Geelong Botanical Gardens ferns

from w
Yesterday was a fine day so I went exploring in the fern gullies of the Geelong Botanical Garden, took some photos and also made some sketches. Back at home I fiddled with them with crayon, chalk and pens and here are the three. The size was A3. Actually the location was much darker than I have made them with plenty of shadows and trees in the background but I got tired!

Popups in Malop Street

from w
What will the purple people eater think of next?  And who will be first to get bumped by the passing traffic?

(from Addie)THE greening of central Geelong is under way with an astroturf median strip being installed in Malop St.

Work is continuing on a pop-up urban space between the two major shopping centres.

Some car park space is also being removed to put in pocket parklets.

Beach chairs, outdoor tables and al fresco seating areas will be complemented by improved bike paths.

The new space is expected to be completed by Friday, and it will remain in place under the end of summer.

Central Geelong portfolio holder, Cr Michelle Heagney, said the project was enabled by the trial ban of trucks on Malop St, which splits the city’s two major shopping centres.

“The pop up space aims to create a vibrant and lively pedestrian-friendly space, where people can sit and relax in the pocket parklets,” Cr Heagney said.

Thus says the purple people-eater,
We’ll have pop up parklets
with picnics on the grass,
proper people eating pikelets or pesto,
or pensioners knitting purl and plain,
occasional purple pulsing passion,
not pick-pockets and pesky buskers.
A pink Peugot will pull up,
the purple haired people-eater
fling his purply-blue cape,
do a twirl and a perfect pirouette
then pop back into his car
to pick his pearly teeth
and possibly get a parking ticket.

Geelong waterfront, chopping, chopping

from w
When I saw this photo in the local paper I thought it was some kind of new sculpture in the park, but no, it's tree lopping down at the Geelong Waterfront.  Don't know what was wrong with the trees but they're chopped into a kind of arid sculptural landscape.

Trees lopped as new park concept comes to Geelong waterfront  - Shane Fowles, October 20. Stunted trees on Geelong's waterfront have been removed as part of an overhaul of the area near the 'Shark Fins'. Landscaping works began Monday on the project which aims to creatd more lawn area with shade whdre people can sit and relax.

Exploring North Geelong - near Osborne House

from w
At the weekend  we went to an art exhbition at Osborne House, North Geelong and afterwards we drove down to near the sea, just below. I made two sketches (A3) and photographed different stages - and it became more tight, clumsy the more I fiddled with it. Paul Klee said that drawing is 'taking a line for a walk' so I was mainly interested in the lines.  The photos exaggerated the pink and gave a grayish background. The last two pictures were scanned (A4 each) and dropped out the pink colour. I used a yellow felt-pen which didn't work well for sunsets so added some chalk to soften the effect.

Exploring North Geelong

from w

This afternoon we visited a Vintage Market in North Geelong - they are all the goer these days full of remarkable old stuff to recycle. Didn't buy anything, but took photos and had drinks at the Pickers Cafe.

We saw three kinds of artworks today - a young man painting a wall of the old Power House, another graffiti at ground level near the seaside, and at photography exhibition at Osborne House - landscapes by Jack - minimalist which I liked.

Exploring Drysdale

from w
Though it was a dull day we drove to Clifton Springs and Drysdale - bought fish and chips at a Drysdale shop where I also bought today's Addie, full of Darryn of course.  We fed seagulls overlooking the beach and the Youyangs then went back to Drysdale to draw pictures near a small lake, and then drove down a country lane where friendly horses posed and I also found a lovely banksia bush.

Is the Geelong Mayor going too far this time?

from w
Not happy Jan. Councillor Jan Farell was on ABC radio this morning talking about our flamboyant mayor's latest costume change.  Throwing aside the mayoral robes he revealed a bogan T-shirt, and says later that he didn't know what the slogan was. Oh yeah - coming from a person who loves publicity - good or bad - and pics in the papers and controversy - and spends half his life going through a massive wardrobe to pick something new!
From the Addie:

Geelong mayor Darryn Lyons’ T-shirt of a naked woman sparks calls to resign

• ANTHEA CANNON
• GEELONG ADVERTISER
• OCTOBER 11, 2015 7:33PM

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Cr Lyons is coming under fire for his T-shirt. Picture: Mario Gregorio/Facebook

MAYOR Darryn Lyons has apologised for a sexist slogan on his naked Madonna T-shirt as Geelong Trades Hall leads the charge for action against him.

The Trades Hall will tomorrow write to Premier Dan Andrews expressing their concern “and seeking state intervention to end this behaviour”.

Cr Lyons sparked a social media backlash after he wore the T-shirt to his new Oktoberfest event featuring a naked hitchhiker holding a sign which reads “gas, grass or ass, no one rides for free”.

“I’m appalled that a city leader could be so insensitive in his understanding of such an important issue in society affecting so many people.,’ Geelong Trades Hall secretary Tim Gooden said.

Trades Hall is also convening an urgent meeting of the Geelong women’s unionist network to develop a response.

Public backlash has included protest signs being posted at City Hall, saying ``Love Geelong #No sexism”.

Cr Lyons, who had also appeared at the inaugural event in his mayoral robes, said he had no idea what was written on his T-shirt which featured a picture of the singer Madonna.

“I’ve got to apologise, I had no idea, it was just a famous photograph. I’ve now realised, someone told me what it said on it,” Cr Lyons said. “I understand that saying is inappropriate.”

Cr Lyons said he was not apologising for wearing the T-shirt or its full frontal nudity but he had “made a mistake in I didn’t realise what was written on the T-shirt”.

Cr Lyons posted this tweet in response to his critics.

i had no idea of the slogan on yeaterdays t shirt bought years ago as a great photograph on a tshirt i certainly didnt wish to demean women!

— Darryn Lyons (@DarrynLyons) October 11, 2015