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! 

street sweeper

^wayside. kings cross^

Collecting colour.
One of my favourite things to do.
Just walking and looking
At everything
and nothing.

Especially as the seasons
and the light starts to change.
Happy April everyone//

^besser blocks. surry hills^

^mural project by ten thousand paces. Surry Hills^

^zap. Newtown^

^fading facade. Newtown^

collecting colour

^ November and the streets are paved in purple from the flowering
Jacaranda trees^

^ One of the hottest days this month
and Im in Newtown asking for an extra hot coffee.
Im mad. I know^

^Bondi Icebergs - and the official start to
The Sculpture by the Sea arts festival.
No swim for me that day but I loved seeing all the artworks this year...^

^new mural by Nico Nicoson in Camperdown^

^And its time to say farewell to another Camperdown institution.
Pigeon Ground - a great clothing and record store which opened in 2004
will soon make way for....??
 Not sure I want to know....^

Walking through May

^Beautiful trees.
Wombat Hollow, East Kangaloon^

^A fading beauty.
 Australia st Newtown^

^An inspiring visit to the studio of Sydney jeweller Mel Young.
Rozelle^

^ a beautiful wall.
Redfern^

^a golden veil of leaves.
Bowral^

^land of the little people.
Newtown^

colouring in

^This is me on the streets of North Sydney with two taffic cones,
a fluro safety vest and a trusty blue crate that also acted as a step ladder and
a seat^

I guess you will have noticed the deafening silence on this little blog in the last few weeks. Im actually surprised you still click and visit! Thank you for still supporting my artwork and this tiny blog - as things on this tiny site have been alittle quiet of late. After seven years of diligently writing three posts a week - Ive recently found myself treating this space like a second or third class compartment in my life - and I wish that wasn't the case. 

When I started this blog way back in 2008 my life was very different.

I was working part time at Object Gallery, exhibiting my artwork here and there in Sydney, and focusing on my health, as it slowly deteriorated with the onset of some very serious complication with my Crohns Disease. In amongst all of that the tinytrappings blog was born and it became my refuge and my creative outlet for everything and nothing.  Exhibitions, artists', books, music, street art.... 

Fast forward to 2014 and my life looks and feels completely different. My health (touch wood is better), my artwork is happening in a lovely studio space in Camperdown, im teaching workshops in weaving and drawing.... And instead of walking the streets and photographing murals, im working on the streets and colouring them in with my own designs. 

Late last year North Sydney Council initiated a project entitled 'Colouring Our Habitat' where locals artists were asked to workshop ideas with a community or school group, and then design and paint three traffic light boxes that line the streets. 

A few weeks ago I shared with you my photos from a workshop I held with a group of Year 9 students from Monte Sant' Angelo which started the whole process. And then shared my photos and inspirations while doing a reccy around the area where I was about to paint my designs.

Since then I have been working on my final designs and in the last two weeks or so Ive been out on the streets painting. 

And here are the final pieces!

I hope you like them....

Ive really enjoyed this project and the opportunity it has afforded me. Working on street art is something I've wanted to do for a very long time. And now - after years of ill health Ive been able to achieve it. 

And ive loved it.

Who knows...

Maybe you'll find a few more of my artworks on the lane ways of Sydney?

I mean.. 

I do have some left over paint....

^Final design for Walker st. - entitled Through the Trees' 

^Through the Trees.
Walker st North Sydney^

^Final design for box 1 on Berry St.
This one was called Folded Spaces'

^Box 1 on Berry st with Box 2 looking very naked in the background^

^Final design for Box 2 on Berry st.
This design is called Stained Nature^

^ Box 2 all dressed and ready to go.
It was completed this time last week^

^The two berry st boxes side by side
standing side by side^

Thank you to Alison and all the team at North Sydney Council.
Thank you to Kate and all the staff and students at Mont Sant'Angelo.
Thank you to my family and friends who supported me on site - delivering take away coffees and words of encouragement.
And a massive thank you to the public who were so lovely to me as I painted during the week and on the weekends. I never knew how much people noticed while walking around the streets. But you noticed me and were very very complimentary which truly surprised me.

six moments

(quick photo opportunities while juggling an umbrella)

(last light)

It's Autumn
And it feels like we are having a weather roll call at the moment
To see if everyone is present and accounted for...

Massive storms?
Check.
Heavy rain?
check.
Clear blue skies and sticky heat?
Check.

My clothes are splayed all over my room
as I do multiple wardrobe changes to make sure I dont get caught out!

(ferry rides and blue skies)

(quiet autumn beach and brave swimmers)

(even the graffiti has been turned on its head)

(white light found while walking to the studio)