Many years ago, when visiting The Dish (more formally known as the CSIRO Parkes Observatory), I had cause to visit the ladies’ room, and found the following quote on the door of the cubicle I was in:
‘It’s estimated that the number of stars in the universe is greater than the number of grains of sand on all the beaches in the world! On a clear night, we can see the equivalent of a handful of sand.’
Definitely one of the most thought-provoking quotes I’ve ever read; certainly the most interesting I’ve encountered on the back of a toilet door; and now also something I often find myself marvelling about as I sit under the night sky at the end of each day with my dog.
Since visiting The Dish all those years ago (and of course seeing the wonderful Australian movie about the part it played in the moon landing back in 1969), I’d often thought I’d like to paint it, and so in revisiting the photos I’d taken while I was out there, I decided on the theme for the exhibition I will be showing later in the year in Kurrajong, at the foot of the beautiful Blue Mountains. ‘From Parkes to Paris’ (apart from just sounding nice!) will be a collection of watercolour paintings from places I’ve visited myself over many years – places between Parkes in the Central West of New South Wales and, travelling east, Paris in France.
So that’s what’s been keeping me busy as I try to stay warm through this icy-cold start to winter down here in Sydney. At least it’s not raining at the moment. Winter is definitely not my favourite season, but after all the rain we’ve had over the past six months or so, I’d have to say now that I’d sooner the cold than the wet.
Coming up …
Incognito Art Show: All artworks are now showing on the Incognito website. Each work will be on sale for $100 on Saturday 18 June at 2 Lacey Street in Surry Hills, Sydney from 8am until 630pm. Any works remaining at the end of Saturday will be on sale on Sunday 19 June from 8am
Lane Cove Art Society’s ‘artXtra!’, at Gallery Lane Cove (upper level), 164 Longueville Rd, Lane Cove, NSW, Thursday 16 June – Saturday 2 July
ASMA Annual Awards Exhibition, at the Ewart Gallery in Willoughby Arts Centre, 33 Laurel Street, Willoughby, NSW, Saturday 18 June – Sunday 3 July
CASS ‘Art in the Mountains’ at Gallery One88, 188 Katoomba Street, Katoomba, NSW, Thursday 7 July – Monday 25 July
KAS Awards Exhibition at The Gallery, St Ives Shopping Village, NSW, Monday 18 – Sunday 31 July
‘From Parkes to Paris’ (solo show) at The Village Kitchen, 83 Old Bells Line of Road, Kurrajong, NSW, Friday 23 September – Friday 28 October
Until next month.