Lynette has told me that she has been influenced by Klimt which you can easily see in the one with the patterning and rich tangerine colour and the other is an expressionist abstract painting that just has to be made by every artist for the release of energy. This one in particular has a strength and engery that needs to be seen in real life. Will post exhibition information that will come up in the next few months.
Kathy Siganakis, Virginia McNamara, Beryl White and Anne Warren doing artwork in the dining room.
Beryl White’s mixed media work in progress ‘detail
Virginias pastel and acrylic paint landscape. Detail only, work still in progress.
Cambridge Studio Gallery 2015 Portrait Prize
February 11 to 28, 2015
Artists are invited to submit works in the 2015 Cambridge Studio Gallery (CSG) WHO is LOOKING at YOU? Portrait Prize.
WHO is LOOKING at YOU? is for works depicting the human face as its subject matter.
All mediums accepted and unique approaches encouraged.
Judges
Graeme Drendel
Graeme Drendel is a Melbourne painter who has exhibited extensively throughout Australia over the past twenty years. He has held over 20 solo exhibitions and has participated in many group exhibitions and been a finalist in various major art prizes over that period. A dedicated painter of the human figure and the psychological intrigues that emanate from human interaction, his work is held in several public and many private collection nationally and internationally.
Colleen Ahern
Colleen Ahern completed a Bachelor of Arts, Painting, from the Victorian College of the Arts in 1999. Professional experience includes teaching appointments at Victorian College of the Arts, Swinburne University and Victoria University. Colleen teaches both drawing and painting, and has worked as a professional artist’s assistant since graduating. She is currently represented by Neon Parc Gallery, Melbourne. Her work predominately exploits notions of identity, through the use of iconic popular imagery, and the obsessions of the ‘fan’, employing both painting and drawing mediums. Her solo exhibitions include ‘Cortez the Killer’, Neon Parc, Melbourne( 2013), ‘Of skins and heart’, Neon Parc, Melbourne ,(2010), ‘Frantic Romantic’, Neon Parc, Melbourne (2007); ‘Angels on Airwaves’, Neon Parc, Melbourne (2006); ‘Steal Your Face,’ Seventh Gallery, Melbourne (2005); ‘Your Ok… You can Come in’, TCB Art Inc., Melbourne (2003).
Some of Colleen’s recent group exhibitions include: ‘Rockem Sockem’,St Helliers Street Gallery (2014) ‘Dear Masato, All at Once’, Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Melbourne (2014) ‘Smoking Gun’, Death be Kind, Melbourne (2011);’A Way of Calling’, Linden Contemporary Art space, Melbourne (2011);’Jewell of the Newel’, Firstdraft ,Sydney (2010); ‘Photocopier’, Centre for contemporary Photography, Melbourne (2010).
1st prize: A solo exhibition held within the following 12 month period at Cambridge Studio Gallery.
A people’s choice award: A place in Cambridge Studio Gallery’s 2015 end of year group exhibition.
Further information on the Cambridge Studio Gallery 2015 Portrait Prize can be found below
2014 Portrait Prize Winner:
2014 Winner: Guy Morgan, Louise Voigt (After Retinal Detachment)
Stockroom Selection Exhibition
From August this year Cambridge Studio Gallery is starting the first of our new stockroom exhibitions. We have selected works from artists that have had a history with the gallery as well as promoting some interesting new artists. There will be an eclectic selection of paintings, sculpture, jewellery and a few surprises!
While the gallery’s business model still represents artists by providing space for their exhibitions, we will be value adding to the viewer experience by dedicating the upstairs gallery space to the Stockroom Selection. Works will be displayed in a less formal “salon-hang” that allows clients to purchase and take home works on the day.
For further information
(03) 94860169
Congratulations to Cambridge for their first stockroom exhibition and best wishes to Ness for her upcoming solo exhibition.
The theme for the Religious Art Prize was ‘through a glass dimly’ The exhibition is on at Chapel on Station Gallery in Box Hill until 17 th September.
The name of the oil painting is ‘Longing’ and here is a short statement by the artist Beryl White:
This painting explores something of the mystery of the spiritual journey that is life. The shifting planes reflect our partial vision as we move forward, drawn to seek the God who calls us to himself
Making art can be likened to an adventure, or to setting off on a journey whose destination may or may not be known, a journey which has the potential to unfold in unexpected twists and turns.
In putting paint to paper or canvas the catalyst is often an emotional response to something in the natural world, a quality of light and shadow, a patterning of shapes, an implicit sense of place or story. For me it is never a literal representation of nature, but a seeking to respond to the energy of the initial impulse.
This is never a one sided process. After establishing the initial composition I seek to engage the viewer, to draw them into the painting, to look beyond the surface. Much of this develops as I paint. I do not fully plan the work, but find the composition will often change as the relationship between the shapes, colours and tones begins to emerge. It is much like engaging in a conversation; the work responds to what is put down and I then respond to it. I mostly work in layers paint, drawing, collage, glazes; each layer responding to what has gone before.
Recently I have been revisiting some previously completed paintings and restarted the conversation, often taking the journey to a different destination.
Here are some examples of re-engaged works.
Much of my work has been oil media based this year I plan to spend more time exploring building up the layers in collage and water media.
Beryl White
Here are two gorgeous examples of collage by Virginia McNamara from the Womens Business exhibition. Virginia has played with scale and sourced images from different periods and brought them together in a brand new quirky format.
The eye is the window into the soul, but it also is how we look out at the world. So I decided to use the eye to represent some of the ways women do this: the extroverted, the introverted, beginning a somewhat scarey opportunity, and contemplating the opposite sex. They were shown in the recent Womens Business exhibition.
Two different techniques have been used in these pieces. They are all 4-layer fused glass panels(200 x 150 mm), but the eye and eyelid are created with application upon application of glass powders on 3 of the glass sheets, giving a softer, more dimensional effect than the figures, which are painted on one of the layers with onglaze.
Outward” was inspired by the eye of a lively young female Parks Victoria ranger.
Inward was inspired by a magazine article and a photo of a woman who had experienced multiple family tragedies.
Onward was inspired by the eye of a woman who came to Melbourne from Asia as a teenager.
Other, somewhat the odd bod in the series and actually the first, was inspired by the eye of a very good-looking tour guide of Irish-Aboriginal ancestry in the Kimberley.
I have included Evelyns full interview and a picture of one of the works (chastity belt) that Evelyn has spoken about.
Interviewer: Vicky Stojanovska for article ‘Australian artists and their art practices
Magazine: Art Trends April Issue
Artist: Evelyn Young
What inspired you to get involved in the art world?
From a very early age I’ve always enjoyed the process of mark making. Whether it was with mud, pencil, collage, paint or homemade squashed flower petal inks. As I grew older I found the excitement of creating a new piece of artwork remained with me. It became a heavenly obsession.
How do I handle positive and negative criticism?
I tend to be a very harsh critic of my own work, therefore if the works have met my demanding standards, I tend not to give a lot of weight to negative criticism from others. There is however, a core group of fellow artists whose opinion I do value, and they can at times add valuable insight into the piece I’m working on, often challenging me on my ideas and methods.
What makes my art mine “unique”
I value originality above all other considerations when creating my art. With so many other artists having gone before me, I try to bring my own interpretation to my work, aiming for simplification and expressive works that have a narrative that the viewer can relate to. Working with the mixed mediums of glass, wood, ceramics and wrought iron tends to set my sculpture apart from others because of the technical skills needed to create these works.
Which pieces standout the most to me to date?
There are three sculptures that I think are my standout pieces to date. My chastity belt mounted on a giant key wedged into a blue stone rock, was one of my most challenging and rewarding sculptures. I had to undertake a smithing course at a forge to complete the work. My giant abacus made from hard wood, ceramic balls and wrought iron was an example of perseverance and vision, having taken a year to complete with many technical challenges involved in its construction. The porcelain sculpture titled “choices” was one of my more evocative works, as I examined the roles women embrace, or have had forced upon them to survive in a patriarchal society. I would like to think all three sculptures engage the viewer and start a conversation about the work. It certainly started a conversation at the forge amongst the men folk.
What’s in store for 2014
As I have undertaken to have no exhibition commitments this year, I plan to play and explore all the possibilities presented to me when working with steel and wire. Drawing inspiration from the works of Calder and Kipplel I want to explore the different shadow play created when light and mobility are added to the mix. The journey to me is often as enjoyable as the finished work.
Outoftheboxartists 