My visit to Melbourne coincided with the Hokusai exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. Although not all of this 19th century Japanese artist and printmaker's work was on exhibition, the number of works there showed how prolific his work was. He was a very humble man who said:
  From the age of six I had a mania for drawing the forms of things.
  By the time I was fifty I had published an infinity of designs; but all I produced before the age of seventy is not worth taking into account.
  At seventy-three I learnt a little about the structure of nature, of animals, plants, trees, birds, fish and insects.
  Consequently, by the time I am eighty I will have made still more progress; at ninety I shall penetrate the mystery of things; at one hundred I shall certainly have reached a marvellous stage; when I am one hundred and ten everything I do be it a dot or a line will be alive.
 I beg those who live as long as I to see I keep my word.

       'I used to call myself Hokusai, but today I sign myself "The Old Man Mad About Drawing"' 
       Katsushika Hokusai 1834

Sorry about the reflection of the exit sign on the print!! This is Hokusai's Great Wave, made famous around the world as part of his scenes depicting Mt Fuji.

One of Hokusai's Waterfall series.

This festival is new this year and consists of forty pop-up shops in the CBD where artists can show their work and conduct workshops on a pop in basis. Occupying empty spaces in the CBD will hopefully bring a  people into the CBD and give it a new lease of life, if only for 10 days.
The artists will showcase, apparel, music, workshops, performance, puppetry, and pottery as well as painting and drawing.
I plan to go to a pastel workshop on Thursday and a life drawing one on Wednesday night. Not quite ready for the unclothed model on Tuesday night !!! Wednesday's is clothed.
​I'll post pictures in my next post.

Abalone Shell in charcoal

Entry to Quebec old city, Canada

Preliminary Sketch of building on Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA USA

Space Needle, Seattle, WA USA

Bald Eagle sighted in Endicott Arm Alaska, just south of Juneau

Totem pole in Totem Bight National Park, Ketchikan, Alaska

Sth Johnson Street, Victoria BC, Canada

Townsville has a hidden heart - it's called culture! At first glance a visitor might not see it but stay here long enough to witness the Strand Ephemera or visit our galleries - Perc Tucker Gallery in the city, at The Drill Hall Studio at 27 Mitchell St., North Ward,  in Art on Jezzine Gallery at Hut 26, Jezzine Barracks, Kissing Point amongst others, The talent to be found in this city is amazing from pottery and sculpture to painting in a variety of mediums, felt work, jewellery  and woodwork. 

Another art form I'm involved with is lead lighting, through the Townsville Stained Glass run by Carol and Bob Constantine. Both have great talent in the business and Carol runs terrific classes.
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