Australian LDS Art

Time has certainly been flying by at a phenomenal rate! With studies drawing to a close later this year (although the Advanced Diploma is tantalising), my thoughts are both reflective and projective. 

It is currently my aim to excite the powers that be into working towards an LDS Australasian art exhibit. Hopefully it won't be long before the feelers can go out to discover who would be interested in contributing their work for such an exhibit. 

There is such a high quality of LDS artists in Australia who I'm sure would love to see their work appreciated at a local level by the LDS community upon homeland shores. So, whilst the concept is swirling in the minds of decision I will continue to complete as many artworks as humanly possible in order to represent my LDS faith in my final end of year exhibition.

The World in my Backyard

The Other Foot - my grandfather used to recite the phrase "I used to complain I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet".  As a child I would think this silly - of course everyone has feet!  It wasn't until I grew up that I learned that not everybody has feet, I realised then that there is always somebody who is worse off than I am.  I realise this now as I watch the news and see hundreds of desperate asylum seekers risking their lives as they flee their homelands.

Sure, we all tend to gripe at the apparent follies played out by parliamentary characters who sit perched on government thrones and mess with our existence; yet regardless of their sometimes ridiculous decisions, we enjoy a comparatively peaceful life.  Not ideal, but comparatively safe and fruitful.

But what if all that changed overnight with an overthrow of government by military madmen? 

What if, suddenly our law enforcement officers began to shoot people just because they were too slow in responding to a demand.  What if the government took away our rights to photograph government buildings or to own a camera?  How about if women were not allowed to work anymore and were forced to hide themselves from the public?  Or the rights of women and children that were so long and desperately fought for are suddenly revoked and had no rights at all?

Australia as we know it would be forever changed.  The oppression from militia would force any peace loving family to run for the hills - or the boats - or whatever other means of escape they had.

It is never too late to open our minds, hearts and arms to those of our brothers and sisters escaping to our borders.  Let us not greet them with snarls and hatred but rather as the Christian country that we profess to be.  Are we not ourselves people from another place?  Did our ancestors not come from somewhere else either by force or by whim?  As a Bible believing person, nobody was left in Australia after the flood until Noah's ark settled in Turkey and eventual migration led to the land being settled just a few thousand years ago.

Do we not all die and our mortal flesh return to the earth?  For a mere few years we journey here then we are but a memory to those who remain.  Can we not open our minds to encompass something bigger than ourselves?

From my stand point I see benefits from embracing global cultures.  When I was a child the most exotic foods we ate was a hamburger - now we have Mc Donalds, KFC and Pizza Huts not to mention Hungry Jacks, Burger King and Sizzlers to mention a few.  Like it or not, we all have a love/hate relationship with these American transnational fast food industries.  We never had these when I was growing up, I know anyone younger than 35 will find this hard to believe - a world where fast food was fish and chips wrapped in newspaper.

Today I can walk down through shops in most suburbs and find a smorgasbord of international cuisine.  The falafel, tabbouleh, chicken kebab, garlic prawns, Portuguese chicken, chicken skewers, chicken schnitzel, veal schnitzel, chicken or veal cordon bleu, veal marsala, haloumi, moussaka, minestrone, pizza, naan breads, kimchee, herbs and spices never heard of thirty years ago.  I have not even begun to mention the Polynesian delectables, thus the list goes on and on.

My point is, I am grateful for all those who came to Australia and brought with them their cultures, music, cuisine, clothing, decor and lives who have brightened up my experience of mortality. 

The time I spend here, the knowledge I gain, the experiences I have will make me a better person.  All that I witness, taste, feel and touch or that touches me goes with me throughout my eternal journey and I savour each moment.

Thank you Australia for allowing me to live in the world in my own backyard.  Once I complained I had no house, until I met a man who had no country.

Over the years I have found myself in awkward positions and if not for the kindness of others, I would have been destitute.  Surely we are all beggars,  surely we all rely on the kindness of others and the kindness of God, whoever we perceive God to be. One such kindness came from a man who lived by the motto "but for the grace of God, there go I".  I had never heard these words before this but have adopted them as my own motto.

Let us be slow to judge and quick to offer the same kindness that Christ offers  - remembering these words "But by the grace of God, there go I".

Fran's Art

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas - again!

Well, just as I was settling into the year it's over!  Where did it go??? With so much to do and so little time to do it in I'm amazed I haven't flown off the planet from my spinning life - perhaps it is good that centrifugal force actually works.  It's not money that goes around, it's our heads!

So, after a year of painting, drawing, sculpting and writing my thesis on art from 1700 - 1930, (consisting of over 80 pages and 30,000 + words), we launched our exhibition last Wednesday and it appears a number of works did actually sell.  Congratulations to all the teaching faculty and a big thank you for your amazing efforts - you got us through and are still smiling - all without medication!  Hugs to you all and we'll see you again next year!

As for my fellow students - it has been wonderful to get to know and work with you all.  James and Goyha have taught me a new meaning to the word that starts with B and ends with T and has something to do with bovine excrement. 

I've started a new diet - we'll see how this one goes.  At least I'm not starving myself - though technically it would take at least a year to use up my food storage! People think they are being nice offering me chocolates and large servings and for a while I was reluctant to hurt their feelings, but then I realised that they weren't eating as much as they were giving me.  Hmm, I wonder if I was the goose for the Christmas table????  Or maybe the fatted calf for when that prodigal son returns????  But I learnt to say NO.  No thank you, I don't want potato.  No thank you, I don't want soft drink.  No thank you, I don't want that extra serve of anything and NO THANK YOU, I don't eat wheat in any form so I don't want that cake you bought especially for me!

I know people are wanting to be kind - why do people think that just because you are large you eat huge portions?  Don't they realise that we are closet eaters?? We eat when we are depressed and tired and that only ever happens when we are alone.

Recently a specialist doctor told me off for my weight.  I didn't even go to see him about my weight.  I went to see him for my hand problems - I have developed carpel tunnel syndrome, or C.T.S. for those who like acronyms!  For over half an hour he ranted and raved about how irresponsible I was and what a useless human being I was.  How he had "written papers" about fat people having C.T.S. and that it was my fault and I had to buy the C.S.I.R.O. diet book and make sure I read it and did it!  He even wrote it down for me because I am too stupid and fat to remember the name then he highlighted to make his point clearer - what a kind man! He then put it all in writing and sent it to my GP, who was so disgusted in what he read that he told me to disregard his opinion and has referred me to another specialist. 

Should his assertions be correct, that weight, gender, and age do prove to be causal factors of C.T.S. then I suspect that a large portion of his clientèle are, in fact, overweight, female, and middle aged.  If this group of middle aged, fat women form the highest percentile of sufferers and these three factors are the damning reasons for their condition, then how is it that skinny, young men, like my milkman, also present with the very same symptoms??? One might ask that if he treats each patient who enters his office with the same contempt that he did with me, how is it that he has a business?  Or did he save his finest hour for me???  Or, maybe, weighty people who see him are so used to being abused that they absorb it like something they deserve??? 

If I could respond in like to that specialist I would tell him firstly that I am a human being with feelings, something he obviously does not realise.  Then I would explain that sometimes people are fat because of some pretty serious issues they are struggling to deal with.  Again, something he would fail to understand.  To assert my position and close my argument, I would then tell him that not only has failed to attend to my complaint, that of C.T.S., but he has disclosed his inability to function as a professional and therefore, fails to meet my expectations of a prospective surgeon.  Hence, I would never place my trust in him nor in his ability to provide adequate or objective treatment for myself and I suspect, any other person in my position. 

Perhaps one could write a paper and have it published on how birth is a causal factor of death - in fact, there is empirical evidence that not only does it cause death but it is the very reason for it.  Without birth, one would never die!  The only exceptions being pre-birth deaths for which it could be argued that should they have gone full term, then death would have resulted anyway.

I guess what I am saying is that no matter how one hypothesises, statistics and facts can be manipulated to prove or disprove anything and present it to the right audience, get enough to believe or at least not be able to disprove it and voilà!  Instant success!  Isn't that what the government just did with this carbon tax and global warming???  Point made!

New subject - I invite you to check out my website for my art - it is really cool!  Please check it out and let me know what you think.  You can do this via the contacts link - that way I get to know how to improve and what is working well.  Here is the link: - http://www.wix.com/icur2ys4me/frans-art#!

This is one of my favourites, it is cubist style, as if you couldn't guess, and painted in harlequin colours because I wanted to annoy me teacher, no, I just love the brighter colours.  It is for sale if anyone is interested as is nearly all my artworks and photos.  Unless of course they sell at the exhibition!

With Christmas around the corner and summer here near the beaches I'm set!  Christmas party tonight, tomorrow night and next week - wow!  I know, didn't I say I was starting a diet?  Well, yes, and I've planned it carefully so I can eat as well.

So now I am off to get ready.  The pork has crackled nicely and smells great!  So with a Ho Ho Ho it's off to the party I go!

Have a happy and safe Christmas season and a great New Year!!! 2012 - isn't that when we all die???? Hmm... can we be taxed for that too???

Egyptology

Egypt and other ancient buildings have always intrigued me so I really appreciated watching a slide show on the Nile recently sent to me by my uncle, thanks Bob! (Bob's me uncle!)  If I could be anything I wanted I would be an anthropologist and do some serious study on ancient legends, traditions and beliefs of antediluvian civilisations.  Perhaps that is what makes the Old Testament so alive for me!  Over the years I have continued studying as a matter of interest or hobby and have come across some interesting finds.  You may be interested in pondering the following.

Did you know that some scientists (other than archaeologists) believe that the pyramids of Giza were built prior to the flood by Seth’s people?  This is consistent with Bible teachings as well as ancient texts stating that Seth was known for his engineering genius – this is also in keeping with the local’s ancient traditional legends.  This is a worthy hypothesis considering that from the time of the fall of Adam, calling this day 0, he being 130 years old when Seth was born, gives a total of 1042 years from the time of Adam’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden and Seth’s death.  Considering also how close they were with the Lord and how He taught them because of their righteousness it is certainly arguable that their knowledge would be expansive.   If we look comparatively to the advancements made in the 300 year period from the end of the dark ages (see Paul’s prophecy re the great apostasy or falling away) how much more can mankind achieve in over 1000 years?)  It was Carter, an archaeologists in the early 1920’s who first declared the pyramids to be tombs, prior to this it was widely accepted that they were relics from before the flood.  His declaration came due to the fact that he had conned the King of England into financing his adventure to Egypt to find the missing tomb of Ramses II and when he failed, he knew he was in trouble so named the pyramid as a cover stating it had been “robbed”.

If you are further interested – engineers who have studied the interior of the great pyramid found chemicals consistent with those needed to produce nuclear power which would provide energy far superior to what we have today.  Also, the tools used in creating what is called the “sarcophagus” within the great pyramid are likewise far superior than we have.  For example they state that in cutting the granite block from one solid piece is a complex task requiring drilling using an extremely toughened circular drill bit which leaves circular indentations in the base which cannot be removed to the extent of them not being detectable on some level.  However, in the “sarcophagus” their cutting tool was so advanced that in cutting the workman went a couple of centimetres in error before correcting the course of the tool he was using.  Also, the interior base is smooth with no sign of indentations or anything else that would indicate that it was hollowed out by a tool far superior to any known to us today.  One engineer by the name of Christopher Dunn hypothesises that they used high pressure water to cut into the granite – a tool engineers are currently working on.  He also theorises that the chemicals found in the “queens chambers” are consistent with those used today for nuclear power and that this power was generated via resonation of such a high frequency.  This resonance is consistent also with the placing of the pyramids across the globe which are all positioned where the planet’s magnetic resonance was most prominent prior to the shifts in the earth’s axis.  These shifts are believed to have occurred at the time of the flood, another with Krakatoa, the nuclear explosions and many other violent shaking within the earth’s crust and mantel.  Recently scientist have stated a further shift was caused due to the recent earthquake and pursuant tsunami in 2006.

Two

I have a little book - a gift from a long time ago.  It is called "Native American Wisdom" and sometimes when I am cleaning I pick it up and open it. The pages are filled with photos from a collection of Edward S.Curtis complementing mostly commonsense quotes from Indian chiefs etc.  Possibly a little deeper than most people go in their thoughts however, it mostly states the obvious.

Really, I should pass it on, I don't even recall who gave it to me, or did I buy it myself?  It was cheap, so I probably saw it in a pile on a discount table somewhere! I can't recall a time in my adult life that I have not had it.  It has been packed and unpacked with each move, placed in to fill tiny gaps amongst my "real" books.

Today as I sit preparing to launch into stage 2 of my English presentation, the essay part, I saw it on my desk.  (Somehow it has dislodged from the bookshelf and perched itself on my inner sanctum - my desk!)  I opened it to see what inspiration I can draw from its pages and again, I am reminded that it is commonsense.  However, the message is one applicable to us all, so I will share it.  Being a uni student I am well indoctrinated with referencing and fellow uni folk will know all about this so for those interested, it is from the above mentioned mini book, published by Running Press PA in 1994 p. 24. The photo, a Nakoaktok or Kwakiutl woman is on the opposite side of the page.

"All things in the world are two. In our minds we are two - good and evil. With our eyes we see two things - things that are fair and things that are ugly ... We have the right hand that strikes and makes for evil, and the left hand full of kindness, near the heart. One foot may lead us to an evil way,the other foot may lead us to a good. So are all things two, all two." Eagle Chief {Letakots - Lesa} (late 19th century) Pawnee

This two-ness is an interesting concept and as it turns out, one that has been increasingly obvious to me over the past few weeks.  One voice speaks for us to do good, the other justifies why we should do evil.  Whilst ever we are thrown between these thoughts, we waste precious time that could be spent actually doing good.

How many times have we sat knowing we have a task to perform but put it off (procrastinate) thinking we just need this or that then we can do it better.  Only thing is, by the time we have all these extras, we have no time left to actually do the task well.

This is what I've done with my essay, wanting better information, better what-evers and have wasted a whole lot of time in the process. Maybe it is not exactly evil but it certainly isn't good either.

So, with that in mind, I now venture into my essay writing.  Till next time, please feel free to leave comments, I'd love to hear your opinions.

Cheers!

Ostrich theory ...

"Well, we just hold our breath and close our eyes and hope that it will all go away."

An ostrich isn't necessary just a flightless bird with wonderful feathers people like to collect and use as fans.  No, here I am talking metaphorically; I am talking about those people who prefer to ignore obvious wrongdoings by sticking their heads firmly into the sand enabling them to totally deny the unpleasantness going on around them: but can they honestly deny it or are they lying to themselves?  Maybe it is good sometimes to be an ostrich, it is certainly safer, or is it?

I know that at times we all must put aside the realities so as to function in this whacked up society and deal with our own lives.  However, there are some things that should never be ignored.  For me, something that should not be ignored is behaviour that impacts on others such as bullying, and I've seen my share of that in my lifetime. 
Bullying is an interesting pattern of behaviour that can quickly get out of hand.  The "learned ones" separate those involved by labeling them either "bully" or "victim/target".  I would like to suggest a third participant - that being the observer or those standers by who "don't want to get involved", "mind their own business"  or think that they can pretend it is not there, just like an ostrich.  Can we really ignore it or does it affect us, perhaps we are suffocated by our heads in the sand attitude.

Over the years I've read some interesting articles on these behaviours and made a connection with what is known as the "Karpman Drama Triangle" - (look it up on Google) - it is perhaps the most common social game played and has dire consequences.  It requires three basic elements and can be played with three people or three groups of people.  I've seen the triangle form and I've seen others try to start it - which can actually be quite entertaining as their behaviour and methods are quite predictable.  I've also been dragged into one, a giant one at that and believe me, until the players and the game is understood, it is very confusing to say the least!  The only way out is to physically remove yourself from those involved, by trying to "save" others, you are actually extending the game.  Believe it or not, this brings great pleasure to the players who, even when you are removed from their presence, still imagine you a part even if it only through gossip, until they find a replacement.

Karpman argues that there are three roles consisting of "persecutor", "rescuer" and "victim", and players switch between these roles quite effectively and sometimes so rapidly you can lose their breath!  It's more entertaining than a movie but more aptly could be called a social bomb!  It only takes one player to engage two others and in less than five minutes, a new game is formed.

For example, the other week I was performing a task when another woman P (persecutor) took over, saying I was dumb, creating a V (victim).  I guess she wanted to big note herself.  I was not prepared to be her V so I walked away.  In the process P made a dreadful mess of it all and attempted to blame me, trying to make me the P and herself the V - see how quickly she switched from P to V?  Of course I reminded her that I had walked away.  Having moved from P to V she needed an R rescuer - and she found one in a fellow workmate who was quick to respond and make it all better. The interesting part of this was that although it was clear to both of them that I was well out of the picture, P kept trying to be a V by blaming me for her obvious mistake (trying to make me a P) and R was not sure what happened.  P/V kept vigil over R and would not allow her to speak with me alone.  I observed how P played the role of V when I was not in view but the minute I returned to the room, she tried to make me the P and her the V through the blame game. 

This is where I was entertained.  Having become familiar with the game some years ago I was able to predict her moves - and to my surprise, my predictions were exactly right!  Oh, just to finish my story, R quickly realised she was being used and took all the paper work into the office and told P/V to go home.  Did she? No actually, she stayed back to try again to engage R who, by now, was over the whole thing and went home herself leaving P/V totally void of anyone to play with and, her total confusion was apparent.

Can you see how easily it is played, even if one of the players leaves the game?  A name is all they need and let the games begin!  You are now warned - beware of drama queens (and kings)!  The only way to avoid involvement is to walk away from all players and stay right out of it.  So, is this where the ostrich comes into it?  Maybe.

If a herd of elephants was heading towards an ostrich which had its head buried deep in the sand - would it be protected, would the elephants see it and go around it?  What I am asking here is simple - we may not want to engage in the drama, but by our very presence, as an observer, are we not already part of it?  Are we not in some way involved?  Do we not immediately think something?  We may chose to remain silent and walk away, but it remains, we were involved because we observed, we witnessed.  So what are the responsibilities of a witness?  May our consciences be the guide to that answer.