My inspiration for this blog came to me when I was hiding under the duvet this morning...not really wanting to come out. Most kids went back to school this week here in Victoria. My kids are all grown, so past school, but my step-son went back and was full of nerves. I did feel for him knowing that feeling all too well. It is great that they are finally going back to spend time with their friends, but it is also sometimes difficult to leave the safety and comfort of the little bubbles we have been living in.
It made me think about the tough times when I look back on in my own childhood and how those tough times are often distant memories that we now smile about to remember. I grew up in London in the 70's & 80's, during the Thatcher years and distinctly remember the electricity power cuts, due to the coal miner strikes. The house filled with candle light, card games around the kitchen table. My siblings and I still laugh as we remember the things that went wrong on our annual family road trip holidays, rather than what went right...it is funny, those are the things we remember, but not in a bad way.
I guess my point is that yes, this year has been incredibly tough, but though it might be hard to believe, these days will become part of our good old days, particularly for our kids. We will look back at this time and reminisce about when the world stopped...and Melbourne for a bit longer haha. My daughter (24) sent me this the other day and it is so true. I'm glad she sees it this way xx
Reminiscing
Memories from the past and things with history are a huge part of my work. The colours in my recent work particularly were inspired by childhood memories of summertime in the 70s and 80s. When we look back at old photos they almost have a golden glow about them...particularly the old Instamatic photos. I limited my colour palette to ones similar to the old Polaroid logo with this in mind. Recently I have also begun to incorporate symbols and shapes inspired by design in that time and during the mid century period. I didn't realise how modern and stylish my parents were in that time! I am sure I am not the only one who grew up with yellow flower power curtains, green fern wallpaper and purple swirly carpet! No??! Just me then... haha.
Those curtains! Me on the left...my Dad looks pretty cool
Are you also a lover of mid century style?
If you love mid century style too you may the Ilse Crawford, Interior Design episode of the Netflix series Abstract. I may have mentioned it before (because I love it so much), but bear with me, I have lockdown brain. Ooh I found a link on YouTube...you can watch it here
been Loving on TV this week
Also looking back to the 70s and 80s, this we week enjoyed Mrs America on Binge TV. Mrs. America tells the story of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and the unexpected backlash led by a conservative woman named Phyllis Schlafly, aka "the sweetheart of the silent majority." Through the eyes of the women of the era -- both Schlafly and second wave feminists Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm, Bella Abzug and Jill Ruckelshaus -- the series explores how one of the toughest battlegrounds in the culture wars of the 1970s helped give rise to the Moral Majority and forever shifted the political landscape. Fabulous castx Watch the trailer
Paintings off to new homes!
Thank you so much to the lovely new owners...one to a lovely couple in NSW, two have gone to the UK and one to Nashville, Tennessee! x
I hope you have a fabulous week! x