Finally...

Who would have thought that the Gosford Regional Art Prize would be hanging a photograph of the inside of a Galston toilet. I'm kinda pleased to say that I thought they might.

I took this image pretty much after just leaving the starting gate on the first leg of a road trip that took in Bathurst, Sofala, Hill End and Mudgee. (Not to mention our final stop on the side of the road just outside the Newcastle turnpike before the car was towed to a garage for recuperation and repairs)

This image will be hanging in the Gosford Regional Art Gallery from the 1st October until the 27th November. Please drop in and support the Gosford Regional Art Gallery (and me).

This is the second image I submitted for consideration to be hung in the Art Prize. An image I thought perhaps more likely to be hung than the image above. So pleased that I put 'The Wall' forward as it is more about where I am coming from these days. It's a good feeling that others can appreciate where I'm coming from as well. The image below is called 'Swimmer'.

I'd love to know which image you guys prefer if you'd care to comment.

The quiet landscape

I half expect to see Sean Thornton (John Wayne) come walking down the road to commence his courtship of Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O'Hara) in the 1952 film The Quiet Man. Later in the film Sean drags his new wife back down the road to Innisfree to her brothers farm to collect her dowry and where the final confrontation unfolds. The story goes as expected, and in the end we see the 'Duke', duking it out with the brother of the bride.

It's a little bit funny this feeling that a Black and White image now reminds me of the technicolour film above. When recalling the film, which I have only seen once, it comes back as a lusty and rich Black and White, I guess that was the strength of John and Maureen under the guiding hand of Mr John Ford.

No blows were struck on this trip to the mighty Lake St Clair unless you count those that drove the pegs that in turn secured our tent. This is such a beautiful place to visit. The lake a perfect companion and photographic subject in any weather. It's difficult to take your eyes off the lake as the light changes throughout the day creating the effect at times, that time is standing still.

2 Days in the smoke (pt. 2)

Further to my travels in the capital of this state of nsw. Some, as yet, unseen but not neglected images of Sydneysiders at work and at play.

After a thorough viewing of the highs and lows of the Head On photographic exhibitions, some great food and enough walking in circles to confuse a donkey, we usually end up at the cinema to view something that is not artistically palatable to the Newcastle mainstream marketplace. A lovely day and night was had by all by the time we retired to the Arts Hotel in Paddo, our currently favored port of stay when in the smoke.

The images...

2 days in the smoke (pt.1)

Managed to lift myself clear of obligations and encumbrances for a couple of days and spend a lil' bit of time down town in Sydney, my home town. Even ended up in my old stomping ground of Paddington, by choice and design. (Though the parking restrictions worked hard against us)

We usually strip ourselves down to two meals a day when traveling, with maybe a coffee and a slice of something sweet in between. Big breakfast and long dinner. Here is a visual extract of our activities. I know what you're thinking...

Away with words

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Big Wednesday (at Moonee)

Jan-Michael Vincent staggers across the beach, hungover, bleary eyed, appropriates a board from from one of the local surfers. He can barely walk but once in the water he is one with the board. He stands to ride and his disorientation, his clumsy attempts to remain upright have remained on the beach. His friends watch as he carves the wave and becomes the surfer all locals respect and revere. If you're lucky there may still be a copy of this film tucked away in a dark corner in a truckstop near you.

This was quite a big day at Moonee. The wind was blowing off shore and the swell was up. Have a look in the top right corner of the first image. There is a tiny speck. Think almost bacterium sized. That's a body surfer. I didn't see a person in the water while I was shooting at the beach. I noticed the speck when I started editing the images. I nearly became a speck in the water myself at one point when a surprisingly big set roared across the rock platform.

The three images are one wave traveling by me standing on the rocks.