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  • Gothic twist

    IT’S become a refuge for the bored middle classes – the dreaded sip and paint.

    Hordes of unfulfilled folk quaffing chardonnay while painting their beloved chihuahua or pedigree cat.

    Thankfully, Perth artist Nicola Milan is giving the whole concept a delicious dark twist with a Tim Burton-inspired sip and sketch at Fringe World.

    • Some of the gothic art by Nicola Milan (below).

    Forget about your beloved Trixiebell and your favourite vase of begonias, and get ready to dive into a gothic world of steam punk and Victorian dread.

    Milan is a bit of a renaissance woman – writing dark poems, painting quirky characters and singing jazz.

    She started out drawing cartoons as a kid and one of her first characters was a fat obnoxious cat called Gumtuck, a self-confessed Garfield rip-off.  

    She went on to create a cartoon blog – sharing useless but interesting facts about strange animals – and then co-wrote with her mum the illustrated book Monster-in-Law: A Survival Guide, a cathartic way of getting over her engagement breakup.

    But it wasn’t until she started experimenting with pastel pencils and drawing gothic creatures that she found her true calling.

    “I’d been singing jazz for a while and watching Tim Burton movies and reading all manner of books on vampires, werewolves and other fantastic creatures,” Milan says. 

    “Anne Rice and the Brothers Grimm of course were also faves. I’d also watch olden day movie matinees and loved the costumes, so it was a combination of slightly strange, slightly macabre, rather obnoxious characters combined with elaborate costumes that ended up spilling into my artwork.”

    Milan went on to launch Thelonious Creature, a popular and whimsical art brand inspired by Victorian gothic and steampunk.

    At Burton and Bubbles, Milan shows participants how to turn their quirky ideas into fully realised characters, and how pastel shading can add depth and gothic charm.

    “All materials are provided and the class is perfect for both beginners and experienced artists,” she says.

    Away from the easel, Milan is a sultry jazz singer and has performed at the Ellington Club, at festivals across Australia, and even done a few gigs in London.

    “I like it all – the improv, the vibe, the rhythms, the beautiful melodies, the interesting chords, the history… and I have a low voice so it works for me,” she says.

    If that wasn’t enough, she also writes gothic-style poems.

    “I sit in the crossroads between darkness and light. I am but a paradoxical creator drawing cartoons one day and gothic creatures the next,” Milan says.

    “Poems about death mixed with stupid rhymes about boob jobs.

    “Both sides pull at me to be honest. Similarly my art and music both pull at me for time too. It’s a little annoying. I wish they’d cooperate a bit more.” 

    With Burton and Bubbles coming up, we asked Milan to choose her favourite Tim Burton movie: “Edward Scissorhands is a classic but it also makes me cry and Winona Ryder is annoying. Therefore, it would have to be a toss up between Sweeney Todd and Dark Shadows,” she says.

    “I love Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp. Such great character actors. I like Tim’s use of the absurd. He doesn’t hold back.” 

    The 90-minute Burton and Bubbles is at the Ambassador Bar, 59 Aberdeen St in Northbridge from 6.30pm-8pm on January 24. Tix at fringeworld.com.au and to find out more about Milan’s art see nicolamilan.com.

    by STEPHEN POLLOCK

  • Natural beauty

    ARTIST Louise Farnay has a fascinating lineage – her mum and grandmother were haute couture fashion designers for socialites in Adelaide and her Cornish ancestors were Rundell & Rundell, jewellers to the crown of England.

    Farnay has clearly inherited their attention-to-detail – her stunning hyper-realistic paintings take hundreds of hours to complete.

    But she has shunned high society and gone down a more organic route with her art.

    “I am inspired by my lifelong connection to the ocean,” she says.

    “Through my art, I aim to capture the fluidity, depth and mysterious beauty of the sea. 

    “Growing up along Western Australia’s 12,000km of vast and arid coastline of the Indian Ocean, has profoundly shaped my artistic vision.”

    • Some of the great artworks by Louise Farnay.

    In her latest solo exhibition, Farnay pays tribute to the ocean and also shines a light on endangered wildlife in Australia.

    But it’s not a didactic affair and the paintings are whimsical and fun, while conveying a serious message about the environment.

    There’s an entertaining mix of styles with slightly abstract landscapes rubbing shouldering with detailed ocean scenes.

    Farnay clearly loves putting animals in surreal situations – one painting shows an echidna pulling a bathtub of emus across the outback.

    “Did you know flamingoes roamed Australia’s outback over 20-25 million years ago but became extinct here when the inland lakes dried up?” she says. 

     “So, I have featured flamingos, echidnas and black swans walking off an arc in one of my paintings.  

    “It saddens me that Australia is the worst country in the world for road kill, our wildlife is becoming extinct due to fires, and so many of our unique wildlife is under grave threat of extinction.”  

    The hyper-realistic paintings of women swimming are stunning and could easily be mistaken for a photograph.

    “The hyper-realism came from deep grief when my wonderful extremely creative and nurturing mum passed away seven years ago,” Farnay says. 

    I was numbly flicking through social media when I saw an image which struck a chord with me.  It was a girl in water.  I felt an attachment to it, so I decided to try to paint it. 

    “That really was the start of around 12 or more hyper-realistic paintings I have completed so far, all which take anywhere from 150 hours to well over 400.”

    When she was 22, Farnay left Australia to go exploring. Most folk do a gap year, but she travelled and lived in Europe and Asia for more than 25 years and her work has been collected in more than 30 cities across the globe.

    “Of the 80-plus countries I have travelled to, I would have to say Japan inspired me the most, by far,” she says.

    “I lived there for six years.  Japanese culture, history, and customs are immensely diverse, as are the galleries, the artists, restaurants, interior design, gardens and everything else. 

    “The Japanese are such an articulate race. I observed that everything was presented or created to perfection”. 

    But home is where the heart is and Farnay eventually returned to Perth a decade ago, where she enjoys painting, exhibiting, accepting commissions and of course – swimming.   

    Farnay may never achieve the fame of her Cornish ancestors Rundell & Rundell, whose jewellery is displayed in the Tower of London, but perhaps she has the greatest gift of all on her doorstep – the natural beauty of Western Australia.

    “I just love the gentle fluidity of the merging hues of paint whilst I am in the process of creation,” she says. “I am inspired by currents, tides, reef walls, and the flow of the ocean, inviting you to lose yourself in the mesmerising ocean hues.”

    The Louise Farnay Exhibition is at Palette, 1 Freeman Loop, North Fremantle from January 16 – February 16. For more info see louisefarnay.com.

    by STEPHEN POLLOCK

  • Healing touch

    THE final collection of trauma-healing dolls by late Noongar artist Marcelle Riley will be showcased in a special exhibition at The Wetlands Centre Cockburn.

    The textile artist taught folk how to make traditional “story dolls” of loved ones to process unspoken trauma and promote community healing.

    Each doll had a personal narrative and told of country and Noongar culture.

    Riley used local bush flowers she collected to eco dye cloth and was known for her skilled basket weaving.

    • Marcelle Riley with her story dolls. Photos by Tim Grant.

    For years she worked in the mental health sector, holding story doll workshops in regional WA through organisations like the Community Arts Network and Song Room.

    Her unique method of processing trauma gained international recognition and she gave a Ted Talk How Story Dolls Heal Unspoken Trauma in September 2019.

    Her dolls also stood on their own two feet as art – she was a finalist in the 2017 National Self Portrait Prize for her work Bibool Yok (Paperbark Girl), the only soft sculpture ever selected. It was later acquired by the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery at UWA.

    Riley was born in Moora and grew up in Pingelly on her mother’s country.

    She later settled in Narrogin, but had ties to Fremantle, holding her first group exhibition – a celebration of Noongar female artists – at the SHAC CoLab gallery in 2019.  

    Sadly, after a long battle with cancer, Riley passed away on New Years Day in 2022.

    “Marcelle’s artistic career started later in her life, but she achieved so much in such a short time,” said Riley’s brother, Howard. 

    “Seeing her grow as an artist and her dolls nationally exhibited was amazing.

    “She was so very brave and always solving disputes and supporting community. I’m so happy her art is to be shown at Bibra Lake.”

    Beverley J.Port Louis, a senior female elder from Yued, said it was a sad loss: “I watched Marcelle grow up to become the most outstanding artist to come from Yued country. She is very much missed.”

    Thankfully the public still have a chance to see Riley’s final collection Kwobidak Boodja before it is acquired.

    It shows her developing a new style – combining eco-dyed dolls with acrylic painting.

    Riley’s contribution to art and mental health is probably best summed up by fellow artist Rachel Riggs, who wrote the following for her memorial service: “You are not gone – every stitch you sewed, every thread you wove, holds your spirit and with it, your legacy of story unfolds eternal”.

    Marcelle Riley – Kwobidak Yorga – Beautiful Woman is at the The Wetlands Centre Cockburn, 184 Hope Road, Bibra Lake from January 16 to February 2. For more info see thewetlandscentre.org.au. 

    by STEPHEN POLLOCK

  • Baysy cutie

    THIS Bayswater home is a real charmer.

    It all starts in the front garden where a cute pathway winds past palm trees and shrubs and leads to at a quaint porch with  an outdoor lounge.

    It’s the perfect spot to enjoy the balmy summer nights with a cold beer or a glass of Pinot Gris.

    The inside of this two bedroom one bathroom home is just as nice, especially the open plan dining/kitchen area, which is connected by a decorative archway.

    The country-style kitchen is an attractive number with a chequered floor, sleek benchtops, natural wood cabinets and a walk-in pantry.

    From here you have lovely views of the slightly elevated dining area, which boasts a gorgeous ceiling medallion.

    Coming a close second, is the spacious lounge which has high ceilings, a vintage fireplace and stylish cornicing.

    I don’t know if it’s included but there’s an eye-catching red chandelier in this room; a cool feature that is sure to get tongues wagging.

    The contemporary central bathroom has nice wall and floor tiles, and makes the most of the space with a combined bath/shower, giving you the best of both worlds.

    There’s another WC and standalone laundry, so no queues for the toilet.

    Both bedrooms are a good size with the main featuring a walk-in robe and air con.

    The abode has a good layout and includes a study and enclosed patio, so while it’s a 2×1 there’s plenty of living space for a family to enjoy.

    The home includes a rear carport and there’s no quarterly strata levies or shared insurance.

    Situated on a 302sqm block on Roberts Street, it’s a stones throw from Bayswater and St Columba’s Primary Schools, and is close to all the delights of the town centre including King Somm wine bar.

    It’s also near Bayswater Tennis and Soccer Clubs and Frank Drago Reserve, and it’s walking distance to the Swan River, Riverside Gardens and the local train station and bus stops.

    Home open today (Saturday January 11) 11am-11:30am
    From high $600,000s
    1/8 Roberts Street, Bayswater
    Beaucott Property
    9272 2488
    Agent Carlos Lehn
    0478 927 017

  • Letting loose the introvert

    A STAGE is not usually the kind of place you’d expect to find an introvert* like Luke Morris, but the science-backed comedian says those rigid expectations are often what people get wrong about personality-types (according to research).

    His new show An Introvert’s Guide to Extroverts is a mix of jokes, truths and charts, as he tackles personality science and pseudoscience, pokes fun at Carl Jung, and dissects the infamous Myers-Briggs test. 

    “I’m just interested in how people fit in,” Morris says. “Perhaps because I don’t fit in.

    “Other people enjoy cricket becoming shorter and noisier, and libraries now having coffee shops, and fireworks… just, fireworks? Why do people like that stuff?

    “Even crowds. It is good to have a large audience because it means I can pay rent, but secretly I’m often hopeful the theatre is mostly empty so I don’t have to deal with the crowd,” he says, adding “don’t tell my landlord”.

    • Comedian Luke Morris says his funny is backed by science.

    The show features Morris in the role of Matt Boring, an introverted classroom tutor who’s forced to present (and correct) a lecture written by an extraverted professor.

    While stereotypes about introverts and extroverts loom large in the popular conscience, Morris says the idea that everyone fits neatly into strict categories is nonsense (*hence the asterisk up top).

    “We try to categorise people into one or the other, when the truth is that we’re all probably somewhere along a line,” he says. “You’re not just either an introvert or an extrovert.”

    Notorious

    Morris says a lot of the popular ideas about strict categories stem from the notorious but persistently popular Myers-Briggs test.

    The quiz sorts people into one of two types across four categories (like introvert/extrovert, or those who “think” versus those who “feel”). It’s beloved by many human resources departments at large companies who make job applicants sit the test under the belief that it can tell them who’s a good fit for the gig. But it doesn’t actually work.

    “It’s like throwing darts at a board,” Morris says. If a company asks you to take one: “Don’t.” Alternatively: “Cheat! There are online courses to learn how to cheat a Myers-Briggs test, so you can just take one of those and get the perfect answer for the job you’re applying for!”

    While he has introvert tendencies, every time Morris gets on stage is proof that people won’t always act according to a strict category, and he says it’s pretty common for comedians to be a bit introverted. 

    “We’re mostly nerds. Most standup comedians sit at home and write material in little notebooks, then get very frightened on stage and bluff their way through it.”

    While Morris likes to be precise with facts, he’s also had a long-time talent for finding the funny in unexpected places.

    “I wrote a stage play once that was meant to be a drama,” he says. “The producer said ‘this is a great comedy!’”

    Luke Morris’ An Introvert’s Guide to Extroverts is in Fremantle for a preview show at the Sail & Anchor in Fremantle on Friday February 7, then he plays at SciTech on February 8 and 9, tickets via fringeworld.com.au

    by DAVID BELL

  • New Year’s resolution

    THE cruddy picture quality of Bayswater council’s CCTV camaras has been hindering efforts to identify rapscallions, but the rolling project to upgrade them could take another three years to complete. 

    Bayswater has about 270 cameras across the city but they don’t always get a clear picture of crime, with issues stemming from blurry low resolution images and poor night vision.

    One ratepayer who’s raised concerns about the camera quality several times is Noranda resident Harry Bouzidas.

    At the final council meeting of the year Mr Bouzidas addressed council saying: “I brought this matter up earlier this year, and I believe that we’ve had problems with the resolution of the cameras and the ineffectiveness of the cameras. 

    • While the fixed CCTV cameras have sometimes proved too blurry, these portable CCTV cameras have had some wins in deterring vandalism and electrical cable theft. File photo provided by City of Bayswater.

    “And I’m wondering whether I can have an update as to where we are now compared to where we were at the beginning of the year, please.”

    Bayswater’s community services director Bianca Sandri said they’d been undertaking an audit of all cameras across the past five months to put out a tender to upgrade the CCTV network. The council assigned an extra $240,000 investment in the CCTV network in this year’s budget, and the tender is scheduled to be advertised in January.

    Mr Bouzidas pressed the question about when the blurry cameras would be replaced.

    Ms Sandri said: “What I anticipate, as all our cameras require replacement, it won’t happen in one hit, so we will go through and prioritise the areas for replacement and the infrastructure, so we hope to have it fulfilled within 12 months, but it may be smoothed over 24 to 36 months depending on the gravitas of the work that’s required.”

    A slightly astonished Mr Bouzidas said: “So two to three years on the outside?”

    While the fixed cameras have had issues with identifying nogoodniks, the council’s trial of portable trailer-mounted CCTV systems have had some deterrence value. 

    According to a council quarterly report, installing a portable camera system at the BMX pump track at Claughton Reserve successfully cut down on troublemakers and vandals. 

    Portable CCTV was also deployed at Lighting Park, a hotspot for electrical cable theft, and there’ve been no instances of cable theft since.

    by DAVID BELL

  • Vote to ban gas going to new homes

    LONG-time environmental campaigner Mary Gray has called on Vincent council to follow the lead of governments elsewhere who’ve taken steps to ban natural gas connections in future developments.

    Ms Gray, who was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2022 for her many efforts to protect the environment and preserve urban bushland, put the degassing proposal to the Vincent council AGM on December 11.

    “Action on climate change is needed by us residents and all levels of government, as gas is a fossil fuel and alternatives are readily available,” Ms Gray said.

    “There is a need to encourage and incentivise removal of gas appliances from households and small businesses in the City of Vincent.”

    Along with being incompatible with solar and other greener energy sources, Ms Gray says “gas appliances also emit pollutants – nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide – and these have human health impacts. This is especially relevant for children and asthmatics.”

    Her motion calls on the council to require new developments or renovations not to have gas appliances. “This is actually being done in Victoria,” she says. 

    “The city could provide incentives for householders and businesses to replace gas appliances with electric appliances.”

    The ideas were supported unanimously. 

    That means they’ll now be written up as formal proposals to go to Vincent council for a vote at a meeting in 2025. But the signs of a yes-vote are promising as the councillors present also voted in favour of Ms Gray’s idea, and Cr Jonathan Hallett added some supportive remarks.

    Over at Bayswater, an attempt at a similar motion was proposed by councillor Giorgia Johnson was rejected by a split council last year (“Flicking switch to degas Baysy,” Voice, November 16, 2024). 

    A milder motion to investigate “possible options that will enable the community to transition from gas, including education, planning policies for new developments, and incentives” was instead supported at Bayswater’s November council meeting.

    by DAVID BELL

  • Clarke quits for state tilt

    BAYSWATER councillor Lorna Clarke has announced she’s retiring from her west ward role, with about eight months left in her term.

    Cr Clarke is Labor’s candidate for Butler in the upcoming state election, the seat currently held by the retiring attorney general John Quigley, and says she wants to focus on retaining it for the party.

    Cr Clarke didn’t mention the election in her informal valedictory speech at the December 10 council meeting, instead focusing on municipal issues she was involved in during her seven years.

    • Lorna Clarke

    Her highlight reel included the council’s progress on bringing together homelessness services, increasing tree planting, and getting the first stage of the Maylands Waterland built. 

    Along with the big ticket items, Cr Clarke said: “The decisions we make in this room go directly to the experiences of every single family in our community. 

    “It affects when their bins are collected, when their parks are mowed, and which drinking fountains have dog bowls in them, how good the local playgrounds are, how safe the local roads, it affects how many books their kids take out of the library, and when they can see Santa for free down at Riverside Gardens.

    “Local government gives us as elected representatives of our communities the privilege of taking actions big and small that can see those communities thrive and flourish. I will miss being part of that grand project with you all.”

    Cr Clarke was first elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2021. Her term would have expired in October 2025 but she’ll instead leave “around the end of this year”. 

    Councillors aren’t required to retire to run for state or federal parliament. Some, like Perth lord mayor Basil Zempilas, opt to take leave from their council role to campaign for a state seat, which leaves them a backup council gig if the state tilt is unsuccessful. 

    Butler’s a pretty safe bet though: Labor won the seat with 77 per cent of the first-preference vote in 2021. 

    by DAVID BELL

  • Taylor-made for the Ellie awards

    ONE of the Chook’s favourite short films of the year (and perhaps all-time), Verge Collection, has won Notre Dame film student Taylor Finch a major national award. 

    Ms Finch took out the top student editor at the Australian Screen Editors’ annual Ellie Awards. 

    • Taylor Finch took out top student editor for Verge Collection at the Ellies.

    The film explores the stories behind items that people discard on verges for ‘bring out your dead day’ (before valet systems kicked in) and in one memorable and serendipitous scene the filmmakers capture a family agonising over moving on their just-passed father’s couch. 

    Ms Finch, who graduates next year with a bachelor of communication and media, said attending the Ellies in Sydney was a great networking experience. 

    “I found it really valuable to hear from people in the industry who have done so well, who once had to navigate what I am going to have to navigate over the next few years,” she said of the experience.

  • Wildlife rescue ‘overwhelmed’

    WA WILDLIFE has opened a new hands-on reptile discovery centre and turtle hospital, but it comes at a critical time for the centre.

    Admissions of native wildlife are already skyrocketing and the centre is expecting to receive another 1000 animals by the end of January.

    “Our team is stretched to the limit, and we’re struggling to keep up with the overwhelming number of animals needing urgent care,” the centre said in an email to supporters this week.

    • Environment minister Reece Whitby opened the new marine turtle hospital.

    Urgent care

    “To make matters worse, the festive season is a challenging time for fundraising, leaving us with fewer resources to meet this critical demand.

    “Our op shops will be closed for a couple of weeks over the Christmas period.”

    The new reptile centre highlights the essential role they play in maintaining balanced ecosystems, while its hands—on displays are aimed at inspiring the next generation of conservationists.

    The new marine turtle intensive care facility, opened by environment minister Reece Whitby, while provide care to the marine reptiles who face challenges from habitat destruction and pollution.

    by STEVE GRANT