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Canberra Today 20°/24° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Canberra Confidential / Paintbrush heroes

paintersBLESS ‘em… This is a team of painters from competing local companies who donated nearly 100 hours of manpower, plus all the paint to give Kese House in Kaleen – a respite care home for children aged 5 to 12 – a complete makeover.  

Managed by Disability ACT and servicing 200 local families, Kese House provides a supported environment for children who have a diagnosed intellectual disability.

Here’s the honour list: Fusion, Homeworks, Rick Maier Paint Plus, Pride Painting & Decorating, Alan Harding, Dino Forner, ASF Painting & Decorating, Cheerza, PW Painting, Fluid Painting, GMK Painting, Guevara Painting, Everlasting Impressions, Wayne’s Painting, Canberra Painting Services and Murphy Bros’ Painting Services.

Canberrrra flyerMember for Canbe-r-r-r-a?

ONE of CC’s treasured southside snouts called by to drop off the member for Canberra, Gai Brodtmann’s latest fridge magnet for constitituents extolling an upcoming series of community forums during which she wants to “hear about the impact of the Abbott Government’s Budget on you.”

But the Federal MP for the seat of Canberra appears to have trouble spelling Canberra, adding an extra “r” in the main heading.

If it’s any consolation, Gai, “CityNews” once managed to spell its political columnist Michael Moore’s surname as Mooore – on the front cover.

 Dressing-gown dauber

Justine Scott in front of her work “He Put Coral in my Hand”. Photo by  Farhana Islam
Justine Scott in front of her work “He Put Coral in my Hand”. Photo by  Farhana Islam
PUBLIC servant Justine Scott is a passionate painter who daubs, it seems, day and night.

“I paint almost every day; before work, after work and on weekends,” she says.

She lives in a small apartment in Turner and paints on her balcony.

“If you’re lucky, you might see me painting outside, wearing my dressing gown, at 7am!”

Three years ago she decided to “get practical” and turn her passion into saleable art, an objective that will culminate in her first solo exhibition, “Ile Mare”, at the Kaori Gallery, corner of London Circuit and Hobart Place, Civic, August 2-30.

The exhibition features paintings that explore the landscape around the islands of New Caledonia and Vanuatu.
Scary mums

BOUND by a love of books, vampires and the paranormal, Canberra writer Jen Shepherd and her best friend Cairns-based former Canberran, Sarah Dawson, have penned an “urban fantasy” titled “Enlightened”.

Authors Sarah Dawson, left, and Jen Shepherd.
Authors Sarah Dawson, left, and Jen Shepherd.
Mums by day and authors by night, they have self-published what they say will be a series of books in the footsteps of “Twilight” and “Vampire Academy”.

“We wanted a more adult theme than some of the books we had read which were more geared for teenagers,” Sarah said.

“Sarah’s mum was shocked and read it under duress, but then totally devoured it,” Jen said. “It was a little bit awkward at some moments because there are a few racy bits in the story.”

 

“Enlightened” will be launched in Canberra on Saturday, August 2 and is

available online at sjjensar.com and as an eBook from Amazon, Kobo, Sony Reader Store, iBookstore and Kindle.

 

 

Hmmms

  • AT the height of the school holidays, the loss-making, government-owned Civic merry-go-round was dutifully shuttered, as per its “non-daylight saving” hours, each weekday at 2.30pm. You have to wonder.
  • ANNOUNCING its inaugural conference in Melbourne next month: “As the new peak body for Australia’s off-site construction industry, prefabAUS is set to assemble industry experts from around the world…”
  • AND whatever rocks your boat… “At The Front Gallery and Cafe, art openings turn into all night parties,” says the Lyneham venue. “Show up for an album launch and you’re liable to end up doused in body paint and fed pancakes.” Hmmm, indeed.
  • “STRESS levels in Australia remain high, with 91 per cent of respondents indicating they are experiencing stress,” says the Lifeline 2014 Stress Poll. The counselling service is encouraging everyone to “stress down” on Friday, July 25, national Stress Down Day, but presumably not by drinking alcohol.

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