Pages


Saturday, January 18, 2020

ART AID FOR GIPPSLAND update and MELBOURNE CLIMATE ACTION RALLY #2


Fallen Woman 5, 2017, phemograph, 43 x 32 cm, ed. 20, the
second of two works I'm donating to ART AID FOR GIPPSLAND

Below is an update from Simon Gregg, Director of Gippsland Art Gallery, for the information of those who wish support ART AID FOR GIPPSLAND, the upcoming fundraiser for bushfire relief in East Gippsland. It's directly followed by selected highlights from yesterday afternoon's second Melbourne Climate Action Rally. 

ART AID FOR GIPPSLAND:
HOW TO DONATE

IMPORTANT - Before donating any artworks please read the guidelines on the Gallery website here.

The website provides all current information, including how to get your work to us and guidelines about donating artworks. The website also includes a link to download the Artwork Donation Form that we ask everyone please send in with their artwork (I have also attached it to this email), so that we can correctly catalogue your artwork and in case we need to contact you. Please note that due to the number of artworks being donated we’ve had to rapidly revise our first message that there was no limit on size or number of artworks. We are now asking that not more than two artworks be donated, and there are some restrictions now to sizes (refer website link above).

Please see information at the bottom of this message about the eleven drop off locations across Melbourne and Gippsland (Please Note – a new drop off location for South Gippsland has been added today). Big thanks to all those drop off points for supporting this fundraising appeal, and especially to our couriers IAS and Gippsland Art Couriers who have offered to get the work here to us in Sale. Please keep in mind the following points:

·       Can you please send me an email if you intend or if you have dropped off your work at one of these points, so I can keep track of what is where and to assist the fine art couriers when they pick up.
·       Please read the instructions for each drop off location and observe the dates and hours provided. Each of these studios, businesses, galleries and individuals have offered to accept artworks out the goodness of their hearts so please respect these instructions.
·       If your artworks need to be wrapped/boxed can you please do so prior to delivery.

Remember you can also post or drop in directly to the Gallery – details are on the website. Please note that we are currently unable to organise collection of artworks outside of Melbourne and Gippsland. If postage to the Gallery (see website link above for address) is not an option for you, we would encourage you to look at other fundraising options as we’re not going to be able to get your work here. Same goes for international offers of support. We’re very grateful for those who have contacted us from overseas, however please note that we have no capacity for international freight.

THE ART AID EXHIBITION

The Art Aid Gippsland exhibition will be held at the Gippsland Art Gallery from Saturday 15 February to Sunday 15 March. There will be an opening preview on Friday 14 February at 6.00pm, as part of our opening for new exhibitions by Peter Cole, Susan Purdy, and Simon Deere. Guest speakers on the night will be curator and writer Robert Lindsay (for Peter Cole), and Mayor Wellington Shire Council, Cr Alan Hall (for Art Aid). There will be complementary refreshments prior to speeches but on commencement of speeches the bar will close (about 6.30pm). There will be no access to the Gallery spaces prior to the conclusion of speeches. It will be a busy night so if you’d prefer to look at the Art Aid exhibition without the crowds and without being rushed, I would strongly recommend visiting during normal opening hours.

The other important thing for all donors to note is that we are not going to be able to physically display every single work at the Gallery for the four-week exhibition – there are just too many. However, we will ensure that all artworks are at the very least photographed and listed in the online catalogue (to go live late February). All artworks will be either auctioned on 15 March regardless of whether or not they are on physical display, or auctioned online. Because this is a fundraiser, with the intention to raise as much money as possible for bushfire relief, the items that we believe will fetch the highest prices will be ones exhibited – but we will endeavour to display as many as we possibly can. If this is a deal-breaker for you donating and you’ve already sent your artwork, let me know and we’ll be happy to arrange return.

THE ART AID AUCTION

The Art Aid Gippsland auction will be held at The Wedge Performing Arts Centre in Sale on Sunday 15 March. More information about times, online live streaming, online bidding, bidder registration, all to come in later updates. If, once all donations have been received, we feel we are unable to auction everything on one day, we will look at other options including online bidding. At this stage the plan for unsold artworks is to keep them listed online and people can continue to bid for them there. But beyond a certain point any unsold artworks will need to be returned or we can talk to the individual donors about other options.

TAX DEDUCTABILITY

A few people have asked whether they can claim their donations of artworks on tax. Advice I have received from my personal accountant is that I can provide you a formal letter from the Gallery (will be emailed as a PDF) confirming that your work has been received as a donation, and information about the Gallery’s tax deductibility and ABN. You will need to let me know what the normal value of your artwork is (not what it sells for at the auction). Happy for you to let me know if you will need a tax letter, but please note I won’t be sending any of these out until after the auction (in case your work doesn’t sell and needs to be returned).

But I do stress that if you are relying on getting a deduction to please confirm with your own accountant prior to sending anything in.

DROP OFF LOCATIONS

The preferred option for those in Melbourne is to deliver directly to the IAS (International Art Services) depot in Tullamarine. Please email melbourne@iasdas.com.au to arrange drop off and for address details. If you can’t make it to Tullamarine IAS will be picking up from the following seven locations across Melbourne:

BAYSWATER
Address: Art Tree Creations, 1/15 Newcastle Road, Bayswater VIC 3153
Contact: Tamara McLeish
Ph. 0439 326 333
Instructions: Deliveries can be made Mon-Fri, 10.00am-4.30pm, from now to 5 February. Please call Tamara for delivery outside hours

BRUNSWICK
Address: The Pea Green Boat Studios, 31 Tinning Street, Brunswick VIC 3056
Contact: Sandra Tobias
Ph. 0415 521 072
Instructions: Deliveries can be made Mon-Sat, 10.00am-4.00pm, from 20 January to 25 January

EPPING
Address: Art Spectrum, Newmarket Business Park, Building 2, 43 Scanlon Drive, Epping VIC 3076
Contact: Tamara McGuane
Ph. 03 9387 9799
Instructions: Deliveries can be made Mon-Fri, 8.30am-4.30pm, from now until 5 February. Please deliver to the office (look for the sign)

MELBOURNE
Address: Energetiq, Level 27, 303 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Contact: Adam Kierce
Ph. 0410 498 828
Instructions: Deliveries can be made Mon-Fri, 9.00am-5.00pm, from now until 5 February. Please note that this is a CBD address and there will be very limited parking.

RICHMOND
Address: Private address corner Bridge Road and Burnley Streets, with 48 and 75 Trams passing by. Specific address will be given on contact with Alisa.
Contact: Alisa Tanaka-King
Text. 0400 664 832
Instructions: Deliveries can be made Wed 5.30pm-8.30pm; Thu 5.30pm-8.30pm; Sun 4.00pm-8.30pm, from 15 January to 5 February

ST KILDA
Address: Linden New Art, 26 Acland Street, St Kilda VIC 3182
Contact: Juliette
Ph. 03 9534 0099
Instructions: Deliveries can be made Tue-Fri, 10.00am-4.30pm, from 28 to 31 January only. Please note doorway is domestic size (H 210 x W 86cm)

WEST MELBOURNE
Address: The Blender Studios, 33-35 Dudley Street, West Melbourne VIC 3003
Contact: Autumn
Ph. 0416 971 707
Instructions: Deliveries can be made on Sunday 2nd February 11.00am-2.00pm, and Monday 3rd February 11.00am-2.00pm only. Please enter the studios via Maloney Lane.

In addition to the seven locations in Melbourne, there are three drop off locations in Gippsland:

YARRAGON
Address: Town & Country Gallery, 111 Princes Highway, Yarragon VIC 3823
Contact: Jo & John Wolswinkel
Ph. 03 5634 2229
Instructions: Deliveries can be made daily between 10.00am and 5.00pm from now until 12 noon, Friday 7 February

BAIRNSDALE
Address: East Gippsland Art Gallery, 2 Nicholson Street, Bairnsdale VIC 3875
Contact: Crystal Stubbs
Ph. 03 5153 1988
Instructions: Deliveries can be made Tues-Fri 10.00am-4.00pm, and Saturdays 10.00am-2.00pm, from now until Wednesday 5 February

MEENIYAN
Address: Meeniyan Art Gallery, 84 Whitelaw Street, Meeniyan VIC 3956
Contact: Jenny Montford
Ph. 03 5664 0101 or Jenny’s personal mobile, 0428 891 350
Instructions: Deliveries can be made during Gallery opening hours, 10.00am-4.00pm every day (including weekends) EXCEPT Tuesdays when they are closed, from now until 12 noon, Friday 7 February.

If you’re in West or South Gippsland but you can’t get to one of the drop off points, please contact Gippsland Art Couriers, Wayne Foenander on 0407 399 664, who may be able to help out. 

MELBOURNE CLIMATE ACTION RALLY #2 
Saturday 18 January 2020

A lively crowd attended the second Melbourne Climate Action Rally, which took place yesterday afternoon at 2 pm, starting at the State Library of Victoria.







Wednesday, January 15, 2020

The shape of things to come

Rambling Rose, acrylic on linen, 40.5 x 30.5 cm (progress view) will be part of my solo show, 
Backstories at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery from 15 April - 2 May

2020 is shaping up to be an eventful year, and with some deadlines rapidly approaching, I've already got my head down.

Meanwhile, my work is currently on view in two shows that opened late last year:

Anthropocene 

Anthropocene, the 2019 R & M McGivern Prize, includes my shortlisted watercolour, Phyllium giganteum homo-insecta (2018). Anthropocene is held across two venues: ArtSpace at Realm and Maroondah Federation Estate Gallery
The exhibition concludes on 2 February 2020. 
Maroondah Federation Estate Gallery, 32 Greenwood Ave, Ringwood Vic 3134
Artspace at Realm, Eastland Shopping Centre, 179 Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood Vic 3134

Wonderment 
European Wasp Woman, 2015, watercolour, 41.91 x 29.72 cm
currently on view in Wonderment at Queenscliff Gallery and Workshop

Six of my Homo-insecta watercolours, including European Wasp Woman, pictured above, are part of Queenscliff Gallery and Workshop’s summer exhibition, Wonderment.
The show continues until 23 February 2020.
Queenscliff Gallery & Workshop (QG&W)
03 4202 0942 0438 866 068 A 81 Hesse Street Queenscliff VIC 3225

Festival of the Photocopier 2020

I have a stall at the Sticky Institute Festival of the Photocopier Zine Fair at Melbourne Meat Market. I'm making three new zines especially for the event and a limited number of back-issues of my Moth Woman Press publications will also be available. In the light of the ongoing bushfire crisis, all proceeds from my zine sales will be donated to Wildlife Victoria’s Victorian Bushfire Appeal: https://www.wildlifevictoria.org.au/
Festival of the Photocopier 2020 is a two-day event. I will be participating on the second day, Sunday 9 February from 12 – 5 pm
meatmarket@melbourne.vic.gov.au
Meat Market 
T (03) 9329 9966
3 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne, 3051.
For the best public transport options, go here: https://meatmarket.org.au/about/getting-here/ Please note that the surrounding area has limited permit, metered and timed on-street parking.

Art Aid for Gippsland

I have two works in Art Aid for Gippsland, a mammoth fundraising exhibition and auction organised by Gippsland Art Gallery in support of the 2020 Bushfire Appeal. On the final day of the show, Sunday 15 March, donated works will be auctioned at nearby arts venue, The Wedge, with all profits going to the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund (GERF). Artworks will be available to view online in February. For additional information and further updates, visit the gallery's website or follow the Gippsland Art Gallery Facebook Page.
Art Aid for Gippsland runs from 14 February - 15 March 2020.
Exhibition: Gippsland Art Gallery, 70 Foster Street, Sale, Vic 3850
Auction: The Wedge, 100 Foster Street Sale, Vic, 3850.

20 [2020]

In 2020 Tacit Galleries turns twenty years old. To mark the occasion, several artists have been invited to make a work for the gallery's anniversary exhibition, 20 [2020]. I’m delighted to be one of them. 
Exhibition dates:  4 - 15 March, 2020. 
Tacit Galleries
M: 0423 323 188 123a Gipps Street (cnr. Gipps/Islington) Collingwood Vic 3066

Backstories
The Other, 2019acrylic on linen, 40.5 x 30.5 cm, will feature in my solo exhibition,
Backstories at Stephen McLauglan Gallery, 15 April - 2 May

In April, my solo show, Backstories, opens at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery in Melbourne. I’ve long admired Stephen and his iconic gallery, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. The exhibition comprises recent paintings and works on paper that develop and expand upon the 'rear view portraits' which have been central to my work for over three decades. 
Backstories opens on 15 April and runs until May 2 2020.
Stephen McLaughlan Gallery
T 0407 317 323  E: st73599@bigpond.net.au
Level 8 Room 16 The Nicholas Building 37 Swanston Street Melbourne 3000 (Cnr.  Flinders Lane).

Residency at Geelong Grammar School

I have been invited to be Artist-in-Residence at Geelong Grammar School in Term 2, 2020. Past AIRs include Lewis Miller, Sue Anderson, Dean Bowen, David Frazer, Tim Storrier, Yvette Coppersmith, Juan Ford, Nick Howson, Matthew Quick, Bern Emmerichs, Robert Lee Davis, David Booth (a.k.a. Ghostpatrol) and Godwin Bradbeer. 
The nine-day residency commences on May 11. 

International Printmaking Biennial Douro 2020

My work has been included in the 2020 International Printmaking Biennial in Douro, Portugal
The Douro Printmaking Biennial runs from 10 August – 31 October 2020
www.bienaldouro.com

Animalia Paradoxa 
Plusiotis victorina Beetle Woman, 2015, acrylic on wood, 32 x 30 cm
will be part of Animalia Paradoxa at Queenscliff Gallery and Workshop in November 2020

In November, my solo exhibition Animalia Paradoxa opens at Queenscliff Gallery and Workshop. Drawn from my extensive personal mythology, a collection of 'unnatural history studies' harkens back to a time when folk tales helped us make sense of our lives. In these ancient stories, life on earth was shared with a fine profusion of flora, fauna and exotic mythical creatures, and the border separating humanity and nature was decidedly more blurred. 
Animalia Paradoxa runs through November 2020. 
https://qgw.com.au
Queenscliff Gallery & Workshop (QG&W)
03 4202 0942 0438 866 068 A 81 Hesse Street Queenscliff VIC 3225


Saturday, January 11, 2020

Melbourne Climate Action Rally


There was a humongous turnout at yesterday evening’s Climate Action Rally in Melbourne, despite the inclement weather. Similarly packed protests took place in other Australian capital cities. From other posts that I’ve seen on social media, many of our friends were at the Melbourne rally, but there’s no way we could have spotted them - with one notable exception. Shane Jones and I still can’t believe we managed to bump into our friend Vicki Fowler in that gigantic crowd and that we got to march together. I understand another rally is scheduled for January 18. Bring it on. 


Vicki Fowler and Shane Jones

Vicki and me




Thursday, January 9, 2020

Bushfire Relief and ART AID FOR GIPPSLAND

The Last Leaf, 2017, phemograph, 35.5 x 29.5 cm, ed. 20, one of the works I'm
donating to ART AID FOR GIPPSLAND

At present, we are experiencing horrific climate change-driven fires across Australia, the like of which have never been experienced and from which the country will never fully recover. Our hearts go out to the firefighters and to those who have lost their loved ones, homes and entire communities. Millions of native animals have died and their natural habitats destroyed, to the point that some species have been pushed to the edge of extinction. 

For some of the many ways you can help, go HERE.  


In addition, artists can assist the fire relief effort in East Gippsland, Victoria. The following information is from Simon Gregg, Director of Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale:

Artists everywhere are invited to help raise funds for the 2020 Gippsland Bushfire Appeal with ART AID FOR GIPPSLAND.

Gippsland Art Gallery is calling on artists to support the fire relief effort by submitting artworks for a fundraising auction. All artworks will be displayed at the Gallery from 15 February to 15 March, culminating in an auction on the final day, on Sunday 15 March at 4.00pm at The Wedge Performing Arts Centre in Sale (next door to the Gallery).

Simon has prepared the following FAQ:

How do I donate my artwork?
Artworks can be dropped into the Gallery anytime during opening hours (Mon-Fri 9.00am-5.30pm, Sat-Sun 10.00am-4.00pm). It would be helpful if you could complete the ‘Artwork Form’ and drop that in with your artwork, but rest assured we have copies available at the desk that you can fill in also. If delivering directly to the gallery the deadline is 4.00pm Sunday 9 February (as we’ll begin hanging on Monday morning 10th Feb).

Can I post my artwork?
Absolutely. Please send to Gippsland Art Gallery, PO Box 506, Sale VIC 3850, and please wrap well.

I can’t get to the Gallery, will there be drop off points?
Yes, in Gippsland you can drop your work off with our friends at the Town & Country Gallery at 111 Princes Highway, Yarragon. Cut off for deliveries is 12 noon on Friday 7th February. Big thanks to Wayne Foenander from Gippsland Art Couriers who has offered to drive everything at Yarragon down to Sale on Saturday 8th.

If you’re in Melbourne, our friends IAS Fine Art Freight have generously offered to run a shuttle down to Sale from their depot at Tullamarine. You’ll need to get your artwork to them no later than Wednesday 5th February for that one. To book in with IAS and get details for their delivery address please contact the wonderful staff at IAS at melbourne@iasdas.com.au.

We are likely to have a further five other drop off points in Melbourne in West Melbourne, Prahran, CBD, Brunswick, and Richmond (thank you to those kind folk who have offered their homes, studios and galleries). Still working through those details so stay tuned. IAS will be able to pick up from those drop off points but they’d rather it if as much go directly to them at Tullamarine as possible.

We’ve received lovely offers of donations from further afield as well, interstate and overseas. We’re not going to be able to do dedicated freight runs from capital cities other than Melbourne so if postage is not an option flick me an email and we’ll see what we can work out.

How many / how large can artworks be?
Yes, at the beginning I said ‘as many and as large as you like’ but I’ve had to do a reverse flip on that as we’re going to run out of space! So now I’m asking if artists can please donate no more than two artworks (unless they’re really small, or if they’ve already been sent) and please no more than one if its more than a metre square. Please be sure to attach a hanging devise or any special instructions on how to mount/display the work. And yes, artworks can be in any medium or style, including jewellery, artefacts, button art, quilts, and all the other wonderful things people have offered.

Can my kids donate their art?
I would say a cautionary ‘yes’ as we want to make this inclusive but please keep them fairly small as this is all about raising money for those in need.

Where are the funds going to?
100% of what we raise will go to the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund (GERF).

Will work be vetted / do I need to send images first?
Many of you have sent me links to browse websites and sought advice about whether their work is suitable. We’re not going to select or vet works and we’re perfectly happy for you to send in whatever you want if it’s the work you wish to donate (providing of course that it isn’t obscene or overly crass or crude – this is a family gallery!) If you would like to offer a painting of a bushfire I think that’s ok too, but use your judgement and common sense.

Is moving image art ok?
I did say earlier that artworks can be in any medium but I think we’re going to struggle with moving image/video artworks as we only have two working TVs so some people might miss out. Better, if you can, to send in a digital print or similar.

Key dates
We will be hanging the exhibition from Monday 9th Feb to Friday 14th Feb. There will be an opening on Friday 14 Feb at 6.00pm (opening alongside Peter Cole and Susan Purdy exhibitions) and all are welcome. The works will then remain on display for four weeks until Sunday 15 March. On that day we will hold an auction at The Wedge Performing Arts Centre (next door to the Gallery) which holds capacity seating for 392. We will also stream the auction live over the web and there will be absentee forms and ways people can bid who can’t get to Sale. Further details about all that to come.

What if my work doesn’t sell?
Not sure about that yet – one idea is to have a silent online auction. Will let you know.

ART AID is now up on our website here and we’ll keep providing updates through email and social media. And of course, if you have any other questions I haven’t answered here please flick me an email and I’ll get back to you asap.

All money raised will be donated to the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund (GERF) to help support those who have lost their homes and property in the devastating East Gippsland bushfires.

Artworks can be dropped off at the Gallery during opening hours up until Sunday 9 February (we will begin hanging the following day). For those who would like to participate but are unable to get their artworks to the Gallery, please get in touch with us asap and we will do our best to arrange collection. Can you please complete the attached Artwork Form and drop off with your artwork, or you can fill one out when you come in (we’ll have some ready at the help desk).

The address for all deliveries is:
Port of Sale, 
70 Foster Street, 
Sale VIC 3850.

If you have any other questions, you can contact Simon Gregg at simong@wellington.vic.gov.au, or phone on 03 5142 3078 or 0432 899 703 if you need your work collected or for any other information.

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

A new dawn


The sun rises on a new decade and a kinder, gentler world in Soothsayer (acrylic on linen, 40.5 x 30.5 cm).

Wishing you a safe and happy New Year, with all the good things you would wish for yourself in 2020, and beyond.

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Another New Year's Eve


At the start of 2019, the painting in the top left-hand corner above was on my easel. I wondered then, as we all do when another year has just lurched to a close, what the coming year would bring. If only I'd known.

The images above are not my "best nine"; rather they are a random selection of some of the works undertaken during 2019. It was a surprisingly productive year. Given the unexpected direction our lives took, I still can't believe I managed any studio time at all.

Most years are a roller coaster ride and this one was no exception. I hope it has ended on a positive note for you, as it has for Shane, Alice and I. 

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Compliments of the Season


After seven months of serial house moving, Shane and I are looking forward to staying in our new house today and doing as little as possible, at least for most of the day.

This evening, we'll follow our long tradition of visiting a dear friend in Melbourne and enjoying a classic film at the Alhambra, his home cinema, along with a small group of likeminded friends. This year, it's the delightful My Man Godfrey (1936) with Carole Lombard and William Powell.

Meanwhile, our own home cinema is taking shape, although it still lacks a projector. At present, our Christmas tree graces the stage.


In the following photo, a seemingly benign Alice has positioned herself under the tree ...


... but soon blots her copybook by trying to eat one of the decorations, a miniature cuckoo clock from Germany.


However you celebrate today, or if you simply choose to ignore it, have a safe and happy day.

Monday, December 16, 2019

Channelling Vertigo


Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (1958) was the point of departure for my painting, Coil (2001, acrylic on seven canvases, 60.5 x 55.5 cm).

The spiral is a recurring symbol in Vertigo, beginning with Saul Bass's celebrated opening title sequence. Even the tightly coiled coiffure of Madeleine/Judy, as portrayed by Kim Novak, mimics a spiral. One of the film's most indelible moments occurs in the dreamlike Legion of Honour scene, in which Madeleine contemplates the portrait of her ancestor, Carlotta Valdez, by whom she is supposedly possessed.


Taking its cue from Vertigo, the spiral is a repeated motif in Coil. Given its connection to Hitchcock's film, it seemed appropriate to hang the painting at the entrance to the cinema room in our house, alongside its companion work, Net (2001, acrylic on three canvases, 131 x 40.5 cm).


To complete the scene, Alice channels Kim Novak in San Francisco's Legion of Honour Museum.


Saturday, December 14, 2019

December 11 celebrations



Settlement of my house in Bradshaw Street on December 11 (see previous post) coincided with a visit to Eureka Street from two Melbourne friends, Anne and Nathan Moshinsky. They are among several people we initially met through our mutual friend, Ross Campbell, with whom we share a love of film. (Leigh Hobbs is another - see the final photo below). Not surprisingly, Nathan and Anne were especially drawn to the cinema room on the first floor. We'd originally planned to go out for brunch. But no one wanted to leave, so we celebrated in our new home.

All artworks in the cinema room, including the trompe l'oeil painting of a figure in a doorway on the lefthand side, top, and the easel painting above, centre, are by Shane Jones.

Shane and Nathan (who is also a keen painter) were soon immersed in an in-depth discussion about art. Note Alice's attempts to distract them. When all else fails, she finds that clawking the sofa never fails to achieve the desired response.




Later that day, Shane and I drove to Melbourne for screenings of The Long Day Closes and The Neon Bible at Melbourne Cinematheque, both of which are part of the current Terrence Davies season. (Davies is one of our favourite directors). December 11 is also the birthday of my gorgeous sister-in-law, Patricia Gillard (pictured below, right) and we met her for a celebratory drink beforehand. We were briefly joined, via a series of happy coincidences, by our dear friend, Leigh Hobbs (second from right).


All in all, it was a memorable day.


Friday, December 13, 2019

A fond farewell and belated thanks


On Monday afternoon, Shane and I called into 7 Bradshaw Street, Golden Point for one last wistful look at our former home and my beloved studio (above and fourth photo below). Final inspection was the following morning and settlement took place on Wednesday, 11 December at 11 am.






The settlement nominated by the buyer was alarmingly brief - we had under three and a half weeks to vacate the studio and house. It was an intense, frequently stressful period, with little time for anything else, especially when the deadline drew disconcertingly near.

I spent my birthday on December 4 at our new place, unpacking seemingly endless piles of boxes and attempting to find homes for their various contents, while Shane remained in Bradshaw Street patching the dozens of holes where our artworks and other collections once hung. We did take some brief time out, however. In the morning, Shane took me out for breakfast and in the evening for a celebratory meal.

For Shane and I, 2019 has been dominated by a chain of moves: from his warehouse apartment in Park Street, Abbotsford, to my house in Bradshaw Street, and finally to our place in Eureka Street, Ballarat East, the first home we've owned together. It feels like it's where we're meant to be. We've still got a lot of work ahead of us, but now we can do it in our own time and at our own pace.

There are many people to thank, but first and foremost, thank you all so much for your birthday wishes, via social media, email, text and even snail mail. You brightened my day more than you'll ever know.