LUCKY GIRL #2

I had a phone call last week from a fellow artist I'd had business dealings with many years ago. He invited me to be part of an exciting new gallery - Macchia Gallery in Noosaville, owned and run by architect Frank Macchia - 55 Mary St Noosaville. The gallery is the essence of 'wabi sabi'. It has a wonderful Zen feeling with ancient Japanese and Chinese screens, doors and furniture; and the quintincential mondo and water feature courtyard gardens. It is a beatutiful and serene venue. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect space for my work. I have paintings, jewellery and scarves in the gallery. It should be up and running by Easter, the web site will be put together soon after.

...the feature gallery room with sculptures by Frank Macchia and Chinese 'Ding' vessels by Mark O'Neill.

Here is a selection of the work I am exhibiting... 

'Forest Views'.....

'Landmarks'....

Jewellery...

...and scarves.

I am so grateful for this opportunity. The universe is looking after me.

So who's the LUCKY GIRL? #1

So who's the lucky girl? Me!!! I feel so blessed at the moment. My stars indicated that after 'The Ides of March' [March 15th] things would start improving for me in relation to my creativity and life in general. As my special friends are very dear to me, I am putting their lovely gifts at the top of my LUCKY GIRL list. Photographic gifts and special finds are always a delight.
These are my gifts from my lovely artist friends, Sandra and Richard Rofe, who live on Bruny Is, Tasmania.

...ceramic 'Pillow Nest' by Sandra,

...'Tectonic Vessel' by Richard,

...photo of an elephant seal washed up on the beach in front of their home,

...worm patterns in the sand [see my blog Feb. 21st 'Rain, Rats and a Mouse'],

...and pics of beautiful Bruny Island.

My friend Jan Martin sent me some amazing images of Jennifer Maestri's work

...and Jan will be my hostess when I go to Melbourne next week [more on that to come].

My lovely Paper Ponderings friend Fiona Dempster brought gifts back from Canberra,

...a public service issue recycled 'wood' pencil - it works well,

...and a classy set of Picasso fridge magnets.

My friend Barry Smith delighted me with a special gift - found in the drag racing precinct of Hervery Bay -

...very appropriate as I am hoping to go to China later in the year.

In light of the tin can episodes over the past week or two, I have decided to start a collection of wabi sabi tin cans.

I have had this one for about 15 years, just waiting for the right moment to surface. Now is the time!!

Letter 'h', Piccy Comp and Collage Exchange

My latest ALaW letter is a nice little chubby lower case 'h', created by 'cloning' the paint on the box into the required shape.

I am also part of a facebook monthly photo 'competition'. This month's theme is 'abstract' - right up my alley.

I entered my lovely photo of the squashed tin can, plus these two -

...a lovely soggy phone book which has been out in the rain for months,

...plus a cross section of a slice of tree fern which has lost all its 'innards'. Interesting!!!

Oh yes, and my collages arrived safely in NZ at the home of Dale Copeland, and a big THANK YOU to my lovely new friends from countries far and wide who have complimented me on my drawings/collages. I have found some brilliant artists through this blogging network. More on that when I have time.

Collage Exhibition and Exchange

Through my new blogging network, I have found a 'Collage Exhibition and Exchange' run by Dale Copeland in NZ. This is the 12th year for the exchange!! The idea is to produce 13 X A4 sized collages, send them to Dale where she will exhibit one and swap the others around between all participants. I love the idea... a way to own other artists' work [from all over the world] by swapping.
Once again, I have used my life drawings. I love having a way to 'exhibit' and share the best of my life drawings.
Here are a few of the collages I sent to NZ.

ALaW update

The last 3 weeks of letters for the 'A Letter A Week' challenge blogsite are as follows...

WHAT A FIND !!

WOW

THE BEST FIND EVER

...found last night on the road in front of my daughter's apartment in Brisbane.

Another finished project - a Fabric Book in a Box

As I mentioned weeks ago, I have been consolidating some of my life drawings into books. The first one to be finished is a fabric book, ready for the 'challenge' at the ATASDA meeting in Brisbane on Saturday.

For the challenge, we were given a cardboard box to do anything with - I chose to merely cover it and use it to store my book.

The fabric is teadyed cotton. The feature on the top is beach driftwood with beach weathered glass. I made it up as I went along [can't you tell?].

I've used the same fabric to cover the book and simple 'Japanese stab' binding for the spine. The brass booby bit in the top right corner is a cufflink I found at a local 'car boot' sale.

The pages are scraps from life drawings I did on calico many years ago. Some of the calico has been deliberately stained with mould [easy to do here in the rainy Maleny summer].

I have also used shellac, acrylic paints and a variety of marking pens.

Some of the pages are randomly stiffened with glue.

..and here I've played with T shirt transferring film ironed onto calico.

Pojagi scarf

I have managed one small art project this week - I have made another 'pojagi' scarf - this one in soft Japanese Spring colours for Soeda san. She gave me lots of lovely kimono 'bits' and treated me to a Spring themed 'English' afternoon tea  when I was in Japan last year.

Left Brain Stuff

I have spent the last week researching and writing. My friend Christine and I are hoping to go to China later in the year to set up an artist exchange programme between artists in our local region and Chinese artists. I need to find the regions, the artists, the logistics of travel and accommodation, and the money. I am applying to a couple of Government agencies for financial support and I have written heaps of emails for logistical support. Google Earth is a fabulous tool for visual people- this is where I found the 798 Art Zone in Beijing and the Yuzi Sculpture Park in Guilin which are both HUGE artist communities. We also hope to visit the 'village' near Xiamen which houses over 1000 'workshops' producing rip off paintings for sale to the West. I am imagining a sort of Kuta beach style set up with 'artists' sitting in front of a big canvas, brush in one hand, scrunched up photo of a masterpiece in the other. Maybe I'm entirely wrong - maybe they sit at a conveyor belt in a factory. Either way, it will be an experience to see. Anyone been there or have contacts with artists in China???

This is by Christine's favourite artist - Chen Qing Qing,

and this is by one of my favourites, Qin Feng.

ALaW

aaagh - It is March already. That means Autumn here in Australia which is wonderful. Cooler weather. I love the autumn here - like Spring down south. We don't get much of the colour changes as we are sub tropical where I live but there are a few maples around which are spectacular for a week or so.

This is my latest effort for the ALaW project. The letter 'D'.

...select, clone, stretch, add shadow