Michael Burge's Blog, page 6

Art and validation (and why they don’t mix)

WHEN I was fourteen living in the Blue Mountains of NSW, Australia, two life-changing things happened to me: I developed the ability to draw and paint well; and I realised I was gay. “Capturing and generating emotion – not validation – is the real skill in all arts.” One of these led me to years … Continue reading Art and validation (and why they don’t mix) →

The greening of Deepwater Country

“Artists sometimes whisper to one another about the new palette that emerges when the rains stay away” I TEND to blend into the landscape wherever I am living. The hues of the Blue Mountains were wrought on my vision for three decades, and I lived on Moreton Bay long enough for its marine palette to … Continue reading The greening of Deepwater Country →

Sculptural Story of Shadows and Silence

THE recent installation of a major work of public art at a junction of the New England and Gwydir Highways through Glen Innes has generated plenty of community queries about the title of the sculpture and the inspiration behind it. Arts North West talked with its Walcha-based creator James Rogers to dig deeper. “This is … Continue reading Sculptural Story of Shadows and Silence →

AUDIO: Michael Burge previews YOU HAD ME AT HOLA by Leigh Robshaw

This video preview of new Australian memoir You Had Me at Hola by Leigh Robshaw is the next in a series featuring selections for the High Country Indie Book Award, announced annually at the High Country Writers Festival.

AUDIO: Michael Burge previews WALKING by KIM KELLY

This video preview of new Australian historical fiction Walking by Kim Kelly is the next in a series featuring selections for the High Country Indie Book Award, announced annually at the High Country Writers Festival.

AUDIO: Michael Burge previews HIDE by S. J. Morgan

This video preview of new Australian thriller Hide by S. J. Morgan is the first in a series featuring selections for the High Country Indie Book Award, announced annually at the High Country Writers Festival.

Handmade for the holidays

“People should never be shy of signing up for a workshop and having a go.” LEARNING A NEW creative skill can be a big step for busy people, so there’s no better time than the holidays to make a plan to attend a workshop; and Glen Innes at the heart of the NSW New England … Continue reading Handmade for the holidays

A painter’s perseverance

“I think I always was an artist, it just took a long time for ‘it’ to flourish.” AFTER MORE THAN twenty years living and working in the New England region, Danish-born artist Marianne la Cour shared her sense of place in an exhibition of new work at Glen Innes throughout Spring. “I finally feel a … Continue reading A painter’s perseverance

Torrington’s timeless tipple

“Our mead takes around one year in the main vat and another year in the bottle, at least.” SITUATED ON A plateau between Glen Innes and Tenterfield, the village of Torrington was once a thriving hub of tin mining. Now its natural benefits have given rise to a tasty and very traditional tipple created by … Continue reading Torrington’s timeless tipple →

The year of independent reading

Wonderful things happen when you open a bookshop. Ours started as a single set of shelves in one corner of the studio-gallery my husband and I created, The Makers Shed at Glen Innes in the NSW New England region. A year on, we’ve expanded, and we’re about to present our first literary award. But it … Continue reading The year of independent reading →