"Monday You Sure Look Fine..."

- Fleetwood Mac Monday Morning


Monday is becoming one of my more favoured days of the week, I know - bizarre right? I just tend to get so much done in the morning and then am able to arrange something interesting to be getting on with later in the arvo - so it's brilliant. Work then rewards.

Monday I finally had the pleasure of meeting e's father whom is an established painter and a technical expert in painting mediums. He's gonna help me sort out my stretcher bar situation for my buyer and has offered to lend a hand with the re-stretching, he's utterly lovely.

E and I then spent the afternoon.... (pause for drama) ..... working on a jig saw puzzle! We did get up to a bit more than that but mostly is was a lazy afternoon of chatting, eating chocolate crackle biscuits (homemade by e and delish at that) and working on an INSANE image of a school of fish. It was a lovely day spent in the northern part of town.

Darebin Station late on at night.

Oh, the line forms on the right, babe Now that Macky's back in town

- Bobby Darin Mack the Knife

This photo and the one of me w/o the mrs.
taken by Daniel Taylor.

Secretaries and Secret Agents Party (MadMen and Archer fancy dress party) at me and the mrs' place was a blast! had some great tunes, a great crowd, a lovely punch concocted by the kitchen queen herself and of course some wicked good outfits. I of course 'went' as Joan, and I think I did alright pulling her off.

Also I think I might really, really look like my grandmother Carolyn. Suppose I'll email a photo to my grandfather and ask his opinion. I think overall everyone had a great time.

I hope everyone had as much fun as I did and there were plenty of memorable moments - some not even caught on film like the one to the right (haha). I think the mrs. and I aren't bad hostesses (and of course honourable mention to f) and I look forward to our next bash - I think it's becoming a thing for us to have one per month or so.

You’re ever welcome with me any time you’d like, Let’s drive to the country side, leave behind some green-eyed look-a-likes

- Fleet Foxes Blue Ridge Mountains


A lovely fella tok me to the Dandenongs yesterday. I really loved it, you could see all of Melbourne. The CBD was just a little cluster like something squiggled out on a map, the Emerald City along the path. I wouldn't be surprised that if on a clear day you could see Geelong.

This is all instagram-artsy, it wasn't that dark out but it was cloudy and overcast. I mean, it is winter.

It was really lovely as well that we went up on a Sunday, reminded me of my runaways to Skyline Drive when I was living in Harrisonburg. Crisp, forest air and a beautiful view with great company - couldn't have asked for a better Sunday.

Later in the evening I met e for tea & a double feature (Pan's Labyrinth & Amores Perros) at 1000£bend. We ended up foregoing the films and just having tea and a drink. We were both a bit tired from the weekend. We then went moseying around and ended up at Section 8 Container Bar (as you do) and having a glass of wine before calling it a night.

1000£ bend on Lt Lonsdale St just beyond Elizabeth

Waiting for the Man. . .

- Lou Reed


At Southern Cross station waiting for s to get in from the vline. Bloody starving but quite excited about the day.

Brekky with s, bit of shoppes because *woot!* the painting made it over with no worries full stop ...

[Some gal just asked me to watch her bags as she ran into the loo. Love this country. She trusts me to watch it and i trust she isnt a terrorist leaving me with a bomb. Brilliant]

...so I need stretcher bars, clamps and a staple gun. May borrow gun and clamps depending... And then (drumroll) Secret Agents & Secretaries Party (madmen and archer fancy dress party) is tonight!
Quite a good day ahead if I dont die of starvation waiting for s. I swear my stomach growled so loud I jumped in surprise. Which also meand it was audible over the trains.

Easter Bunnies?! Easter Bilbies! (easter post coming soon)

Darrel Lea Chocolate Bilby

I spent this Easter at the mrs.'s folks in Culcairn, NSW. For Easter her mum got me an Easter Bilby instead of an Easter Bunny! It was delicious and put money toward saving the Bilby, an indigenous bunny-like marsupial that's endangered.

Easter was a laid back affair much like it is with my folks. We spent an evening with her lovely school friends, I got to meet her father's parents and as always had a bit of a paddock bash. This time the mrs. drove the 4wheeler while I held on for dear life and photographed one handed. I also video-taped!

Of course, there where Kangaroos!

There were many kangaroos and the land was much lusher and greener then the last time I had been to their farm. The decade long drought broke while I was gone and as a result all of Australia I've seen this time around really does bring Donald Horne's "Lucky Country" to mind. I had a lovely time, the mrs.'s parents are tops and I look forward to my visits in the future.

"A painter must think of everything he sees as being there entirely for his own use and pleasure."

- Lucien Freud, Man with a Blue Scarf


On my epic train ride to Eltham/Montsalvat yesterday (seriously, take the bus ALL the way there if you live in my side of town) I finished Man with a Blue Scarf: On Sitting for a Portrait by Lucien Freud by Martin Gayford. Yes, the purchasing of such a book went totally against the rules for myself but lets just say it was the guiltiest of guilty pleasures and totally worth it, even beyond the lovely plate reproductions of Freud's work and the lovely kodak snaps of the artist at work.

The book is a collection of anecdotes of Martin Gayford from his time spent sitting for a portrait. The anecdotes contain reflections on the process of sitting, Lucien Freud's painting process, conversations the two had and some historical background on Lucien both taken from the artist's stories and the writer's knowledge and research.

I loved it. It is not salacious look in to Lucien Freud's studio and life but rather a very mediative book that can really give an appreciator of his work and/or a would be painter a look into how one of the 'greats' went about his process; especially in the later years. (During the course of Lucien Freud's career he went through many changes in style and even at times subject but is best known for his mid to later works that are portraits developed out of strong and deliberate brushwork that both in reproductions and of course in person the tactile nature of the brushwork is especially compelling.)

I found Martin Gayford's insights about the sitting process a 'view through the looking glass' as it were since I'm rarely on that side of the canvas or camera. Its very apparent from the nuanced recounting of the experience that Gayford was studying his subject just as much as Freud was studying his. Gayford's knowledgeability about art and the way he inserted that expertise was both interesting and informative, especially the information on Francis Bacon, whom is usually paired with Lucien Freud as the 'big things' in the London art scene and international art scene at their prime.

Most of all though I loved how Gayford captured how Lucien Freud worked as a painter and artist not only because it can give someone like me, an aspiring artist; a sort of road map to procedure but also the very gratifying experience of finding similarities in between my process and Freud's. This of course is not at all shocking given that portrait painters working in oil are going to have a wide range in similarities in their process, but it was the little idiosyncratic things that aligned that I found truly gratifying being such an admirer of Lucien Freud's work. When I first came across one of his paintings, the one of illustrator John Minton; it kind of all came together for me.

To this day this is one of my very favourite paintings and Lucien Freud one of my favourite artists. So, when I read "When he is really concentrating he mutters constantly, giving himself instructions: 'Yes, perhaps - a bit', 'Quite', 'No-o, I don't think so', 'A bit more yellow.' Once or twice he is about to apply a stroke then withdraws, considers again, then re-scrutinizes..." or that his palette is typically incrusted with blobs and not cleaned, I felt ... assured? An assurance that yes I am meant to be a painter and maybe someday in the future there will be a book written like this about me with similar anecdotes and maybe even parallels drawn between my work and Freud's as Gayford does with Freud's and other artists.

While I really enjoyed this read I'm going go ahead and state that it's probably not for everyone. If you aren't into Lucien Freud, painting, contemporary/modern art then it might not hold the same interest for you that it did me. It's a bit of a niche book.

 c. esbenshade

“I don’t know what tomorrow brings. It’s alive with such possibilities…”

- Bright Eyes, ' Method Acting'


Its been ages since I've posted. So long in fact that Blogger has undergone a facelift and I barely figured out how to create a new post - there seem to be many more options of gizmos and gadgets from when I last updated.

Well, what's been happening? Heaps but noting worth mentioning I suppose? Or more that it was not fit for publication? Really I think it was just so much going on that I just couldn't be asked so lets see if I can work my way backward through the last weeks and pull out the notable moments.

EASTER (will get it's own post)

April 12th- Hello Sailor Vintage Market in St.Kilda with k&j where I tried on this lovely number:

April 14th- Pints of Guinness at Pugg Mahones with f, unfortunately they didn't show the footy match I'd hoped to watch. pout. Go SAINTS!



April 19th- Got a hair cut @ Biba in Camberwell and then met up with e for some drinks, goss and then saw This Must Be The Place  at the Nova. The movie was good and I thought it was a very different role for Sean Penn. I also really liked how Frances McDormand and he worked together. It was not a sad movie, but not an entirely uplifting film - but really anything that includes the Holocaust in the plot can't be all that light hearted.

April 20th- M's 25th at the Carlton in the CBD, press ganged f into joining, also saw the girls a bit before hand.

April 21st- A morning coffee and a chat, a retail therapy session with f on Brunswick Street and then Girls Night at ours filled with bunnies, de-lish nosh and some great chick flicks.

April 23rd- Free passes to the wish you were here advance screening at the Palace. Took f and afterward had a lovely dinner at a american style diner the Soda Rock. The film was good, an Australian Independent that had truly touching performances from the actors and really drew you into the narrative. Had no idea what was going to happen so really enjoyed it even though on a broad scale - also not a feel good movie.

April 24th- Free passes to Irvine Welsh's Ectasy screening at the Nova. Took w and had tea on Lygon street and ate Maltesers during the film. Not as good as Trainspotting but also not the same budget allowances. Enjoyable film, some really great scenes as far as cinematography and overall engaging story. Also came across my new favourite joke in the ladies' on the stall door:

"Hisenberg is driving Schrodinger to the pet store when the police pull them over..."

frankly, it's right up there with neutered watermelons for me. I know, bizarre sense of humour but some people love me for it and when all hope seems lost I can get a smile out of myself.

April 25th - ANZAC day. Ashamed to admit but between my mood and the downpour going on outside I didn't bother with the dawn service or the parade. Went out to Preston and saw my mate's new digs and she showed me a shed thats open for my artsy needs - which I fully intend to take up she and her roommates offer of it's use. the mrs. made a de-lish casserole/stew and f came round as well.

April 26th - bit of a date with the Mrs. (aka my roommate)

April 27th - Volunteered at the Brunswick Street Gallery on Brunswick Street. Helped install their print exhibition upstairs and later attended the very lovely opening. On my lunch break (Joe's Garage?) I passed the Gypsy Bar which while not open had flyers and such sitting out front, including the poster I designed for the upcoming 'Trentfest'. I was quite excited to see my artwork hanging around one of the hipper streets of Melbourne. Also met a mate for a few pints at the Provincial before the opening and then joined another mate at a work house party which was also quite enjoyable. Low point of that evening/ early the next morning was my mobile having an independent adventure from me that ended in a termination of service to that particular SIM/mobile. I now am an owner of some sort of samsung smart phone which I reckon is cleverer than I am. While off put by it I am enjoying it and feel compelled to name it..... but haven't chosen one yet.

April 29th - Due to lack of phone a hiccup in communications occurred and I accidentally stood somebody up. They are incredibly gracious and magnanimous though and as such I have been forgiven. (yay! felt real horrid about it as you know I would)

April 30th - Completed a web development job, can be seen here: The Cybercologist and then had celebratory pizza & beer with a dash of archer w/ the mrs.

May 1st- Went to Montsalvat artist community in Eltham & the painting 'you talking to me?' arrived at it's buyer's office and met f for tea in Heidelberg.