{ kass } an artistic journey

hit the road, kass...

So I think I mentioned I have been looking for an internship for Uni without a lot of success. I can admit that I have been fussy - this is 108 of free labour I am providing and I wasn't going to settle for something less than awesome, because this is a huge opportunity for me to really add to my education in a meaningful way.

Last week got really frustrating. I was sending emails all over the place, and getting rejections - all really kind rejections, which is all the more painful. Being told your resume is outstanding and we think you'd be amazing but we're full up, or we don't take interns....it got a bit much.

So I started looking further out than Melbourne, including New York (OK so maybe I was dreaming big there but hey....). Then my mind (and web browser) wandered "home" to PEI. I was looking at all the stuff going on there this year because it's the centenary year of the publication of Anne of Green Gables.

Then I saw it.

Imagining Anne: Celebrating the Creation and Centenary of L.M. Mongomery's Classic, "Anne of Green Gables".

An exhibition of art, books, prints, memorabilia and more of Anne and her authoress.

I knew I found it. This was the opportunity I had been looking for.

So I sent an email to the curator, Dr Elizabeth Epperly from UPEI, and told her who I was, my story and connection to Anne, and then asked the question - could I intern on her exhibition?

And she, as well as the art gallery manager, said YES.

I am going "home" to PEI for a MONTH in June!!

As well as interning on the exhibition, I am going to be there for the launch of a book which I am in, written by Don Harron who co-wrote the Anne of Green Gables Musical. I'm also going to be attending a conference run by the L.M. Montgomery Institute. So it's all happening!

I'll be staying with Ma and Pa Smith of course and I will be there from around 28 May through 1 July, so it's going to be HUGE!

Can you believe it? I have to go tomorrow and get some more quotes on flights and also ring the Canadian Consulate about whether I need a work permit - even though I am not being paid to intern. Whatever the case, I am confident it will work out well.

I am so excited!!!!!

Vancouver

so my stay in Vancouver was shorter than expected due to staying on in PEI but it was nonetheless very special. You see, Vancouver is the home of my kindred spirit and dearest friend, Leslie. Last July (a year ago yesterday actually), she had twin daughters, Tatum and Brook. I was so excited to be meeting these little sweeties - although they wont remember it, I will and it means so much to meet them at this age. Super special.

Leslie and her hubby Thomas (who makes me laugh sooooo much!) live in Vancouver with her Mom, Jean - an absolute LADY if ever there was one. Jean lives upstairs, the De Schutters downstairs. I stayed upstairs in a room fit for a queen, it was so beautiful and by now I was feeling rather spoiled.  And though Leslie is my special friend,  it was her darling girls I wanted to see....

Tatum (aka Tater-tots), and
Brook (aka flower girl/china doll)

These little ladies got under my skin within seconds and I could quite easily have stolen Brook away to Australia with me, she is so tiny and so adorable (and so is my Tater-tots, dont get me wrong!).

We spent Sunday at Granville Island, where I visited Kroma Acrylics and picked up an awesome starter set. The owner was a lovely man and I am looking forward to using these awesome paints. I also picked up some fun stamps and stuff at a store whose name has completely escaped me (I'll update that later when I find the business card). Dinner that night was at the University of British Columbia golf club - fantastic, relaxed meal with Leslie, Thomas and the girls, plus Jean and Nana. Dessert was something else though - ice-cream. This place has 218 flavours - I kid you not. Some of the flavours are unthinkable (and I am guessing unedible too) but I had a fabulous raspberry cheesecake flavour which was delish!!! I felt like a beached whale by the time we got home.

Monday - the last day of my trip before the long haul home. It was a quiet day around the house - there was gardening to be done and I really wanted to rest up and just hang out with my ladies. So we did and it was fun - not much exciting but fun all the same :)

The flight home

So once I left Vancouver I was in LA for 9 hours. I had $17 on me so I wasn't able to go far! So I people watched. And I read. And I looked in shops. And I watched aeroplanes come and go, passengers come and go, and my ass getting sore sitting in the airport. So by the time NZ 5 announced it was taking passengers, I was more than ready to leave. I took a sleeping tablet and apparently slept 9 hours - not bad for a 12 hour flight huh? Our plane was slightly delayed so they held the Auckland-Melbourne flight for us and I bolted between the 2 gates...and made it.

I am not usually one to suffer jet lag but I sure did on the trip home. I slept on Thursday afternoon for a few hours and had an early night. Problem was, I was (I thought) mozzie bitten and couldn't stop scratching. I woke up at 3am and discovered I had been scratching pretty hard core in my sleep, and I couldn't get back to sleep. I went to the chemist and got some anti-itch bath stuff and claramax, but as the day went on a really scary red rash started developing and by mid afternoon I had red welts from my toes into my hair. It was awful and really very painful.

So I went to the doctor and had a gammut of tests but it appears I had an allergic reaction to the Brownies I was eating. You have no idea how good they are. I ate them like a piggie. But did I ever pay - they have "tree nuts" in them - dont ask me what tree nuts are - and I think that's what I reacted to. I get all my blood results tomorrow but I am confident that it was the brownies. So no more brownies for me :(  Some Phenergen and anti-biotics and I woke up yesterday morning with barely a mark on me - it was a miracle. You wouldn't have believed what I looked like just the night before.

So thanks to the Phenergen I have slept alot and I am feeling OK again, though kinda tired. I'll pick it up as the week goes on. I have lots of printing and stuff to do and I want to get into my art journal as I never opened it once while I was away and I have a collection of stuff to put in it.

Thanks everyone for reading these mega posts.....it should now be back to normal programming!

Prince Edward Island Part 2

OK so I put my photos up yesterday and there have been over 1600 hits to see them - WOW guys, thanks so much!  dont really know who is checking them out but it's appreciated!

So, where was I....right, post wedding...

On the Sunday there was the BBQ for gift opening and Jess and Justin got some amazing gifts. We bought them the Ken Duncan Reflections 1 coffee table book which they loved (I think....I hope). It has incredible Australian photography and we hope it entices them 'down under' to visit us. After that, Vanessa, Alyssa, Shelby, Katie and I went to Tim Horton's (Starbucks has nothing on Tim's) and then to Brackley Beach. Problem was, it was raining so we sat by the beach, in the car, eating potato chips and girly chatting, which of course then required some greasy food! So we hit Wendy's (kinda like Maccas I guess but nicer) and we are now the Wendy's Crew forever!

Monday was great. I changed my flights and stayed on PEI until Saturday instead of leaving the following morning for a variety of reasons. It really felt like, with the wedding, things had been so busy we hadn't had time to really "visit". Mum and I went in the afternoon to visit our dear friend Paige, who has a cottage for the summer on the Island. It's adorable and I love it. We first met Paige 16 years ago and she is as beautiful inside as out and I loved seeing her:

Monday night was "Anne" night, with 7 of us girls going to see Anne of Green Gables the musical which plays every summer at the Charlottetown Confederation Centre. It's the second time I have seen it. Lots of fun although my dear friend David Hughes no longer plays Matthew and, to me, it isn't the same without him.

Tuesday was a run-around day - getting photos burned to CD and printed, running errands etc.

Wednesday was another "Anne" day with Glenna, Beth, Mum ,Shelby and I going to the Anne of Green Gables house in Cavendish. We also went to the Anne of Green Gables Museum a few miles on, which is owned and run by the Campbell's, who are decendents of L.M. Montgomery, who wrote the Anne series. The museum there is really more about her than Anne but it was interesting none the less. We had a late lunch at the PEI Preserve Company but missed seeing its owner, Bruce McNaughton who we have met on previous visits and is a character.

Dinner that night was fantastic at Charlene's parents home. Bob and Eleanor are just the loveliest people and I really enjoyed being there and having a home cooked meal - just what I needed. Eleanor is a scrapbooker too so we had lots to chat about! It was great seeing Charlene again - she lived with us in Melbourne in late 2005 when she was travelling and I miss her a lot.

Thursday, the Smith girls and I went shopping and had lunch at 'Just Us Girls' in Charlottetown. Then we did some shopping which included Michael's (which will be a whole other post!). It was so nice to just chat to the girls - a bit more adult than other times. Thursday night was a blast, with everyone going to the Charlottetown Trots! I was right in my element - not only racing but a chocolate fountain to dip my strawberries into - it was HEAVEN! We had such a fun time and I had a couple of little bets which won so I shouted myself a fleece jumper with the trots logo on it - Moonee Valley here I come!

My last day on PEI started with breakfast with Susie and her Mum. Susie is a cousin of the Smith's and Susie has also lived with us when she was in Australia. She has bought a half duplex which was gorgeous - would totally suit Michael and I. Breakfast was lovely. Then Mum and I did some shopping in Charlottetown, and I finally bought my Roots Sweater which I have craved for, for like years. Roots dress the Canadian and US Olympic teams and their stuff is a tad exxy but amazing quality. So I splashed out on the sweat, a cap and a wallet. Dinner that night was seafood - the PEI specialty - with the family, as well as Lennie and Claire, who are family friends of the Smith's. What an amazing couple - just wonderful people who I feel so honoured to have met.

So that's PEI...and you know where to find the photos, obviously....

Prince Edward Island Part 1

hoping that it wont take me too long to write up the past 2 weeks of my trip, as I know I was a rather slack blogger!

so we'll start with Prince Edward Island, herein called PEI. I went there to attend the wedding of my friend Jessica, to her lovely (now) husband, Justin.

I'll explain who everyone is....(it can get confusing otherwise)

Granny and Bompy have 3 daughters....

1. Glenna, who is married to Sid, and have their own three daughters:

   

Vanessa, whose boyfriend is Eric
    Jessica, whose husband is Justin; and
    Alyssa, whose boyfriend is Steve.

2. Ferne, who is married to Ian and have 2 children, Brody and Shelby.

3. Beth, who is married to Lee and their son is Zachary.

Vanessa, Jess, Alyssa, Shelby and Zachary did not know I was coming to the wedding, they knew Mum was but not me. I've stayed close to the girls particularly through Facebook recently. So their faces when I arrived were priceless! Vanessa's particularly, it was classic. Once we all got over the excitement, we had some dinner and I got a good sleep. I stayed at Lee and Beth's house which is on the same property and my room had been redecorated specially! I felt like a princess.

The lead up to the wedding (on June 23) was mainly helping setup as the wedding was in a marquee in the backyard. Thursday night was the bachelorette party which was fun, it was nice to meet people I had heard about but not met before. It was also my first chance to say hello to Charlene, one of the bridesmaids who lived with us in 2005 when we first moved back to Melbourne - she didnt know I was coming over either!

In Charlottetown, I also got to visit Michaels, which is a huge art and craft chain in the US/Canada. It is also the carrier for the Martha Stewart product line. Some of it was pretty simple - tacky even - but some was great and I bought some stuff which I will scan and show later. I also bought a crapload of ribbon which I am splitting with Ange.

The Wedding

The wedding was stunning. I helped the girls with their dresses, including Marcia (one of the bridesmaids) whose dress had been altered (she is the size of a toothpick) and some of the inner lining had been accidently sewn in the wrong place, meaning that she couldn't get her dress on. The girls were so worried about it and Marcia is kind of shy, so I took charge! I had a look and realised if I unpicked it, the zip would not be securely sewn. So I made a rip in the inner lining! Poor Marcia was mortified but it had to be done and, with 2 linings, you couldn't tell at all! So all was sorted and the girls looked beautiful.

http://kassjane.typepad.com/photos/usacanada_2007/nyc001.html

is where my photos are uploaded. I took over 1000 so I have narrowed it down to about 200! I will slowly update the captions to explain who/what things are but for now you can have a gander....

vancouver at last

i got to vancouver today and my dear kindred spirit Leslie is as beautiful as ever. Her daughters, Tatum and Brook are adorable and I might try to sneak one of them into my suitcase....

pei was delightful and i know i owe you all a VERY long post with all the details, but right now I am exhausted from the cross-country trip so it will have to wait. the wedding was stunning, absolutely gorgeous. i have more mozzie bites than i thought was humanly possible and now know what excema sufferers go through when they scratch constantly.

i get home thursday and will obviously add photos and long details then, so until then....

thanks for all the emails and comments, i have appreciated them so much (dont stop!)

yes I am alive!!

dont have time to write as i am heading out but I am in PEI and now staying here until saturday. the wedding was fantastic and i simply love being here.

i've got photos too but i think i'll wait and upload when i get home, if you can wait this long.

love kass

last day in NYC

well hasn't that come around fast....

so after my last post I realised I lost my credit card. No I am not joking. Yes I am a complete dickhead. I dont know what I did, I think I left it in a store. Anyway after a major heart failure and a big cry on my part, Michael got it all sorted and the card is cancelled, which means I am on a cash basis until I get home. I felt like the biggest moron ever and have been really upset about it, but I cant do anything about it now.

Yesterday I went and got some money Michael wired to me (now I know what wiring money actually means!) and then spent more than 4 hours at the Museum of Modern Art on West 53rd St. This would probably be my favourite of the galleries I have been to. Like many, there were alot of Picasso and Matisse works on display. Saw a lot of Andy Warhol's work too, including some very famous ones. It was really very exciting. After I had seen everything (and I think I really did look at every work on display), I went to Times Square for some food and a suitcase. Yes I have bought enough to warrant another suitcase! It's bright pink - like Heidi Swapp 'Betty' paint for you scrappers out there - and very cute.

Repacked and had an early-ish night last night as the busy times are catching me a bit.

My room-mate Chrissy is from Mentone in Melbourne and we got up at 6am to go to see Bon Jovi at Rockefella Plaza. They said it was the biggest crowd for a Summer Series concert the Today show have ever had. We got within 50 meters after I queue jumped. Poor Chrissy was terrified of being yelled at, but hey, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I wasn't waiting for some New Yorkers to let me through (Mum you would have been so proud of me). The band were fantastic and played 5 songs from their new album Lost Highway. I really liked it and it was fun to be in the crowd.

From there I went downtown and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge into downtown Brooklyn. I am so glad I did this as it was a beautiful day (actually I got some colour on my skin today!) and the bridge is quite stunning. I loved it and I am a fan of Brooklyn too, its so pretty. Took lots of photos, which I am hoping to upload when I get to Canada.

After that, on Rachel Greig's recommendation, I went across to The Ink Pad which is on 8th Ave just above W12th St. Its a tiny store but BOY do they have plenty of goodies. I bought 3 rubber stamps there and it took me almost an hour to choose those 3 so lucky I didn't have the credit card or it might well have been 30!! It's such a cute store. I then walked west to the Meatpacking District/West Chelsea. Its where Samantha on Sex and the City lives (and yelled out the window to the trannies) and its a really nice area, they have done it up amazingly. I walked north and just a block from my hostel I saw my FIRST NEW YORK PUGGIE!! Lola is a 7 year old black puggie and so gorgeous. I was so happy to get a puggie fix and so grateful her owner didn't mind me giving her a cuddle!!

So it's now 3.30pm local time and after a long day I am worn out. I have another early start tomorrow for the shuttle to Newark, then it's off to PEI.

I've really enjoyed my time in New York, but I have to say the galleries are what has made this trip for me. I have seen some incredible works and learned so much. I've also realised New York has plenty to offer for free - Central Park and the walk across the bridge today have been total highlights of this experience. I am ready for the next phase and some familiar faces too, and looking forward to seeing my Mum.

OK I am running out of time so I better sign out. Will post when I can from PEI.

Thanks for the emails and comments too, I have LOVED reading them and appreciate you taking the time to message me.

ok so I have a little time now

while I am washing every clothing item I own. When I got to my last pair of undies this morning I decided it was time so they are washing. It's stinking hot so everything should dry rather quickly.

OK so....more about the Met. There was this guy walking around taking photos.  He was wearing: a white cap, white tight singlet that was cropped half way up, to reveal his rather ample gut. Then, tight electric blue shorts, pulled up white socks and runners, and thick glasses. Man, was he a statement or what. Not sure what the statement was exactly, and only in New York would someone go out like that and not get a sideways glance (except from me, the tourist, of course). He was a sight to behold.

I planned on a quiet day today but I ended up doing a bit. I went to three galleries: The Guggenheim, National Academy of Design and the Cooper Hewitt. The Guggenheim was definitely my favourite of the three, as it features modern art and the most amazing gallery space - it is a giant spiral. My friend Brad would have flipped over the Cooper Hewitt - Brad if you ever get to New York you simply MUST go there.

The Guggenheim has a lot of Picasso's work (then again Picasso was rather prolific) as well as Kandinsky. While I dont always like the concept of Kandinsky's work, I absolutely LOVE his use of colour and his ability to make them work.

I tried to see Pug Hill again today but again no luck. So I haven't seen the New York society of Pugs. I am shattered about that as I was looking forward to some Puggie cuddles and kisses but Elvis will be relieved that he is still the #1 pug man in my life.

I had a look at Rockefella Plaza today as I plan on being there bright and early on Tuesday to see Bon Jovi on The Today Show (NBC version).

Lee, I went into the hershey's store today and they had everything Reese's Peanut Butter cups you could imagine, down to handbags. If it weren't so hot (thus likely to melt) I would have got you a big packet. Know you were thought of!

Tomorrow will be a good one I hope as I am off to MoMa, which I anticipate will be my favourite gallery. I cant believe how much time has flown. I havent been eating alot as the food here really sits in your stomach, its really heavy feeling. However on the tip of a friend I found an organic supermarket which has Gala apples and other food which I hope will agree with me a bit better. It's hard to keep energy up without eating but feeling queasy isn't much fun either. So finally some real, decent food. I was even excited about the salad bar!!

OK well my time is up and I want to check my washing. Thanks for the emails and comments, keep them coming!

im alive

im so tired by day's end I dont have the energy to blog but I will, I promise.

Am having a great time although I am now realilsing how those Sex and the City girls stayed so thin - walking in high heels. Just walking in Crocs is killing me. See now the truth is out!

Went to the Met yesterday - the biggest art museum in the US and dont I know it. It's beautiful but a bitch to get around, not well designed thus I wasn't sure if I saw everything I went to see. I went up the empire state building but it wasnt very clear. it was also packed and i got kinda claustrophobic. friggen tourists eh?

When I have more time I will write a long post about some of the 'characters' i've seen. one in particular was rather amusing - actually kinda scary! Only in New York!

Photos will come later too....

day two - heading to the 'burbs

well I am back after another exhausting day. I love walking in this city but boy are my feet paying. I dont think crocs were designed with this much walking mind.

I headed this morning to Brooklyn, which I found to be a really nice part of the world and what I would think was a great alternative to living in Manhattan. My purpose was to go to the Brooklyn Museum. I spent over 3 hours there and saw some fantastic art works and exhibits, including a video by the Australian artist Tracey Moffatt. The absolute highlight of the museum was the installation of "The Dinner Party" by Judy Chicago. A feminist installation from 1971, it really is one which needs to be seen to be fully appreciated. It was huge in size and in meaning, and I loved it more than I imagined I would - enough to buy a book detailing the history (a rather heavy book I might add, thank god I am not backpacking this whole trip).

I returned to Manhattan to Wall Street. The buildings in this area are quite large and quite stunning actually, but the area is otherwise much like Collins Street. I then made my way over to Ground Zero, which is these days a rather large construction site. The size of it, however, indicates a major work in progress, and when finished I am positive the place will be beautiful and a fitting re-emergence of the place. I went to a museum which looks at September 11 and I did shed some tears, it was moving and overwhelming. Having sat beneath the twin towers just 8 weeks before they fell, it's hard to describe the feeling. Life has certainly moved on, but there is no way you can come to this place and not see some ghosts.

Some shopping has been included along the way but overall the shopping has had me a little disappointed. Like Australia, much of the fashion is trashy looking and not that different to whats at home, which is a little disappointing. I will plough on however!

OK I have one minute left so everyone take care and drop me a comment if you have time.