Till august.

It was the first weekend that I have had in Ikunji for a little while as we have had to be into Alice quite a lot to post artworks off etc as the longer rolls have to go via TNT which will only pick up from Alice.
It’s been colder here than in the first couple of weeks – warmer at night but cool during the day so have been trying to get onto doing some works rather than lazing in the sun reading however the last couple of days have been COLD at night – getting down to 1 degree at night. I have an ear ache which I think is from the cold .
Chris and I have been going for a walk every day this week around the airstrip which is a 5 mins drive out of town and then about an hr or so walk around the strip itself. Nice to get out and about and there is a beautiful views from there of the mountains which are ever changing in the light.
The first day we went to the cemetery which is just out of town to have a peep. Ikuntji was an old mission so there were some small graves from the 1900’s of some children as well as fresh graves of some recent deaths. After a death in the community you cant say the name of the person that had died for a year – after that it’s ok. If someone has the same name as the dead person then they have to change their name for the year. The graves are covered in plastic flowers – which the shop sells they are so bright and colourful. When we entered the cemetery Chris mentioned that you have to say hello to everyone in the graves as that’s where their spirits live and when you leave you say goodbye. It’s a very nice way to enter and leave a cemetery.



We have an artist with us Annabel Nolan who is an artist from Melbourne. She is working with the artists in the centre on things such as mixing colours and underpainting and layering. The ladies are really enjoying it. Annabel is sharing my digs in the dongers till firday when she heads back to Alice. Gary, Chris and I start our road trip up to Darwin for the art fair up there!
I’m going to do a lino cut exercise with the artists when we get back to make some cards to sell at desert mob which is a festival in alice mid sept. Will pop some more pics up when I get a chance – as the internet here is satellite its slow also with the blogger my pics always come up in a random order!