All posts by tribalmysticstories, lazylittlefrog.com

Author, Artist, Arts Curator, Climate Activist, Anti - Violence against Women, and Entrepreneur
Art, Culture and Heritage, Indigenous, Writing Stories

Melanesian Wantok Showcase – Art and Music

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Melanesian Wantok Showcase

Limited edition prints, paintings and bliums, a collection of art at the Redlands performance Art Centre, Queensland.

I am proud to announce that a collection of my artwork (art, textiles and pencil drawing) will be in a community art exhibition to celebrate the Melanesian Wantok Showcase. This exhibition opens in the Redland Performing Art Centre in Cleveland tomorrow. The music concert and will be on September 17, featuring musicians from Papua New Guinea and other Melanesian countries.

Contemporary Textile Art – Papua New Guinea

J.K.Leahy Textile. A contemporary interpretation of the traditional tapa cloth printed on cotton. 2017.

Kalem – Warrior Woman fashion. Designed by J.K.Leahy. A selection of leather handbags and silk dresses on exhibition with natural fibre woven bags in Wantok Melanesian Showcase. Redland Performing Art Centre, Queensland.

Pen and Ink Drawings – Dr Pomasiu Lawes

This is the first time ever artist Dr Pomasiu Lawes will be showing his pen and ink drawings. This blog will feature some of these artwork and stories that accompany each one, in the near future.

 

A taste of Melanesia in Cleveland

Head along to Redland Performing Arts Centre (RPAC) for a night of Melanesian music and culture when WANTOK Musik performs on Sunday 17 September, on the weekend of Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) Independence. This showcase celebration is a partnership in community cultural development with the Quandamooka Festival and is an exciting opportunity to experience a coming together of Quandamooka and Melanesian communities, artists and musicians.

The evening will feature a fabulous line-up of contemporary and traditional Melanesian musicians.  George Telek from PNG will headline the concert, bringing his signature blend of contemporary and traditional Melanesian rhythms to the RPAC stage. Telek will be joined by Charles Maimarosia from the Solomon Islands who will astound you with his talent on the pan pipes, Tio from Vanuatu with his amazing vocals, ukulele, guitar and violin skills, and Ben Hakalitz from PNG who will bring 30 years of musical experience and amazing technique on the drums to the night of celebration. They will be joined by a number of other musicians from PNG and West Papua, for an amazing night of indigenous music and culture.

There will also be the opportunity to enjoy some Melanesian food on the RPAC Piazza, and browse the art and craft display in the Concert Hall Foyer, to complete your night of Melanesian indulgence. This art and craft display curated by PNG artist/curator Joycelin Leahy in partnership with RPAC’s Elaine Seeto will be open to the public throughout the month of September, to give you more opportunity to enjoy the pieces on display. The exhibition opens tomorrow (September 4).

Don’t miss this coming together of Melanesian, Quandamooka and wider Redland communities at RPAC Sunday 17 September at 6.30pm.  Tickets are $30 and can be booked via www.rpac.com.au or by calling the RPAC Box Office on 3829 8131 (booking fees are $4.10 by phone and $5 online per transaction).

Poetry, Writing Stories

Poetry Slam Winners – Queensland Finals

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My friend Jenny came second in the Queensland Poetry Slam finals.

The winner was Vivi Baker with her poem on The Murder of Women. I was unable to contact Ms Baker for her permission to publish her poem, that’s why this post is late, but Jenny Campbell gave me her poem to share. I hope you like it. Congratulations to both women poets who will now enter the Australian national finals.

I wanted an image to go with Jenny’s poem and there was so many to  choose from, but I thought this one was appropriate. It was one of the many Trump images on Digital Arts UK – following his election last year.

This was the cover for German publication Der Spiegel. Translation: The end of the world (as we know it). Published on Digital Arts UK.

 

Anatomy of Terror – Jenny Campbell.

 

Beware the terror everywhere

beneath your skin and in your stare

it’s in the thoughts you dread to think

it’s in our leaders guilty blink.

 

Its terror this and terror that

please remove your welcome mat

for terror lurks and terror hides

it grips our lives, but who decides

 

the terror here and terror there?

Invent a villain, Laissez Faire!

A glance into your neighbor’s yard

may reveal a suspicious bard.

 

Hide your children! Take the stairs!

They come in ones and groups and pairs!

Bombing things, invading shores

they’re using terror as their oars!

 

But don’t protest or make a sound

‘cause there’s a lot of them around;

and they could use a cluster bomb

and who could guess where that came from?

 

So, be you sweet or sharp of mind

they target most of human kind

they take our nature firm in hand

to help us fear them on command.

 

“They” are world leaders, close the door.

To sovereign coin they pimp and whore.

For oil and gas they kill, inflame

but how they fear revolution’s name.

 

They run our countries, seize our lands

our blood and breath drips through their hands

they kick the weak and rob the poor

delivering terror door to door.

 

They use their journos as a prop

who spread the terror news non-stop

to make the nightmare crystal clear

they ‘manage’ what we see and hear.

 

They pillage with psychotic lust

betray their nation’s flagging trust

and then at night they go to bed

indifferent to the lives they shed.

 

Oh yes, world leaders terrify

and brutalize and falsify.

So if the ‘terror’ gets to you

be alarmed: they built this zoo!

 

Jenny Campbell ©

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poetry

When Love Arrives – Spoken Word Poetry

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I really enjoyed this and hope you will also. There is more on Button Poetry.

Photography, Poetry, Writing Stories

A Son’s Call – Poem

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A Son’s Call – a dedication to Kaz

Kaz our pet lorikeet. He is always there.

A Son’s Call

My feathered son’s call

Above them all

Each day, and all day

Reminding me he’ll stay

And no matter what brings

My heart is joyed when he sings

 

Art, People, Poetry, Writing Stories

A Songbird of Articulate Words

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A Songbird of Articulate Words – J.K.Leahy Story

Jenny and Tawny.

A songbird is a bird that produces musical sounds which are like singing, according to the Webster dictionary. If that’s the case then photographer/poet Jenny Campbell is a songbird in my view.

I can confidently say this after listening to her at a lunch table last week in Brisbane, reciting one of her poems about the world we live in.

I share the love of birds with Jenny, but she takes her love for these feathered creatures to another level where she stalks them in the swamps and photographs them – then writes poetry about them. The ‘stalking’ is also called bird-watching. Jenny also writes serious poetry about life, the environment and politics.

Jenny Campbell the poet.

I met Jenny a week ago in Brisbane through a dear friend Dr Susan Cochrane, an arts curator and a writer. Jenny is one of many artists participating in the Blue Mountains Garden of Earthly Delights Festival in November. In the Blue Mountains show, she will be featuring her bird photography and poetry. Dr Cochrane is the curator of the Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens show marking its 30th anniversary. Another artist participating in the botanic show, is Orly Faya.

Jenny is currently in Brisbane  for the QPF2017 Australia Poetry Slam – Queensland Finals. She is one of 20 finalists. Below this story Jenny has kindly allowed me to feature one of her bird photographs and the poem she wrote for this bird – an Australian robin. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Let’s wish Jenny Campbell all the best in the poetry finals this Sunday, ( August 27th) at the Judith Wright Centre, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.

Take us to another place
where vines entwine the heart
correcting misconceptions
through the first and final art

Untwine entrenched surrender
feel the struggle to betray
the very chains that bind us
as a Robin says: “G’day.”

Eastern Yellow Robin, Australia

 

Writing Stories

Macro Mantis Max

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Macro Mantis Max  – J.K.Leahy Stories

Praying Mantis Max is on the hot water jug. J.K.Leahy Pic.

I haven’t photographed with my macro lens in a long while, but tonight I was surprised by this macro praying mantis when I tried to make myself a cup of tea. It sat there on my water jug which had not been boiled yet. A closer look; Max as we shall name him or her, is adorned like a gorgeous African queen with matching coloured skirt to her large stud earrings. This little brown insect is not more than ten centimetres long without its wings.

It was very still when I took the photos, but because a hungry gecko was nearby, I lifted it away from the jug and placed him high in the ceiling. That’s all I could do. Praying mantis were part of my early life when I spent hours in the bush and gardens with my grandma. We have a song which we sing when we see one, and it actually makes them dance. I didn’t try the song tonight or make Max dance, but I tried to save Max, knowing Max had too many predators around.

Fun Fact from National Geographic:

The praying mantis is named for its prominent front legs, which are bent and held together at an angle that suggests the position of prayer. By any name, these fascinating insects are formidable predators. They have triangular heads poised on a long “neck,” or elongated thorax.

 

 

Nature and Environment

LUCKY YOU, USA – TOTAL ECLIPSE

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I am jealous that we can’t see the total solar eclipse in Australia, but you lucky ones in the Unites States of America will be able to witness this rare cosmic chance event on August 21. It has been discussed in the media and predicted that this eclipse will be watched by most people than any eclipse ever before. Thousands are travelling from other countries to USA to watch it. And, partial eclipse will be seen in parts of Europe.

So tomorrow, we will be watching it on our screens in Australia while you in America will watch the real thing. Be safe, wear your special glasses, and feel free to make comments here on your experience.

An artist impression of past eclipses

Courtesy of Los Angeles Times

Rosemarie Fiore’s “Smoke Eclipse #52,” 2015. Firework smoke residue on Sunray paper. (Von Lintel Gallery, Los Angeles)

 

*There is a lot of information on the internet on past and future eclipses.

 

Art, My Art, Writing Stories

Gum Ladies – Making Art From Natural Pigments

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This is one of 50 artworks I have made. It is a collection of “gum ladies” (as I referred to this art, painted from gum pigments I’ve made from my backyard). They are all females, but I will paint some males later. It is easier for me to experiment with the female ‘mood’.

A friend curator visited and suggested that I have a solo exhibition, because “they are strong”. Another curator said, “he loved the quietly vibrant feelings embedded”.  I had really planned to show the gum ladies in a community exhibition next month, in Brisbane, but the work is taking its own course. I am very happy.

The work is painted like watercolour and sealed to hold the pigments. Once exhibited, originals and limited edition prints will be available for sale here.

Let me know your thoughts about my experiment that has now grown into something else.

 

 

Art, Culture and Heritage, Indigenous, Life, Stories about people

Emerging Earth People – Artist Orly Faya

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Writing Stories

The Master Creator – Puffer Fish

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I’ve been wanting to share this BBC-Earth David Attenborough video for a while. Since my friend Caroline Moree introduced me to this story, I can’t stop going back to it to remind me of how hard one must work, to create something phenomenal. I would like to make this part of my Cool Stuff collection. I hope you can enjoy this too.