April 2010: Anderson Park lagoon is refilled and replanted

At the spot we held Kerrie's service, near her bench, the lagoon has been refilled and planted with pink lotus

March 2010: Rosie Hall paints a water colour in Kerrie's memory

A beautiful painting by Rosie, Kerrie's aunt and good friend

February 2010: A Bromeliad to be named in Kerries memory

Kerrie loved many of tropical Queenslands plants, but some of her favorites were bromeleiads. Hopefully one variety may be named after her

October 2009: The Kerrie James Art Award Competition

The first competion gives us three fantastic winners

August 2009: The Kerrie James Art Award Competition

Thank you so much to the staff and management at Kerrie's old school, Pimlico State High School, for the introduction this year of the inaugural Kerrie James Art Award Competition
For more please follow this link

June 2009: Kerrie's memorial plaque is completed

It's hard to think that a plaque on a gravestone could ever be considered a positive thing, but as much as it can be, the job done by our local stone masons is wonderful

Early 2009: a fabric art work is completed in Kerrie's memory

A good friend of Mike's mum, Lucienne Benn created an art work based on Anna Millich's painting. This has turned out to be more than a copy and I owe Lucienne the utmost thanks for celebrating Kerrie in this way

April 2009: a memorial bench in Anderson Gardens

The bench has been completed! Many thanks to Brad Day and others at Townsville City Council for making this happen. In fact Kerrie's bench is the first to be in someone's memory in this park.

It overlooks the lotus lagoon and is placed at the location Kerrie chose for her service back in May 2008. A peaceful spot in the park, this place also enjoys shade the whole day for the whole year.

• The bench

• The dedication

• A lotus in the lagoon

February 2009: a fruit tree in Kerrie's memory at Sissinghurst gardens in Kent, England

So many thanks to Alicia and her partner Steve for this wonderful gift of a fruit tree in Kerrie's memory at these glorious National Trust home and gardens, once home to Vita Sackville-West. Alicia and Kerrie were regular visitors in the 1990's and since.Steve, Alicia, Oliver and Harry planted the tree on a gorgeous clear day in February 2009. Click on the image below for larger versions.

Kerrie's was the first tree to be planted in this new orchard. It should live to at least 100, and as a cider apple tree provide a lot of enjoyment during its long life!

Mike visited on the day of Steve and Alicia's wedding (30th April 2009) which was held in nearby Tenterden, and the tree was looking great and even had some fruit! Steve and Alicia's wedding was themed with some of Kerrie's artistic devices: here's their wedding cake with Kerrie's wings motif in icing!

Memorial Garden

The garden in March 2009: with the good wet season (and despite the gum tree overhead losing a major limb!) the garden now needs regular pruning to keep it under control. Kerrie's green fingers are still at work!

Back at the end of September 2008 Kerrie's family got together again at the school to place the art works created by Ron, and also the plaque commissioned by the school.

So very many thanks again to the people of Pimlico State High School. The Manual Arts staff did a great job on the plinth for the plaque

Here are some photos of the day:

• One of the art works based on Kerrie's 'flying heart' doodles and designs

• Another 'flying heart'

• The plaque under the gum tree

• The plaque

• The team!

• The garden at night on the evening of the Artscape opening 2008

• The garden has come along in leaps and bounds in the hot wet weather we have had in Townsville in December and now into January. Kerrie's family did some pruning and a little more planting on the 3rd January, and here are some photos of Ron getting busy, Mike doing the same, and the newly enhanced Brom section!

At the end of September Kerrie's family got together again at the school to place the art works created by Ron, and also the plaque commissioned by the school.

Shortly after Kerrie's death, Pimlico State High School had very kindly dedicated a garden bed near the art department in memory of Kerrie. On Monday 9th June, a group of us got together to plant the garden. You can view a time lapse animation of it's creation here, either as a small (1.1 MB), or large (4.9 MB) version.

The people involved on the day were: Oksana Stelmaschuk, Sam Willis, Ron James, Jenny James, Shannon Harper, Dianne Harper and Mike Edwards. Very many thanks to the management at Pimlico for promoting this idea, and particular thanks to Denise Glasgow and Sam Willis who made it all happen.

It is particularly nice that some of these plants came from Kerrie's own garden, that she so lovingly created over a ten year period. Many thanks also so Kerrie's Mum and Dad for some great plants from their garden.

More photos of the newly planted garden bed

City to Surf

Wendy and Belinda have completed Sydney's City to Surf. More

Clothing: Putti

Kerrie had started her own business called 'Putti', printing T-shirts with her own designs. It is wonderful that Dianne, Kerrie's sister, has continued to make some of these, and taught herself to screen-print into the bargain! It's even possible there may be some to buy at a later date. Watch this space!

More information about Putti, including a photo shoot with MIa and Ruby modelling some of the t-shirts, is available here

Public Art

One of Kerrie's ex-students has created a graffiti mural at Vincent Village Shopping Centre, Townsville. Click on the thumbnails below for a larger version. Many thanks!