A painting for the Ekka......

Table..........Sold

 



This is one of two paintings that I have been working on for a while.  They are both larger than I usually do.  I expect to enter them into a painting competition later in the year at the Brisbane Royal National Show.....alias The Ekka.  The other painting is also of a table that is Asian, probably Chinese, design.  It is proving quite a challenge.  Will post it if/when I finish it.

A favourite subject....

'Preparations'  ...20x20cm.....Oil on Board  Sold

I really enjoy painting raw eggs although I have not painted many.  I suspect I will add a little to this painting making the egg white a little greener.

On Samantha's shelf........

 

On Samantha's Shelf..........Sold

 

This little group stands on my daughter's kitchen shelf.  The tile is exquisite and I haven't really done justice to it.  But overall I am pleased with the painting......and it is soooo good to feel that I am engrossed again.

Back to still life.....

I did this small painting at a class with my tutor, Corinne Colombo.  I am pleased with the looseness of it.  I hope it ushers in a new era.  As I mentioned before I have been at an impasse and feel that I need to loosen up my style.  This is not perfect but it is a step forward.

A Crowd

Have been pretty busy back in my studio at long last.  This year I am determined to do more experimental work, so I don't expect I will be posting quite as frequently as I have in the past.  Apples are always a cheery subject.  They help me get back into swing. 

Leading the Charge.....

Leading the Charge - Sold

We live on a small island in Moreton Bay off Brisbane in Queensland.  At low tide there are great stretches of sand which are home to thousands of these little fellows. They are called soldier crabs and are totally harmless.  The travel across the sand in great numbers but tend to dig in if they think you are too close. 
This is a deviation from my usual themes, but I expect to paint more crabs soon inspired by Angie Renfro and her beautiful bumble  bees.

A New Technique?.........

I am trying to loosen up with my work and in an effort to do so have been learning to use a palette knife.  Looking at this photograph one wouldn't think that I have spent hours with a palette knife.  I obviously have a lot to learn! 
I have been simply amazed at the enormous talent of many American artists and have just loved browsing through Chelsea Bentley James' and Angie Renfo's sites.  It is such a priviledge to have access to so many works over the net.  And I am always grateful to the artists involved.

For Two

This, and the previous painting, have caused me grief.  I have been in a fix with painting and think I am just coming out of it.  An artist, friend and teacher, Corinne Colombo, suggested that it is probably because I am in a transitional period.  I have had to really force myself into the studio.....and this morning for the first time in months I became really excited while experimenting with a palette knife rather than a brush.  Right now I am resisting dashing out to my studio (which is in our garage)....am determined to get chores out of the way before I go out and immerse myself in learning a technique that will help me bring something rich to my paintings. 

A long time away.....

I haven't painted for some months for a couple of reasons.  The first involved a muscular injury involving my right knee and hip.  This uncomfortable condition meant that I couldn't lie on either side while sleeping.  Eventually I went to my doctor who told me that this was an injury associated with imbalance and could I think of a situation where I might be standing in a way that might cause uneven weight distribution.  Of course it was standing at my easel for hours at a time, paint brush in my right hand and weight on my right leg.  A couple of visits to the physiotherapist and a simple exercise have put it right.  Now I stand at the easel with a small uncomfortable pebble under my right heel so that I am constantly reminded to take weight on my left leg as well.......

The second reason I haven't painted from a while is that I think I have experienced a period of what is called artist's block....a scarey feeling that any aptitude I might have had has disappeared.  I have slowly, slowly started painting again and can feel the passion starting to bubble.....thank the muse and gods.

All's Well.......again.

All's Well 3.........Sold

 

I have painted this subject earlier.  It was on exhibition and sold.  A visitor to the gallery  was disappointed that it had sold.  She wanted it as a Christmas gift and asked if I would paint it again.  It presents a bit of a dilemma actually and raises a few questions as to whether you, as an artist, should repeat what was originally a unique work.  Of course you can never paint the same painting twice and in fact, it is an interesting exercise to compare the two.  My teacher dismisses the idea of any problem about painting the same subject twice and referred to Monet and his wonderful water lilies.

I hope the recipient enjoys it.

 

The last for a while

The Bottles and Me ....51x61cm.......Oil on Masonite Sold

This is my last post for a while since I want to get a few chores done around the garden before Christmas.  I have entered this painting into the Border Art Prize which is staged in the Murwillumbah Art Gallery every second year. 

The painting is larger than my usual posts.  I found it quite challenging painting on this larger scale but overall I was pleased with it.

Waiting

This is the last of four small paintings that I am putting in an exhibition in Cleveland, Qld for a few weeks.  I have actually tweeked it a bit since taking this photograph, providing a bit more length and contrast to the fork. 

Another kitchen sketch

 

Friends..........................Sold

 

I am not sure about this.  Red is such a vexing colour.....it is either too saturated or flat as a tack.  It's a good exercise to put it up on the blog.  I see things with fresh eyes.....and often a 'wild surmise'!  Will think about this one for a day or so.

A Repeat

 

Cheery Cherries 2......................Sold

 I have painted this small painting before from a photograph I took of the cherries last summer.  My 9 year old grand daughter asked if she could have it.  So I have painted it again.  Cherries are very rewarding.....I think they have attitude!

Pieces

Three Quarters...............................Sold

I have done a couple of paintings using the same reference for these apple quarters.  It is a simple painting and I enjoyed doing it

Family

All's Well ...30cmx30cm....Oil on Canvas Sold

I have painted a number of works with chickens and hens.  I always enjoy doing them 

Bossy Boots again.....

Just Listen Up!.......Sold

 

Here is my Australian magpie in a different context than the previous magpie painting.  They congregate on my verandah begging, even demanding, food.  Some beg, some bully!  Their song is glorious, so rich and evocative. 

Am not certain that I have finished this one.  Will let it simmer for a while and have another look.   

An enquiry.......

 

Ready for Breakfast     Sold

This small painting is the first I have completed since returning from holidays.  While I was away a lady emailed me about my paintings and I explained to her that I sell most of my paintings locally and that I haven't set up systems to sell them online.  I suggested that she email me if she is interested in purchasing one.
During our exchange of emails I explained that I generally frame the small kitchen paintings before selling them.  I told her that I would upload a picture of a framed painting to demonstrate the type of frame I use.  (I have simply put the framed painting on my easel in front of a piece of masonite since I am not a good photographer.) It is very simple.

 





Back in Business......

View from our breakfast table in Udaipur

 

Well its good to be home and back in my studio.  But I have had a very interesting and very busy couple of months.  David and I went to India....well to Rajasthan to be exact; just a smidgen of India really.  We had a wonderful trip.  I was enthralled and, at times, almost overwhelmed by the colour and form that bombards the mind and eye.  The deliberate juxtaposition of designs and colours that I might have thought quite discordant, in fact, proved rich and utterly pleasing.  I hope I am fortunate enough to return some day and explore more of this huge and exciting country.

 

Before leaving for India and after posting my last painting, I actually painted the interior and verandah of our house....a huge job.  In fact this is the third house we have owned and I have painted all of them at one time or another.  This is the second time I have painted the house in which we now live.  But it is definitely the last!  I have decided that this is a job one outgrows in the most literal sense.  My joints no longer tolerate up and down a ladder.  The muscles in my right arm screamed repetitive strain injury and my neck burned furiously as it supported my head while I tackled the ceilings.  Never, ever again.....from now on only canvas and boards for me!

 

The last for a while.....

On the Table



This will be my last post for quite a while.  I am currently painting the house.....not an easy job but a rewarding one.  After that my brother will be visiting from Malawi and then we are going to India for September.
I have plans to paint as soon as I return. The ideas are already going around in my head and I look forward to getting back to it.