Month: December 2025

Allegoria nuziale by Tiepolo, reflected in Koons’s Balloon Venus Dolni Vestonice

December 20, 2025

I imagine that, like me, you have a view on the work of Jeff Koons. I do not imagine anything I say in this post will change your mind on this one way or the other. So I will refrain.

The National Gallery of Australia recently received the gift of a Koons: Balloon Venus Dolni Vestonice. This one is in yellow. It is directly across from Tiepolo’s Allegoria nuziale. Its mirror surface provides a new way to look at the Tiepolo. It looks rather like this.

Blue and white porcelain vase

December 14, 2025

The bud vase was only $3 at the Op Shop. I thought it would be enjoyable to paint. It was.

Michael Harding ultramarine blue has an almost electric sharpness on a neutral ground. It seems to have a very significant pigment load, but is very well behaved. The perfect painting companion.

Rope

December 5, 2025

A friend’s brother tried to lash a sheet of glass to his car roof with a rope. It did not work: slid off. Another acquaintance tried to transport a full fish tank in the back of a car. It did not work: first time he hit the brakes he was inundated.

As with most things, rope tying and removals should be left to the experts.