Changing Newcastle

Since I came to live in Newcastle NSW (Australia) in 1999, the city has changed... architecture alone has changed the look of Newcastle. As I walked by the old newspaper building , I was a bit sad to see a crane lifting materials for the apartments being built behind the facade of the original building. It wasn't just that the old building is no longer, it is that the local newspaper has changed too - no local office, printed elsewhere electronically. Yet I felt happy that at least the building will become "home" to many people and that its history won't be lost.
Last week, I also captured this shot of an old 1823 building reflected in the new City of Newcastle administration building. While the new building will be spectacular as it is, I really liked the idea of the past being reflected in its shiny glass exterior.

There are some really amazing buildings which have appeared in Newcastle in the last few years. The University of Newcastle , City Campus is a testament to architectural innovations and contemporary design as well as function. It is called NeW Space - a space to collaborate , and it certainly feels like that.

In the same city precinct as NeW Space is perhaps my favourite building in Newcastle, although I never really want to spend time in there. The Law Courts completed in 2015 still resonate with a newness and somehow a distinctive Newcastle feel. It was built in a difficult triangular space, but somehow seems to spread happily into the block . Local artists' work have been featured for the interior design with the foyer installation paying homage to the original indigenous owners of the land.

And soon, this city streetscape will be visible from the new light rail which will trvel along Hunter Street Newcastle.

Sadly for some ( my grandchildren included) the Queen's Wharf Tower, an icon of 'old ' Newcastle will not be visible as it was demolished last year. However, there are many people who have rejoiced over the removal of what was considered a rather embarrassing phallic sculptural icon.

And that is progress...

Image Credits:

Wilma Simmons
https://www.newcastle.edu.au
http://www.coxarchitecture.com.au

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks .... The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or my husband or from off cuts gifted to us from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks. Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as w...

29 Faces

"29 Faces " is an online art challenge - blog and Facebook . The challenge is to create a face each day of September ( with one day for catch up) .... I decided to take up the challenge to practise drawing faces for my dolls and to practise techniques with coloured pencils. I received a set of 60 pencils from my daughter last Christmas so I wanted to be sure I used them before next Christmas! I love making tags so I combined tag making with "29 Faces", so I will also have some unique Christmas gift tags for gift giving this year. Here are the first 9 faces for the first 9 days of September

Covid Man and Book Print

This is my tag for the current theme at Tag Tuesday - Book Print. I like using text as a background for tags and today, I reduced one of my recent line drawings and printed it on a small book page .... as you can see, the book's chapter is entitled "Of Holy Living and Dying ( from The Book of Books) . I thought this was appropriate as this 'Covid man' drawing depicts Nature happily thriving while man appears to be "unravelling " at the edges of body and mind... Original drawing - Wilma Simmons Silk screen print on fabric : Wilma Simmons Silk screen print on paper : Wilma Simmons And here are some other tags on book print backgrounds - these are free motion stitched "Nature" portraits done earlier in the year.

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

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