Thursday, October 11, 2007

I wonder

what would it cost per household for council to harvest rainwater and to sewer mine and to provide a reticulated system of rescued water for toilet flushing and garden watering? Currently grey water diverting and treatment (if you want to store it for more than 24 hours) would cost around $10,000 per household - not a very attractive proposition. Individual pumps would be less economical in initial purchase and in running costs (on green power of course) than neighbourhood or municipality wide methods of providing sufficient pressure.

Private gardens represent a valuable resource for the community: they sequester carbon, they provide a creative outlet for gardeners, they provide visual delight for all who see them, a harbour for birds, and a cultural resource.. can we afford not to have a community based water source to maintain them?

Well here it is: CSIRO is working on the integrated management of urban water http://www.csiro.au/science/ps3k3.html bring it on!

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Carving - the coolest experience

I inherited my tools from my great aunt. She was pretty cool - an astrologer, novelist and sculptor. It is a privilege to hold her chisels and think that I am continuing in a family tradition. I didn't start sculpture with carving - first I learned to model in clay and cast the work, then I learned copper fabrication... then a branch fell off the Manchurian pear tree in my mother's garden and I was on..... well it wasn't that simple - Margaret Gunnersen Thomas's assistant Peter Quinn turned a red gum mallet for me, Kevin Free gave me a few tips and got me started and Hank bought the Superjaws to hold the work... it takes a lot of support to build a sculpture. :-)
It's pretty amazing watching the work emerge from the wood. I roughed it out with a carving disc on the angle grinder and took it to Herring Island for the demonstration event on Australia Day.
So then came the business of refining, then sanding and polishing - will it ever be finished? Well here are the stages so far: so that's in May - takes a while doesn't it? And then comes October and I'm still sanding. Well life goes on, and on, and the miracle is I'm still learning. Just wait for the fantastic time when I start putting the oil onto the wood. Her name came up pretty early - the Keys to Canterbury - Oh Madam! I will give to you the Keys to Canterbury, and all the bells in England shall ring to make us merry, if you will be my joy, my one and only dear and walk along with me anywhere.


on exhibition Herring Island 2009