Graydon Gallery Stockroom sale!

Hello all, it's coming up so quickly to Xmas now.  It's the perfect time to pick up a fabulous original artwork at Graydon Galleries Stockroom Sale! There are many treasures to be found there including  a couple of mine!  The Stockroom Sale will be on Nov 1 to Nov 4

Digital image

Contact: 32542325

29Merthyr Rd

New Farm

Qld

Tall Trees at Dusk

Another artwork in the 'Tall Trees' series.  "Tall Trees at Dusk" 150cm sq. Acrylic collage on canvas. Also there is a close up  for the wonderfully talented Nolan Winkler (New Mexico).  I think I might do a post about Nolan and her work....good idea.  More on that soon.

Tall Trees at Dusk

Tall Trees at Dusk detail.

This work has had so many layers.  I try to retain evidence of the underlying layers where I can.  For those who asked for it I promise to create some smaller works very soon.  cx

Tall Trees 2

Here is  a photo of a recent work of mine - Tall Trees 2,  Acrylic collage on canvas.  150cm sq

Cx

Big Sky and Blue Moon

My recent visit to Brisbane included a trip to the Roma St Apartments to view Big Sky and Blue Moon in their new home.

It was really lovely to be able to explain to the  owners how the works came about, and to share  some of the techniques used in the process.

I was so happy knowing that the works bring joy to the owners every day.

John Olsen

I have been getting very good feedback  about my artworks that were part of the group exhibition at Graydon Gallery.   No sales however I made an interesting connection that might  develop into something quite positive. More on that later.

I have been photographing metal artworks for local artist John Olsen who has an exhibition at the Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery early next year.  His artworks are very popular.  John has spent most of his life in the fishing industry and this translates into  brilliantly executed artworks featuring fish and seabirds and much more.

Photographing  these metal sculptures is quite a challenge for me and I have had to experiment with  manual  camera settings to capture the various surfaces that John develops.
Below are two examples of John's wonderful artworks.

                                         Hump Back Maori Wrasse  by John Olsen

                                     
                                         Bigeye Tuna by John Olsen
                                       


I am very much in work mode which is where I love to be!    cx

Always one!

There's always one artwork that makes  you work harder.  In this case, it is the canvas.  I just have to continue to add layers to it, until I know it's right.

'Untitled'  150cm sq acrylic on collage and canvas.

I like to work on a flat canvas, on the floor, or as seen in the photo...on saw horses.

'Enchanted Wood 2'

'Enchanted Wood' 2 is an acrylic collage.  150cmsq.  It was painted over an old collage that had a grid pattern made of plastic doilies and tablecloths.

I still have  a few old collages in my back storage shed, so I  guess there will be more works in this series coming up. cx

Enchanted Wood.

'Enchanted Wood', acrylic collage on canvas, 150cmsq.  This is my most recent work.  It combines my form of patterning, with images of the landscape.  I feel there may be a series of related works to come.  I certainly hope so.......!  CX

Breathing Space Invitation

Breathing Space

Christmas and New Year has been a very busy time for the artists involved in the Graydon Gallery exhibition. It has been especially busy for me as I have been  helping my son to shift houses  and  my house is going on the market.

A name for the exhibition has been found, and it is 'Breathing Space'.  Artist Jennifer McDuff put forward the title saying...'Breathing Space' is the time you allow yourself to think, to regroup, to reflect on ideas.
It is also the space where you can make mistakes and from them learn to assimilate ideas or discard them.
Nothing is more precious to an artist than this time.' 

Some of the artists have finished the works for the exhibition and some have a little more work to do. I am finalising the price list and have touched base with our marketing guru, Jess Marsellos.

I will be transporting a couple of large canvases, so I will be trying to find a  courier that handles artworks.

All of the artists are getting excited now.

'Landscape' Acrylic collage, 76 x 105cm

South Bank

I am spending a couple of weeks at South Bank as my eldest son is away and so I can settle into his apartment for a while.  It is well situated, with wonderful views of the city and the river with it's ferries and catamarans, jet skiers and kayak paddlers adding colour and movement to the scene.

The action is not only on the water though, the riverbanks host much activity also. Jogging and bicycle riding are two of the main activities seen on the paved banks of the river. It appears that although it is not compulsory to dress in expensive Lycra bike wear, it seems that the majority of the bike people are very serious about their presentation and prefer to pay the price.

I must admit they do look impressive though with their Olympic standard bike gear and outlandish helmets on as they flash by, almost skittling one in the process.  If you are not careful to keep out of their way, one may be glared at through expensive tinted eye wear.  One can also be quite eloquently sworn at, or be aggressively tinkled at by those strange little bike bells, that wouldn't scare a mouse.

Groups of  healthy bike beings after their training sessions meet to debrief.  They can be seen at the best local coffee houses sipping on  long blacks or lattes thick as mud due to extra 'shots' of coffee. requested..their Lycra gear, sweated wet and now peppered with fragile flakes, evidence of fancy croissants consumed by the dozens.

Oh Brisbane...you are spoiling us!


(Apologies Nolan! I'm just being silly!  cx)

I love these two sentinels.  You can see them near the Maritime Museum jetty.  'Bio-mechanical pelicans'  by Christopher Trotter 1995).

Topsy-Turvy

My life has been a little 'topsy-turvy' of late several trips to and fro - Bundaberg to Brisbane to Bundaberg and a trip to Melbourne to look after my mother, who had been very ill.  Fortunately she is making an amazing recovery.  The doctors said her recovery was 'miraculous'!!

So I am back in Bundaberg for a while, trying to sell my home.  Sales of property in Bundaberg are down 30% apparently and I think it will take a long time to improve.  Recent floods have not helped.

The WBHD exhibition is finishing soon.  I am so happy that my 'Cane Cutter's Moon' has found a good home in New Mexico.  The work generated a great deal of interest apparently.

This work is an acrylic collage on canvas.  The surface is heavily textured as the base layer is covered with plastic doily and tablecloth squares. It is my favourite of the four works I produced for WBHD.

I really enjoyed painting this landscape, so I will probably attempt another one or two this year.  cx

Faces

Another of the many faces of Adam Anderson.  Photography by Christine Turner.

Latest digital artwork

This work is almost finished.  I am loving making digital images these days.  I can now make a complete image on Photoshop, but I still have a lot to learn.  cx

Dancer

This is the first work to come from my latest photo shoot with Adam Anderson. Let me know if you like it.  cx

Adam Anderson

My friend Adam Anderson is a multi-talented artist. As well as painting and drawing he is becoming known for video production and his very interesting performances.
His works explore ideas relating to identity, gender, sexuality and a great deal more.  Adam's work, sometimes disturbing, opens a dialogue that is rooted deeply in our sense of self.

Adam is currently in his final year of a visual arts degree at Griffith University, Southbank.

Today I took a series of photos of Adam, as I have done several times over the last three years. As a model I find him to be patient, co-operative  and kind. ...and fun to work with.!

Attached is one of the beautiful photos that came out of the photo shoot.

Link for Adam's work;    https://www.facebook.com/adamart01

cx

WBHD opening

The WBHD opening was at BRAG last Saturday morning at 10am, in order to link up with our Las Cruces, New Mexico counterparts.

Trudie, Jenny and their gallery assistants had the space beautifully set out.  There was a good turnout of appreciative artlovers who enjoyed the delicious appetisers and the live music while they perused the artworks.  Our Skype link up failed for the opening speeches,  but mysteriously became operative at a later stage.

I had the chance to talk via Skype to the lovely lady who purchased my work, 'Cane Cutter's Moon' seen below.

This work was my favourite of the four I have on show.  It is an acrylic collage on canvas. It was inspired by memories of the night-time cane fires that were once so prevalent around Bundaberg. Smoke haze and cane 'trash' would fill the air - the thick, dusty smell of the burn invading our senses.  Orchestration was  conducted to the sharp snaps and cursing crackles of the ravaging blood red and gold flames that whipped themselves into a frenzy, desperately penetrating the big sky. Trying to hold on.

But to no avail, the performance was soon over. Trash eventually falling to the ground, arranging itself into a fragile black veil that encompassed all.

These days, the cane is mostly cut green.

WBHD exchange exhibition opening

The Wide Bay High Desert exchange exhibition opening is scheduled for the end of the month! Six Aussie artists and six New Mexican artists have each produced 4 works, two of which will be sent to show in Unsettled Gallery, Las Cruces, New Mexico and two to be shown in Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery.

The two galleries will be linked via Skype for their openings which will be happening at the same time.  Click here to see BRAG's promotional publication, which features one of my works.

The artists have been finishing their works and packing them securely for their long journey.   My two canvases, taken off their timber stretchers, rolled and  squeezed into a pvc  pipe have arrived in Las Cruces, New Mexico safely.

The  canvases have been restretched ready for hanging.

Meanwhile, Adrienne had organised a 'meet the makers'  workshop  at BRAG. This was a most enjoyable get-together apparently.  Unfortunately I was unable to attend.  c  x

Cane Cutter's Moon

Latest artworks

My digital photo collages are coming along quite well.  They feature photographs of some of my friends, who have kindly posed for me.

I am structuring the works as triptychs with three separate parts.  I am using Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 to manipulate the images. I don't often use filters, but have found them useful in this series.

I am using my small Wacom tablet...trying to get used to it.

 

'Rehearsal'

Venus emerging

Venus emerging is my latest work and is indicative of the direction I want to move in this year.  It is a photo collage featuring fellow artist, the very talented Adam Anderson, who kindly posed for me.  Also featuring are Alex and Ambre whom I wrote about in my previous post.  I am very grateful to these wonderful people who have allowed me to take numerous photographs and develop an album of wonderful resources.

Botticelli's Birth of Venus is one of my favourite works of art and I have used it often to create interpretations that teach me something about the structure of  such a powerful  work.  As a self taught artist, this methodology  has been invaluable.

'Venus emerging' is a photo collage manipulated in Photoshop Elements.