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Viva Shadow Shot Sunday and Happy New Year!

On New Year's Day I went for a walk with my boyfriend and took some shots of things that took my fancy.  This is the spire of St John's in Darlinghurst which is a suburb or two from where I live.

 

Shadow Shot Sunday is an epic meme established by that awesome Brissy gal Tracy of Hey Harriet! Anyone can enter and here are the instructions on how to do so!

Here are some more New Year photos:

Pussy cat Surrey Hills, pretty blue and white and grey tiles Victoria Street Potts Point, a grand old house converted into a glamorous back packer's lodge in Victoria Street, Giza Hair Salon Macleay Street Potts Point, shingle houses St Neots Avenue Potts Point and a canopy of London Plane trees Victoria Street Potts Point.

I hope everyone had a super New Year's Eve. We, as advertised, took it easy and went round to Rushcutter's Bay park to watch the fireworks which gave us a very decent view. The 9 o'clock crackers were actually a bit average and I was thinking maybe I wouldn't bother with the 12 o'clock ones. I was convinced the dastardly credit crunch had had it's wicked way with them! BUT! Thank goodness I did go out for the midnight crackers because they were over the top spectacular and I think the best I've ever seen!! Here's a link to see them in all their wondrous beauty! After they finished we all applauded and hooted!

 

Shadow Shot Sunday = Luna Park

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas Day and survived the Christmas feast! I had a traditional Australian lunch of the most divine selection of seafood: scallops, lobster, prawns and salmon. Desert was cognac ice cream and berries: raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and baked peaches in champagne. Goodness me! I think it was the best Christmas lunch I've ever had! 

Anyway, back to the matter at hand, here is my shadow shot submission. It is the top of one of two towers that flank the face of Luna Park in Sydney. They were modelled on New York's Chrysler building.

Shadow Shot Sunday, by the way, is a fabulous meme set up by the gorgeous Tracy of Hey Harriet! Anyone can enter and here are the instructions on how to do so!

Meanwhile, here are more Luna Park shots.

 

Luna Park was opened in 1935 so all the architecture and artwork in the park is very art deco. It has had a checkered fortune over the years but these days it is in very fine form having been meticulously restored quite recently.

My Dad used to take me there quite a bit when I was little so I am very fond of Luna Park - I have a lot of happy memories associated with it. However, these days I am more interested in the historic art deco sculptures and art work in and around Luna Park rather than the amusement rides themselves.

These cartoony paintings below are by the legendary Hoppy Arthur 'Art' Barton.

Next to Luna Park and probably built around the same time, is an olympic sized swimming pool which has recently been refurbished. I was super pleased to see that they had kept all the delightful and quirky decoration around the perimeter of the pool.

They're fun, aren't they?

Hope everyone is having a great holiday - I know I am!

Bats and Apollo: Shadow Shot Sunday

Happy Shadow Shot Sunday! The top shot is of a flying fox mid-siesta in the Botanic Gardens. As he was sleeping, he was slowly twirling around. I managed to get his contented smile though in this shot. The bottom shot is part of The Archibald Fountain in Sydney's Hyde Park. This is a fine art deco fountain commissioned and paid for by a prominent Sydney identity, J.F. Archibald. It was built after he died as a memorial to him and he insisted that the artist be French as he was an utter Francophile and also because he wanted to commemorate the alliance between France and Australia in World War I. The artist chosen was Francois Sicard. It was completed on 1932. Below you can see the entire fountain in all it's art deco glory.

In the centre is Apollo and he is flanked below by the goddess Diana and the god of Sacrifice for the public good, Theseus (with the minator). There is another group which represents the bounty and goodness of nature. 

Shadow Shot Sunday is an awesome meme set up by that fabbo top gal Tracy of Hey Harriet! Everybody can submit a SSS and here are the instructions on how to do so!

King of the castle...

Ah! The sweet, dulcet tones of the melodic Australian Cockatoo! Anybody from Australia and anybody who has been to Sydney and has had the pleasure of listening to a cockatoo will know I am being deeply sarcastic here! The cockatoo's call is the most abrasive, screeching, ghastly sound on the planet and yet they hold a special place in every Aussie's heart. Their name is often shortened to "cocky" and boy are they that! So confident and full of chutzpah! As a matter of fact I'm listening to a lone cocky screeching like a madman in the park down the end of my street right now. Bless!

This is my Shadow Shot for this week. Shadow Shot Sunday is a fantastic meme set up by that all round good gal Tracy of Hey Harriet fame! Anybody can enter and here are the instructions on how to do so!

Happy Sunday mes amis!!

Jacaranda Tunnel: Shadow Shot Sunday

 

Every year at this time I make a point of going to this particuar road in Kirribilli. I think this photo probably explains why I insist on going there at least once! Actually, this photo doesn't really do it justice because as you're standing under this fantastic purple tunnel, the blossoms gently fall on you like rain. It's hard not to feel like you're a character out of a Walt Disney movie!

Shadow Shot Sunday is a fabulous meme set up by the gorgeous Tracy of Hey Harriet fame! Thank you Tracy by the way - as Gabbi mentioned on her post from last week - it is just so much fun hunting down a shadow shot!

Absolutely anyone can enter and here are the instructions on how to do so!

Meanwhile, it's going to be another scorcher here in Sydney today but I understand tomorrow is going to be even hotter at 39 degrees! 39!!! ...at this time of year - the mind boggles!

Happy Sunday folks!

Paddo Plane tree = Shadow Shot Sunday

Pretty Paddington plane tree in full nut or Paddo plane tree as us locals call that suburb. I actually took this photo a couple of months ago in Winter. 

Shadow Shot Sunday is a fabbo meme set up by the beautiful Brisbane gal Tracy of Hey Harriet fame. It is open to everyone - here are the rules on how to do so!

 

...and a great big thank you to Francesca of Certain Creatures for the very pretty post she did of my work!  La ringrazia di nuovo Francesca! P.S. Francesca also has a very sweet shop on Etsy that is full to the brim with goodies! You can find it here!

Happy Sunday folks!!

Martin Sharp

This is Sydney artist and legend Martin Sharp circa 1970. I went to a terrific retrospective exhibition of his work at the Museum of Sydney last week.

Martin Sharp, born (1942) and raised in Sydney, is seen as Australia's number one pop artist. He is best known internationally as the album cover artist for Cream's Wheel's of Fire, the exploding Jimi Hendrix painting and the Mr Tambourine Man Bob Dylan portrait.

 

(Top two images from Art and Australia Vol.47 Spring 2009)

(Disraeli Gears LP Cover from here)

He also co-wrote songs with Eric Clapton, published scandalous (for the 60s) magazines, restored and renovated Sydney's Luna Park, was friend and collaborator of (Tip Toe Through the Tulips) Tiny Tim, designer and artist for beautiful Sydney event posters in the 70s and 80s and a whole heap of other things! Actually, the exhibition itself is a real 4D experience with all his posters and knick knacks displayed in the one huge room. I've decided to go back sometime soon and properly photograph it.

 

(Top: Babylon the great is fallen, fallen. Revelations 18 v2. 2000 - 2006 from the Spring Historic Houses magazine. Bottom three images are postcards from the exhibition: The Sydney Opera House is ten 1983, Tiny Tim, The Chameleon 1982 and Eternity, Haymarket! 1977)

  Martin Sharp was a hero of mine when I was a young cartoonist and illustrator in Sydney so this exhibition was a real treat for me to go to. His posters like the one above of Sydney's Haymarket particularly remind me of my youth and memories of Sydney at that time.

Hope everyone is having/ will have a fabulous weekend!

Shadow Shot Sunday!

This is my Shadow Shot Sunday snap for the week! It's an architectural ornament on the roof of a building in Macleay Street Potts Point. It's a birdie type thing sitting in a crown/ foliage type thing.

 

 Shadow Shot Sunday is a fabulous meme hosted by that top gal Tracy of Hey Harriet. All are welcome to enter - here are the rules on how to do so.

 

...and don't forget to enter my COMPETITION! You could win three of my prints! Entries close tonight at midnight.

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

An afternoon stroll...

It was such a fine day today that I went for a walk this afternoon straight after work. Actually, it is these glorious jacaranda trees that got me out the door. I have been meaning to photograph them for a while now and they seemed to be at their peak, blossom-wise, this afternoon! This one above is a beauty.

After that my boyfriend and I went for a stroll in the pretty afternoon light. I just love daylight saving - the long evenings are the best ever in my opinion! Below are a few of the sights we saw on our walk.

No walk is complete however, without the furry purry ginger tom running out for a tickle and hello just as you get home. I'm sorry these photos of Jaffa don't show his pretty face but every time I get the camera out he goes all shy! At least you get a good idea of his lovely plush ginger coat! You can't hear him purring though - he is spectacularly good at this!

Thank you to everyone for all the lovely comments about my work! It's very encouraging! ...and don't forget the COMPETITION!! It finishes on Sunday evening and on Monday morning I'll be using ye olde Random org thingy to choose who the winner is!

Happy Thursday/ Friday everyone!

On the street where I live + Shadow Shot Sunday

This is my Shadow Shot Sunday photo of one of my favourite streets in Sydney and I feel very lucky indeed to live just around the corner from it. It's called Macleay Street and it runs from Kings Cross down to Potts Point where it turns into Wylde Street and then curves down the hill past the naval vessels moored at Woolloomoolloo/ Garden Island and Russell Crowe's house!! True!

Shadow Shot Sunday is a terrific meme set up by all round good guy Tracy of Hey Harriet fame! Anyone can enter...here are the instructions on how to do so!

...and here are some more shots along this pretty street...