Keeping It Small

Small works have been on my agenda for years, but I'm on a roll at present.  The following are part of a group done on paper and glued to canvas.  This procedure is quite time consuming but I rather like the way they present.

Three Arches

Passing The Red Moon

The paper has had several layers of gesso on the back and MANY layers of paint, and varnish, on the front before adhering to the canvas.  Then there are several more layers of varnish on the whole canvas.

When I say small... they are only 6 x 8 inches, on 8 x 10 canvas.

Inspired By Oz

I reckon that the Australian outback property owners are the salt of the earth.  They live in remote places, often barely ekeing out a living from their land.

When you travel in these areas, you are struck by the wonderful colours of the landscape.  We have a LOT of red in Australia, and a plethora of greens (depending on the season).

I have tried to capture an impression of these places.  They are small works, only 6 x 8 inches, mounted on 8 x 10 wide edge canvas.

On Our Selection



The North Paddock



...and the winner is....

Well, choosing the winner of my giveaway was not as exotic as I might have planned, given that I am distracted by my forthcoming show.

I first put all the names, in large letters, on an A4 sheet, intending to put it up somewhere and throw a dart.  As we don't have a dartboard, and I didn't want to throw darts at the house, or one of my precious trees, I put the paper on the grass.  It was windier than I'd've liked, so I had to weigh it down with some pebbles.

Mmmmmm.... we don't have any darts either... will this do?

One of my old 'pottery' tools.  Appropriate, as I have given up pottery and may as well throw them all away.

Oops.... I'm not very good at this..... and had to have several tries to actually hit the paper.

Eventually.... BINGO!

Congratulations Patty Szymkowicz ,  your prize will be posted as soon as I have your address.

Thanks to all who participated.  I appreciate that you are still there, out in Blogland, and there will be other giveaways I'm sure.

OCTOBER EXHIBITION

I am in the final stages of preparing for an exhibition with two friends, opening on 8th October.

Perhaps you'd like to see the opening invitation, although most of you can't come because you are on the other side of the world..... boo hoo   :(

Hope to post lots of images after the event.

100th Post !!!!!!!....and giveaway.

As I am a great believer in the values of tradition (in most cases) I am having a giveaway to celebrate my 100th post.

This tiny mixed media painting is in a 4" x 5" standard mat in case the winner wants to frame it.

Three Blooms

To qualify for the prize you have to be a follower of my blog, and leave a comment below.
I will number each comment in order and find some unusual way to randomly choose one. The winner will be chosen next Sunday.

I look forward to sending it to one of you!!!

Art Awards...Please, Please, Please

Today is the very last day to vote for the People's Choice in the Queensland Regional Art Awards.

Although I've shown you my entry before thought I'd give you a refresher.....



Noughts And Crosses

If you like this painting, please, please, please, vote for it....today.....HERE

With this thought in mind, and the fact that this is my 99th post, come back tomorrow for my 100th post giveaway.

Abstract Series.... First Image

Am off on a new tack (again).  This time it is for the Rosebed Street Gallery at Eudlo that is having a "Show Us Your Smalls" exhibition pre-Christmas.  A great idea, with each selected artist submitting 6 - 8 paintings that will be shown one at a time and, when sold, replaced by another as the show goes on.

Of course the concept necessitates that the size and format of each remain constant for ease of replacement, so I've limited myself to 8" x 10" (inches!... how backward am I?). 

I have done many layers of paint on acid free cartridge paper that was first gessoed several times on each side.  These pieces are then glued to the wide edge canvas (also gessoed several times) then varnished a few times to ensure that they are well sealed.  These will not be framed although the purchaser (if there is one....or two...hopefully) is then free to frame...or not.

The first of this series.....

Stitched

Am already up to number three, but no photos yet.

First Prize ....and there's more...

Hooray... the 'art account' is looking much healthier these days.  Just won a $200 1st Prize for Drawing in the Noosa Show.

"Rainforest"... charcoal

.....AND.. have done a replacement painting for my 'A Carpet Of Purple' which was sold at the COMA exhibition at the Maleny Library.  That exhibition has moved on to the UpFront Club for a month, with my new painting.

"Cactus Flower"... acrylic, with digital image on fabric collage.

This was based on the imported weed, Prickly Pear.

Prickly pear is in our history books as one of the most invasive weeds ever imported into Australia. Special acts of Parliament were passed to enforce control measures in an attempt to halt its spread through Queensland and New South Wales.  

Prickly pear first came to New South Wales with the First Fleet. It was to be used to establish a cochineal dye Industry.  What a disaster!

Acknowledged as one of the greatest biological invasions of modern times, the introduction and subsequent spread of prickly pear into Queensland and New South Wales had infested millions of hectares of rural land by the 1920s, rendering it useless for agriculture. Prickly pear proved so difficult and costly to control by chemical and mechanical means that enormous areas were simply abandoned by their owners.

The eventual control of this pest, mainly by one insect and in the space of a few short years, is an amazing story, which has encouraged further, successful developments in the field of biological pest control.

Interesting yarn...AND true!!

Images From Kakadu

I still haven't sorted my photos from our recent trip, but had a bit of a browse through them this morning. 

Perhaps I should share some from Kakadu....

Overlooking Kakadu National Park

Wetlands

Pandanus... this is the 'water' kind

Jabiru... there were hundreds of them

Ancient Art Ubirr Rock

A mere surface look at such a vast area and, as for my photos.....mmmmmmm.  They don't do it justice....AND I have 2000 of them to look through.

HANDS

Seth Apter, of The Altered Page blog, once made a series of fabulous hand sculptures and I promised I'd post some of my own hands from my former life as a potter.

So, here you are Seth.....

"Gesture" , wallpiece, each tile is about 4cm square. Caloundra Creative Ceramics Award.

"Let Me Out!" from the exhibition "Secret And Sacred Places"

"Shoop, Shoop"

"The Vet Says He's A Basket Case"

"...And I'm Left Holding The Baby"

"The Ritual"

"A Handy Little Yellow Teapot"

While my pots were more about the words than the hands I hope Seth finds them amusing.
The photos aren't all that great as some of them are very old, but you get the idea.

It seems tradition dictates that one must have a 'giveaway' for one's 100th blog.  I'm working on it as I only have a few to go, so you'd best not miss that one. It will be drawn from those followers who post a comment on the 100th blog.  To 'follow' you need to sign up for a 'gmail' account... not difficult, and it's FREE.  It's always handy to have a separate email anyway, so I've found.  R used to get quite cross at the number of emails on his list.  Now he hardly gets any.



Weed Exhibition

COMA has just had it's ninth exhibition, a small show in the Maleny library.  All the same size, the works were to depict an imported species that has had a negative effect on the Australian environment.

As always it was an interesting and diverse collection from eighteen artists.  To see each work in detail click HERE.

Sonja, Noela, and Kim in the library

Left side of the show

Right side of the show

Middle of show (that's me,,, sold!)

After a gathering to open the exhibition some of us went to dinner to celebrate.

Maleny is such a melting-pot of diverse talents and I feel privileged, as a 'mountain' person, to be part of the group.

There's always a beginning, a middle AND an end

My weekly Scrapiteria collage challenge has come to an end.  Angelica, who did all the organising, has decided to move on to other projects.

Sooo, the theme this week is, obviously, THE END .

There's always a beginning, a middle, AND an end.

I will miss the weekly challenge, and the creative works of other collagists, but one must move on.  Mine has been a relatively short association with the group. I've been having fun but some of the other members are serious and VERY talented artists.  Check them out HERE

Studio Visit

ARTS CONNECT arranged for hinterland artists to open their studios on two recent weekends.  I used the opportunity to visit my artist friend Danni Oliver at her home in Montville.

Danni and I once went to the same art teacher and have been to many workshops together since those days.

Mixed media workshop... great fun!!!

At home in the studio

Her studio is so spacious and light, and Danni keeps it much neater than mine.

We spent a couple of pleasant hours on the floor going over previous works (in progress).

Her painting rack is an inspired construction made of recycled wood and broom handles bought VERY cheaply at a throwout sale.  Worth copying don't you think?