artist james blackwell

'Poetree' mystery paper and book sculptures

2011-12-02T18:01:00.001+11:00

These sculptures were discovered at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on Wednesday 24^th August.

I stumbled across a blog by AnnaNotKarenina who wrote about a mysterious artist who anonymously left paper and book sculptures at the Scottish Poetry Library; gifts from a mysterious artist whose only words were written on tags which accompanied the artworks which mostly began with..'This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas....

Here are some of the artworks mysteriously and generously left....

A birds wing crafted from the pages of a book

In a book titled 'Book Art- iconic sculptures ands installations made from books', I came across a passage that spoke to me which relates to these intricate sculptures-

In the face of this tug of war between the march of technology and the legacy of history, the book seems to float in a limbo state; existing somewhere between life and death, it still performs its function yet lives constantly under the threat of redundancy'.

'Second Nature II' Exhibition

2011-10-31T18:13:00.002+11:00

Last Saturday (29th Oct 2011), was the opening of my recent exhibition titled 'Second Nature II'. Thanks to all who attended and those who travelled from Sydney to support me at the opening! I had a relatively calm demeanour which is unusual for me! This body of work began whilst on a residency in Hill End in May 2011 and was completed last month.
The opening was busy and we enjoyed a post show dinner at Tamarin Indian Restaurant in Leura. Studio time resumes soon as I have six months to prepare for the next exhibition at Penrith Regional Gallery in July 2012.

Karabar Art Project

2011-09-14T07:34:00.000+10:00

Several weeks ago I was contacted by artist (sculptor) and teacher Vivien Lightfoot who teaches art to students at Karabar High School, Queanbeyan NSW. Vivien asked if she could use some images of my artwork to show her students in an art project which would see her students collecting natural materials and using them as a starting point to create symmetrically based compositions.
How wonderful to receive these images back from Vivien who used Photoshop to augment the compositions. The students have really captured the wonderful beauty, colour and variety nature offers as source material to create something stunning.
Well done to the students of Karabar. I am excited and inspired by you guys! I hope you continue with your creativity, keep developing your skills and producing more wonderful results.
Thanks to students: Candy, Rachel, Taylor, Sarah, Nikki, Maddie, Ashleigh, Ana and Jamie!

New Work

2011-09-05T18:32:00.000+10:00

Here are a few sets of 'Pods' heading for my next exhibition ('Second Nature II) at 'Lost Bear Gallery', Leura NSW on the 29th October. Thanks to Graeme Wienand for the photography.

Cheryl Taves

2011-09-02T08:14:00.001+10:00

'The worth of Suspension' 36 x 24 inches

I found this artists work on another Blog I follow titled Neutral Notes. What a wonderfully abundant place of inspiration we live in now with blogs, artist sites and other treasure troves found on the WWW!
Lurking and latent within me is a painter which one day (soon) I will explore. In the meantime, I am drawing inspiration everywhere and one artist's work (Cheryl Taves) resonates deeply within me.
I love the rich colour, gestural line and surface quality of her work.

'Suspension no.2' 16 x 16 inches

'Vestigial no.2' 16 x 16 inches

Scott Marr Time Lapse Video

2011-08-30T16:37:00.000+10:00

Scott Marr is an artist represented by Katoomba Fine Art here in the Blue Mountains. This amazing video shows Scott at work on one of his artworks using time lapse photography.

"This image is burnt onto paper using pyrography, all pigments used in this piece are hand made from nature, most of which I have collected from the Blue Mountains Australia.
Pigments used, eucalypt bark wash, liquid chlorophyll, eucalypt sap, plane tree charcoal, ochres, lapis lazuli, malachite, coriopsis flower wash, dianella berry wash and eucalypt charcoal.
I'd like to give a big shout out to Phil at nospuds.com.au for all his help." - Scott Marr

Making Progress

2011-08-12T17:54:00.001+10:00

With my exhibition titled 'Second Nature II' at Lost Bear Gallery still a few months away, my studio is unusually messy with bags of coloured soil, stacked pizza boxes of artwork ready to frame and 'Pods' in various stages of completion. I finally feel like I am getting somewhere with the work.
This will be my first solo exhibition at Katoomba Fine Arts latest gallery in Leura which has been running as a exhibition space for artists in two week turnaround period throughout 2011. My exhibition will be following an exhibition of new work by Warwick Fuller whose luscious oil paintings of landscapes I always am inspired by.

Todays work began at 4.45am, as I could not sleep and thought I could either watch early morning infomercials on TV or do something productive. Several cups of coffee later, I was blissfully unaware of the time and several hours had slipped by and my fingers were caked with soil and glue. Below is an advertisement which Geoff White of Katoomba Fine Art has put together for the magazine 'Craft Arts International' which should feature in the next issue.

Farewell Edmund

2011-08-05T12:37:00.001+10:00

Edmund Capon

Wednesday was described as an historic day at the Art Gallery of NSW when Edmund Capon, after 33 years as Director, held a press conference to announce his retirement. As it happened, the event coincided with a planned trip to the gallery, so I was amongst the cameras, journalists, NSW Premier and board of directors bustling around the floor waiting for the announcement. My friend Flic, who works at the gallery as photographer, was in among the mix of media folk snapping away and got some wonderful shots.

Bill Viola 'Memoria' 2000

I spent the remainder of the day soaking up all the current works on display and seeing the Kaldor Gallery/collection for the first time. One of my favourite works was that of Bill Viola whose looped projection titled 'Memoria' 2000 had me transfixed watching a disintegrating face move in and out of focus on a suspended piece of silk.-"Shot using an old surveillance camera in low light, the footage shows a man’s face but ‘visual noise’ intermittently obscures the image. This ghostly effect is exaggerated by projecting the image onto silk cloth hanging in a darkened room. The work recalls the shroud of Turin, a piece of fabric said to bear the imprint of the body of Christ. In a similar way, Memoria explores the idea of presence and absence." - AGNSW.
On the upper level of the gallery is an exhibition of works by David Aspden (1935-2005). I was immediately attracted to a large painting titled 'Mountain Scenery' 1973. I learned that he had spent time here in the Blue Mountains. No wonder the colours sang to me.

David Aspden 'Mountain Scenery' 1973

Juz Kitson

2011-07-29T19:04:00.001+10:00

Today I drove to Windsor to visit Hawkesbury Regional Gallery where I was keen on seeing Juz Kitson's artwork in a show on contemporary ceramics.
I was fortunate enough to meet Juz whilst on an artist residency at Hill End earlier this year and was excited to see her work in a gallery space, having only seen it in progress in her Hill End studio.
Juz's delicate and sometimes confronting forms are so exquisitely beautiful and shocking that I found myself in a contradictory state of sensual delight and intrigued disgust. Joseph Brennan of Australian Arts Review says of Kitson's work-

"In art discourse, the sacred/profane metaphor is a recurring dichotomy. Freud used this metaphor when exploring the divide between love and desire. He argued that, in art, where we love we do not desire and where we desire we cannot love.

Emerging artist Juz Kitson challenges this view through her sculptures and ceramic installations, which seek to make sacred the profane. "I have an interest in ever so slightly repulsing the viewer at first experience," Kitson said. "They are unsettled. This uneasiness then turns into wonder and in a later stage, fascination." Working with a range of materials - including wax, latex, clay, alpaca wool, seaweed, horse and human hair and bone - Kitson is interested in exploring what she terms "uncomfortable territories", captivating her audience "by quietly shocking and seducing them". The context and properties of particular materials are also important. The use of latex, for example, is sometimes a statement within itself, "Only having a life span of less than a decade ... like ourselves it will perish"; while the locale of found objects have trapped within them a history, for example, bones collected from Hill End."

Kitson is a 2009 ceramics Honours graduate of Sydney's National Art School and is on a trajectory to becoming one of Australia's most fertile and innovative contemporary ceramicists. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Lorenzo Duran

2011-07-25T19:42:00.002+10:00

Spanish artist Lorenzo Duran painstakingly cuts delicate designs into dried leaves, using a method inspired by Asian and European papercutting traditions. He calls the ongoing project “Naturayarte.”

After seeing Lorenzo's skill with the scalpel, I am in awe! I can only manage to cut out the simple shapes like circles and squares.

2011-07-09T09:47:00.000+10:00

Then and Now

Whilst on residency in Hill End in May/June, I had numerous artist friends visit Haefliger's cottage which made my month long stay more enjoyable. Toward the end of the residency, I assembled the group to re-enact a photograph which appears in Gavin Wilson's book titled, 'The Artist's of Hill End'. The 1956 photo was taken at the front of Haefliger's cottage and featured artists Jean Bellette, Russel Drysdale, Donald Friend and Bonnie Drysdale. The 2011 re-enactment features Juz Kitson, James Blackwell, Felicity Jenkins and Sandra Winkworth.

Artist Phoebe McDonald

2011-06-26T08:43:00.001+10:00

I subscribe to the website Artabase which features new members artwork. This morning I came across Phoebe McDonald, a Brisbane-based artist. 'Her work is centred on concepts of interconnectedness and impermanence, and she has an ongoing interest in the nature of light, time, space and perception. She is also interested in the subtle changes and cyclic events that occur in the natural environment over time.'
I particularly liked her 'Shadow Series 2009', as seen here.

From The Other Side

2011-06-19T06:34:00.000+10:00

Next Saturday is the opening of an exhibition titled 'From The Other Side' at Wilson Street Gallery, Sydney. I am exhibiting with Toshiko Oiyama and Nicholas Uhlmann The opening is on June 25th 4-6pm at 30-34 Wilson Street, Newtown. I will have 10 wall pieces and two sets of 'Pods'.

Photograph by Felicity Jenkins

A fable

2011-06-08T07:08:00.000+10:00

Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a great and glorious nation. Favourite amongst his subjects was the court painter of whom he was very proud. Everybody agreed this wizzened old man painted the greatest pictures in the whole kingdom and the king would spend hours each day gazing at them in wonder.
However, one day a dirty and disheveled stranger presented himself at the court claiming that in fact he was the greatest painter in the land. The indignant king decreed a competition would be held between the two artists, confident it would teach the vagabond an embarrassing lesson. Within a month they were both to produce a masterpiece that would out do the other.
After thirty days of working feverishly day and night, both artists were ready.They place their paintings, each hidden by a cloth, on easels in the great hall of the castle. As a large crowd gathered, the king ordered the cloth to be pulled first from the court artist's easel. Everyone gasped as before them was revealed a wonderful oil poainting of a table set with a feast. At its centre was an ornate silver bowl full of exotic fruits glistening moistly in the dawn light. As the crowd gazed admiringly, a sparrow perched high up on the rafters of the hall swooped down and hungrily tried to snatch one of the grapes from the painted bowl only to hit the canvas and fall down dead with shoick at the feet of the king.

Painting by Peter Dee

'Aha!' exclaimed the king. 'My artist has produced a paintiong so wonderful it has fooled Nature herself, surely you must agree that he is the greatest painter who has ever lived!' But the vagabond said nothing and stared solemnly at his feet. 'Now, pull the blanket from your painting and let us see what you have for us' cried the king. But the tramp remained motionless and said nothing. Growing impatient, the king stepped forward and reached out to grab the blanket only to freeze in horror at the last moment.

'You see,' said the tramp quietly, 'there is no blanket covering the painting. This is actually just a painting of a cloth covering the painting. And whereas your famous artist is content to fool Nature, I've made the king and the whole country look like a bit of a twat'.

Extracted from 'Wall and Piece' a book about Banksy. (Thanks Dave!)

Hill End Residency 2011

2011-06-05T06:38:00.000+10:00

Haefliger's bedroom

I have recently returned from an artist residency of four weeks in the historic township of Hill End, NSW. The residency is a collaborative venture between Bathurst Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) and National Parks.
I stayed at 'Haefliger's Cottage' which was equipped with a separate studio and a rustic outdoor 'dunny'.

Haefliger's kitchen

The landscape and people of Hill End provided me with much inspiration. It was difficult saying goodbye to such a richly historic and alluring place.
There were visits from friends whilst I stayed in the cottage; thanks to artist David Wallace, photographer Felicity Jenkins, artist Craig Loxley, artist Sandra Winkworth and artist Tom Doherty for their company during my stay.

There are numerous artists who reside and practice their craft in Hill End. I was fortunate to meet Bill and Genevieve Moseley who run 'Hill End Press' and Lino Alvarez and Kim Deacon who run the pottery studio. I also met artist Juz Kitson was also on a residency administered by the National Art School.

I set myself a goal of completing 8 artworks while staying in Hill End. I came away with 7 and a collection of coloured soils and other plant material for future artworks.

View from the cottage

Most evenings I would sit by the fire reading and thinking about the history of the town. Dotted around the streets of Hill End are plaques and photographs of cottages and businesses which have since been destroyed. Once a thriving hub of gold seekers, the town is now host to a variety of animals who seem at home in the frosty landscape. The stillness and darkness of the evenings provided a magical glimpse into the night sky which I have not seen quite so clearly since my days in Jindabyne.

Tamboroora Cemetary 7am

Exploring the surrounding areas became an opportunity to relive rich historical associations. I took a drive down the 'Bridle track' to the Turon river and happened upon an old mine shaft which led deep into the mountainside. Using the flash of my camera, I was able to see ahead into the claustrophobic space where miners chiseled away at the walls of the tunnel in the hope of finding gold.

I am greatly appreciative of the opportunity to stay in Hill End and vowed to return to continue the love affair with the town.

On the Bridle track

A poem

2011-04-28T19:44:00.003+10:00

Some time ago I bought a small book of poems from the poet, Craig Billingham, who lives and works in the Blue Mountains. I thought I would share one of my favourite poems from the book titled 'Storytelling'.
Craig was born in England in 1973 before migrating to Australia in 1987. He has a degree in Philosophy from Macquarie University and currently works as an English as a Second Language teacher working in the mountains.
'Storytelling' was published in 2007, and he is currently working towards a second collection of poetry, and a novel.

Of his writing, Craig says-

"I think I'm interested in poetical forms. I quite like writing to a form, although I'm not strictly a formal poet, but I do write in regular stanzas and I've tried to write sonnets and longer narrative poems. So my style is one of being a loose formal poet, I suppose."

Chameleon

by Craig Billingham

I would like to stop changing colour.

I would like to settle in this tree

and see out the hour, the day,

the four seasons being green,

green on green, green on maple leaf,

green against the mud and snow.

I would like to shun your limelight

and stay my deepest shade of green,

stay green when leopards havoc my home.

New work

2011-04-26T06:47:00.001+10:00

'Pod Cluster 0411.1' mixed media

Thanks to the deadline of an upcoming exhibition and an approaching time away in residence at Hill End, I have completed some new work. These are the first works made in the new studio after moving from Katoomba to Wentworth Falls NSW. The studio is a converted garage and suits me fine for the time being. It is a hop, skip, jump to the kitchen for many cups of tea and time to mull over the process. It's also important that I do get up often as the nature of my work has me in an uncomfortable posture for long periods of time and causes a lot of strain on my neck, back and eyes.

'Silent 0411.1' mixed media 400x570mm

Thank you to Graeme Wienand for his patience and talent for the wonderful photography of my work. I know it is not the easiest artwork to document! You can find information on Graeme's photographic services and and Fine Art Photography HERE

India 2011

2011-03-03T18:46:00.000+11:00

I have recently returned from a short trip to India, where I visited Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The colours, textures and smells were not like anything I have ever experienced. It really is a place that needs to be visited to get an understanding of how another culture can transform your ideas about what is important. Despite these images revealing the beauty and colour of the people and landscape, there are thousands more scenes of suffering and poverty that could have been taken. The trip really did shake me up, open my eyes and heart to another world.

Artist Profile Video

2011-01-13T11:07:00.000+11:00

I have had a break from studio work since my exhibition at Bathurst Regional Gallery. The creative urge has not left me though and I made a New Years resolution to learn new ways of marketing myself which involves becoming familiar with a computer program called iMovie '11. I am enjoying the process very much and am offering up here... (shamelessly).... an artist profile video about my work and the landscape in which I live.
In other news, I have received confirmation that I will be participating in the Artist in Residence program at Hill End NSW in May/June this year which I am very excited about. I will be living and working in Haefliger's cottage in the historic town of Hill End.

Matt Shlian

2010-12-29T05:38:00.000+11:00

Yet another paper artist I've stumbled across which has inspired me is Matt Shlian. And what a find!

Ara 51

Matt says about his work- "As a paper engineer my work is rooted in print media, book arts and commercial design. Beginning with an initial fold, a single action causes a transfer of energy to subsequent folds, which ultimately manifest in drawings and three dimensional forms. I use my engineering skills to create kinetic sculpture which have lead to collaborations with scientists at the University of Michigan. We work on the nanoscale, translating paper structures to micro origami. Our investigations extend to visualizing cellular division and solar cell development. Researchers see paper engineering as a metaphor for scientific principals; I see their inquiry as basis for artistic inspiration. In my studio I am a collaborator, explorer and inventor. I begin with a system of folding and at a particular moment the material takes over. Guided by wonder, my work is made because I cannot visualize its final realization; in this way I come to understanding through curiosity."

Someday Noalter

Elod Beregszaszi

2010-12-28T06:05:00.000+11:00

London based paper artist Elod Beregszaszi says in his Flickr profile.. "I am in love with paper, making it cutting it folding it embossing tearing sculpting....you get the idea.

i am also pretty biased towards anyone with an obsession for this medium and so flickr is becoming a fix---ture for me. "

My creative enterprise goes under the name of POPUPOLOGY

Anastasia Elias

2010-12-25T08:45:00.001+11:00

I am immediately drawn to artists whose work primarily shows evidence of technical mastery and uniqueness in creating something new of paper. Anastasia Elias is one such artist. About his work, Anastasia says-
“I cut the small paper shapes that I stick inside the toilet paper rolls. I use tweezers to manipulate the paper shapes. I select the paper of the same color as the roll. It gives the illusion that the paper figures make part of the roll. I need few hours to make one piece.”

I'll never look at a used toilet roll the same way again...

Anna-Wili Highfeild

2010-12-23T15:12:00.000+11:00

I have been unwell for several days now and all I can muster up is to play on the ipad horizontally and search for artists I admire. Today, I found a Sydney based paper artist named Anna-Wili Highfield. And what a find! OK, seeing her work was not a complete panacea for my ailments, but it certainly did lift my spirits. Anna is a Sydney based artist who makes fantastic sculptures of animals using torn paper and copper pipe. Check her site out HERE!
You can also read an interview with her on the Yellowtrace Blog HERE.

More from BRAG

2010-12-11T18:58:00.000+11:00

BRAG Director Richard Perram

Photographer and friend Felicity Jenkins gave me the pictures she took at the opening of my exhibition at Bathurst Regional Gallery on the 3rd December 2010. A big thank you to her for being official photographer for the evening and milling about the gallery shooting frames while I managed to get through the blur of proceedings and meet new people sipping on champagne delivered to me by the ever hospitable Helen Dunne of Bathurst Regional Gallery. Helen also interviewed me some months ago for the BRAG newsletter and is a pleasant recent addition to gallery staff.

Richard and I

The evening went really well and we were equally impressed with the accommodation in Bathurst. Several of us stayed at a historic Warehouse that had been transformed into a guesthouse. The owners are very friendly and the entire floor was booked out by friends and relatives that came to see the exhibition.
On another note, I had an unexpected visit from a buyer of several of my artworks yesterday who arrived on my doorstep with a bag of very beautiful seed pods which he had gathered from a trip into Megalong Valley Thanks David Coleby!). I am so appreciative of the gesture and welcome anyone to send me gum nuts, seed pods, etc whenever they like! Thanks also to Sandra Winkworth for being my supplier of used tea bags for my work!

The Fire Trail

2010-12-08T16:56:00.003+11:00

We have recently moved in to a new property in Wentworth Falls which is adjacent to the national park. This morning I woke at some hideous hour before sunrise and waited until there was enough light to venture down the fire trail next to the house. There is a rusted car decaying in the bush and I am curious to know how it ended up on such a rough trail. Nonetheless, there is something quite beautiful about the colour of rust and the remnants of car that refuse to give up to the elements, like the door handles.

Banksia serrata (common name is the Old Man Banksia)...Thanks Dave!

If I were an overly keen botanist or had the memory to recite the variety of plants along the trail, I'd be a happy man. I would like to take someone who knows the name of the plants one day so I can educate myself about the new surrounds (hint hint David!). This fire trail is also where we take the dogs first thing in the morning. Many other canines have already paved the way in the only way they know how, so my dogs are beside themselves with new smells and have added their own! This afternoon, we have erected a sun shade on the patio in a very amateurish fashion. Time will tell if it will withstand the wind and the elements. The shade cloth makes sitting outside more pleasant for us and our furry family. We get views of Mount Hay, even if a little obstructed by eucalyptus trees.

Lambertia formosa (common name is the Mountain Devil)

This morning I also filled a ezy-bin skip with the rubbish which traveled with us from the old place in Katoomba. It did not take too long to fill, and now I have a space in the garage to set up a new studio. I am looking forward to the new studio space and having had a significant purge of old materials, artworks and clutter, it will make way for some new work.

Bathurst Regional Gallery

2010-12-06T09:13:00.002+11:00

'Silent 10120.1' detail

Friday 3rd December was the opening of my exhibition title 'Second Nature' at Bathurst Regional Gallery (BRAG). I have been anticipating this show for quite some time and the day arrived not without a few hiccups. I received a call moments before leaving my home in Wentworth Falls from BRAG gallery director Richard Perram to inform me that a major storm had permeated the section of the gallery my work was hung. Thanks to the staff of BRAG, my work was whipped from the walls and rehung in another part of the gallery. It could be seen as a positive instead of a negative thing, because the rehang looked fantastic.

'Notre Dame' (detail) 2010

I am so grateful to friends that travelled out west to support me. I'd like to thank Maxx Liong, Felicity Jenkins, Sandra Winkworth (See her blog HERE), Peter Shepherd, Lindsay Duncan (See his blog HERE), Tim Millett, Michael Jackson, Jason Clarke, Jaime Quezada, Geoff White, Sanae, Marj Barnwell, Mary Blackwell, Gordon Fleet, David Oon, Craig Loxley and Leanne Knight. These friends and family joined me to celebrate the exhibition afterwards at 'The Church Bar' wood-fired pizza restaurant.

Opening the same evening in the gallery was the paintings of Graham Lupp 'Building Faith' and photography by Peter Adams titled 'Ore what!' a photographic show documenting 60 Hill End residents. All these exhibitions run until the 23rd January 2011 at the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, 70-78 Keppel Street Bathurst, NSW.

'Mavis Hill with her cat' 2009

After a hectic month of finalising the last of the works for the show, moving house from Katoomba to Wentworth Falls, and fitting in life's other responsibilities, I am ready to put my feet up for a week or two and think about what I'd like to accomplish in 2011. The new year will soon be here and I am looking forward to setting up my new studio then a trip over seas to Malaysia and India. Fodder and inspiration for new work I hope!
I wish my blog followers and friends a very happy and joyful Christmas season!

Basketry of Today Exhibition

2010-11-06T08:40:00.000+11:00

'Silent 0910.1' Vine, tea bags, gum nuts

I am one of 10 artists selected by artist /curator Virginia Kaisar to exhibit at Katoomba Fine Art, in an exhibition titled. 'Basketry of Today', which opens today (6th November, 2pm) and runs to the 29th November. Artworks may be seen online HERE.
Katoomba Fine Art is located at 98 Stuarts Road, Katoomba.

About the exhibition, Director Geoff White says;

What is a basket? Simplistic definitions relate to functionality, with basket-making seen as a craft with traditional origins. Yet contemporary basketry is challenging perceptions, pushing the boundaries of sculptural expression and blurring the line between craft and fine art. Colour, materials, texture, form and even smell can each be a feature of basketry, while basket-making technique or some concept of vessel can also be distinguishing features.

‘Basketry of today’ is the title for this exhibition, which explores the notion of contemporary basketry and fibre art. The show has been curated by Virginia Kaiser, a renowned Australian basket maker, with an international reputation. Virginia has been at the forefront of contemporary basket making in Australia for the past two decades and has selected 10 leading artists, who each have contributed new works to this amazing exhibition.

'Pod Cluster 11.10.1' mixed media

Your time starts now...

2010-09-19T05:58:00.000+10:00

In the tradition of Sydney Morning Herald's 'Good Weekend', I answered a few questions and answers from the section titled- 'Up Front'.....

My earliest memory is.....
Playing in the neighbours cubby house which was a 2 room bungalow. I was impressed.
My school report usually said....
Darren is a quiet child and could improve if he applied himself.
I don't like talking about....
Cruelty to animals.
My mother and father always told me.....

The Horse is better dressed than me

'Two wrongs don't make a right' or 'today is the first day of the rest of your life.' At 8 years old, none of that made sense to me.

In the movie of my life, I'd be played by....
Shia Labeouf
I wish I had....
Access to a never ending supply of money to travel whenever I wanted.
I wish I hadn't ....
Taken so long to be comfortable in my own skin
My most humiliating moment was....
Tugging on the principal's trousers at assembly as a 3 year old and mistakingly calling him daddy in front of the whole school and my horrified mother.
My guiltiest pleasure is....
People watching

My last meal would be...
Risotto
I'm very bad at....

I no longer wear red skivvies

Remembering things and being able to speak in public
The book that changed my life is....
'A fish out of water' by Helen Palmer (I was 4 when I read it)
It's not fashionable, but I love....
Singing along to bad eighties hits in the privacy of my car
My worst trait is...
Arriving too early to things.
My best trait is....
For others to answer.
My greatest fear is....
Dying in a plane disaster (morbid I know)
The hardest thing I've ever done was....
Surviving my first relationship.
I relax by....
Illegal means. Kiddin... usually by blanking out if front of the telly.

I miss my voluminous locks of hair!

Words, words and more words....

2010-09-16T20:34:00.001+10:00

I have an annoying habit of having several books, magazines and other articles on-the-go, in an ever ready stream of information to engage a dull and hungry mind . If I was adept at multi tasking this would not be a problem, but I'm not. Perhaps it is just a sign of the times....our teeny tiny attention spans drive us to seek out sound bites and tid bits of information from many sources (lest I get too bored and need to take up knitting). I recently read an article from June 2010 in the the New York Times online, titled

'The Defense of Computers, the Internet and Our Brains' which stated -

'There is a lively discussion and some concern that computers, the Internet and multitasking are extracting a mental price.' -Nick Bilton.

I would probably agree in that I am incapable of reciting anything of value that I have read (apart from the above quote!) in the past week. I get cantankerous with my inability to retain information and be able to spit it out at will. I have a friend whose party trick it is to recite lines from obscure movies. You throw a movie at him and you can see the screenplay roll across his eyes. I tested him with 1985's 'Breakfast Club' to which he replied - "You just bought yourself another Saturday, spoken by Principal Richard Vernon."

I'd be lucky to save my relationship by remembering my partners birthday and our anniversary.

Self deprecating aside, I would like to put in my blog from time to time, the books, magazines and articles I am reading, so that in the future I will be able to trawl the archive of my blog and remember what I was reading so as to not make the mistake of re-reading something I forgot I had already read!! @#$&*

For my birthday in August, Maxx bought me a beautifully presented volume on Fred Williams published by Murdoch Books. I had purchased a similar volume, from Murdoch, a month before on the painter Ian Fairweather. They are treasures which I would hastily grab in the event of a fire, well before my diaries of several years ago!

Last week I spent a night discussing future exhibition plans at Penrith Regional with fellow artist Peter Williamson. On his coffee table lay a book titled 'The Artist's Lunch' by Alice McCormick and Sarah Rhodes. I found a copy on the Readings website where I also found a copy of 'Defining moments in Art' by Mike Evans.

Concurrently, the magazines; 'Dumbo Feather', 'Artist Profile' and 'Australian Art Collector' have torn off pieces of paper locating the articles I am up to. Don't get me started on the podcasts I need to catch up on!

There's just not enough time in the day....

MCA

2010-09-13T07:35:00.000+10:00

I went to see 'In the Balance: Art for a Changing World' at the Museum of Contemporary Art yesterday. In the Spring 2010 events guide it reads about the exhibition: ' ... more than a 100 works explore a variety of environmental themes including waste and recycling, water shortage, fossil fuels and energy, and urban regeneration and sustainability. This exhibition presents a range of perspectives from over 30 artists and art collectives both inside and outside the gallery'

Lauren Berkowitz 'Bags' 1994

My favourite installation was Lauren Berkowitz's 'Bags 1994' Walking through the columns of plastic bags I was in mindful battle with the juxtaposition of feelings stemming from the lightness and beauty of the plastic bags alongside the cumulative knowledge of what dangers these bags present to the environment.

The other thing I got from the exhibition was a link to a blog which interested me called 'The artist as family'. You can read about one of their projects Here, from an article in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Blake Prize 2010

2010-09-10T07:12:00.000+10:00

Janine Mackintosh 'Above and Beyond'

Yesterday I was in Sydney and visited the National Art School where I went to see the 2010 Blake Prize exhibition. My favourite works were Linelle Stepto's 'Possible Futures- Creative Cosmology' and Janine Mackintosh's 'Above and Beyond'. For obvious reasons, they resonated with my own practice and referred to nature and the surprising forms found in nature.
It has been 8 years since studying at the Art School and I noticed many changes around the campus. Even locating a loo had me asking the sentinel at the security box for directions!

Linelle Stepto 'Possible Futures-Creative Cosmology'

Ann Wilson

2010-09-07T07:01:00.001+10:00

I love it when you stumble upon someones work which resonates. It's curious to me why some work speaks volumes and others dont. That is why I was happy to come across Chicago based artist Ann Wilson- 'who creates sculpture, drawings, internet projects and DVD stop motion animations that explore themes of time, loss, private and social rituals.' These images are from her work titled 'Topographies' In her artist statement she writes;

'Textiles, in their expandable and accumulative structure, can be seen as metaphors for such a matrix. In this new project, the webs and networks of found black lace are deconstructed to create large horizontal topographies, 'physical drawings' that are both complicated and delicate. This work is a constantly unfolding process of close observation, dissection, and recreation.'

At the beginning of Ann's artist statement pertaining to the work, architect Douglas Garofalo states-'While our society faces a growing fragmentation and specialization that seems at times to alienate us all, we have also started to view our world as a series of integrated, even entangled networks. One way we can begin to understand this contradictory state is as a matrix of field phenomena - repetitive patterns of texture, growth, turbulence, sound, light, etc., within a given system or space.'

Knowing when to stop

2010-09-06T16:40:00.002+10:00

photography by Graeme Wienand

After two and a half weeks in total working on an artwork that was plainly going nowhere, it was time to concede defeat. Needless to say, after trashing the work, I needed to get out of the house for a while and settle the frustration. Nothing like a walk in the mountains on a freezing day under dressed!
Wisdom comes from knowing when to walk away from an artwork and not laboring over it; hoping that miraculously it was salvageable. Not so this time. Even the wincing and tentative suggestions from my partner initially contributed to the delusion that I was on to something with this piece despite the comments and awkward critiques. It just feels like S**T to have put so much time into something and for it to end up in the trash. Onwards and upwards....

photography by Graeme Wienand

I was forwarded some images rephotographed at Katoomba Fine Art of two of my larger sand vessels which made my day. Graeme Wienand from Katoomba Fine Art has done a fantastic job of documenting them. Now I only have about 24 more to make before December! Better get back in the studio...

One of my faves

2010-09-05T22:11:00.002+10:00

Ever since I saw Dadang Christanto's installation, 'They give evidence' back in 2005 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in the newly opened Asian galleries, I have been a fan of this artist.

Dadang Christanto has a significant reputation internationally as well as in his own country, Indonesia. His artistic oeuvre includes painting, drawing, performance, sculpture and installations. I recently saw an image his latest offering in Artist Profile Magazine and was captivated by the intensity of his painting style and subject matter.

I remember being completely overwhelmed by the standing figures carrying the bodies of men women and children. It was a moment in my awakening to art I will never forget. Christanto's powerful work continues with themes of grief in his most recent exhibition titled 'Behind the Veil' which was held at Gallery Smith in North Melbourne in July/August.
About the exhibition, Dan Rule of the Age newspaper wrote; 'Though intricately beautiful, Indonesian-born artist Dadang Christanto's new acrylic-on-linen works, right, find their grounding in the silence of grief. Part of a long-term point of inquiry into the effects of organised human violence, Behind the Veil's striking, large-scale paintings tell the story of the female ethnic Chinese victims of a wave of racially fuelled violence that swept through Jakarta in May 1998, which left more than 1000 people dead and witnessed the rape of countless innocent women. For the most part, Christanto's paintings take the form of straight-on portraits, the beautifully ornate pattern, lightness and colour of the veil forging a stark contrast against the expressionless face and bleak, burnt backdrops. A common motif is that of pixelation. In the face of all that has happened, Christanto's subjects "self-censor". Pixels cover their mouths, ears and eyes; their trauma to be kept forever silent, their experience to remain confidential. It's a poignant, but still incredibly life-affirming collection. Indeed, there is a true, unyielding sense of resistance here. Though victims of unspeakable acts, these women have transcended the experience through sheer resilience'

Absence makes the 'art grow fonder

2010-09-04T07:09:00.004+10:00

Its been a while since blogging I know. So whats happened between April and now? I've recently returned from a trip to Tasmania with Friends Sandra Winkworth and Felicity Jenkins where we visited markets, galleries and beautiful countryside.We got to get up close to Alpacas, get blown around in sub-Antarctic conditions at the top of Mount Wellington, ran into Bob Brown in Cygnet, almost pummeled an echidna, adopted silly poses for photos and agreed on returning to this beautiful part of Australia to explore more and marvel at all it has to offer!

Returning home, it has been straight back into the studio with mixed results. It is a difficult mindset to labor over something that may or may not make it into an exhibition. A week has passed, working on a particular project and I am mindful of the time I have remaining until exhibiting at Katoomba Fine Art in November ('Basketry of Today') in a curated show by artist Virginia Kaiser and then I'll be participating in Bathurst Regional Gallerys 'Local Artist Project' in December. The panic has truly set in and then I remind myself that I have been through all this before and survived!

This week I have resumed Life Drawing with a small group of artists at Nolan on Lovel Gallery. Artist friend Tom Doherty invited me to join the group and I am really happy to be reestablishing my drawing skills once again. I think it will be a while before putting any of my attempts at drawing up here on the blog!

Visit to Gulgong

2010-04-22T16:31:00.016+10:00

Last week I paid a visit to Peter Williamson out at Gulgong where he and fellow artist Loris Quantock were doing an artist residency at a farm 14km out of town. My trip from Katoomba took about 2.5 hours and I was eager to see the landscape and see what they had been creating.

The area was flatter than I had anticipated and there were plenty of sheep, grasshoppers and blue sky! Peter had made scones and a pot of tea which we ate on the back verandah of the artist cottage. Peter had collected vines and other plant material from around the property and wove some large sculptural pieces, but the technique and artwork which really bowled me over was the mushroom pictures derived from the actual mushroom spore which left an imprint on black paper left overnight. The works looked quite photographic and you could distinguish each vein and line of the underbelly of the mushroom. Fantastic!

After seeing Loris' work in the studio we headed out for a walk through the paddock and all the while, I anticipated a snake coming out of the long grass and terrifying me back to the safety of my car. Peter did not seem overly concerned so I took that as a good sign.
It was a great day out and I took the opportunity to stop along the road driving back to Katoomba to snatch a few photographs of the scenery.

National Art School days

2010-02-18T12:55:00.007+11:00

I recently came across a plastic storage tub of all my negatives from art school days. I have had a laugh scanning in pictures and remembering my time in Newtown and the fun I had in the photography department at the National Art School in Sydney back in the late 90's-early 2000's. I miss the processes associated with the dark room and using film, but like many, have converted to the digital way- and fear I will never get to mix up a batch of processing chemicals or lock myself away in a dark room ever again! These days, I tweak and process images from the comfort of my Mac with a program called Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. Images overexposures? no problem, move a slider and presto! A vibrant new image restored to anything better than I could have possibly struggled with in the dark room. The possibilities are endless. In fact, lately, I had been so seduced by the ease by which images may be transformed, that I sit at the computer for longer than I should. It is a nice detour around the usual work I have been doing over the last several years and it is exciting to be reacquainted with photography after a long absence.
Thanks to Margaret Mayhew and Jodie Barker for modeling for these pictures some years ago. I'm not quite sure what I was trying to achieve with all the darkness and the scary theme, but we had fun. The picture of me was a bit of a shock when I first saw it as it was when I was still a smoker! Secondly, I noticed how thin I was; thirdly, I had more hair!
I recently came across a very funny photography site called 'Black and WTF' which is worth a look. It provided me with a giggle and is worth going back through the archives to see some pretty strange and ludicrous photographs. Long live photography!

Exhibiton

2010-02-10T12:52:00.004+11:00

Use it or lose it

2010-02-09T16:00:00.005+11:00

Today, my friend Tom came over for a session of drawing. The plan was to draw each other at the same time but I found it incredibly difficult and suggested we take turns in being the model. Between 1998 and 2001, drawing was an activity I was devoted to for roughly 9 hours a week. My art school studies comprised of compulsory drawing in it's differing modes; experimental, life and formal and ending up becoming the subject I majored in for my Honours year, yet it is rare that I devote much time to drawing these days. Yesterday, I noted that unless I practice drawing regularly, the skills are somewhat lacking; use it or lose it! That is why it was a resolution to get back to drawing this year. Tom and I have set up a weekly schedule of drawing to get me back in to the swing of things.
I am in the midst of creating several artworks for an upcoming Paper show at Brenda May Gallery at Dank Street in March. Here are a few images of work on the way to completion.

AWOL

2010-01-30T18:58:00.008+11:00

Usually January begins with such zest and motivation on the art front with grand ideas and delicious daydreams. We roll around to February all too quickly and the momentum garnered in new year has been somewhat dissipated, (I don't think this is a unique phenomenon!)... It is at this stage I need to 're-visit' my thoughts and think realistically
what it is I'd like to achieve in the coming year. I'd like to visit Melbourne and visit the galleries. My last trip to Melbourne was in

1985! I'd like to participate in more group shows throughout the year, but still have time to 'play' in the studio and experiment with new materials and processes. In 2010, I'd also like to keep track of art books which inspire me by adding them to my shelf in Shelfari. My other goal is to expand my artistic discipline and return to life drawing and painting. Ahh, such lofty heights for 2010!

The health has not been terribly well over the last month, so I'd like to blame that for my absence from the blog. Secondly, I must truthfully admit that I didn't have anything of interest to post. Inspiration went AWOL.
But I am back in business and posting for the first time in twenty ten.
Wilson Street Gallery are having a show at The Depot Gallery in Waterloo, showcasing some of their stable of artists over a 2 week period. My artwork features in the second week from 9th February to 14th February. There will be a 'Closing' (as opposed to an opening) at the Depot gallery; Drinks from 4 to 6pm on Saturday 13th February. Hope to see some familiar faces there.

Three day Getaway

2009-12-30T19:34:00.007+11:00

On Christmas Eve, I journeyed to Canberra where I would spend Christmas day with family before continuing my trip and checking in to a guesthouse by the name of Bimblegumbie, 9km's along the Alpine Way from Jindabyne. I was determined not to allow the weather to rob me of this much anticipated holiday and found that the freshness of the rain actually accentuated the beauty of the surrounding bushland. Secretly, I was hoping for snow, but odds were not good in the middle of December. 'Bimblegumbie' is an Aboriginal word for the sound a spear makes once hurled through the air... a 'spear whistle'. The B&B has been around since the 70's and is nestled amongst giant Eucalypt Mana Gums at the base of Mt Crackenback. The host, Prudence, has been collecting and accumulating many sculptures, glassware, curios and oddities since opening the establishment. A walk around the garden reveals all sorts of interesting discoveries; a decaying piano, urinals morphed into plant pots, totems of rusting tools and other discarded objects incongruously placed to inspire and invite investigation.
My trip to the snowy mountains was in part a walk down memory lane. Having spent my youth in Jindabyne, I was eager to visit the beautiful landscape of the Alpine region. The first day of my holiday was spent walking to the Snowy River from Charlottes Pass. Voluminous puffs of rolling mist threatened to turn into rain before my trek was complete, but luckily the rain held off. The second walk I equally anticipated was the walk to Mt Kosciusko lookout from the top of the Crackenback chairlift in Thredbo. I was surprised to see a few diminishing patches of snow still clinging to the side of less sunlit slopes. The treeless landscape was notably 'otherworldly', with peculiar granite boulders in formations which made them look strategically placed with skill of a environmental artist like Andy Goldsworthy. The sounds of gurgling streams finding their way to the river was music to my ears and the tiny Alpine Flowers did not go unnoticed in such overwhelming terrain. A visit to Jindabyne was not complete without a trip to curiosity rocks. My watery playground as a teenager where I would ride my trusty bike with my kelpie cross 'Pepsi' running along side me. Those were my many time recounted halcyon days.

The Collectors exhibition

2009-12-15T06:27:00.008+11:00

Last week I went to Sydney to catch up with a few exhibitions around town. 'The Collectors' at Sheffer Gallery is an exhibition of three artists; Sandra Winkworth, Floria Tosca and Peter Hardy. I was particularly drawn to Sandra's exquisite paintings of birds on found objects. They resonated because only a few days before, a sick bird lay on our deck here in the Blue Mountains and thinking it was a common starling, I

knew the vet would only put it to sleep. My partner nursed it back to health and we watched it fly away.

Of her work, Sandra says-

'Sleeping Beauties now on the walls at Sheffer Gallery. This latest collection of birds are painted on various found objects with a focus on recovering thrown out vintage books.

The Australian birds I have chosen are ones I usually see in books until now as studyskins resting in the drawers of the Macleay Museum. Here the bird skins are as memento mori. Unlike fairytales these beauties are not under an enchanted spell and so not able to return from their deep sleep. To appreciate the diversity and beauty with their death not disposable or forgotten like the miscellaneous found objects that they are painted on.' -Sandra Winkworth

'The Collectors' at Sheffer Gallery runs until 19th December 2009

Thanks Madura!

2009-12-05T21:04:00.003+11:00

For several years now, I have been creating small pod sculptures that begin their life as paper mache vessels. The paper I find most suitable to begin this work is tea bag paper which I get from everyday tea bags which I soak, stain, dry then undo. It is a tiresome process of undoing the staples of each tea bag, emptying the contents and accumulating masses before even beginning the messy business of paper mache. After years of doing this, it only occurred to me last week to source the paper BEFORE it is made in to tea bags. Der! The Australian tea company Madura were more than helpful in providing me with two giant rolls of tea bag paper! Many thanks goes out to John Marchant of Madura Tea in supplying the rolls which I learn't were made from abaca fibre. Tea bag paper is an amazing product; it has the duel characteristics of being both strong enough to resist tearing when wet and malleable enough to take shape.

Sydney Gallery Hop

2009-11-15T15:16:00.008+11:00

On Wednesday, I had an appointment with my framer in Sydney and I thought I may as well take the opportunity to visit a couple of exhibitions around the Darlington area. Firstly, I called in to Tin Sheds Gallery where a friend of mine , Tom Doherty, was in a group show titled 'Four Sydney Abstractionists'. As well as Tom; Leonardo Cremonese, Charlie Sheard and Floria Tosca filled the expansive space with vibrant colour, and a harmonious collection of works which demonstrated the collective response to a painters sensibility, utilizing an expressive, yet controlled use of colour. Floria Tosca's painting titles had me somewhat amused, - 'Virgin at a dance hall' and 'Beware of the nose' tickled my curiosity.
Tom Doherty's recent works at Tin Sheds are a substantially different affair from his recent 2009 show at Katoomba Fine Art, where he showcased intimate portraits of friends using exquisitely drawn repetitive lines to build the composition. It is an achievment to have such dexterous versatility.

After Tin Sheds, I made my way to Sheffer Gallery in Lander Street behind the University to see Barry Smythe's latest artwork. He uses tiny parcels of folded paper tied up with twine and arranged into a grid with a deep set canvas frame as a support. Some of the small squares contain ghostly evidence of text and just a hint of colour. Being an artist who works with the grid myself, it was not difficult to be drawn to the work.
Another collection of works utilized hundreds of plastic bread bag ties in various sizes arranged into a tight and neat configuration onto a black canvas background.

Letters To A Young Artist

2009-10-27T07:37:00.005+11:00

Thanks to my friend Suzie for the generous gift of this little book which gave me insight into the aspirations of a young artist living in New York.

In the summer of 2005, artonpaper magazine published a special issue titled "Letters to a Young Artist," inspired by Rainer Maria Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet." It included a collection of twelve letters by established artists written in response to a letter from a fictional "young artist" - a recent art school graduate who is struggling with the moral and practical implications of being an artist in New York City.

The following letter is taken from a subsquent book by artonpaper, which included 23 inspiring letters from some well-known artists such as the Guerrilla Girls, Joan Jonas, Yoko Ono, Adrian Piper, Stephen Shore, and Lawrence Weiner, among many others. While the original letter from the young artist is not published anywhere, in reading these letters you will see reoccurring patterns of thought that will reveal to you its essential questions, such as "what does it take to be an artist working today?" and "is it possible to maintain one's integrity and freedom of thought and still participate in the artworld?"

Dear Young Artist,

Your questions are confusing to me. Looking back, I don't remember asking any of them of myself. Armed with ridiculous confidence and an inflated sense of the importance of my work, I simply set about it. I went to art school and then moved to New York. I was fearful and panicked setting out on my own, but I did it anyway.

One of the first things I learned after moving to New York is that no one can make decisions for you or tell you what you should do. There are no right answers. I have made sure to work with people that I trust and enjoy. I like showing my work; it is a privilege that feeds the work. And I am very careful to preserve time in my studio, to not overextend myself.

In art and in life all of our actions are at once inextricably bound to circumstance and filled with choices we make from a vast and unlimited array of what's possible. The dance between the two poles of circumstance and unlimited possibility is what generates meaning and passion. I would advise you not to believe for a moment the vein of art criticism and theory that natters on incessantly about the emptiness and failure of the avant-garde. You are a person, armed with free will and the tools to discover that will. You can make things that embody your sense of what matters. You can have conviction, passion, and belief. That there are many forces out there intersecting your work is exciting, challenging, and invigorating. Commerce has always been part of human relations and public life. It is one system of communication among many.

Love,

Jessica Stockholder
New Haven, Connecticut

New Work

2009-10-21T06:35:00.009+11:00

I've been out of action for a while with health problems, but in between doctor visits, bed rest and sleeping, I've completed some of the new work headed for the Emirates Resort.
I had been invited to join a media lunch/dinner at the resort this week, but unfortunately due to poor health had to decline. Needless to say, it was disappointing, as opportunities like that don't come along very often. The P.R company organizing the event at the resort included the Katoomba Fine Art publication (images of my artwork) which accompanied my last show in the press kit which was to be given to the representatives of such publications as Vogue Living, Notebook Magazine, Architecture Australia, Landscape Architecture Australia and Indesign.
Because of my long term health problem, I've not been able to get out much to source new materials for the artwork but I was fortunate to have family members and friends posting me gum nuts, seed pods and used tea bags to help produce this new work. Without their contribution, I'd be a little behind in coming up with the goods for the commission. Thanks to all my little helpers! You know who you are.

In the Studio

2009-10-07T15:00:00.008+11:00

I have been in the studio over the last few days papier mache-ing layers of tea bag paper over small and medium sized pots.
Anne McKenzie dropped by yesterday with a supply of coloured sands which she gathered from the surrounding area at Putty, NSW, where she has been living for the last 12 months. It was great timing as I was about to begin colouring the papier mache pots which have been drying over the last several days. These artworks are bound for the Emirates Resort in Wolgan Valley and I am in the middle of sourcing new natural materials to decorate the pots with. This morning I have contacted the Botanical Gardens in Sydney to ask permission to collect fallen seeds, leaves etc from the gardens. I'm still waiting to hear back, but expect it should not be a problem.
This morning I gleaned several dried branches of the Bunyah Pine tree from the corner of Waratah and Lurline streets, Katoomba and almost drew blood from my fingers getting the very sharp leaves into my car. I certainly wouldn't want to tread on one with bare feet!
My mother, Mary, travelled up from Woy Woy yesterday to visit and have lunch. She had a package that was full of gum nuts, larger seed pods and used tea bags which her friends on her bushwalking group had helped to gather for my artwork! I have an army of hoarders working for the cause!

From the Vault

2009-10-02T15:12:00.008+10:00

I took photography as my Major back in 2000 at the National Art School, Darlinghurst NSW, where I was introduced to Photoshop. In my primitive experimentation, I would take myself off to the cinema and covertly shoot stills from the previews of movies. Because movie previews are edited in such short, sharp bursts of attention grabbing action, you never knew what you were about to capture. The randomness of shooting was part of the thrill for me. My 1.3 megapixel Olympus digital camera was the best toy I had at the time and in the dark, silent ambiance of the cinema complex, I felt like a renegade pirate, capturing other artist's visions, distorting them and re-framing them in computer software into something that satisfied me. There was a distinct lag in shooting and the camera actually recording the shot due to the rudimentary technology of the camera, but I enjoyed the fact that I would never know what I had captured until after the movie had finished and the images were opened in Photoshop. The selection of montages here were some of my favorites from the time and the originals now live on a CD in a dusty case where many of my experiments remain.

Arvo Pårt 'Spiegel im Spiegel'

2009-09-29T19:15:00.006+10:00

'Spiegel im Spiegel' is a piece of music written by Arvo Pärt in 1978, just prior to his departure from Estonia. It has been one of my favorite pieces of music since being introduced to it back in 2001 by my friend Melinda at art school; for that I am eternally grateful! The piece has been used frequently in television, film and theatre but no matter how many times I hear it, I am captivated by it.

Arvo Pärt (born 11 September 1935 in Paide) is an Estonian composer, often identified with the school of minimalism and more specifically, that of "holy minimalism" or "sacred minimalism".

I know whenever I am in need of inspiration, I am able to put on this amazing piece of music, close my eyes, and be carried someplace else.

Heaven and Earth

2009-09-28T07:24:00.008+10:00

What is earth?

Earth is a place
Where I spend
My action-filled days.
What is Heaven?
Heaven is a place
Where I enjoy
My satisfaction-filled dreams.

- Sri Chinmoy

Warwick Fuller Exhibition

2009-09-26T19:34:00.005+10:00

'A renowned plein air painter who uniquely interprets light, atmosphere and the beauty of the Australian landscape.'

Mountain Heritage Hotel in Katoomba held the premiere of Warwick Fuller's new documentary titled 'Fuller's Earth' about his painting and influences and trips away into the Australian landscape. The documentary preceded the opening of his latest exhibition at Katoomba Fine Art later in the afternoon, where Warwick's work was showcased and will remain exhibited until 20th October. In Warwick's artist statement he reveals;

I never feel so attuned to the real essence of what I’m after, than at dawn and dusk, and I feel like I’ll never have a greater opportunity of capturing something special or important to me than in those bewitching moments around sunrise and sunset.

I felt a strong connection to the painting titled 'Trees filtered light, Forbes' 2009, and enjoyed the sense of place, atmosphere and technical brilliance of this work. One of my regrets about attending art school was that I was not able to study painting along side photography. Inside, I have a closet painter who longs for the day he can wield a loaded brush with such passion, confidence and ability!

Photograph Above by Paul Cosgrave

Chun Kwang-Young

2009-09-25T17:00:00.008+10:00

A few years ago I visited Conny Dietzschold Gallery in Dank Street Waterloo where a Korean artist by the name of Chun Kwang-Young was on show with his work titled 'Aggregations'. I remember having such a profound response to this work that I wrote to the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea, to find out more information on this artist, who worked with mulberry paper in the most astonishing way. The Museum sent a copy of a book on the artist which became my most prized possession for quite some time! I came across it several weeks ago when I was packing up my studio in preparation to move house. I was interested in the significance of using mulberry paper in his assemblages, and in the book it revealed;

Before the Korean War and the advent of modern medicine, Chun often visited a close relative [the artist's father] who was an herbal doctor. Medicines hung from the ceiling, wrapped in mulberry paper inscribed with invocations for good health. The medicine bundles that once crowded the ceilings are the spiritual ancestors of the wrapped pieces that are now so meticulously placed in Chun's "Aggregations."

The significance of the use of Mulberry paper in Korea has also been written about by Andy Brumer -

'Throughout Korea's history, mulberry paper, and its uses, has occupied a central place in daily and cultural life. It has also served as a charged symbol of emotional and spiritual experience, and as a conduit, almost, to the religious realm. The traditional Korean house was practically covered with mulberry paper, and many utensils and other objects were fabricated from it. It has also been used extensively as surfaces for writing, painting and calligraphy.'

Karen Stahlecker

2009-09-24T18:36:00.011+10:00

I came across Karen Stahlecker's sublime sculpture titled 'The Last Stand' several days ago while looking for paper artists on the net. 'The Last Stand' (1992) filled a room with delicately fronded trees made entirely out of handmade paper.

From Karen's blog profile, she writes;

"I've been working in art most of my life with a BFA from Washington University, St. Louis, MO and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (sculpture). I've exhibited my work nationally and internationally but have, through a quirk of fate, ended up back in my original home town of Woodstock where I've become an accidental campground manager on the family farm. Luckily, it's seasonal which leaves me more free in winters to concentrate on my artwork. I have "practiced" photography since my first Kodak "Brownie" camera gotten at about age 8 and love to point my current digital model at gardens, nature and my current artwork."

Bernard Appassamy

2009-09-23T16:56:00.019+10:00

Bernard Appassamy is a writer, artist, and works as a bilingual medical coordinator at various hospitals in the Sydney Metropolitan district. This fact is evident by the use of materials in his latest project, 'Sacred Hands', in which he has sourced waxed paper inserts of sterile gloves used by the medical staff of the hospital. 'Sacred Hands' is a project begun in May 2008 and submitted for consideration in the prestigious Blake Prize where where a photo of the final artwork will be available for viewing on the Blake Prize web site from 7 October to 7 November 09.

About his work, Bernard says ;

"At work, I often watch doctors and nurses wash their hands before donning sterile attire. Besides the ballet-like choreography, I see a parallel with cleansing rituals attached to many religious observances, yet a secular 'sacredness' to the process".

In Benard's artist statement he also goes on to say;

"Sterile medical gloves come within a paper insert. Each paper is labelled with the glove size and item number, referring to the medical staff and patient. My stitching from recycled papers, combines stories of birth, life and death, in their infinity. The sterile setting is secular, but the space is sacred."

I have an obvious affinity with Bernard's artwork and process and had the pleasure of seeing the work in it's initial stages. The meditative quality of stitching together of paper reminded me of my own relationship with materials and the tenacious grip the creative process can have on you! Congratulations Bernard on going the distance!

Image
'Sacred Hands' 2009
Materials (Approx 3,000) recycled paper inserts of sterile medical gloves, bookbinding tape, linen cord, and bees wax.
Dimensions variable (40 x 180 x 45cm)
(NB: These images are of the work in progress. Please visit The Blake Prize Web Site from 07.10.09-07.11.09 for completed work)

Last day of Exhibition

2009-09-22T06:01:00.011+10:00

Today is the final day of my exhibition titled 'Solitude' at Katoomba Fine Art. The culmination of months in the studio has paid off with constructive and positive feedback and of course, the pride in having people buy your work. The most exciting sale of the exhibition has been to the Emirates Resort at Wolgan Valley who purchased 6 sets of 'Pods' and commissioned me a further 13 artworks.
I am very grateful to the team at Katoomba Fine Art, and especially Geoff White, the director, for promoting the show and supporting me throughout the exhibition. Friends and family have also helped me during this time with their continued support and encouragement. It has been an exciting month for me and I look forward to getting back into the studio once I move house and settle down into work again. As of this moment, I am waiting on an application with an estate agent in Blackheath, NSW for a house on the comically titled 'Wombat' street. If successful with the application, I may have to source a studio away from the house, as working from a bedroom has its limitations! I also need to source new art materials from the bushland and may do a short trip away to stock up on my supply of natural materials found on the ground on short bushwalks.

Jane Ponsford

2009-09-20T10:31:00.011+10:00

I love stumbling across artist's who celebrate the versatility, beauty and ephemeral nature of paper and the unexpected forms which may emerge from it. Jane Ponsford is one such artist. I came across her in a little book on paper
by Gabrielle Falkener where she states

"I come from a background in Painting but have always been attracted to sculpture and making things. Working with paper as I do is like the midway point between the two. 0The freedom of casting paper is tepered by the formality of the structure of wire and threads"

Jane Ponsford 'Accumulations. Handmade paper, wire and found pigment (rust) 2008

'St Georges Book'. Jane Ponsford A sculptural piece made during a residency at St George's Church in Surrey.

911

2009-09-18T22:29:00.003+10:00

I was going through some old CD's the other day of images and artwork when I came across this photographic piece I composited back in 2001 in response to the 911 attack. I was still at art school and just learning the magic of photoshop.
Who can believe this month commemorates the eighth anniversary of this tragic event? I submitted this artwork into a group show at TAP Gallery in Surry Hills.

Wolgan Valley

2009-09-17T06:26:00.005+10:00

Today, Geoff White (Director, Katoomba Fine Art), Warwick Fuller (Artist) and I set off to the newly opened Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort to meet with the interior designers who have purchased our artworks to be placed in the the resort. The drive took us just over an hour from Katoomba, but roadworks had us held up for an extra hour or so at the top of the Wolgan valley. We decided to go explore another road to a place called 'Blackfellows Hand Track' but the road proved to be inaccessible to our van. So instead, we sat on a fallen tree and played with 'Digger' (Warwick's dog) who's boundless energy had me jealous and amused. Digger fetched stick endlessly. Digger is identical to the kelpie I had growing up in Jindabyne who's name was Pepsi.
The winding road down into the Wolgan Valley was nothing short of breathtaking. High escarpments of sandstone cliffs surrounded us and I was now privy to the choice in location for a 6 star spa resort by the Emirates group. The resort has its official opening in October 2009 and the grounds were abuzz with workmen and activity in preparation for the grand opening. We first carried Warwick's paintings to one of the villas where the decorating staff viewed the work in context. Several of Warwick's pieces were chosen, then it was my turn to place my pods in ravines built into the wall of the main complex adjacent to a stair case leading out to the pool.
It was exciting to see where my artwork would eventually be placed at this prestigious resort and I feel fortunate that I could be part of this experience. 'Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa' have commissioned me to create a further thirteen artworks which I intend to complete within two months.

Shona Wilson

2009-09-15T20:21:00.006+10:00

One of my favorite artists utilizing natural materials to create truly unique assemblages -

Shona Wilson is a contemporary Australian sculptor, utilizing natural found materials , bronze casting and ceramic to create both abstract and representational, 2-D assemblages and 3-D sculptures.

Annie Aitken

2009-09-14T15:27:00.009+10:00

Annie Aitken is an alumna of the National Art School in Darlinghurst, Sydney Australia, where she graduated with a BA in Fine Art, painting major. She works from her studio at the Ultimo Project in Marrickville and is represented by James Dorahy Project Space in Potts Point.
Annie's artwork exquisitely embodies a sensitive and personal relationship with her materials. She creates unique forms which provoke a journey into the familiar and unfamiliar. The most surprising aspect of Annie's beautiful work is where she sources her materials from and her skill at weaving these elements together. I am fortunate enough to know Annie and look forward to seeing more of her artwork in the future.

Quote

2009-09-13T21:49:00.002+10:00

Thurle Wright

2009-09-12T07:08:00.004+10:00

The internet is such a wonderful place to find inspiration and fellow paper lovers! I just love this site, the art and the richness of forms.

'Thurle is originally from Zimbabwe. She studied modern languages and literature before specialising in visual art. She has a textiles degree form Goldsmiths College and is based at Studio Voltaire in Clapham, London.'

Cambodian Adventure 2009

2009-09-11T16:17:00.013+10:00

In January/February 2009, I traveled to Malaysia and Cambodia; Primarily to visit Maxx's parents in a town called Tanjung Malim, about an hour north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Fares were inexpensive across to Cambodia, so we thought a visit to the Temples of Angkor Wat would serve as inspiration. They turned out to be unlike anything I had ever seen or expected. Apart from the heat, I could have spent entire days exploring every crevice and chamber of these remarkable temples. The carvings and statues deserve special mention and I would happily return to the area to see the temples I missed.

Whilst exploring the Temple known as Preah Khan, I witnessed a local artist sitting amongst the ruins quietly sketching one of the figures carved into the temple wall. He sold me this water colour of an Apsara for thirty dollars which he seemed quite pleased about. It came out of his 'special' pile of paintings which were more expensive than his regular ones. Framing this piece is one of my goals before the end of the year. The artist's name is Sameon (or so I could make out from his hand writing on the back of the artwork). A treasured souvenir from my time at Angkor Wat.

Siem Reap was a great place to stay in Cambodia and I would highly recommend booking a room at a guesthouse/resort by the name of The Golden Banana. (Thanks Conway and John for the tip!) Swimming in the pool was a much needed end to a day of trekking around ruins in 35 degrees.

There were many times I thought about collecting the reddish coloured sands and small pieces of earth from around the Angkor region for use in my artwork, but I kept thinking about airport customs and ending up on one of those reality shows looking like a goose.

Art Collecting

2009-09-10T20:19:00.000+10:00

Earlier this year I visited a gallery called Event Horizon here in Katoomba. I came across the work of a local artist by the name of
Paul Du Moulin whose paintings I became enamored by. 'Talking by Wire' (left) was one in a series of works which I felt compelled to buy. I'm not sure if it was the colours that gained my attention or the beautiful way in which this small charming painting had been framed. In any case, the seed of collecting artworks began and I am proud to announce that I am the owner of three in 2009!

The second work I acquired this year was actually a gift from a fellow alumni of the National Art School in Sydney by the name of Craig Loxley. Craig lives and works now in Blackheath NSW and is currently working on his miniatures which have a wonderful sense of play and humour. In 'Illusions of the Sublime number 4' 2007, a tiny red and white striped balloon hovers over a pale blue sky in a three dimensional manner. Craig's artworks are intimate affairs, evocative of myth and nursery rhyme; when viewing Craig's artworks, one wants to drink a magic elixir a la 'Alice in Wonderland' and climb aboard! They are strange and familiar at the same time, like stories you have not heard since infancy. I am very grateful to Craig for gifting me this work and look forward to acquiring more in the near future.

The third piece I have now added to my small but growing collection is another work by Paul Du Moulin. Titled 'Cesky Krumlov VI' 2009. Part birthday gift from Maxx, and part earnings from this years Bent Art Exhibition, this small painting has the kind of luscious colours which I love.

Blake Prize 2009

2009-09-10T08:03:00.001+10:00

9th September 2009- Sydney

My pick for this years Blake Prize goes to Michael Cusack for his painting titled 'Polar' 2009 Mixed media on linen 180 cm x 160 cm.
Melinda Leguay and I returned to our old art school (NAS) gallery to see the current batch of artworks relating to a spiritual theme in this ever controversial annual art prize.

'Sydney artist Angelica Mesiti – whose 10-minute slow-motion video of the entranced faces and ecstatic expressions of young people in a music-festival crowd, Rapture (silent anthem), took out the $20,000 prize – said the win reflected the changing art landscape.'

Adam Fulton, SMH

The exhibition is on view at the gallery of Darlinghurst's National Art School, where the awards were held, until October 3. http://www.blakeprize.com.au/

'Take Care' Exhibition by Melinda Leguay

2009-09-10T06:03:00.003+10:00

Exhibition

Brenda May Gallery

25 August -20 September 2009

http://brendamaygallery.com.au/

Friend and fellow alumni of the National Art School, Sydney, Melinda LeGuay has an exhibition of exquisite artworks that will inspire, leave you intrigued and elevated in spirit . They are rough and raw materials transformed into delicate objects, apparition-like, floating in a room and given names evocative of personal acquaintances of a time long ago; names such as Elspeth, Charlotte and Bethany.

Melinda says....

My current work is a visceral response to compulsively collected materials - discarded, unloved and in a state of flux or demise. Through the process of gathering and ordering, repair and reappraisal, my work attempts to articulate transition and transformation.

In this show I create unlikely juxtapositions between raw materials and the objects that they have been transformed into. Copper wire, for example, is lovingly transformed into a delicately knitted dress that is at once protective and dangerous.

'Solitude' Exhibition at Katoomba Fine Art

2009-09-09T08:17:00.001+10:00

'Solitude' works on paper

Saturday 5th September - 22nd September 2009

Katoomba Fine Art

www.katoombafineart.com.au

Katoomba put on a spectacularly beautiful spring day to host my first solo exhibition in the Blue Mountains. Geoff, Felicity and Nadia from Katoomba Fine Art did a wonderful job in making the afternoon a huge success. My job was easy in that I was able to chat with so many familiar faces and catch up with old friends who traveled from afar to help support me. Finally seeing the artwork in the gallery gave me a great sense of achievement after spending many hours alone in the studio with my podcasts as companions.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I am fortunate enough to live in the geographically beautiful landscape of the Blue Mountains. This landscape has an arresting quality, one that has been visually depicted by artists since the mid 1800’s. The diversity of vegetation is astounding. In the lower reaches of the Jamison Valley, one may be overwhelmed with the thick canopy of Turpentines, Sassafras, Coachwoods, Liana Vines and tall tree ferns. It is amongst this intimate setting that I find inspiration to use natural materials in order to express artistically: balance, structure, symmetry and beauty, and to contribute to the compendium of artistic expression of this region.

Solitude has always been a luxury I have embraced. It is the quiet friend who directs you to larger truths; it is the ghost of all those yesterdays, distilled into our unique perception and view of the world. In this silence, I choose to celebrate my connection with nature, mainly with materials collected from the natural environment and reconfigured into grids with textured papers as a support. These assemblages attempt to embody the stillness I sense in the natural world; the repetition and symmetry across the surface evoke and foster a peaceful dialogue between viewer and their own internal states.

“Solitude has always been a luxury I have embraced. It is the quiet friend who directs you to larger truths; it is the ghost of all those yesterdays, distilled into our unique perception and view of the world.” These assemblages attempt to embody the stillness of the natural world; the repetition and symmetry across the surface evoke and foster a peaceful discourse between the viewer and their own internal states.

There is a relationship between the collecting, sorting, cutting and arranging of found materials on the surface of the artwork and the internal processes, which seek to find some kind of equilibrium and tangible aesthetic. I seek to find a structural representation of simplicity, elegance and quietude. Symmetry is the vehicle by which I strive to attain this.

My regular solitary excursions into the landscape become a necessity for me in disentangling and disengaging from an ever-demanding world. It is a return to simplicity, a refinement of one’s senses and a return to feeling. It is in solitude that we assess and seek answers to the contradictions in our lives. From this place, I return to the studio and continue the dialogue.

With the growing awareness of global warming and climate change, any focus on the natural world and its fragility, beauty and importance is a valuable tool for re-establishing the general public with our natural world. We are bombarded with imagery of a negative bias from the media, which fills us with a sense of hopelessness and inadequacy in regards to how we may reverse the situation. This negative imagery places a larger gap between our perceptions and our actions. The scales have been tipped perilously close to disaster in favor of consumerism and industry for far too long and now we are witnessing a measured transition in attitude and policy to a more favorable and responsible way of living. Ecologically responsible art practices and artworks are becoming a positive way to reinforce our relationship to nature.

Exhibition "O Beata Solitudo" Wilson Street Gallery, Newtown

2008-01-08T17:38:00.001+11:00

After several successful exhibitions at Wilson Street Gallery in Newtown in 2007, I have been invited back to participate in a group show in May titled 'Black & White' which features artists; Bill Brown, Arthur Boyd, Ben Hall, Chris Gentle, Graham Kuo, Hanna Kay & Mark Ward. The exhibition runs from the 24th May to 25th June 2008 at 30-34 Wilson Street Newtown NSW 2042.

Of the upcoming exhibition 'Black and White, Gallery owner Janet Clayton writes:

Inspired by some of the work exhibited in last year’s successful ‘Paper’ exhibition, Wilson Street Gallery is presenting an exhibition featuring works in predominantly black and white, including drawings, etchings, sculptures and paintings. The selected works celebrate the stark contrasts inherent in working in black and white while acknowledging the beauty and subtlety which can be achieved through this dramatic visual aesthetic

Later in the year, I am holding my first solo show with Wilson Street Gallery titled 'O Beata Solitudo'. The works will be paper assemblages utilizing natural materials found from the local bushland of the Blue Mountains. I am constantly amazed at the variation and subtlety of materials. Gum leaves collected in their various states of decay provide an array of colour and shape. Collecting the leaves from a reserve on Cliff Drive Katoomba has become a frequent habit and one best done after the rain. Moisture reveals the deeper hues of the leaves and once collected, they are dried for several weeks before use.