Secret Life of Space

Every second year, the 69 Smith St Gallery holds a competition. The theme starts "The Secret Life of....." . In past years it has been The Secret Life of Numbers, or The Secret Life of the City. This Year it was The Secret Life of Space.
Here is my entry - a digital photograph. I was on a ferry in Greece at sunset and the world seemed to extened for ever. I titled the piece 'Eternity" -  a theme that is about timelesssness, and resonates for me right now. It is not the best photo in my oeuvre, but it is the one that is most significant at present.

End of Times

I have been busy in the studio this week - I set myself a challenge of creating works on wooden panels using encaustic (wax).

I used masonite, and started with a paper layer and then added wax and built it up. Using wax can be tricky, but using a variety of styluses on a wax tool helped control it.

I deliberately used classic colours of burnt sienna and french ultramarine - a magic combination.

That was the relatively easy part. Creating frames was the hard part.

I eventually managed to get the first image framed with a timber surround thanks to some help from John Ross. I have called it 'The Fracturing"

 I have submitted it for the 69 Smith St Gallery show "The End of Times which runs from February 8th to 26th and opens Saturday 11th Feb. 

The theme, "The End of Times" is a reference to the newspaper stories about the Mayan calendar supposedly predicting the end of times in December 2012.

I will be in Tasmania so will miss the opening. 

 The second image is also under consideration but is still a WIP - note, no frame..
Using terre verte and Naples yellow - two other favourite colours

Work for FOG at 69 Smith St

The current exhibition at 69 Smith St is called FOG.

The exhibition is on until Sunday August 14th. The gallery is open from 11-5 Wed - Sat and 12-5pm on Sundays.

Portrait exhibition at 69 Smith St

Being a member of an Artist Run Initiative is a great experience. The most recent initiative was to put on a show where members of the gallery painted portraits of each other. Here is the brief:

This exhibition includes an ARTIST-TO-ARTIST exchange based on the premise behind Alfred Hitchcock’s film “Strangers on a Train”(1951). In this film, two strangers meet on a train and decide to commit the perfect murder by ‘swapping’ murders. You do my murder and I’ll do yours. Similarly, the idea behind Likeness – a Portrait Exhibition is that you do my portrait and I’ll do yours.
 I was so lucky to be paired with Birgit. We spent some delightful sessions together - doing a portrait really does give one an insight into the sitter and the artist. It has been very rewarding.
I am pleased with my image of her, and I think that she has captured me perfectly. Her painting is in oils and incorporates parts of my world very astutely.
I think that they look lovely on the wall together.
These images were captured with my phone in the gallery do they are not 100% - there is reflection on the glass and the colours  the painting are a little sharp.
All of the other artists have done interesting portraits too - so the show is worth visiting.
The show is on until 24th July and the gallery is open 11-5 Wed - Sat and 12-5 on Sundays

Refocus Exhibition at 69 Smith St Gallery

Yesterday (Sat 18th June) was the opening event for the Refocus exhibition at 69 Smith St Gallery. The show is made up of images contributed by members of the photography interest group which meets once a month.
These are the images that I submitted. They are A3 size on rag paper.
The exhibition runs until Sunday July 2nd.

Autumnal Equinox Group Show

Opening Saturday 16th April 4-6pm at 69 Smith St Gallery.
The show runs from 13th April to 1st May
Wed - Sat 11am - 5pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm
I have entered 3 photographs in this show. The criteria was that they had to be inspired by the Autumn Equinox.
Here are my images.