GEMMA BLACK : ARTIST / CALLIGRAPHER

The title of my first module in the UTAS Wellbeing Toolkit unit I am undertaking is called: Human Behaviour in Extreme Environments: stress, distress & resilience I found the module to be extremely interesting. I passed the quiz section and will now await the essay assessment. I thought in the meantime I would share with you a poem I wrote as one of the outcomes to this learning environment on this particular module. It's called When earth becomes sick . My next module is The History of Public Health: epidemics and social change . Can't wait!

A   N O T E   O F   T H A N K S I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to the Sidney Myer Fund & the Myer Foundation for administering a series of grants on behalf of the following Participating Philanthropists and Philanthropic Entities: Andrew Myer AM & Kerry Gardner AM Ann & Warwick Johnson Berwyn Roberts & Jennifer Mackenzie Carrillo Gantner AC and Ziyin Gantner Creative Partnerships Australia Darin Cooper Foundation Day Family Foundation Doc Ross Foundation FWH Foundation Inner North Community Foundation James and Diana Ramsay Foundation Kate and Stephen Shelmerdine Family Foundation Kathryn Fagg AO Kim Williams AM Lindisfarne Foundation Mandy and Edward Yencken & Family Mark and Louise Nelson Minderoo Foundation Nunn Dimos Foundation Robert Bishop Philanthropy Australia Sarah Myer and Baillieu Myer AC Sidney Myer Fund Simon Mordant AM and Catriona Mordant AM Spinifex Trust Tim Fairfax AC The Skrzynski Family Sky Foundation Val...

How lovely to have made the final payment on our beautiful new townhouse. Now a few years of upping the Superannuation and we should be okay in retirement. Speaking of which, my plan is to continue as an artist messing about in the studio making & creating things.

INKWINGS WRITING ADVENTURE My friend from New Jersey Linda Lanza invited me to join her class to undertake a writing adventure. Linda started the course at the outbreak of the coronavirus in the USA to help friends navigate a path through the virus lockdowns. I would like to keep a record of what I wrote during those sessions. I will also jot down the a number of words that have been floating around during our sessions: ONE-LINERS pick one leaf not the whole forest what did the writing tell you we are still in the boat the dependable colours of old friends the nurturing that is love I see many things on the back of my eyelids hate bites, joy sings death divides, memory clings IDEAS swept away two words seen on a River Derwent walk in March 2020 WORDS caught nourishment, food, friends, mother, father, freedom, acceptance, love, peace, comfort, space, freedom, burn tear, dissolve, share, save, raw, write, spring, seed...

A wonderful video of my colleague Monica Dengo came across my desk this morning. I have thoroughly enjoyed this interview with our highly respected colleague Monica. The essence of her words are informative, intelligent and knowledgeable about the subject of handwriting, so primal to us all and how handwriting manifest itself so importantly to our creative existence.   This is the best interview I have seen that has resonated deeply within me. And that’s a great thing, what I need right now. Not, I think because we are in the mids of the covid-19 but rather because I am personally in the midst of change within myself. Those can be discussed at a later time as I'd love for you to grab a beverage of your choice, calligrapher or not as it pertains to us all and spent this half hour watching Monica talk about handwriting, materials, community, plastic, working with our hands and our her own art:  click here for artist Monica Dengo