2nd Prize

Well, will you look at that!

Did you read the certificate below the picture? That’s right! ‘Glitch’ won 2nd place in the Acrylic Section at the Burdekin Art Society Inc. Art Exhibition. There were entries from all over Queensland, but unfortunately I didn’t get to stay and check them all out — A couple of weeks ago I drove the hour and three quarters to deliver my entries and had to get back home. Then by the time I went back today to collect them (no sale, alas) the place was already stripped. Those I did see were of an excellent quality, so congratulations to all the winners, place-getters and all entries.

Biggest THANK YOU and congratulations to the tireless volunteers who organised it all. You are legends and we the artists bow down before you.

I am thrilled with this win, as I worked so hard and so long on this painting, and the competition I did it for didn’t even think it worth being in the finals. I was terribly disappointed, but it just goes to show just how subjective art appreciation is. What I like you may not and vice versa.

You may be asking yourself why on earth did I do this pixellated portrait. Well, it was engendered by a poem, which I wrote after being treated like a demented idiot by a young person who worked for the telco I was then using. I was totally outraged that they barely looked at me and, apparently because of my white hair, dismissed my assertions and questions out of hand. I crossed the road and changed to another telco.

Here is the poem…

Barely Visible

I’m a glitch
a pixellated blur
on the blue screen of your life
a monochrome in a colour called ‘old’
a photocopy of a photocopy of 
a photocopy of a photocopy
barely visible.

You avoid my eye
lest you confront my humanity
it says more than my mouth
which sometimes has difficulty 
enunciating
please, look at me
underneath
I’m falling apart.

I won't shout for attention
you overlook me 
neither hear nor listen
I don’t speak your jive
you ride rough-shod 
over my careful words
barely audible.

You snatch things from my hands,
‘Here, I’ll do that!’
but 
I want to
show me how
I can do it
just 
slow down.

In exchange I can tell you
about the life you’re missing
a world of butterflies and blue skies
sunrises, flowers, amazing animals
my words can take you there
it’s more magical than the worlds
on your screens.

It’s a dangerous adventure
real life, real death
if mortally wounded
you won’t rise again
real sorrow, real pain
hurt like hell
you’ll want to hide
but, if you do you’ll miss out on
real joy, real love
the touch of loving hands
and lips

Your flickering, deep sleep 
has made you forget 
my world
our world.

Look up 
look
look at me
make me visible.      (c) Rosa Christian

I’m an Exhibitionist

Hi there!

I have a small exhibition on in Townsville, come have a look-see. I owe a big thank you to Helen, of the Community Information Centre, who helped me set up. It looks quite presentable, don’t you think?

As you can see, there is also a table with some of my poetry books; Light in Dark, my recently-published latest collection; Australia..my Heart, a look at Australia as I drove my beaten-up red Corolla around Australia; Purple Pages, a very small collection about love- the slightly erotic, the funny and the angry. All are for sale.

Along with these I’ve given some space to my friend Percy Rose’s crime novels.

Now, as long as you are in town go along to St. James Cathedral and look at the wonderful works of many local artists represented there.

It seems like, at this time of the year, it’s all about art. The Burdekin Exhibition in Ayr is coming soon as is the Hinchinbrook Birdlife Exhibit/Competition.

I have to get to work on other stuff, so I’ll close. Please pop in and have a look at my work and don’t be shy about buying some.

Ciao for now,

Feeling Chuffed!

Just before I forget, and right now while my mind is focussing, if you are from the Townsville area or passing through on hols the local art group is having their annual art exhibition. See flyer below.

Now to the nitty-gritty.

Opened my emails this morning and lo and behold two (2) very welcome pieces of news.

No. 1) My entry to the Percivals Art Comp has been sold… I can’t remember how much I put on it, and I have to fill out some paperwork before I get it. BUT, yaaah!

Dame Edna Emu
‘Hello, Possums…’

No. 2) I am getting a payment from Amazon. It hasn’t yet appeared in my account, and don’t know how much . (Last time, I think I got $2.99… lol) but, hey don’t look a gift horse etc. I’m just so pleased that someone has bought at least one of my books.

I wonder which… some of my poetry? Some of Percy’s work? Some of Rosie’s work?

Poetry anyone?

I don’t really mind which, but would be so chuffed if it was some of my poetry. Does anyone know if Amazon list on the payment page what it was that sold?

Anyway, that is my exciting news for today. Hope you are blessed with something wonderful as well. With love,

Portrait No. 2 ‘Barely Visible’

This is the second one that didn’t quite make the cut, but IS going to be on exhibition at ‘Your Space’ Thuringowa Library from 22nd. March to 2nd May, so not an entire loss.

There is a bit of a story to this but because I was under a bit of stress during the time I was painting it, I can’t remember what came first the idea for the painting or the poem. I now have an even greater respect for dot-painting indigenous artists. Drawing up the grid of small squares nearly sent me dotty.

Did you see what I did there? Sorry, not sorry.

Barely Visible

Matriarch of the Matrix

In this technological era, I’m a glitch, buffering, barely visible

disappearing into the framework

My thoughts are splintering, pixellating

between what is real and what is merely perceived

What can I believe? Does it really matter?

After all…

‘Reality is what we want it to be’

‘The world is, what we make it’

‘We can be whatever/whomever we want to be’.

If I keep focus on the world I’ve always known

will I lose touch with those living in this new world?

If I can’t keep pace, will I disappear without trace?

Underneath, I’m falling apart.

It becomes harder to find what is true. Who am I?

Who are you?

Will I become one small dot, a little focus of energy

indiscernible from the trillions and trillions who light up life?

Isn’t that what I already am?

Life is a circle — a spiral, replicating DNA

Everything that ever was or will be

already is, exists here and now.

‘time is not linear’

it flies by. Where is it going?

Why then does this body slow, change, age, die

As I slip into that calm blue, understanding evades me

A butterfly lands on my hand

it’s gentle touch tows me back to our beginning.

Now…the world is buffering, coming into focus

I breathe deep of air filled with the heady scent

of life.

I hear nature sing, the rustle of wind, children’s laughter.

I see sunrise, a bird on wing, flowers in bloom.

This is the world I want to inhabit the one reality for me

Shards of a life nearing its end

pixellated snippets of old and new knowledge

make of this life, this world, whatever I put into it

I am the Matriarch of the Matrix.

(c) Rosa Christian.

Ciao for now,

Searching for my Mojo

Just a quick word to say I’m still trying to get back into writing as a serious business. I have spent today mucking around with this site so it makes a little more sense.

I cannot get the sub-page My Poetry to sit after Poetry on the Menu Bar. It looks right when I go into the admin Menu page but comes up wrong on the site.

I’m giving up for now. Please have a look for me and pass along any suggestions. I appreciate your help.

Ciao for now

February already:

Don’t you just hate how time disappears: one day we’re all shouting Happy New Year, next its well into February! Anywho, here we are.

My Rosa Christian Desktop is terribly untidy and scattered atm, but I’m getting there. Percy Rose is doing better and Rosie O’Grady is working on her new website.

My grief refuses to be lassoed and tamed, but patience will win the day.

I haven’t done a lot of new writing, except for a couple of poems and some short story exercises, so here is a reminder of some of the books available from Rosa Christian at Amazon.

Do you ever go back over stuff you’ve done and get a laugh out of it? I found a recording of the title poem for my first ever foray into self-publishing, My Fish Loves Me. I did try to add it here but must upgrade and pay a fee to do so. Bummer…ah well.

Ciao for now,

Hard at Work

Hi there, I have made it with in a month. Not too bad considering how busy life is at the moment. I have told you Light in Dark my latest collection of poems is available from Amazon Australia. When I ordered authors copies they arrived in good time, but there was a small problem with the cover. There was quite a few emails back and forth. I was reimbursed for the return of the copies, and ordered new copies which arrived forthwith and were correct. So, now you can safely order your paperback copies from there.

I’ve also re-edited Australia…my Heart and Purple Pages and they will be arriving any time now. Thank goodness, because I will have a table with my books for sale at our local Art Exhibition by invitation of the A@RT members. I should say here that I am one of the organisers of this group, but I had no idea they were going to offer me this opportunity. I am very grateful for it.

This will be our 3rd Annual Art Exhibition and we fully expect it to be just as successful as the past two. (Covid restrictions allowing). It is always a great night engendering warm community feeling. I am charge of designing advertising and catalogues. If you are in Townsville area come up and join us. Opening night is Friday 15th October and because the hall is used all week, we are only open for the weekend 16th and 17th October.

On top of all of that I am working on a project, which I will soon uncover but I’m a bit excited about it. Watch this space!

Just before I sign off…some art news, apart from the above.

Some of you will already be aware of this so you can stop reading now. First I have sold a small piece, Blue Wren in Bouganvillea, from West End Tea House and Gallery Townsville. Second, I have a painting, Cocky Miranda, on display in Tyto Gallery’s Birdlife Comp/Exhibition, which is open all this month. Some of the work is truly stunning. You should go and check it out.

Well, I think that is about all for this month. I’ll let you know how our Exhibition goes. Ciao for now,

Proofing some Poetry

Pround Mama of these 3.

So, I haven’t been doing nothing. Just received these — Light in Dark is my latest poetry book, and the first in around 10 years. It is full of all sorts of reflections on life – I think I need to say, all written before Covid.

Purple pages is a mixture of lusty romance poetry and the problems that ‘love’ can cause. It’s a little bit naughty, a little bit angsty, a little bit difficult sometimes. Not for children.

Australia…my Heart has also been available as an ebook on Smashwords for some time. It was the first book I had printed (paperback). It is my most popular book to date. It is mostly work from when I toured the heart of this great country, along with some other nature based ones.

Both of these, I’ve rejigged for print, but I haven’t altered or edited the text, just the formatting, because they are a product of the times in which they were written, ie about 15 years ago. Yikes! Really!

They will be ready for sale from Amazon.au shortly; as soon as one small glitch with the printing thereof is ironed out.

Artwise, I’m working on a piece for entry into the Tyto Bird painting comp. It is great fun to do this one. You’ll see why when I finish it and put it up for general viewing.

Also, we are gearing up for our A@RT Exhibition, so lots of ads invites catalogues etc to attend to, which I’d better get back to.

Ciao for now,

Busy…and some art

Hi, this is a scheduled one again just so I have time to recover from my trip and my friends party…

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I have been busy and have sent off for some print proofs. One of my new poetry collection, Light in Dark; a new edition for Australia…my Heart and Purple Pages. both of the latter are poetry collections as well. I had to do a new edition of Australia as I couldn’t upload the old one because…formatting with illlustrations. Purple Pages is a small collection of poems on life, love and in all its despair, torment, joy and sensuousness. All are already available as Ebooks, HERE.

I’m pretty much over doing this for the moment… so here are a couple of my latest paintings.

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The one on the right is not quite finished yet, but you get the idea….

I’ll say ciao for now,

Okay, okay…

Yes, I know its been a month but…

This fabulous art work is from my artist friend Lynn Scott-Cumming. She works from home and at Umbrella studios in Townsville, where she recently held an exhibition‘Moom Phase: chasing trancendence’, of her moon prints, of which this is one.

I’ve been busy, but unfortunately not writing anything new. I have however edited and done the cover for my new poetry collection and it is live as an ebook as we speak. I have ordered the proof and admit I’m a bit excited about this one. Is it terribly ‘up myself’ to say I quite like these poems? I meditate through the muse about this crazy world we live in and our place in it. Light and dark in equal measure. Even though some of them are pretty tough to read, to make up for that others are full of love of nature and some are mildly amusing.

I’ve also been working on a print version of my errrr…naughty poems. This small collection of poetry written sometime ago is already available as an ebook. Though not biographical the poems do echo some of my younger angst. Some of them are a bit tough as well, but that, however, is made up for by ‘oh la la’…lol. Send or read them to your lover…

Art work my own
https://www.amazon.com.au/Light-Dark-Rosa-Christian-ebook/dp/B098MNMF81/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1625791265&refinements=p_27%3ARosa+Christian&s=digital-text&sr=1-1&text=Rosa+Christian

Why oh why will this image not allow me to link on it? It only has a link to media file. The other one worked fine…sigh!

As always, let me know what you think. Ciao for now, Rosa.