Says Julia Cameron, superb Artist’s Way originator:

‘The Artist Date is a once-weekly, festive, solo expedition to explore something that interests you. The Artist Date need not be overtly “artistic” —

think mischief more than mastery. Artist Dates fire up the imagination.

They spark whimsy.

They encourage play.

Since art is about the play of ideas, they feed our creative work by replenishing our inner well of images and inspiration.’

So…off I go to the annual celebration of art and nature that is Sculpture by the Sea Bondi. This is not strictly an artist date, as I am not solo, and it’s certainly not weekly, but it sure is replenishing.

Grand heroic monumental type sculptures? They were there aplenty. You won’t see them in this blog. In this year’s Sculpture by the Sea, I enjoyed small pieces (with a touch of the domestic)

But it’s not my Rubbish?
Monique Bedwell
Sculpture by the Sea

tucked away in crevices

But it’s not my Rubbish?
Monique Bedwell
Sculpture by the Sea

I loved whole ecosystems

The Reef (Earth Mothers to the Rescue)
Ian Swift
Sculpture by the Sea

The Reef (Earth Mothers to the Rescue)
Ian Swift
Sculpture by the Sea

made up of small components.

Karda-Megalania
Elaine Clocherty & Sharyn Egan
Sculpture by the Sea

Here – a mixture of

public bench and private, intimate, homey Persian rug; a mix of cultures; of hard and soft surfaces – cleverly combined in a simple, comfortable way.

Conversations
Hussein Valamanesh
Sculpture by the Sea

There – an artful appropriation of crochet, formed into cats, which are cherished by some as sweet pets and reviled by others as destroyers of Australian native wildlife.

Feral
Mikaela Castledine
Sculpture by the Sea

Just one more. This surprised me as the most photogenic of the sculptures I snapped. Would you agree? On the day, it seemed moderately appealing, yet as a photo, it is exquisite – a suspended drawing in wire, with a sea and sky background. 

CBD
Barbara Licha
Sculpture by the Sea

CBD
Barbara Licha
(detail)
Sculpture by the Sea

Have you had your beauty dose this week?

Or done anything approximating an artist date?

{A raft of Art and Soul Space posts about artist dates, by the way.}
with love, art and soul
from Sally