NOT JUST A PRETTY PICTURE at CLUNES BOOKTOWN

Once upon a time the old adage  ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ inspired one of the stories in my little book There was once…The collected fairy tales. The story is exactly 1000 words long. 

On Sunday 26 March I’ll be joining fellow visual artists Simon Perry, Philip Faulks and Darcy McConnell (ENOKi) at Clunes Booktown for Not just a pretty picture, an informal panel discussion chaired by Michelle Ely. We’d be delighted to see you there. 

Pictured top: Excerpt from A Thousand Words, from the anthology There was once… The collected fairy tales, stories and pictures by Deborah Klein.

📖Not just a pretty picture

🗓Sunday 26 March, 1.00pm

📍Esmond Gallery, Clunes 

🎫https://tickets.clunesbooktown.com.au/Events/Not-just-a-pretty-picture

A visit to Playing in the Attic

Yesterday Shane Jones and I paid a visit to the delightful Playing in the Attic in the tiny town of Talbot. 

It’s always a pleasure to meet some of the locals, on this occasion, Misty, “the most popular horse in town” and Trudy’s adorable dogs, Iris and Zelda, named for authors Iris Murdoch and Zelda Fitzgerald. (Coincidentally, I’ve just made a small painting inspired by the latter).

Trudy has been stocking my books and zines for several years. The main purpose of our visit was to drop in my latest zines, Rückenfigur - The turned figure, Vols 1-3,  and replacement copies of  There was once… The collected fairy tales, but the shop is such a treasure trove, we seldom emerge empty handed. 

The Ballarat Imaginarium

 

I’m thrilled to announce that my books, There was once…The collected fairy tales and Fallen Women, are now available at the newly established Ballarat Imaginarium. 

Helmed by artist Melinda Muscat (pictured top) and a testament to her unique vision, this dazzling Aladdin’s Cave really needs to be experienced in person. My photos simply don’t do it justice. 

The Ballarat Imaginarium has the added distinction of being the only Ballarat retailer/gallery that specialises in works by local makers, including visual artists, jewellery designers, sculptors, textile artists, clothing designers, ceramicists musicians and writers. For this, we owe Melinda a debt of gratitude. 

You can read more about the Imaginarium HERE.

It’s also the only establishment where both Deborah Kleins show under one roof. Yes, believe  it or not, there are two of us in town. We’re not related, but recently I discovered we even share the same middle name, Lee. (In both cases, it’s an inherited family name). A future post will highlight the exquisite work by my fellow Deborah Klein that I purchased at the memorable Imaginarium launch. Meanwhile, some of Deborah’s remarkable paper sculptures, including her amazing leaping frogs, can be glimpsed in these photos.

For regular updates, visit the Ballarat Imaginarium on Instagram HERE and on Facebook HERE.

The Ballarat Imaginarium

119A Sturt Street, BALLARAT, VIC 3550

Open Tuesday to Friday 10 am - 5 pm

Saturday 10 am - 5 pm

Sunday by appointment 

GATHER with Minerva's Books & Ideas

   

In recent years I’ve become an inveterate devourer of podcasts, and one of my favourites is a relatively new kid on the block, GATHER with Minerva’s Books & Ideas. The series was conceived and created on traditional Wadawurrung land here in Ballarat by its presenter, Amy Tsilemanis (https://www.instagram.com/amytinderbox/?hl=en).

Amy describes GATHER as: “Audio adventures exploring the lives of books, and the ideas they ignite and illuminate. Each episode is themed and unfurls from a book or books, and features the work of artists, writers, musicians and thinkers”. 

Fairy Tales Continued, the most recent episode, includes my fairy tale, The Moth and the Butterflies. (The link is here: https://gather.buzzsprout.com/1474177). The story is superbly read by Ballarat-based artist and musician, Ellen Sorensen (http://www.ellensorensen.com/). Over the years, I’ve been gratified and delighted by other aural presentations of my stories, including a wonderful reading by Amy herself (see her Instagram post of August 20, 2020) and am slowly coming to the realisation that, like fairy tales of old, they are best savoured when read out loud.  

The Moth and the Butterflies is part of my illustrated anthology, There was once…The collected fairy tales, currently available at that “curious extraordinarium of papery delights”, Playing in the Attic (https://www.instagram.com/playing_in_the_attic/), which you’ll find nestled in the historic Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute building in Sturt Street, Ballarat. 

A link to all episodes of GATHER is here: https://gather.buzzsprout.com/1474177

The website for Miverva’s Books is here: https://minervasbooks.com

The Minerva Books Facebook and Instagram pages are here: https://www.facebook.com/minervasbooks/ and here: https://www.instagram.com/minervasbooksandideas/?hl=en

Melbourne Art Book Fair 2018

Captured in the above snapshot by Jill Kellett is a memorable moment from yesterday's visit to Melbourne Art Book Fair 2018 at NGV International. Pictured L - R are Shane Jones and I with our friends Louise Jennison and Gracia Haby.

Shortly afterwards I took part in Regional Arts Words (RAW), a panel discussion hosted by Regional Arts Australia.

L-R: Mary Jane Warfield, Angela Rivas, Lindy Schneider and myself snapped during yesterday's RAW panel
discussion during Melbourne Art Book Fair 2018 at NGV International. (Photo credit: Louise Jennison).

Two of my books, Fallen Women and There was once... The collected fairy tales are available from the Regional Arts Victoria stand at the book fair, which runs until 5 pm tomorrow.

For more about RAW, go HERE. For more pictures of the event, visit Moth Woman Press HERE.

The Story of the Moth Masks

Once there was a moth who was told not to fly too close to firelight or her wings would burn. Her family and friends had repeatedly warned her about this even before she gained her wings. By the time she was grown up, she had truly learned to fear fire.

Like most of her sisters, she was condemned to fly by night. But despite her fear, she loved the light. She loved its warmth and the way it lit up the beautiful colours of her wings, which the night kept hidden away.

The fire continued its seductive dance, each time drawing her closer and closer. But she always flew away just before the heat became too great and she burst into flames.

Finally, sick and tired of being in the light for just a fleeting moment, she decided to make it her permanent home, no matter what the cost.

Into the flames she flew. All at once her beautiful wings were blackened, and so was her sight.

The next moment (or so it seemed – who knows how much time had passed?) she re-emerged on the other side of the fire a strong, proud, confident woman. And she was no longer alone, but surrounded by thousands of women just like herself. They wore moth masks forever after, as a reminder of their former selves, and of the unfounded fears that had governed their previous existence.

Pictured above: Amerila alberti Moth Mask, 2008, oil pastel, 112 x 76 cm
Image and story by Deborah Klein
Photography by Tim Gresham