DP Challenges

Weekly Photo Challenge: Work of Art

It has been a while since I participated in a WordPress Photo Challenge – I guess I have just been enthusiasm rich and time poor! However when I saw the topic for this challenge it grabbed my attention, being an ‘artist’ and all!

As regular readers will know most of my artwork is influenced by nature and the organic and natural colours, textures and forms Mother Nature creates for our viewing pleasure.

Many readers may also know I am lucky enough to live in a rural environment with an uninterrupted view of a natural horizon, which my verandah faces at sunset. Consequently, especially in Spring and Summer, it is not unusual to spy me having a wine on said verandah during the sunset hours.

So, for this weeks photo challenge I am posting a photo of the amazing view I have from my verandah (and studio) – to me this is Mother Natures brushstrokes creating the ultimate work of art!

Check out other contributions to this challenge

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/work-of-art/

Who Am I Talking To?

As an artist, arts educator and writer I communicate in the virtual space to a myriad of people and organisations… galleries, curators, publishers, fellow artists, potential buyers, students, peers, and even family and friends! And most of this communication is via email, at a rate of close to 99%

So how is this communication minefield navigated in twenty first century cyberspace? Gone are the days of telephone calls and hard copy exhibition submissions, or even letter writing to friends. I remember as a kid I always had penpals, and even choosing the stationary was a careful consideration. Writing a job application, however, required a completely different set of stationary – more formal, no flowers and flounces, a typewriter and the salutation was straightforward: ‘To Whom it May Concern’.

With the demise of this formal letter writing genre, largely due to the arrival of email and social media, the big question is: how do I address this ever expansive virtual audience that, at the end of the day are, in one way or another,  potential business partners?

It used to be so simple… textbook formulas and templates that were learnt at school but today, on the 18th July 2013 I am in a constant dilemma of what to call who, when and how and why, or should I or shouldn’t I, or aarrgghhh…so many salutations : Hello, Hi, Dear, Hello there …BUT, I’ll let you in a little secret I find the signing off just as traumatising!

Once upon a time I was secure in the safety and rules of ‘Yours Faithfully’ or ‘Yours Sincerely’ or ‘Yours Truly’… now its mostly ‘cheers’ – but that’s not always appropriate. I find myself torn between  ‘kind regards’ or ‘looking forward to your response’ or trying not to sound like a total twat!

So, now we have two dilemmas! The beginning and the ending – as though the in-between stuff wasn’t stressful enough! But, wait – the stationary!

Luckily for me Outlook Express comes complete with a stationary option, or I can upload my own – if the fancy takes me.

But after all of this uumming and arring, what does it all mean? How is one to overcome this modern day predicament? I have, over many glasses of red wine and sticky sweat, decided on my general rule of thumb-  it all boils down to who I am writing to… and it also depends on how many times I have communicated with the person. In other words, the first contact may be a bit formal, the second contact less so and the third contact and after quite casual… but having said that, it also depends on the tone of the emails I receive… for example:

Currently I have a book contract with a publisher. The book is due to be released soon and all of the communication is cyber based. We have been communicating for a couple of years now, but my editor still sends me emails addressed Dear Dawn and Best Regards as the sign off – so of course I follow this lead in construction of my return emails.

However, when it comes to students the protocol fades faster. I may have a student enquiry, and I will always begin with ‘Hello name, thank you for your enquiry’ and sign off with ‘Kind Regards’, but as that relationship changes it becomes…’no probs, cheers Dawn’.

Of course curators are another category, and again my responses are generally taken from their lead.

So, I guess at the end of the day it boils down to who I am talking to and how long I have been talking to them!

This post has been written as part of the WordPress Weekly Writing Challenge: Mind the Gap.
You can check out more entires here: http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/07/15/weekly-writing-challenge-mind-the-gap-4/

What’s in a Name?

Dawn : The first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise… sounds great, right? Discuss…

It seems kind of appropriate that I am writing about my ‘name’ on my birthday – yep 30th May 19*3 – 6.30 am at 6 Lb something.

I was named by my dad, who was very sporty – footy, swimming, boxing, Olympics, you name it – after Dawn Fraser, a famous, and controversial(I like that bit) Australian swimmer. She won eight Olympic medals, including four gold medals, and six Commonwealth Games gold medals, and she held 39 swimming records. The controversy surrounding her occurred during the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She marched in the opening ceremony wearing an older issue swimming costume because it was more comfortable than the one supplied by the sponsors, thus angering said sponsors and the Australian Swimming Union (ASU). During the same games she was also accused and charged of stealing an Olympic flag from a flagpole outside Emperor Hirohito’s palace. Released without charge, she was given the flag as a souvenir. However, the ASU suspended her for 10 years, basically destroying her swimming career. HOWEVER…. rumour has it that it was all a scheme because she was thought to be a lesbian!! Shheezz…

Anyway I love the controversy surrounding my ‘name’!

Me and Dad October 1964

Therefore, I have never really wanted to change my name…. Except for the time during the early 1970s (I think, approximately) when a product called Dawn’s Toilet Paper was introduced onto the market (yikes, now you’re gonna know how old I am), that was not an attractive time for me. AND, I don’t want to talk about it…

Then of course, there was Dawn dishwashing liquid! What is with the word Dawn anyways?? What has pure morning light got to do with toilet paper and washing dishes? I know, I know: purity, cleanliness…. but gee wizz, give me a break!

So, a few decades later and the name still sticks (if you’ll excuse the pun) but you may be happy to know I now have a nickname, sort of… well the only person that uses it is my partner, who also happened to make it up… DeeDee.

Today’s birthday card

How did this nickname come about? Well, a little known fact about me is that I have a PhD… so Dr Dawn – DeeDee!

However, I have extended the use of this name to some jewellery and ceramic designs I work on , and I am thinking of adopting it as the design name for my sculpture and drawing as well – decisions, decisions… basically I don’t know if I should be known by my name as an artist or brand myself – thoughts??

Anyway, that is my name.
I am named after someone.
There is a story attached to it.
And I would not change it for the world.

Swimmers Ankles!

Some links about Dawn Fraser 🙂
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_Fraser
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/stories/s306113.htm

this is a WordPress daily Prompt challenge and more entries can be viewed here :http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/daily-prompt-name/