I think I need one of these posters ...

From Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic, based on the original posters produced by the British Ministry of Information in 1939.

Cobwebs officially blown away

I spent the afternoon wandering around the city, and I do feel so much better for having had a break. Although I did have a comedy moment with the water fountain in Hagley Park - I usually press the button and stand back a little because the water pressure is unreliable, but today I didn't do that, and I got a strong jet of water squirted right up into my face. There was probably a camera hidden somewhere.

I visited the dyslexia exhibit on Worcester Street, which is one of my favourite places in town. I just love it. It's so beautiful, and so poignant.


The other triumph of the day was finding box sets of Joss Whedon's Firefly and the seventh season of Gilmore Girls for a good price. And after all this relaxation and retail therapy I'm ready to tackle the book again.

Driving Creek Railway

Although I visited this place months ago, on my honeymoon, it has stuck in my mind ever since, and I have wanted to write a post about it for a while.

Driving Creek Railway in Coromandel is a narrow gauge mountain railway, working pottery and wildlife sanctuary, and it's one of the most inspiring places I have ever visited. It combines art, engineering and conservation. The railway winds up from the potteries to a lookout at the top of the mountain, and the route is lined with sculptures and recycled art. It was designed by Barry Brickell, a potter, who built the railway so that he could easily access and transport the clay from the mountain back to his studio. Now the train is a major tourist attraction, and Barry has opened up his studios to visiting artists who occupy a room for a certain amount of time and display their work in the railway's galleries. The whole place is planted with native trees and is a sanctuary for native species.

It seems to me like the perfect legacy; being an artist and creating and exhibiting your art, while also working towards something bigger - in this man's case, saving the environment. It's a magical place. I loved all the sculptures peeking out from the bushes alongside the train tracks, and the walls made of recycled tyres and glass bottles.

Colin McCahon Poem

I forgot to post this on Friday last week ... just a two-minute, jotted-down poem after my visit to the art gallery.

Colin McCahon

The simple, violent act
Of slicing a white line through black

Of writing God's words
In laborious paint

A simple thing.

And then

From the black well of glass
Someone stares back.