Seeing Differently by
Lizz Robb
#APlaceForEverything Course Project for Architecture1o1 Instagram: Lizzielalayellow
Acknowledgements My thanks go to my loving and encouraging family, my friends, particularly Fran Prince, as well as Stefano Mirti and Anne-sophie Gauvin, who can only be described as fantastically amazing and super cool. Thank you so much, Brian, Del, Josh, and Pat for supporting all my crazy LizzieLaLa art projects with love, laughter and joy, not to mention the occasional Long Island Iced Tea. Brian, I resonate with your philosophy of “Why be boring?” Thanks for giving your “zany, independent” wife the freedom to grow and enjoy the “LaLa” side of life. Del, you are the perfect design consultant, I would probably be out of control if I could not bounce ideas past you. Working with you is so effortless and so much fun. I would like to express my appreciation to our wonderful Design1o1 community, who add an entirely new and unique dimension to the journey. Finally, my thanks to the greatest Designer of all, God, for the beauty and incredible design we see all around us, which inspires me daily. KissKiss LoveLove
© 2015 Lizz Robb lizz@yellowhouse.net
Part 1 – What I’ve Learned
Images made by me during the course
Introduction Through the course of my professional life in the corporate sector over the last 12 years, I have found that getting people to put pen to paper to draw difficult concepts I was teaching them is a highly successful technique. However, I myself was scared that one day someone would ask me to draw something and I would be exposed for my non-existent drawing skills. So three years ago I decided to learn to draw. I did a two-day basic business drawing skills course with Nicola Bailey of Paper Plane. From there I took a very unconventional course of painting traffic signal boxes and other zany things. I fell head over heels in love with art in its many forms. I wanted to formally pursue design but I could not find a suitable art or design course. Once in a while, in life by happenstance we unexpectedly come across people who fuel a dream we may be carrying, either consciously or unconsciously. Two such angels, who appeared into my life out of nowhere, were Stefano Mirti and Annesophie Gauvin of Abadir Accademia di Design e Arti visive, Milan, Italy. Having done numerous Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), I registered for their revolutionary course, Design1o1. The six-month course was a whirlwind of challenging but delightful daily assignments. I felt like I was walking on cloud nine for the duration. It was light years ahead of all the other MOOCs I have done from big name Universities like Harvard and MIT. However, after the course ended, many of us experienced a massive let down. The colour seemed to have been taken out of my life. Many thanks to all those at Abadir who listened to us and made it possible for us to enjoy another one of their amazing MOOCs, #Architecture1o1. It is a groundbreaking course designed to be run entirely on a smartphone, with an extensive use of social media (one of my other loves). Once again we have 1o1 assignments, one for every weekday. This book is a product of Part A or the first 33 assignments.
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“Stare, pray, listen, eavesdrop …” The opening words for our first homework. 5
Perception. Can you see the common object in each picture?
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Del creating one of our special places.
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The wonderful world of Bazaart
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The world around us.
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Part 2 – What I’ve Learned from Others A select of images made by others during the course.
#50000yearsago by antiez A simple and striking execution by pulling paper out of the waste paper bin.
#MusicWithout Sound by linamariedanslalune A bit of humour can make a work memorable.
#ThingsWithNoName by nkanoma. When the asphalt is covered with snow, pour some hot wax on to it.
#QuestionWithoutAnswer by anna._maria_ Black and white paintings can make a portrait come alive.
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#DoorsOfPerception by Pengshiyaopsy A single contrasting line can be very powerful.
#SomePeopleTheyKnowThings by amchive Beauty in simplicity.
#DaytimeNighttime by Archsabah Eyes in a drawing grab one’s attention.
#PlayItByTrust by kenza_dm A simple but effective way of drawing a playful hand.
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#RomanceinManyDimensions by andyfischer87 Nice use of patterns to create a picture.
#WhatMakesTheDesert by Wadjin (Olwyn Crimp) I love the way Olwyn has captured the core of this country we live in - Australia.
#InsideNoOutside by Cablewalker The effect of the patterns in this 4D image are quite hypnotic.
#StealingThingsIs by maria_syms A simple but sweet cityscape.
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#StealingThingsIsby stef377 The contrast between the solid red object and the newspaper is very effective.
#StealingThingsIs by PrisCortez PrisCortez stole something from my picture (which was our homework). She made it entirely her own.
#StealingThingsIs by unepetitetouche The contrasting colours are good but it is the detail in the coloured image is attractive.
#BrianEnoSays by kozlemeny This collage is very interesting because it comprises modern images on an old world background. The effect is rather unique and attractive.
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#BrianEnoSays by behumblemowgli. A simple, elegant and funky piece inspired by Henri Matisse.
#BrianEnoSays by telezarmarina. A great effect is created by using elements of a person wearing a hat.
#BrianEnoSays by allv00 The strips in the collage create an interesting look.
#BrianEnoSays by marcasev A collage made using pictures and real objects, such as the pencil.
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#BeSureYou by Bojanef The cloud formation is exquisite.
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#ExcuseMeWhile by y._.imai The soft and relaxing kaleidoscope view of a clear blue sky.
#MySunMachine by bcdann Non-traditional but great choice of colours used to convey the incredible heat generated by the sun.
#SomePeopleWalk by telezarmarina The movement of the water appears joyful and adds life to the picture.
#VoyageDansLaLune by nalexblog A rather unique, simple but clever idea.
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#VoyageDansLaLune by emilioyperez Abstract but cool. I would like to try something like with vibrant colours though.
#YourMindWill by alexfontes_id An original and funky piece.
#YouGottaHave by design1o1 Photography used very effectively.
#OnesDestination by katyaosinha Very cute with the joy of a beautiful child. The twist with the woman in the bath is wonderful.
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#OnesDestin by sabrosas_
The black do
#OnesDestination by maria_syms Showing more of the exterior of the house, with a little of the interior. Just enough to draw the viewer in.
#OnesDestination by reginaberlin7 Nice juxtaposition of a drawing with photography.
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#ALineIsADot by Alexfontes_id I must try this style. It’s cute.
#ALineIsADot by fedefoltran Another great style.
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#YouCantCriticize by Superflaja Lovely geometrical effect.
#YouCantCriticize by letarmoon A picture with geometrical objects.
#IfYouStartToThink by bojanef Effective use of symmetry.
#BeSureYou by Trichitajours The eye is is instantly drawn to the girl’s white tummy. The shading around the moon is very effective. 26
#HumanBehaviourFlows by reginaberlin7 Adding toys to a nature scene gives added interest.
#NoManIs by silviapeets An interesting combination of products/ media.
#NoManIs by allav00 I would love to have the time to draw a map of my own to look a little like this.
#NoManIs by laducinella The colours and the effects are just beautiful.
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Part 3 – My Place: LizzieLaLaLand A selection of images dedicated to my special place.
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There’s a sea in my bedroom.
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There are sunflowers in my garden.
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There are two FrenchBulldogs in my garden. Amelie and Guiness.
For how much longer do we have to hold the sky up?
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Love is in the air. Dancing in the garden in the moonlight. 34
Part 4 – From Nothingness to My Place
An Illustrated Essay
“First this: God created the Heavens and Earth —all you see, all you don’t see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.” Genesis 1:1
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Heaven and Earth First this: God created the Heavens and Earth —all you see, all you don’t see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss. God spoke: “Light!” And light appeared. God saw that light was good and separated light from dark. God named the light Day, he named the dark Night. It was evening, it was morning— Day One. God spoke: “Sky! In the middle of the waters; separate water from water!” God made sky. He separated the water under sky from the water above sky. And there it was: he named sky the Heavens; It was evening, it was morning— Day Two. God spoke: “Separate! Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place; Land, appear!” And there it was. God named the land Earth. He named the pooled water Ocean. God saw that it was good. God spoke: “Earth, green up! Grow all varieties of seed-bearing plants, Every sort of fruit-bearing tree.” And there it was. Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties, And fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. God saw that it was good. It was evening, it was morning— Day Three. God spoke: “Lights! Come out! Shine in Heaven’s sky! Separate Day from Night. Mark seasons and days and years, Lights in Heaven’s sky to give light to Earth.” And there it was. God made two big lights, the larger to take charge of Day, The smaller to be in charge of Night; and he made the stars. God placed them in the heavenly sky
to light up Earth And oversee Day and Night, to separate light and dark. God saw that it was good. It was evening, it was morning— Day Four. God spoke: “Swarm, Ocean, with fish and all sea life! Birds, fly through the sky over Earth!” God created the huge whales, all the swarm of life in the waters, And every kind and species of flying birds. God saw that it was good. God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Ocean! Birds, reproduce on Earth!” It was evening, it was morning— Day Five. God spoke: “Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind: cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds.” And there it was: wild animals of every kind, Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug. God saw that it was good. God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.” God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.” Then God said, “I’ve given you every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth And every kind of fruit-bearing tree, given them to you for food. To all animals and all birds, everything that moves and breathes, I give whatever grows out of the ground for food.” And there it was. God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good! It was evening, it was morning— Day Six. - Genesis 1, The Message Bible
Day One Light Day and night Evening and morning 38
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Day Two
The sky, named the heavens Water under the sky Water above the sky
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Day Three Land, named Earth Pooled water, named Ocean All varieties of plants and trees
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Day Four. The seasons, days and years The sun and the moon The stars
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Day Five. Fish and sea life Birds
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Day Six. Cattle, reptiles and wild animals Bugs Human beings – male and female. Godlike. Reflecting God’s nature.
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Day Seven. God rested
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God then went to a place, named Eden, where he planted a beautiful garden. He put Adam and Eve there, so they could enjoy all the beautiful things He had lovingly and thoughtfully prepared for 45 them.
Before God created Eve, He told Adam, “You can eat from any tree in the garden, except from the Tree-of-Knowledge-ofGood-and-Evil. Don’t eat from it. The moment you eat from that tree, you’re dead.” Form emerging from nothingness.
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So what did Adam and Eve do? They ate from the one tree they were not allowed to. God was so displeased with them for this that they were banished from the Garden of Eden. They went on to have children and thus the human race began. 03/101 Taking Pictures: #50000YearsAgo The Garden of Eden.
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I am using the Biblical story of creation because it fascinates me. Genesis chapter 1 is probably the chapter of the Bible that I have read the most. It is the story of the greatest Designer of all making something so incredible that the chapter ends like this,
“God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good! It was evening, it was morning— Day Six.” How absolutely and marvelously amazing! Everything that we know – planet earth and everything on it, in it and above it like the mountains, the valleys, the rivers, the oceans, the atmosphere, the sky, the stars, the sun, the moon were all created out of nothingness. They were created for a divine purpose. Genesis 2 starts off by saying,
“Heaven and Earth were finished, down to the last detail. By the seventh day God had finished his work. On the seventh day he rested from all his work. God blessed the seventh day. He made it a Holy Day Because on that day he rested from his work, all the creating God had done. This is the story of how it all started, of Heaven and Earth when they were created.”
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Thus the world began. Silently. Without fanfare. It was a world of perfection and excellence. A world of beauty and goodness. It was phenomenal. Adam and Eve had dominion over all this. Unfortunately, they sinned against God by disobeying him, bringing an end to the world of perfection. That was a long time ago. It is still a surprisingly beautiful world and one that affords me much pleasure every day. It has astonishing grace and rhythm. There is light and there is darkness. Each day there is morning and night, as the sun rises and sets. The sun shines by day and the moon, together with the stars in the heavenly firmament, shine at night. The seasons come and go. Days turn into weeks, which turn into months, which turn into years. Clouds form and float ever so effortlessly across the sky. Sometimes they get dark and release rain. There is still water under the sky and water above the sky. The Earth enables plants and trees to grow. The plants and trees provide food for bugs, animals, reptiles and birds, as well as human beings. The tides cause the oceans to ebb and flow, day in and day out. The sea creatures thrive and reproduce. All this forms the essence of the universe. Â There is birth, there is death. Generations come and generations go. Each person that is born is unique. Unique in many ways. Unique in the way the person looks, unique in likes and dislikes, unique in spirit and temperament, unique in skills and attitudes, unique in values and unique in personality. Â
My office.
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Family times
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In the midst of this mind bogglingly large universe, in a city faraway Australia, called Brisbane, is where I live. It is there that I have a place I call my own. It is a place that is unique to me. It is a place that reflects my personality, my loves and my interests. It is a place that I share with my family. It is a place that supports me doing my #Architecture1o1 homework each night. However, I did not start my life here. I was born on the other side of the world, in Wai, Maharashtra, India, an ancient and sacred town to those of the Hindu faith. I grew up in the hustle and bustle of one of the world’s megacities, Bombay. We lived in Colaba, a very central location. After my brother and I started going to school at The Cathedral and John Connon High School, our parents’ decided that we needed to get away from the hectic city life and go to boarding school, like they had done. So at six and a half, I found myself in Kimmins High School, in Panchgani, just 8 kms from Wai. Panchgani was developed as a very picturesque hill station during the British Raj. Up in the hills, away from the heat of the plains. It was between these two vastly different places that I grew up. A massive metropolis and an idyllic hill station. India is a country of a myriad colours. Even our very British boarding school buildings were red white and green. In a country that panders to the senses. I spent a wonderfully carefree and happy childhood. I shuttled between boarding school for nine months of the year and home in Bombay for three. It was in those days, with the sensory overload that India offers, my artistic style, taste and love of colour grew and blossomed. Anyone who knows me from my school days, will tell you that back then I used to love drawing. I drew flowers on everything. I used to have brightly coloured paper flowers stuck on my desk. When I finished school, my parents sent me to Scotland, to live with my grandparents, so I could study Computer Science at University. My happy childhood came to an instant end in Edinburgh, as I struggled with being so far from home. I was very homesick. Edinburgh was so drab and desolate. Its dull grey buildings were depressing. I soon said goodbye to my grandparents and found my way to the bright lights of London. I lived in Wimbledon and loved it. One night I arrived home to unexpectedly find my Mother there. She said she had come to take me home. So home I returned. However, the travel bug had hit and I was keen to go overseas again. My brother had emigrated to Australia, while I was in London. It was lonely at home without him so my parents decided to emigrate to Australia with me. We joined my brother in Adelaide. Adelaide was very quiet and different compared to London and Bombay but we put our roots down there so the family could be together. 52
I got married to a wonderful man, named Brian. We had two sons, Josh and Patrick. Motherhood proved to be the best thing ever. We ended up living in a beautiful North American style home in the Adelaide foothills. I wanted it to be my home for life but Josh and Patrick were drawn to the Queensland lifestyle. So we moved to Brisbane in 2001. Brisbanites are very friendly and easy going. The weather is subtropical and fantastic, with heaps of sunny days. Those are the days when I am happiest as I thrive on four things – love, light, laughter and colour. Having given up my dream home in Adelaide, we bought and renovated two homes in Brisbane. I didn’t like either of them. However, the part of the renovation I enjoyed was the interior design bit. As the saying goes, “All good things come to him who waits.” In due course, we have ended up with a house that has made lots of dreams come true for me. I call it LizzieLaLaLand. LizzieLaLaLand is a special place. It has a swimming pool, which is great at this time of year. I designed and planted a garden about 18 months ago. What a project that was! We had a great team and drank way too many Long Island Iced Teas as there is a bar adjacent to the garden. The garden has officially named as the Long Island Iced Tea Garden. I had a raised garden bed built across the length of the garden. The wall is bright pink with pale pink flowers on it. It is white on the top. It reminds me a little of coconut ice. The fences are a bright blue, painted by Brian one Saturday. The green of the lawn and the plants stand out against the blue, as do the yellow and orange flowers in the garden. These vibrant colours, especially on a sunny day, lift my spirits to the sky. My French Bulldogs, Amelie and Mr G, love the garden. The garden turns into a great workshop space when Adel and I have a painting project on. We put big tables out on the lawn. It’s fun standing on the grass, listening to all the birdcalls, enjoying the gentle breeze, while we paint away, not having to worry about paint accidentally falling on the floor. LizzieLaLaLand has a number of other special places as well. A media/ cinema room, where we can watch movies on the big screen. A large upstairs balcony where we can lie down and read a book, while enjoying a glass of wine. A large upstairs entertaining area. Lots of big glass doors and glass windows to let the outside in. A big kitchen where everyone seems to want to get involved and help prepare food. A space in LizzieLaLand where I spend most of my time, is my office, with customized furniture and LizzieLaLa decorations. I love it. It’s where all my homework gets done, well into the early hours of the morning.
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LizzieLaLa’s garden
Prasad’s amazing cocktails
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LizzieLaLa’s Bar
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Jess, Logan and Josh
Now that I have introduced you to LizzieLaLaLand I am personally extending an invitation to my Design1o1/Architecture1o1 friends, Stefano, Annesophie and Petronela, and anyone else who reads this publication, to join me for an evening in my very favourite space, LizzieLaLa’s Bar in LizzieLaLaLand. I love spending time there with really cool people like you.
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Sharing the love and laughter
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Family and friends
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From Brian.
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LizzieLaLa up in the clouds
LizzieLaLaProductions Brisbane, Australia