Artists' diary Week 29

Lunches, afternoon teas and family.

Currently have my brother visiting from Canada for my fathers' 91st birthday so this week centered around family matters.

Birthday lunch on Monday followed by another on Thursday.

Wednesday was spent with friends critiquing plein air works completed the previous week.

Taught all day Friday at the RAS to make up a lesson I missed from last week. My students are achieving some amazing results considering they have been coming for less than a year.

Have started a plein air painting a day challenge for November and to make it a bit more interesting have decided to do all of mine in oil to try to reinforce as much as possible of the lessons learned in the Warwick Fuller workshop last weekend

Day 1

Day 2

On Sunday we headed to Blackheath to collect unsold paintings for myself and another artist and decided to drop into the Hydro Majestic for afternoon tea. Just stunning and the view leaves one breathless!

Untitled Album

Still have to make it to another friend, Kristine Ballards' exhibition 'Cangiante' in Newtown!

http://www.ckgallery.com.au

Coming up is my annual Open Studio weekend and this year I have decided to do it over two weekends. So much to organize with trying to hang all new work, cleaning and sorting paintings, framing and finishing works!

All welcome!

Happy painting!

Artists' Diary Week 28

A very exciting week for me indeed.

Began with delivering works for myself and another artist to Blackheath.

Continued on with my framing in readiness for my open studio weekend only to find I cut a whole bunch of full sheet mats too small! Not quite sure just what I was thinking that day.

Delivered paintings to my courier to go to Nundle.

Thursday I headed for the beautiful Kanimbla Valley for a workshop with the extraordinary artist Warwick Fuller. Stopped on the way to paint and was joined by another artist which is always fun.

The weekend was just amazing, great location, food, discussion and exemplary tuition.

Warwick is a wonderful tutor with a great store of knowledge, is generous with his time and makes everyone feel very comfortable regardless of their skill level.

Some of the wonderful vistas and Warwick doing a demonstration painting.

My efforts from the weekend.

On Thursday evening I received a call from Warragul Rotary to say I had won the Best in Show with my painting 'Perched', was pretty chuffed!

After a very full weekend I returned home to see my brother from Canada who is visiting for my fathers' 91st birthday!

Time to recut my mats and continue sorting the studio!

Happy painting!

Artists' Diary Week 27

Deliveries, collections and a couple of sales!

Spent a full day gessoing boards for an upcoming workshop with the master painter Warwick Fuller. I am so excited to be able to spend a few days in the Kanimbla Valley absorbing all I can. 

 The production line.

Organised the hanging for our local spring art exhibition and as always there were some lovely works on view! Sales as well which is always heartening for the exhibiting artists.

Photos courtesy of Sheila Sharp

Continued on with my framing, had 26 to do!

Just a small pile of finished work to frame.

16 now matted and mounted, getting there!

Taught my Friday class and am very impressed with the work my students are producing.

One of my students' incomplete works. Trish has only been painting with me for a year and is doing really well.

Delivered paintings for myself and two other artists to the Fairfield Art Show.

This week I will have work at Blackheath, Fairfield and Ryde.

Artists' Diary Week 26

A workshop, another opening and another award.

Monday was a watercolour workshop day for Bankstown Art Society. A very enthusiastic group who were pushed way out of their comfort zone and produced some very pleasing work.

A few of the students works

Taught my regular Friday class at the RAS. This term we are focusing on trees in the landscape.

'Flinders Giant River Red'

Saturday evening I attended the opening of 'Triptych' at Purple Noon Gallery, Freemans Reach. This is a wonderful show from three very diverse artists, Ros Goody, Carl Stringfellow and Philip Nolan! We always have a wonderful time at these openings and the show is well worth a visit.

 Deidre Morrison, Mellissa Read-Devine and Patricia Devine

The irrepressible Philip Nolan, mwah and the ever irreverent Carl Stringfellow

http://purplenoongallery.com.au/2014/09/triptych-ros-goody-carl-stringfellow-philip-nolan/

Discovered I had also received a HC at the Parramatta Art Show for 

'Lost in a Sea of Gold'

What's next? MTAS Spring Show next weekend at the Richmond School of Arts.

Happy Painting!

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!