Brisbane South Bank and Art Gallery

It’s 5 weeks since we came back from New Zealand. Pottering in the garden, reconnecting with friends, enjoying the small place we call home. But I now feel like a day out exploring.

The weather is a perfect Queensland winter day, clear blue sky, fresh windless 22C. NO humidity… I bounce out of bed “let’s go to Brisbane”. It is quite a while since we went there. ( April 2013 see it here ) Brisbane is the capital of Queensland, it is a cosmopolitan and lively city that is home to many different types of scenery, including skyscrapers, parkland and even an artificial beach. Brisbane is a river city, with Brisbane River running through it.

It is a 100 kilometres from the Gold Coast. Not far in Australian travel terms, this land of vast expanses. But we still do not have a vehicle (though we are looking for one!). So it is a bike ride to the bus, then a bus ride to the train station and, from there, a 1 hour 15 minute commute to Brisbane.

On the way we fill the time in by sketching. We are both looking at the same scene from slightly different viewpoints, but look how different our styles are. 

Jack’s version

My attempt…

A great day for a stroll along the river and through the South Bank Parklands.

An enterprising young woman has set up her VW as a mobile coffee stand. But we do not stop here as I am planning to have lunch at the art gallery.

Before looking around the art gallery we stop for a cuppa and sandwich

 

It is a tranquil and artistically laid out space.

Yellow tables and chairs complement the vivid green of the lawn.

The sun highlights the fountains spinning wheel of water creating rainbows.

Every where there are ibis, waiting hopefully for crumbs. At the next table another diner takes out a note-book and starts sketching as she waits for her meal. I cannot resist asking her what is she drawing. She shows us, it is quick sketches of the ibis. We have an interesting conversation about art. Karen and her partner are both artists and she gives us her web address. Take a look. I was very impressed.

Now refreshed it’s time to immerse myself in the creative genius of the many artists work on display. I prefer the realistic art of the old masters and find modern art difficult to understand.

Here are some of my favourites.

I stood in front of this one for quite a while, it seemed to talk to me. I loved the 3 dimensional effect and the soft gentle feel of spring just awakening the blossom on the tree.

James Gleeson “Structural emblem of a friend” In quite a different way this one intrigued me. The lifeless gaze as the blood is sucked from him by a wife. The mortgage getting under his skin. Maybe the only beacon of light for him is the boy/son? There was no information about this painting so I made up my own story. What story do you see?

I’ve just been reading the life story of William Dobell, the book showed many of his paintings but it is never the same as standing in front of the work of art, studying the colours and the brush strokes and textures.

 The look around was taken slowly and really immersed in what I did have time to see, not a quick rush around trying to see too much. So much more to see, I will definitely have to come again.

As I left the sun was highlighting the branches of a frangipani tree and I noticed it still had one lonely flower defying the odds.

 

A last look at Brisbane as I head back to catch the train for the return journey to the Gold Coast.