And then she said ...

Four Years

2011-06-12T09:29:00.002+09:30

August 2007 I read The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron with a great group of women online. One of the tasks was to write morning pages every morning. Three pages of whatever comes to mind. Four years on and I'm still writing my morning pages. I can't do without them. I can whine and moan or ramble on about all the little daily things in my life. I get answers to problems when I write. Answers that were probably stored in the back of my mind but the pages help bring them to the forefront. Well this morning I wasn't really thinking about much of anything except how happy I am with my latest nearly finished painting and I started on a ramble. I thought I would share some of it with you here.

Small doable actions do add up to a lot. Small steps, one foot in front of the other and you move forward. Forward motion is what you must always strive for. Its not about talent. Its about drive and perseverance. Its about always turning up at the easel and believing in yourself. Skills develop with continual practice and before you know it people will say you have an 'awesome talent'. You smile politely knowing you have skills that came from hard work not 'talent'. Anyone can do it! They just need to have the guts to just stick with it. They need to develop the self discipline needed to get through the long lonely hours in the studio spent in total isolation. They need to wade through the endless self doubt and fears and just keep going. The need to keep believing in themselves and keep the negative voices in their head quiet. Above all they need to keep believing in their dreams. Doable goals need to be set and when reached more goals need to be in place so you always move forward. Your dreams must always be clear in your mind and you must always have a strong belief that you will reach them. Focus on your goals and dreams so you can wade through rejection and criticism while retaining your confidence in yourself.

No attention is paid to grammar while I do my morning pages. I just ramble on. I do fight fears and self doubt constantly. I squash those negative voices in my head. When I started to paint I showed my work to no one. Not one person! Through hard work and the support of some wonderful friends (you know who you are ) I can now confidently walk into a gallery and ask the director if they would be interested in showing my work. My skills have developed to a point where I struggle less and enjoy the whole painting process more. I still have fears, I still have doubts and I still have negative voices in my head but my confidence outweighs them. Small steps, one foot in front of the other and you move forward.

Colours

2011-05-15T10:16:00.003+09:30

As you know I love to paint ordinary everyday inanimate objects. They inspire me. I do however get inspired by colour as well. Sometimes I might see someone in the street wearing a certain colour combination or an advertising catalogue with this seasons latest whatever and I immediately think of those colours in a painting. I took these leaves home the other day from a walk with Jack.

The green one is the usual gum leave colour but the yellowy orange and redish orange on the other leaves made me catch my breath. Can you see them intermingled with text on a canvas? Or is it just me living in airy fairy arty world?

Today I am going out in my pyjamas! Zoe has got a pyjama skating party and I am going too. No, I am not skating (too scared of falling and hurting something) but I will be wearing my pyjamas, dressing gown and ugg boots. I don't understand why they don't make street clothes that are as comfortable as pyjamas. As soon as I return home I usually put my pyjamas on. Not only are they comfortable but they have fun patterns and colours. I have also been known to paint in my pyjamas. I don't mean to. It just sort of happens. I would love to join a wearing pyjamas in public revolution hehehe.

Weekly Post (nearly)

2011-05-09T09:06:00.007+09:30

I am trying to post at least once a week but I'm already two days late. I had a lovely mother's day yesterday. My Mum's birthday fell on mother's day this year so we had a family afternoon tea. Its always nice to have the whole family sitting around the table. Family, laughter and nice food is a good mix!

I cancelled my gym membership awhile back. They closed the pool and as that was the only facility I used there was no point in keeping my membership going. Instead of swimming and doing aqua-aerobics I've taking up walking. Not as good for my mobility but better than nothing. I take Jack for his daily walk in the local dog park. Dogs are allowed off lead at certain times and in the middle there is a dog enclosure where they are allowed to be off lead anytime. We do one to two laps of the whole park where some major sniffing and peeing is done by Jack. Then we enter the dog enclosure for more of the same. The whole walk takes about an hour. Jack likes meeting other dogs and having a bit of a romp. I listen to the birds. The squawking of the rainbow lorikeets and the warbling of the magpies are the usual sounds. But occasionally, if I'm really lucky, I hear the laughing of the kookaburras. The mornings are starting to get a bit of chill in them. Letting me know winter is on its way. The dampness in the air brings out the heady scent of the eucalyptus trees and I take really deep breaths.

Enough rambling. Time to get to the easel. Only about 8 weeks till I leave for Melbourne to deliver my work for my first interstate solo exhibition. As Laura would say... I'd better bust a move!

She Got Tired of Waiting

mixed media on canvas

121.8 x 91.4cm (48"x36")

Stacked

mixed media on canvas

60.9 x 50.8cm (24"x20")

The Pre-loved Tablecloth

mixed media on canvas

101.6 x 76.2cm (40"x 30")

Hello Cyber Buddies

2011-04-30T09:31:00.007+09:30

I am still alive. I am still here. I think about you (my cyber buddies) everyday. I miss you guys. My fault I know. With things getting busier and busier on the art front I was finding myself with less and less time to fit it all in. Now that doesn't make sense as you always have the same amount of time but what you do with it changes. I was spending more time on the business and promotion side of art and my studio time was suffering. Now I couldn't have that! No point trying to get your work 'out there' if you haven't got any new work to show 'out there'. As I do the bare minimum with regards to household chores I couldn't cull any more time from there. The only thing I could glean some extra time from was the time I spent on the computer. Its not only a time waster but its addictive! I have now got into the habit of checking emails and Facebook quickly once a day and gave up all the rest until I got on top of things. That's a lie. It wasn't till I got on top of things but rather till I got in control of my computer addiction hehehe.

Work is going well. I have been trying to get my work interstate. Adelaide has a good art scene but Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane are so much bigger. Its true what they say, Adelaide is like a big country town compared to them and I felt I needed to get my work out further. I didn't have any luck no matter how many galleries I contacted. No one even acknowledge that I was alive let alone an artist. Hard to keep your chin up and keep going. But I did keep going and now I have a solo exhibition opening on July 1st in Melbourne WOOHOO! I ignored the little things like how to get the work there and how to pay for it all because if you worry about these things you end up doing nothing. I had to trust that things would fall into place. So far they have. I sold some work and that covered the exhibition costs and my friend Mignon is coming on a road trip with me to deliver my work and be there for the opening. Mignon's husband, David has arranged all our travel plans so all we have to do is pack the car and go! Couldn't have done it without them and I am humbled by their willingness to help.

The other thing I have done is registered for 'open studio' through the South Australian Living Artists festival (SALA). The festival is on every year. You have probably read about me rambling on about it before. My art buddies Mignon and Mandi are joining me. The festival runs from the 5th to the 28th of August but we decided only to open for two weekends. I can't wait. It should be fun. Hopefully we will get some visitors. I had to have a big clean up of course. Re-organised the space I share with Bob (Mr Messy) and had a big, big throw out. I was ruthless! Threw out nearly everything that wasn't nailed down. WOO what a cleansing experience. Also for SALA: Mignon lives right across the road from some trendy cafes. The cafes and other tendy shops have got together and hold a street party every year to celebrate SALA. The street is closed to traffic while art, music, food, wine and feel good vibes flow easily. Mignon's front verandah is the perfect place to display some art while the street party is on. Of course we will entice people to have a look with some free wine and nibbles.

But that's not all! I recently contacted another gallery here in Adelaide. I had a meeting with the director and her assistant just before easter. And guess what??? They liked my work so much they have offered me an exhibition. And guess when??? THROUGH SALA! So as you can see, I shouldn't be sitting here on my butt in front of the computer. I should be at the easel. Busy busy busy. Am I rich and famous yet??? Maybe not but I'm living the dream :)

Work in Progress

2011-02-16T17:21:00.007+10:30

This is what I have been working on. The floral ones are nearly finished but the portrait of Zoe has only just been started today.

Time Demands

2011-02-15T05:52:00.003+10:30

There seems to be more demand on my time than ever before. Or is it that I am getting slower and don't realise it? Is it really February already? I took some time off anyway. I went to Naracoorte for the weekend for their annual Taste Festival. And taste I did. I over indulged in food and wine and thoroughly enjoyed letting my hair down. It was good to catch up with my best buddy Vanita. Good food, good wine and good friends ... great combination. Bob stayed home. He felt he couldn't take time off work.

Now its back to business as usual with me running around like a headless chook. The Moran Portrait Prize has come around quickly. I can't believe its been a whole year since I entered it. I really wanted to enter it again this year. I have started a portrait and I will see if I can get it done in time. I only have about 10 days to do it and as I'm not very skilled in portraiture I am not sure how I will go. I'll give it a go anyway. Now how I am going to raise the entry fee and transport costs I don't know. I won't think about that yet. I will just turn up to the easel and see what happens.

SALA (South Australian Living Artist) Festival registrations opened yesterday. I am going to register and have 'open studio' this year. It has been a goal of mine since 2009 and finally this year I am going to do it! I figure if I register I will just have to be ready, no excuses. I have asked a couple of art buddies to join me so it should be fun.

I have a couple of new paintings that are nearly finished and hopefully I will remember to take some pics of them today so I can share them with you.

A full day of juggling home duties, studio time and grandma obligations today. Will I manage to do it all??? Probably not. Will I care??? Nope!

New Backgrounds

2011-02-01T10:20:00.005+10:30

Here is a sneak peek at the new backgrounds I have been playing around with. I have been trying out a different technique. Not sure how much detail you can see on the computer screen but I left the pics large for a closer look. I still think I might add some text as it seems to have become one of my trade marks and I do love text whether it be printed or hand written.

For the blue background I plan to paint some red poppies on the top. Of course they will be larger than life. This canvas is what I call my small size 60.9x50.8cm (24"x20").

The red one doesn't seem to show all the detail that can be seen in real life. This one is for a painting of cutlery. A fork, a knife and a spoon with their all important shadows, much larger than life of course as the canvas is 50.8x76.2cm (20"x30"). Again some text still needs to be added using the image transfer method.

With this heat we are having (42.9 degrees Celsius yesterday, thats just over 109 degrees Fahrenheit) I have just been working on backgrounds. Backgrounds are about splashing paint and stamping etc. Its more like intuitive play and that seems to suit these hot days where concentration levels are at a low.

Paint Touched Canvas

2011-01-29T16:38:00.002+10:30

Paint touched canvas today. First time this year. Now all is right with my world. I made a little makeshift studio space inside. Its too hot in my studio with no air conditioner and a tin roof. I started splashing around some paint and I liked what happened so I splashed some more. Then I added a bit of stamping and now I want to added some text with the image transfer method. Its a little bright. I used red (well its a red hot sort of a summer day) and now I need to tone it down just a little because its very very red! No more time for chatting. Need to get back to the painting ;)

Getting Started

2011-01-25T10:09:00.003+10:30

I have resigned myself to the fact that the festive season means about 6 weeks of slow to no movement in the studio. Instead of fighting it I have made allowances for it. Now I face the problem of getting started again. Its hard to get back into a proper routine of household chores and studio work. Basically, I am procrastinating. I just can't find a start. Even now I am sitting here on the computer when I should be working. The weather doesn't help. Its forecast to be 36 degrees Celsius today (about 97F) and that is just too hot for the studio. It really heats up in there when the sun beats down on the tin roof. Still that is no excuse. There are plenty of things I can do towards my artwork without having to be in the studio. I could set up some still live displays and photograph them ready for a painting. I could bring some work inside and start on some backgrounds. The list goes on. But I sit here sighing and typing away trying to find a really good excuse not to start. I have a busy year ahead of me so I must pull myself together and just do it! START!

My Granddaughter is Awesome!

2011-01-21T07:40:00.011+10:30

Imagine this :

15.5km (9.6miles) of bike track

over 36 degrees Celsius (that's about 97 degrees Fahrenheit)

and a bunch of kids and some adults skating to raise money for the flood victims

please give generously

and they're off

Zoe the Awesome!

Zoe the Awesome skated roughly 12 to 13km (7.5 to 8 miles). She collected $300 in sponsorship from friends and family and on the skate the Skate for a Cause Group collected $566.60. Zoe has been so upset by all the news reports about the flood disaster that she really wanted to do something to help. She was so happy to be able to participate in the Skate for a Cause which, by the way, was the idea of her skating buddy Jaidyn who is only 13. Watch out world there are some amazing kids making their mark!

Oh yeah and by the way, I made a pretty good water boy, even though I must say so myself :)

Re-Introducing Myself

2011-01-19T15:31:00.005+10:30

Hello all. I seem to have wandered off the blogging trail. Its almost like I need to re-introduce myself. Hi my name is Uta, I live in Australia and I eat too much hehehe.

Just wanted to let you all know that the terrible flooding you would have heard about or seen on tv is not near us. It is in another state. All the loved ones in that state are ok (thank goodness) and so are their houses. Its just too horrible to talk about. I have never seen anything like it and I get really emotional when I think about all those people and animals. Zoe (granddaughter aged 9) is joining a group of friends and attempting to roller skate 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) to raise money for the flood victims (through donations and sponsorship). Its on tomorrow and its forecast to be hot, poor things.

On the art front, this year has gone off with a bang!!! Last year was a bit of a fizzler. I really didn't produce much and spent too much time trying to get a hang of the business side of things. Without too much success I might add. This year however, doors are opening everywhere and I am trying to have a peek through all of them. Peek ha, I am trying to go through all of them and all at once hehehe. I had an email from a winery in the Barossa Valley asking if I would be interested in exhibiting with them during SALA (South Australian Living Artists Festival) this year. Ha ha, me??? interested???, OF COURSE I AM!!! And they asked me!!! I will find out for sure in the second week in February if I got the gig. The SALA Festival is on every year in the beginning of August. And for those of you who don't know its when the whole of South Australia turns into one big, fat, juicy art gallery. Every wall, every nook and cranny has art on display from galleries, to coffee shops, restaurants, hairdressers, boutiques AND WINERIES just to name a few. I have already decided to have an open studio sometime during SALA which will allow people to come and have a look at what I do. The street where my art buddy Mignon lives always has a street party for SALA and we decided to have some art on display on her front verandah for that event. Just before SALA I am having a solo exhibition in Melbourne (my first interstate). So that is four events (including the winery, I feel confident) that I need art for and they are all around the same time. I don't have that much art in stock. I need to work my butt off! Weeeeeeeeeee! Wish me luck. I estimated that I will need to do two paintings a week to have enough work. I can do one a week while still maintaining the household chores etc. So you know what that means? The household chores will not be done very often between now and then. Oh boohoo.

I will try to be a better blogger again and let you all know how I am doing in my frantic efforts to jump through all the doors that have opened for me. I have missed all you guys!

Happy Times

2011-01-05T09:02:00.003+10:30

My son got engaged! No date set for the wedding but it will probably be sometime in 2012.

Troy and Leticia (Tish)

Its been a hectic time. I will do a proper post soon. Happy New Year to all my friends and cyber buddies.

Aussie Jingle Bells

2010-11-16T17:32:00.001+10:30

Dashing through the bush,
in a rusty Holden Ute,
Kicking up the dust,
esky in the boot,
Kelpie by my side,
singing Christmas songs,
It's Summer time and I am in
my singlet, shorts and thongs

Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Christmas in Australia
on a scorching summers day, Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut!,
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute.

Engine's getting hot;
we dodge the kangaroos,
The swaggie climbs aboard,
he is welcome too.
All the family's there,
sitting by the pool,
Christmas Day the Aussie way,
by the barbecue.

Come the afternoon,
Grandpa has a doze,
The kids and Uncle Bruce,
are swimming in their clothes.
The time comes 'round to go,
we take the family snap,
Pack the car and all shoot through,
before the washing up.

2010-11-12T20:51:00.002+10:30

In the Groove

mixed media on canvas

101.6x76.2cm (40"x30")

Art in Pyjamas

2010-11-10T18:59:00.005+10:30

Do you ever have one of those days where you rush off to the studio in your pyjamas, only to do one thing, and before you know it its mid morning and you are still in your pyjamas? That's bliss on a stick isn't it? And just what I needed! We have had a little financial down time and that always throws things out of balance. Bob's work has been a little slow. It is however picking up now and things are getting back on track. There will even be a little money for some much needed canvas real soon.

I must take a photo of my retro wallpaper painting. I struggled with it a bit but its finished. If I were to do it over again there would be a few things that I would do different but over all it looks ok. I've started another painting today which will just have a hint of retro wallpaper in it. Well that's the plan anyway. Its going to have a set of three Beswick flying ducks. Yep real retro cheesiness. Don't get me wrong I love retro stuff. Hey, I grew up with it!

So picture three of these ducks in descending sizes with a bit of retro wallpaper pattern intermingled with my usual background technique. I think its hilarious! Imagine having a painting of the flying ducks hanging on the wall instead of the real thing, HA! Ok maybe its just my humour :)

Note to Self

2010-11-09T14:10:00.001+10:30

Stop under estimating your own abilities and being frightened of failure and instead find ways to boost your confidence and being kinder to yourself. Once you start to believe in yourself, success and happiness will surely follow.

Sailing

2010-11-05T14:30:00.021+10:30

Zoe's teacher thought a celebration of a successful year of learning would be better spent sailing on the One And All and a lot healthier than having a party with a lot of junk food.

waiting to get on board

the deck

the captain giving some safety instruction

pulling on the jack rope or the halyard (can't remember which) to hoist the sail

yay! the sail is up

some of the 13 crew on board

aren't the portholes cute

I love the masts and took too many photos of them

Zoe at the helm actually steering the ship

getting rigged up with a harness to climb over the side of the ship

ready to climb over the side

scrambling towards the bowsprit

climbing over the bowsprit

and back along the other side

some ropes

more ropes and a pulley

aw its time to get on the bus and head back to school

I took way too many photos of ropes and pulleys and masts and other sorts of rigging. I love ropes. I must go through those photos properly. Maybe there is a painting in there somewhere. Mmm a painting of ropes with a nice wooden pulley .... yeah that could work ...

One And All

2010-11-03T20:58:00.003+10:30

Zoe and I will have to be up very early tomorrow as we are going sailing on the One And All. I hope I get some good photos to share. Camera is packed as are the sea sick pills!

Katie Makkai - Pretty

2010-10-28T19:36:00.000+10:30

The Countdown

2010-10-24T08:21:00.002+10:30

Today being the 24th of October means I have exactly 8 calendar months till my exhibition opens in Melbourne. I am working on a whole new body of work for this exhibition and as you can already see the work will be with a 50s, 60s and 70s retro theme. I want 20 good paintings for this exhibition so I did some quick calculations. Allowing time for the festive season and organising the transportation and allowing travelling and hanging time etc. etc., I need to do 3 paintings a month. With all my other womanly duties (sexist I know :P) and commitments it means head down and bum up for this little duck hehehe. Its just a little mini freak out, nothing to worry about. Of course any retro ideas or memories you might have would be welcomed. In fact any inspiration at all.

In The Groove

2010-10-23T09:14:00.003+10:30

I haven't had much painting time but I thought I would show you my work in progress. Next week looks a lot quieter so I'm hoping for some much needed studio time. This painting already has the title 'In The Groove'. Another retro painting that's in the planning stages is another 'wallpaper' piece with a set of ceramic flying ducks on it. I hope I can pull that one off. I think it would look hilarious on a wall instead of the actual ceramic ducks. Maybe its just my humour hehehe.

I recently joined the Adelaide Art Society and they are having a members exhibition. I am delivering 3 painting today and I'm still undecided which ones to take. The exhibition will be opened on Saturday 30th October 2010 at 2pm and runs until Sunday 14th November 2010 at Adelaide Art Society, 112 Margaret St, North Adelaide. Come and have a look if you are in the neighbourhood. Check the website for opening times.

The other bit of news is the lovely postcard I got from my cyber friend Julie in the UK. I am a big fan of her work and she sent me a post card of one of her drawings. A lovely surprise and its sitting on my shelf where I can see it daily. If you haven't seen Julie's work its well worth a look. She is a warm hearted story teller and her work is sure to put a smile on your face. Thanks again Julie :)

Ok its time for me to get off the computer and work out which paintings to enter into the members exhibition.

Art Business

2010-10-21T08:59:00.002+10:30

This art business is keeping me so busy. I hope to have time to do a proper post soon. Not much time spent in the studio although I have made a good start on my retro painting. More soon .....

Experiments

2010-10-14T09:24:00.007+10:30

You know how Picasso had his 'Blue Period'? Well I am entering my 'Retro Period' hehehe. Well at least I hope I am. I recently found some images from an old calender that Bob's mum had kept for whatever reason. They were all of retro rooms and the main feature was the (ugly) wallpaper. Well that just set off my imagination. The last few months I have been playing around (in my head) with the idea of retro paintings featuring the (ugly) wallpaper. I've had work to finish for competitions and then travelling to Melbourne so I've not had time to physically do anything towards my 'retro period'. I have had a lot of time to think. I do a lot of thinking before any painting actually begins. When I was in art school we had to put all our ideas down in a journal. I always had trouble with that. I prefer to think and as the ideas develop I do little experiments like a mad scientist mwa-ha-ha. Yesterday was experiment day. And very tiring using my brain that much hehehe. I need to create a 'wallpaper' pattern without actually recreating it (if that makes sense). No point actually recreating it. If that was the case I might as well just paint on wallpaper. I wanted to hint at a pattern and create a certain mood rather than reproducing the wallpaper exactly. I thought for a long time that stamping would be the way to go and I thought those foam craft sheets for kids might make good stamps.

These all fit inside each other so each hippie circle can be a different colour. A little bit of tape for a handle so I don't get paint everywhere. The next thing is I wanted to extend my use of text. Text is an important part of my work as you know and its where most of my work starts. Years ago on my old computer I played around with layering text on Photoshop. I used the manual and followed the tutorial step by step. I don't remember how its done but I thought I could give it a try again. Trouble is my manual is for Photoshop 6 and my version now is CS4. I did give it a try but its changed too much for a computer illiterate like me to cope with, sigh. Brain started ticking over. I will just have to do it another way. I use the gel medium image transfer method quite a bit. Why can't I do different fonts, sizes and tones to create the text layering? I printed out some smaller text in black and then some larger in mid grey all in reverse so the text comes out the right way when you do the transfer. Bob was going to the hardware shop so I got him to do some photocopies while he was out (ink jet prints don't work).
Now remember this is a quick experiment and I didn't wait for the gel medium to dry properly so its a bit rough and all the paper bloom wasn't removed properly etc. What it revealed is the smaller black text shows through the larger mid grey text which was transferred on top woohoo!!! Dance of joy!!!
This is my stamping experiment using the new foam stamps I made. It gives the shape without it being a perfect application. I have a lot more fears and worries to work through. The catch word being 'resolve resolve resolve'. Fingers crossed I can get this all to work for a new body of work. What do you think of the colours??? Aren't they just deliciously ugly??? hehehe

Road Trip to Melbourne

2010-10-11T08:41:00.015+10:30

We had a wonderful time in Melbourne. I went with my art buddy Mignon and her husband David. We left Adelaide at 2pm and arrived in Ararat, where we were staying overnight, at about 10pm. We left the next morning before 9am and arrived in Brunswick Street, Melbourne at 12 noon. I primarily went to check out Brunswick Street Gallery where I will be having a solo exhibition next year and also to check out some galleries on Mornington Peninsula. Mornington Peninsula is just out of Melbourne.

the landscape was ablaze with yellow canola fields in full bloom

Federation Square where there is an Australian Art Gallery

Flinders Street Railway Station

Swanston Street

Yarra River

Melbourne has a network of trams

Brunswick Street

Brunswick Street Gallery

Manyung Gallery on Mornington Peninsula where I hope to exhibit one day

Jenny Pihan Gallery on Mornington Peninsula

Anyone who knows me knows that my favourite artist is Jeffrey Smart. He is an Australian artist who now lives in Tuscany. Although born in 1921 before my time, he grew up in my area. I am reading his memoirs again and when he talks about places where he grew up I know exactly where that is as I grew up there too. Anyway I love his work and one of the highlights of going to Melbourne was seeing my first ever Jeffrey Smart original!!! I got rather emotional and couldn't look concentrate on looking at any other artwork after that. I just stood in front of the painting and took in every detail.

The Melbourne trip was a real blast. I met some wonderful people and did some major networking!!! I feel like I'm getting somewhere!

Melbourne

2010-10-04T21:08:00.002+10:30

I'm off to Melbourne tomorrow to check out some galleries. Will have some pics to show you when I get back. That is if I don't forget my camera.

Spring is in the Air

2010-09-29T17:21:00.011+09:30

I just love spring when everything in the garden is bursting into bloom. And the scents in the air just stop and make me smile. I am lucky I don't suffer from hay fever!

wisteria is my favourite and reminds me of the garden where I grew up

peach blossoms with the promise of summer fruit

jasmine outside our bedroom window smells delightful

orange blossoms and looks like a big crop this year

Now onto some work in progress. I am trying to paint white objects and I didn't realise how hard that is. Not only do you have to put in the shadows but white objects can't just be painted in white. They have to have quite a few colours to get them looking right. Below is a not yet completed painting that will be titled 'White With Two'. Its been a real learning experience and quite a bit of looking at books to see how others have painted white objects. Any tips would be appreciated. I have left the painting for today and will look at it again with fresh eyes tomorrow.

Time for me to stop thinking about art and think about cooking dinner instead. Don't want to though.

The Revelation

2010-09-25T15:52:00.005+09:30

Firstly I would like to announce that I was accepted into the Adelaide Art Society. Hip hip hurray!!! Last night was their monthly social evening so I decided to attend that and meet some people. It was just so great being with a group of fellow artists. I was part of a group instead of feeling the odd one out like I usually do. And on top of that they had home made scones with jam and cream and chocolate cake! It just couldn't get much better than that hehehe. On the way home I was feeling pretty happy with my world and I suddenly had a revelation. You know those moments where it seems the clouds part and there's a ray of sunshine and a chorus of angels singing (even though its night time)??? I will start at the beginning but be warned I am rambling. In August 2007 I read The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron for the first time. One of the tasks in the 12 step program was to describe your ideal life, to think about your goals or dreams, to really work out what you wanted. I had no idea what I wanted. I had this vague sort of dream that was way off in the future but that was all. Silly really. How are you meant to reach your goals if you don't know what your goals are??? I continued with the tasks in the book and little by little my vague sort of dream started to take form. I started to understand what I really wanted. Once I had the goal worked out I started working on ways to attain it. I started reaching for that goal, for my ideal life. Sometimes I strayed from the path, sometimes I stumbled and even fell but I kept on going. Somewhere in the future was my ideal life. I could feel it. Here comes the revelation part. Last night while driving home I realised I AM ALREADY LIVING MY IDEAL LIFE. Its not somewhere in the future, its here and now! Ok a lot of you will be saying "Der I could've told her that" but its something you can't be told is it? Its something you have to realise for yourself. The dream is not yet complete. The ideal life still needs a little tweaking. I still need to earn a good income from my art and I still want to be more 'known' in the world of art but they are minor details that will work out very soon as long as I keep on living the dream. Yep all is right with my world.

Small Work Number 5

2010-09-25T15:44:00.004+09:30

I have now completed all 5 paintings that I want to enter in The Small Works Prize at Brunswick Street Gallery. I have enjoyed doing them but I still much prefer to do larger works.

Just a Couple o' Pears

mixed media on canvas

25x30cm (10"x12")

Small Work Number 4

2010-09-23T19:27:00.004+09:30

I had a great day in the studio today. I finished another small work. One more to go and I've already started it! Deadline for entries of The Small Works Prize isn't till Sunday 21st November so I am ahead of schedule. Still have to work out the most economic way to ship the work to Melbourne.

Nuts

mixed media on canvas

25x30cm (10"x12")

I have decided to apply for membership to The Adelaide Art Society. I thought it would be a good way to meet other artists, to learn and share and network. I have my application form all filled out and I have an appointment with them tomorrow afternoon to show them some examples of my work. Fingers crossed I get accepted.

Studio Update

2010-09-21T19:12:00.015+09:30

As my studio is a shared space with Bob's man cave, I had to come up with a way of hiding the man cave mess. I thought cupboards would suit Bob better than shelving to hold all his stuff. You can shut the door on cupboards and not see the disarray. I took over the whole organisation of his space much to Bob's horror hehehe. I sorted all his stuff so it is now easy to find everything. I put all the painting gear together and all the plumbing and welding stuff all have their own space. The power tools are all together etc. etc. Bob had to admit he liked it. I have put a lot of time and effort into this and it still wasn't quite right. I decided I had to make a clear division between the spaces. I plan to have open studio during the SALA Festival next year and didn't want the studio to look like a corner in a man's shed. I ended up buying some old wardrobes which I not only used to create a wall but it also gave Bob more storage space.

my space as you first walk in the door

in the distance is my desk

walk around the shelves towards the desk and this is the lounge area

the lounge area showing off my new 'wall'

beyond the wall is the man cave

the lounge area showing one doorway into the man cave

the back of wardrobes painted make a good wall to hang artwork

that's my desk looking from the lounge area

and back around to the door that leads into the garden

I still have the yard in front of the shed to clean up. That's where I have put all the things that I decided to throw out. That is my next mission.

A Step Forward

2010-09-16T20:06:00.003+09:30

I recently entered a competition through a gallery in Melbourne. Only 50 entries would become finalists to be judged for the prizes. First prize $5,000 and second prize an all expenses paid solo exhibition in the gallery and various other prizes. I received an email from the gallery. Unfortunately blah blah blah, another rejection I thought. I read further and to my surprise it said unfortunately I was not one of the 50 finalist but I was in the top 75 and that they liked my work very much. And here's the best bit, they invited me to have a solo exhibition either this year or next. I have been trying to get into a gallery in either Sydney or Melbourne for awhile now so I am very excited with this development. Next year would be better for me as there is a lot to organise to get an exhibition worth of work over to Melbourne. Plus I have been developing a new series and I want to have time to get some of these ideas onto canvas. I want to use altered paper to create a retro wallpaper look for the background but its still early in the development stage. To quote Laura "I'd better bust a move". I bust a much faster move when I have something to work towards that has a deadline.

The Cherry

2010-09-14T18:40:00.004+09:30

I am planning on entering the Small Works Prize at Brunswick Street Gallery in Melbourne. Works are to be less than 30x30cm (12"x12"). There in lies the problem. I have trouble with such small paintings. I like to do paintings with a bit of size behind them so they hit you in the face visually. I usually paint things much larger than life. So how can I do that on a small canvas? The answer is painting small things! I am aiming for at least 5 small works and below is my first one.

Kirsche

mixed media on canvas

30x25cm (12"x10")

Also note my new watermark, created by my daughter Julia, to add a bit of protection to images of my work posted on the net.

I have been spending much more time in the studio and I must say I feel so much better for it. Its not that I'm giving up on the promotion side of things but I have stopped obsessing over it. Bottom line is I need to create in order to be complete and when I spend too much time away from the studio I become ..... well, I become unhappy. Life is way too short to be unhappy right?

Junior MasterChef Australia

2010-09-13T10:27:00.002+09:30

For those of you who couldn't watch Zoe on Junior MasterChef Australia here's the link to the full episode. Just warning you, it is an hour long show and Zoe's heat is not on till next week. Its a great show and it makes me remember how much fun the kids had making it.

http://www.masterchef.com.au/video.htm?movideo_p=41184&movideo_m=64493

Zoe is wearing a pink beret so she is very easy to spot. You can see Julia and me in the audience too. I am round one in the front row wearing a bright green jumper hehehe.

As Yet, Untitled

2010-09-09T18:46:00.006+09:30

Its not quite finished. Still needs to be signed and a couple of coats of varnish. This painting comes from my Sydney trip. We caught the ferry to Luna Park and had a ride on the carousel. Some of the horses were 100 years old. The old steam driven engine was still there but no longer in use. Carousels remind me of Mary Poppins when the horses jump off the carousel and carry them off across the countryside. Its still my mum's favourite ride. The music, the lights and the motion just speak of times gone by don't they?

mixed media on canvas

91.4x121.8cm (36"x48")

Junior MasterChef starts screening on Sunday night 7.30pm on channel 10. I just can't wait to see Zoe on tv! I am going over to Julia and Zoe's place on Sunday night so we can watch it together. Three more sleeps :)

Wrinkled Ladies

2010-09-03T17:55:00.000+09:30

I love this!!!!!

Playing Around

2010-08-26T17:20:00.003+09:30

I do not consider this one of my best paintings but it really wasn't about that. I have been playing around with new techniques I had seen while visiting some artist's studios during the SALA Festival. I had such fun just losing myself in the fun of play and not concentrating on the actual image. I love the technique and I also like the layers achieved.

The Fairy Ring

mixed media on canvas

60.9x50.8cm (24"x20")

This Year's Goals

2010-08-25T19:03:00.006+09:30

My goal for this year was to enter some major art competitions, experiment with new techniques and to try my hand at some portraiture. So not a great deal of finished artwork has happened but I have leant a lot both at the easel and away from it. I also have entered quite a few major art competitions but as yet I haven't got into any of' them. I am getting used to the rejection hehehe. There are always so many entries and only 30 or so places. Its really like winning the lottery.

The SALA Festival is well and truly over. Its been great seeing so much art. Some inspiring and some not so hehehe. The thing that takes most of my time is the whole promotion thing *add groan here*. I know art is meant to be made for art's sake but in order to move forward I need to continue to get my art further and further afield. Searching for the right galleries, the ones that suit your style of work, is many hours of research. Trying to get the galleries to respond to your enquiries is hard enough let alone accept your work. A simple "thank you for your enquiries but we are not accepting any new work" does not take that long to email people!!! The energy it takes to stay positive and retain confidence is really hard going. Most of the time I am ok but sometimes I slip and feel sorry for myself hehehe.

The other day I thought I'd better pull my finger out and actually finish a whole painting. I still have a passion for still life painting so more mundane everyday objects will become my models I'm sure.

Mushrooms

mixed media on canvas

50.8x60.9cm (20"x24")

SALA

2010-08-14T20:55:00.005+09:30

The SALA (South Australian Living Artist) Festival is on again. The SALA program boasts there are 3000 South Australian visual artists exhibiting their work in throughout 500 plus metropolitan and regional galleries, wineries, cafes, hotels and other unique, colourful and collaborative spaces. Woo!!!!!!!!!!! Its been such fun. I have been going out with my art buddy Mignon to view as much as we can possibly fit in. It feels like I am eating, sleeping and breathing art and I love it. The sad thing is the 24 day festival is nearly over and we have to wait a whole year before its on again. This is SALA's 13th year and there is literally art everywhere!!!!!!!!! I have spoken to so many wonderful artists who are willing to share their techniques that I have learnt sooooo much. After being out viewing some absolutely mind blowing art today I need an early night so I am fresh and bushy tailed ready for tomorrow's outing of ..... you guessed it ..... more art!

Promise of Spring

2010-08-02T18:27:00.002+09:30

The other day we had one glorious day. The sun came out and I revelled in its warmth. Its been a long cold winter. The day had the promise of spring in the air. I headed out to the garden and started pulling up weeds. Sour sobs everywhere. They were easy to pull up as the ground was still soft from all the rain. I even planted a new ground cover my sister had given me. I didn't get all the garden done on that day but I have been out in between the showers since. The peach tree has some little buds on it. Won't be long before it flowers. Hopefully I get a good crop of peaches this year. I have a hankering for some home made peach jam. Not much going on in the studio lately. After the long winter hibernation I need to catch up on some chores. Won't be long though. I have some ideas brewing.

'Junior MasterChef Australia' Promo

2010-07-27T17:02:00.002+09:30

Hint - Look for girl wearing a pink hat ...

The Last Pics

2010-07-19T14:45:00.005+09:30

underneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge

look up, its massive

I just never got tired of looking at it

Luna Park

No more holiday pics till the next holiday ..... these are the last...

..... and more pics

2010-07-18T19:19:00.004+09:30

...be afraid, be very afraid

the three of us

Sydney Harbour Bridge stole my heart

on the ferry

Circular Quay

Grocery Shopping and Some More Pics...

2010-07-16T22:22:00.005+09:30

My life is slowly getting back into its normal rhythm after being in Sydney. I haven't been in the studio yet as I had to catch up on some chores. Today was market day. Although grocery shopping can be a drag the sites and smells of the market always inspires me. It brings out the hunter gatherer instincts. I recently acquired a stack of food magazines. I loved so many of the recipes that I decided to cook a new recipe every day next week. This made shopping a whole lot more interesting as I had to source the different ingredients. A lot of them from the Asian Grocery Store. Now the only problem is deciding what to cook first. I don't mind cooking for special occasions but I don't like cooking the everyday meals so this should make it a whole lot more interesting.

As you can see there are more shots from the Sydney trip. The good thing is you don't need to look. This means I don't have to feel like that boring person that forces their boring holiday snaps on you.

Touching the Sydney Opera House (yes those big white arches are all tiles).

The view from the steps of the opera house.

My girls with the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background.

Me and Z.

One of the ferries in Sydney Harbour. A great way to get around Sydney.

Own Bed

2010-07-15T08:55:00.005+09:30

Why is it waking up in your own bed makes your holiday seem like a distant memory??? Its back to the mundane today as the washing needs to be done and the linen changed on the bed etc etc. Bob and Jack are happy I am back and of course I am happy to be home but there is part of me that still needs more adventure. More new sites to see, more new sounds to listen to and scents to smell but the kitty is a bit low :(. I would have thought having a week in Sydney would have satisfied me for a while but I think its made me more restless. Overseas lands are calling me ..... can you hear it??? Its back to business now though. I need to become a well known artist so I sell lots of paintings for lots of money and then I can travel.

My girls and I had a wonderful time in Sydney. Its so big compared to Adelaide. The CBD is just walls and walls of very tall buildings leaving no view of any distance.

The Sydney Opera house is a marvel but its Sydney Harbour Bridge that stole my heart.

Well when someone removes some of the letters from the word 'passengers' they are asking for a pic like this hehehe.

Over the next few posts I will post more pics from our Sydney trip .....

Sydney

2010-07-13T07:05:00.009+09:30

WOW!!!!!!! Home tomorrow :(

Off to Sydney

2010-07-06T19:25:00.002+09:30

I'm off to Sydney on Thursday with my girls. We are so excited. Its such an adventure. Apart from driving through a suburb of Sydney in rush hour a few years back I haven't been there since the 70's. To get up close and personal to Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge will be fantastic. Hope to get some good pics. I am also meeting a friend I have only spoken to on the internet. From what I understand she lives about 2 hours drive from Sydney. We are meeting face to face for the first time as she happens to be going to Sydney while I'm there. I'm so excited!!! Two more sleeps. Won't be flying home till the following Wednesday.

Hip Hip Hurray

2010-07-01T20:23:00.004+09:30

I have had to work through a few things lately and haven't been my usual happy self. I have been whiny and self doubting and in the doldrums. With recent events I just felt, regardless of my hard work, I had taken a step backwards. I had set my goals and was checking them off the list. However being an optimist I never factored in that things might go wrong and that I would find myself taking a slight detour. Things, I might add, that were out of my control. Anyway, you all will be glad to hear that I think I have stopped sulking now and seem to be back on track. I am fairly certain that the whining is over.

I had a wonderfully productive time in the studio today. A new portrait is under way. I am new to portraiture and still trying to find out what works and what doesn't. I recently painted a portrait of granddaughter Zoe which I called 'Lineage-Zoe aged 8'. That got me to thinking that I could paint more of the 'lineage' by painting a portrait of daughter Julia, my mother Rosemarie and squeeze in another selfy. That would complete the four generations of the female lineage that are still alive. Its a huge undertaking for me and fills me with lots of wonderful fear. I have started on the portrait of Julia choosing to paint in the highlights and the shadows on an already strong coloured background. The picture below is what I have done so far. Not much to see yet but I am happy with the start I've made. Like I said, its an experiment and only time will tell if its going to work or not. What is important that I am excited about my artwork again and love spending time in the studio even though its cold in there as its a particularly cold and dreary winter.

ONE WITHIN

2010-06-25T14:48:00.000+09:30

Support

2010-06-25T09:01:00.004+09:30

Thank you all for your supportive comments. They mean a lot to me and put a smile on my face. It is a big step for me to enter my work into competitions. They are some of the biggest art competitions in Australia with prize money in the thousands, some even in the hundreds of thousands. There are always so many entries and only 30 places so I am sure there will be a lot more rejections in store for me. Its like buying a lottery ticket. I just have to keep telling myself to "toughen up princess". My portrait of Zoe should be in Sydney by now as I entered it into the Moran Prize. Entries close today. This is the riches portrait prize in the world. $150,000 first prize!!!!! I have to listen to what Laura said and remember how far I have come. I have made huge strides since August 2007 when I joined the online Artist's Way Journey and started putting my work out there. And without trying to sound full of myself I am proud of what I have accomplished.

I am still struggling with my painting. I feel I am at a turning point. You know those times when your work shifts slightly and you make new discoveries. Paintings are slow in coming at the moment. I am not as productive as I have been in the past. I feel a little lost and floating if that makes sense. I don't seem to be content painting mundane inanimate objects any more. They have been my passion for such a long time I feel reluctant to let them go. Whenever I try to paint them I come to a standstill and can't seem to get moving again. They seem to lack something and I can't resolve whatever it is they lack. I need a big dose of inspiration. Maybe I need the sun to come back. Its a cold winter with dreary weather.

Another Rejection

2010-06-15T13:16:00.002+09:30

This morning I woke with that excited feeling as there was still hope of being a finalist of one of the art competitions I entered. But alas this afternoon the rejection letter came. A nice letter but still a rejection. I try to be strong but I still question whether or not I'm on the right track. Agh, this is hard. There is no manual to follow. I just have to pick myself up, dust myself off and keep blundering along in the dark. Now where did I put that next entry form........

What's in a Name???

2010-06-09T16:05:00.002+09:30

Today I entered the richest portrait prize in the world. How did I ever get brave enough to do that??? Is it really courage that helped me to enter or is it purely out of need??? How do you 'make a name' for yourself in the art industry? In order to have good sales of your work you need to have 'a name'. In order to get that illusive 'name' you need to have good sales. How??? What do I need to do??? I work hard at developing my artistic skills and I also work hard at building my confidence but is there anything else I should be doing? Just turning up at the easel doesn't seem to cut it. Small steps, one day at a time, faith, positive thoughts, confidence. All of these are good advice and I have followed them. Now what???

Listening

2010-06-04T15:59:00.002+09:30

Well things have quietened down on the home front. Things have started to filter through and he is listening to advise. Walking has been started although I still need to remind on a daily basis. He is happy to try eating regular small healthy meals and snacks. He thought changing his lifestyle meant that it would be worse. He has seen reason and understands that it means changing for the better. That he will actually feel better and have more energy and that when you feel better your whole outlook changes for the better. Yay, a happier healthy life is on the horizon. Thank you all for your support and for listening to my rantings.

I'm Angry

2010-06-02T17:11:00.003+09:30

I'm angry and I am going to vent. I am going to rant and rave and pretend I am yelling at the top of my voice. Consider this your warning. Stop reading now if you would rather have a cheery post to read.

If you went to a doctor's appointment, in fact a specialist not just a GP, and that doctor told you to change your lifestyle or you would be dead before you reach 65, wouldn't you immediately take stock and change what you are doing? Especially since you will be turning 60 next year??? Or would you moan and complain that the doctors aren't doing anything for you while you sit on the couch and reach for a beer? I mean for heaven's sake, you haven't got an incurable disease! You have the power to change and be healthy and watch your grandchildren grow up. You need to exercise regularly!!!!!!!!!! You know, get sweaty and get your heart rate up. A brisk walk, a swim, something!!!!!!!!!!!!! Spend some time on the exercise bike while you watch tv. Eat regular healthy meals, say no to a second helping. Simple little changes and you will live longer. HOW HARD IS THAT????????????? WHAT THE HELL IS THERE TO THINK ABOUT??? JUST DO IT!!!!

Good News

2010-05-25T16:29:00.004+09:30

I rang the gallery last week and spoke with the director's assistant and made a time to pick up my unsold artwork. That was today. I not only got all my unsold work back but I also got a cheque. The squeaky wheel does get the most oil after all. The cheque was for less than I believe it should have been as I was charged for the cost of the second exhibition when I was told I was getting that free of charge. Not much I can do about that. I choose to look on the whole experience as a positive one as I have learned so much. Not only the things I need to look out for but the things that I expect from such a business arrangement. These are the things that will be going into my contract and anyone who wants to represent me will need to sign on my dotted line. I also gained a lot of confidence within myself. Confidence that I deserve to be treated with respect and that I deserve to be paid just like anyone else gets paid for their work. I do still have a bit of anger in me. I put my heart and soul into my work. My paintings are my story, my voice, and that in itself makes them sacred. For someone to come along and soil them, by not respecting me, has made me angry. The unsold paintings are stacked in my studio but they have lost some of their shine. They don't feel the same any more. They are soiled. This will change in time. I am just saying how I feel. I know it sounds a bit dramatic but hey, I'm an artist. Artists are a bit dramatic aren't they? Anyway today feels like I have slain a dragon. I have slain dragons before for my children. This is the first time I have slain one for myself.

Lineage

2010-05-22T10:59:00.008+09:30

I finished the portrait of Zoe and I'm happy with it. Of course there are areas where it could have been better but I'm new at this and am trying not to be too hard on myself. It actually looks like her and I have learnt a lot. Hopefully I will continue to learn as I embark on the art of portraiture. Its something I find incredibly difficult and I lack confidence. Hopefully this too will change. I put my heart into it and basically you can't ask for more than that, can you?

Lineage - Zoe aged 8

mixed media on canvas

91.4x121.8cm (36"x48")

Something that really bothers me is that you can't see the size of a painting on a computer screen. The size is part of it and it adds another dimension of meaning. So I added a pic with a silly goose grinning over the top of the painting to give you an idea of the scale. The silly goose is quite pleased that the painting covers many of her protruding and saggy bits hehehe.

Now with this work out of the way I am in the planning stages of another work. A trip to the library saw me with an armful of books that I am looking forward to flicking through. I bought a new canvas in preparation and decided on the same size as 'Lineage'. Recently I have recovered from my fetish of painting shoes so it only seems natural that I am now planning a painting (or maybe more) involving dresses. At this stage I am thinking of a 1950's dress built up with layers of stained and altered papers. I think it would be funny to have the dress on a coat hanger and make the hanger look like its hanging from the top of the canvas but we shall see. Oh did you hear that??? There it is again ...... my studio is calling me, bye for now

The Power of Art Day

2010-05-20T08:58:00.007+09:30

Its Thursday and a much needed art day is ahead of me. I have been working on a portrait of Zoe for a portraiture art prize I plan to enter. The portrait does not need to be of anyone famous but it must show the relationship between the sitter and the artist. You get to write a little blurb about the relationship to go with the painting. I am calling the painting 'Lineage' as it not only speaks about my special relationship with Zoe but that with my grandmother. The background is made of layers of old family letters. Among them precious letters from my grandmother. I also have some text from old children's books. Zoe is looking down at her cupped upturned hands where she is holding a pansy. Pansies were my grandmother's favourite flowers and she grew them in her window boxes. She pressed me one and sent it to me. I still have it. Zoe is looking lovingly down at the flower as she listens to the stories I tell her of family that came before her. You see she understands the special relationship I had with my grandmother because she now has that same specialness with hers. Anyway I'm getting misty now. I only have the face left to do and a few little touches here and there. Fear! The painting is on the large side, measuring 91x122cm (36"x48") and if all goes well today I should finish it. Do you want to see it??? But its not finished. Oh alright, here it is.

Well what do you think??? Am I on the right track??? Hope I can do justice to that sweet face.

Another painting I have been working on is 'The Diner'. 1950's style diner table and chairs. This one is 101.6x152.4cm (40'x60'). The background has old diner menus. It too is not finished. It needs something. It looks so cold and clinical and as yet I haven't been able to resolve it. There are things I am happy with like the reflection on the chair seats etc. but overall it needs something. It still needs to have some difference between the wall and the floor and some little human element. Maybe a spilled milkshake dripping onto the floor. Any suggestions. I really hope I can fix it as I don't want to paint over it. It already has another unresolved painting underneath. I sometimes have these cursed canvases that have several paintings painted on them before I am happy.

So yesterday I 'spilled my guts' and today I am showing you my work in progress 'warts and all'. See the lion is awakening and is gaining strength!

Lost My Way.

2010-05-19T07:30:00.004+09:30

I thought I would take a leaf out of Elena's book and 'spill my guts'. I tend to hide away when I have some issues to work through but in reality it would be better just to talk about them right here. After all I have so many supportive virtual friends. Most of you know my story to date. I started experimenting with painting/collage in 2005 and went ahead in leaps and bounds after going on The Artist's Way Journey with a group of like minded artists. Now I have come to a point where I don't know where to turn. My path isn't clear any more. Its all dark and foggy. Of course one thing is clear, I need to continue to paint. I just don't know where I'm going. The Artist's Way helped me to work out that I don't want to do the selling part of my art. It gave me the courage to approach a commercial gallery and I found one who was willing to represent an artist without 'a name'. Exhibitions prevailed and sales were quite good. This was the right path for me I thought and I started looking further afield for other galleries who might represent me in other states. Time went on ..... no payment from gallery. More time went by ..... nothing. Am I not entitled to fair pay for my work??? Its now been 7 months since the first exhibition ended and over 3 months since the second exhibition closed and still no money. Plus the gallery has a whole body of unsold work of mine. I have emailed, I have phoned and I have sent an invoice but am not getting anywhere. I went with a commercial gallery so I wouldn't have to deal with things like this. I am owed quite a few thousand dollars and am disillusioned with the whole thing. I am now too scared to approach other galleries further afield in case the same thing occurs. There is this dark cloud hanging over me and an awful gnawing feeling in my stomach. I'm an artist, not a fighter and just want to crawl under a dark rock. On a positive note I have learnt a lot from this experience. Some wonderful people have given me advice and in hindsight I should have sort some advice before signing on the dotted line. A kind friend has advised that I should always have my own contract for the galleries to sign and has even given me examples of contracts to alter for my needs. My art comes from deep inside me. Its part of my soul, part of who I am that I put onto canvas to share. That someone can take that and not respect me has really hurt my inner artist child. Yes I know I'm sounding dramatic but I'm really a sensitive soul on the inside and these things wound me deeply. Anyway all this has clouded my path and I'm not sure where I am headed. My goals seem to be unclear now. Its hard to move forward one step at a time when you don't know which way is forward. There I've said it!

School Holidays

2010-04-15T08:27:00.004+09:30

My painting is nearly finished YAY! Art day has come around already. I can't believe its been a week since I posted. Time flies.

Its school holidays and Zoe is staying with us for a few days. She hogs the computer! I don't mind. She is learning to knit and doing rather well at it. Last night we sat in bed with the tv on with our knitting. A pair of old grandmas hehehe.

Well I'd better get on with the day.

Its Thursday

2010-04-08T08:55:00.006+09:30

Its Thursday and you know what that means ... ART DAY! A whole blissful day lost in the studio away from the outside world. Wonder what will happen to the canvas today. I have decided to paint over the painting on the large 60"x40" canvas. I just can't get it to a place that I'm happy with. You have that sometimes. It just won't work so another painting will go over the top. I have this idea for 1950's diner table and chairs. I aim to use old diner menus in my background along with my usual layers of stampings and washes. Red chairs and a chrome and laminate table. Well, as Laura would say "I'd better bust a move" and get out in the studio. If you don't hear from me don't worry. I am safe. I would just be floating in the studio somewhere. Come and join me if you want. I will warn you though. Art is addictive!

Had a Break. How Are You? What's New With You???

2010-04-05T16:23:00.008+09:30

I think this is the longest time I've been away from my blog. I don't really have an excuse. Maybe I just haven't had anything to say. Ha, that will be the day.

Well firstly the news. Those of you on Facebook already know. Bob and I have another grandchild. Oliver William was born on 3rd March weighing 10lb 12ozs and that was two weeks early. He was 56.5cm long (22 and a half inches). His brother Evan (aged 3 years) did not want to know about him at first as he had wanted a sister that he had already named Ruby. He was told that he could have a brother but he was adamant the baby was a sister. He is used to it now and loves his little baby Oliver.

Oliver

big cousin Zoe proudly holding baby Oliver at Evan's birthday party

big brother Evan at his third birthday party, grr

I have been in the studio and I have been very busy even though I haven't got a lot to show you. I am still working on my huge canvas (60"x40"). Its basically finished but I feel the painting hasn't got the 'it' factor. You know that special something. I keep working on it, adding another layer trying to get something I'm happy with. Some paintings fall into place really easily and some don't I suppose.

Another painting I have been working on is one I hope to enter in one of the major art prizes. I am really excited about this one. It was one of those paintings that just brought me so much joy during its creation. It was a challenge. There are things in this painting I usually don't tackle. Things I try to stay away from like hands, stripes and foreshortening. It took awhile to get the composition right and Bob was so patient while I took photo after photo. Changing the direction of the light, climbing higher on the ladder so I could see directly into his coffee cup, changing the position of his hands, moving his feet etc etc etc. He is worried that this painting will make him sort after as a model. No phone calls so far hehehe lol! I wanted the viewer to almost become the painting. No that doesn't make sense. I was trying to achieve the view you get when you look down into your own lap (well almost). It invites the viewer to really become part of the painting I think. Does that make more sense or am I off in airy fairy art land that's full of ramblings of a mad woman hehehe? I purposely made Bob put his hand on the painting while I photographed it so you can get the scale of it. Its so disappointing when I paint larger than life and it ends up a small picture on a computer screen. It changes the whole feeling of it somehow.

Coffee and Striped Pyjamas

mixed media on canvas

91x122cm (36"x48")

I hope I still have some blogger friends left after neglecting you all for so long. Hope you all had a lovely Easter that you were able to share with your loved ones.

Kreativity Blogger Award

2010-03-07T10:52:00.004+10:30

My dear blogger friend and supporter Suz of http://suz-beginagain.blogspot.com/ has passed on the Kreativity Blogger Award to me. I feel honoured as she is to pass it onto those blogs she enjoys reading. She passed it to me! Me, who doesn't post regularly, is bad at spelling and grammar and only rambles on about ordinary, everyday things. Now in order to accept this honour I am to tell seven interesting things about myself and pass this award onto blogs that I enjoy reading. Mmm seven things. Interesting things mmm. Seven interesting things about me. Well how about I write seven things and you decide whether they are interesting.

1. I migrated from Germany at the age of four with my parents. I was very close with my maternal grandmother and never saw her again. Sad but I call Australia home and can not imagine living anywhere else.

2. At the age of 55 I still love to play. I watch children's programs on tv and still jump in puddles with my gum boots on. I never want to grow up completely and you can't make me, so there :p.

3. I love ordinary everyday objects. They add to our sense of well being and make a house a home. I love them so much that I paint them. I paint them larger than life to lift their status. Ordinary everyday objects have stories to tell. Stories of their connection to home and family. I try to tell my stories with my paintings. Sometimes people hear them and sometimes people hear their own stories. Either way this makes me happy.

4. My mum, daughter and granddaughter are among my best friends.

5. I went to university with my daughter. We both studied art and hung out together. Julia studied visual art and I studied applied art (ceramic and glass design).

6. I would love nothing better than to live in my studio. Literally!!!!! I mean it. I would love to live amongst my art supplies in true warehouse fashion.

7. I can make a clapping sound using only one hand.

Now to the blogs I love to read. Well among them are Suz blog but she nominated me. Then there's Elena's blog but she has also been nominated by Suz. So my nominees are:

Chrissie of http://niminyfingers.blogspot.com/ who makes the most amazing textile based things and makes me laugh with her wonderful sense of humour.

Laura of http://lonecrowart.blogspot.com/ who is a wonderful collage/assemblage artist who shares all her wisdom and takes me on wonderful walks in the woods.

April of http://aprilsart.blogspot.com/ who is so warm and giving that you can feel yourself sink into her warm embrace whenever you read her blog.

Deborah of http://debrossart.blogspot.com/ and http://debrossclay.blogspot.com/ who has such a love of creating that she explores everything and anything fearlessly.

Of course there are other bloggers I enjoy but life is intruding on their blogging time at the moment and so they wouldn't have time to respond. I would just like to take this opportunity to tell you all how much I enjoy our interaction. The friendships I have made through the internet and the support I receive are amazing.

Two Months

2010-03-01T16:43:00.004+10:30

I have struggled since Christmas to get back into a proper flow. These down times really scare me. I don't like them and I struggle to free myself of their hold. This time its been a little over two months to get back into the swing of things. But its over for now so I'm just going to enjoy being back in the studio. I have just finished another large(ish) painting. I am still to tackle the huge canvas a bought a couple of weeks ago ..... fear ... but that's another story hehehe.

The Bottles

acrylic on canvas

101.6x76.2cm (40"x30")

Knock Knock

2010-02-26T14:07:00.004+10:30

Yesterday was an extremely productive art day with my buddy Mignon. I finished the painting I was working on and started on a new one. It was such a good day we decided to have two art days this week with the next one scheduled for Sunday.

As you know I have a love of dilapidated buildings and recently became inspired by ghost signs. I wanted to try and capture the essence of ghost signs and incorporated them into my dilapidated building series. However as you can see below I zoomed in much too far and left no room for the ghost sign. So your role in all of this is to imagine the ghost sign somewhere up above the painting to the right hehehe. Can you see it??? It seems to be a trade mark of mine to zoom in on the details and make them larger than life. Maybe the ghosts signs will emerge somewhere down the track in another painting. And if not that's ok too as long as I'm painting.

The Red Door

mixed media on canvas

60.9x50.8cm (24"x20")

Its Festival Time

2010-02-22T08:32:00.019+10:30

The Adelaide Festival of Arts is here again. Performing and visual art everywhere. In every nook and cranny, wherever there is a little space something is going on. Of course if the festival is here then so is The Fringe where the weird and the wonderful come from all over the globe to fill our little city and show us what they can do. Adelaide is alive with the buzz of performing and visual art literally everywhere. Friday night was the opening parade of The Adelaide Fringe.

80,000 people flocked to the city on a hot and balmy evening

Julia, Zoe and I were among them

descendants of the original owners of the land sang and played didgeridoo

the reason Zoe wanted to go to the opening - the roller derby girls

she wants to join roller derby when she's old enough

she practises every Saturday and keeps skating even with blisters

is she old enough yet???

big dinosaurs

a bit scary Zoe thought

is that Marilyn???

inside a bubble

disabled people joined the parade

smiling and waving and having a great time

different performers enticing you to come to their show

yes! say it with art woo!!!

oh my, their mothers must hold their breath

that was fun!

and Zoe even got a butterfly with flashing lights

Grumpy Me

2010-02-17T15:21:00.006+10:30

There has been a lot of personal stuff still taking up my time. That means less time in the studio and less time in the studio makes for one grumpy me, ROAR!!!!! Being a Leo I feel I'm entitled to let out a 'roar' now and again hehehe. I left the story last time with a big new canvas 152.4x101.6cm (60"x40") sitting on my easel. Well its still there all blank and white. I haven't been able to get in the studio but I have however been working on the planning stages of a couple of paintings. I have been researching dilapidated buildings and have acquired a passion for ghost signs. I found some great sites that deal with documenting old hand painted signs on buildings before they are lost forever. The layers and textures are divine and I want to try to re-create these effects on my dilapidated buildings series. Its always about layers, textures and text with me. I think the layers are like history with people's personal lives and stories being added to each layer. This of course causes change with some things being covered while others are revealed thus creating a new story. And every viewer adds their own story or connotations to it so its forever evolving and changing. Gee I'm not sure I understand what I just said hehehe, but I know what I mean even if I can't put it into words. So while all this is going on inside my head I am also still trying to improve my skills with portraiture. I know in my mind what I want to achieve but the hands are a bit slow in understanding and tend to do their own thing. It will get better in time. I just have to keep going.

Art, Text and Dilapidated Buildings

2010-02-14T10:16:00.007+10:30

My Mum always told me the older you get the quicker time goes. I remember when I was a child and my birthdays took so long to come around and Christmas felt like it came every two years instead of one. Now in my fifties whoosh another day flies by and whoosh another month, another year. So far this year has been a year of caring for others and not much time for art.

Things have to change. There are art ideas bubbling up inside me and they will explode out the top of my head if I don't get some paint on canvas soon. I did go and buy a large canvas. I have never painted one this big before. Its nearly as tall as me reaching to just under my nose from the ground 152.4x101.6cm (60"x40"). I only have a little car so getting it home was amusing. I'm still on the abandoned or run down building theme so a dilapidated door, peeling paint, padlock, keep out signs could be on the cards, watch this space hehehe.

Along with my dilapidated building series I will also continue with developing my skills in the art of portraiture. I went to an exhibition and was inspired by a portrait I saw there. Up close you could see the paint daubs that depicted the features. The shapes and light and shade that all together formed the image of a person's face. That's what I'm aspiring to. Looser shapes and experimenting with different colours and of course text, I always like to add text. I am very hopeful that we will have some cooler days in the coming week so I can spend time in my otherwise too hot studio. That big canvas is calling me .....

First for 2010

2010-02-04T20:44:00.003+10:30

I am on top of the world tonight and all it took to lift me to such heights is a good session in my studio with my art buddy Mignon. Yes its Thursday and that means its art day hehehe. I do some art on most days but Thursday is a full day with someone who knows my art speak. I can talk textures, colours, layers, composition, concepts and Mignon talks back. Her eyes don't glaze over and she understands what I am talking about. Of course you can't have an art day with an art buddy without some girl talk as well hehehe. I have been working on a portrait. As I'm new to portraiture its been giving me some grief. Parts of it are good and working well while other parts have been worked, scrubbed back, worked again and so on and so forth. I think its really been holding me back and attacking my confidence. Well last week I decided to put it aside and start a new painting. I'm not giving up, just putting it out of the way for a little bit. I thought I would return to something a little simpler to build my confidence again. And here is my first completed painting for 2010.

Abandoned

mixed media on canvas

100x75cm (40"x30")

Commercial Galleries

2010-01-26T21:15:00.004+10:30

We just heard the good news that Bob's son, Peter is getting married to his fiancée Alison in May. As they live in Brisbane the wedding will be there. So we are researching cheap flights and accommodation. That got me thinking. As I was going to Brisbane anyway it would be a good opportunity to check out some commercial galleries to see which I could approach for representation. Its not like I get to Brisbane very often. Anyway while I've been hours on the computer checking out gallery websites to see what kind of artwork they show I thought I might as well keep going and check out galleries in Melbourne as well. I'm not planning a trip to Melbourne but I did some networking with a fellow member of RedBubble who happens to live in Melbourne. She put me onto some great galleries. So now I have two lists of galleries to approach and fingers crossed someone will take me on. Along with entering some of the major art prizes in Australia, another step forward is to get my work interstate. One foot in front of the other, one step at a time .....

I just started reading The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron with my online tribe. Its not the first time but each time I read it it seems like the first. I find something new in it every time. Its this book along with the support of some wonderful women (my tribe, you know who you are) that has helped me develop my art practice. I mean I've had some wonderful teachers along the way to develop my practical art skills but this is something different. This is about confidence and building skills to dissolve the barriers that are preventing your creativity from finding expression. It helps you to start and or stay on the path of creativity. That sounds all a bit airy fairy or spaced out arty farty but it really does work.

This and That

2010-01-22T09:40:00.008+10:30

Its the last week of the school holidays and Zoe was getting bored. She received roller skates from her Uncle Troy for Christmas and has been practising to skate. She found a coupon in the newspaper for a half price skating session and thought she was ready to strut her stuff. She put on her skating outfit (another Christmas present) and off we went. There was music and flashing lights to add to the atmosphere. Zoe has her sights set on roller derby when she's old enough.

Careful start.

And off we go!

A little bit of roller limbo.

Skating is very thirsty work.

With her mum Julia.

The music, the lights and the experienced skaters made me yearn to skate again. My knees just wouldn't take it now :(. Oh well at least I had the joy of watching Zoe skate.

Yesterday I went to Victor Harbor with my art buddy Mignon. We went to see the Victor Harbor Art show. I have heard about it over the years but never got around to going to see it. I didn't realise it was so big. When I say big I don't actually mean the size of it although there was a lot of art on display. I mean 'big' as in the number of people it attracts and the amount of sales. I also didn't realise the first prize was $10,000 with lesser prizes of $5,000 and $2,500 etc. Yep that's a 'must enter' for next year. I was also glad to see that a lot of nude life drawings and paintings sold. I've been worried that we may go down the path of the US where Doris says life drawings and paintings are not very well received. So much art, so much inspiration it was rather overwhelming. We had to have a break half way through and stop for coffee and cake to get our strength up to tackle the rest. The amount of sales really made my heart sing. People are buying art and at a good price, yay! It was a scorcher of a day in Adelaide again yesterday but Victor Harbor was very pleasant with a lovely sea breeze that kept things cool. We had fish and chips for lunch wrapped in paper and sat near the beach with the seagulls waiting for handouts.

On the way back home we dropped into McLaren Vale to see how my exhibition at Penny Hill winery is going. It finishes on the 9th February. I've had 4 sales, yay! As my sister told me yesterday, I'm doing better than Van Gogh as he only had one sale while he was alive hehehe. Yes, I know, sales don't make the artist but I've had a few lately and it does make me feel like I am really and truly a real artist lol.

Sticky Fingers

2010-01-17T16:14:00.006+10:30

The title sticky fingers usually has connotations of theft but in the case of a mixed media artist it means she's back in her studio. Hip hip hurray! See the mess below? That's the proof ! The gentle ebb and flow of the studio rhythm is finally filtering in after the festive season break.

I've only been dabbling mind. Below is a picture of a tote bag that Julia once gave to me. It has pockets back and front for photographs but I've decided to make some little collages instead.
Now working this small is a challenge in itself. My smallest painting is 50x60cm (20"x24") and these little collages are roughly 9x10cm (3 1/2"x4"). Its a first for me but as with the felt bag I'm having fun fun fun.
There are 9 pockets each side so I have a few more to go yet.

Once finished I will knuckle down to finish that portrait I started last year. Then its more of the same until I feel confident enough to do any one's portrait. Ha! Will that ever happen? Oh well, I will just practice, practice, practice anyway and see what happens. I just hope I don't insult any of my friends when I endeavour to paint their portraits. Just remember I'm just starting out. By the way, you're next Vanita.

The Bag

2010-01-16T22:12:00.003+10:30

I finished Zoe's bag today. I know great felters like Chrissie would probably cringe at my effort but I had so much fun. I want to make another one to correct where I went wrong with this one. Felt is a bit thin in places. Handles are too far apart so it hangs funny when you hold the handles but weeeeeeeeeeeee what fun!!!

The Call of the Studio

2010-01-16T09:35:00.003+10:30

The call of the studio is getting very strong and still I have not got back into the rhythm of things. Bob has been home and Zoe has been staying. I suppose they are reasonable excuses for not starting my art. I did however go in the studio yesterday and start a little project that's been on the back burner. I had promised to make Zoe a felt handbag quite some time ago. I finally got out the wool and felting stuff and started that yesterday. I will continue with that today. I will take some photos to show you when there's something decent to see. I also have this clear vinyl bag that Julia once gave me. It is covered with pockets in which you are meant to put photos but instead I will do some collage and painting. These are just a few little projects to get the rhythm going. Next week Thursday art day will start up again. That will help. Maybe I will get the portrait finished that I started last year. I think I just have to resign myself to the fact that I take about a month off over the festive season. Maybe then I won't be so hard on myself and stress about getting back in the studio. Most of the time I do work hard so having a month off is not unreasonable. There is a lot of self discipline involved in being an artist. There is no one waiting for you to clock on. No boss calling the shots. Its up to you when you work and how long etc. Its taken me quite some time to acquire the skills needed to have a good working practice and I'm scared to fall into the old traps. I'm forever vigilant that I am moving forward not backwards. Forever vigilant that my inner censor, the little voice inside that tries to undermine you, doesn't gain strength. Anyway enough ramblings. I have my goals set for the year and all is right with my world.

Summer

2010-01-12T08:30:00.004+10:30

We have been in the middle of a heat wave with nearly a week of over 40c (104F) temperatures and I was feeling a bit sorry for myself. The pics on my friends blogs of snow made me wish for some cold. However, after reading a recent post by Doris on her blog about shovelling snow I gave this summer verses winter thing a lot of thought. I didn't much like the sound of shovelling snow and sore muscles. If you don't live with snow you don't realise that it will keep building up and eventually you wouldn't get out of your door! No, I thought, that's not for me. Its time I looked at the positives of summer instead of moaning about the heat. So here it goes.

THE POSITIVES OF A HOT SUMMER

Long, long days with the sun starting to rise around 6am and starting to set at 8.30pm. There's still some light at 9pm.

Going down to the beach in the evening to cool off and catch some sea breezes.

Not much laundry to do as you don't wear many clothes.

Washing dries in 15 minutes on the line.

No need to use hot water when taking a shower as the cold water in the pipes is warm enough.

Too hot to cook so a lot of fresh garden salads are on the menu.

Delicious stone fruits of peaches, apricots, nectarines etc are in glut supply. Not to mention all the cooling melons like watermelon, rock melon, honey dew etc. mmm!

Long cold drinks with the ice tinkling on the side of the glass.

Squirting people with my super pump action water gun.

School holidays so I get more time to play with Zoe.

Ice cream.

Barbecues.

Sleeping with all the windows open when there is a night breeze.

The list goes on and on. These are just some things off the top of my head. Yep I love summer even though I grumble about the heat sometimes. It is pretty special. Its like being on holiday in your own backyard. I think I would rather get up early and water the garden than shovel snow. Snow would be nice to visit but brr ...

My leg is on the mend. Thanks for all your well wishes :)

Locked Away

2010-01-09T11:40:00.003+10:30

My leg was getting better and then it took a turn for the worst. So not only am I locked inside due to the weather with temperatures of 40c+ (104F+) but I'm also sitting/laying around trying to rest this darn leg. I do not do well when I'm incapacitated. I feel like I have my wings clipped. The good thing is (I try to look on the bright side hehehe) its too hot to work in the studio, so if I had to have a sore leg now is the perfect time. I must say though that I have a much brighter outlook today which I'm sure makes Bob's life easier hehehe.

Stirrings

2010-01-05T19:13:00.003+10:30

I hurt my right leg somewhere between Christmas and New Year. About an hour after gym one day my knee became sore and stiff. Not sure what it is or how it happened. I'm not one to run to the doctor for every little thing and I do see improvement every day. It does however play up if I do too much.

I had some trouble with the portrait I started before Christmas. Gave my confidence a bit of a knock. I covered it up so I didn't have to look at it. I had to deal with the festive season first. Today as I wondered through the studio I took the cover off. I had stirrings. Sweet, sweet little urges to get back to it. It won't be long ...

Amendment to Post Below

2010-01-03T18:00:00.002+10:30

Small confession. Its nearing the end of the day and not many chores were done. I'm still in holiday mode I suppose. I will try again tomorrow hehehe.

The Start of 2010

2010-01-03T10:28:00.002+10:30

Well here we are in a new year. It slid in quite nicely. We went to a friend's farm for New Year's Eve and sat around with good food and good company until the new year was here. We slept the night and stayed most of the next day. I had forgotten how peaceful the country is. You can hear nature. The birds, the sheep or a dog barking mingled with the sound of my breathing. I don't think I hear myself breathing in the city.

The festivities are over and now its time to get back into a normal rhythm. I have my plans, I know where I am going but that first step is hard to take. I always struggle getting into the rhythm of my art making when I've had time away from it. Every morning I plan what I want to do for the day. A few chores, keep the garden cared for, some exercise and then some studio time. Well it ends up quite different. Not many chores, no gardening done and no studio time :( and another day just disappears. Oh well not to worry. In the words of Scarlet O'Hara "I will think about it tomorrow. After all tomorrow is another day." Well I am going to get off this computer right now and start some chores and see how this tomorrow pans out. I will let you know .....

Pampered Pet

2009-12-29T15:49:00.003+10:30

When the sun went down on Christmas Eve it got a little cool and the grass had that damp feeling. So what's a pampered pet meant to do when they don't want to go inside and miss all the action??? They find a nice warm pile of used Christmas wrapping and snuggle in hehehe.

Everything is slowly getting back to normal around here. I went back to gym yesterday. I also did a little artwork. I'm still a bit slow getting back in the studio for long periods of time. I seem to have that problem when I have some time off. Its hard to get back into the rhythm of things but it will come. The weather is heating up again and that doesn't help. It gets too hot in the studio so I tend to hide inside with the air conditioner on. I will just take it nice and slow till the new year rolls in and then I will knuckle down to some serious creativity.

Happy Festive Season

2009-12-24T10:29:00.005+10:30

Happy festive season to all of you. Thank you so much for your ongoing support and encouragement. Your support has helped me to stretch my wings, flap them a bit and fly ...

Being of European decent we keep the tradition alive by celebrating on Christmas Eve. We started as just a small migrant family missing home. Mum put real candles on the tree our first Christmas here. Its what we did at home. The extreme heat made the candles bend and the tree went up in flames. Dad had to throw the whole tree out of the door. Many of our beloved decorations were broken. I cried. Over the years we modified our traditions to suit the climate and our small family grew. In the last few years the preparations were handed to me. Mum is getting older and Dad is no longer with us so its not fair for the responsibility of the family Christmas to be on Mum's shoulders. As things go along they change and move forward. Some things stay the same and some things change. We have thrown open the doors to not just family but friends as well. We now have open house every year on Christmas Eve. Not just a small migrant family gathering any longer. Its turned into a garden party. This year we are having 18 for dinner. Drop by if you are in the neighbourhood. There's plenty to go around.

Why is it?

2009-12-21T21:39:00.003+10:30

Why is it that we set ourselves huge tasks for Christmas. All those things you never got around to before somehow end up on the Christmas list. Why is that? Will the world stop turning if they're not done? Will Christmas stop if they're not done? Will any body care ... I mean really care??? My garden has been neglected as I have spent more time on my artwork. Fair enough. But couldn't I just have weeded the garden and given it a make over some other time. No, I seem to leave these jobs for Christmas. Why? Maybe because I know they won't get done at any other time hehehe. To make matters worse I took a spontaneous offer to go away for the weekend. Just like that I dropped everything and went away and now I have to cram, really cram, to make it look like I got everything done for Christmas. I did enjoyed the weekend away. Some much needed me time with some major girls talk was just what was needed. Its nearly 10pm. I spent a 14 hour day gardening and now I still need to put clean linen on the bed before I can fall into a coma. Is the list any shorter yet??? My studio is calling me ...

Turtles

2009-12-17T10:11:00.003+10:30

Laura has fish on her blog that I always feed. I had to have something too. I decided on turtles. So feel free to feed them :). They are a bit slow but all three of them will appear after a while.

Garden Party

2009-12-14T22:12:00.004+10:30

I do love Christmas with family and friends coming for our annual garden party but it seriously cuts into my art time hehehe. I'm itching to continue with the next portrait. One good studio session would finish it I reckon. Not yet. Still have a long list of things to accomplish, sigh. I can't just do art. I do need to do those ordinary everyday things too. They keep me grounded. I would just fly off into the zone and lose touch with reality if I didn't have those ordinary everyday things to keep my feet planted firmly on the ground. Yep that's what I have to remind myself as I pull yet another weed or dust places that never see a duster. It will be worth it. Good food, family and friends with the occasional glass of wine or maybe apple cider. Yep, the art can wait.

Finished My Selfy

2009-12-08T19:52:00.004+10:30

My first portrait is finished. There's a lot that could be better but I will improve with more practice. I learnt a lot! I also know my concept works. I can't wait to start the next one and put in practice what I learnt from this one. With the holiday celebrations looming I'm not sure how much studio time I can fit in. My list is so long I really shouldn't be in the studio at all :(

the painting

the photograph

Artists Market

2009-12-07T19:30:00.005+10:30

Phew what a long and tiring weekend. I had to take today off and just mooch around the house and recover. I met some lovely people. Both artists and the public alike. Made some new buddies and had loads of exposure. The weather was glorious and so many people attended the market. It was very busy. My stall backed onto the Port River and every now and then I'd look out for the dolphins. There were beautiful jellyfish that were delightful to watch. Their graceful movement mesmerised me at times. I would not like to be stung by one though. I loved talking to people but the whole selling thing is just not my cup of tea. The decision to go with a commercial gallery to do the selling for me was the right one for me. That's not to say I won't do the market again next year. The picture below is early in the morning when I just finished setting up my (and some of Julia's) work. The sun was shining, there was music and good food and the atmosphere was just brilliant. There was that real summer holiday feeling all weekend.

Selfy - Stage 2

2009-12-03T19:05:00.002+10:30

Its Thursday and that means art day with my friend Mignon. A bit more done to my selfy. Some washes of colour and some stamping. I'm just slowly building up the layers. Next stage will be a little detail I think.

Art at the Hart Artists Market on this weekend at Port Adelaide. On the banks of the Port River down near the old Hart Mill. Saturday and Sunday 11am till 6pm. No studio time for me this weekend.

Award Night

2009-12-02T17:30:00.005+10:30

Granddaughter Zoe did us all proud by receiving an award for high academic achievement. Well done Zoe woohoo! Off we went to presentation evening last night to watch her receive her certificate.

On the stage receiving her award

With Mum and Dad proudly showing off her certificate

A Tentative Start

2009-12-01T16:38:00.005+10:30

I'm sitting here with the pics uploaded, trying to get up enough courage to post them. Deep breath in ... and out ... Its just the very start even though it took me all afternoon to do. I'm on new ground here and really don't know what I'm doing. I just have these ideas and I want to give them a try.

The first pic is the original photo cropped to get rid of some of the background. Its a photo from last year and I haven't got my new glasses yet.

In the second pic I've used the cutout filter on Photoshop to get the shapes that the shadows (and wrinkles) make. This is what I'm working from in the underpainting stage.

And the third pic is my tentative scary start. The canvas is my usual size of 60.9x50.8cm (24"x20") so its rather confronting working on my face to this scale. Deep breath and click ...

Self Portrait

2009-11-30T19:15:00.003+10:30

With all your lovely comments I thought I'd better report on my progress of 'the selfy'. Been playing grandma all weekend so I didn't have any studio time till today. As portraiture is relatively new to me its very slow going. I still want to use text and I still want to do all my layering and of course it has to be BIG. I want to put text and stamping etc in the shapes made by shadows etc and this will be like my underpainting (if that makes sense) and then I will paint a more realistic (ha hopefully) portrait on top. Well today I played around with the shapes that fit together and make me look like me. Still not entirely happy with what I've got but its getting there. I haven't started on the canvas yet. Still experimenting and playing around. I will share more with you when I have something to share. Anyway I have made a start and its so exciting and fun and scary all at once. I just love making art **insert big cheesy grin here**

Life Happens

2009-11-28T17:53:00.004+10:30

Phew! That's all I've got to say. Life just hit me all at once. Its just been such a busy time lately and I'm hoping its not going to get any worse as the holidays loom before me. I have the Art at the Hart Artists Market coming up next weekend so I've been busy designing business cards and working out the layout of my 3 metre x 3 metre space. Trying to work out the best way to cram in as much work as I can and it still look nice. I also had to finish off some work for the market. Below is yet another shoe painting. Its the last. I think I got them out of my system now. I am now starting to experiment with portraiture. So as not to insult any unsuspecting friends and family members I decided to try a self portrait. That way I can try out some techniques without someone waiting and looking over my shoulder to see if I have captured their likeness. Yes I'm doing a selfy and who knows I might be doing self portraits for quite some time to come. I'm totally out of my comfort zone and I'm hoping to be brave enough to show you all my progress. In saying that my progress is expected to be slow due to the holiday season and all the responsibilities that seem to connected to it. That's it for now. Got grandma duties to perform as Zoe is having a sleep over at our place. It means many cuddles but Zoe's also has control of my laptop hehehe.

Dancing Shoes

mixed media on canvas

60.9x50.8cm (24"x20")

The Opening Speech

2009-11-18T17:15:00.002+10:30

Here's an extract from the opening speech for ‘On the Farm’ exhibition at Penny's Hill, November 15, 2009 by Leah Grace.

Welcome to Penny’s Hill Winery Complex, Red Dot Gallery and ‘On the Farm featuring Uta Mooney and Phillip Pike.

I’m Leah Grace arts and cultural development officer with Alexandrina Council and coordinator of the South Coast Regional Arts Centre at Goolwa.

May I begin by congratulating Russell Starke director of Greenhill Galleries on bringing together these two artists in what is clearly a fluid confluence of ideas, philosophies and subject matter.

On the surface it is clear how well suited these two bodies of work are but what makes this show tick and tick it does…

On the surface we have the light hearted celebration of bonhomie, chooks and kitchen paraphernalia, charmingly retro kitchen objects that speak of another time but still resonate with something that’s relevant today - what is the subtext?

Uta Mooney places no less import on the value of family, memories and domestic objects. In this body of work household objects are imbued with her own sense of family, personal history and a sense of the sacred in the every day.

Uta migrated with her family from Germany to Australia at the age of four. A trans global move of this magnitude meant that only the most precious and few of belongings could be brought to the new country. Many people would sight jewellery and more obviously valuable objects as the first choice but it is the most seemingly ordinary domestic objects that Uta values and recalls as the way points to home in whichever country she resides. Home is incredibly important to her as a migrant even at the age of four that feeling of displacement never really leaves her.

Paintings of simple poetic objects underlayed literally with text from books speak of a subtext within the work. Layers reminiscent of a lace curtain, a table cloth, a petticoat from another era have a story to tell, metaphor for a shared history and fodder for the urban archaeologist in us all.

‘Recycled table’ cloth is an image of Uta’s mother-in-law’s red checked tablecloth from her generous table. A delightful playfulness in her work shows newsprint between the checks of the cloth as she plays with the idea of recycling.

Uta is part of a lineage of South Australian women artists who elevate the every day bringing it closer to our attention and helping us to understand ourselves and our culture more clearly. She brings with her the richness of her European heritage, her life lived as a South Australian and the universality of the images before us to this beautiful body of work.

Uta attended art school as a mature aged student beginning in ceramics and glass design. In the last few years she began working in two dimension and embraced wholeheartedly the concept and practise of collage.

When asked if she would return to making three dimensional work Uta is emphatic the she has found her medium, has so much more to explore and simply “must paint”. Fortunate for the art loving public I feel, as personally I look forward to watching Uta’s creative evolution and feel she is mining a vein of gold with these works.

In conversation with Uta about her work she talked about the experience of her family’s short history in Australia and that there is not the sense of generations connected to where she now lives - no graves to visit or family objects handed down from one generation to the next which is why a solid feeling of home is incredibly important to her. The objects in her paintings are deliberately magnified to lift their status as objects of importance and affection to her.

Perhaps some of Uta’s artworks become precious family objects, sacred to her clan that will be passed from one generation to another and priceless in their storytelling of this family’s’ journey from Europe to a future in Australia replacing the objects that could not be brought on that first journey to the new country.

In closing I would like to congratulate you Uta and Phillip on this gorgeous exhibition and officially declare ‘On the Farm’ open. Thankyou.

Penny's Hill Opening

2009-11-15T20:29:00.009+10:30

Just a few random shots from Penny's Hill Winery today. A nice little crowd braved the 40 degree heat (104 degrees F). We are into the second week of those kind of temperatures and its wearing a little thin. Relief tomorrow but by the middle of the week the temperatures are forecast to rise again. Anyway today was nice. I got a little misty eyed over the wonderful opening speech made by Leah Grace (Arts and Cultural Development Officer - Alexandrina Council & Co-ordinator of South Coast Regional Arts Centre). We stayed on after the opening and had lunch and probably a little too much wine tasting. Nice air conditioned surroundings with lovely views of the countryside baking in the searing heat. The food was divine and the wine was a lovely accompaniment.

I Braved the Heat

2009-11-11T15:10:00.004+10:30

Its been too hot to work in the studio so not much art has been done. I was getting antsy. I needed an art fix hehehe. I've been having a slight case of cabin fever creep up on me. We've had unusually hot weather. There has been no spring! Just straight into a summer heat wave. This means you close all windows and doors and pull the drapes closed and stay indoors. I have been going to gym in the mornings but that's it. So as you can see, the cabin fever is warranted. Well this morning I said "enough is enough". I stayed home from gym so I could spend a little time in the studio before it got too hot. I have one of those old water cooled coolers in the studio. I filled it with water and put it on high. I had it blowing right on me. I got in the 'zone' really quickly. Anyway 4 hours later I finished the piece I started before the heat wave. Woo! What a buzz hehehe.

The Tiled Floor

mixed media on canvas

50.8x60.9cm (20"x24")

I'm still not over the shoe thing. Think I still have one or two more in me. Wonder what that's all about. I got this off the net - SHOES : Shoes are symbols of your own personal determination to head in a particular direction. They tend to link to a wish to put a lot of effort into achieving something immediately. Well that fits!

Sob Sob

2009-11-09T19:17:00.000+10:30

Its too hot to paint :(

Another Painting Finished

2009-11-07T16:15:00.003+10:30

Another one done and four to go. Well that's the goal I set myself. Like most of my work these shoes are much larger than life size. They were really fun to do!

Shoe Fetish

mixed media on canvas

50.8x60.9cm (20"x24")

Very Hectic

2009-11-06T20:16:00.003+10:30

I have been cutting back on my computer time. Its just really hectic for me at the moment. The good thing is there isn't enough time for me to eat things I shouldn't hehehe. I'm still getting ready for the Art at the Hart Artists Market. The organisers have also offered a free business workshop to help those of us who are marketing challenged to learn how to sell our work more effectively. I most definitely WILL be attending that. I have two paintings on the go at the moment. I hope to be able to show you soon. They are both about shoes of the high heeled variety. I seem to have a thing about them at the moment. Painting them not wearing them. I can't stand the discomfort of them any more hehehe. I suppose you could say I have a shoe fetish going on.

The weather is heating up and it looks like it will be too hot to work in my studio for the next four days at least :(. I will have to bring my work inside as I just can't have a break at the moment. Nor do I want to have a break at the moment. Its nearly 9pm but I think I will still do a little bit of drawing before hitting the hay.

Goldilocks

2009-11-03T08:43:00.003+10:30

And someone's been sleeping in my bed and HE'S STILL THERE!

Do you think Jack looks stressed? Poor little darling all tired out from guarding me. But don't be fooled. He's ready to jump should anyone threaten me. Mmm well at least I think he is ...

Latest Work

2009-11-01T14:22:00.005+10:30

Just fresh off the easel is another new work. I'm still on schedule. There's 5 weeks till my first art market and that means I should still be able to create 5 more pieces. That will make 10 new works for the market along with some older work in a style that I don't really do anymore.

I usually paint inanimate objects but I had this idea to paint a pair of really full lips. I then decided a vintage microphone will add to the story. My goal for next year is to practice some portraiture until I'm good enough to enter the prestigious Archibald Prize. Its the biggest art prize in Australia with the winner receiving $50,000. Check out this year's finalists here. This year's winner, Guy Maestri entered 8 years in a row before getting into the final 36 and then winning. The entries for the prize have to be delivered together with the entry form the first week of February so I'm hoping I will be good enough by February 2011. You got to have goals don't you? And you also need to try new things so for me that will be portraiture. Of course all kinds of new fears are surfacing. (What if I can't do it? Is it a waste of time? Shall I just stay with what I know? etc etc) Anyway the lips are a little practice piece. Lips are a start right? hehehe

Ooh

mixed media on canvas

50.8x60.9cm (20"x24")

I got Jack to pose with the painting so you can get an idea if its size. Of course you can see my neglected weedy garden in the background. I could've found a better place for the photo hehehe.

Surprise Surprise

2009-10-31T12:38:00.004+10:30

As you all know, I am being represented by Greenhill Galleries Adelaide. I am also on their mailing list so I am kept up to date with all the up and coming exhibitions. They hold exhibitions in the gallery and also in other venues like hotels and wineries. You can imagine my surprise when I opened this months invitations and see my work and name on an invitation. Apparently I am exhibiting in Penny's Hill winery.

Nice surprise. With the exhibition running till 9th February 2010 in a country location with a different clientèle I have hopes of some more sales. Fingers crossed.

I need to get off this time wasting computer and get into the studio. Only 5 weeks till my first art market and most of my work is tied up elsewhere so I need to be painting painting painting. All is right in my world. I can do this, I can do this.

On Thursday

2009-10-23T14:21:00.006+10:30

As you know I spend time with my good friend Mignon Voysey on Thursdays. We spend time in my studio together as arty people like us spend way too much time alone. Its nice to have someone to share with. Mignon finally agreed to let me post a couple of her paintings and I also sneaked in a photo of her while she wasn't looking hehehe. A brand new canvas and she's just pencilling in before she starts painting. Mignon is working on a body of work that relates to a great passion of mine, food ha! And how food plays such an important part of our social activities. Hopefully Mignon will let me keep you up to date with her artwork.

as yet untitled

acrylic on canvas

60x32cm (23"x 13") approx

as yet untitled

acrylic on canvas

60.9x50.8cm (24"x20")

I Finished It

2009-10-22T17:45:00.001+10:30

Water

mixed media on canvas

50.8x60.9cm (20"x24")