Goulash Blog

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Burnie Beans and Aboriginal Art

A burnie bean is a bean from the Monkey ladder vine which is found in wetlands and rainforests in Australia and other parts of the world. They grow in huge pods, up to 6 feet long. They look much like a flattened buckeye. They are used by the aboriginal people, as well as others in jewelry as well as in other objects. The name comes from the fact that, when the beans are rubbed together they produce heat. The beans are inedible, they are highly toxic.

Aboriginal folk law says that to carry a burnie bean brings good luck, as well as a connection to mother earth.

On my post titled "Back to Work" I committed to making some Burnie bean beads, which I did--one just went into the kiln. In my mind I don't have a shaky hand and I always think that I can do anything that I put my mind to--which I can't. My first burnie bead is acceptable--but hardly exciting! I am also obsessed with my "Ice" technique and have little interest in doing anything else at this time. I am also thinking of getting away from beads and jewelry and into some more sculptural pieces.

As to my work sometimes not resembling what's in my mind's eye--I will no longer talk about my ideas for my projects, but post them as they grow. So...on that note...I do have myt next project in mind, but won't spill the beans til it is further along. Also, as it was 110 degrees in Australia for much of our trip, to translate any of that into "Ice" will take some doing!

So...on that note... I post one picture of my version of a "Burnie Bean":

...and on to some more travel memories--while I can still remember them!

Thank you to:

http://www.beachbeans.com/descriptions.html
and
www.janbalgallery.com.au

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Burnie Bean Beads

My first Burnie Bean beads are out of the kiln. They're not bad, but, the first thing I thought of when they came out of the kiln was Suzan Rezac and her favorite word: "Bigger!"

The burnie bean that I modelled them after is about 2 inches in diameter. My beads came out quite a bit smaller.

More on burnie beans and some photos in my next post.

www.suzanrezac.com

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Back to work!

Between vacation and Christmas I've found a lot of excuses to goof off. Back to work! Time to make some glass--as you can see, I'm not yet committing to jewelry but, that's probably where this is going! But...as soon as I said that I started thinking...maybe a mosaic. Made of Aboriginal designs in glass. I like it! One thing nice about it--it can be as large, or as small as I like! As they will be made on mandrels--I can take them off of the display (frame?) one at a time, or in groups, and string them into groups to wear. What an idea!

This could keep me busy for months.

A bit of background: Traditionally, Aboriginal artists used ochre, a crumbly hard rock that is colored by iron oxide. It comes in colors from yellows to dark reddish browns. Many Aboriginal artworks are found on rock overhangs and caves. We visited Emily Gap, where we learned the story of the Three Caterpillars:

Today there arre many forms aboriginal art, some made of the traditional orchres but many today are available in acrylic paints and gouache as well. Rock painting, bark painting and canvas paintings are all popular today. Traditionally, Aborigines produced a type of aerial landscape, meant to tell a traditional "Dreaming" story. Although the same symbols appear in many paintings, the Aboriginal people have kept their their meanings secret.

Thank you to:
http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/culture/symbols.php

and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_Australian_art

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Dining Like an Australian

My last post was actually our second day in Australia.

First day in Melbourne. Tired, but we spent a lovely afternoon enjoying Melbourne, walking, visiting galleries and museums. Had a light lunch ast a sidewalk cafe and watched the world go by.

That evening we met up with our group for a welcome dinner. I dined on kangaroo. It was yummy!

Had we gone to the animal park first, I probably wouldn't have tasted it. It's kind of, like when I was a kid, the thought of eating Bambi (and guinea pigs in Peru!) I also tried dromedary sausage--not so good.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Why I love Australia!

First off: I don't want to offend anybody but, in many of the countries that we've visited it seems like all they build are churches. I've seen some magnificent ones, interiors and exteriors that are breathtaking, truly awe-inspiring. As many as two or three a day on some trips, which was why, on day one of our trip to Australia, I was delighted to visit "The Old
Melbourne Gaol" (prison!).

It has housed some of Australia's most notorious criminals, such as Ned Kelly, played by Mick Jagger in the movie--bet you didn't know that!

It also displays death masks of all the prisoners who were executed there. they were executed by hanging, then beheaded for study of the skull. It was believed, at that time, that you could "read" heads, by feeling for dents and protrusions in the skull. These variations in skull shape could predict personality types, including criminal behaviour.
The museum also prominently displays death masks of its executed prisoners.

Along with the discovery of gold in 1851 came an influx of population and, with it an increase in crime. It also housed up to twenty children at a time. Infants and small children were allowed to stay with an incarcerated parent. Some were imprisoned for their own protection.