Sesquipedalian

I learnt a new word today

Don't know when I'll use it

Normally I have little to say

Not much chance I'll abuse it.

It seems there are some people

Who use words long and fancy

Sitting high up in their steeples

For me it'd be too chancy.

What I want to know is

Who needs such arduous words?

Well, maybe the folks in showbiz

They don't do things by thirds.

And maybe the legal eagles

With their tortured, twisted tongues

And the investigative beagles

Chasing fugitives on the run.

And I suppose our politicians

Need a large vocabulary

And of course magicians

Like to take you up a tributary

And doctors write prescriptions

In their homologated text

For therapeutic medications

To keep their patients so perplexed.

And writers, authors and poets

Love the polysyllabic

Journalists and other all-know-its

Love the detail and the graphic

Even cowboys must'ring cattle

Issuing orders with invective

Want to show their mettle

Though simple words are as effective.

So I suppose there is a place

Other than a diphthong

For words in lowercase

That seem really, really long.

MDC 4/5/2005

Art for art's sake ...

Local artist, Cathy McClelland, recently tweeted that she had sold her Tabletop Mountain to a private Sydney art collector.

Prolific is not a word you can use to describe Cathy's work. No, better words would be exceptional, notable and remarkable. Stand on the escarpment on almost any morning in Spring or Autumn and the view of the real article will be little different to this masterpiece of poise and accuracy.

Unlike that popular 70's song by 10cc which had the lyrics of "Art for art's sake, money for God's sake" Cathy continues her habit of producing low numbers of exceptional quality. I don't know what Cathy sells her paintings for; I suspect I will never be able to afford one, but one thing I do know is that Cathy is not driven by the money. She paints because she loves to, and her care for her subject is evident in every brush stroke and palette knife dab.

Enjoying both national and international acclaim, Cathy's work is quintessentially Australian, supported by a technically adept and consummate talent . You can check out her paintings at https://www.facebook.com/cathymcclellandfineart.com.au