Things built

Just in time for summer solstice ablutions my neighbour Steve and I moved a 600 pound carved Balinese water bowl into position in the far corner of the bath area and then spent the rest of the day hauling in top soil and pine bark and planting out 18 prostrate juniper bushes. Even though these bushes are slow growing and will require several years before maturing, already the area feels very much the contemplative meditation zzzzz zone. Not that it wasn’t before, but the Zen quality has just jumped up a notch or two.

I could have planted out Australian natives, but besides the spiritual component to the bath garden, the practical aspect is that the juniper bushes will act as more of a fire retardant than the more fire prone Australian bushes.

Being on the south side of the house and susceptible to cold winds, this area probably won’t get much daily “sitting” use (see bench on left), but already, just walking past it is enough to calm the heart. Best time for “viewing” will be in the evening when bubbles pour over the lip of the bath as one slowly immerses their grateful body into the steaming waters. Life certainly has its sweeter moments.

Off the older, grey weathered deck can be seen a new walk way that goes to the back side of the house and my bedroom, thus providing me with more opportunities to greet the Buddha and engage with the garden and surrounding trees.

As an artist I am always looking for emergent qualities. When the cistern was filled with water and I dropped some kangaroo paw petals into it, the tiny waves created a wonderful mosiac of patterns. Almost Christmas like.

May everyone enjoy this time of the year with friends and loved ones; human or otherwise.

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Both are recent additions to the landscape at Windgrove and each in their own way, whether static or mobile, provides a service.

The Buddha was purchased because I am creating a secluded zen garden for meditative bathing just behind the house where the present outdoor bathtub is located. Yes, just using plants and stones could do the trick, but as an artist, I appreciate the power of iconic symbols to enhance and move the spirit as well as being an informant or visual representation of the state of mind desired when seeking solitude, inspiration or a quieting of the too quickening mind.

One doesn’t have to be of any religious persuasion to feel the calm and serenity emanating from the Buddha. Complement this with natural surrounds and there is a doubling of the effect.

The Subaru was purchased because I wanted to arrive in Hobart less physically hammered out than when I drove the 1987 Nissan truck.

Being an “all wheel drive” I can still use it to get around the property as seen in the photo. Of special interest is that situated behind the Subaru are trees and shrubs planted on a barren hill side 17 years ago. In the foreground are banksia and kunzia, while behind them are the taller she-oaks.

Like the soft maroon wine colour of the kankaroo paws held in Buddha’s vase, the colour of my new car was deliberately chosen to reflect my wanting to wear my emotions on “my sleeve” so to speak; to be more public with what I am honestly feeling and not suppressing whatever it is I might want to say. Rich and passionate and representative of the heart, it’s a great colour in which to be wrapped up.

As a postscript to today’s journal entry, there are two more photos. Taken in Stuggart, Germany while I was there in June, the first photo tells the story of my friend Bine Braun whose job is to photograph just completed re-finished older Porsches. Some Saudi prince owns this Porsche and 999 others. It was completely stripped back and “cleaned up” for the neat price of US$250,000. Somehow, I feel the photo of my Subaru is a little more elegant. Yes?

And this lichen? It grows on the very front of my truck just between the windscreen and side door. I know that lichen are considered extremophiles, but the tenacity of this one deserves a reward. I suppose it also shows what can grow if one never washes their vehicle in 15 years of ownership.

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Well, the view was certainly great while I worked this week installing a new 2,000 gallon water tank at the far edge and on top of the Gully dam. A bit of ditch digging in hard, rocky clay brought forth a few swear words, but I sit here this morning happy that the job is done.

The other two tanks, seen to the right and below this new tank, hold fresh, drinking water that I collect off the several roofs that comprise the Windgrove Centre (house, studio, shower block, shed). This rain water is first stored in tanks down at the centre (around 10,000 gallons) and then pumped up to the Gully Dam tanks as the need arises. What this is all about is insuring that there is great water pressure when showering. I mean, who likes to take a hot shower after a long, hard suffering day and have just a piddling amount of water drip onto one’s sore, tired body?

The new tank, however, will be filled with dam water and will serve two important functions. First, and foremost, is that for the first time in Windgrove’s 15 year history, there is now an immediate and quick response capability for fire fighting. Previously, if a fire were to break out (which happened in the painting studio in 2001) one had to chose between running the three hundred meters to the fire pump by the Peace Garden, starting it and then running back to the house to fight the fire, or, grabbing a bucket, fill it with water from the shower and throw it on the fire. Either way there were problems. The former took several minutes and the latter, although initially quicker, didn’t give much water.

Now, though, if there is a house fire, either of the two fire hoses fixed at opposite corners of the house can be immediately turned on.

The other use of this new tank will be to water the gardens in a more efficient way. And next year, when I hope to build a fairly large garden complex, this will help immensely.

Of course, having the best fire fighting equipment and the best designed garden are useless if there is no water.  In the last 14 months there has been no serious rain to speak of. The water tanks at the house are empty leaving only the Gully tanks three quarter full to provide potable water. The photo shows the level of water in the dam for fire fighting. Although not yet at a serious stage, if no good rain falls in the next couple of months things will start to get a bit parched.

I hate to admit it, but I might be forced to install a water saving device onto my favourite shower. Bummer.

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Within all our lives there have been those moments when we have come to a “fork in the road” and have had to choose to go one way or the other. Throughout history the symbolism of such a moment is always ponderous and fraught with indecision.

For years, there was only one road into Windgrove. For years, I was content to travel along it. Yesterday, machinery arrived to fork a new road off of it.

The reason is that Windgrove needs funding. No benefactor has arrived on gossamer wings to underwrite the costs for building the infrastructure of the Windgrove residency program and I refuse, for ethical reasons, to seek government funding. The sale of my art work barely keeps me afloat let alone supporting other artists. In the end there was a choice between remaining whole and self contained or opening up a portion of the land for sale.

Today, as I write this blog, machinery and men are busy creating a driveway to two new house sites that fork off the Windgrove drive.

Exciting, because the money earned from the sale of the house sites (six and eight acres virtual waterfront) will be used for the construction of, I hope, four artist-in-resident’s cabins as well as a multipurpose studio. Exciting, because I sincerely believe in the mission of Windgrove to be a “refuge for learning” and this money will help create this reality.

Sad, because I have had to let loose of land that I have wanted to keep “untouched” by human development. A creation of human habitat for sure, but a loss of habitat for others.

In the end, throughout all the emotional comings and goings of what is the best path to take for Windgrove, great care has been taken in the design of the driveways to minimise environmental disturbance and to create an aesthetic approach. Likewise, the house sites themselves, have been placed in locations following passive solar considerations as well as minimising any impact on the environment. A real challenge over the past year, but the final solutions speak of a high quality of care and understanding of the land.

Whoever ends up living here will be very fortunate indeed.

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