Artist's Diary, Week ending 29 June 2014

In a haze of 'busyness' at the moment. Thank goodness for diaries. I keep my phone up to date, but I cant think straight without my desk diary - sometimes I have misplaced it and I risk total brain meltdown.

"Voyeur"  20" x 16", Acrylic.

I finished a painting for Purple Noon Gallery at the start of the week - we needed a replacement fast for a painting sold out of the exhibition. Entitled "Voyeur", it is a garden scene of bathing firetail finches being watched by a wall mounted gargoyle.

I also needed some framing in a hurry. Luckily, Purple Noon Gallery can also provide! And Carl (brilliant artist and part time framer Carl Stringfellow), shared timtams, so my Wednesday was set.

Printing more of the wood engraving edition
"Sleeping Tiger"

Wednesday was also the day my painting was delivered the Art Gallery of NSW to be entered into the Wynne Prize. It was an extremely windy day so I was imagining the canvas sailing over Sydney harbour like a large multicoloured kite, hopefully not with my father in law still holding on to it.

I picked up my sculpture from the Hawkesbury Community Arts Workshop. "Lady with Beehive" will eventually take pride of place on the verandah, but I may wait a while until our 7 month dalmatian isnt quite so rambunctious. Several years people tell me.

"Lady with Beehive"
stoneware

A meeting with the Hawkesbury Artists & Artisans Trail. A "pop up" market is being planned for 19 July, Richmond, Sydney.

The weekend was spent at "Willandra", the historic house that the Ryde Art Society call home. I taught a painting workshop there and encouraged bold colour and even bolder brushstrokes. I was delighted with the works that were being produced.















The weekend got even better when I was told that I had been awarded at Highly Commended for one of my paintings at the Camberwell Rotary Art Show! Hoping for some sales also to be the icing on the cake.

John Klein

Toni Pratley, Rosemary Keegan, Phil Budge, Jan, Dawn,
Toni Courtelis, John Klein

Finished works this week
1 Painting
2 engravings
1 sculpture

Coming up this week:

Drummoyne Art Show

North Shore Craft Group 4 day exhibition at Thornleigh (Sydney)

Artists Diary week ending 22 June 2014

I think I must have been needing a break after the opening of the Open Garden exhibition - I feel like I achieved very little this week.

One of the pitfalls in entering art shows/prizes is that you feel like you cannot miss any of them and there is a frantic scramble to finish new work for every deadline. But you know what? YOU DONT HAVE TO. That is my advice to myself this week, and I actually finished reading a novel, and thought about printmaking (which is my more time consuming work that I need to slow down for).

The Art Fair opened at The Hawkesbury Regional Gallery on Friday - and we were all busting to be there and have a look to see how local artists were going to be treated there. Well, I can say with pride that it looks fantastic. How the organisers hung such a huge collection of works each in their own group so well, I don't know. But each Community art group were treated with respect and were showcased beautifully on the Gallery walls. It was lovely to go to the opening and feel like the Regional Gallery was well and truly "ours". I hope it will be become an annual event, that we will eagerly anticpate. So if you are in the Windsor (Sydney) region, please go and visit, and support us.

I went to a meeting with the Hawkesbury Printmakers Inc, and we discussed how best to utilise the group in the future. Looking forward to some workshops and open print days in the coming months.

I spent most of Sunday being resident artist at Purple Noon Gallery. I am one painting shy of selling half the exhibition! 8 more visiting days to go!

Here are a couple of engravings worked on and a new still life painting (orchids)

The busy coming weeks are looming, so maybe the holiday is over and its time to get back to it!

Coming up - Teaching a 2 day Acrylic Painting Workshop at Ryde Art Society 28-29 June

Opening of Camberwell Rotary Art Show 28 June

North Shore Craft Group July exhibition 3 - 6 July

Artist's Diary - Week Ending 15 June 2014

 The week started with a painting demonstration for Nepean Art Society. I was a bit rushed at first because I got lost (left my directions at home!) but all went well, and I believe it was enjoyed by the members who braved the wet weather that night.



Checking out the brushstrokes
 

 A meeting at The Ferry Artists Gallery on Tuesday. The centre is looking wonderful with its new supermarket and coffee shop, and we look forward to an increase in visitors in the coming months. The next exhibition there will be a special "All works on wall under $360" called "Wall to Wall", so I have to have a think about what I might be putting in there.

 



I love getting parcels

 
The Post Office was visited. exciting because I not only sent my work to Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts (Townsville)  for their exhibition & exchange "Compact Prints 2014"  ,  but I also received my orders from McClain's Printmaking Supplies - some Resingrave, a wood engraving substitute for wood; and 3" square maple blocks from Art Boards. Now to get planning my prints!









A meeting with a potential client for a commission, Then Bubblewrap Prints and Clay cupcakes were on the agenda for the classes at Hawkesbury Community Arts Workshop, then a quick trip to the airport to deliver a loved one to a plane. (A quick trip for me is an hour and a half drive!).



Painting delivered to the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery for their upcoming Art Fair, opening on Friday 20th June 6pm

works in progress

Saturday was a lovely sunny afternoon spent giving a painting demonstration to new friends at Oatley 101Society of Artists. I am looking forward to finishing these two in the near future.

 

Sunday spent at Purple Noon Gallery talking with visitors and generally relaxing really.

 

Purple Noon Gallery, Freemans Reach

Coming up:

"Open Garden" at Purple Noon Gallery still on until 2 July, I will be "in residence" again on the Sunday 22nd June

Hawkesbury Regional Gallery Art Fair Opens 20 June

Camberwell Gala Arts Preview Saturday 28 June

Workshop with Ryde Art Society 28-29 June
 

Artists Diary - week ending 8 June 2014

A Week of Waiting.

Mainly for my show at the end of the week, but it turned out to be a lot of waiting in hospital rooms whilst I kept a family member company waiting for results/beds etc. All will be well.

Face Goblets

Monday I delivered work (mine and artists Julie Simmons & Judy Brownlie) to the Royal Art Society NSW for their coming group show "Elements" opening on the Friday night.

Nature & Found Object Printing

Thursday was spent at Community Arts Workshop Hawkesbury, teaching.




Saturday was the awaited for Opening Night of my solo show "Open Garden". It was a marvelous night, I was so proud of how well the work suited the walls at Purple Noon Gallery - Very warm and welcoming, and Robyn Williams and artist Judy Brownlie gave lovely speeches. I also am most thankful that people travelled quite a long way to attend. It was very much appreciated. - If you ever want to support an artist, dont worry if you can buy any of their work, try and go to their show events and you will give them a boost just by being there.

My paintings with sculptures by Lucy McEachern in foreground

Sunday I spent (when not at the hospital) time at Purple Noon Gallery as "Artist in Residence" - I will also be there the next 2 coming Sundays, so feel free to come say hi. I did start to do some painting, but I was not really ready to put paint to canvas, so I was happy to chat to visitors instead.

For those who are not able to attend the exhibition - or you need an online peek - please visit my website page OPEN GARDEN Online Gallery

Opening Night at Purple Noon Gallery
L-R, Patricia Devine, Mellissa Read-Devine, Judy Brownlie, Robyn Williams

 Coming up -

Painting demonstration at Nepean Art Society, Monday 9 June 7pm

Painting demonstration at Oatley 101, Saturday 14 June 2pm

Lethbridge 10000 Opens Saturday 14 June 6pm (Im a finalist!)

Hawkesbury Regional Gallery Art Fair Opens 20 June

Artists Week Ending 1 June 2014

Winter is now officially here! Not that we'd know it. The weather has been glorious, but no rain for weeks, except for Sunday, when I would rather it wouldnt have..

The week started with a painting rejected from an Art Prize I have previously been in. Oh well, there is a lot of competition out there. I am a finalist in something else which I am not at liberty to announce till later, so I didnt take it particularly badly.

Mixing Derivan Block Printing Ink

Drypoint

Tuesday taught a marvellous Printmaking workshop at the Derivan Matisse HQ. Aptly termed a "Crash Course in Printmaking" as we covered collagraph (foilography), drypoint & reduction linocut all in one day. All the students (art teachers themselves) were very talented and up to the challenge I am happy to say. For more photos see the Derivan Facebook page.

Foilographs

Working on mosaic table

Taught a couple of classes on Thursday - we made clay cupcakes and started on the final stages of the mosaic table. Thank goodness I had my mother to help me - it is a big project.

"Cupcakes"

A quick visit to the couriers to send on a painting to Brisbane.

Friday I gave a demonstration in painting at the Bankstown Art Society. There was cake. I was very happy about that. And the members were very nice also. I started one work and worked on another.

Picked up my framed pieces for my upcoming show. Managed to fit 11 (most of them large) works into the back of the hatchback. Just one more painting needed to be finished so I spent the whole of Saturday and the early hours of Sunday completing it.

http://purplenoongallery.com.au/

I have managed 30 works in all for "Open Garden". I am not sure how many will actually be in the show. I hope if you are in Sydney you can come along. I will be making up a web page of the exhibition regardless for you to 'visit'.

"Garden at Milbrooke"

"Tawny Crowned Honeyeater"

Sunday comes around and after church and a family lunch I race off to The Ferry Artists to pick up a couple of works and plan to come back, load up the car and deliver all works to Purple Noon Gallery.
Did I say it rained that day? After weeks of no rain? The roof in the studio decided to spring ANOTHER leak and it had rained on my last and largest work. I believe bad language issued from my mouth. A lot of language.

I have brought the painting into the house to dry out thoroughly to see if it can be resurrected in time for the exhibition. We shall see...