As Yet, Untitled

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 :)

This Year's Goals

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")

Knock Knock

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")

First for 2010

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")

Sticky Fingers

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.

Selfy - Stage 2

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.

Another Painting Finished

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")

Latest Work

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.

I Finished It

Water

mixed media on canvas

50.8x60.9cm (20"x24")

Here It Is

Shall I Put the Kettle On?

mixed media on canvas

60.9x50.8cm (24"x20")

Drum Roll

Yay I'm officially back at the easel!!! I am now working towards an art market that will be held on the 5th and 6th of December. Not realising that Greenhill Gallery were going to keep all my work for future sales, I am very low on stock. I only have old stuff that I have outgrown. My skills are more developed now so I don't feel I want to do an art market with only old stuff. Anyway below are two new works. One that has been sitting on my easel partly done for months and the other which I only started last Thursday. Oh its good to be back.

Dig

mixed media on canvas

50.8x60.9cm (20"x24")

Stir

mixed media on canvas

101.6x76.2cm (40"x30")

New Work

I'm really tired. I've been busy for so long without really filling the well. I went to gym this morning and then took cd of images of all my work for the exhibition to the gallery (deadline was today) and then I sat and watched dvd's all afternoon. Just doing nothing, thinking of nothing, sitting and watching mindlessly. I will feel more energetic tomorrow. I just needed some down time. I desperately need to do some household chores. I've got behind and the place is a real mess. I need to dust and vacuum and wash floors. I need to tend to my garden and I need to do some laundry. But as Scarlett O'Hara would say ... I'll think about it tomorrow when I can stand it. After all tomorrow is another day.

Afternoon Tea

mixed media on canvas

60.9x60.9cm (24"x24")

Not Before Dinner
mixed media on canvas
50.8x60.9cm (20"x24")

Brown Onions
mixed media on canvas
91cmx91cm (36"x36")

The Dream

Here you go Bev. This is the suitcase painting I created last year. Its about my dream of meeting Doris in Paris and eating French cheese hehehe. I created it for an exhibition that had a French theme and it received a 'highly commended' from the judge. It was purchased by the City of Marion for their collection in the 'Peeking Through Someone Else's Window exhibition that I had recently with Julia and Zoe. I used images of vintage French posters and pages from a French phrase book in the background and then painted the suitcases over the top.

The Dream

mixed media on canvas

76.2x50.8cm (30"x20")

I haven't got Photoshop, which I use to edit my photos, installed on my new computer yet. It means I can't share the artwork I just finished yesterday. Its called 'Brown Onions' so guess what I painted hehehe. I also had another full day in the studio today and got the background done for the next painting. I have already come up with the title of ' Not Before Dinner' as its going to have a bowl of liquorice all sorts painted on it. By Tuesday week I have to have all work finished and photographed so Greenhill Gallery can put them on their web site. This has all happened so fast. I can't believe I have a solo exhibition opening in just over a month. No time to be nervous. I still need to find something to wear. That always causes me the most grief hehehe.

All Packed Up

All my artwork is labelled, priced and packed up in our lounge room ready to go. All forms are filled in. The t's are crossed and the i's are dotted. Is it normal to feel a bit sad? Its like my children are leaving home. They are all part of me I suppose. They are the evidence of my struggles, my fears, my perseverance and my growth. They are the pictures of my journey and our home is going to be empty without them. Gee I sound so mournful hehehe. I am also very excited and can't sleep properly. Its going to be great to see all my work in that lovely uncluttered space. I must remember my camera tomorrow so I can show you how its going.

Peeking Through Someone Else's Window

The Gallery M newsletter for May is out and look who they are advertising. The opening is only a week away and I'm so excited weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Anyway, you know what to do, just click on the newsletter to get a larger version.

#29 and #30

Urban Script

mixed media on canvas

101.6x76.2cm (40"x30")

Street Culture

mixed media on canvas

101.6x76.2cm (40"x30")

Since posting these on my Red Bubble site http://www.redbubble.com/people/utam I have had a lot of favourable comments. Both have been featured in certain groups and a lot of people have put them on their favourites list. Wasn't sure how a bunch of old advertising poster pieces would be perceived hehehe. I had fun collecting them and fun creating with them and people enjoy them. What more can a girl want???

The Meaning of Art

There's a blog I came across by Katherine Treffinger. There Katherine poses the question "What meaning does art have for you? Why do you show up in your studio, or wherever and pick up your tools day after day?" Well I thought about this for several days before I emailed Katherine the answer. She posts the answers on her blog http://katherinetreffinger.blogspot.com so you can check out my answer and answers from other artists there.

New work below. That makes 28 pieces for the exhibition. I set myself a goal of 30 so only 2 more to go. The colours aren't exactly right on the photo as there was no sunshine today. Only gloomy dark skies. We've had quite a bit of rain YAY!!!

Tick-Tock

mixed media on canvas

50.8x60.9cm (20"x24")

For the Love of Old Books

New work. Another one completed, yay. As is the norm with my paintings, its larger than life size.

It's on the Shelf

mixed media on canvas

50.8x60.9cm (20"x24")

I just love old books. I like them to be written between 1920 and 1940. I really enjoy the style of writing between these dates. They are simple interesting stories and very descriptive in their narrative. And of course nothing compares to the smell of an old book.

Well I'm off to paint cupcakes now. Cupcakes or muffins, I haven't decided yet. Will just have to wait and see.

The Tablecloth Saga

The tablecloth and the peg painting is going well. I should really call it a construction not a painting. Not much painting going on but lots and lots of tedious cutting and gluing. Very tedious cutting and gluing. Did I mention it was tedious ugh! The results however are quite pleasing to my artist's heart so it keeps me going.

I prepared some altered and stained newspapers before I started as these were to form the checks of the tablecloth. So I needed two types of red and a white.

I started with a bit of text stamping but I lost most of it as I continued to paint in the background. This still needs to be resolved with more text I think but I will worry about it later.

I started cutting and gluing the checks of the tablecloth. Each 'square' is such a different shape and I have to pay careful attention to this to get the movement of the tablecloth right. The wind was moving it ever so slightly as I took the photo and I want to capture that. The colours are a little richer in real life as I took these photos inside with a flash. I looks a little like a patchwork quilt rather than a tablecloth but I don't mind that. Like I've said before, the canvas is on the large side 101.6x76.2cm (40"x30") with the peg measuring 35cm (14"). Still a bit to go and I still need to resolve that background so I'd better get to it.

The Tablecloth and the Giant Peg

Bob is home and is doing well. We are hoping this is the end of it. He's sick of going to hospital and he wants his life back. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and well wishes.

I'm working on a new piece. The canvas is on the large side as usual. I can't get my paintings to work on a smaller scale. The canvas is 101.6x76.2cm (40"x30") and I started with the theme of washing on the line. I always start with a photo. I can see what composition works and change the subject matter etc. Anyway after quite a few photos and strange looks from my son as I was standing on a stool in order to get the right angle of the washing line, I settled on a photo of a red and white checked tablecloth being held down by a peg (see image below). Now you think this would be an easy thing to draw but as I found out today the red and white checks take on all sorts of odd shapes depending on the fall of the fabric.


What I decided to do is to depict the checks in various altered and stained newspaper so after taking photos I went to work on some papers to make sure I had enough to choose from. It will probably look more like a patchwork quilt than a tablecloth but that's ok. At this stage the background will consist of text being stamped on with medium. This forms a bit of a resist when you paint over it and the result should be some subtle text showing through in the 'sky'. I won't have any of the buildings or other things in the painting. Just the tablecloth and the peg. As the canvas is on the large side the peg will be huge. It will be about 35cm in length which is roughly 14". My love of inanimate objects continues and this time I'm showcasing the humble peg hehehe. A giant humble peg, wooden of course, all grey and weathered. I wouldn't use any other. Anyway the papers are prepared, the image is drawn onto the canvas so I'm ready to get stuck into it but not till tomorrow, I'm done for today.