Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 51

Week 51: Family

"Family tree". Collage of wrapping paper, light card and coloured cartridge papers, on corrugated cardboard. Characters (only partially glued to cause natural shadows when photographed) sketched in finepoint black Sharpie - no pencil lines - with highlights in watercolour and white Signo ink.

Update:

Week 51: Family II

"Nativity family". Freehand cut silhouettes in red and gold Quill Metallique cards, with some deliberate shading from the directed lighting. Collaged onto Quill glitter-finish Galaxy card.

Week 51: Family III

"Mr Minotaur & son". Black Biro and watercolour "family tree" portrait miniatures in plaster frames.

Return to Monkeyhead Rock

Terry toweling bucket hats in 1973

My family recently had a nostalgic reunion holiday at Pearl Beach on NSW's Central Coast and we undertook a quest to find the elusive so-called "Monkeyhead Rock" (above), which we'd nicknamed way back in the 1960s.

At first, while searching on my own, I worried that Monkeyhead Rock may have dislodged itself, like so many other rocks on both of Pearl Beach's headlands:



But we were successful! I was looking on the wrong headland. It was on the way to neighbouring Flathead Beach, not Umina.

Here is our recreated pic, 38 years later. We had expected a lot would have changed, but perhaps more elements had altered than we'd anticipated:


Monkeyhead Rock, 2011

Pearl Beach memories

Recently, my family has been reminiscing about Pearl Beach, on the Central Coast of NSW, destination of many McLean family vacations over the years. I'm really not much of a beach person, but made a pilgrimage there today, being the first Father's Day since my Dad's passing, and it seemed like an appropriate time to check out this beautiful part of paradise.


Dad at Pearl Beach, 1968

I've also dredged up a few comparison shots from the old photo albums, which in desperate need of a revamp. Those white "sticky page" albums of the 70s have a tendency to either turn a ghastly yellow, lose all adhesion - and all the photos slide out - or they cling onto the photos and make them impossible to remove for scanning.

I've decided to juxtapose some of the images. For example, here is Lion Island, as seen in 2010 (from the Mt Ettymalong Lookout), and from the beach in 1970, in glorious b/w:





In 1966, 1968 and 1970, we stayed at Bob Godding's beach house on the corner of Diamond Road and Agate Avenue:


House at Agate Avenue, 1966


Ian, Keith & Brian McLean and "Little Keithie from across the road", 1968


House at Agate Avenue, 1968


Replacement house at Agate Avenue, 2010; Bob's house
had been extended in the early 70s, but supposedly burned down and rebuilt


Pearl Beach lagoon, 1966


Pearl Beach lagoon, 2010


Rock pool, 1968


Rock pool under repair, 2010


Mum and Brian, 1968


Rock wall being reinforced, 2010


Keith and Brian; Keith, Brian, fish, and Ian, 1970

Meanwhile, how come I'm always the palest one in any beach picture?


1973



Here's the article about my capture of a deadly blue-ringed octopus at Pearl Beach in 1973. The Daily Telegraph did an extensive interview by reverse-charges - on the only public phone in Pearl Beach - but the story was watered down after several more octopuses were caught on the Central Coast the same day. Must have been breeding season?


Brush turkey crosses Pearl Parade; lizards at Mt Ettymalong Lookout, 2010


Mrs Gava's old house on Pearl Parade, 2010; we stayed here in 1973,
behind the now-sealed up middle door!


Revamped shop/cafe on Pearl Parade, 2010; site of the original Post Office Store.

We hope do do a family picnic at Pearl Beach, sometime soon. More photos as they come to hand!


Shell painting in acrylics on canvas, with driftwood border,
bought from Pearl Beach General Store & Cafe. Artist: Peter Baka, 2009.

My Easter pilgrimage

Not counting the religious significance of the holiday, somehow it never seems like Easter Down Under without a trip to Sydney's Royal Easter Show. Due to my ongoing dieting attempts, there has been a noticeable shortage of chocolate temptations around the house this year - although the supermarkets really seemed to go overboard this year. (I haven't checked, but I'm anticipating lots of cut-price chocolate Easter goodies to be offered this week. Resist, I must.)

Some years I've attended the Show with friends, and sometimes I've given it a miss altogether, but I often feel like I've missed out on something when I don't go at all, so I took myself today. It was a glorious day for it and, while the attendance seemed high, it never really felt claustrophobic, except for some of the bargain areas of the Showbag Pavilion.

Nothing much to report. I make a point of watching Shane St James, the hypnotist, when he's at the Show - always good for a laugh - and a brisk tour through all the commercial stalls and the arts, crafts and bakery displays is essential.

I didn't really pick up any bargains of note, although I did stock up on some packets of Bondi Chai Latte Tea, my current fascination in beverages. Yummo.

It's times like the Show, the Zoo, and toy stores at Christmas, that I get wistful that all four of Uncle Ian's nieces and nephews spent most of their childhoods in Queensland. Sigh...

The glorious weather held until my return train approached Penrith Station - and thus I got to trudge home in a raging thunderstorm.

Finally, I see The Lights

Over on TrekBBS, someone asked "What are your missing, or lost, episodes of Star Trek"?

For the longest time, my elusive episode of the original series was "The Lights of Zetar". I'd heard it wasn't too good but written by Lamb Chop's puppeteer Mum, Shari Lewis(!). Finally, it was advertised as airing on a Sunday afternoon in the 80s, when a group of diehard "Star Trek" fans were committed to dressing in Starfleet uniform to sell food at a "Doctor Who" function that was being filmed for a TV news segment. (The TV journalist was very impressed that I'd gone to the trouble of Andorian makeup - blue makeup, white hair, blue antennae - in addition to my red Starfleet shirt.)

I set up the VCR and we ventured off for the big event. We finished much earlier than expected and I arrived home, with me still dressed as an Andorian - but with just minutes to spare before the episode began its broadcast. Since I was now home to watch (and tape it), I had to switch tapes to my commercials-free version, and line up the new tape at its proper place. A frantic few moments, which my parents thought was quite hilarious and quite unnecessary. Breathlessly, I collapsed into a chair just as the episode started.

Suddenly, a carload of unexpected relatives arrived: my brother, his wife, her parents, I think, and perhaps even my sister-in-law's sister!

My mother let them all in, and was asking who wanted tea and coffee, just as the camera on TV was panning the dead researchers of Memory Alpha - and there were two dead Andorians lying on the floor! Now, I'd read the "Star Trek Concordance" many times, but Bjo Trimble had never mentioned there were Andorians in that episode! So I was getting quite excited and animated.

My relatives, who knew I was an avid fan, just stood there, shaking their heads sadly.

"We knew he liked 'Star Trek'," they said, "but we had no idea he got dressed up just to watch the episodes..."


Dead Andorians and Tellarites at Memory Alpha

Catching up with Aunty Pat

Today's plan (for several weeks now) was a sketch group gathering in Sydney's Botanical Gardens. Even if there'd been a shortage of live human models (and there threatened to be), the Gardens are filled with plenty of life-size statues. It turned out to be a glorious day for it, but unfortunately coincided with the arrival of two huge ocean liners, Queen Victoria and the QE II, in Sydney Harbour - and the media encouraging everyone to go and check 'em out, again. Ick! So much for the usual tranquility of the Gardens on a Sunday.

Yesterday, my aunt suggested I meet her in Bondi Junction instead, so I piked out on sketching (only three others of about eighteen people had RSVPed anyway, much to my disappointment) and had a great day catching up on family gossip. I scored a late Christmas present, too; a great polo shirt with white sides that will have a wonderful optical illusion slimming effect!

Speaking of which:

Sunday's magic number: 90.9 - slightly up on last week, but one of the students' parents from school presented the staff with a record-breaking, huge Black Forest cake on Monday. So all my diet promises for last Monday lasted from 8.00 am till exactly 11.20am. Sigh.

However, it was about this time last year that I began a six-month stint of denial, ie. refusing to check the scales each week, resulting in me putting back on about eleven kilograms and ruining about a years work of dieting. So I'm sorta excited I'm holding steady.

"This is Big Sister..."

So my aunt decided to take my mother, who's visiting us from Perth, to the semi-regular craft show held at the Entertainment Precinct, adjacent to Fox Studios Australia, at Moore Park. My aunt got into making her own gift cards in a big way after her retirement, and when she went to the show in November 2005, the organisers had given her a flier with all the craft show dates for 2006.

When they arrived, the area that usually hosts the craft show was cordoned off, and the place was filled with young, beautiful people. After wandering aimlessly for a little while, Aunty Pat and Mum approached a security guard.

"We're looking for the craft show..." they tried to say.

"Come on in!" he exclaimed. "We need more people like you. Grey power! Sign up over here. There's a bit of a wait, but you're just what we're looking for. You'll really add some spice to the show."

Yes, my mother and her sister had stumbled upon auditions for "Big Brother 2007". (Obviously Network Ten had paid a high enough fee to oust the craft show from its regular spot.)

I can picture it now: "Attention housemates. This is Big Brother. This week, your task is to make greeting cards with the Barron sisters. Those of you who fail to glue your tinsel adequately shall enter the Punishment Room."