Lucy Gale Hidden Faces of Archibald 2012

28 July 2012

Peers call her “The Voice”, friends call her “Angel”, fans call her “incredible”

194382_1859439895669_3329173_o.jpg Dominic Ross and Lucy Gale
Lucy Gale and Dominic Ross

Melbourne based singer/songwriter/musician Lucy Gale was mind fully chosen by renowned Victorian artist Jim Van Geet as the subject for his entry into the 2012 Archibald art competition. The portrait of Lucy Gale titled “Somewhere under the Rainbow” is currently on display along with 39 exciting and diverse paintings of well-known subjects as part of the 2012 “Hidden Faces” exhibition. And what a worthy subject too. Lucy who did not utter a word during her first six years of life began her vocal communication in song and was immediately recognized for her extraordinary talent and perfect pitch from that early age. Her outstanding musicality, and her ability to touch people have made her a sort after artist for national and international artists wishing to collaborate and perform with her.

Dominic Ross, Lucy Gale and Andrea Bocelli
Lucy Gale and her long time musical collaborate the incomparable Dominic Ross after performing for Andrea Bocelli during one of his Melbourne visits.

Capturing audiences in Australia and around the world her 5 octave distinctive vocal range and her professionalism have astounded the best in the industry in all genres.

Lucy who has enjoyed a long and rich career is currently working on her original album in collaboration with her musical directors’ Dominic Ross and Andrew Koikas along with Bettina Spivakovsky of Upfront Events for her forthcoming one women show. Keep coming back for more details…

Lucy Gale piano

Next live performance coming soon: Lucy Gale along with John Toney will be performing at the Rah Bar at 163 Toorak Road, South Yarra 7pm start on Sunday 29th July 2012 for a greatly anticipated night of soul and groove. This show is a must experience for enthusiasts and the uninitiated alike. An evening not to miss…

“Hidden Faces” People’s Choice Award

Hilton Melbourne – South Wharf / Free / Open all day for voting for the “People’s Choice” awards. 18 June 2012 – 16 August 2012.

Hidden Faces (open exclusively to Victorian artists) is known in art circles as the Victorian Salon des Refuses and is running in tandem with the touring of the prestigious Archibald show, offering the unique opportunity for Victorians to rival the ‘official’ Prize selection. Visitors are invited to enter the People’s Choice Award and vote for their favorites with prizes provided by the Hilton Melbourne South Wharf.

The Hilton Docklands is currently hosting the “Hidden Faces” Peoples Choice Awards, also featuring another 39 paintings on display between 16 July to 18 August 2012. Free entry and don’t forget to vote!

Les Twentyman

Les Twentyman and TT editor Mick Pacholli

The 20th Man Foundation was the inspiration for Bettina Spivakovsky of Upfront Events to provide event management service and expertise for fund raising. Having a Bachelor of Music and Post Grad in film and TV the opportunity to also compose a song that would become synonymous with the charity so that the proceeds of the sale of the song would go towards the 20th Man Foundation was very important to Bettina. No other singer would do this song justice other than Lucy Gale so Bettina enlisted the help of members of the Art society Bettina set up called; The Loft and with the engineering and arrangements of all contributors: Lucy Gale, Dominic Ross Andrew Koikas, Emily Charmers, Andrew Burns, Anabelle Capac the song was produced.

Lucy provided the title Tears of a Child and Talia and Romina Rasso provided the visual for the 20th Man Foundation invitation for the event when this song will be sung live on stage as well as the photographic work for the CD single.

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Lucy Gale portrait titled “Somewhere under the Rainbow” by Jim van Geet

 

 

HIDDEN FACES of the ARCHIBALD at MEDIA HOUSE GALLERY

20 August 2012

copy write by pationpics
Lucy Gale portrait titled “Somewhere under the Rainbow” by Jim van Geet

As one of Melbourne’s unknown, long time inhabitants I have very recently come to know of nationally celebrated Victorian based artist Jim van Geet. My “awakening” came to pass as a result of his portrait of Lucy Gale titled “Somewhere under the Rainbow” which was part of the 2012 “ Hidden Faces of the Archibald “ exhibition at the Hilton at Docklands and in pride of place at the Age’s Media House Gallery from 20th August  on the 28th September 2012.

Awakening, you may ask? Well, it was ignited five minutes into an interview with Lucy Gale during the time her portraiture was part of the Hidden Faces People’s Choice Awards at the Hilton in Docklands. I was actually asked to come along to take some shots of Lucy and her portrait.

Within minutes I became intrinsically linked to Lucy, her story and Jim van Geet. The best way to describe what happened is to say I became part of an extraordinary tapestry of life in motion that is gaining momentum by the hour, day, week and month. When I give my attention to the creative force that radiates through these individuals the feeling is exhilarating. I know very little of their personal circumstances other than they are profound, live in the present and celebrate the ethereal world in magnificent splendor through colour, canvas and song. It is indeed magical when artists exponentially shape events through the inspired unleashing of the creative essence that lives within us all.

A consummate professional, Jim van Geet started his career in the corporate world as a Technical Advisor to Patent Attorneys after completing his Diploma of Applied Science; it wasn’t long before his destiny propelled him to complete his Diploma of Fine Art, change careers, become self-employed as a Furniture Designer and continue to paint.

His dedication to the pursuit of excellence also moved him to undertake tuition from artists such as John Borrack, Sir William Dargie, Ron Crawford and The Melbourne Realist Art School.
Like all well-trained artists he is fluent in a wide range of subject matter, however it is his portraits and figurative works for which he is best known.

His predilection for painting interesting portraits, stems from his approach and selection of subjects.

As he says, “ People are endlessly fascinating and they each have a history and story to tell. I enjoy spending a lot of time on research and in discussions with them until I feel that I can do justice in portraying WHO they are honestly. “

During a recent discussion Jim shared an insightful story about the iconic Melbourne creative Barry Dickins who spent time at Jim’s country haven situated in the foothills of Mount Buffalo during the painting of Barry’s portrait. This, of course has now linked me to the poignant, fantastical and joyful world of Barry Dickins. And the beat goes on…

Barry Dickens portrait by Jim van Geet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Around the globe the art world is experiencing a resurgence of focus and appreciation back to he learned skills of the fine artist. Jim Van Geet exemplifies such an artist. All his paintings project an expanding story with interconnectedness that is forever in motion.

Always available to discuss portrait commissions you can check out his website: www.jimvangeet.com
Do not miss this leg of this amazing exhibition.

The Creation of Wing Chun

  • Written by Grandmaster William Cheung

    Chapter 3 from his book: “My Life with Wing Chun”
    Grandmaster William Cheung  by pation pics
    Grandmaster William Cheung

    During the end of the Ming Dynasty, just prior to 1644 A.D., the Manchu Army from the north east of China was invited to China to curb the civil war. Before, they were allowed to bring an army into China they were made to vow that as soon as the revolution was quashed, the Manchu must leave China. In their vow, the Manchus stated that if they ever broke the promise to leave China they would either serve like horses and cattle to the Chinese people or would perish instantly. With the help of the Tibetan monks, after defeating the revolutionary army, the Manchus broke their promise and stayed on to establish the Ching Dynasty.

    With their freshly made vow in mind, the Manchu Dynasty deliberately designed all the Government uniforms, from the Emperor down to the lowest posts, with hoofs on their sleeves. Furthermore, even their salute and the way they kneeled resembled horses and cattle. It is thought that the reason the Manchus carried out such absurd courtesy and dressed in these ridiculous uniforms was to justify their staying in China so that they would not perish instantly.

    Even though the Manchus made up only 5% of the Chinese population, they took no time to annihilate the Hons’ resistance who occupied about 90% of the total population, because they were entangled amongst themselves in a bitter civil war at the time. By 1644, the Manchus set up the Ching Dynasty which lasted until 1911.

    With the advice of the Tibetan monks, the Manchu Government outlawed all weapons and Kung Fu training. The Tibetan monks also devised a scheme to gain full control of China. Firstly, the Hons were forbidden to marry any Manchus. This law was only repealed at the turn of this century. Further, with the advice of the Monks, the Manchu Government enforced many unjust laws on the Hons. For instance, the Hon female infants were compelled to have their feet bound from as early as the day they were born, so that when they grew up they would be crippled. Their mobility was completely hindered. They would be completely dependent upon their parents while growing up as well as their husbands or other people around them. The Manchus also limited the work opportunities of the Hon citizens. Smoking opium was promoted in the Hon community but it was banned in the Manchu, because through the advice of the Tibetan Monks of the day they knew the addiction would surely tie down the citizens of the Hon people. The Hons were not allowed to inter-marry the Manchus and this law was also repealed in the early 1900s.

    During this time, the training of Kung Fu was banned. Anyone found practicing Kung Fu could be arrested and put away for a very long time. There was one exception. The Shil Lim Temple regarded by the Tibetan monks with the same denomination, was given special privilege. The training of Kung Fu was allowed in the Temple for health and mental reasons only.

    At the beginning of the Manchu Dynasty by the same token, a lot of existing martial artists had turned to work for the Manchu Government. Most of these renegades were the martial artists from the north. They would be mostly masters of Bart Quar (Octagonal Form), Yin Yee (Shapes and Forms), and Tai Chi (Two Extremes) systems. In fact, the Manchu courts had a liking for Tai Chi and it was practiced extensively by the concubines and eunuchs to cure their boredom in the palace. They composed music to go with the Tai Chi movements. This explains why Tai Chi was so popular up north. Down south, the martial artists always regarded the Tai Chi Masters as traitors to the Hon people.

    Along with many strange ways of worshipping, the Tibetan monks brought a unique marital arts system called “God Fighting”. The practitioners went through rituals of chanting and a series of movement’s prior to combat, and they put themselves in a special trance. It is claimed that they could avoid being hurt and feel no pain when hit, and that they could even stop a knife or bullet from penetrating their bodies. In the 1900’s these practitioners were the main conspirators involved in the Boxer Rebellion. The Boxer uprising caused the massacre of foreign missionaries and families of diplomats stationed in China, Their belief of stopping bullets with magic, of course turned out to be untrue, so the Boxers were defeated. China was brought to shame and humiliation again by ignorance and manipulation of the Tibetan Monks on the people and Government of China at that time.

    The Government thus respected the Shaolin Temple as a Buddhist sanctuary. Some Hon “martial artists” began training a revolutionary army in the art of Kung Fu, using the Shaolin Temple as the secret training place. The traditional Shaolin system would take 15 to 20 years to train a Kung Fu “master”. The need to develop a new and more effective fighter became critical when some of the existing Kung Fu masters surrendered to work for the Manchu government. Five of the Shaolin Grandmasters planned to develop a new form, which would have a shorter training time and would be more effective than all the other systems developed before. The five Grandmasters met to discuss the merits of each of their particular systems of Kung Fu and chose the most efficient training method from each system. They developed the principle and training program of Wing Chun that would take only five years to master. They called this system Wing Chun, its name meaning “hope for the future”. However before this new system could be put into practice, the Manchu Government was tipped off and the Shaolin Temple was raided and burned down.Ng Mui, a nun, was the only survivor of the original group of five.

    Portrait of Ng Mui
    Portrait of Ng Mui

    Ng Mui was the only survivor who knew the full system. However, she realized that much of what she had learned was ineffective for a small, frail woman to use on a larger, stronger man. She revised everything she had learned and discarded techniques that were slow or that relied on strength or size. She developed a system of fighting that enabled a smaller, weaker person to destroy a bigger, stronger person within a few seconds. Ng Mui’s new system was well guarded and passed on to only a few, very dedicated students. The style became known as Wing Chun, after Ng Mui’s first student, a woman named Yim Wing Chun.

    Cheung’s Wing Chun Kung Fu Academy
    Level 2, 111 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
    .
    Open 7 days a week between. Tel: 96633588

    academy@cheungswingchun.com

    www.cheungswingchun.com


Crimson Goat Cabaret

To Stand Apart from the Herd

Flacco at Crimson Goat comedy night by pation pics
Flacco at Crimson Goat comedy night

We have given away two Crimson Goat Awards, an annual award to a person who has best lived up to our Crimson Goat Philosophy of standing apart from the herd, even if people think you’re a goat for doing it. The first recipient of The Crimson Goat in 2011 was father Bob McGuire who has stood up to his own Church to minister to the poor and down trodden in the South Melbourne St Kilda area. His exploits over the years are legendary. One thing that typifies Father Bob’s independent thinking is his regular radio appearances with well-known iconoclast and avowed atheist, John Safran.

The second recipient in 2012 was Sam (John) Newman. Love him or hate him, you have to admit than Sam Newman stands apart from the herd. From getting run over by his own girlfriend to getting run off air, Sam is hard at it. Every time Sam’s knocked down he gets back up to get knocked down again. He dishes out the shit, but you might notice that it all works towards the shit being dumped back on him. Sam is a worthy recipient of the Crimson Goat and we hope that by giving it to Sam, it will further shape and establish just what a Crimson Goat means.

 Top Goat Jack Levi aka Elliot Goblet with resident photographer Kim Kellman
Top Goat Jack Levi aka Elliot Goblet with resident photographer Kim Kellman

 

MC of last show Akmal Saleh
MC of last show Akmal Saleh
Mitch Faircloth
Mitch Faircloth

By Mitchell Faircloth – writer/cartoonist/musican/entertainer