Last for a while.....

This is a remake of tomatoes I painted late last year. The exhibition for our Croquet Club went well although there were not as many visitors from the mainland as last year.  The weather has been very hot which might explain it since the show involved an uphill walk from the jetty.  It was a cheerful event however......nice to get together with other artists.

Still coming



Lemon and Lime......Sold

This oldstyle lemon squeezer is very popular.  This painting and one similiar (below) have drawn a lot of comments.

On the table

This one speaks for itself. I am not particularly happy with the shade of blue.  Many of my recent paintings seem to be dominated by this aqua shade.  Will take it in hand!

Mushrooms again

I have completed and framed 12 small paintings for an exhibition that will be held on Coochiemudlo Island over the weekend.  The exhibition is held to raise money to cover public liability insurance for our Croquet club.  I will put all the images up on the site over the next few days.  Am pleased to have them completed

Still coming...

Perhaps Tea..............................Sold

This little painting is fairly 'undercooked' by my standards but I was pleased with the transparent aspect of it and decided to just stop.  When to stop is a constant problem for me!

Forwards.......

'Trio'............SOLD

Have been through a really barren period painting, wiping out, repainting etc. etc.  Slowly the muse has relented.........I hope! Have a number of paintings ready for a small local exhibition held by the Coochiemudlo Croquet Club in order to raise money for their public liability insurance.  I promised to submit a number of my small paintings.  Will post them over the next couple of days.

Back again.....

Stranded.................Sold

I had great amibitons to go for a painting a day.  It was my New Year's resolution - but no such luck.  Have been working on a larger painting that has taken considerable time.  Have managed a few 20x20's and will put them up over the next couple of days.  I return to classes this month which will be a good discipline.

A second take on Luscious

'Still Luscious'............SOLD

I painted a painting similar to this earlier last year and a friend and fellow artist bought it.  At the time somebody else asked me if I could do a similar painting for them.  I arranged and photographed this collection of apples and while they are pleasing, I don't think the composition is as good as my earlier work.

Cheery Cherries

Back into still-life.....it's so nice.  There is such a variety of very paintable fruit available here at the moment and I hope to get a few paintings in before the season ends. Nectarines, peaches and plums are particularly amenable for still life. I hope to post a little more frequently if the hot weather doesn't deter me.  My studio is in our garage and even though it is well ventilated it gets very hot once the temperature exceeds 30.

For Meg

I've given many paintings to family members but never one to Meg, my sister.  She complained about it finally and said she would like a simple painting of tomatoes on a bush for her kitchen.  I have done this small painting for her.  She lives in Canberra and will be coming up this way in a week or so. I hope she likes it.

Island Residents

'Watchful'...20 x 20cm....Oil on Board.....SOLD

Coochiemudlo Island where I live has a large population of bush curlews.  The birds frequently rest and shelter in residents' gardens.  They are more active during the night and their cries, not unlike a child's scream,  often alarm visitors. Sometimes when approached, the mother in an effort to ward off any threat to her chick, launches into what looks like an elaborate dance.  She spreads her wings, bobs her head up and down and steps lightly around while issuing a gutteral hiss.  Despite knowing how helpless the birds really are, I am always taken aback by this formidable display.

A fellow resident and friend recently bought the small painting of the two chicks below.  He asked if I would paint a picture of a curlew chick to accompany it.  I found painting the chick harder than I expected. I hope he likes it.

Jemima

My daughter, Gilly, asked me some time ago to paint her old cat Jemima.  She photographed her sitting on a couch (black with red stud-buttons).  Jemima played the part and posed perfectly.  I hope I have done her justice ....she is a very beautiful though a very fat cat....with a bit of the prima donna lurking in her attitude.

This is my first post for 2012.  I have been painting some exercises to try and warm up.  I'm always fearful of a blank board after I have had a break from painting.  Feel certain that the muse has abandoned me! Jemima has helped me feel more comfortable getting back into it.  Hope my future posts reflect a positive outcome!

Happy new year.

A Portrait

David.......40x60cam...........Oil on Canvas

This is a painting of my husband, David.  It took me an age and is overworked.  The exercise was very good however and I learnt a lot.  I have to stop myself going and tweeking it all the time.  My daughter suggests that I begin another rather than going back to this one.  I think that is a good idea. I would like to capture a more relaxed, less self conscious pose.

I have not been painting much since the exhibition although I have been thinking about it a lot.  I have many plans.  A friend has lent me a couple of magnficent large bowls so I think I will start on a few larger paintings once the Christmas rush has settled.  I will continue with the small ones as well of course, but I think it would be good to broaden the scope for a while.  

The last from Take Four

Preparations........20x20cm.....Oil on board

This is the final post for paintings from Take Four.  The image below shows works from three of the artists.  The cluster of small paintings on the right hand side is mine.  The cluster on the left are altered books by Robyn and the painting in the middle is by Anna Bray. 

'Gossips' from Take Four

'Gossips'....20 20cm...Oil on Board....SOLD

Take Four again....

Avacardo....20x20cm......Oil on Board.....SOLD

We removed our paintings from the gallery yesterday so our exhibition is finalised.  It was such a good experience.  We all did well and also worked well together.....we are tentatively planning another.

Three Yellow Squash.....20x20cm......Oil on Board

Some others from 'Take Four'......

Troops........20x20cm.......Oil on Board.......SOLD

Ready to Pickle....20x20cm.....Oil on Board.....SOLD

Chickens and Chooks

Cock of the Walk...............SOLD

This little group of paintings also went into our exhibition. I photographed these birds while I was staying in Samoa recently.  I enjoyed painting them enormously although I think the rooster painting requires a bit of lightening up.  The size of paintings is a bit misleading here.  The painting of the rooster is quite a bit bigger (30x40cm) than the two below (20x20cm). 

All's Well...............SOLD

Chicks...........................SOLD

Take Four.....

Carolyn's Beads.....20x20cm......Oil on board...SOLD

These beads are one of the paintings included in the Take Four exhibition that I shared over the weekend with Robyn Foster, Gloria Dietz-Kiebron and Anna Bray, all members of Yurara Art Society.  The exhibition opened on Friday 11th and was very successful.  A large and cheerful crowd attended the the actual opening and a constant stream of visitors called into the gallery over the weekend.  The number of sales was also very pleasing.

At the Opening

This is a picture of guests at the opening.  Through the heads one can see my cluster of 20x20's alongside Anna Brays lovely larger works.  In the corner on the left is a selection of Robyn Foster's altered books.....really dramatic.  Robyn organised the hanging of our works and received innumerable commendations....the layout and arrangement of works looked just great.

More Beads............20x20cm.......Oil on board

This is another of beads.  This string belongs to me.  I bought it in Bahrain about 30 years ago and have always loved it.  The beads in the top photograph belong to a friend.  They are made from that pure clear resin.....very, very paintable.

Soursweet...............SOLD

Although I haven't posted any new paintings for a month, I have been quite busy.  I am preparing for a small exhibition on 11th, 12th and 13th November with three other Yurara members. The exhibition is in the Yurara gallery.  It is a very pleasing space, well lit and fresh.  However, the location is not good and road access to the gallery is difficult.  Consequently,  it is hard to attract visitors unless they know exactly where they are going.

I used this small painting for the promotional brochure.  I have painted about 12 paintings, most of them 20x20cm but there are a few larger ones.  I will post images of all of them once the exhibition opens.      

The last for a while.

'Tea for Two'........SOLD

I was pleased with this small painting.  I shall save it for an exhibition I shall be sharing with 3 other artists in November. Will provide more details about it in a later post.

I won't be posting any new images for a while.  We are going to Samoa for a fortnight for a rest and relax.  Hope to snorkel and laze around reading.  We are going with another couple, friends that we met while we were living in PNG.  We both had boats and used to visit an island in Fairfax Harbour to snorkel almost every weekend.  I became enchanted with the world underwater.

Yurara Spring Exhibition......

I donated this small painting as a prize at Yurara Art Society's Spring Exhibition.  The exhibition opened last night and my friend, Robyn of altered books fame, won it.  I am not certain that these colours please Robyn's eye and told her she is welcome to swap it for another if she would like to.  It's actually a bit tricky 'giving' a painting.  



A favourite.

'Jewells'..............SOLD

I painted this a couple of days ago and was pleased with it.  It was one of those that emerged seemlessly.  I particularly enjoyed the low key colours - a contrast to some of the brighter paintings I have done recently.
I was shocked to read that Carol Marine and her family lost their house in ferocious fires in Texas on Monday. Apparently more than 300 houses were burnt.  Carol managed to save a number of her small paintings but lost her larger works and everything else in the studio attached to their home.
 I admire Carol's work and have set about trying to put into practice some of her exercises - such as trying to produce a (small)  painting a day and painting quick 10 minute exercises.  I have learnt a lot just trying both. I wish her and her family well in this awful crisis.

Geese again...

And another...



Perhaps a painting per day....?

I hope this is the first of many daily posts.  This is my last week as president of Yurara Art Society.  I have been involved on the committee there for a number of years now but will be resigning at the AGM which is to be held next Monday. The organisaion has around 100 members and is fairly demanding in terms of organisational duties.
Once I resign I hope to really knuckle down for a few months and put this daily painting plan into action.  My friend and fellow artist/committee member, Robyn, is also resigning. 

Weekend at Straddie

'Straddie' or Stradbroke Island is a large sparsley populated island in Moreton Bay off the Queensland coast.  Earlier in the year David and I joined three other couples for a weekend there.  We had all met in Papua New Guinea some years back and try to get together at least a couple of times a year.  It's always lots of laughs, good food and occasionally a little too much wine.

This scene is from the verandah of the house in which we stayed.  The verandah overlooked Cylinder Beach. 

The weather was variable.  Most of the time it drizzled rain.  Once we had a ferocious electric storm which was deafening.  Not that it spoiled our weekend.  I painted these small paintings as a gift for each couple.  I will be posting them off tomorrow - I hope they like them.

It's Been a Long Time....

On the Table  30 x 40 cm Oil on Board -   SOLD

I didn't have a lot of time to prepare, but this painting, On the Table, was the first of two entries which I sumbmitted to the 'Ekka' which is our annual Queensland Show.  It was awarded 'Highly Commended' which was pleasing particularly when I felt I had overworked it a bit......as is my habit! The other painting, In the Kitchen is inserted below. It is just a tiny painting, a little less serious and fun to paint. 

In the Kitchen  10 x 25 cm Oil on Board.... .  SOLD

I had a rather startling experience when I visited the Ekka and went to browse through the paintings.  As I turned a corner I came across a painting that was an exact copy of a painting I completed last year for entry into the annual Yurara Members' Show held in the Redland Art Gallery,  our local regional gallery.  A photograph of the painting, Nectarines, is below.  Redland Art Gallery had used the painting on an invitation to the Yurara show (with my permission of course) and it was circulated widely.  I expect the artist simply copied the work from the invitation.  I found the whole experience rather disconcerting. 

Nectarines  20 x25 cm Oil on Canvas - SOLD

Waiting, waiting......

I like painting paint-tubes and brushes.  The tubes when well used remind me of comfortable old shoes.  They have lost their crisp, new look.....but still serve me well.

Again, I think there is too much white in the mix.  Am on a mission to really reduce the amount of white I use in an effort to achieve a richer colour mix.

Luscious. ................... . SOLD

It is now 4th July and I have repainted this small painting...allowing a bit more scope and trying very hard to reduce the amount of white that I mix with the hues.  I think the difference is obvious.....am not certain to what degree it improves it but will persevere with the exercise.

I painted this small painting in class and had problems with it straight away. One of the other students liked it so I offered it to her but not before I brought it home and did a bit more work on it. Like many of my paintings I think the values are wrong.....I am beginning to think that, as a general rule, I use too much white paint. This is particularly obvious once I have photographed the works. Am going to repeat this painting and try to reduce the amount of white in the colour mixing......will then upload the other to compare the two.

Odd Man Out

Well this is not all a problem with my mind's eye (see below).  I am using my husband's camera and I don't think the colour reproduction is as accurate as my little Canon Ixus.  The green in this painting is quite bright and lime coloured which just hasn't come across.  Will probably do a little more on this painting as well.....that water line is definitely sloping downhill.  It's so good to post it 'out there' and look at it critically.  Enough to make one cringe!

Which came first............................SOLD

This is now 27/6 and I have done a little more work on this to try and add a bit more oomph. I hope it looks a little less cooked and a little more raw!

A raw egg in a glass bowl is a bit challenging!  This egg definitely has a cooked look.  Will return to it tomorrow and try and put a bit more oomph into the bowl.  It is always surprising to see a painting posted....it looks so different to the picture in your mind's eye.  Will have another go at this subject probably with more than one egg and a different bowl.  Had a great day painting.....the weather in south east Queensland is just perfect at present.
This is now 27/6 and I have done a little more work on this to try and add a bit more oomph.

Warm and Safe ................................... SOLD

Painting birds and animals is quite new to me but I have enjoyed those that I have done in the last month or so.  And generally people like them.  

Big Red.....another one from the kitchen.

I love the colour combinations in this little painting.....but unfortunately, as more often than not, I have overworked it.  Having done so I seem to be unable to recapture that looseness.  Perhaps next time!

Tears and More Tears........................................SOLD

Tiny Peppers.......my first abstract

This is probably what I would call my very first abstract.  I attended a class today with my tutor, Corinne Columbo, and she set us an exercise involving a bowl of tiny, colourful peppers.  The object was to draw or paint the bowl of peppers and then superimpose upon it a different view of the same subject. I'm always a bit reluctant venturing into these sort of exercises but enjoyed this one and was careful not to over-paint as I usually do. 

In the Kitchen........................................ SOLD

Am back again after a break.  Have completed a couple of small still life works and hope to get back to painting a bit more seriously.  I have had two lots of visitors, my daughter and her two little boys, and then good friends from Melbourne.  Both visits were delightful, but in between I managed to get a riproaring throat infection.  I think I might have caught it from my daughter and hope I haven't passed it onto our next guests.  Very hard to avoid doing it.
Anyway am back to good health and back to painting.  Hope the blog looks a bit more active for a while.