Steampunk Evolution

Having had a great week on the farm and in Canberra, being all active and outdoorsy and social, this week has been a bit of a fizzer. The children have only wanted to mooch about and use their electronic devices, and the Steamgoth has been exploring the electronic keyboard my brother gave her (no one there had used it in years, and she was at it every opportunity she had). We haven't heard the strains coming from her room as it takes headphones. Which is sort of disappointing. She is quite good, and one of her favourites is Golden Brown by the Stranglers.

So yesterday I decided an outing was in order. A high school friend had alerted me to the Antipodean Steampunk Show, currently at the Lake Macquarie Art Gallery, so today we piled into the car and drove up. Unknown to the children I had alerted their grandparents, who met us in the car park.

It's a good exhibition. I love found-object construction, and I love Steampunk, so it was the old pig, mud, happy scenario. And there were beautiful clothes from Gallery Serpentine and Clockwork Butterfly. And they had Aurora and Jasper Morello playing on screens.

Son was pleased to be with Nan and Pa and to see all the weird and wonderful creations. He isn't as into Steampunk as we are, but he does love strange inventions. And the Steamgoth was quietly thrilled because the lady on the desk said "I see I don't have to explain Steampunk to you two".

I bought the catalogue, but when I got home I found it doesn't have my favourite piece in it, an airshhip captain's watch. Oh well.

One of my other favourites. An ipod/mp3 player dock by Caleb Heinselman. Flavio Bodrogi Photography

Maquette for Clockwork Universe by Tim Wetherall. Been to Questacon in Canberra? You know the BIG clock in the foyer? This is the little mockup for the finished design

But it has got me all inspired again. There are some airship designs that I did back in June/July and they have been left unfinished, so tomorrow I think I will get them out and work on painting them, and there are always Nerf guns waiting for modification. And then there are the abstracts. I haven't looked at them for a while. And the drawing of Arlene. And housework. There's always housework (stuff that). That's quite a lot waiting to be done, actually. Best get on.