Art up north and leisure down south.

I worked on my new painting inspired by the Alice and it ha been a real learning experience.  First I coated a board with gesso - twice.  Then, I used thick layers of gesso to create a sky and hills.  Once that was dry, I used modelling paste to add stencilled images of the birds and insects I encountered.  That took longer to dry, but when it was done, I created a background wash in inks.  Last came the creative, fun part.  Using differed inks, I created a transition from sky to land, from hills to valleys, and brought out the details in the stencils.  I added travelling marks to map the link between the images, drawing for inspiration the aboriginal idea of mapping the country as an aerial view, and using symbols to show meeting places  My next step was to photocopy images and notes from my sketchbook onto tissue paper adhered to postage sheets.  I ripped these tissue images into scraps and glued them to the picture with rice paper glue.  Now it was time to add more writing of ideas and images that the Alice evokes in me.  And finally, another wash of inks to highlight areas.  Done!  Very satisfying.......and such a good diary of my brief visit to the heart of the continent.

My black and white theme is also developing.  Very abstract!  My repertoire is developing!

My wool did not turn up from AK traditions in time for me to finish off my doll, unfortunately.  They still are developing their on-line ordering system, so it has taken longer to get the wool than I expected.  Never mind, there is no deadline.

Instead I worked on finishing an order for a fish.  The tail is now embroidered, and the gills are defined.  Next for the fins and the sprayed layers of varnish.

I also prepared a textured background for another ink work based on the Alice.  I am on a theme here! The area really made an impression considering I was only there for a week!

And then it was off to Victoria with my watercolour pad and camera.

My first adventure was to the zoo with some young friends.  The Melbourne Zoo gets better every year.  The plantings are imaginative and really enhance the environment of the animals whose enclosures are constantly being improved.  The focus is on the preservation of the native environments of the animals, education of humans and conservation, which I really endorse.  

I was fascinated by the striping variations in the zebras.

And got a lot of inspiration from even the roots of the trees.

  Plus, they have a wonderful variety of artworks dotted here and there.

 My two year old friends insisted on visiting the monkeys.  They adore the gorillas, and the last time they visited, one child was kissed by a gorilla through the glass.  When I, as an adult, have visited, the gorillas have shown no interest in the spectators at all, but with my young friends, they came up close and watched each other through the glass.  What a wonderful bond we have with our cousins.  They were entranced by the gibbons too, who also pressed their faces to the glass for a kiss from a human two year old.  I want the hanging pouches that the gibbons, lemurs and colobus monkeys  have in their cage.  Wonderful hanging sculptures.  Another favourite were the meerkats.  Not only did they get to watch their antics, but they get to share their experiences of  popping into holes, looking up at the world through the bottom of a tunnel, and playing in the sandpit.  It was feeding time when we visited the African hunting dogs, and we marvelled at their burst of speed as they raced towards to keeper at feeding time.  The strength of their jaws as they bite their way through bones with great ease is incredible - and a little intimidating. These are not little lap dogs!  We enjoyed the amphibians and reptiles before  hunger and tiredness set in.  Lots of ideas from that reacquaintance with the Zoo!  Bet you they turn up in future work!

My next adventure was a drive to Port Fairy to spend three days with old friends - three other couples who form a group we call the "Gourmet Club", which is a terribly pretentious title for a group which is more focused on chatting and lolling around than high- falluting, pretentious, foodies.  We used to stay in sharers' quarters when we were parents of  10 children between us: picturesque, fun, but not always up-market.  Now, we stay in this beautiful house:

  Even the arrangement by the front door is imaginative.

 I could watch the view from the upstairs windows all day:

 

  Just love the wildness of the scenery : the constantly changing sea, the rock pools, the scudding clouds.  Could look at the landscape for ever!  It has featured in a lot of my past work.

Port Fairy has countless art galleries - which, this visit, I didn't have time to visit.  And, I missed out on next week's craft market.  But, I took photos, admired the beautiful 19th century bluestone cottages, and bought shoes at the wonderful "If the Shoe Fits".

I also caught up with the work of my Photographer friend, Jill Frawley.  Check out her work at www.jillfrawley.com.  I especially love her rural photos, but she is also known for her portraits of families, wedding photos and series on the bush fires which ravaged the Western District.

I feel like I am in "Where's Wally? "  Where will I go next?

Artist friends

This week, I managed to finish my Japanese queen sized quilt.  I like it so much, I can't bear to part with it, and since Bob loves it too, it is destined for one of our beds, to snuggle in during winter, and for the cat to shed hairs on, I suppose.

I have also been working away on my doll clothes, knitting so fast that I have had to send off for more wool.

I've started sewing up my huge koi fish, and have nearly finished embroidering  the tail.  It is coming along well.

I am still working on my art, of course.  This week, I painted a board with gesso, then using various tools, created patterns, textures and motifs using gesso and modelling paste.  Next, I dropped in a background of my Aussie earth tones.  Next, I will be creating the surface, using inks and Shiva oil sticks.  I am hoping to make another ode to the red centre in this piece.  Hope it turns out!

I also did another piece using black and red inks, based on volcanic cross sections I have seen.   I am liking working with black, and hope to make some more abstract  pieces using this method in the future.

And, I finished my little work featuring bush turkeys, the confident raiders of the suburban garden up here.

As well as doing work myself, I have been admiring the work of others.

At the BIA exhibition this week, they are featuring the work of  Mary Brimblecombe, "Time and Timelessness" and Michael Daley.  Mike and I participated in an oil painting class under Margaret Fredricksson a few years ago, and he has gone on to create his own unique style in acrylics, in spite of his developing Parkinson's Disease.   I was very chuffed to see how enthused other people are of his work too.  He has worked damn hard to achieve the skills and creativity shown in his work.

He is not the only one of my peers to be doing well.  Riley Lawson, who I have mentioned in a previous blog, is one of the artists in the RAW arts, "generation" program  at Arena ( 210 Brunswick st, Fortitude Valley from 7.30 to 12 am on March 22nd).  Plus, he has been interviewed in Moustache Magazine.  Not bad for his first year studying in Melbourne.

I also watched the Artscape program on the ABC, "Jamie  Daddo: a different Canvas".  It documents the art of Andrew Daddo's twin brother, and the close relationship between the two men.  Jamie Daddo was hit by a car when he was 18, and , as a result, lost much of his speech and movement.  In spite of the damage to his brain, he has gone on to find love, become an artist, and be a really positive person.  A very inspiring and touching episode.  Congratulations to the ABC, once again.

 

Of exhibitions and mixed media

What an interesting week!  We have had a robbery, injuries, continual rain, and a constant trail of workmen through the house, but my friend, Trish, and I  have also had lots of little creative excursions and I have somehow managed to get on with my projects.

 

We had a marvelous time visiting the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT) at the Queensland Art Gallery.

 As usual, it was mind-blowing.  The two  Queensland galleries should be commended for continuously staging  such magnificent exhibitions which appeal to a wide audience.  This time, there were more installations and less paintings than last time, but I still found it amazing. 

I  adored the work of the Chinese Made In Company.  They did a marvelous installation of a flourescent island with flourescent trees called "Spread", but my favourite was a faintly creepy wall hanging which was just as wonderful, called "Overrun the Four Seas" of which this is a detail.

 The Indonesian contribution, by the artist collective Ruangrupa, incorporated all sorts of elements - from posters to letters, to stencils, to graffiti, to motor scooters,  in an installation piece called "The Kuda: the Untold Story of Indonesian Underground Music in the 70s".  Good fun, while describing a not fun period in Indonesian society .  These are some elements from it.

 

I tend to dislike most hand-blown glass animals, but loved the savannah type of expanse of this sea of animals by Tiffany Chung of Vietnam, called, poetically enough, "roaming with the dawn-snow drifts, rain falls, desert wind blows". 

In fact a lot of the installations were great.  Look at the shadows cast by this one by Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi of New Zealand and Tonga:

 Finally, I really adored some of the work from our near neighbours.  Aren't these great?
First is "Tokatokoi" by PNG's Vunapaka Cultural Group.

Next is Allana Movana of PNG's "Rarapka":

 

 Lastly, this is Ben Afex of Papua Indonesia's "Spirit Mask":

We also had a quick look at some of the the other displays in the galleries. There were some nice pieces from some great Australian artists: Margaret Olley, Margaret Preston and Olsen, to name a few.  However, I loved the wood work from traditional aboriginal artists- so much control using fairly simple tools to create an object of elegance which is useful too. This is "Coolamon" by an unknown artist in about 1900. 

And some of their paintings too made me want to play with the ideas and techniques too. 

Of course, not all of the exhibition was to my taste, but I still enjoyed the total experience.  I recommend that you visit it soon, before it is over.

Because of the rain, I have got quite a bit of knitting done.  I have finished the doll's body, sewed it together, and am now working on the clothes.  Because it is smaller than the other dolls, I am enjoying this project better.  Plus, I was knitting with the expert, Trish, and somehow the company made for a more positive attitude.  Of course, she finished her project quickly, while I am still battling on. 

And, I have got a some painting done.  Not sure about some of it, but I am learning a lot and enjoying myself.  I especially like the way my rather abstract homage to the red centre turned out.

 

 

I surpirised myself by coming up with this also very abstract one:

 

 

 

This one is a fun one based on butterflies and maps of the Brisbane area:

 

 

 

And this is the finished one I did of Sandy Point:

 

 

 

 I took advantage of a lull in the constant rain squalls to do some tie dyeing.  The fabrics were sitting stewing in their plastic bags, waiting to be untied.  Today I opened them and am really pleased with the results. 

 

 When they are ironed, I can start making the fish. In the meantime I am trying to get all the stains out of the clothes I was wearing while I dyed.  When will I a) dress appropriately? b)  be less messy?  Probably never.