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Richard McKie
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- Address
- 96 Awaba St
- Mosman
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- 2088
- Australia
- Phone
- +61412804869
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A decade ago, in 2005, I was in Venice for my sixtieth birthday. It was a very pleasant evening involving an excellent restaurant and an operatic recital to follow. This trip we'd be in Italy a bit earlier as I'd intended to spend my next significant birthday in Berlin.
The trip started out as planned. A week in London then a flight to Sicily for a few days followed by the overnight boat to Napoli (Naples). I particularly wanted to visit Pompeii because way back in 1975 my original attempt to see it was thwarted by a series of mishaps, that to avoid distracting from the present tale I won't go into.
One recreation that I find very absorbing is drawing and painting.
Having once been married to an exceptionally talented artist (now Brenda Chat) I do not pretend great skill or insight.
I always drew and painted but living with Brenda was like someone who has just mastered ‘chopsticks’ on the piano being confronted by Mozart.
Our daughter Emily has inherited or acquired some of her mother’s skill and talent.
Emily and I once attended life classes together and I am awed by her talent too. One of her drawings hangs behind me as I write. It is a wonderful pencil study of a life class nude.
Our recent trip to Central Australia involved a long walk around a rock and some even longer contemplative drives.
I found myself wondering if there is more or less 'life' out here than there is in the more obviously verdant countryside to the north south east or west. For example: might microbes be more abundant here? The flies are certainly doing well. Yet probably not.
This led me to recall James Lovelock's Gaia Hypothesis that gave we readers of New Scientist something to think about back in 1975, long before climate change was a matter of general public concern.