Cristobal Balenciaga was born in the basque country of Spain in 1895  and went on to create one of the most innovative and trend setting fashion houses in the world. Christian Dior, a competitor in the fashion industry described him as ” the master of us all.” He opened his…

Having decided to stay put rather than move house I’m treating myself to a design upgrade and hit the stores for inspiration this week. What’s trending out there? What ideas can I pilfer? What would work for me, my lifestyle and my taste? Three trends stand out in the world…

Margaret Olley  is a much loved Australian artist  with a significant reputation for still life and her ability to capture the richness and intimacy of interior ” landscapes.” Born in the New South Wales town of Lismore, in Queensland in 1923 she had 90 solo exhibitions of her work and…

I love collecting books. Not kindle type reads for me but the joy of holding the book, feeling its weight, touching the smooth paper and the rhythmic turning of pages. Hard covers are a delight  and immediately give the book a presence. As my hands stiffen with age and cold…

In retreat from single digit temperatures, a leaking toilet and an ever-increasing to-do list, I decided to head to Brisbane for a few days to catch up with friends and a city of sunshine. With no big expectations in my luggage I just want times shared, good walking weather and…

Sometimes there are things to see in your own back – yard. In the spirit of “ explore something new every day,” I cheated a bit when I revisited the Convent Gallery, a 10 minute walk from my home. In all fairness I hadn’t been there for many years so…

Have you read any of Armistead Maupin’s books such as Mary Ann in Autumn (2010) or  The Days of Anna Madrigal (2014)? ? Have you watched the Tales of the City miniseries on Netflix? It’s the story of a young and naive Mary Ann arriving in San Francisco and taking up…

What does beauty look like? What makes a good photograph? How do you respond to the idea of a classical beauty, a model quality? With a focus on women (and men) and beauty this week,  how do we bring together ageing and concepts of beauty? Attractiveness?- is this  beauty- who…

Some weeks ago a local gallery was closing its doors and I decided to visit its final sale of artworks. A very stylish woman, probably in her mid 50’s  was loading her car with  paintings and sculptures, lots of them.  As she headed into the gallery to pay for her…