inspiration in the Blue Mountains

we caught the train up to see Essentiae at Gallery One88 in Katoomba
Colleen Southwell’s work is astounding
detail of her flannel flowers
Colleen has such a fabulous eye for the exquisite beauty of Mother Nature
then we walked up the road to visit the Three Sisters
the wild beauty
a seriously steep walk !
the long view
with the blue of longing
Eucalypts
have such beautiful bark and form
feeding the dream of moving to the mountains
now it’s time to get back to drawing a few of my favourite things
a few of my favourite things Mo 19
graphite and watercolour on A3 Canson drawing paper
starting from the left
steel and red velvet box by Olga Cironis
invitation card detail of Hideous Human Angel # 6 by eX de Medici 2008 for the Sold Out show at Boutwell Draper Gallery
Crania Anatomica Filigre 2011- 3D printed skull by Joshua Harker with a feather from Michelle Slater
Kokopelli card by Carol Duprey 2005
Crow card by Glenda Jones 2004 for her Lustre exhibition at James Harvery Gallery
SW magic gourd by Carol Duprey 2004
sand dollar
Skull Mug by Jenny Orchard 2013 with crow feathers and The Cat’s Whiskers (a wand for seeing in the dark)
Pod 2015 by Bronwyn Berman
card with blue cat on  XVII century tile panel, Fronteira Palace, Lisbon Portugal
SW magic gourd container by Carol Duprey 2004
wood rose
print of the Letter D from An illuminated Book of Cats from an odd perspective
Crow feather for flying
parchment stars

a wobbly internet connection makes more time for drawing and stitching

x fingers our internet connection is working again after a very wobbly week
the good thing about being offline is having more time for focusing on the drawings
and mending Old Man Crow’s jacket
it’s getting lacier
and lacier
reinforcing the edges
and the elbows
he wears it well!
and talking of stitching & drawing we visited the Dobell Drawing Prize at the National Art School on Saturday
Leonie Andrews 365 days 2017
stitched with her eyes closed every day for a year
Jenny Orchard All Tomorrow’s Stories 2018
ink on card
Hyun Hee Lee Winter Letter 2018
ink, cotton, thread, pencil on Korean hanji paper
Stephanie Eather Cave of Altamira (in Brunswick) 2018
charcoal on a huge canvas
Ari Chand Juxtarepository 3 / Catch a fallen star and put it in your pocket 2018
graphite on paper
Noel McKenna Interior A 2018
ink on paper
Wendy Sharpe Ladders to the Sky 2018
gouache on concertina artist’s book
Chris O’Doherty (aka) Reg Mombassa) Robot ‘priest’ with captured Australian, Hunter Valley 2018
charcoal, coloured pencil, glitter on paper
artist talk with Chris O’Doherty (aka Reg Mombassa) George  Gittoes and Wendy Sharpe
you can see more photos here

Botanica 2019 at Lion Gate Lodge RBG

Hakea laurina by Tess Mahar
watercolour
560mm x 620mm
Eucalyptus sp by Kate Nolan
watercolour on vellum
180mm x 200mm
Themeda triandra by Kate Nolan
watercolour on vellum
180mm x 180mm
Eucalyptus x tetragona by Annie Hughes
watercolour
300mm x 240mm
Trichocolletes hackeri by Angela Lober
Watercolour on vellum with gilding
60mm x 50mm

Papaver nudicaule by Dianne Emery
Mixed media, conte, pencil and gouache on acrylic ground
470mm x 570mm
Botanica 2019 Art Exhibition: 20th Anniversary
is on at Lion Gate Lodge, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney til April 14th
all images courtesy of the Foundation and Friends of the Botanic Gardens
see the full catalogue here

The Ideal Home at Penrith Regional Gallery

The Ominous Domestic
eX de Medici 2017-18
Gilded wood, printed and embroidered Duchess silk, mixed media
eX de Medici (fabric design, project manager)
Janni Liangis (gift of original sofa)
Robert Little/RLDI (photogaphy and digitisation)
Sharon Peoples (embroidery)
Azzopardi and Hancock Upholsterers (restoration and upholstery)
Lisa Fletcher floral arrangement)
Sharon Peoples machine embroidered eX de Medici’s Seat of Love and Hate
she wrote about the process on her blog last year
the spiky Euphorbia was the starting point for this massive undertaking
Sharon honoured eX de Medici’s meticulous attention to detail
the eerie view through glass in an adjacent bathroom
in the next room
Karla Dickens Bound 2015
Polyptych in six parts
Bound by Money
Canvas straightjacket with brass buckles, vintage printed cotton material, printed canvas money-bag, coat hangerBound by Marriage
Canvas straightjacket with brass buckles, vintage printed cotton material, homemade wire dog muzzles, waxed linen thread, coat hanger
Bound by Land
Canvas straightjacket with brass buckles, cow teeth, vintage printed cotton material, coat hanger
Bound by Children
Canvas straightjacket with brass buckles, artificial flowers, embroidery, artificial lace, coat hangerBound by Beauty Myths
Canvas straightjacket with brass buckles, plastic combs, human hair, waxed linen thread, coat hanger
Bound by Addiction
Canvas straightjacket with brass buckles, plastic monkeys, printed cotton, coat hanger

“BOUND” by Karla Dickens

You asked for it
in front of God
for better or worse
in sickness and in health
‘till death do you part
hand-cuffs lock vows
obey

Not in front of the kids
reassure the unborn baby
pegging tiny singlets on the line
hands tied behind her back
dying desperate housewives
crippled by fear
pregnant

Home sweet home
black and blue poorhouses
with a high security guard
a decorated cell
common place anchors
dreams of great escapes
hung high by a worn heart-string

You’re lucky you’ve got me
ugly whinging bitch
wrapped in tight cruelness
a social dress malfunction
out of date and damaged
drowning in shame
be grateful

You need me
mummy’s little helper visits daily
waiting on a chemical disaster
too lost to care
too numb to fight back
knots of effective confusion
disgraceful embarrassment

Impossible departure
in ropes with closed wallets
depending on a pittance
worthless money-makers
cutting off circulation
restraining the sunshine
imposing quiet punishment

Bondage isn’t sexy
if an everyday tool
cover up the swelling
buckled up for pain
blood-stained devotion
promises of change
sorrys no more

Run

The Ideal Home at Penrith Regional Gallery
closed last weekend
Carolyn Skinner of Oz Arts Magazine wrote a brilliant review
I am still digesting my response to this hard hitting inspiring exhibition as the dream flies out into the world
the studio space is cleared to begin the next project Sayonara Sydney scheduled for 2021 when I turn 66 and will move out of this big mad city west to the Blue Mountains
Dream On!

PS Deirdre Bean’s fabulous Fish and other things closes this afternoon at Stella Downer Fine Art
Sardines and a spoon Deirdre Bean
watercolour on vellum
22 x 28 cm
&
soul painter Jane Stapleford’s magicial Menagerie closes tomorrow at Day Fine Art in Blackheath
The Merchant’s Hare Jane Stapleford 2019
watercolour on paper
37 x 27 cm

 

The Mother Talisman by Barry Smith

The Mother Talisman by Barry Smith fits in the hand so perfectly with a delightful weight
at the opening Old Man Crow offered this talisman to each visitor to hold one on one
Barry makes such beautiful magic!

namaste

I dream of a world where love is the answer live at the opening!

Artsite Galleries
open 11am-5pm Wednesday to Sunday
closing ceremony 3-5pm March 24

‘I dream of a world where love is the answer’ previews today!

photo credit : John McRae Photography
click on this link to see the online catalogue
https://www.yumpu.com/en/embed/view/jAPBognX9aze8GcS
at
Artsite Galleries
open 11am-5pm Wednesday to Sunday
closing ceremony 3-5pm March 24