Toowoomba

Hardly a holiday hotspot but for Street Art, well worth a visit.  It is also the home of my cousin Neville and his wife Noreen whom I haven’t seen since I was at their wedding 59 years ago.  It was great to catch up and we shared lots of memories and found out about children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, etc.  I met up with Neville and Noreen at their home on the afternoon of the day I arrived and had lots of chat and an excellent meal with a delicious food and wine.

Neville and Noreen had checked out the Street Art earlier and knew all the locations of the Street Art so we spent a couple of hours the next morning and then some more time after lunch.  We visited well over 50 sites and walked most of the way.  So this post is about all the Street Art.

This was art was painted by Alysa Mae illustrating conflicting moods, a sense of sadness with an attempt of masking that with the use of scenery to create a sense of calm.

Another by Alysa Mae has a woman gazing into the beyond, expressing and under-lining sense of uncertainty and fragility and with and expression creates a moody undertone with a possible hidden narrative.

Elisha Rei, the artist, comments the Geisha girl, a suggestive self-portrait, is inspired by the aesthetic of Japanese ukiyo-e prints and connects with her heritage.  The painting is on the end of the Toowoomba art gallery and is at least 3 stories high.

The rest of the artwork lacked explanation on the theme or meaning of the art so I have just loaded the ones I liked best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a long mural representing the Toowoomba community.

The portraits I liked best from this collection are:

 

 

The artwork below covered a wall about 10 metres long.

 

There was a small alcove with two seats, about three metres square, and there were aboriginal paintings on the four sides, the following photos are of this artwork.

 

 

 

This photo was on the wall of a mexican Restaurant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So that’s a small selection of Toowoomba’s Street Art, lots of high quality paintings and great to walk around the lanes and streets and to be surprised by what is around the next corner.  It was a highlight of my trip around the eastern states viewing public art sites.

I moved off this morning from Toowoomba getting on the road at 6.30 because I had a 500 Km journey ahead.  I am now at Corindi Beach Caravan Park about 40 Km north of Coffs Harbour.  It is right on the coast with green grass over the whole park, I haven’t seen that for a while, there is a cool breeze, sunny, clear skies, and 30° C, but someone has to do it.  But I have to say I still prefer the more basic camping spots where people are more friendly and speak to you, here people walk passed and avoid eye contact, maybe I look too disreputable with shorts, socks and boots.