rain coming..

I took this shot a few days ago from our terrace, the rain was moving in, the clouds above the radiant sunset were filled with rain..such a blessing! Its almost been like tropical Melbourne. People are smiling, the moisture in the air refreshing and nourishing!

Herb Ritts just about defined the nineties

I read somewhere that Herb Ritts just about defined the nineties, and I agree. His images often pushed right to the edge of what we define as beauty and plain raw ugliness. I have his book called 'Africa' in which he photographs the tallest most exquisitely graceful people on the planet as well as rotting animal corpses in the desert. Somehow one still thinks of him as a fashion photographer, I think its because the images are so direct and resonant of the moment.

The beautiful subtlety of vintage costume pearls

Ah, this is just gorgeous...even if I say so myself!! (and inspired by Coco) I've been longing to use up these beautiful vintage costume pearls, which have been rattling around at the bottom of my 'broken down bits' box for years. Finally, I think I've managed to convey their gentle and delicate colours and patina's. This is definitely not to be repeated! Some of these beads have been in my care since 1986! OMG!

my version of Coco's pearls

Here we are! This is my third slightly tongue-in-cheek version of Coco's famous pearl necklace.
I love making these pieces, they just come alive in my hands. I can almost smell Coco's parlour, as she sat there languidly holding forth, commanding her empire of style in the late thirties which is when the picture (above) was taken.

Sophia Loren - exotic, glamour et al

I was just hankering for some pure outright beautiful glamour this morning, so I went to one of my favorite blogs: the impossible cool and borrowed this pic from there. Here she is, must be some kind of Goddess don't you think? She certainly set a bench mark, and inspired a generation or three with her eternal divine femininity and gorgeousness. Wow!

ooh..Prada winter shoes

I just love the mix of messages here..and the shoes are fantastic, and groundbreaking (literally!)
I got this image from maison chaplin, who seems to have access to things just as they come straight off the press, today's fashion fare...

the avant garde in the mid nineteenth century

Willain Talbot lace from the mid nineteenth century looks like it must have been way ahead of its time, at the time. To me it has a slight Art Deco quality about it, the clean and elegant curved shapes. I love the feeling of movement and energy.

Bangarra - 'Fire'

Last night we saw Bangarra Dance Theatre at the Playhouse here in Melbourne. They were just as extraordinary as ever. They dance to the bones, pushing the deepest of emotion out to each cellular limit. I am so inspired by the depth and passion, today I feel nourished and refreshed again by the Spirit of this wondrous place I live in, this huge old dry continent, with all our various stories and lives it holds. The dance last night was a manifestation of one of the better outcomes of how we can create together, maybe bringing resonance and compassion to all our communities.

Ice Spiral - Tree Soul

I woke up this morning thinking about Andy Goldsworthy, artist/naturalist and in my opinion a kind of futurist shaman. The whimsy and beauty and alliance with the natural, belie an intensely deep question of what art is, how it can manifest through our imaginations and skills and speak to the onlooker in a nonverbal language of the heart or Soul. I love this work.

Natalie Portman as seen in V Magazine, by Mario Testino

Natalie Portman absolutely gorgeous and talented. Here she is in a shoot by Mario Testino for V Magazine.

Shadow dancer

Rory, my partner took this image yesterday afternoon, when the sun happened to be just in the right spot, behind the Lorenzl bronze dancer I have in the window. When he showed it to me I didn't recognize her at first, it looked like a dream of her, a journey she was making in the ethers, a lone path into the light...

After Georgia O'Keefe

I started to think about how Georgia O'Keefe painted the inside of flowers in the most intimate and intense way, showing us our own connections to these wondrous manifestations of nature, sure put here by angels and the Gods. I searched for an image which spoke to me of this deeper self, the intricate and ephemeral language of emotion. I found this image by the artist: Len Bomba, which he calls 'Blue Pansy - Georgia O'Keefe Style'. (see more about this picture here)

Blue Pansy - Georgia O'Keefe Style

the beauty of Rodarte

Here is one of the beautiful wild looks for Spring 2010 from Rodarte. Two sisters collaborate to create these exquisitely handmade garments. I can relate to the tribal wild Goddess look, and sometimes wish I could just dress like this all the time...

Helen Frankenthaler - painter

'Southern Exposure' Serigraph 2006.

I was thinking about women painters who have influenced the way I look at painting, and searched to find Helen Frankenthaler. I was glad to see she is still alive and active. She was married to Robert Motherwell, and influenced by Jackson Pollock. Whenever I come across her work I go 'aaahhh....yes, I've come home', I can sense the feminine Spirit, the languid strokes, lush and sensual, the intimacy of the colours and the open spaces in which your eye can linger.

the photographer: Solve Sundsbo

I've just discovered this extraordinary photographer. I've put this photograph here because I love the mysterious and slightly ominous feeling it exudes, a bit of danger, somehow, and yet great beauty. Like looking into the eyes of a panther. From what I've seen so far of his work, he is diverse and original. I really admire the twists and turns he takes, and the eye he presents to us.

'beside myself...'

This is a photo I found at JPEG. (click on the image to get more details). It just expresses how I feel a little today. The dance between the Self and the self-image, or the ego and the heart, or oneself and others..etc etc.
I like the playful black and white pattern here, and the movement and relationships between the person and the shadow.