Artists Blog

Nothing like a Lace Monitor on the BBQ to get your heart rate up first thing in the morning.

Nothing like a sunny BBQ to get your heart rate up in the morning if you’re a Lace Monitor.

He got a bit huffy  when I ventured close, puffing his neck up and “Haruumffing” me. Two metres of grumpy lizard is not pleasant.

Had my Great Debate at Uni today, not as bad as I thought. Thanks for all your hints and tips everybody. Next week is the 6 minute speech. Can’t wait.

I’ve dug up another moonset photo from May. Back then the moon set in the early evening, behind the same mountain in my previous post.

This afternoon I had quite an inspiring (and looong) phone conversation with gorgeous Rosa Fedele, a friend since school days. She’s a full time artist and has a really no nonsense approach which I need to take heed of. I don’t think proscrasination is even in her vocabulary. Damn she’s good! - Her website link is on the right hand side of my blog as well as here.

Day off tomorrow so I’ll try my hardest to really make some headway with all these paintings I have in my head.

Not much time to post - off to town in a minute. Always in a rush aren’t I?

I’ve made a start on my canvas for my second ever acrylic work. The colour chose itself.

Don’t know if I’ll finish by the deadline, but at least I can tell myself I did put down some paint.

I still have the Impasto Oil painting to finish by next friday. Think of chunky thick brushstokes (impasto), put down alla prima (all in one layer). Much harder than it looks Mr Van Gogh!

Off to an exhibition opening at the Regional Gallery tonight. It’s by a woman who is very well known in art circles, although I’m not familiar with her style. My lecturer has suggested I speak with this woman regarding my direction. It was all very out of the blue, but recenly I’ve been getting together with emerging artists, and there are some common dilemmas between us, regardless of our artistic style or medium.

Lots to think about.

Last night was the opening of the “BIG” exhibition.

Over 150 established & emerging artists (one an Archibald winner no less!) were given the theme of BIG, and a canvas area of 8″ x 10″. The results were amazing.

Some chose to submit sculptural or 3D work, and all are part of a silent auction.

The new Mayor of Cairns opened the show, and Jeff (above right), felt “privileged” when she pushed him out of the way during the evening!

I was told by the gallery staff that my submission was the very first to have a bid placed on it. I feel quite stunned, as this is THE very first piece of work I will have sold, not to mention being my first proper exhibition. Just to be exhibiting in the same space as an Archibald Prize winner is amazing.

Now it’s back to the  Uni Assignment Grindstone….

Port Douglas was laid back as usual, with people kicking back with coffee and conversation.

Whilst we enjoyed our brews at the Marina, I heard the waitstaff whispering about “the lady who was doing some awesome paintings on the pier”.

I wandered over to say hello, and she surprised me by saying that she knew me! She was doing the watercolour class a few feet away from me at ArtEscape last month.

Her name is Delia and she’s also a member of the Cairns Art Society. After a brief but inspiring chat, I left her to her watercolours. I’m terrible with names, but I did remember talking to her about the class at ArtEscape. My memory definately needs some improving!

Granma & Granpa enjoyed a cuddle on the pier.

At Uni yesterday we got into the more intricate techie side of Photoshop. Here is my lecturer attempting to create 3D images from my photos. Ok, they are actually his sunglasses.

The first canetoad of the season reared it’s ugly (and I mean ugly!) head IN my fishpond.

The Man scooped it out.

Cool as you like it was. They never hurry for anyone.

Later in the evening we caught up for a farewell drink with Kim (Bigblog), her Mum and her Man. You can ask her about the binoculars!

Friday - painting class - continuing our adventures with “oil glazing”. A tiny dab of oil paint  is mixed with fast drying Liquol to produce a thin layer (a glaze) of paint. Many layers of glaze later you have a transparent sheen of paint that looks luminous. Well, that’s the theory anyway.

For many, including myself, it’s our first introduction to oil painting, and a whole new experience. Next week we go hard and thick with the oils with impasto techniques.

This afternoon there was a loud BANG on the kitchen window. The Man of the House had only cleaned the window recently and it had repercussions.

A teenage Chestnut Breasted Mannikin (or Bullfinch?) was not happy with his close encounter. A good excuse to have dirty windows!

(Don’t look at the oil paint under my fingernails).

He didn’t seem to want to fly anywhere, so I popped him in a tree out back. 20 minutes later he was right to join all his mates again.

Peaceful Dove trying to be inconspicuous.

Like all his friends.

Meanwhile, the Bromeliads and gingers are putting on a flamboyant display. Almost like Mardi Gras!

I do apologise for the bad scan of this illo - it was done some years back for an interactive CD package for schools. The original watercolour had rainbow holographic glitter featured all over the sail.

It ended up on the DVD cover (I apologise again, when I resized this the text Drop Shadows went wild!):

The illustration for the first story (of 20), featured the Woodlum (the animal’s “ark”) in the background. Not such a fantastic scan either!

I’m just in the door from the movies - we saw “Wanted”, with Angelina Jolie at her gun totin’ best. I had planned to do a watercolour of a big & beautiful sail fish for this week’s topic, but the movie won out over sitting at the drawing desk!

Lots of work to do before painting class tomorrow, I believe I’m to be introduced to oil paints - very exciting!

I’ve had such a busy week that I’ve only just sat down to read Wednesday’s paper (and the rest!) this evening. What a nice surprise to see one of my photos being used in the paper:

The original photo and story behind this OCD Sunbird and it’s pooping ways all over my car can be found by clicking here.

I’ve had a few emails asking for some “behind the scenes of the kingfisher painting. Everything I’ve learnt regarding this method has been taught to me by a wonderful bird artist, Paul Margocsy.

I’ve used Clayboard for this piece, but any illustration board (smooth or toothed), and even Matt board (for framing) is OK.

Step1 - After sketching onto my clayboard, I mask the birds and foliage. Using my airbrush, I lay down washes of background colour. I have the board tilted up at an angle, which is better for airbrushing, but not so good for wayward drips!

Airbrushing is really forgiving, I made a heap of mistakes here. The consequence is that the background gets darker and darker. I need to adjust the pressure to a lower setting so that it’s not like a rifle going off!

I use a finger or eraser to gently peel off the dried masking fluid. I’ve used a water soluable wash pencil for the sketch. I touched up some of the birds with the same pencil at this stage.

Time to block in rough areas of colour with a big brush. After this step, I go over and lay in the fine details with a tiny brush. Good eyes and a steady hand an advantage - I don’t have either! I wouldn’t call this method “over-the-top-difficult”, but more “methodical”. I find the feathers/foliage gets rather tedious after a while, but a quick walk or cuppa soon revives my momentum.

And the finished peice you saw 2 posts back. No 8 in using this method, not that I’m counting!

Did anyone sit through the whole Opening Ceremony last night? I admit I flagged after 12.30, but was able to catch the replay this morning. I think of all the artists involved in so many aspects, the costumes, the calligraphy, the lighting, the props, the digital art (stupendous!) and the list goes on. Just FABULOUS!

Amazing - I finished both pieces today! I only just made it for the BIG exhibition deadline by a couple of hours - that’ll teach me to start at the last minute. It’s a lesson I never seem to learn though!

                  “POOF!”    Watercolour on Pastel paper 160 gsm

In keeping with the “Camp” theme this week (I know the Aussies are all sniggering at the “Poof” theme), my “BIG” piece was inspired by the wildlife in the garden, the Kingfisher pair, so much in love, and the Green Tree Snake (much much smaller though!)

                       Title: “Honey, it’s bigger than both of us!”

                                  Watercolour on Clayboard

The painting subject starts tomorrow at uni - the creation of paint. I’ve been promised that we’ll all feel “mellow” by the end of class!

Well the smoke has cleared but today the mountain ranges were covered by a different kind of cloud.

The early morning fog spills down the slopes like a great big doona.

At the base of those mountains is a disused Quarry. Now filled with water from a natural spring, it’s called Moore Lake.

I fossicked about here for a bit for my pigment-holding rocks. We’re to make our own paint tomorrow the old fashioned way of bashing rocks to a powder.

Unfortunately Cairns is granite/quartz/basalt based (from the mountains being eroded away), so not very condusive to giving up colour. I’ve a few promising rocks, as well as purple mollusc shells and dead pastels, so I should be able to put something in my expectant paint pans.

Can’t stay and play, the deadline for the “BIG” exhibition has been moved forward to tomorrow, so I’m off to grab my brushes!

                  Watercolour on Bockingford Paper   20cm x 28 cm

I’ve never been a fan of the Can for art purposes, but I have been swayed.

At my recent adventures at ArtEscape, Paul Margocsy demonstrated how great they are as brush cleaners whilst painting. Once filled with water, the ribbed sides provide a great “washerboard” action for the brush bristles.

I’m so excited about Uni Semester starting again next week. This email received from the Prof last night:

I have my stash of Peacock ore, purple shells and mortar & pestle packed, raring to go!