Monday 29th March 2021
Our road trip to Canberra
A new day needs birds, clouds and flowers
to begins and here we have all threee
magpies are singing in the eucalypts
we have been reading angels wings
into the whispy clouds for the past few days
and we have sunflowers
A frenzy of sunflowers.
signs everywhere in town
cars are painted in them
canvas seats are printed in them
and we are here to see
one special painting the Sunflowers by Van Gogh
on loan from London
so our day begins
it to opem
We are by accident in the members line
first to go in
we pass as members
show our phones for our tickets and we are in.
Botticelli to Van Gogh with many great artists –
Turner’s painting of the escape
from the cyclops in the story of Odysseus
stunning with the sunsetting
across the water
as only Turner can do
and next to him
Claude with his painting Seaport
The perspective with the tones of creams and browns was rich
and in same school as Turner
picks up the golden sunset and reflection
breathtaking
Renoir with the Blue Lady at the Opera,
Constable,Francesco de Goya, and Monet’s bridge and Waterlilies.
the developmental movement of art and artists over the centuries
from the static Botticelli who paints movement by developing the story
in windows to Monet with his bridge and water lilies
and finally the Sunflowers
We enjoyed Geraldine Doogues audio on our phones
and at the completion we still had enough energy
to experience a second exhibition
Know My Name , Women in Art from 1900
many Indigenous womens names and paintings of the Seven Sisters,
women who are not well know,
Fiona Hall, Roselic Gascoigne, Cossington,
Preston Olley, Janet Laurence Anne Ferran
and then we reward ourselves with a sumptuous lunch
on the Portrait Gallery Terrace
Michael had the fish, catch of the day
and I had the wild fig and feta salad
with toasted walnuts.in a bed of rocket
then to Australian Love stories, 200 stories
exploring love affection friendship
unrequited, obsessive, scandalous and creative
Lovely to see some of our favourite couples
Bryan Brown and Rachel Ward
(who fell in love during making the film Thorn Birds),
Stan Grant and Tracey Holmes,
Bob Hawke and Blanche, Jimmy and Jane Barnes
Nick and Susie Cave, Namatjira,Oodgeroo Nunnuccal
Barbara Blackman and Judith Wright
Before we go back to our car
we pop back into The Aboriginal Memorial
comprising 200 hollow logs represents a forest of souls
‘like a large war cemetery, a war memorial
for all those Aboriginal people
who died defending their country’
Then to the James Turrell installation.
Within without 2010
some stunning photos of light and water
back to our car
afternoon tea by the lake\
and to the motel