December drawing

December means time to get out the pens and sharpen up the drawing skills.
One page per day is the aim

Final bundle sculpture

Final version of the sculpture created for the bundle theory theme.

Final soft sculpture

Final incarnation of the soft sculpture project for my semester at LaTrobe College of Art and Design
I abandoned the idea of hanging from the ceiling as it was not elegant.
Looked better mounted on the wall I think.

Site Specific Sculpture

The final assignment I completed for the LaTrobe Sculpture class was a site specific sculpture. It had to be ephemeral and related to the site.
The site I chose was the Royal Mint where gold coins were minted.
Today it is a Greek museum, but the impressive Mint coat of arms remains on the gates.
So I stacked up gold coins on the gates and left a treasure chest at the foot of the gates.
This also related to the idea of gold paving the streets of Melbourne during the Gold Rush in the 1850s.
The next step was to photograph the elimination of the sculpture.
People were amazingly reluctant to remove the chocolate gold sovereigns. But eventually passers by collected the gold from the streets!

Contemporary Artist Society Show

Entries for the Contemporary Artist Society Show next weekend.


Heart's Stepping Stones (above) 45cmx45cm

Sustantivo 4 (above) 24x20cm

This has been reworked from The Briagolong show

Post Meridian (above) 24x20cm

69 Smith St Two Feet Exhibition

These are my entries for the 69 Smith St Two Feet Exhibition.
Three small works 24 x 20 cm.
I interpreted the theme (Two Feet) by using the image of the evolution of man rising to walk on two feet, and added the headlines from newspapers about sea levels rising two feet in the USA.
So through our evolution and development, we have compromised the earth on which we walk.
The exhibition opens on Wed 2nd but the official "launch" is next Saturday the 5th December at Smith St.

Abstract Art

Our Tuesday painting class has been on abstract art. My attempt below, with a detail.

Variations on the bundle theory assignment

Contemporary Artist Society Show

Beginning a new painting to enter into the Herron Island Art show next week.
This is the background - will work on it this week - it has to be dry by Dec 3rd. It is not large - around 20x20 inches.

Shadowland

My latest oil painting - I have overhauled a class exercise to create a version I am happier with.
I have tried to evoke a feeling of ambivalence and the subconscious.

Bundle sculpture

Bundle sculpture relies on the repetition of the commonplace or banal and transforming it through arrangement and configuration.

Two of my ideas for this project.

The kitchen whisks are probably the one I can develop more - into an abstract/ flower arrangment.

Tag book workshop with Barb Adams

Barb taught us how to create a bound tag book. It was an enjoyable experience to choose the papers, thread and tags, then create the book. Stitching is in green thread.

Moth visitor

Came home yesterday to find a moth had taken up residence on the front porch.

Stayed for the morning then vanished.

Soft sculpture project

Soft sculpture is a type of sculpture made using cloth, foam rubber, plastic, paper, fibers and similar material that are supple and nonrigid. It was popularized by Claes Oldenburg in the 1960s. Artists such as Dorothea Tanning, Eva Hesse, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Louise Bourgeois, Sally Heller, Mark Jenkins, Rosslyn Piggot, Joseph Bueys, Annette Messager, Richard Serra, Michelle Stewart, Robert Morris and many others work with pliable materials.

I have chosen to use a sumptuous pink fur material.
Originally had the items on silver plinths.
My teacher suggested they would look better on a wall.
Also investigating hanging them.....

Darebin Parklands

One of my photos was chosen for the Darebin Parklands Association Calendar for 2010. Announced last Sunday.I am pretty excited as it is the the first time I have entered a competition. Taken on my trusty Canon Ixus 60 - it features on the month of December 2010.

Details as to where to purchase the calendar will be sent to my friends when the calendar is released for sale to the public.

Sad sculpture story

My sculpture was coming along quite well... until when I was packing up... I dropped it.

Landed on the right side of the top of the head. So around 8 kilos and a heavy board dropped around a meter and a bit to the floor. So these pictures are all that is really left of the potential oeuvre. Too cross to take a picture of the wreck. Maybe next Wednesday I will reinvent it as an abstraction.

Gallery Hopping

Had an enriching Thursday gallery hopping.

Saw Maryanne Coutts at Australian Galleries in Derby St,

What an interesting artist - use of watercolour and mixed media is very innovative

Then went on to Chrysalis to see the latest Jon Ryrie exhibition....

http://www.chrysalis.com.au/Artist-John-Ryrie-26.htm-26.htm

an inspiration indeed. Very different from Coutts, but enchanting because of his themes and superb, superb, superb craftsmanship.
The invitation image is wonderful.
A master of the linocut


Finally the Banyule Works on Paper Award.
A great spread of works from established artists.
Felt quite inspired by the end of the day!

Eltham library

My book tree is on display at Eltham Library as part of the NMIT Visual Arts exhibition BOUND. Title of the work is 'Readers Digest Encyclopedia M-Z'.

It was created using coat hangers unwound, covered with leaves from the dictionary/encyclopedia.

Debra Luccio's exhibition

Fortunately we could make it to Debra's opening on Cup Eve at Steps Gallery in Carlton.

Her monoprints are delicate and exquisitely executed.

I think about the difficulty we had with doing the Mark Tansy exercise and then I look at the delicacy of Debra's work and I sigh.

Her dedication and skill are to be admired.

Second attempt at using Mark Tansey rub back technique

Week 2 of the Mark Tansey technique! Again from a photo; this time a pre Columbian statue, using burnt sienna and ivory black combination.

Painting class

Using the technique of Mark Tansey. The idea is to apply a layer of paint over a surface primed with gesso and acrylic medium. Then it is a matter of wiping back.
Mixed results.
The first picture is Mark Tansey's.
The second one is mine - from a photo I took in Barcelona.

Painting at Anglesea

These are photos Carole took when we were at Anglesea in August. The Cotan painting has progressed somewhat since!

Lanscape for Wendy's Birthday

Wendy was keen to have the original Moggs Crrek painting.

But it was on flimsy board, so I created a new one.

I found it difficult to copy my own work!

Dimensions 60x90cm

Oil on board.

FRANS Art

Was asked by a representative of the FRANS organisation to contribute an art work for auction.
I did two canvases - they all had to be 12" x 10".
The organisation does good work with disabled people. http://www.frans.com.au/
It is hoped that the auction raises lots of money for the ongoing activities.

Scenes from Maffra