Hazel does Australia: The artist

Monday 21st July 2014

In an artistic and patient mood I decided to draw a church that stood out when I first arrived. It grabbed my attention mainly because it's a traditionally designed church but made of red bricks but also because it's surrounded and dwarfed by modern buildings.

I spent around an hour (I only know this from the chimes if City Hall!) sitting in a bus stop drawing and also felt like Forest Gump sitting on the bench with buses and people coming and going. It was so worth it as I got such satisfaction from what I think is my best drawing here yet.

While I was in King George's Square I visited the Brisbane Museum which is inside City Hall and I was pleasantly surprised. There was an exhibition about the history of the Brisbane River (Brisbane's the only Australian city named after its river), an artist's exhibition of Morten Island and another historical exhibition of the area.

After lunch at the hostel, my obsession with Brisbane's bridges continued as I headed over to GoMA, the Gallery of Modern Art.

Inside the gallery I soaked up all of the art, enjoying it far more than the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Sydney.

The pieces that really stood out were:

Michel Tuffery - Povi tau vaga (the challenge)

These bulls were part of a bigger performance with drumming, dancing and charging flames!

More info here:

http://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/collection/pacific_art/michel_tuffery

And this video installation by Candice Breitz.

Today I also started collecting photos of the traffic light boxes - see my other blog post Street Art. Why not?

Tuesday 22nd July 2014

Determined to finally draw the treasury building I set of raring to go. Within minutes of leaving the hostel, on what I've dubbed 'the humpy bridge', it bagan to pour with rain so I dashed down the stairs on the other side and sheltered underneath for a while. As is began to ease off I ducked amongst the buildings of the cultural centre before heading over another bridge to the treasury. Unfortunately I only drew half as the bench I thought was dry actually made my bottom damp!

I'm beginning to realise I have a knack of discovering unexpected treats and today's was the Brisbane Festival of Bands in Queen Street Mall, a competition between school groups. Whiling away a few hours, I listened to a couple of string groups from one school and then a couple of concert bands from a boys school.

Afterwards I began to work my way towards the botanical gardens but got distracted by the treasury hotel and National Trust building with a green between them so stopped to draw part of the hotel.

I made it to the gardens in the end and walked through, finding a kookaburra along the way, then along the river back to the hostel.

Luckily I made it back just before another downpour!

Wednesday 24th July

Cuddle a Koala day! The long awaited trip to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary arrived. I took a bus up to the santuary and admired even more koalas. My koala photos are becoming a bit like Ben's penguin photos (apologises for the limited audience for that joke!).

I had a magnificent view while I ate my lunch. They appear to have no food because the keepers were cleaning out their enclosures.

Amusingly I had a fright with a lorikeet and caught it on camera. It decided to fly right at me and I jumped out of my skin. It must've looked quite a sight!