Be regular and orderly in your life so you may be violent and original in your work



-Gustave Flaubert, novelist




26 July: Another calm sunny winter's day.



Had lunch at a local cafe on Wednesday with several poet friends and a lovely golden retriever called Frith, followed by a walk along the shore and round the marina. It seems more like spring than mid-winter. I had pumpkin soup (gluten/free as they don't use thickeners) and gluten free bread and was shouted a glass of Fishtail Sauvignon Blanc. The conversation ranged from metaphysics to marriage.The quiz group I belong to came second to last on Wednesday night. We were very pleased as we got a $20 voucher to spend at the bar next week. We always do well on the section 'Food and drink', and 'Pot luck' (general knowledge), and very badly at 'Sport' and any entertainment question involving music after the 80s or celebrities and 'action' movies.Earthquakes



Sitting looking out over the harbour was what we all needed after the scary few days here in Marlborough. On Friday there was an earthquake centred near Seddon followed by aftershocks and on Sunday just after 5pm (5.09pm) a 6.5 quake was felt followed by a series of aftershocks, some quite big as well. I was in Countdown in Blenheim when the big earthquake happened. It was the noise that was worst and seeing cans flying off shelves and bottles of cream and cold drinks splashed all over the floor. The floor rolled beneath my feet. Everyone was so shocked - they didn't know what was going on to begin with - and just stood there looking around, no-one dropped to the floor as they were supposed to do. A couple of tills were quickly closed, the lights flickered and then the shaking stopped and staff started to clean up and then people went back to shopping. I had only gone in to buy some yoghurt for my father. In other supermarkets in Blenheim the shop closed and shoppers were walked outside by staff who then cleaned up and re-opened a couple of hours later. They say it only lasted for 20 seconds but it felt like a lot longer.



The worst thing was I looked around and there was no furniture to get under, none of my big sturdy tables like at home, no obvious doorway to stand in (though this is apparently not a good idea). Did you see that woman in the TV One studio running around looking for a doorway and then heading back under a desk? She said she had always planned to run outside but changed her mind.



The TV News seemed rather fixated on Wellington but there was damage here too especially in Seddon, pictures falling, broken china, water mains bursting, goods falling off shelves in several supermarkets, broken bottles in the bottle stores. Mainly it was frazzled nerves and sleepless nights waiting for aftershocks or another 'big one'. I felt one today while typing this. Sometimes you don't know if it really is an aftershock or if you are imagining it. It's rather like going on the ferry or a sea voyage and feeling the ground swaying for some time after even though you are back on land again.



My temporary neighbour who is still waiting for word on the future of her Christchurch home suggested everyone needs a 'go bag' ready for an emergency with items like your wallet, makeup, any medication people take, important papers and so on. She also says to always keep your cellphone charged up and she takes her laptop if she has to leave the property.



We are now being flooded with information on what to do:



'Drop, cover, hold'



Get under a piece of furniture but only take a few steps to get to it (3 metres at most). At the very least stand by an exterior wall and well away from windows.



Don't go outside until the shaking has stopped (though it seems that lots of people do) then avoid glass on the ground that might have fallen out of window frames and other debris.



Don't use your cellphone to call, just textas the lines get overloaded with everyone using phones at the same time.



Now there is a rush on emergency supplies like torch batteries, toilet paper and water. For some reason I stocked up a while ago but I can't think why. It might have been with all the bad weather being forecast and thinking I might not want to venture out for a few days.



I am going to go to the hardware shop to get some coated curtain wire and hooks to secure my books on the numerous bookshelves, my glass jars in the pantry and the china on the dresser, some heritage items from my mother and grandmother. A Christchurch friend of mine said that after the first quake she picked up all her books off the floor but after the February quake she just left them on the floor. I am not sure of the current status of those books of hers.



To take our minds off it all the royal baby has arrived, a boy, named George AlexanderLouis who had his first public appearance with his parents Kate and William. Apparently a media statement was issued online and on Twitter as well as the traditional way of putting a notice up outside Buckingham Palace. Some people were disappointed at this departure from the norm.Jackie Thomas won the X-factor beating Whenua and Benny. I was quite keen on Moorhouse with all their different personalities from 'Elvis cool' to cheeky. I don't really see how you can compare groups with a solo act but in 'New Zealand's Got Talent' we also had jugglers and dogs. Those pauses between acts are enough to put you off watching. There always seems to be another 'break'...



Literary things



This week the Man Booker prize short list has been announced with one NZ author, Eleanor Catton, on the list and also the nominees for the NZ Post Book Awards. I am pleased to say that I have read several of them. I really liked Eleanor Catton's first novel The Rehearsal.



How can we help keep our art quake-safe?



To end this blog I have the following useful information for you. I received this from a local gallery owner so am going to include it here and also put it on my Facebook page. I had never heard of 'quake putty'. See (Winter Hours: GALLERY OPEN FROM WEDNESDAYS-SATURDAYS FROM 12-5PM.)



This is a direct quote from an email received:



"I'm sure Christchurch collectors have found their own solutions, but the unnerving swarm of earthquakes rocking Marlborough, Wellington and beyond, has prompted several people to ask me how to keep much-loved artworks safe when the earth moves



PAINTINGS, PRINTS AND WORKS ON PAPER ON THE WALL:



-Firstly, PRESS IN THE TONGUE OF THE PICTURE HOOK, so that if the cord jumps, it's less likely to jump off the hook



-Make sure all pictures on the wall have TWO HOOKS. If the cord comes off one, you've got a backup. This also helps generally with imperceptible quakes and trucks going past, to keep the pictures hanging straight. If you are currently using one hook, put a new one in either side of the existing placement and the work will hang in the same place.



-Try to make sure one of those two hooks is nailed into a stud/beam, as those just in gib can be jiggled out



-If you want more security, put screw anchors into the wall, and use hooks that are screwed in rather than nailed in. But again, press the tongue of the hook closed to prevent the cord or wire jumping out.



I am also currently enquiring about SPECIAL QUAKE-PROOF PICTURE HOOKSand hope to have these in stock within a week, let me know if you'd be interested in these.



-In addition, you can use MUSEUM QUAKE WAX OR QUAKE PUTTY behind the bottom corners of the picture frame and press it in against the wall. Tested this on a painting in 2011 in Christchurch and it was the only one that didn't move in a 5.7 quake!



SCULPTURES, CERAMICS AND GLASS OBJECTS:



-Use QUAKE WAX, QUAKE GEL OR QUAKE PUTTY under the base to secure it. It may not prevent every heavy object from tipping in a violent quake but it will stop them jiggling across a shelf or dresser or sideboard, and will stop most from tipping or sliding in a moderate quake.



-Can also be used behind decorative wall plates to hold them to the wall



-It might be useful to put TALL OR HEAVY ITEMS AT A LOWER LEVEL or on the floor for the next few weeks (and secure them with wax too!) until the nature of this swarm of quakes is better understood.



What's the difference between quake wax, putty, gel and other adhesive products like



Blu-tak? Firstly, the products are created for the purpose and don't leave an oily residue on either the object or the wall/shelf surface when you remove it. They are also designed to firm up after application so they have a strong hold.



The wax looks like a clear candle wax but is malleable with the warmth of your fingers, and then hardens after you have applied it and left it. The gel is the easiest to remove or lift, so suits objects you move more often. The wax is better for objects you seldom move and are happy to dust around, it can be removed with care. One of my Canterbury artists has been using it to secure his sculpture maquettes and models for the last two years, very successfully. One of the best presents I ever gave him!



These products are removable, some more easily than others, without residue and without any damage to the object.



After recent enquiries for advice, I have decided to stock some of these products for sale at The Diversion Gallery. Prices range from about $12 for gel and putty or a small pottle of wax up to $30 for a large 350g pot of quake wax.



IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PUTTY, GEL, WAX OR HOOKS - PLEASE EMAIL ME ON AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO I CAN ENSURE WE GET SUFFICIENT SUPPLIES.



This is not intended to replace professional curatorial advice on care of artworks - just a personal self-help guide based on our own experience and what we're doing with our own collection!"
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