Tasmania Part 5: A Day at the Royal Botanical Center and Back to MONA

Today was the most perfect day we could have asked for, and certainly the best we have experienced with the weather.  A bright sunny day with light wind, temps in the 60's.  A perfect day to wander the Botanical Garden.
I have just begun reading about the history of the garden.  Officially founded in 1818, the garden was actually started by an ex-convict who was granted some land to develop.  It sort of sounds like it was taken away from his family when the garden started looking nice.  I need to keep reading, I guess.

The garden seems quite large,(14 Hectares, if that means anything to you) larger in area than the San Antonio Botanical Garden (which is my point of reference).  We really enjoyed our time in it.  There was a beautiful Food garden, an orchid house, and even a sub-Antarctica garden display.  The Japanese Tea garden was beautiful even in mid-winter.  One can only imagine what it must be like in the fall when all the trees are in color.

Impressive entry gate to the garden.

This is a giant rhubarb plant.  It was an alien-looking thing, for sure.

A pink magnolia.

Part of the Japanese garden.

The tiniest of pine-cones.

The beautifully maintained food garden.

Here is a pano of the food garden.

And a wonderful cactus display.

I swear this is a cactus. See above.

This is an Empress Tree.  Here are images of such a tree in bloom.

Eventually, we drove back out to MONA and decided to have lunch outside one of the restaurants.  We enjoyed a delicious lunch and accompanied it with a glass of the Morilla sparkling wine.  The Morilla vineyard is on the property of the MONA museum.  Their pinot noir grapes are grown on property.  The other grapes are grown elsewhere on the island.  The pinot is quite good.

And because we could, we stayed and watched the James Turrell installation, "Amarna", 

through its sunset illumination.  Sigh.

Here are the (curly) heads of my daughters as they attempt to figure out which planet

we are seeing through the opening of the installation.  (Jupiter)

We were further rewarded with the most stunning moonrise over the water.

It was HUGE and bright yellow-orange.  Just a spectacular evening.

Tomorrow I made reservations for the family to fly over to the southwestern part of Tasmania.  There is a World Heritage site over there and I am psyched to spend time in it.  Stay tuned!  xo L

A (Very!) Quick Trip To Napa To Witness The Groundbreaking For "Crafting A Life"!

My friend and fellow-artist Pokey Bolton is famous for dreaming big.  One main difference in Pokey is that she has a way of crafting her dreams into reality, and often, those big dreams rub off on many of us who are fortunate to be around her.  She has seen a lot of changes over the past several years and now she is realizing another big dream:  moving back to her home state of California and buying land in Napa.  Her next project:  "Crafting A Life".
What is "Crafting A Life"?  Well, what do you imagine it to mean?  There are so many ways this theme can be interpreted and I think she intends to explore them all.
First up:  construction of a new "Art Barn".  I've seen the plans and walked on the ground where the future art barn will reside.  Inside this future building I think we can weave some magic in the form of quilts, mixed media, perhaps cooking outside the barn in her gorgeous outdoor kitchen (and I, for one, hope to cook some pizzas in that wood oven of hers).  This future place is built for dreaming.  I think the sky is the limit for what can be imagined inside these walls.
Here are a few images from the day of the groundbreaking.....

I think the seat back tray tables on SWA planes look like penguin beaks....

We met Jamie and Steve Fingal at the Oakland airport.

First time our husbands have met in person!

A trip to what my daughters refer to as "The Precious".

A beautiful old barn door.

Tulip trees in bloom

Jamie's fun heart bunting adorns the entry to Pokey's garden.

Gathering by the pool

Two legends of the quilt world:  Yvonne Porcella (L) and Alex Anderson.

Posing with my dear friend Judy Coates Perez

Pokey gives a brief, heartfelt speech before digging in!

She remembered the late Allison Stilwell, who encouraged 

everyone to "Do what you love, no matter how crazy it may seem!".

Putting on her hard hat before the heavy work begins...

Yvonne shows Pokey how she got some Napa dirt under her new manicure!

Flying away on a beautiful day I can see the Golden Gate bridge and Alcatraz

in the distance.  

I'm sure to return, and often.

Looking Back at 2014, Part 2

Happy New Year!  I'm hitting some of the things that happened in 2014.  It was a crazy-busy year with more travel and events (mostly good) than I have ever packed into a single year.  Here is the second part of the year....

Throughout the year I guest-blogged for Stencil Girl products.

I love all the amazing ways I can use their exceptional stencils in my work!

June:

Tim and I traveled back to Europe for Art Basel.

"Tim's Vermeer" was a featured film at the festival.

An amazing Gerhard Richter show at Foundation Beyeler.

If you ever find yourself in Basel, Switzerland, you must go to this museum.

We also took in a Paul Chan exhibit.  He is Iris Karp's nephew!

I love trains!  I convinced my husband to take an adventure with me into the Alps on

the Bernina Express!  It just seemed right, don't you think?

We boarded this great observation car and had it all to ourselves.

The train is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Take the trip if you ever have the chance.

We ended up in the small Italian town of Tirano, 

where we spent the night.

It is so breathtaking these pics seem fake.

What a great adventure!

Late June/early July:

I was honored to be present for the birth of these identical twins

in Los Angeles just a few days after I returned from Switzerland.

These girls held hands in the delivery room!

We had babies closer to home:  this is our great-niece.

Later, I bumped into this wild animal, er, I mean Mark Lipinski!

We both serve on the board of the Quilt Alliance.

Here I am with a rare "blow-out"  Straight hair?  Only for a few minutes...

August:

Back to Europe!  This time for the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK.

I was honored to have a quilt in the Art Quilt Masters category.

Tim accompanied me.  His first quilt show.  Ever.

We traveled into London as Tim had a business meeting.

I tagged along and went my own way, as I was anxious to see the Matisse Cut-Outs

exhibition at the Tate Modern.  Amazing!

I turned 60!

What do you think of my new crown, made for me by Jamie Fingal?

My curator's piece for "Whats For Dinner?", entitled "local flavor".

Inspired by my trips to London, I created "Matisse and the New London Skyline"

My amazing "Bizzi At the Bernina" birthday cake!

The creation of a dry creek bed through my garden...

September:

A trip to Cleveland to tape episodes of Quilting Arts TV.

On to New York for Quilters Take Manhattan.  We filled every seat.

Two of my favorite women:  Melly Testa and Yvonne Porcella

late September/early October:

Then we went back to Italy!  We met Jeannie and Mike Moore in Tuscany.

I love all the old surface textures.

Beautiful tomatoes on the vine.

Grapes.

I came back to Texas and met Ringo Starr prior to the All Star Band concert.

Then, I traveled back to Ohio and took a week-long workshop with Nancy Crow.

Here is a work-in-progress.

Then, on to Quilt Market!

Jamie and I pose in front of "Selfie" by Kristin LaFlamme

We ran into our friend, Marie Bostwick!

November:

And, after almost 2 weeks of work and play, we returned to San Antonio.

Breakfast outdoors!

Tim and I traveled to Puebla Mexico to another conference,

where I met Piper Kerman, author of "Orange Is The New Black".

December:

In early December the Modern Quilt Guild had our holiday party and gift exchange.

I am the fortunate new owner of this beauty by Allison Chambers.

And a photo booth at the Newtek party.

There were extreme highs and deep losses in my life this year.

Tim and I lost family members so there was profound sadness mixed into all these bits.

It was a crazy, creative year.  

Let's hear it for the year ahead!  A very Happy New Year to you all.  

What does the new year hold in store for you?   Do you have artistic goals?  I would love to hear about them.  Drop me a line!  xo Leslie