back to the sketchbook: ink, aquarelle pencil, acrylics

mossy pool's edge

capturing that illusive movement of light through water

Rock pools

Looking out across the children's pool to the Pacific Ocean

These are 4 from a series of 10 small works I have been doing over a couple of days in preparation for a larger commissioned work. The first 2 images took by far the longest time as they involved rather intense study of the water...the second image in particular. I purposely wanted to keep the other 2 works quite light and quick, not getting too caught up in detail. An interesting diversion from the work I've been focused on - a disciplined but enjoyable approach to working out where I want to take the painting.

I recently found a particularly gorgeous sketchbook, smaller than A4, landscape format, with pages in a distinct off-white colour that felt quite liberating to be working on with inks ... white ink in particular. I do love my Sennelier inks from France... they worked well with the Caran Dache aquarelle pencils and Gold acrylics. The white ink is Australian - Art Spectrum - and I'm on to my second 500 ml bottle in not so long. I cant believe that I am still using one particular brush I've had for yonks that was not remotely expensive, and is looking thin and worn...but it has some magic property I adore. Basically it is a little hard to control and that makes for me a better, freer mark that I rely on to keep me from loosing myself in some notion of perfection not very suited to my aesthetic.

Its late I just realised. Lost a couple of hours figuring out the scanning and importing images process. I seem to forget these things and have to relearn each time! Still, a year ago I didn't have my Mac, had very ordinary documentation, tech skills and such. Compared to that I'm laughing now!

Love this....Pestival!

This caught my eye from the Arts and Ecology blog this morning. A festival at the South Bank Centre in London celebrating insects in art and the art of being an insect. The post is worth a look to take in the clever programming which is international, inter-disciplinary, and community-led. There's something on Biomimicry from Architect Michael Pawlyn, fashion, comedy etc etc. This PESTIVAL sounds amazing. Neuroscientist Beau Lotto creating a large bee hive in the Queen 'Bee' Hall. 80% of creatures on earth are insects according to the blurb...I'm not friends with some species...but I would be very curious to take in this event.

*For a link to Michael Pawlyn's Architecture go to this brilliant website Exploration. Read about Janine Benyus and Biomimicry here.

image from Explorations website: courtesy of NASA

returning to a source of inspiration...

a day in the studio, going over images from journals (top 2) and photos of the ocean pool  (next 3) The first image is not directly inspired by this pool, but its fluidity and layering comes very much from that work and time. The link between image 2 & 3 is  for me quite strong. Although 2 is very abstracted and stylised perhaps...it was part of a long series of work where i was obsessed with the ways that pool water and light plays with ones vision. My journals are filled with many, many interpretations of this illusive phenomena. These 3 photos viewed up large are so lush and so immensely appealing to me ...they, and images like them, have spawned a lot of ideas and paintings.

Best artisan store/cafe in my neck of the woods

Brewbakers is my revered local artisan bakery with a suitably rustic cafe attached. I almost dont want to throw too much praise their way in case it gets any busier than it already is. Years spent in Melbourne, Australia's southern city with its dedicated artisan bakers, has made it compulsary for me to discover who's turning out good sourdough, not to forget organic bread too & some Gluten free sweet treats! 

Seriously good bread is on the menu here...and watch out...cheeky staff abound! There's plenty to tempt...think chocolate bagels....or Brewbaker's  take on a Reuben sandwich!

Even better...it's in walking distance of my home, has great coffee and breakfasts from 6am (OK...not my best time!) It closes by 2pm most days - the shelves are pretty sad by then - so you've got to be quick!  If there's a queue I warned you...OK?

And if you really must know where it is... head to the north side of the Brisbane River, in the central hub of Albion on busy Sandgate Rd, set back a little from the road though...with a car park in front.

( ps Richard and Caroline, I hope you like my artistic photo of the very cool retro cutlery...)

10: 10 launch kicked off at the Tate Modern: 1.9.09

read about this campaign above at - www.1010uk.org/#10:10

September 1st was the launch of 10:10 campaign in the UK to get as many people as possible committing to reducing their carbon emissions by 10% in 2010. Its an idea kick started by the Age of Stupid people. Go to the excellent RSA Arts and Ecology UK website to read more about this bold move and a host of other topical articles, blog posts and links. Opportunities posted also for artists to go to Bangladesh, China and India...cant tell you more on that... go investigate today!

Tate Modern...site of historic environmental commitment on 1.9.09

emma davies

Emma Davies is a Melbourne based artist who works with polypropelene to create exquisite forms and more recently sculptures. Her starting point, when  I first noticed her works some years ago, was the mesh polypropelene bags that one finds commonly used for packaging.That something so universally available could be turned into an object of such beauty quite transfixed me at that time. A month ago I happened to watch an ABC  TV Sunday Arts Program which featured Emma at work in her studio as well as her more recent sculptures inspired by a trip to South Africa that Emma took part in called The South Project. This international arts project 'brings together the distinct voices of the southern hemisphere through south-south dialogue and cross-cultural exchange' and took place in October 2007. This work and other information is available at the artists website.

vessels

Cross-polynate, Craft Victoria Exhibition in 2006

Warm thanks to Emma for willingly sharing these wonderful images of her inspiring forms!

first day of spring!

Its the first day of Spring in this part of the globe, and a lovely morning at that!  Just visited BibliOdyssey, a wonderful blog with brilliantly researched material which never fails to amaze me, and found some interesting links to Chemistry in Art and other fascinating sites...all science related. Having visited Embiggen Books on the weekend (see previous post) my mind is tuned to Science and Art today. Sol Le Witt: a Wall Drawing retrospective was referred to ...so I have just watched a Timelapse of a wall drawing here.  This artist's Wall Drawing 766 (below) is created using colour ink washes, first installed in Paris. It is one of 98 such works shown here. Quite a number can be watched on Timelapse.

Back to BibliOdyssey, today's Sept I post is titled Streamlining and is full of intriguing images... and details re the work. At the conclusion of the post are the links to Other things - the first point is Chemistry in Art where I discovered some curious sites....like Rhizome.org's Tiny Sketch 200 Character Processing Competition. Click here and investigate these (literally) moving images. Some really were engaging. Have a look at Lib4tech's portfolio.

    

   

Images from Lib4tech's portfolio

If you were to ask me if I were a big fan of Science I would have to say increasingly so. Once upon a time my concerns were focused primarily on discovering Art through revered artists, not necessarily because I was enamored with them all, but because I was fascinated with the artist's life, working process, subject matter etc and wanted to know more. Many phases and preoccupations later, awareness and appreciation of the profound complexity of life I find can often be enhanced through exposure to imagery and ideas from physics, or any number of scientific realms. An appreciation for coastal environments, or botanical species, or knowing how moss grows or why certain foods, plants, herbs etc are so good for us.... this knowledge comes through crossing into  other dimensions of thought and research. This investigation may not necessarily evident in all the work...bit it informs and expands the sense of engagement with the subject.

Fearing what we don't know and understand is a mistake easily made...certain scientific endeavours have led to profound calamity, massive ethical debates and irrevocable change. Another reason I believe we cannot turn away. Discernment is an often times inconvenient but essential part of maturing into fuller awareness and participation in this complex life... and dealing with complexity and paradox is something I believe the maturing artist has to contend with and respond to... and perhaps offer as a gift in a sense to one's community.

Not every scientist at work,  novelist writing, designer, innovator, artist who paints, restaurant that opens its door is going to serve us well. Discernment plays a huge part in sorting what is of value, what could be of value with more time, effort, understanding, knowledge and what is left.