Architecture Loch - a village of friendly folk - Part 1 Nestled in the verdant hills of South Gippsland is the beautiful Loch Village. Anchored at the eastern end of the main Street, the Loch Brewery and Distillery which occupies the former Union Bank building (1902), makes the perfect starting point to stroll around the village. Photo my own
Murals Art Murals of Sandringham Blank walls and traffic light signal boxes painted with attractive art murals in my suburb of Sandringham, a beachside area of Melbourne, Victoria. The colourful art works are being funded by a grant from the Victorian Government to our local Bayside Council.
Murals The Cavalcade of Transport - Wall Mural Today we discover an almost forgotten wall mural by Melbourne artist Harold Freedman. The mural, celebrating land travel development over 100 years, has now been relegated to relative obscurity at the back of a shopping centre in Melbourne CBD. Image: theage.com.au.
Victoria The Stick Shed at Murtoa The Stick Shed, a grain storage facility, built over 4 months in 1941-42 as emergency bulk wheat storage is located in Murtoa, western Victoria. It covers 16,000m2 under roof and measures 265 metres long, 60 metres wide and almost 20 metres high at its apex.
Animals Teenage Wallabies and other Creatures in the Grampians National Park, Victoria The animal life in the Grampians, Western Victoria is abundant and spectacular especially in Spring as the babies are just so delightful. Emus are unusal but the teenage wallabies are even more entertaining as you will see if you watch the video.
Victoria The Majestic Grampians Grampians National Park is Victoria’s fourth largest national park and known for its majestic waterfalls, dazzling spring wildflower displays and awe-inspiring mountain panoramas.
Neighbourhoods A Hidden Gem - Laz’s Lane Tucked away in Carnegie, a family friendly and leafy suburb of Melbourne inner south-west, is Laz’s Lane, named after Laz Stark who lived in nearby Graceburn Avenue for 7 years and was the life of the street party and all round good guy.
Neighbourhoods Strolling Through Sandringham Spring 2021 Spring has sprung once again in the Southern Hemisphere and in Melbourne to our complete dismay we are in a long covid lockdown. With my neighbour Dell, we are again sharing walks around our suburb and finding new delights.
Silo Art Albacutya Silo Albacutya is a small Victorian rural location approximately 355kms from Melbourne and close to Rainbow. A new attraction is the mural being painted on the Albacutya Silo, 10km north of Rainbow. Credit: My own photo
Victoria Mallee Meanderings The Wimmera & Mallee covers hundreds of miles of wheat fields, crisscrossed by railway tracks, the only outcrops innumerable silos used for storing the grain and pulses. These days many form canvasses for mural artists which make up an extensive Silo Art Trail. Credit: mailtimes.com.au
Travel Marysville - Yarra Valley Located in the foothills of Melbourne's closest ski fields, Marysville is a picturesque town, a place to enjoy peace and quiet and appreciate the wonders of nature. Established in 1863 as a stopover for diggers travelling to the Goldfields, Marysville, evolved into a popular resort destination.
Dogs Sandringham's Dog Mural On my morning walk today around Sandringham, Dell, my friend and neighbour showed me this fabulous Dog Mural by Warren J Fox. Photo Credit: splatrs.com
Sculpture More UooUoos A few weeks ago we introduced you to UooUoos - a mythical creature designed for an Art Trail In Melbourne and fund raiser for the Royal Children's Hospital 150th Anniversary.
Sculpture The Me and UooUoo Art Trail 100 UooUoos are scattered around Melbourne and Geelong finding a home in laneways, streets, parks and public spaces, bringing colour and creativity with a spectacular public art trail, in honour of the 150th anniversary of The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Melbourne. Credit: uoouoo.org.au
Landscapes Arthur Boyd: An Introduction to his Landscapes Continuing the review of the Boyd Dynasty we review some landscapes of Arthur Boyd. From his early works created in Victoria, to Suffolk (UK) to his final resting place on the Shoalhaven in New South Wales: we see the great change in his style. Credit: bundanon.com.au
Gold A Very 'Welcome Stranger' in Bendigo When the "Welcome Stranger" nugget was discovered in 1869 it was the largest gold nugget ever found. It was found by Cornish miner John Deason and his partner Richard Oates near Moliagul in central Victoria. However it was a hard life for many. Image Credit: Chinaman's Gully, sl.nsw.gov.au
Celebration The Melbourne Cup We are the only nation on Earth that stops for a horse race and that race is "The Melbourne Cup" which is run on the 1st Tuesday in Novemember. The first Melbourne Cup was run in 1861 and "Archer" won by a staggering 6 lengths. Image: Archer, with jockey J Cutts by Frederick Woodhouse Snr
Neighbourhoods Strolling through Sandringham October 2020 Hurray its springtime in the Southern Hemisphere and the Melbourne gardens are waking from their winter slumbers to a riot of colour. Azaleas and daisies are in full bloom while the wattle has been out for some time.
Photography Birds through the lens of Patrick Kavanagh As Bird Week 2020 draws to a close we will leave you with these magnificent photos taken by Patrick Kavanagh in Moolort Plains Central Victoria. Image: Nankeen Kestrel Fledglings by Patrick Kavanagh.
Photography Birds through the lens of Geoff Park Some of the AnArt4Life bloggers head out to our backyards, local parks and favourite open spaces to take part in the annual #AussieBirdCount! To continue our focus on birds we have great pleasure in bringing you some beautiful photographs taken by Geoff Park.
Animals ‘Little Penguins’ – The hottest gig in town! A popular tourist attraction in Victoria is to watch "Little Penguins" come ashore & waddle with full bellies to their nests where (at this time of the year) their young are waiting to be fed. Watch from the comfort of your home with the Phillip Island Nature Parks link. australianmuseum.net.au
Dynasty The Boyd Dynasty: Arthur Merric Boyd We continue our ramble along the foreshore of Melbourne and out into the glorious Yarra Valley to meet Arthur Merric Boyd and view some of his paintings. Image: Coastal View by Arthur Merric Boyd (aasd.com.au)
Neighbourhoods Strolling through Sandringham August 2020 Down Under, here in Melbourne, Australia, we are in the depths of winter. Despite the chilly temperatures, the sun is often shining when along with Dell, my friend and neighbour, we explore the ‘hood on our regular walks.
Women Artists Monica Adams - Australian Artist When looking for coffee on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, I discovered the "Monicaart Gallery" and some inspirational images created by Monica Adams. Meeting an artist in their own environment is always exciting and stimulating and brings the art works alive. Image: monicaart.com.au
Street Art Street Art: turning Yarram into a "Heesco" town The townspeople of Yarram in country Victoria are hoping that visitors will flock to the area to see the amazing street art of Heesco, transforming the town into a "Heesco town"! (Photo courtesy of Wayne Tindall, Facebook).