Tasmanian Gothic

Weld Echo 2012

2012-02-13T01:14:00.000+11:00

Weld Echo exhibition opens this Friday evening - 17th February. Apart from supporting the efforts of the Huon Valley Environment Centre, I like doing work for WE as it is an opportunity to experiment with different styles and ideas.

These are the paintings I'm entering this year:

Eagles over the Weld
71cm x 56cm oil on canvas

Everybody's into Steampunk these days . . . got a bit bored with this one. Not weird enough. Oh well. More paintings under way.

Three Men on a Log
50cm x 40cm oil on canvas

This was inspired by a photograph of my grandfather and two other Forestry Dept workers crossing the Weld River near Fletcher's Cabin in 1925 or thereabouts.

Time and place: Weld Echo Exhibition 16 - 29 February, 2012
Long Gallery, Salamanca Arts Centre
77 Salamanca Place, Hobart Tasmania

Things to Come this month

2012-02-13T01:01:00.001+11:00

Is this the year you finally get round to learning to paint?

My Tuesday evening drawing/painting classes at Nolan Art in the Salamanca Arts Centre in Hobart are proving so popular I've had to put on another course to handle the demand. So:

Learn to Draw - new course
1000 - 1200 every Saturday at Nolan Art (right opposite the Long Gallery in the Salamanca Arts Centre). Come in and spend a couple of hours drawing then check out the Market, meet friends for lunch, or generally relax. In nice weather, should you desire, we might even do some drawing outdoors - market, historic buildings, fishing boats, gardens - there must be something you'd like to draw!

Adult Education is still alive and well, although reduced in size and labouring under a new name which I refuse to use. The new brochure came out on Feb 4, and enrolments are coming in. Go to my web page for the quickest way to see which courses I'll be teaching - www.tasmanian-gothic.com/lessons/

See you there!

Goth in Paradise - 5

2012-02-08T04:35:00.000+11:00

WEEK FIVE AT TARRALEAH

Last week's paintingworkshop went very well, despite fewer enrolments than we'd hoped.Perhaps the drawing weekend at the beginning of March will attract afew more people. I've packed up and moved back to Hobart, but aselection of paintings remains at Tarraleah for your enjoyment,should you be passing that way.

I liked it so much thatI stayed on at Tarraleah for an extra week. And it was well worthwhile – once more I managed to get into places that are usually notopen to the public. And I took lots of photographs.

So – a word of warning: if you're bored with power stations, stop reading now.

This is the foyer ofthe Tarraleah Power Station. The whole building, including fittingsand turbines, is heritage listed.

Two views of thecontrol room. These days the station is monitored from Hobart andthis impressive array of dials is no longer used. They have beenreplaced by the computer in the foreground of the bottom photo, but will remain here aspart of the building's history.

The windows on the left look out onto the turbine hall (see below)

At present the Hydro isundertaking a major overhaul of its facilities; this is what it lookslike when they remove the water intakes from a turbine. The whitepanels top right are sound-proofing as the old Pelton wheel turbinesare not insulated and it can get very noisy when they are allrunning.

From the floor of theturbine hall; another view of the turbinecurrently having an overhaul.

Notice the art deco light fittings. The control room ison the upper level, right.

The inside of a generator – how you like them brushes?

The Pelton wheelitself. Good ol' Wikipedia will tell you how it works:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelton_wheel

Once it's gone throughthe turbines the water is released back into the Nive River. Severalpower stations later it ends up in your cup of tea. Assuming you livein Hobart.

TUNGATINAH

Tungatinah, just acrossthe road and on the opposite side of the river, was built in the1950s and uses the more sophisticated vertical shaft Francisturbines. Again, refer to Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_turbine

This is what they looklike:

They extend down threefloors to the basement, so all you really see here is the pilotexciter. What well-known sci-fi characters do they remind you of?

The turbine in theforeground is a more modern version than the other four. And if youcan only see three, that's because the furthermost one is undergoingmaintenance. Here it is:

As you see, thewindings are set on a vertical shaft.

These are the penstocks feeding Tungatinah.

This is where the water comes down from the highland lakes, viaTungatinah Lagoon.

The building houses themain valve at the top of the penstocks; the roof is removed and thecrane used to lift the valve out for maintenance. This is allheritage listed, too.

View across Nive Gorgeto Tarraleah from the top of the Tungatinah penstocks.

A DIFFERENT POWER

I stopped at St Johnthe Baptist Anglican Church in Ouse on the way home; here are some ofthe pictures.

Goth in Paradise - 4

2012-02-01T01:28:00.000+11:00

Information board at Tarraleah lookout (complete with photographer's reflection)

TOURISTS AT TARRALEAH

As Artist in ResidenceI'm officially supposed to be yet another interesting attraction fortourists to look at. So far I seem to have averaged one visit a day,which suits me very well as it's just enough to be diverting but notenough to become an Unwelcome Interruption.

Some of the people whohave come in have been comfortably at ease; others plainly bemused.There was the friendly, chatty engineer from Vancouver who wasfilling in time while her sons were off fishing, and was goodcompany. There was the young couple who were worried one or both oftheir children might touch something or behave inappropriately,fussed frantically trying to hush them, and finally fled when it allbecame too terrifying. There was the portly lady taking a break fromher Leadership Conference who sat on the couch and asked sensiblequestions, finally remarking on my sensible shoes. This was an oddnon sequitor, but perhaps she had just suffered an UnfortunateFootwear Experience.

And there was theelderly man in shorts and sandals and a terry-towelling hat whowanted to know what style I called that? I said “Tasmanian Gothic”and he nodded wisely. “Gothic Style” he repeated, making sure heremembered it so he could tell his daughter, who Paints. He'd seentraditional painting, which he could understand and he'd seenabstract painting which he couldn't, but my paintings had himstumped. He liked them, but “It's sort of like eggs, scrambled eggs. . . “

What? Intrigued, Iasked him to elaborate, but despite his best attempts he couldn'treally explain what he was trying to say. I think he was having trouble withrecognisable shapes in unexpected juxtapositions; they had to meansomething, but he had no idea what and was definitely out of hisdepth. So he told me all about his family until his wife came lookingfor him and whisked him away.

TARRALEAH

I've continuedexploring the immediate surrounds of Tarraleah, and have taken alarge number of photographs, most of which I will probably never use.The pipeline with its magnificent surge towers continues tofascinate; it does rather dominate the landscape.

It's hard to believe that thirty years ago all those empty paddocks were a town with a population of 1,600. Yes, over there, the other side of the pipeline.

Reception at Tarraleah was, in those days, the general store.

There are traces ofEngineering all through the bush, but nature is carrying onundeterred.

I spent a jolly fifteen minutes or so watching aplatypus, and here is the photograph to prove it.

Despite my bestefforts, it belongs in the category of worse-than-useless amateurwildlife photographs, but I tried. It's not my fault the platypus wouldn't co-operate.

Goth in Paradise - 3

2012-01-24T04:38:00.000+11:00

WEEK THREE AT TARRALEAH

It had to be done. Timeto walk down to the power station. After all, that is the reason allthis is here.

I was very pleased to find the “Welcome” mat left out for visitors. How friendly.

When work began on thepower scheme, access to Tarraleah was via the Victoria Valley road,then down the Fourteen Mile; the more direct route from Ouse was notconstructed until the mid-1940s. Here is some of the roadconstruction. It's not quite a vertical drop from the road, but it'spretty steep.

Walking down the LyellHighway might not sound like a lot of fun, but it really is a verylovely stretch of highway, with plenty to look at. We particularlylike the way tree roots have been exposed in the cuttings.

And, of course, wefound a Dead Thing On The Roadside.

POWER

Where else do children recite the names of power stations? When I was at primary school we were taught to chant: Waddamana Tarraleah Tungatinah Wayatina Liapoota Catagunya. If the rest of this reads like a school project that may well be why.

“From the heightsabove, or from the road below, the visitor may see at a glance twomajor hydro-electric power stations with a total capacity of 300,000horsepower, situated one on each bank of the river and drawing theirsupplies of water from separate and distinct catchment areas.” Thiswas written by R.M.H. Garvie, B.Sc., M.I.C.E., M.I.E. Aust, Assistantto the Commissioner, who compiled (sic) a million horses –Tasmania's Power In The Mountains published in October 1962 byThe Hydro-Electric Commission, Tasmania. And here they are.

Tarraleah Power Station

Tungatinah Power Station

Tunnels, pipelines and concrete-lined canals carry water from Butlers Gorge to the crest above the River Nive; from there six steel penstocks drop 290 metres to the Tarraleah power station on the river bank below.

Here are views up and down the slope above the power station.

Lew Reynolds, deputyPower Station Superintendent at Tarraleah told Jim Marwood in themid-1980s, “There's three kilometres of water in each penstockrunning down towards us with the mass of a freight train and nobrakes. Then it goes over the edge and another thousand feet into thegorge before it hits the turbines. It adds up to a lot of power.”Ninety eight percent of that power is converted to electricity.

The Tarraleah PowerScheme was approved by the State Government in 1934 and took twentyfive years to complete. It includes Clark Dam, forming Lake KingWilliam, and the Butlers' George power station at its base, which isthe first of eight power stations the water passes before it finallyflows down the Derwent and out into Storm Bay. The Tarraleah powerstation began operation in 1938, but work on the Clark Dam wasdelayed by lack of manpower and resources during the Second WorldWar.

As soon as the warended the Hydro began recruiting Europeans to work on the scheme, andin one twelve-month period a thousand Polish ex-servicemen arrived.Many were still in the army, still in uniform, and they were notdemobilised until after they arrived at their new jobs in Tasmania.

Prior to the War there were nine camps of single men strung out between LakeSt Clair and Tarraleah. Only at Butlers Gorge and Tarraleah was there any provision formarried men and their families. There was practically nomechanisation; only the odd traction engine for heavy haulage, accommodation was mostly in tents, with a few huts, work was hard and lifewas pretty grim. Over the course of the project all this changedcompletely, and by the 1950s there was heavy machinery everywhere,pick-and-shovel men were becoming an endangered species, and properlyplanned townships with houses, shops and other amenities replaced themakeshift camps.

When Tungatinah openedin 1955 it was the biggest power station in Tasmania, with verticalshaft Francis reaction type turbines which made a more efficient useof the available space than the older horizontal shaft Peltonturbines in the Tarraleah station. It takes its water from the PineTier Lagoon and Nive River via the Bronte Canal, and from the upperOuse via Monpeelyata Canal and Lake Echo, thence to Brady's Lake viaDee Lagoon.

So now you know. Ifthat's not enough, here is a link to the Hydro website:

http://www.hydro.com.au/energy/our-power-stations/derwent

references:

Garvie, R.M.H. A Million Horses.Tasmania. The Hydro-Electric Commission. 1962.

Marwood, Jim. Ways of Working. Kenthurst. Kangaroo Press Pty Ltd. 1986.

Goth in Paradise - 2

2012-01-16T23:44:00.000+11:00

WEEK TWO AT TARRALEAH

The second week atTarraleah has been very productive. It's amazing how much painting one canget done by working regular hours - my hours have beenanything but regular, but there have been a lot of them. Just to tease you, here are four stages of the corner of thepainting that's been keeping me up quite late at night. It still hasunresolved problems, so it came home to my studio today and can staythere until I work out how to fix it.

Sometimes a touristhas wandered in; here's one of them. This is the gallery space in thereception area.

Despite working till midnight some evenings, I did have time to gofor a walk along about a kilometre of Lyell Highway one evening withgreat success. We found some elegant wallaby jawbones and anothervery heavy jaw I guess belongs to a wombat. Feel free to correct meif I am wrong.

There were plenty of vertebrae, including a sacrum,lots of ribs, phalanges and so on. Many tiny pieces ofsmall animals, like the delicate discs between vertebrae.

We wereparticularly pleased with the snake. It is destined to become anecklace, with the vertebrae threaded on fine wire. Tourists may havebeen a mite concerned seeing the Café Supervisor strolling home withthis lot.

Alas, poor Yorick. I photographed him, Horatio.

We had intended headingfor the pub for our evening tipple, but it closed before we finishedrearranging and photographing our treasures. So we watched DVDsinstead. I never have time to do this at home, so I am reallyenjoying catching up with some of the many vampire movies I havemissed.

What a bored artist did with my kneadable eraser.

Goth in Paradise

2012-01-09T20:43:00.000+11:00

FIRST FOUR DAYS ON THE JOB AT TARRALEAH

pipeline - what one thinks of in association with Tarraleah.
Now we've got that one out of the way.

Everybody has been very nice to me; they have given me everything I asked for (photocopying, signage, furniture, light globes, a saucepan . . . ) and the spaces I have been allocated are better than I anticipated. There is a nice little gallery space at Reception, and another adjoining my studio, which has plenty of air, light and space. This is what it looks like.

I've already completed two partly-finished paintings and am well under way with a new one. There is no mobile phone coverage here, television reception is hopeless, and even internet connections, supposing I had access to a computer, are patchy. All there is to do is paint, and talk to the odd tourist who wanders in. So far the tourists have been gratifyingly well-behaved - they have praised my paintings effusively, interpreted them correctly, demanded to see more, and gone off clutching the brochures I have thoughtfully provided.

As if all that isn't enough, I've made a new friend. We while away our evenings photographing road-kill, getting excited about the architecture of spider nests and lichens and investigating the interiors of rotting logs together before retiring to the pub for a convivial G&T.

Is life supposed to be this much fun?

These are some of the things we found on a short walk to the waterfall on Saturday night.

Gothic architecture, anyone?

This is the waterfall. It's much bigger than it looks here;
those are super-big man-ferns around it.

Exhibiting Myself

2011-12-31T01:35:00.000+11:00

Now that Christmas is over we can all start to think about January, can't we?

Here's your chance to see a selection of my older paintings in a jolly splendid location; two-hour scenic drive from Hobart, lawns, Highland cattle, ducks and an excellent cafe. Oh, and power stations too, if you're into that sort of thing.

Tarraleah in 2012

Cottages at Tarraleah

The Village Green; Great Hall and Hotel (left), Cafe, shop and gallery (right)

My studio (left) and Great Hall

I'm moving to Tarraleah for January to take up my new career as a Tourist Attraction, otherwise known as Artist in Residence. This involves painting industriously all day and being nice to any tourists who happen to stop by to watch or to look at the exhibition of paintings I delivered to their brand-new gallery this morning.

Come for a drive and drop in to see me - and my paintings. You can watch me working away at a brand-new picture, and find out all my little painting secrets.

I will still be back in Hobart on Mondays and Tuesdays to teach regular art classes, and to give private tuition.

Painting Classes

There are two places left for my Extra Five short course of five lessons at Nolan Art School, Salamanca Arts Centre, beginning 17 January. All levels, all mediums, drawing or painting; chaos guaranteed. Contact Betty Nolan to enrol. More information.

This is the church, which will be our painting studio for the Oil Painting workshop at Tarraleah.

The month ends with an oil painting weekend at Tarraleah, 28-29 January - two days of painting tuition in a jolly splendid location, with accommodation, meals and painting materials supplied. There are only ten places in the class - contact Tarraleah Events to book. More information.

Art Deco porch decoration on one of the
cottages at Tarraleah

One for the duck-lovers

So, until then - wishing you all a Happy New Year and hope tonight's festivities are just super.

2011-11-03T15:34:00.000+11:00

Working in the Wilderness

This summer I will be conducting two painting/drawing workshops at Tarraleah Village.

The course fee includes inspirational indoor and outdoor venues, 1-night share accommodation in a large classic Tarraleah art-deco cottage with breakfast supplies, morning and afternoon teas, lunches in Teez Café, 3-course dinner in Highlander Arms, guided morning waterfall walk and evening wildlife walk, cliff-top spa, sauna and gym, beautiful Highland scenery - and two days of drawing or painting lessons with all materials supplied!
And there are plenty of activities to amuse your Significant Other while you are busy at the easel.

dates:
Landscape oil painting - 28-29 January, 2012
more information
Drawing - 3-4 March, 2012
more information
more about Tarraleah
(above image from the Tarraleah website)

Shipwrecks and Shopping

2011-09-10T00:35:00.000+10:00

It was a squally, blustery day, perfect for visiting the lighthouse and watching the breakers in Currie harbour.
Currie foreshore is just as wild and rugged as anywhere else on the west coast; according to something I read, it is the only sheltered anchorage on the entire coast – and not too easy of access at that, with plenty of nasty sharp rocks lying in wait for the unwary sailor. In fact, King Island must be one of the most deadly in the world – there were more than thirty ships wrecked around the island between 1862 and 1915.

Blencathra was on the wayto Sydney from Glasgow when her captain mistook the Cape Wickham light for CapeOtway – a common, and deadly error. Everybody was rescued with assistance from a salvage crew working on the wreck ofBritish Admiral, which hit the island a couple of miles further south theprevious May. Those on board the BritishAdmiral had not been so lucky - of eighty eight people only nine survived, andcargo and bodies were strewn along twenty kilometres of beach.

The captain and crew from Blencathra hitched a lift to Melbournewith a load of cargo salvaged from the British Admiral, and the wreck of their shipwas sold to another salvage company. Despite an armed guard, seventy five of eight hundred cases of whisky from Blencathra vanished without tracethe night after they were unloaded. A successful shopping trip for somebody.

These are the rocks that did for Blencathra on January 3, 1875. They are only just out of sight from where I am sitting typing this.

Nine years earlier and a few hundred metres furthersouth Netherby, carrying 452 passengers boundfor Brisbane fetched up on the rocks after losing her bearings in badweather. Everybody managed to getashore, and the second officer, MrParry, set out with eight men to look for habitation. Five days later he handedMr W. Hickmott, the duty lighthouse keeper at Cape Wickham, a letter:

Send help and succour to 500 shipwrecked people from the shipNETHERBY – Owen Owens, Master.

They were tired, hungry and footsore, but after a brief rest Mr Parry and the four strongest of his men set out for Melbourne in thelighthouse whaleboat. Landing on the Victorian coast near Anglesea they were mistaken for bushrangers by the first person they encountered, but managed to convince him they were nice people, really. The old shepherd guided them to a nearby station where Mr Parry borrowed a horse. He rode fifty kilometres to Geelong and telegraphed his news to Melbourne. Then he probably slept for about a week.

Meanwhile, Mr Hickmott went down to the wreck site to collect the survivors, who now included a very new baby. Small groups of people straggled up to thelighthouse all night. The lighthouse keepers’ wives housed and fed them until they were collected and taken to Melbourne where a good many of them decided they had had enough adventures and stayed.I’m impressed that the lighthouse women managed to cope with so many people – they must have done some mega-serious groceryshopping.

Cataraqui Probably the most famous wreck, one of Australia’s worst peacetime marine disasters, was in 1845 when Cataraqui, an emigrant ship with 369passengers and a crew of 46, ran into horrible weather after about three monthsat sea. Captain Findlay could not get an accurate position, but believed he wasabout 50 miles southwest of Portland. He wasn’t. He was actually about sixtymiles further south and the ship ran on to rocks in a heavy rain squall.

Manyof the passengers were trapped below decks and drowned immediately, but about two hundredclung desperately to the ship for more than ten hours until it broke in two. By thetime the ship finally went to pieces late the following day only nine peoplemanaged to get ashore alive. They were discovered by a party of sealers andeventually taken to safety a month later.

Iwalked with some friendly King Island artists to the monument marking where 342 bodies were buried in five mass graves. It is a bleak and scary place. (above)

Havingduly expressed our horror at the fate of Cataraqui we continued on our way alongthe shore until the rocks gave way to a windswept beach where we all began hunting for bits andpieces washed ashore by the roaring forties. We soon had quite a collection of brightly-colouredsea-weathered rope, fragments of plastic, old brushes, a multi-branched sponge,bottle tops and similar treasures. “This is how we go shopping.” Alison said. Megan said “Tomorrow we’ll go to the tip”.

reference: Loney. Jack. Wrecks on King Island. Portarlington. Marine History. 1995

Power, Flowers and Rocks

2011-09-04T00:27:00.000+10:00

Yesterday I drove down to Naracoopa, where, in 1802, Lt Robbins explained to Nicholas Baudin inno uncertain terms that the Island was British, and where several ships havebeen wrecked. I think it is more remarkable to find a stretch of King Islandcoastline where there hasn’t been a shipwreck. The west side of the island, inthe path of the Roaring Forties, is rocky and rugged; sand washes away there,but it is deposited on the eastern side. I asked whether this means the islandis gradually creeping east, but the rocks aren’t moving. Perhaps the sandsneaks overland back to the west when nobody is looking? Anyway, even the eastern side has lots ofnice, sharp rocks.

I found some interesting things to look at along theway.

KING ISLAND ADVANCED HYBRID POWER STATION

This is the Grassy power station in 1947, orthereabouts. It provided power for the King Island Scheelite mine, and for thetownship. Most people elsewhere on the island were still relying on kerosenelanterns and fuel stoves, although some had small electricity generators. Towards the end of the 1940s Dad, with helpfrom Bob Jordan, installed a 12v lighting system for the Church of England inCurrie.

This is Hydro Tasmania’s Currie Power Station today.It has 9 turbines generating 8.55 megawatts. Four are Diesel, five wind, andthere is a solar array. Nearly half theisland’s electricity is provided by the Huxley Hill Wind Farm. The solar panels are self-tracking. So are thesheep.

There aren’t many sheep on the island; dairy andbeef cattle are more usual. I have eaten a lot of cheese and yoghurt in thelast couple of days; and more to come. Haven’t even visited the cheese factoryyet!

FERAL FLOWERS

Other wonders are these paperbark melaleucas whichgrow so amazingly tall and straight; on the coast they are short and twisted,the shape I expect. But away from the coast they are pretending to be gumtrees, replacing the huge eucalypt forests destroyed by the sealers and theearly settlers. Just as surprising are the forget-me-nots in the grass by theroadside. Everything is so lush here!

RIVIERA ARCHITECTURE

The locals refer to Naracoopa as their Riviera. Itis on Sea Elephant Bay, on the sheltered east side of the island, with a long,beautiful beach. It even sports a bit of super-kitsch:

I was trying to locate the spot where Dad photographed apicnic party, but the area has changed, and I’m not certain whether I was inquite the right spot. The King Island Harbour Authority has replaced the oldsheds in the old photographs with new sheds which have become old andsubsequently suffered an Art Attack. I do like the way the broken windowbecomes a dolphin.

Which building do YOU think is more interesting?

Ref:http://www.hydro.com.au/energy/our-power-stations/bass-strait-islands/currie-power-station
Ref:http://www.dier.tas.gov.au/energy/renewable_energy

To the Lighthouse

2011-09-01T23:19:00.000+10:00

Hadan extra splendid bonus today – there are big celebrations in November for thesesquicentenary of the Cape Wickham lighthouse, and the organisers wereinspecting the site today as part of the planning process. So I went along withSally. Beautiful warm, sunny weather, lots of wonderful rocks to draw. AND weall climbed up to the top of the lighthouse, which is usually closed to thepublic as it is still a serious working light. Great photos.

Here we are admiring the view from the top of the tallest lighthouse in the southern hemisphere.

Originalplans for the lighthouse were drawn up in 1855. This was for a masonrystructure, but there were suggestions a prefabricated cast iron tower would besimpler to erect. W.B. Falconer, an engineer from Launceston, estimated abuilding cost of 19,507 pounds for the masonry tower as opposed to 23,743 forthe prefabricated building, and in the end he was proved correct – followinghis plan, the project was completed at a cost of 18,533 pounds.

Granite for thewalls, which are eleven feet thick at the base, was quarried locally andbrought about a mile overland by tramway; all other materials had to be brought in through the surfand rocks – with great difficulty.

Thefirst entry in the Cape Wickham log book reads:

“FridayNovember 1^st 1861 a.m. to noon, moderate fine weather. Noon toSunset, Fine. At sunset light exhibited for the first time from this Station. Brightfixed light. Elevation of tower 145 feet and elevated above the sea 280 feet.Wicks require trimming every five hours obscuring the light six and sevenminutes. Watch relieved at 10 p.m. Midnight all well”

Ref:Walker, Donald. Beacons of Hope. Athelstone Trust. 1998.

Haven’tdecided yet what to do tomorrow, but I’m sure it will be interesting.

First day on the job

2011-09-01T23:01:00.000+10:00

Hardto believe I’ve only been here a day and a half – busy, busy, busy! So many newsights, sounds and people packed into such a short time.

Nice, uneventful flight, which is just the way we like them. I tried very hard to reproduce Dad’s photo of flying-in-to-the-island, but the clouds weren’t right, nor was our flight path and I was sitting on the wrong side of the plane, anyway. Oh well. But I did get a photo of the engine, and the rainbow was nice!

I am now comfortably ensconced in the King Island Cultural Centre, which was formerly the Marine Board Building, right on the harbour. Only a couple of hundred metres from the town centre, but feels as if it’s miles away. Isolation? I love it!

Here is the town centre – in 1947 (approx.) and today. The trees are still there, and some of the grass, and the building just to the right of the trees in the old photo. It’s now the local IGA supermarket. The double-storey building on the right was the pub; it burned down and has been replaced. The little building on the right has had a new roof and a coat of purple paint and is now an art and craft gallery. There doesn’t seem to be much else left.

After an hilarious evening dining with Sally and friends in Grassy last night I had no trouble at all getting to sleep, lulled by the waves on the beach and all that romantic stuff. This was what it looked like this evening.

Off to the Island

2011-09-01T21:55:00.000+10:00

Woohoo! Bags are packed - oil paints: check.Sketchbooks: check. Pastels: check. Pencils: check. And so on, through variousother items of artistic paraphernalia. SLR camera: check. All appropriate leadsand lenses: check. Cheap digital camera: check. Ditto bits. Battery charger andspare batteries. Audio recorder. Emergency coffee ration. This took most of theday. Throw miscellaneous items of clothing into another bag. This took five minutes. Print out last-minute vital pieces of information. Check emails - oh no! Forgot to arrangetransport from airport to Currie, which does not have any public transport, letalone a taxi service, and it's almost midnight and the plane leaves at 0700 and. . .

So begins a two-week Arts Tasmania CulturalResidency on King Island. Keep watching this space.

THINGS TO DO IN THE SPRING

2011-08-13T03:17:00.000+10:00

Elizabeth Barsham's drawing and painting classes – term 3, 2011

Are you saying, in some amazement, goodness-it's-mid-August-where-has-the-year-gone? I have these moments several times a year. Anyway, the Winter term is almost over already, and plans are afoot for Spring classes.

Introducing: NOLAN ART

The most exciting news is that Foreshore Art School is moving to the Salamanca Arts Centre in September; the move will coincide with school holidays, so shouldn't inconvenience anyone too much. It's changing its name, too, and will now be known as Nolan Art.

I will continue my Tuesday evening art class. The new course of lessons begins next Tuesday, 16^th August from 7 – 9 pm, and the first three lessons will be at the current location: Level 2, 6 Bayfield St., Rosny Park (above Eyelines).

This is a mixed level class, and the precise lesson content will depend on what students want to do. I usually find I have some beginners who want to draw, a couple who want to paint, and several people who have some experience and want to work on their own paintings. It works well, because everyone learns from each other. More information: contact betty.nolan@bigpond.com.

Whatever happened to Adult Education?

No doubt you have read dire accounts of the demise of Adult Education. It is true there have been some major changes, but it's still hanging in there, and I'm still offering classes. This term all my lessons will be held at the Church Street centre in North Hobart. I have a particular fondness for this building – my favourite great-aunt taught here in the very early twentieth century when it was the Trinity Hill Primary School, and it has a nice atmosphere.

Anyway, there is no longer Government funding for the LearnXpress (as it is now known) leisure programme. This means fees will be higher as they have to cover the cost of the class, but I assure you it is still worth every penny of your hard-earned . . .

The new Spring Course Guide will be in The Mercury as usual on 20^th August, and you can enrol online at

http://www.adulteducation.tas.gov.au/ or by phone or mail.

You will find information about my classes with links to the relevant enrolment pages on my website

www.tasmanian-gothic.com/lessons/

Colour Circle

Colour Circle are a very well-organised art group who have been meeting and exhibiting regularly for many years. They run several drawing and painting classes, which are open to non-members as well as regulars. My drawing class from 1000 - 1200 on Monday mornings is suitable for both beginners and continuing students. Term 3 begins on Monday 19th September.

Address: Colour Circle studio
533 Nelson Road, Mount Nelson
Tasmania

postal address: P.O. Box 163, South Hobart 7004

To enrol in this class contact
Bernadette Trotter
phone: 6229 8938

Look forward to seeing you at one or another of these classes – or just round about town.

Keep painting!

Tasmanian Gothic Stuff no. 4: Gothick Frivolity and a Tasmanian Farmer

2011-06-30T00:38:00.000+10:00

FONTHILL AND FRANCIS TABART
By the early eighteenth century romantics were becoming bored by the Rule of Taste, the Palladian style introduced by Inigo Jones which dominated English architecture. Its formal proportions and strict lines left little room for expression of emotions, and the more poetically inclined began to explore other styles, among them the exuberant Decorated Gothic of the thirteenth to early fourteenth centuries. The two most notorious enthusiasts, wealthy literary gentlemen and art collectors born a generation apart, were Horace Walpole (1717-1797) and William Beckford (1760-1844).
Walpole is usually credited as the inventor of Gothic literature, publishing The Castle of Otranto in 1764, but William Beckford sought to rival him with Vathek (published 1786). Both built themselves magnificently imaginative “Gothic” mansions which they stuffed with priceless works of art. Otherwise, the two could not have been more different.
Walpole was sociable and gregarious, filling his house, Strawberry Hill, with huge dinner parties and grand occasions. He was so keen to show off his possessions that he sold tickets for the public to visit.
Beckford was quite the opposite - private and reclusive, he surrounded his entire 200 hectare estate with a huge wall several kilometres long, ostensibly to keep out poachers, and kept to himself. With architect James Wyatt he set to work constructing a monstrous folly - Fonthill Abbey. The entrance doors alone were ten metres tall; the frontage – and the main passage through the building – were a hundred metres long; and the central hall was surmounted by a massive 90 metre tall octagonal tower. With the exception of Beckford's few closest friends, visitors were strictly excluded.
Naturally rumours soon spread about what was going on behind that wall, and some of them were very salacious indeed. In fact, Beckford spent most of his time planning extensions and adornments to his residence, worrying about his annual £30,000 heating and running costs and rebuilding the tower, which had a distressing tendency to collapse. By the1820s he was no longer the richest man in England – his house was ruining him. He sold Fonthill Abbey to an eccentric arms dealer for £300,000 and retired to Bath. In 1825 the tower finally collapsed completely in most spectacular fashion, taking most of the west wing of the house with it. The ruins were sold off and subsequently most of the building was demolished.
To satisfy the huge interest Fonthill Abbey aroused, drawings, sketches and paintings – including a series of watercolours by J.W.M. Turner, were commissioned and circulated, and a range of engravings and guidebooks were published. Although it survived only thirty years, it quickly became the most notorious house in England.

View of the west and north fronts, Fonthill Abbey

Fonthill - Andover, Tasmania

In December 1830 an ex-Navy purser, Francis Tabart (1792 - 1856) and his family arrived in Van Diemen's Land. Tabart took up land near Andover, in the Tasmanian Midlands and built a log house as temporary residence while he built a substantial stone dwelling, completed by 1843, for his wife and six children. He named his property Fonthill. Although we can't prove a connection with Beckford's Folly, a comparison of these images suggests somebody who saw the pictures and wanted his own Gothick mansion – but somebody more pragmatic and without the budget.

gallery at Fonthill Abbey

dining room at Fonthill, Andover

side entrance at Fonthill, Andover

Fonthill house at Andover is still standing. So is the log cabin, now tastefully renovated as very superior backpacker accommodation. You can spend your holidays there, if you like. Or the rest of your life – at present the entire property is for sale.
Oh yes - Walpole's Strawberry Hill is now a museum.

References:
Robertson, E. Graham, Early Buildings of Southern Tasmania, Middle Park, Georgian House Pty Ltd, 1970.
Davis, Terence, The Gothick Taste, Newton Abbot, David and Charles Ltd, 1974.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fonthill_Abbey
http://www.hvtesla.com/fonthill/ More info about the original Fonthill and Beckford

Come to the National Day of Climate Action

2011-05-30T00:43:00.000+10:00

Sunday 5 June: Join Australians saying "yes" to a cleaner Australia:
11 am at Franklin Square, Hobart.
I can't believe I'm going to a demonstration IN SUPPORT of Government policy! We do live in a strange world.

Man From the City 56cm x 71cm

Another thing I'm doing is entering three paintings in this year's Weld Echo Exhibition, the annual fundraiser for the Huon Valley Environment Centre. You can see a photograph I took on the Weld River a month ago; it's planned to put a bridge across here for logging access.

Weld Echo 2011

1-12 June, Long Gallery, Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart

A collaborative exhibition of works inspired by the wild Weld Valley of Southern Tasmania.
An important fundraiser for the campaign to protect the Weld Valley forests from industrial logging.

Opening Night Wednesday 1st June, from 6pm.

Drinks, nibbles, speakers, including special guests Peter Cundall and Greens MP Kim Booth

One of my paintings is above; here are the other two:

Eating the Trees - 50cm x 40cm

Great Weld Circus - 50cm x 40cm

Tasmanian Gothic Stuff no. 3: On Not Believing Everything They Say

2011-05-24T22:54:00.000+10:00

THE DECLINE AND FALL OF GOTHIC . . .
Gothic architecture was a German style invented in Northern Europe. Its pointed arches and the intertwined ribs of its vaults derive from the wild northern forests, where ignorant barbarians simply dragged branches together to form shelters instead of building themselves real houses. It is a logical successor to the solid Romanesque buildings, recalling the caves and holes where their primitive ancestors huddled while the Romans were out spreading Civilisation. The great Italian Renaissance art historian, Vasari, added that the 'Gothic' style, the embodiment of disorder and chaos, was an invention of the historical Goths who sacked Rome in the fifth century. The entire theory above is nonsense invented in Italy, where they rejected the modern, foreign fashions and reclaimed imperial Rome as their true heritage.
In the sixteenth century Reformation Protestants denounced the elaborate mediaeval systems of religious orders, condemning painted and sculpted representations as idolatrous and the magnificently furnished churches and other ecclesiastical buildings as an ingenious but vainglorious waste of resources. In England Henry VIII declared himself head of the Church, dissolved the monastic orders and sold off their properties. Northern Europe rejected Italian religiosity and stopped building big, spiky cathedrals, but the myth of the “natural” origin of Gothic architecture lingered on.

AND A TASMANIAN POSTSCRIPT
St John the Baptist Church in Buckland, Tasmania, has been the subject of speculation and myth-making for more than a century. It's all because of the east window. This is a genuine Mediaeval window from the Battle Abbey at Hastings, which was rescued by a member of the Cecil family from destruction by Oliver Cromwell. After many years buried for safekeeping it was eventually given to Rev F.H. Cox by Lord Robert Cecil, Marquis of Salisbury, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, who was a family friend. Dean Cox brought it to Tasmania and had it installed in the little country church. There is a variant of the story that says it was presented to the church by the Earl of Salisbury, who walked through the district.
This is a good story, and a nice example of “general” knowledge used to supply extra details.
Flashback to 1066, when William the Conqueror led the last army to invade England. Before the Battle of Hastings he vowed that if he won, he would build an abbey to the glory of God. It is also said that he was ordered by Pope Alexander II to perform an act of penance for killing so many people, so here's another little myth. One or both may be true (probably the latter), but in any case the Battle Abbey was built on the spot where Harold had fallen. The church at Battle Abbey was only one of hundreds of buildings to vanish from the face of the earth under Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's chief minister from 1532 to 1540. By the time Oliver Cromwell (Thomas' great-great-great nephew) came on the scene a century later most of the remaining buildings on the site had been demolished and the abbot's house was a private country mansion.
There is no way to prove or disprove Cox's friendship with the Cecil family, or their gift of the window, but it is well within the bounds of possibility. It was not such a strange thing to give a man who was going out to the colonies to build a church.
However, it is highly unlikely the gift was given by Lord Robert Cecil himself. When Cox departed for the colonies Cecil was barely sixteen years old. By the time the young Earl visited Tasmania in 1852 (aged 22) Cox was no longer at Buckland. Cecil kept a journal of his travels, but as Secretary of State for India (1874-1878), Foreign Secretary (1878-1880) and Prime Minister of England (1885-92, 1895-1902) he never displayed any particular interest in Australia.
In 1846 Reverend F. H. Cox emigrated from Sussex to Tasmania to become the Rector of St John the Baptist Church, Buckland. He brought with him, among other useful things, a stained glass window he had ordered from O'Connor, Berners St, London, and which he said was a gift from a friend. A little stone church was built for him in the district of Prosser, and the window was installed there. Authorities who have examined the window date the glass in the central figure groups to the fourteenth century. The surrounding quarries are nineteenth century; apparently Cox did not order a completely new window, but had some antique pieces incorporated into a modern setting. They may well have come from the church at Battle Abbey, but there is no way to prove or disprove the connection.
But they are definitely old, definitely interesting, and any time you are passing through Buckland you can stop to admire some authentic Gothic stained glass.

References:

The false and misleading “natural” theory of the origin of Gothic style was formalised in 1699 by J. Félibien in a dissertation on architecture. From Henderson, George. Gothic. Harmondsworth. Penguin Books. 1967.
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/england/battle-abbey
Australian Dictionary of Biography

Tasmanian Gothic Stuff number 2: Why Port Arthur isn't Gothic

2011-04-06T13:15:00.001+10:00

This is the second of a series of photographs of "Tasmanian Gothic" things I've found around the place.You don't have to agree with my opinion about what is, or is not, Tasmanian Gothic. If you really don't agree, start a discussion on my Tasmanian Gothic Facebook Page - and post your own photos.

Invalid Depot and Insane Asylum, Port Arthur in 1964

Tasmania was an unsatisfactory place to grow up for an aspiring Goth steeped in English novels. It was all farms and orchards and hydro-electricty, harmless marsupials, sunshine and beaches. Even The Mountain (Mt Wellington, for those not born in Hobart) was rounded and grey and over-familiar. There were no ruined abbeys, mediaeval dungeons or mysterious stone circles; no craggy alps and no melancholy winters with wolves howling in snow-deep forests. No romantic gloom at all. Just Port Arthur.

We spent the school holidays at Port Arthur, climbed on the ruins and learned to spell “penitentiary” from the prim signboards showing us what the buildings looked like a hundred years ago. In the 1920s it became a film set, buildings re-roofed and patched with canvas for the shooting of For the Term of His Natural Life. Dad bought us dixies of vanilla icecream from the kiosk and we looked at black-and-white stills from the movie, fading and crooked in a display window outside. The actors were as remote as the convicts that preceded them, but a lot prettier. It was a nice holiday, but it wasn't Gothic.

I went away, visited Europe's ruined abbeys, mediaeval dungeons and craggy alps and saw a wolf somewhere in a zoo. I read and studied and did things and eventually returned to Tasmania. Now I can recognise the strangeness and isolation of our mountains and lakes and forests, background to so many idiosyncratic and outlandish characters and events. It's Gothic all over!

Well – except for Port Arthur.

The trouble with Port Arthur is we know too much about it. Today it is beautifully maintained with tasteful restorations, tranquil gardens, informative educational displays and a fine restaurant. Diligent visitors can immerse themselves in the story of a convict-of-their-choice and read first-hand accounts of sea-voyages, hardships, punishments and all the rest. They can visit the high-tech genealogy centre in the former lunatic asylum (which later became the Council Chambers and is now a museum and coffee shop. Make of this what you will) to find out whether any of their ancestors appear on the lists. And there are lists – interminable lists of names and misdemeanours, punishments and appointments, lists of food allowances, stores, clothing, produce and anything else of administrative importance. This is bureaucracy. There is no room for imagination. It's magnificent, but it's not Gothic.

Remains of administration building at Saltwater River, on the Tasman Peninsula

For Gothic I recommend the old coalmines site at Saltwater River. Remote, less visited, its past has not disappeared under layers of subsequent cultural baggage.

Tasmanian Gothic Stuff - Number One

2011-03-13T19:39:00.001+11:00

1. Tales by Marcus Clarke and Price Warung about convict life in Tasmania are generally considered to be the earliest works of Tasmanian Gothic fiction.

Marcus Clarke visited Tasmania briefly in 1870 to research articles he was writing for the Argus and his serial, His Natural Life, began running in the Australasian Journal shortly thereafter. When it was published in book form in 1874 the name was changed to For the Term of His Natural Life. In the preface to his novel Clarke writes:

“no writer – so far as I am aware – has attempted to depict the dismal condition of a felon during his term of transportation.

“I have endeavoured in His Natural Life to set forth the working and results of an English system of transportation carefully considered and carried out under official supervision”.

He blames the practice of “allowing offenders against the law to be herded together in places remote from the wholesome influence of public opinion” for the “tragic and terrible [. . . ] events which have actually occurred” and are related in the novel. Still, the whole story is an imaginative and melodramatic tale of injustice and improbable co-incidences – and a jolly good read.

Price Warung (real name William Astley) was also a journalist, and four collections of his stories of convict life were published in The Bulletin between 1892 and 1898. He took great pains in researching his stories, interviewing “old lags” and former penal station officers, searching newspapers and documents, and his stories have been praised for their historical accuracy. However, they are fictions loosely based on fact, and, like Clarke, he accentuated sensational incidents and created some truly bizarre and macabre scenes and events.

Both Clarke and Astley depict convicts as victims, transported on some trivial pretext, brutalised and corrupted by a cruel system.

In fact, the majority of convicts were petty criminals with several prior convictions before being sentenced to transportation, and were relatively well treated. However, their grandchildren, embarrassed by the past, accepted and encouraged the myth of the Innocent Ancestor. Transportation to Tasmania ceased in 1854. By the time Clarke and Astley were writing, the convict legend was well established and, as Coultman Smith says of For the Term of His Natural Life, "lo and behold, his book was believed as truth, although it was never intended to be anything more than a good tale."

references:

Clarke, Marcus. For the Term of His Natural Life. Oldham, Beddome & Meredith Pty Ltd, Hobart. undated

Andrews, B.G. preface: Tales of the Convict System by Price Warung. University of Queensland Press. 1975

Smith, Coultman. Shadow Over Tasmania. J. Walsh and Sons, Hobart. 1941

***

This is the first of a series of photographs of "Tasmanian Gothic" things I've found around the place.

You don't have to agree with my opinion about what is, or is not, Tasmanian Gothic. If you really don't agree, start a discussion on my Tasmanian Gothic Facebook Page - and post your own photos.

2010-10-11T20:35:00.000+11:00

Oh dear - the Post-Exhibition Doldrums! After six months' extreme busyness the exhibition is over, reviews filed, cheques cashed, and . . . nothing. Complete lack of inspiration! Caught up with friends, went bushwalking, read a lot of books. It's taken me a month, but at last I'm back in the studio; and it feels GOOD.

I did however have a painting shortlisted in the Publisher's Cup Cricket Art Exhibition, which was gratifying. Should I tell them I know nothing about the sport?

Anyway, here's my entry:

Before the War - 50cm x 91cm oil on canvas

This painting was inspired by photographs taken at a Congregational Church Picnic on the Hobart Domain in the early 20th Century - before the War. The ladies enjoy a friendly game; the gentlemen watch from the shadows. You can read premonitions of coming events into it if you want to.

Exhibition - all my own work!

2010-08-22T23:52:00.000+10:00

At last - solo exhibition opening at Goulburn Street Gallery, 89-93 Goulburn Street, West Hobart at 6pm on 3 September 2010. Lots of new paintings never seen before (except on my website) - like this one

Birdbath - oil on canvas 40cm x 50cm

Hope you get along to see it!

GreenArt 2010

2010-05-31T02:23:00.000+10:00

The Tasmanian Greens annual fundraising auction is on again; the
exhibition runs from 16-21 June at the Long Gallery, Salamanca Arts
Centre. It opens on Sunday 20 June at 2pm and the auction will begin at
2.30pm. However, the public can make 'silent bids' via the
GreenArt web page from Monday 24 May 2010.
This is my contribution.

One day I'll get my act together enough to write something interesting here!

Piccies of me

2010-03-26T19:46:00.000+11:00

Decided it was time to update the image of myself on my website - so here is a pretty picture of Miss Barsham at home

Artwork goes Everywhere

2010-03-24T15:20:00.000+11:00

Tasmanian Regional Arts have sent me the itinerary for the 20 paintings they are touring around the state this year; here's a link:
TRA tour itinerary; look at the artwork while you're on my website.

Zombies go west

2010-03-24T15:14:00.001+11:00

Oh dear - what a slack little person I've been! Weld Echo came and went - and so did my paintings; off to Western Australia and Germany respectively. So here's a look at what they bought:

"Killer Zombies of the Weld" 60cm x 50cm oil on canvas

"Remnants" 50cm x 40cm oil on canvas

Weld Echo 2010

2010-02-25T00:06:00.000+11:00

The Weld Echo exhibition for 2010 is upon us again - and I will be exhibiting two brand new paintings.

Weld Echo is coordinated by the Black Sassy Collective, the artistic arm of the Huon Valley Environment Centre (HVEC). The collective is a volunteer, not-for-profit, community based organisation and focuses on producing art exhibitions that provide local and grassroots artists with the opportunity to gain exposure.

The Weld Echo exhibition aims to create greater awareness of the destruction of the amazing southern forest of the Weld Valley, which is located 50 kilometres south west of Hobart.

The exhibition opens at 6pm on 3rd March at the Long Gallery, Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart. Special Guest will be Australian Greens senator Christine Milne. Come along! Bring your friends!

I'll post photos of my paintings after the opening.

Showing off

2010-02-17T23:18:00.000+11:00

Just thought I'd share a couple of new paintings. If somebody could tell me what they're all about, I'd be rather interested.

The Old Man and the Saw 61cm x 91cm

The Garden God 76cm x 91cm

New Ararat - 72cm x 72cm

Say not the struggle naught availeth . . .

2010-01-24T23:25:00.000+11:00

The Gunns20 exhibition finishes tomorrow; thank you to all my Melbourne friends who took the time to go along, and particular thanks to those who sent donations to the Huon Valley Environment Centre. Big hugs to all of you.

Reactions to the exhibition were mixed, as expected, and one or two people thought we were just preaching to the converted. However, even the converted need to be informed of what is happening beyond their suburban back yards! But we are encouraged; we will carry on; we have nothing to fear but fear itself. So gird your loins, grab your Kipling, once more into the breach and let's give the beggars what for, what?

By the way, here are the paintings I exhibited.

Simulacrum

Clearing

You can read my Artists' Statement about them on my website.

Lessons at the Foreshore Art School

2010-01-24T23:17:00.000+11:00

Anybody want to learn to paint/draw? I've just finalised dates for my classes at the Foreshore Art School at Rosny Park, Tasmania. You can attend drawing lessons Tuesday, 0930-1130 and painting classes Thursday, 1900-2100, beginning 15 February. More information: http://www.tasmanian-gothic.com/lessons

Happy New Year

2009-12-26T01:01:00.000+11:00

I've done it! Survived another Christmas Day. Far too much to eat at the homes of various relatives. Most of my presents were either soap or chocolate; not to read too much meaning into that. It's more a case of what-do-you-buy-somebody-who-hates-owning-Stuff. I promise this year I will ration the chocolate over the next couple of months, not eat it all in the first week. Oink oink, flap flap. How about you?

For those who don't read German, the little picture above wishes you a Happy New Year. My great-grandfather was a journalist, illustrator and photographer who worked for various different newspapers; he moved around a lot to keep ahead of his creditors. After fleeing to Sydney from New Zealand he ended up in Hobart as head of the Process Dept at The Mercury about 1897. Among his books I found an 1894 type catalogue issued by J.G. Schelter and Giesecke, Leipzig; it has my great-grandfather's signature and the date 1907 in the front. This is one of their samples. My current project is to scan all the images and if anybody is interested I might share them. I'm not sure how many there are, but the word "lots" should cover it.

In the meantime, I hope you are celebrating the Festive Season of your choice and have a very happy and prosperous 2010.

Tasmanian Gothic in Berlin

2009-12-19T20:57:00.000+11:00

Over the past couple of years several of my paintings, drawings and prints have been purchased by a private collector in Germany.

Now this person invites interested people to view the works at their home in central Berlin, just off Kurfurstendamm. If anybody is interested, they can contact me for more information and to make an appointment.

Here are two of the paintings:

Green Mansions - oil on canvas. 84cm x 91cm

Golden Blossoms - oil on canvas. 106cm x 152cm

I think the world needs more incredibly generous art collectors like this.

2009-12-08T23:30:00.000+11:00

The following is from a publicity release from the Huon Valley Environment Centre. The case is an attack on everybody's right to engage in peaceful protest, whether or not you choose to support the particular issue (i.e. defence of Tasmania's Old Growth forests). I am exhibiting two paintings in the exhbition at the Hogan Gallery in January. Do come along!

Free Speech and Tasmania’s Forests On Trial
This February Six Defendants will stand trial in the long running Gunns 20 case.
Gunns Ltd, the Tasmanian native forest logging company, is suing five individuals and one grass roots environmental organisation. The case has already cost Gunns Ltd $2.8 million and is likely to cost much more by the end. It is one of the longest running and most expensive cases of its kind in Australian legal history. Fortunately, this planet is blessed with courageous people who are prepared to fight for a healthy democracy and the public good, to defend freedom of speech, and to fight for the future of our forests and wildlife. By supporting this fundraising exhibition, you are supporting the defendants in this nationally and internationally significant court case. It will have far-reaching implications for the right to protest and the right to free speech.

Background:
Five years ago, in December 2004, Gunns Ltd issued a $6.4 million, 216 page writ against 20 environmental activists and organizations. Multiple writs later, with cases variously dropped, dismissed or otherwise discontinued, six defendants remain. The case is set to test the legal limits of protest, activism and free speech. The six remaining defendants are individuals with limited assets plus a small grassroots organisation, the Huon Valley Environment Centre, based in the south of Tasmania.
The Gunns20 case will go to trial in February 2010 in the Supreme Court in Melbourne. The case may run for up to five weeks. The defendants are preparing for the trial. Unlike Gunns, which is a company, they are being sued as individuals. They face the possibility of being taken to the cleaners by a court case like this - and indeed into potential bankruptcy. It affects not just the defendents themselves, but also their loved ones, their families, friends and other people. And there is the impact on the wider community, from the potential for intimidation by a large corporation to restrict freedom to protest.
But the legitimate right of people everywhere on this planet to stand up for what they believe can’t be taken away if we are going to have a healthy democracy. The woodchipping industry in Tasmania is destroying native forests at the greatest rate in history; this year approximately 150,000 log truck loads will go the woodchip mills for export to Japan, China, Korea, and the great majority of that is through this company called Gunns Ltd. You only have to look at what’s happening to the magnificent forests of Tasmania and the wildlife after the loggers for Gunns have been through, and you see total devastation. Nothing is left alive.

Events
Freedom to Speak A Corporate Unmasking - Gunns 20 Fundraising Collaborative Exhibition – 20 Artists At Hogan Gallery, Smith St, Fitzroy Melbourne. 15 Jan - 28 Jan 2010

Comments
Australian Greens Leader, Senator Bob Brown says; “In the Franklin campaign, we broke the law, we were prepared to pay the consequences, and everybody I run into who was part of that movement at the time feels proud that they were. Because a great benefit came out of it, including investment, jobs, and of course the retention of beauty. Where do you draw the line?: you draw it in your own conscience, and you have to be well aware of the consequences and you have to, in your own lifetime, either accept every law that’s brought through, or determine whether there are other higher moral principles, ethical principles, including the rights of future generations, which are an inherent law of human activity, which have to be obeyed as well. "

Prominent Melbourne Barrister, Brian Walters SC says; “I don’t think anyone should say that the corporations shouldn’t have rights. They do have rights, and they should be able to access the courts. The question is, for what purpose? And the question is, what do we sacrifice if we allow them to just use their corporate power rather than their corporate rights? In the United States, following the huge explosion of SLAPP suits in the 1980s, nearly every state has now adopted anti-SLAPP suit legislation. It’s usually called Protection of Public Participation legislation, and under that legislation, if a corporation brings an action with the purpose of silencing public debate, they are liable to punitive damages in the courts. And that’s been applied, it’s meant a huge drop in the number of SLAPP suits, and an increase in the creativity of public debate within the United States. We should have that here.”

The Remaining Defendants
Adam Burling
The ancient and wild forests of Tasmania inspire and nurture Adam's spirit. He has campaigned for a number of years with the Huon Valley Environment Centre for their protection from the woodchip companies. It was the threat of industrial forestry near his home and the impact on the local community that pushed Adam and other local residents to take a stand for their small rural valley. It was this stand for the wildlife, forests and people of Lucaston, that has resulted in him being sued by Gunns Ltd.

Louise Morris
Louise Morris initially came to Tasmania in 2001, after campaigning for the protection of Western Australia’s forests, for a short summer vacation. From that point on Louise fell in love with the Tasmanian landscape and lifestyle and become heavily involved in the campaign to protect Tasmania’s forests. Louise spent much of 2005 coordinating the Friends of Forest and Free Speech national tour. The tour highlighted the Gunns 20 case and the need for a bill of rights that protects free speech and the right to peaceful protest. Louise is currently working as a climate campaigner for Friends of the Earth, while attempting to complete a degree in Politics and International Studies. Louise was honoured with the 2005 Australian Conservation Foundation’s Peter Rawlinson Conservation Award.

Mrs Lou Geraghty
Like many Tasmanians, Lou never for a minute considered that one day she would become involved with an environmental campaign, nor be in danger of losing her home and life savings over a court case bought by Tasmania’s largest logging corporation. Married with children and grandchildren, Lou and her husband were in the process of developing their property for eco-tourism when the magnificent forests next to her Lucaston property became an industrial logging zone. All plans were put on hold while she and her neighbors fought for the peace, safety and amenity of their families and the surrounding wildlife and forests. This struggle became a ground breaking documentary entitled ‘The Battle of Bakers Creek’ and Lou ended up as one of the Gunns20.

Neal Funnell
Neal is the youngest member of the Gunns 20. One day he would like to make lots of money at the expense of those around him and go on to become a powerbroker in one of Australia's two major political parties. He would like to thank Gunns for this invaluable legal opportunity.

Brian Dimmick
A well known Tasmanian film and documentary maker, Brian produced the ground breaking 2003 documentary "The Battle of Bakers Creek". Hailed as one of the most powerful environmental films ever seen, the documentary covers the battle waged by members of a small Tasmanian community against Gunns Ltd plans to log the beautiful forests of the Lucaston Valley, 40 minutes south of Hobart. Brian knows only too well the high price of telling the outside world about environmental destruction in Tasmania. While filming traffic footage for the documentary in a public place, Brian, and his camera equipment, were attacked by a log truck driver. The attack was caught on film and broadcast nationally giving a window for the rest of the country on the realities faced by brave people trying to raise awareness about logging in Tasmania.

The Huon Valley Environment Centre Inc.
Located in Southern Tasmania’s woodchipping heartland in the town of Huonville, the Huon Valley Environment Centre stands against incredible odds and is a brave beacon to the community. The Centre is a meeting space for environmentalists and has a great range of gifts, books, plants and a lending library. It has become an oasis for many environmentally minded people. It is staffed by a committed group of Tasmanians volunteers. Established in 2001, the centre's activities include forest campaigns, herb health and organic expos, and coordinating events about local environmental issues. Huon Valley Environment Centre campaigns for Tasmania's threatened World Heritage value southern forests. It is spearheading the campaign to protect the Lower Weld Valley, a valley of ancient forests and wild pristine rivers.

2009-12-07T02:32:00.000+11:00

Want to learn to paint/draw? Of course you do . . . So here is a list of my tutorial activities for next year:

ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES

Firstly, I will be back at Adult Education - now known as the Community Knowledge Network, but they're not fooling anybody. We know better than to notice re-branding. Classes will include Absolute Beginners' Painting, How to Draw Everything, Oil Painting introduction, Oil Painting for complete Beginners and Landscape Painting for Beginners. It is Adult Education policy to teach everything at Beginner level. However, the only class above that is really a beginner class is Absolute Beginners' Painting. The others usually consist of a few beginners and a number of people enrolling for the second, third and in some cases fourth, fifth . . . time. They carry on with their own projects while I attend to the beginners, but there is plenty of interaction between students at all levels and it works really well having a mixture of people who know each other and some new faces every term. The only drawback is that some people have been coming so long they really can't be called "beginners" any longer; unfortunately they will just have to swallow their pride as I could not change the names of the classes this time. I'll try again for the Winter term next year!

More information

SUMMER SCHOOL

Landscape Painting for Beginners will be a two-day Summer class at the Church St Adult Education Centre in North Hobart. This will be Sunday 7th and 14th February 2010, and enrolments are open. Although it says "beginners" and "landscape", and I will most certainly adhere to that, my usual approach to weekend classes is to look around the assembled students and say "well - this is what was advertised. Now - what do you REALLY want to do?" and carry on accordingly.

Click here to enrol

FORESHORE ART SCHOOL

The big news is that I will also be offering classes at the Foreshore Art School's brand new premises at Rosny Park - Level 2, 6 Bayfield St (above Eyelines). Courses will be: Getting Started (similar to Absolute Beginners' Painting), Intermediate Painting (a continuation class) and Basic Drawing.

Courses are ongoing; you can pay for a block of lessons at a time. After an introductory course you can keep coming as long as you like. This means we can explore different aspects of drawing and painting in much more detail than when limited to ten lessons. An added bonus is that the studio is also a gallery, so you can look at a new exhibition every month, and may eventually exhibit your own paintings there.

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A Decadent Night Out . . . well, sort of

2009-11-20T20:29:00.001+11:00

A busy week in the studio. The intention was to complete some of the unfinished paintings I have lying around, but all that seems to have happened is that I did a completely new one - which may need some adjustments, so is added to the List of Unfinished Paintings. Then I began reworking one I'd long discarded as a failure. Still, I'm not going to run out of Things To Do for quite some time.
To reward myself for my diligence I dressed up and went to the opening of the annual CAST (Contemporary Art Services Tasmania) Members' Exhibition. Every year this exhibition gets better. There was an exciting variety of work in pretty much any medium you can imagine, and some you probably can't (Honey? Lawn clippings? Dandelion seeds?). Some were clever, some were cute, some thought-provoking and one or two just a bit too obscure for a delicate lass like me, but it all worked well together. My painting was hanging nicely at eye level, just as I'd hoped. I found some people to talk to, renewed a couple of old acquaintances, and drank one more glass of champagne and bitters than I should have. As I know from long experience only a small quantity of alcohol is enough to skew my critical faculties big time, so there's no point in trying to do anything artistic for the rest of the evening. What a good thing I've got a book to read!
Meantime, this is the painting I have in the exhibition:

Landscape with Melting Church - 61cm x 41cm

CAST Members' Exhibition - 27 Tasma St, North Hobart, Tasmania
21 November - 20 December 2009
Well worth the visit!

Unease in the foliage

2009-11-11T00:01:00.001+11:00

The following article appeared in The Mercury magazine 7 November, 2009

There is always something slightly unnerving about Elizabeth Barsham's oil paintings although such a feeling often defies analysis.

Just out of sight of the evocative rural scene or the smiling family group some unpleasantness is possibly lurking behind the sinuous foliage.

Alternatively it can be in the form of entrails of once noble trees but there are also adults with sinister saws and occasional forlorn, vulnerable children. The suspended reality of her many strangely compelling scenes have an added drop of the macabre - perhaps because Tasmania, for a complexity of reasons, has elements of perversity and eccentricity; and that is not just the weather.

Maybe Barsham's memories of the Tasmanian environment of yesteryear have been darkened by its subsequent degradation?

Clyde Selby

About the Exhibition - gallery director's description

2009-11-04T16:35:00.000+11:00

Betty Nolan, director of the Foreshore Gallery, provided the following information:

Dali's Moustache is a celebration of three Eastern Shore painters who use in their work methods popularised by the great Spanish Surrealist Salvador Dali (currently a great retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria) and his fellow artists.

The three painters featured in this exhibition, Elizabeth Barsham, Alex Wanders and Betty Nolan, are building the visual culture of our island. Using the formal means of Dadaism and Surrealism they create unique contemporary visions of what it is to be Tasmanian underneath the surface of things, whether the spiritual, the fantastic or the world of the object.

Distortion, antigravity, non local colour, transparency and viscous space are used to show their different philosophies.

Elizabeth Barsham's works remind us of Max Ernst's great masterpiece Europe After the Rain. Similar to the devastated vegetal ruins he depicts, her immaculately painted forests are strangely compromised, at once fecund, living organisms, but also mutating in strange directions. Rich with possibility, verdant and potentially explosive they watch the watchers. The colours and forms metamorphose into manmade forms and human viscera. Something unexpected is at the edge of the clearing.

In Alex Wander's works a flame burns without consuming wood, a bronze snake is lifted up on a pole and a staff blossoms in the desert. Is this Arcadia or Eden before the fall - a time when the lion lay down with the lamb? Their painted perfection speaks of a nobility and permanence that is something more than visual perception, that is richer and more than real (surreal). Suave varnishes are lit from within, illuminating enigmatic spiritual form, informed by belief.

Betty Nolan's paintings are a response to European travel in 2008. The world's great cities throng with shoppers who desire the object, whether it is the designer handbag, the antique or the missing part of an obscure collection. Back in Tasmania we trawl markets to find our own object of desire. Sometimes we don't know what it is, but it will speak to us when we have the encounter. This conversation is the subject of her works, where little clocks sculpted from coloured varnishes converse with the young shopper or objects assume a metaphorical scale consistent with their significance in the mind of the collector.

Betty Nolan, 2009

Betty Nolan's website: www.foreshoreartschool.com.au

Inaugural Exhibition of Foreshore Gallery

2009-11-04T16:22:00.000+11:00

Where better to begin a new blog than with the inaugural exhibition in a brand new gallery? Not only that, but it is the first commercial gallery to be established in the Eastern Shore suburbs of Hobart.

The Foreshore Gallery is located on level 2, 6 Bayfield St., Rosny Park, Tasmania (Australia, for our overseas friends), conveniently close to the shopping centre.

For photographs of the paintings I have exhibited, visit my website:
www.tasmanian-gothic.com