Workshop

 Had a lovely time with the ladies at Ryde Art Society. We had two days of photopolymer printmaking (solarplate). Here are some photos of the weekend.

Some of the work produced

Mosaic

 Becky hard at work

Here we are not so hard at work

Finally, here is panel #4 done (the first panel completed) It took a lot longer, because of lack of time and helpers (thankyou to Becky who did half of it!). Have to wait for my techical help before I grout it. We need to find out where the screws will be approximately when it is screwed into the wall studs.

The next panel is already started, and I have more people working on it. Next problem is how to keep it consistent with different mosaicists.

Painting

 "The Walk North"
20"x20"
Oil on Canvas

Quick sketch of landscape in thin acrylic

Blocking in colour

More lights and darks

The Finished image, I kept it quite 'blocky' liking the shapes and colour movement.

Painting:

   "Brush Turkey"
Mixed Media (Print collage & textured paper on Hot Pressed Watercolour Paper, & Acrylic)
24" high x 12" wide

After collage has dried, block in areas with dark wash of acrylic

Adding more darks, developing image

Bringing in light areas

Lost my turkey, gotta go find him again.

I like bringing warmth into the painting.

There he is - shame, just after I started to paint him, the real brush turkey went away. Probably not a good place to start a nest/mound.

Mosaic

  My team of helpers has been quite small - me actually. So progress is slow.
I have started on panel #3 of 6 so we can install from the middle out.

Looking extremely abstract at the moment, but I am hoping it will turn out... Cant wait to finish this one and grout it!

Wonga Crossing

 The fabulous Wonga Pigeon is seen occasionally wandering about the place - much prefers to walk than fly. Here are some pics of the different stages of this painting.

Mixed Media  (Printed & Paper collage, Acrylic) on 300gsm Hot Pressed Paper (Fabriano)

The Finished work, 24" high x 12" wide

MOSAIC

 SUCH a long time sorting out those tiles (58 colours!) Thankyou to an ample supply of takeaway food boxes. Since I bought from 3 different suppliers, they all had to have new code numbers assigned, so alot of work there.

So many pretty colours!

All safely boxed up

I finally started yesterday. After sealing the sheets of fibre cement, I tentatively started the bottom part of the mural. I usually like to start in the middle, but because I was not sure of the measurements and I had an exact grid to work by I had to start at the waterline of the design. (So it will line up on all the panels).

Lucky I did, as I had a made a miscalculation with the mosaic program sizes. I will have to widen the design somewhat by cutting some of the tiles. - This will add size by the spaces in between the pieces. And look better too in my opinion!

Its a start!

Evolution of "Cuckoo Dove" Painting

 Mixed media on paper (collage & acrylic). 24" x 12"

The placement of collage materials on hotpressed watercolour paper. - some of the collage are pieces of 'failed'prints.

The Finished Painting

S-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g!

  No, nothing quite so frightening as excersise, or even torture (are the two one and the same?).
Spent my time in the studio stretching and gesso-ing some canvasses which I am ready to paint nowassoonasIgetthetime!

 

Wood Engraving

Finally put my fairy wren on the block ready to cut. Here you see the sanded maple block, wiped with a layer of gouache with the design pencilled in.

By the end of the evening, I have inked in most of the design where I will not cut. The large uninked area in the top left will be carved freehand. This design was tricky, I plan to have two blocks - similar to what I have done in the past  ("Currawong" pictured), so I have to work out what will be white, brown and black before I start carving. - the Brown block will be traced, drawn and carved after this one.

Have spend hours (days actually, this is afterwards!) playing with a program called "Tile Creator" , putting in scans of my paintings, learning the program and coming up with very nifty grids. The downside is that this is not for traditional mosaic, more for small squares of tiles in a grid that makes the pattern. I still hope to cut some tiles - especially for areas like tree trunks, but this way is probably quicker and easier for people to help me glue the tiles.

Part of my painting in grid form.

I also had to cut down the amount of colours to use (which was hard for me). I managed to get it down to 60 different colours.I still wanted to use as many possible!

As of today I have ordered my tiles from 3 different stockists. I LOVE Bisazza glass tiles, but to save some money, needed to get mostly the cheaper Asian tiles. Am still getting some Bisazza.

Where am I getting the tiles from? All over Australia it seems: Sydney supplier All Boxed Up,  Melbourne supplier Mosaic Matters, and Canberra supplier Mosaic Tiles 4 U. One of them (Melbourne) needed direct deposit instead the brilliantly convenient Paypal, so I have only managed to pay it now, but they all have been very helpful, and the Canberra people have already sent part of their order!

Mosaic Mural

Since the Health Retreat is overlooking the Hawkesbury River, I decided not to go the traditional 'pool/water theme' (as the mural is in the indoor pool house); rather I wanted to bring some of the local beauty in.

Looking over the river to Sackville

It works out nicely that the works I am painting for my exhibition are of the local landscape. So with the two projects in mind I set out and painted two large canvases of the river view.

These will form the basis for the mural.

The pool has a great wall - behind which the change rooms will be; I plan 6 panels, each 190cm High x 90cm wide. I have the cement sheeting, I have ordered the tiles, I have use of an air conditioned office (most important!) and I have a supply of willing? hands to help out. So looking forward to this.

Thought I would put the Blog to good use and chronicle the highs and lows of a few important projects I am embarking on. Could get confusing (will give you some idea of my many works in 'on the go'); I may just whinge on how hard it all is, but right now, I'm excited. Here is what I have to do:

Solo Exhibition: Deadline April 4, Washhouse Gallery, Rozelle (Opening 8th April - please come!)
Mosaic Mural: Deadline ASAP - new Health Retreat opening sometime in Feb/March.

Will take lots of pictures, and hope that you will enjoy the journey.

Call for Artists : Richmond Art Gallery 4th Annual Artist Trading Card Exhibition

Call for Artists : Richmond Art Gallery 4th Annual Artist Trading Card Exhibition

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Too Busy to Print or Paint...Gasp!

Well I did manage a little Artist's Card (2.5"x3.5") to keep me from getting withdrawal symptoms. I have been spending far to long on websites like Etsy, Printsy, Ebay, OzNatureNiche, and that odious Facebook, all horribly addictive and taking up too much of my time.

That other 3 day a week regular pay job cramps my style too. Maybe I should get up earlier...

"Into the Woods" Acrylic on Canvas.

Currently on exhibition at The Ferry Artists Gallery, Northern Road, Wisemans Ferry.

Exhibition "Wax, Paint & Print" opens this Saturday 28th Feb, 4pm to 6pm and runs until 22nd March.

"Flame Flower" A wood engraving on maple. Very small, about 5cm x 6cm (2.5"?). Had a wonderful experience using Megalo Print Studio's Vandercook Press for the first time. Wish there was one closer to home. (4 hours drive!)

Merry Christmas to all! and much peace for the New Year! Here is a little linocut of a native Australian plant that is in flower in the Christmas season. We call it Christmas Bush and you often see it here in Sydney being sold on the roadside.


I have posted most of my work for the year on my website page

http://www.readdevine.com/cardspoll.html

I would love it if you could take the time to vote for your favourites.