Artists' Dairy Week 25

Framing, framing, framing!

Preparing for my open studio in a few weeks, still so much to do. One paints and paints and paints then suddenly there are 30 pictures to be framed!

Delivered paintings to the Foundation Week Art Awards in Parramatta and was delighted to hear I won best Watercolour with 'Across Cornwallis'. The exhibition runs until Sunday afternoon 12th October at Parramatta Town Hall. Well worth a visit.

Went to the opening of Warwick Fullers' 2014 exhibition at the Lost Bear Gallery in Katoomba. This is a must see, the body of work produced is extraordinary and the hanging of the show is fabulous! It was also the launch of his book "Impressions and Interpretations' beautifully produced with poetry by Sean Murphy.

http://www.lostbeargallery.com.au/artists/painters/warwick-fuller

With Warwick at his opening, trying to absorb some of his genius!

Still haven't managed to put brush to paper, too much happening.

This week I have paintings at Charlton Rotary Art Show in Victoria and that is all!

Coming up is the Macquarie Towns Spring Affair

Happy Painting!

Artists' Diary Week 24

Not a great deal to blog about this week except to say my good friend Mellissa Read Devine is a finalist in the Paddington Art Prize!

Doing  lots of sorting and preparing for my open studio in November. I need to start now, the studio is in a huge mess!

Friday morning headed off to Narrabeen to do a demonstration. Lovely group of enthusiastic artists.
Looking forward to doing a workshop for them in the new year.

'Country Town, Victoria'

Followed this up with my Friday afternoon class, last one for this term. We have spent the whole term focusing on sheds/cottages in the landscape and incorporating figures and animals. Next term we will be studying trees in the landscape.

'Dookie Shed'

Happy to say I won 1st in watercolour at the Goulbourn Art Show!

'Abandoned'

Sunday headed off to Balmain to collect unsold works from the recent group show. Pleased to say there were some sales!

Coming up this week, visiting a new gallery in Galston, Warwick Fullers' exhibition opening and book launch at The Lost Bear Gallery in Katoomba, Foundation Week Art Show in Parramatta and Charlton Rotary Art Show in Victoria and hopefully get stuck into some painting!

Happy Painting!

Artists' Diary Week 23

A prize, some sales and meeting new artists!

Not a whole lot of painting happening just now, renovations are really taking hold of my time!

Visited my courier to collect some unsold work and to drop in and see family for a short visit.

On my way to teach on Friday got a call from Hobsons Bay Rotary Art Show to tell me I was lucky enough to win 1st in Watercolour!

'Perched'

This was followed by 2 more messages to let me know I had sold 2 paintings as well. Woot.

'Autumn Morning, Bright' Sold!

'Maintenance' Sold!

Taught my Friday class and they completed 2 paintings in the 3hr afternoon session. I was impressed. One was a no drawing exercise again and they found it liberating to not be constrained by a preliminary drawing.

                                              

 Saturday was a quick trip to Richmond to drop off paintings and then on to Windsor for a short plein air session. Only had a spare hour or so, had places to go in the afternoon!

First up in the afternoon was one of my plein air painting buddies, Marcia Reas' student exhibition. Marcia is a well known and respected artist. 

MASTER and APPRENTICES

Everyone is enthusiastically invited to attend 

an Exhibition of New Works 

by the Students of MARCIA REA, Professional Artist and Teacher;

Mary Vassallo, Shanthi Kugenthiran, Denise Sancbergs,

Ken Callaghan, Ed Sancbergs.

OFFICIAL OPENING

2.00pm Sat 20th Sept 2014 (wine & canapés)

Then each day between 10.00am & 4pm until Sun 28th Sept.

at

MARCIA REA FINE ART STUDIO

522 Terrace Road, Freemans Reach. NSW..

ph 4579 6338

Painting by Marcia to be raffled in support of

Hawkesbury Rural Fire Service

From there I ducked home to collect my man and head to Balmain for the opening of a group show 'Can't Wait for Summer'

at Breathing Colours Gallery

446 Darling Rd Balmain running until the 28th September.

 Mellissa Read Devine, Gabby Malpas, Kirana Haag, myself and John Klein at our group show opening.

'Calm morning, The Entrance' Sold!

All in all a good week!

Artists' Diary Week 22

Winners are Grinners!

My plan this week was to have a rest day after the previous weekend of tutoring but needed to deliver to Northbridge Art Prize and was pretty excited to receive a call to say I had won a prize. Had to wait till Friday evening at the opening to find it was 2nd in the Works on Paper. One of the highlights of the night was judge Nick Vickers insightful discussion as to why he chose the winning works. It is a great show and well worth a visit.

'Postcards from the Kimberley'

We are doing some home renos so my painting time is somewhat diminished. There are things to select and decisions to be made!

Judged the Orange Blossom Festival Art Show at Castle Hill on Wednesday, some wonderful works on display and it is always a hard task but I hope most were comfortable with my selections.

Taught my normal class on Friday and am really trying to challenge them to do some quick watercolours with no preliminary drawing!

Quick demo with no drawing! 

'Hayshed, Yackandandah'

Had a wonderful weekend tutoring at Little River Art Studios in Grose Wold. Fabulous bunch of enthusiastic participants who were all pushed outside their comfort zones but produced some great work!

My demo 

Class work!

Another exercise without preliminary drawing 'Grampians Vista'

A wonderful barbecue was provided Saturday evening!

Was feeling somewhat tired after the weekend so plan to have a rest day!

This coming week I have paintings at Hobsons Bay in Melbourne, Breathing Colours is still running until next Sunday!

Artists' Diary Week 21

Already Wednesday and finally getting around to writing my weekly blog! Just a tad late.

This is such a busy time of year, art shows everywhere! Spent a whole day just sorting, filling in forms and packing work for the courier to collect.

All crated and labelled.

Started a large 110x66cm watercolour for a marine show but missed the entry date! Will finish it soon. 

Received a nice call from Scone informing me I had won the pastel section in their art show. Always a welcome call to receive.

Golden Morning, Castlereagh

Headed off to beautiful Port Stephens to tutor a weekend watercolour workshop.

Such a beautiful area, managed to get some great reference material. 

They were a very enthusiastic group who worked hard even though they were pushed right outside their comfort zone. They completed a couple of works with many exercises thrown in for good measure.

 'Old Cottage, Dookie' 66x56cms sold off the easel!

 'Thru the Trees' 66x56cms

My final demo 'Dripstone Gum' which I gladly donated for their next raffle.

So, another good week, a prize, a couple of sales and managed to complete some works.

Coming up is Breathing Colours Gallery stockroom sale 'Can't Wait for Summer',

Nepean Art Societies Spring Exhibition, Orange Blossom Festival at Castle Hill and Scone Art Show continues until Sunday the 14th September.

Artists Diary Week 20

Wow, what a week, there were exhibition openings, deliveries,demonstrations, workshop tutoring and prizes to accept with a couple of sales along the way! 

Finished some work which was begun on Sunday and completed another.

'Calm Waters' Heading to Breathing Colours Gallery, Balmain on Sunday.

Entered the Springwood Artfest for the first time and was absolutely gobsmacked to take out the Rose Lindsey Award for Best in Show!

'Big Reds' Sold too!

Did a watercolour demonstration at the Southern Cross Art Society Tuesday night, thought the numbers would be down because the weather was appalling but there were plenty there to watch and listen. A very enthusiastic and welcoming group. 

'Broome Boatyard'

Friday train sketching.

Attended the official opening at Springwood on Friday night, excellent food, wine and wonderful music along with a panel discussion on the Archibald event. An entertaining evening.

Also received a call to say I had won the watercolour prize in Kiama!

'The Boatyard'

There does seem to be a bit of a boat theme happening here.

Saturday afternoon was a another opening at Penrith where two prizes came my way, Best Australian Landscape and Best Drawing.

Sunday I tutored a workshop for the Shire Art Society at Caringbah. Again a great group and I pushed them right out of their comfort zone but they responded beautifully producing some wonderful watercolours.

'Dookie Farmsheds' 

'Rushworth'

Another full week ahead, seems to be that time of year, all the spring shows are now coming up.

Artists' Dairy Week 19

What a week that was!

Monday took it easy, just unpacked work from Balmain. Sunday had been so hectic and I was pretty tired. Tuesday was spent with my sister and father (who is almost 91 as he tells everyone) helping him in his little raised garden.

Wednesday spent the morning sorting paintings and rehanging some in the studio. After a quick trip to collect some work from Richmond it was into the studio and completed this painting.

112x76cms, still needs some assessing.

Thursday was the usual painting with friends and discussing artists we have discovered. We spend some time analyzing their work and studying their processes and brushstrokes etc. There really are some incredible artists out there!

Completed this one 'Brooklyn Fishing Boats' 76x56cms

Friday it was off to the RAS. Did some more sketching on the train and here are a couple. I love sketching and it is addictive.

                                                      

Then there was the weekend!

It began early Saturday morning with a trip to Richmond to spend some time at Magnolia Mall where MTAS had a stand for the HAAT Open Studio weekend.

Sheila Sharp doing her bit to keep everything looking good!

Next it was up the hill to Little River Art Studios, where I was going to be demonstrating guest artist on Sunday, to take some photos. I also visited a couple of other studios in the area and was impressed with the presentation and quality of work. 

Little River Art Studios

Rushed home to change and head to Balmain for Mellissa Read-Devines' opening of her exhibition 'Springsong' at Breathing Colours Gallery. Wonderful, vibrant exhibition!

Mellissa and I at her opening. A colour explosion!!

Sunday was spent demonstrating most of the day and engaging with those who kindly visited the studio and stayed to watch the demos. 

'The Boatshed' 76x56cms

'The Shearing Shed' 60x40cms

I did begin a 3rd painting but it was getting on and someone handed me a glass of wine, needless to say that was the end of that. A wonderful open studio weekend where we met many new and interested patrons.  

Happy painting!