Little Sister's Big Day!

 On Sunday 9th November my little sister Chris 

(known to so many of her friends as Chrissie) 

celebrated a huge day in her life.

Chris has been fighting cancer since the shock of her diagnosis in early 2018. At the time her partner Matt was also fighting cancer and Chris looked after Matt until he succumbed to his illness in 2019. That was a tremendously difficult period which Chris negotiated with great love and affection despite being in the horror of wondering what was going on in her own body.

Chris continued receiving many different sorts of treatment for her cancer at the Peter Mac up to and throughout the horrible period of COVID which brought our entire society to a grinding halt! Then in 2021 because she was having trouble with her voice which had always been so important to her as a musician and creator of music, she started to take lessons in artwork such as sketching and watercolours.

I posted the first blog about this transition in her life in September 2021:

https://petertammer.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-other-day-i-received-email-from-my.html

In that post Chris describes how she came to painting and drawing for the first time in her life as an exciting new adventure.

Over the next few years she experimented and studied via internet sources, continuously expanding her knowledge and her craft in many different media.

I posted a few blog "updates" along the way.

Then, during the past year things were going very badly for her in her battle against cancer, very much worse. Chris moved into the palliative care phase, so she decided to hold an exhibition/clearing from her home on November 9th.

Although Chris sent me a number of new works as she progressed over these 4 years, on the big day I was simply astonished at the huge number of works and the wide range of styles she had on display. 

The afternoon was so well attended by Chris's friends from all over the country, many of the works on display sold, with a portion of the proceeds of that sale going to the Peter Mac.

The house was filled with beautiful works!

Many people helped Chris get ready for this BIG DAY!  Daughter Carly, and excellent friend Nelson, supported by so many others, too many for me to name here. People started rolling in about 1pm!

I was accompanied by my friend Alix Jackson, seen here on the left speaking with Chris's longtime friend Nelson, at right.

I intended to make a video of the event but I was disappointed by the reflections which spoiled so many works in the rooms, impressive images situated in dark passages of the house...

 and heaps of daylight pouring in from many angles washing out the images behind glass:

Fortunately Nelson came to the rescue creating 

this film of the event with his friend Henning.

I asked Nelson for production details and he responded:

"Henning took all the photos and footage."

Henning at work!

""We edited it together over two sessions. 

I made him put his name in the credits as:

Photographer and Filmmaker  –  Henning Kallies."

Music by Chris Tammer and Nelson Mathews.

My friend Alix also spoke with Chris, not having had much contact with her previously.

He sent me his reactions to meeting Chris and seeing her work as displayed on the day:

"It's a beautiful post Peter and such a wonderful video that Chris, Nelson and Henning put together.

It's such an amazing collection of incredible work. As I told you while we were driving away, I felt so 

fortunate to get to meet her and get to be brought into her world, for even that very short time. 

In the brief time I did speak to Chris, I very much felt like I found a kindred spirit, if we'd talked too 

much longer we might have tried to start a new project together.

One brief visit to her studio is not anywhere near enough time to give the incredible artwork justice either.

Thank you again for including me Peter. 

So glad to have been able to be there."

Alix

My friend Richard Leigh also attended later in the day and sent me these comments:

"So good to see the people who’d helped out setting it all up too —

 the two at the front door,

 the two running the 'sales office’ in the front bedroom,

 the woman at the ‘bar’ on the outdoor landing,

 the floating photographer,

 and the people dealing with the food…

 all helping out seamlessly, acting low-key and respectful of the occasion.

Such a delightful community of friends and well-wishers.

 And the house lent itself to being the perfect exhibition space.

What a way to go out hey!

I stayed till near 5pm but didn’t wanna be the last to go.

I’m sure you’re proud of your little sis!"

Richard, you hit the nail on the head! 

I'm extremely proud of my little sister. 

Aside from her courage in her battle with cancer,

she has created so many wonders!

pt