I am in Dunedin, catching up with a few people and going to a couple of openings.
Today I go to stay in Central Otago until Monday when I return to Invercargill.
I won’t able to access the internet while I’m away, as far as I know anyway, so probably won’t be able to make any new postings over the weekend.
I enjoy the atmosphere of this university town, as a young man I spent two years studying here so there is quite a lot of nostalgia about this visit.
Having missed out on the swan photo described in the posting before last I was surprised to see this swan sitting on top of a 3 storey building in Dee St a day or so later. Even though I’ve walked up this street every day for the last three and a half months I’d never noticed it. It seemed a coincidence but I won’t get too woo-woo over it.
The reason that I missed out on the Swan photo at the Art + Object auction was that in the catalogue it put the likely price range as $80-$140 and as an absentee bidder I had put my top bid as $200. I would have gone higher if I had been there or been on the phone.
The Hook
I was visiting the studio of Phil Newbury a couple of days ago.
Phil works with glass, and lives here in Invercargill. Recently he has
been an artist in residence on Waiheke Island.
It was this hook that really caught my attention, I’ve photographed them before.
In this case it was being used to move this 200 kg glass table. The design in the table is based on South Island landscape patterns.
Two Photos
Two Photos from a recent auction at Art + Object. Both are hand-coloured prints, both about 50 years old although I don’t have dates for them and my knowledge of the history of photographic practices of this period is skimpy.
There is a charm about them that appeals to me, they feel like part of photography’s history. And of course I am living in the South Island right now, in this landscape.
Swan Lake, Kaikoura is by Ellis Dudgeon, and Waves, Kaikoura is a Whites photo.
I missed out on the swans. It went for $220. Waves, I was successful with, for $320. It is 290 x 368mm.
Yesterday I came across these daffodils and was
completely captivated by them. This was a major surprise to me because it was a sign that my taste in daffodils has changed radically. I now have two large vases of them at my Invercargill home, these ones on my desk which overlooks the street. At the beginning of the daffodil season here the only ones that I would buy were the classic ones. Plain yellow, simple petals, with long trumpets, like the ones in story books. I was quite rigid about this.Then after a few weeks I began to notice and appreciate the more complicated ones,
with multiple petals and shades of colour, varieties that I had until then, scorned. I was surprised at myself, why hadn’t I appreciated them before! I thought at the time that I still didn’t like the ones with pale petals, and coloured cups and doubted if I ever could.Now, a month later I saw these and have changed my thinking again.
It concerns me that I was not more open minded in the first place. And I ask myself if I am like this in other areas. I’d better be vigilant I feel.
Wetlands
This is some of my favourite Southland landscape. This wetland is in the west, near Te Anau.
There are walkways through this area, some of them elevated. This area was taken over as a restoration project three or four years ago, and gradually the swamp is growing.
Meanwhile, today here in Invercargill, the Tour of Southland, the premier cycle race in New Zealand, began. Unfortunately the first day of this six day race coincided with a cold snap and snow is down to 300 metres. I watched the 130 riders pushing through hail and sleet. I admired their toughness.
I had hoped that I might be able to take a sports photo but the hail bouncing off my head worked against me.
Tulip Time
Last night at my birthday party there was a vase overflowing with
these beautiful tulips. I hadn’t seen this type before but I find them extraordinary.
Tulips are nearly at an end here unfortunately. Daffodils finished a couple of weeks
ago although thankfully, peonies are now coming into bloom. All these species thrive in this colder climate.
On the hills north of here wild thyme is coming into season and I look forward to seeing that too.
My friends are my estate – Emily Dickinson. 1830-1886
Today is my 66th birthday. Tomorrow some friends are putting on a party for me at their home, above is the invitation. Their house always reminds me of something from the Munsters.
It will be a combined Guy Fawkes party so soon I am going out to buy some fireworks.
My first birthday greeting arrived via text last night at 12.04 am. That was being onto it I thought. Every year I resolve to become better at remembering people’s birthdays, it’s a simple act of kindness that can carry such weight.