Soul Journey Art Gala

There was a great roll up to Dirty Linen Artspace for Jassy Watson's 'Soul Journey Art Gala'.  The exhibition was primarily of the artworks of Jassy's students.  There were many lively and colourful works full of meaning.   The gallery was set up beautifully.

Jassy followed up with a workshop that introduced her methodology.  Everyone went home with a big smile on their face. ..and a finished canvas under their arm.  Attached is a picture of Jassy setting up last Friday's exhibition.

You can contact Jassy about her classes, and her guided art classes at

www.goddessesgardenandstudio.com

goddessesgardenandstudio@gmail.com


Cx

Somebody asked me the other day...

...what I had been up to. And I couldn't remember for a while because I am busy planning my future escapades. But it's coming back to me now....not in any particular order!!

Enter two local art awards...no prizes.
Enter a National photo award....expecting 'no prizes'
Enter Woodgate Arts in Spring....Sold one framed drawing.

Three photoshoots....one being of the beautiful Roana from BRAG.

Interview with two French documentary film makers. (More on this soon.)

Conducted a digital workshop for the BRIDGES lovely people. Helped hang and take down their 'Express Yourself' exhibition.

Attend opening of 'Living Change' touring show that I am part of after winning the Digital Art Award (that I blogged about last year.) Messed up the last line of my poem after my floor talk!

Delivered a carload of biscuit tins to BRAG for their wonderful 'Collectamania' exhibition. And pick up.

Didn't mess up my ABC interview with David Dowsett!

Packed and took over 1000 biscuit tins to install as a 5m sq 'Lifescape'on the floor of Gatakers Artspace in Maryborough.(Couldn't have done that without Susan and Peter Hutton).

Prepare application for WBHD 2

Received the wonderful news from the State Library of Qld, that my 'Christine Turner's Art Blog' has been selected for inclusion in the PANDORA archive, Australia's web archive...allowing public access in perpetuity.

Assist in setting up opening of 'Soul Journey Art Gala' at my Dirty Linen Artspace. Press releases etc.

Prepare for upcoming Folio Art Market at Dirty Linen in a couple of weeks.

Meet with Creative Regions tomorrow for a significant Place Activation project I have been chosen to take part in.

Finish my large graphite work, one good large acrylic figure study, several digital images and commence a video for a possible projection in December.

And that is only October and November, and is  all I can remember. No wonder people say, 'Oh, we haven't seen you in a while.' cx

Living Change Exhibition

Today I headed down to Childers for the opening of Flying Arts Qld Regional Art Awards 'Living Change' exhibition.

Last year I had been fortunate enough to win the Digital Art Award with my work called 'Immersed'.

There was a small but enthusiastic group there for the opening and a delicious morning tea was served.

I was able to tell the group about my award which was a two week fully paid residency at The Edge in Brisbane.  Click here to read more about The Edge.

It was great to see all the selected works from that competition in the flesh.  There is a lot of good art coming out of Regional Queensland.

I gave Flying Arts a bit of publicity, as I had been a rep for them in the early years of my art practice and they are a brilliant organisation supporting regional artists in many ways.

Below is my work 'Immersed'.  It is a photograph of a woman merged with a photograph taken from a plane over the port areas.  That day it was easy to see that the rivers were full of silt washed down by the floods.  The aerial photo I took captured the sparkling rivulets that wound their way around the landscape, and it was a very beautiful sight.  But in the making of the artwork, the piece became more sombre.  cx

Lifescape photographs

Attached are some photographs taken by Trevor Spohr for me today, as I took down the wrong lens on Friday.   Trevor had to climb a very tall ladder to get these high shots.  Thanks Trevor for the great pics!

Lifescape  5sqm and over 1000 tins. A work by Christine Turner

Lifescape setup at Gatakers Artspace

My friend, Susan Hutton and I setting up my Lifescape installation.  It took us about 4 hours to complete.  I will be taking photographs on Friday....the day of the opening.  Hope you can come.  cx

Lifescape

I have  over 1000 biscuit tins in about 30 cartons.  All ready for loading onto my friend Susan's trailer and ute next Monday.   We are on our way to Gatakers Artspace where I will create a floor installation....5sqm of biscuit tins!   I call the work 'Lifescape'.  I will try to record a stop motion video of the setting up process also.  

Roana

Roana O'Neill is the Programs Officer/Team leader for Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) and Childers Art Gallery (Charts).   I was delighted when she agreed to pose for me so that I could take a series of photographs with which I could develop some digital works. The digital prints below are the result of layering over a photo of the model with a photograph of the lid of a biscuit tin.  cx

Still drawing

The full sheet drawing is finished now.  Titled 'Stairway to Heaven'.  It has taken many long hours to complete.   I was inspired by the work of Mark Ryden.

Collectamania

I have still been doing lots of drawing.  The full sheet of watercolour paper has been particularly  taxing.    Drawing will have to give way though over the next few months, as I have  three installations coming up.   First is Collectamania at BRAG opening next week. I will be showing Totem Poles - stacks of biscuit tins.

This will be followed by a large installation at Gatakers Artspace in Maryborough.  Showing five square metres of biscuit tins forming a large square on the floor.  My  'Lifescape' or 'Reliquarium'.

Then next year I hope to show in the Vault at BRAG, a waterfall made of wedding veils.

So, busy times ahead! C x

Drawings

I have been working on a project for the Bundaberg Museum, which has been an interesting experience. It hasn't allowed me much spare time, however I have been drawing and really enjoying it.

After Ryden

I have been looking at the work of Mark Ryden for inspiration.  I am drawn to the mysterious and compelling images he develops both in drawing and painting.

Catching up

Family commitments have kept me busy this month,so it's time to catch up a little.  I went to BRAG last week to help take down his 'Sunken Houses' exhibition.  This amazing  exhibition has broken all BRAG's attendance records for the opening and for the days that followed.

Amongst others' I will be writing to Council to suggest that these photographs go into the Collection.  They are such an important historical and personal record for the people of Bundaberg.

Congratulations to Brad and Heinz for creating an outstanding exhibition.

I have been filling in the gaps of my very heavy schedule with drawings for the upcoming Folio Art Market I am holding here this Saturday.  Over 15 artists will be showing their works from their art folios.  The artists will be on hand to discuss their works with the buyers.

It should be a fun day also for artists to get together.  cx

"After Ryden'.

Ryden

I don't know how I have taken so long to stumble over the work of Mark Ryden. His brilliant paintings with their bizarre scenarios, I find intriguing!  I bought his huge  book PINXIT when I was in Brisbane recently.  I have been making drawings of some of his paintings.  See below.

 

 

 

Sunken Houses

Brad Marsellos, Producer for ABC Open Wide Bay, is the initiator and photographer of the 'Sunken Houses' exhibition currently showing at the Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery. Marsellos, invited sound artist and Aria winner, Austrian composer Heinz Reigler, to write a soundtrack specifically for the exhibition.

On entering the gallery, I was overwhelmed by the dark elegance of the exhibition with its hauntingly evocative soundscape.  

Twenty five large photographic prints are on display, each print mounted into a matching black frame and matt board without glass.

Low lighting is applied to the gallery walls with each print bathed in a soft ethereal circle of light. The mood created is one of refinement.

This show makes the BRAG main gallery look the very best I have ever seen it.

The Sunken Houses exhibition was created by Marsellos in response to the record breaking January 2013 Bundaberg floods. It is a personal and historical record of the aftermath of the disaster as Marsellos experienced it.

As one who lived through this disaster and had been active in the cleanup stages, I was moved to tears by the sad reminders of such difficult times, as were many others who have attended the exhibition. The soundtrack, at times beautifully melancholic, at other times... uplifting, took me on an emotional journey.

A huge print of one of the sunken houses covers a large wall near the entry, evoking awe in the viewer.  The image of a house sinking threatens our sense of the home as a safe haven.  This feeling is reiterated throughout the exhibition.

Another print entitled 'Signs are hard to see', depicts an empty block of land with a pair of old concrete driveway tracks, that lead to the house that is no longer there.

These are powerful images by Brad Marsellos... a very accomplished photographer.

The opening saw a record breaking crowd of 260 people attending the exhibition.  More attendance records have been broken daily as people continue to come, and in many cases return to see this very moving show.

Sound artist, Heinz Riegler performed his soundtrack live at the opening, to a most appreciative audience. His outstanding contribution to this project has been greatly appreciated for its sensitivity and appropriateness.

This is a very   special exhibition, and I recommend that you go and see it before it closes on the 27th of April.

Bundaberg East Rotary

Rotary groups worldwide have a mission to eradicate polio across the globe.  They wanted their message projected onto the East water tower.  Here area couple of pictures of that event.  Thanks to Dream Team partner Brad Marsellos, and Lyn and Bhavana from Bundaberg East Rotary, and Mal Brown.

Oaks Beach Installation

I was up early as I had an art installation to do at Oaks Beach.  Shelley Pisani, of Creative Regions had mentioned the opportunity when I caught up with her recently.  I wanted  to take part in the project by Creative Regions that would be my contribution to their mission to reactivate spaces affected by the recent tornados and floods.

I have a collection of 210 plastic bbq paper plate holders, shaped like fish.

I wanted to install them on the beach to draw attention to the problem of water pollution

'My reason for showing the plastic fish at the beach was to suggest in an artistic way my own concerns about water pollution. Fish and other marine creatures are ingesting plastics and this can lead to them feeling full, when they are actually starving. Hard plastics can rupture their internal organs. And , of course there are so many other awful hazards such as brutal entanglements. One has only to read about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to be quite horrified about the global threat to sea creatures from water pollution. Of course we have our share of local nightmares too. I suggest, artistically that the fish are coming to the land to escape from the water that has become so toxic. The fish are becoming plastic'.

I had a wonderful band of helpers and many photographers too, including Brad Marsellos from ABC Wide Bay.     

David Quarrell flew a drone over the installation, and I am really looking forward to seeing the video pictures that it took.

Keith Stewart made a great video of behind the scenes activity.  So much equipment there.

Thanks to all the wonderful helpers and also to Pamela Fisher, who is a tireless worker.


 

Something fishy is going on!!

I have spent much of the weekend preparing my collection of 210 bbq paper plate holder plastic fish for an installation at a local beach this week. Fun times!! A drone is going to fly over the 20m installation and take pictures, or a video. I’m not quite sure what will exactly come out of it. (Maybe I am under surveillance?) Another friend is going to do a time lapse of the event.
It should be fun if the weather holds out. It has been very windy of late. I have number of friends coming to help me set up. We only have 2 hours of low tide to get the installation finished.

Fun times.    cx

More Mitchell

Here are a few more photographs I took of Mitchell.  These photos have made quite an impression on Mitchell's Facebook fans.

 

 

 

Photoshoot

I had a busy day in the gallery yesterday with a photoshoot with Mitchell Browne and some of his friends from school.  I was particularly happy with  the dance photographs of Mitchell. 

 

 

 

 

Back to Alpha

The grey ribbon road weaves and curls through flat, drab brown terrain, then rises up steeply towards a crest that supports a big Aussie sky.  It is not such a big blue Aussie sky today, festooned as it is with bulky grey clouds…dirty grey clouds.

I want the landscape to be different this trip…not so stubbornly harsh and unforgiving, but the land is flat and dry…unfriendly…long fringed with bleached dry weeds.  Dotted with mean little bushes tamed by the relentless throbbing heat.

The land has obviously been cleared in days gone by, to accommodate the cattle that apparently  graze on these pastures.  But there is not a cow in sight. Perhaps they have found shelter from the heat somewhere on the huge cattle property that encompasses our narrow road.  The property is over twenty-two thousand acres strong.

But these can’t be pastures can they?  I once saw pastures on a train trip to the country outside of London.  Lush emerald green velvet were the ‘real’ pastures there. Patchwork pastures edged with gentle soft bushy trees lush enough to inspire fairy stories. Every now and then a magical ancient castle would pop up unexpectedly atop that divine viridian velvet quilt, like a castle from a page in a ‘Pop up’ book  of the sort that I loved as a young child.

Cows could be seen contentedly grazing in those perfect pastures, waiting to be painted by the likes of Thomas Sidney Cooper.

But I am not from the ‘Motherland’ as we once called it.  I want to love my sunburnt country despite everything.

Reaching up from the faded dun earth  on either side of the narrow road are the burnt black skeletal remains of  larger trees. Their thin, gnarled branches  stripped of  leaves plead in frozen dance. 

Every now and then, a small group of bottle trees appears, strangely fecund in this barren place.

 

From my passenger’s window I note that the clouds are travelling fast beside me…with me in fact… as if we are companions on a quest.  But on reaching the crest, well ahead of me, they are absorbed into the now thin, drab line of the landscape.  It’s then I notice a dark purple haze of smoke in the distance.

 

Silhouettes of small trees emerge once more, peaking over the oncoming crest. They wave and beckon like sirens luring us onwards.  Perhaps Alpha will be on the other side of that crest?…my son and I have been on the road for eight hours…and I have endured over four hours of Hip Hop music…a true sign of a mother’s love!

Bush Bride pictures

Bush Bride 2013

Lost 2013

The Big Pineapple Bride

My most recent addition to the series that started with the New Mexico exchange exhibition.  Our landscape is infested with creations such as the Big Pineapple, the Big Banana, the Big Prawn and so on.

They are cropping up everywhere, much to my horror.

C

Birthday

I spent another lovely day at Coonar Beach celebrating my birthday with friends.  The day inspired me to look back to  the last time I had visited.  Check out this link for the post I called 'Capturing Coonar'.

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7177501782029618908#editor/target=post;postID=6265983663191208338;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=3;src=link

Australia

Below is a short blog I posted for my New Mexican friends. I thought you might like to see my latest digital artwork.

Australia is a constitutional monarchy.  Our figurehead is the British Queen, Elizabeth 2.  Many of our countrymen and women would like to see Australia become a Republic. Others enjoy the 'pomp and ceremony' and history that we share with the 'Motherland', as people once called Britain. This, my most recent work, is titled 'Flora's Crown'.

A busy week ahead

Clinton's exhibition was well attended with quite a few sales on the night and even more in the following days. 

Music was provided by Mitchell Browne, a multi-talented, musician, singer, dancer, actor, now studying Psychology on the Gold coast. Mitchell was accompanied by Bryant Barnett.  They played an impressive range of instruments from electric guitars to saxophone and cello.

Mitchell had us completely enchanted with his rendition, in French, of an Edith Piaf classic.

Sam McKenna, another of the Linen's faithful young fans was also in town, and came by to visit us, as did Joe Saxby.  Joe is another very talented young singer/songwriter.

It is quite remarkable, the amount of talent Bundaberg is turning out, and it's hard to  see our young friends leave for the cities for their studies.  But they  come back and visit us at the Linen,  and that is wonderful.

Tomorrow I have a photoshoot with Sam.  A good opportunity to catch up on her news.   Talk soon!

Mitchell Browne

 

 

 

 

 

Mitchell and Sam catch up with their favourite (ex) teacher

Petrina McDonald.

 

James

Attached are some photographs I took of my friend composer, singer, musician - James.

Clinton Cross - Works on Paper 3

Clinton Cross is setting up an exhibition  in my Dirty Linen Artspace.  'Works on Paper 3', will feature several established artists from interstate.        The exhibition opens at 5.30pm this Friday the 13th Dec.   Free nibbles and drinks.

Welcoming artists Angela Brennan ( Roslyn Oxley and Niagara gallery ), Bianca Beetson. ( QUT lecturer of indigenous studies and artist ), Louise Tuckwell ( Damien Minton gallery - Sydney ), Rebecca Pearson ( gallery 9 Sydney ), Shane Drinkwater ( Rex Livingston Art dealer Sydney ), Selwyn Rodda ( Damien Minton gallery Sydney.)


There will be a Christmas party after the opening.  Please bring a plate.  Should be lots of fun.  See you there!   cx  

 Attached are works on paper by Louise Tuckwell. 

Chilling out!

At last it's time to chill out a little.  All my major projects are finished for the year, so I can relax a bit before Xmas.

I wanted to tell you more about my time at The Edge. 

I am so grateful to Flying Arts and The Edge for sponsoring the Digital Art Award  at the recent Qld Regional Art Awards.  My prize was a  fully funded two week residency at The Edge. 

The Edge is part of the State Library of Qld, and it  allows the opportunity to experiment across the arts, technology, science  and enterprise.

You can reserve a bay window (overlooking the cityscape and Brisbane River) for solo or group work.  Book a mac to use specialist creative software and record, edit and mix music in Lab 3.

There are free beginners workshops in the basics of design, film animation, music recording and  more.   You can pay for one on-one tutoring by appointment also.

You can meet up with collaborators and a creative community. A range of meet-ups take place in the space for face-to-face networking or you can join them on Facebook and Twitter.

edgeqld.org.au

Daniel Flood and his staff do a great job and are very friendly and supportive.

During my stay I had tutoring to improve my key framing skills, and I  attended two workshops relating to Video  mapping.  I also made myself familiar with some of the best software on the market today.  I'm not yet up to learning  that software, but I will get there some day with the help of the folk of The Edge.

Since my return home, I have been trawling the net for more video mapping  information.

Attached is a video of a very basic mapping I have made with simple software on my iPad!!.    What next!!!???   This video looks to the rear of my studio, with 4 plinths close to the front.    

 cx

Projections of the Past

What a great night!  the event attracted about 300 people and received much favourable comment.  The threatening rain did not arrive.
Thanks to Brad And Steve for your support and assistance,  and Greg as well.

The 'Projections of the Past' project was initiated by the Bundaberg City Council.  I was engaged to develop the project. It was part of the celebrations of Bundaberg  becoming a city one hundred years ago.  The event was held in the Bundaberg CBD at Buss Park.

On the evening I had both the historical video and a second video playing in different areas of the park.  The Boardgames video I produced a couple of months back.

I'm so happy that things went well and I had some wonderful comments from so many folk.

Dinner out with friends topped off a brilliant day.   cx

Above:  My good friend Brad(Right) and new friend Steve.  They helped me so much.  Below is a still looking at the historical projection on the brick wall. Also below is a very short video that captured images of both projections.

 

 

Bundaberg Centenary celebrations

Saturday night will be a momentous occasion for me, as I will be presenting  Projections of the Past: a selection of historical photographs from the Library  archives.

These images will be projected onto the side of the Civic Centre, which coincidentally was the site for the first projection Brad and I did two or three years ago.

I have been having problems again with the video hanging soon after it starts... and I get a black screen. .  I think it's because my Apple, and Adobe Photoshop gear doesn't want to mix with Windows Movie Maker.  However, I seem to have converted the file to a Quicktime movie and things are going along nicely at present.

It would be more sensible for me to stick with one editing program, but each of the three programs I use have their own unique features.  I use Windows Movie Maker for very simple videos, Adobe Premiere and Movie Plus6 .  Of the three I find MoviePlus 6 the most user-friendly, and it has more features.

Tomorrow I just have to join a few film clips together and I will be ready for  the showing.

I am hiring a larger projector for this occasion. 5500lumens will be better than the 3500 lumens of my projector.

I'm happy that Brad is on deck for this presentation.  He is very resourceful and will be an asset, should there be any dramas....and of course he is funny, and  a good friend.

There is the possibility of rain on Saturday evening, in which case, we will move into the Civic Centre.  The show must go on!!! I hope you can be there.  cx

Attached is a picture  of one of Bundaberg's beautiful old buildings, that has been converted to a backpackers facility.

Beautiful Brisbane