I'll always remember.

It was the day I packed two suitcases of my nicest clothes & a large box

(mostly filled with hats, props & my CD collection)...

And I moved from New Zealand to Australia.

For the first three years I was based in Newtown (in Sydney)

and from mid-Winter 2011 (until late 2015) I lived in Melbourne.

I made SO many wonderful friends & clients in the (nearly) eight years I lived in Oz.

And now I am living back in NZ, I miss you all (over there) very, very much!!

At the time I thought that uplifting my roots & moving to a whole new country

was the most challenging & confronting thing that I'd ever done. Now, in hindsight,

I think that returning home to Aotearoa (after nearly ten years away)

has been equally as heartbreaking, hard & challenging.

But here's what I now know: Home, it's not really about geography or a physical place.

It's people. And that is why Sydney & Melbourne are still very much my

two home(s) away from home.
Thanks for ALL the delicious, precious memories, friendships,

relationships, professional gigs & Aroha, Australia! 

“One never reaches home," she said.

"But where paths that have an affinity for each other intersect,

the whole world looks like home, for a time.”
Hermann Hesse

* My Mum looks so heartbroken in this photo. She was losing a second son to Australia.

(This blog entry originally appeared as a Facebook post on 17/9/2019.)

Art imitating life or life imitating art...?

(A scene from television series 'Bosch'. Used without permission. Please don't sue me!)

Have you ever wondered how directly art (in all its wondrous forms) affects & influences us, our daily lives & our tastes?

I've just finished binge-watching four (!!!!) seasons of the American TV show 'Bosch'...

Harry, the main character in it, listens to a lot of jazz. And it is used extensively throughout the show's soundtrack, too.

I listened to a little Miles Davis in my art school years (from the late 80's - early 90's). But it's one style of music that doesn't feature largely in my (very large & eclectic) music collection. I think I have sold most of my Davis CDs over the years.

But now (well), this has happened. In the last week I have found myself listening to more & more jazz. And really, really enjoying it!

So, there you go! An example of art (television, music) influencing my life and my choices...

Thanks Dunedin Library!! And, I guess, Harry Bosch (and your creators) too!!!

“Life doesn't imitate art, it imitates bad television.” (Woody Allen)

(This blog entry originally appeared as a Facebook post on 30/8/2019.)

Remembering Mr. Sacks...

(My social media cartoon tribute to Oliver Sacks, in 2015.)

Oliver Sacks (and his writing) has been a HUGE influence on my life, both as a person and a visual artist, for nearly thirty years. I first discovered him & his unique vision and voice when I was at art school in the late 80s/early 90s. "How could a man mistake his wife for a hat?" I thought. I was immediately, completely intrigued (and hooked), right from the first paragraph!

In January 2008, I saw on Oliver's website that he had gone blind in one eye. Being a huge fan of his published works, I sat in an internet cafe & wrote him a quick, short email (through his website). In it, I told him of my very own experiences with 'mono-vision' and how it affected my life & art career. But I never expected or imagined any more would come of my action.

So, try to imagine my delight, joy and complete surprise, when three months later I was sifting through bills from my letterbox... And I found this:

A hand-typed (!!) letter (complete with hand-scribbled notes throughout) from the man himself!!! To this day, I am still incredibly blown-away that Oliver took the time to write. TO ME!! And a real letter, sent in the mail, no less!!!

Mr Sacks sadly left this earth four years ago this week. But I'd like to have a chance (albeit, a little late) to say: "Thank you, so, so much, Oliver!!" For the ongoing inspiration... And your wonderful, rare intelligence, humility, compassion, intuition & generosity that you showed (and shared), in both your spirit & creativity. There are so, so many millions of people that you've touched & affected through your life's work (all over the globe)... In your lifetime, and beyond!! Thank you, for taking the time to write to me. And together, for us to briefly connect over our shared experience of sight-loss & its consequence.

"Language, that most human invention,

can enable what, in principle, should not be possible.

It can allow all of us, even the congenitally blind,

to see with another person’s eyes."

(Oliver Sacks)

(This blog entry originally appeared as a Facebook post on 31/8/2019.)

the joys of discovering op-shop treasures...

YAY! I just discovered this little treasure in the (Dunedin, New Zealand) Hospice Op shop...

In the 90s/early 2000s Rixon Groove was a tiny menswear label/shop (stocking one-off, innovative and independent, lovingly hand-made works of wearable art), hidden away in Willis St, Wellington (New Zealand).

I still vividly remember buying a wonderful purple suit from Rixon (it had gorgeous green-gold lining) - and I ended up wearing it out, I wore it so much!! *

RG made unique, incredibly colourful fashion statements, boasting the finest fabrics & buttons ever! I spent hours & hours in his shop (boutique?), in complete awe... Wishing I could buy half the stock on his hangers! The waistcoats were amazing!! I still have one (that I purchased for my first big solo art show (opening), way back in 1992.

Opening of "Wear My Inside Out" solo art exhibition,
Mt. Victoria Cafe, Wellington (July-Aug 1992).

And now (twenty-five to thirty years later) I'm finally the proud owner of a Rixon Groove tie!! Undoubtedly the BEST $3 I've spent in an op shop... EVER!!!

*Friends and whanau of much-loved Wellington-based (Nelson-born) muralist/artist Maru 'Marz' Cummings will remember I wore this purple suit (proudly) at his memorial service / farewell, in October 1999. It was his favourite colour.

Maru 'Marz' Cummings, Muralist/Artist (1966-1999).

https://inthishurricaneseye.blogspot.com/2011/01/for-marz-cummings-1966-1999.html

"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only.
Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas,
the way we live, what is happening."
Coco Chanel

(This blog entry was originally posted on Facebook on 3/9/2019.)