jane.garratt♥'s photostream  

Posted to the group 112 in 2012 #29 Leap Day

I'm not sure whether other cities are more interesting and beautiful than my home town or whether I just 'see' more interesting and beautiful things when I'm away. It's probably a bit of both. I was just amazed at the abundance of gracefully ageing buildings everywhere I went in Melbourne.

Continuing with the theme of architectural details spied during our recent trip to Melbourne, this is brickwork on the back wall of the National Theatre in St Kilda. I was surprised to see such ornate mouldings in exposed brick, with the mortar and metal pins showing, and I wondered whether originally it was designed to be rendered. I like it like this - there's something vulnerable and loveable about it.

In the formal gardens of Werribee Park there is a grotto on an island in a lake. The 'naturalistic' lake and island were constructed about 1877 for the Chirnside family.
From the outside, the grotto is hidden by a covering of growing plants. Inside, the floor, walls and domed ceiling are decorated with shells and other natural treasures (including the Chirnside children's teeth, apparently). The interior of the grotto can be viewed through a glass door. It is pretty amazing.

As it's Valentine's Day tomorrow, for the group Music Monday, I've chosen a song that's not especially a favourite of mine, but it is a refreshingly cheerful song with loving lyrics and an upbeat tempo, despite it's title: Don't go breaking my heart ♫♪♫

Posted to the group 112 in 2012 #86 Heart

Haddy, my youngest sister, made this wax heart with glass wings after the hearts that she and I painted on Toby's coffin. To me it's a very special and symbolic piece. It represents a soaring heart or free spirit, as well as love on so many levels: the love of a parent for a child, the love between siblings and friends, and romantic love.

Initially Haddy planned to make a heart of glass but wasn't sure how to attach it to the wings. When she showed me the glass wings and the wax heart, I thought wax was the perfect material for the heart: it looked softer and more organic than glass (it even melts slightly in hot weather). Haddy agreed, and so she used the wax mould as the heart.

Here it is, held in Brad's beautiful hands.