Thursday, May 17, 2012

The Dam



Photographs I took at the dam of my special friend Amalia Gray Lindo back in February. It started to lightly rain as soon as we walked up a Giant Staircase to overlook the water. I made the dress Amalia is wearing out of recycled calico and I died it in tea leaves.










HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLE






Elle - taken by one of my favourite photographers Brad Tennant (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boyandbee/)


I just wanted to say a happy birthday to my good friend Elle Graham. Elle is originally from Townsville. We ran a gallery together on Flinders Street. She is a beautiful, exciteful young lady and is such an inspiration. Her music is so delicate and honest. One of her biggest fans is my mother who teaches 5 year olds. She plays Elles music to them each day they have their naps. Last week on Mothers day the children all gave their mothers massages in the classroom, alongside Elles magical music.


Elle returns home the weekend before I leave to play at Palm Creek festival. Palm Creek is a place north from our town, each year there is a festival held there in winter. The air is chilly, the atmosphere is content. Everyone is happy, children wander barefooted, their parents trust in all. There is delicious food, campfires everywhere, musicians galore. This year I am sharing a market stall with friends. I am very excited for Palm Creek and to see Elle and to watch her play. 


Here is her music:


http://ellegraham.com/

TRAVEL





I leave Australia in 5 weeks to travel the globe for a few years with my great love Aaron Ashley. We are both very passionate about nature, photography and film and most things in general. We have decided to leave our small town in Australia to explore the world with time not being of the essence.

 We arrive in Paris to begin with. I will be joining two beautiful French girls on their summer holidays, to swim, explore,  write short films, photograph, go to germany and to the Sth of France. Aaron is living with their family friends nearby and holidaying with them in the Sth of France with them, he will teach the children english. Then we are volunteering in possibly Sweden. The last few months of the year we have rented a little studio in Crete, Greece, with a balcony that wraps its entirety, overlooking the Mediterranean. This studio is where Aaron wants to begin writing his first novel. A novel he dreamt up as a young boy.

I feel wonderful at the thought of us going away together with the world as our beautiful and carefree Oyster. I will miss my sister and Best Friend Steph, she plans to come over at some stage.

 The most incredible website I have ever come across is :

http://www.helpx.net/

This website allows you to volunteer almost anywhere in the world. Live amongst like minded families, be apart of their cultures, live their lifestyles. I have written and spoken with many people on here and they have all been so free flowing and gracious towards our possible imminent stays. I really long to learn more about Permaculture and live amongst a long family who life of the foods they grow as this is the way I want to live with my children in the near future. I love to learn through others and through travel.

The working week






I spend a working week in a cooped up office for a solar Firm. On the weekends I flee to Magnetic Island. On the Ferry all passengers are feeling content and calm, rocking slowly over the waves the sunsetting, every now and then being sprayed by the sweet cold ocean water, leaving you feeling more alive than you already do.

I have spent many weekends there this year. A few weekends ago I went camping over there with Aaron and our friend Pat. Pat is a very special friend, he is a Marine Biologist, Photographer, Professional Saxophonist and has knowledge on all things lovely that make you feel warm calm and at home whenever he is around. Aaron and I wondered the island on our bikes whilst Pat walked at his own pace bags filled to the bring with his scuba diving gear. We hiked down a hill to a secret spot and I spent my time in a rock cave and watching the ocean and the waves getting higher whilst they swam. We went snorkelling at Alma Bay and saw some incredible fish.

 I love the ocean I just want to be in it all the time. The ocean is my second home. I have always lived near the sea. Growing up in a beach hut at Black River, overlooking the ocean, built by my Grandad, Victor Hay. A lovely man, builder, maths genius, musician and most of all loving and devoted father who raised my father and his three sisters on Magnetic Island until they grew their wings and flew off to far away placed. You can tell my father is an island boy at heart, my father; an artist, he spends his days at our house by the sea with my dog gypsy (his best friend) crafting the most beautiful pieces of furniture out of recycled timber, designing, creating one of pieces. He has filled our whole house full of incredible pieces for my mother, Debbie. Debbie who met my father when she was 16 and at University, she works with pre-school children. She has devoted her whole life not only as a loving caring mother to us but also to the precious children of others. Nurturing and teaching them all that is good in this world. I am getting off track.


I leave to europe very soon with my lovely best friend Aaron Ashley. We do not have many plans, not set in stone. We arrive in paris and part, him to a family to teach the children english in Paris and to then reside in their home in the Sth of France. Myself to be apart of their lives and care for two young french girls and spend their summer holidays with them. Filming, Photographing, teaching the to sew, swimming, holidaying in germany. We then leave for Greece as we have rented a studio in Crete overlooking the water for a few months for aaron to begin work on his novel. I can not think of much else but leaving to travel again.

Here are some portraits I have been taking lately on my weekends away, amongst nature for most:



Steph -











Aaron