Jozef Imrich, name worthy of Kafka, has his finger on the pulse of any irony of interest and shares his findings to keep you in-the-know with the savviest trend setters and infomaniacs.
''I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center.''
-Kurt Vonnegut
Pencilfy is the sketchbook of Vanessa Millar — pencil drawing with graphite and charcoal, a personal gallery of drawings, and a blog about the journey behind every one of them.
“I sometimes think there is nothing so delightful than drawing”
Hank dreams of seeing the world. With a map, a backpack and a passport to fill, this curious platypus starts somewhere closer to home: the other side of Obi Obi Creek.
Lovers of light opera and musical comedy always await the Maleny Singers season with anticipation, and this year is set to again provide a feast for the senses, with a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience.
Set in late 19th Century England, the opera satirises the Aesthetic Movement, which was a popular fad of the time. However in Gilbert’s usual style, he takes time out to poke fun at pretty much everything, from military pomposity to romantic love.
The story centres around two love triangles: one involving the Dragoon Guards, who find their high-born fiancees besotted with two aesthetic poets; and the other involving the two poets who are competing for the attentions of Patience, the lovely milkmaid. How these battles interact with each other provides endless opportunity for Gilbert’s comedic wit.
While the two aesthetic poets (Colin Dunn and Rod Johnson) trail hordes of swooning ladies, while reciting their own poems, Patience herself (Vanessa Millar) ponders the meaning of life and love.
Meanwhile, the Dragoon Guards march around in utter confusion, hoping against hope that their beloveds will return to sanity in time for a happy ending.
Despite the tortuous storyline, there are many genuinely hilarious moments, and as always, Sullivan’s music makes this a joy to listen to.
To add a touch of continuity, the Singers Musical Director, Margaret Taylor herself, sang the role of Patience in the English National Opera’s London productions. Her depth of understanding of the opera makes this a musical treat not to be missed.
Performances at the Maleny Community Centre on June 13,14, 20 and 21. Tickets from Trybooking or the Maleny Information Centre
How to host a seafood feast — Sydney style Designers Patrick and Tamsin Johnson serve up a deliciously slow lunch at Darling Point
In the leafy suburb of Darling Point, on a ridge overlooking a glistening Sydney Harbour, the hum of a house party gently permeates an otherwise quiet cul-de-sac. The sunny front courtyard of an ivy-covered, 1920s brick-and-tile home is playing host to friends of Patrick and Tamsin Johnson, who are almost as well known in their respective fields – as fashion and interior designers – as they are for throwing a good party.
“We love hosting – I feel like we’re constantly having some kind of dinner party or lunch,” says Tamsin, who was born in Melbourne but has lived in Sydney for nearly 20 years. She founded her interiors practice in 2013 and has become known for mixing antique and vintage furniture from different eras with modern designs. Her discerning eye has seen her kit out retail spaces and homes for some of Australia’s most well-known names, including billionaire investor James Packer and influencer Nadia Fairfax-Wayne – as well as the grand residence we’re in today.
“Having people over is always a loose, warm, slow kind of thing – it’s always very relaxed, and very much shaped around the guests,” adds Patrick. Born and raised in Adelaide, the designer started his tailoring-focused clothing brand P Johnson in Sydney in 2009, and now has showrooms throughout Australia as well as in London, New York and Jakarta. His clothes, which are classic yet unfussy, outfit some of this afternoon’s guests – among them jeweller Olivia Bond, interior stylist Steve Cordony, private-equity investor Nick Speer and his wife Camilla, a travel adviser, and Sophie Darling, the founder of fashion archive Galerie S.
Today’s menu is served outside on a long table under the shade of a parasol: it feels decidedly Australian. Patrick, barefoot, is tending to scallops on the barbecue, before he and Tamsin start handing around plates laden with oysters and prawns served with Marie Rose sauce. “We often start by going to the Sydney fish market and seeing what’s available – that’s normally the beginning of the process,” says Patrick. “I’ll usually look for the weird and wonderful, but we always start with oysters. I’m South Australian, so I really love the ones from Coffin Bay.”
Fresh crayfish – one of the Johnsons’ festive traditions – follows, then a crowd-pleasing whole roast ribeye fillet. A variety of “big, beautiful salads”, including a tomato panzanella with melon and mozzarella, mixed green leaves with goat’s cheese and a fennel, blood orange and kalamata olive number, accompany the mains. To finish is a showstopper pavlova – covered in mango and passion fruit and served with watermelon and berries.
“We know exactly what all of our guests like as their drinks, so we try to cater to each of them,” says Patrick. “One of them likes sticky wine, another really likes Koshihikari Echigo, this amazing Japanese rice beer, and another just has Belvedere vodka, straight up.” Drinks are often served in Joe Colombo Smoke glasses, which Patrick collects, or Venetian champagne flutes. “I like having a really sharp Martini at the start of the day, and Tam’s a champagne girl.”
Like their hosting style, decorations are kept simple – burning frankincense wafts across the garden and, when the sun eventually sets, the space is lit up with only candles. “I don’t like too-done table settings,” says Tamsin. “We’ll usually just throw on a white tablecloth, but we’re not polishing silver or serving on fine china.” The only flourish is a few vases of mixed coloured roses; a tip Tamsin picked up from Sydney institution Sean’s Panorama in Bondi. “I remember when I first visited this restaurant, there were always beautiful mixed roses from [Sean’s] garden on the tables. That really stayed with me.”
The Johnsons’ long lunches usually go well into the evening, unfolding to a soundtrack of jazz before inevitably ending with a turn of the Grateful Dead. “Our guests seem to not want to leave,” says Tamsin, “but that’s probably an us problem rather than a them problem
