On our way to Strahan ...

 

 

We have visited Strahan three times since I arrived in Tasmania. Normally a five hour drive from Hobart though this particular trip took us six odd hours as we encountered snow and lot's of it across the top of the State. Dangerous yes, exciting yes, I drove yes!

We reached our beautiful destination exhausted yet happy.

The wilderness on the west coast

 

 

 

 

On Monday of this week David and I had an interesting steam train trip. We were visiting Strahan for some well deserved R&R.  In the early morning and drove to Queenstown where, very excitedly we boarded a steam train on West Coast Wilderness Railway. It started out like Gillian’s Island, perfectly well. Along the way we were served drinks and delicious Tasmanian fare. Between Lynchford and Rinadeena Saddle however a certain part of the mechanism between the engine and the Abt rack and pinion track broke. The Abt rack and pinion allows a train to motor uphill and downhill. We were stuck in the middle of a rainforest for just over three hours. We were perfectly fine but an urgent need to go to the toilet was for the most part felt more pressing by the women. No toilet facility onboard though there was at each station … if we ever got to them. 

 

We had two train driver engineers but they were not in a position to repair the damage. Three engineers drove from Strahan to Queenstown then trekked out to us on a high-wheel thingy to see if they could repair the problem. Running out of water was also a problem … not for us but for the engine.

Some people were taken off the train via the high-wheel thingy. But most of the passengers didn’t have a choice and sat it out. The children played UNO while the adults learned a lot about each other. Quite a happy occurrence. 

 

Finally the engineers won the day at least enabling us to gingerly back down the mountain to the station we had passed hours earlier. A bus was waiting to ferry us all back to Queenstown. Everyone was happy enough and the staff were excellent - truly wonderful - all through the uncertainty. We were greeted at the ticket office on our return with a 100% refund of our fares.  It was a great adventure notwithstanding, I found the orpiment so we have no complaints.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David & the steam engine at Lynchford.

 

When I took this photo I though "that's were we are going to ... up there"

 

How beautiful, we could have been stranded in a worse place.

F   I   N   I
 

 

 

Exciting find

 

 

Whilst on a trip to the west coast of Tasmania we visited the tiny railway station of Lynchford between Queenstown and Strahan. As the area was known for it's mining (gold and other such riches) there remains a tiny two room museum that can only be accessed by train as part of the West Coast Wilderness Railway. It is on the tourist trail and we were playing tourists. It was here I made an exciting find. Orpiment. I have talked about orpiment for years in my lectures on the Book of Kells but I had never actually seen it before last Monday. Orpiment - arsenic tri-sulphide - was used in the Book of Kells as a gold-like pigment and it was also used to adorn the tombs of pharaohs including King Tutankhamen. I was delighted.

Magnificent!

The past five or six months has been frenetic to say the least. There have been vaccinations, TSO concerts, lectures to attend online as a participant, lectures to give, Book of Kells, A calligraphers Life. There have been workshops both in-person and online ... many of them. Some have been pop-up workshops that I organise on the spur of the moment with a group or groups in pandemic lock down (gratis) then I have have some invitations to teach in Australia, the UK, and the US. There have been exhibitions to attend and exhibitions to contribute to not to mention preparing works for a major journal (shhhhh) about to go to press. Gosh ... and lunches & dinners to attend. Now I'm off to meet a calligraphy friend for a coffee!

 

 

Thursday just past we gathered at the Lettering & Arts Shed to craft a couple of drum leaf bound booklets. Thanks to the guidance of Jenny Blake, friend and fellow Shed mate. This binding is perfect for workshop notes and exemplars as every page lays flat. If you google "drum leaf binding" you may well find a couple of designs with images and instructions.

 

The music pages are real and have a little foxing that adds to the authenticity.

Strange feeling ...

 

It is something I can't seem to shake off, the feeling of guilt. What is it that makes me feel guilty. I don't even know what it is I am guilty of? I have always had this guilt complex since I was a youngster. Upbringing in a strict Catholic family? You are all guilty even if you aren't. I am always afraid even though I truly have "nothing" to be afraid of.

Just recently, I felt guilty in having to let a beginner student go because I needed, no, wanted my Tuesday mornings back, or so I said. teaching one-on-one is difficult and even though I would sometimes work on my own stuff while they were labouring away ... I'd feel guilty about that even.

Now I feel guilty I have not worked hard enough to have all my film clips ready ... when I said I would. Am I lazy? What do I really want to do in life? I feel that dwelling on such questions are a waste of time, just get in and do something good, something worthwhile. Something, anything I won't feel guilty about. Oh dear  ... whatever it is "it's bigger than just me" and what does that mean exactly?

I'm stumped. I think I need a holiday but there is nowhere to go to. I feel guilty about even writing this post. Back to work.

Time moves on ...

 

 

Time is moving on at a rapid pace. I don't know if that's because I am busy or that time has actually sped up. Of course I have been busy. I have been preparing for an upcoming one-day virtual workshop with the Texas Conference Legacies III and as usual I am privileged to be on the faculty. Over the week-long conference I will attend lectures, view the exhibitions and partake in some breakout conversations and lettering discussions. I will be wonderful to se many of my friends again and to make new ones.

 

Recently I ran a three hour workshop for the Art Society of Tasmania on how to use gold leaf on a number of different substrates. Time was tight so I had to be quite regimented in the flow process so I could get all the different techniques in that I wanted to share with the group. It was a successful little gathering at Lady Franklin Gallery and all went home happy with their bits ... and pieces.

In the recent two weeks covid-19 outbreaks have arrived on our shores again. Not here in Tasmania, we are fine with no reported cases though we are prepared in the event we find ourselves heading toward lock down.  It all started with one unvaccinated limousine driver taking airline crew to their hotels in Sydney. One or more of the crew tested positive to covid and the spread was incredibly fast. Two weeks later we have the entire Sydney basin in lock down with numerous escaped little bugs throughout the country. It is a great shame and to the country's detriment that the Federal Government has been so slow in rolling out the vaccine here in Australia. So few in the population are fully vaccinated unlike many other coun tries around the world boasting high numbers. I am hoping my upcoming family & teaching trip to Canberra is not cancelled. We will lick it eventually.

Five weeks over May I taught a course for the Cinque Port Scribes (UK), Hierarchy of the Scripts, it was very fruitful. In June I taught a lovely little Versals workshop as a treat for all who signed up to the ABC Red Deer conference in Canada. It was first postponed then cancelled altogether this year. It was wonderful to see so many friends and people enjoying the creative get together.

As far as commissions go I have worked on a couple, a life membership certificate, a book jacket design, a book inscription but the lovely thing is I have had some time to prepare some pieces that I have really enjoyed doing for the National Capital Art Prize in Canberra along with my faculty piece for Legacies III.

The football season is well underway so David is enthralled with our new sporting channel Kayo whereas I enjoy snuggling down with a good book or movie. All is well even though tempus fugit ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll write again another day  ...