r e d s p e c t r u m

Im back doing one of my favourite things.
Collecting colour.
And his time it's through the red spectrum -
which is not a place I usually gravitate toward.
But there is something alluring about it.

I love its intensity, its warmth, its resonance with nature.
For me red means Earth - the base and grounding of all things.
Its a beautiful colour to find in nature - from the changing of the leaves in the Autumn trees, to the rich ochre's that the Indigenous peoples use to paint and mark themselves and their artworks with.

There are a lot of books written about red - and its meaning within different cultures around the globe. From lust, love, celebration, marriage, religion and revolution.
It truly is a colour with many interpretations and resonances.

From now until February Ill be dreaming, playing and getting by hands dirty with red pigment for a new exhibition project that opens in early March.

This will be interesting....

Bridget Kennedy's  'Choice Mate - Site 5' beeswax,
pigment soil and found object installation
@ North Sydney Art Prize 2017

Autumn colours
Northbridge Sydney 

Beautiful Jewellery art piece from
Bulay (i), Buku Larrnggay Mulka Artists
with Indigenous Jewellery Project
@ Australian Design Centre Sydney 

Quiet moment on a very busy Burano Island
Venice 

mash up

The time spent playing, reworking and just 'plain-ol' looking at bits and pieces plastered up on the grubby white walls of my tiny studio counts as some of my favourite moments in the whole creative process.

I love re-imagining artworks and seeing new things, old things, abandoned things and commissioned things speak to each other - as they hang alongside each other like a 90s mix-tape mashup. It makes my head whirl and whip round like a spinning top, and I start to see new ideas take shape. 

When visitors come by the studio and they see an old work up on the wall, they often ask if im holding onto it ... for keeps. 

Usually the answer is that its on the wall to keep inspiring me, and pushing me to explore new directions. As once is gone - its gone - and I cant have another conversation with it! 

Strange as that may sound....

(foreground) Turning on the Fall 2016 - Acrylic  painting on wood.
In the background a mix media drawing on paper entitled
Quiver (among the stars) 2016

the light

This week I had the privilege of hosting the lovely John Mangila in my studio space to take some photos of me (oh joy!) and my work.

Its always interesting having people over to my second home - and hearing their reactions to my new work and seeing what initially catches their eye. 

John loves using soft natural light in his photography. He loves moody shadows and backgrounds that fade into inky indigo blues. So as soon as he saw me turn on the fluorescent studio lights he immediately asked for them to be turned off. 

And then I saw my work through the soft natural light that filters through the space - and observed every painting, drawing and weaving in a new light. 

How lovely to see things from a new and beautiful perspective...

h 0 v e r .   2 0 1 6

baseline or bottoms up.
you choose!

floating thoughts

Light. Floating. Transparent. 

Like the wind...

As I draw closer to my exhibition in September Im now starting to narrow in on the themes and thoughts that I would like to have running through this new collection of artworks. 

As you can see... one big theme is emerging.

That of the sky, wind, and the thoughts, dreams, words and emotions that transparently float through the air...

On Sunday I went to see a beautiful exhibition at S.H Ervin gallery on Observatory Hill in The Rocks. And as I left I went for a walk through the grass and just looked up. And the clouds were forming the most amazing patterns. 

I was transfixed. 

And felt like I could float anywhere.

What a lovely feeling that is....

Floating through the ether. 2015

hold.keep.cup 2016

floating world.2016

transparent parallels. 2016

artist - in - residence

Does anyone remember what their Christmas was like?

What about New Years? 

Or Australia Day?

2016 seems to have its high performance running shoes on - and be moving at warp speed. Every year has a momentum of its own. But this year feels different. Every day, every occasion, every catch-up seems to be blending into one another - to the point where there is no pause, no deep breath, no moments of reflection. 

That's exactly what I was experiencing this year UNTIL I went to Gunyah - in the Hunter region of NSW a couple of weeks ago - and took a deep breath.

The Gunyah artist-in-residence program, organised by Sydney based artist Kath Fries is like no other. It is part holiday retreat, part nature wildlife sanctuary, and part artist think tank. Artists' who are lucky enough to be awarded with a 12 day residency have the use of a lovely house on the waters edge of North Arm Cove, and a studio with views of the bush and water. So yes - it is a pretty special place. 

When I arrived I had a million ideas of what I wanted to achieve, and packed my car with a plethora of materials for any and every project. Paints, pencils, paper, canvases, wood panels, ink, oil pastels. But - as I quickly discovered - the property of Gunyah sets the rules and the pace. 

So I rested, reflected, swam, explored ... and THEN I started to work in the studio space. 

My work took on a lighter, more airy feel - inspired by where I was and how I was feeling. 

And I knew - twelve days was not going to be enough. 

What my time on this recent residency showed me was that I need to stop more, reflect more, and pay heed to what my surroundings are trying to communicate. The way the world slows down at Gunyah was such a treat to experience - like the way the clouds and water change in form and colour as dusk takes hold. That's how much I had slowed down by my last day on the property, I was watching the wind, clouds and water at dusk - while listening to the birds and Wallabies rustle around the trees surrounding the house!

Looking now at my completed artworks that I have just unpacked in my studio in Camperdown I can truly feel and see that quiet breath that I took on my residency, in a beautiful and inspiring place called Gunyah. And I hope I can carry this feeling through the rest of my year, and the artworks that are yet to come...

Triptych on wood. 

When one paintbrush just isnt enough!
Painting at the Gunyah studio.
photo credit: Tina Fox

The beautiful shoreline...

by the crescent moon 2016

reflections of outside looking into the studio, Gunyah 2016
photo credit: Tina Fox

atmospheric thoughts, 2016

Thank you to Kath Fries and all the organisers and custodians of The Gunyah artist residency at North Arm Cove. Thank you for this amazing opportunity to think, to reflect, to dream and experience the beautiful place on North Arm Cove. A big thank must also be given to Cath Derksema and Tina Fox for visiting and taking such lovely photos.

still life

Interesting when your life becomes still.
Doesn't happen very often these days - especially if you live in the city.
Even most conversations are fast paced and fleeting.

On those very odd occasions when you do catch yourself sitting quietly and watching the world go by  - its lovely to stop and notice what beautiful and often ordinary objects catch your eye.

A shadow on the floor, a fleck of light catching the rim of a cup, the breeze moving a towel that has just come back from the beach...

In the last few months ive been slowing down my thoughts in the studio and doing warm up sketches of the object that lie around me. And ive loved the process.

Its amazing the pleasure that you can get from just quietly sketching a few objects as they wait for you to use them....

a family portrait. December 2015

Lekythos. 2016

summer equation

A few weeks ago I realised the pattern that I was creating this summer.
And it goes something like this...

Sun = beach
Rain = studio

pretty simple equation.

A lovely one actually - which doesn't truly describe the start of 2016 for me.

But when I think back to some of my favourite moments from the the past few weeks I can kinda put them into these two camps.

hazy days by the beach 

one of my favourite local walks.
Its my hideaway...

Can you see the whale? 

make hay while the sun shines

November and December are always a big time on the art calendar. 

Along with the big end of year exhibitions at the private galleries, you also have the graduation shows at the the art schools. AND then you cant forget the emergence of the Summer blockbuster shows at the big art institutions like the MCA and the AGNSW.

Every few years or so I catch the art frenzy bug that infects the local community and I try and see as many exhibitions as my body and brain will allow. 

This year the sun was shining and I saw some beautiful works - and that also has to include my trip to the APT8 in Brisbane (which I talked about in my last post). 

Here are just a few images from some of my favourite artists and exhibitions. 

Zoe Veness and her beautiful and intricate folded paper jewellery pieces
were on display at Studio 20/17 last month in her solo exhibition entitled
'Autonomous Jewellery'

The amazing Stephen Bird just exhibited his new collection of ceramic pieces
at Olsen Irwin Gallery in Paddington. Mad and amazing...

One of my favourite painters Elizabeth Cummings has her solo show on now
at King st Gallery on William. This piece is entitled
'Granite Country 2015'

Gemma Smith and the amazing polished concrete floor made a great combination
at Sarah Cottier Gallery. 

This a view of the main gallery floor at Roslyn Oxley Gallery
and on display a couple of weeks ago was this amazing exhibition
by the brilliant Australian artists' John Wolseley and Mulkun Wirrpanda.

On Sunday I had an hour to kill before hearing Grayson Perry talk at the Opera House,
Unfortunately the attendants at the MCA informed me that this HUGE Summer exhibition
needed longer than an hour to view.
Fair enough...
So I went down to see the permanent collection
and found this beautiful work by Rosalie Gascoigne entitled Tiger Tiger 1987

The Tenderness of Rain 2011-12 by Lindy Lee
was also on display at the MCA. Loved the texture and detail in this work on paper

Finally... I had to include this street find.
I found it on the weekend in Redfern and its by Baf Cat -
who is a Fine art student from Wollongong

APT8 arrives in Brisbane

As you can see from this amazing image by Australian artist Danie Mellor (above) Ive been out and about seeing some beautiful work over the weekend in Brisbane - as the 8th Asia Pacific Triennial has just opened. The Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) and the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) have been taken over by some amazing contemporary artists. And believe me - two days was just enough! 

The APT is such a brilliant and unique exhibition and The Queensland Arts has to be commended for their brave move to continue investing in this initiative to find, cultivate, support, and acquire artworks from countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Mongolia, New Caledonia and every country in between. The collection of works they present is always interesting, diverse and completely thought provoking. 

Ive just been to Venice to see the Biennale this year and I swear I saw more eclectic and engaging work in Brisbane with this Triennial than I did in Italy. The work this time focused on some key areas such as kinetic energy, issues of personal identity, the environment, displacement and globalisation. 

The one phrase I wrote down when I entered the foyer space at GOMA this year was....

'Public space + collective experience' 

and I think that's what all the works were really about. 

Protest, sharing of information, and a want of acceptance and acknowledgement of our histories - both past and present. 

Great show.

I didnt take many pics but here are a few that made it onto my phone.

Massive mural charcoal drawing by Indian artist Prabhakar Pachpute in the GOMA foyer
created in a couple of days before the exhibition opened

Min Thein Sungs amazing sculptural installation at GOMA.
He is from Myanmar and this work was all about the oppression in his country
and how people made their own toys using everyday materials

Mural drawing in the Queensland Art Gallery by an Indian artist

This amazing multimedia installation by Nicolas Mole (Kanak Peoples/New Caledonia)
was one of my favourite artworks.
It was made in collaboration with artists and performers from New Caledonia

My mate Amelia taking photos of the massive installation of 1000 Venetian blinds
that was in the Queensland art gallery waterfall foyer
by artist Haegue Yang (South Korea)

It was hard to take pics of these stunning photos by Taloi Havini + Stuart Miller
that represent the Hako people and the environmental concerns of  Bougainville.
I loved this series of works...

Amazing SaVage K'lub created by New Zealand artist Rosanna Raymond

A couple of pics of the HUGE installation of paintings, sculptures, drawings and everything else in between ...
by three artists - Ramin Haerizadeh (Iran/UAE), Rokni Haerizadeh (Iran/UEA), Hesam Rahmanian (USA,UEA)
The whole thing was mad, absurd, DADA and funny...

Beautiful work by Joe Ngallametta in QAG.
It wasnt a part of the Triennial but I loved it anyway

Three galleries in three months and three times ive found the work of Vincent Namadjira exhibited!
This man's work is going to be huge! 

Had to finish with this colouring in table at QAG
Amelia and I spent a little while here creating patterns with the other kids and parents at the gallery
The program is events of kids at the Asia Pacific Triennial is always brilliant!