Here’s someone everyone appreciates and loves, she’s wearing a hat I made out of Smiley gift wrapping paper, which I always love: she’s Kimmy; personal assistant (also, as if by some kind of osmosis, she’s also a pure guru) and in a “WOW Weird” kind of way.  Kimmy loves secret personal pleasures which even I find unusual… and that’s saying something, but she’s brillant and solid, sadistically methodical re: life (almost cruel, in the sense if she had lived in the fifteen century she almost certainly would have been burnt at the stake kind of weird.  The tell me again why you do that? – “I LIKE IT OK!”).  Kimmy’s a true friend, and almost faux-autistically, an emotionally charged and discerning creative genius. LET’S ALL SALUTE, and join the Kimmy club!

This my friend Gaymien, he’s living with me on purpose.  The purpose isn’t exactly clear as yet but I’m sure we won’t notice how important it is until much later.  Gaymien’s coming out as a homosexual and I think eventually this will be very good for him, for all sort of valuable reasons.  He seems to have had to had struggled to find himself at this point and I wish him all the best wishes I can muster up because he is, at the very base of his spirit, a kind and generous soul who essentially wants to be loved for who he is.  Through our observations we creep towards understanding who we are, or should I say crawl?  Anyway, onward and upwards – and never mind the pricks along the way Gaymo!  xxx

I nominate Black Beauty Barbara Tobane!

We all know it yet we try and do avoid it at times. There’s so much good work left to do.

Here’s my mate Aunty Heather giving me one those “Arrrrh… Turn It Up Craig!” looks.

I went to Rockhampton, about 200 kilometres from my home, to visit Heather and her family yesterday and I sensed everything was not right. There are clear signs in daily life, you cross tracks and double back to where you started just to make sure you’re heading in the right direction, that you’re on the right path. I choose to see the signs rather than ignore them. There is work up ahead.

Aunty knows that and is as apprenhensive as me.

I had a chance to sleep and took it and woke to find myself revitalised.

I took a trip into a day I thought, if I hadn’t slept I would dread, and I did and it didn’t.

There is much work to do.

This “fearless” work was made for exhibition, and out of nowwhere here it is living in an apartment in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland. “Had “Fearless” ever left the city’s inner western suburbs?” asked the removalist Brett from Brett’s Removalling Service.

Brett thought Nanette had scored well and with a quick fist pump the cordless powertool came to life. “Fearless” measures 150 x 150 centimeters and is a large object.

This is a Saturday like many others, I’m feeling a little stung.

I’m well and truely in the planning mode.  Planning my christmas holidays.  Planning to move into a new home.  Planning for the new year, now not so far away.

This work “Howdy Partner” is a representation of my brian today.  Actually this piece is a paean to my life up until now.

This work is titled “SAUNA”. I created this piece in 2005 and again it references my time in spent in South Korea.

One of the things I enjoyed most about Korea was being able, at the end of a long day at work, to go and soak in a hot spa at my local sauna.

The traditional Korean sauna usually consisted of a hot spa, sometimes infused with green tea or jasmine, any number of saunas, wet, dry and steamy, and a cold lap pool in order to refresh the skin after the relaxing heat had made you soft.

Korean saunas are fully nude experiences, so I learned a lot about my own body consciousness and the enjoyment of being immodest in public.

In the cold winter months I would spend hours at my favourite sauna enjoying the warmth of the place, eating hard boiled eggs and hot noodles, and retiring to the sleeping rooms for a blissful, peaceful rest.

I even met my lover there.

In the village you can find a small historical centre, and you will find photographs of the locals in the 1890s riding the sea turtles in a race up the north facing beach. Dressed in their finery the group mount the majestic turtles on saddles and the large strong animals look tired and defeated, aware they are doomed to this odd distinction.  This unusual celebration was the high point of the Christmas and New Years summer season for the privileged for many years until the sea turtles who actually made it back into the ocean alive stopped returning to the beaches to have their young.

Today I relaxed, swam and swam and swam in the blue ocean, walked on the sandy beach, listened to smoothing music, chatted to an interesting friend, we ate yummy food together, got a little drunk drinking delicious wine, and slept and slept deep dreaming I was riding through the warm ocean waves on an enormous sea turtle.

I love this image.

Recently, I stayed overnight at the Heritage Hotel in Rockhampton. My room opened onto this verandah. I woke up, went outside and was enjoying my morning coffee when I noticed the beautiful shadows the ironwork created.

Rockhampton is “the big smoke” of the Central Queensland region.

My great-great grandparents were married at Saint Paul’s Anglican Church Rockhampton on Tuesday the 25th of December 1883. I feel I have a connection to this place.

Rockhampton is only half an hour from the coast. Here, just off the Capricorn Coast, the Great Barrier Reef begins. There are white sandy beaches, some surf and most importantly the development of the coast is slow, it’s happening for sure, but it doesn’t dominate.