'Listening' has found it's new home here in Dallas!

'Listening' Oil/ Glaze on Canvas 36" x 48" 2013

This work was a wonderful lesson in listening, hence it's title. Many times I brought it out to continue working on it as it is only a few layers deep and a lot of my work is quite dense in layering. Each time I went to work on it, it literally spoke to me and said it was complete. I battled with this for a while as I loved the composition as it is but there are usually many 'stopping points' along the way in my work and I keep going with the layering to discover more. I often lose a work for a time and then it returns somewhere along the way, I have come to expect it as part of the process. There are nights when I leave the studio sure a painting is complete and then in the light of day decide to continue exploring and building, revealing, concealing until another stopping point arises. It is knowing which stopping point signals true completion that is interesting. This work spoke of completion well before my normal process would. I am so pleased I listened and resisted the temptation to build some more. It has an ethereal beauty and calmness in the energy it exudes. It is now hanging in a music studio here in Dallas and the title and the lesson it taught me seems so apt for a room dedicated to the purpose of creation. I hope it inspires many a beautiful song.

'Light Being' has been delivered to it's new home!

36" x 24" Oil/Glaze on Canvas

I delivered this painting to my fabulous hair stylist this morning. We have a deal between us that I love, he does my families hair (like the artist that he is) and I dress his walls! I love it when a painting goes home with a friend. Not only do I have a chance to see it again when I visit but I know the vibration I am leaving with them is like being there in some way. Friendship is such a special part of life. It is the key to so much happiness. I hope this painting reminds you Robert, of the wonderful 'Light Being' you are! I know that somehow you manage to imbue a special magic when you sculpt my hair. I feel like my mojo is back and I can do anything. I guess that is the power of beauty, for some it's hair styling, for some it's painting but anyway beauty is expressed with passion, a magic remains! Thank You!

Letting go.

This year's theme has been- 'letting go'.On so many different levels, run the same theme of 'letting go'. Personally and along side in my studio practice, I have really begun to let go. I am no longer trying to foresee how any of the paintings relate, until I see that they do. When they do, you really do know.  There's a pull to stop. Choosing to stop is another matter. In fact there are really many 'stopping points' along the way of a deeply layered painting. The lighter the painting, the less layers in I decided to stop and allow it to remain in it's semi completeness. That's rare for me to do. I usually opt to explore and risk what is, to see what that exploration add's to the next layer. I've done that many times  to where the painting resembles a monochrome but with layers of color underneath because I have just kept going, layering and layering. They are wonderful viewed with great lighting and also powerful alone in the dark. :) This year though, I have allowed an earlier 'letting go' of a canvas with fewer layers, just occasionally. They are simpler but still carry an energy and a message unique to their making. I have found many of my works are coming out in pairs, Diptychs as they are known. It is exciting to work on two similar or even joined canvases at one time. I often have multiple work underway , due to required drying time for oils, but to work with a vision that runs across 2 or 3 panels at once is rather grande. I am really enjoying it. They are diverse in palette and in style to themselves but carry all the commonalities in my work. They are very distinct vibrations. I'm 'letting go' of trying to articulate what they meant to me as they were my gift in the making, but when they move on to their new homes, they have their own purpose. For me, I had the lusciousness of participating, a real collaboration with my materials. Waiting for drips to run and images to appear in front of my eyes as I watched the interactivity of colors and glaze among each other. Rivulets forming and pools gathering, organically with gravity, watching as they grew. Stemming them, encouraging them. Little mark makings that felt splendid in my wrist and joyous in their burst of expression that gave me such fun. Painting is discovery and patience, trust and impulse, witnessing creation as much as intending it. The paintings are all related in sequence of their making. Literally. It is one extensive series.

Meanwhile here's a photo from the studio of what was happening this week.

meraki....

This wall post was sent to me by a good friend who has a number of my works in her home. Thank you Elizabeth! I had to share it, this is a such a beautiful word with a beautiful meaning and describes what I feel is so important in an artwork.

To some, it may be the style, the techniques, the palette or the imagery that pulls you into an artwork and engages you.

To me it is more about feeling, the essence of the person infused in the creation of the work to be shared that fascinates me. This is what I respond to. This is what I feel most when engaging with a work of art. It is possibly the subconscious reason I am drawn to the abstract forms of art over representational. Neither have more importance and there is no right or wrong, just what each person responds to.

There is an energy that remains long after a work is made that emits a signal  unique to the artist. In the same way their techniques, subject matter or palette helps you recognise their work, this energy is recognisable.

I believe when you resonate at a similar frequency, the work engages you wholly, not just in an intellectual capacity through your eyes and your mind, but in a way that you feel in your heart, in your body. One of the components I love about sharing art is hearing how someone else views it, what it makes them feel. Often there is a match between what I was thinking or feeling when making a painting that a viewer picks up on, without imagery to guide those thoughts/feelings. To me that is pure magic.

The invisible communication that is enmeshed inside the strokes, the color, the design of a piece of art. It is the connection between artist, art and the viewer that speaks without words. Art has a language all of it's own. A language that connects souls. I love that there is a word to describe that essence. The word 'meraki' is music to my ears.

So...off I went, into the woods....

Hmmm, it's been a while since I have sat to write.Life has been a roller coaster in action lately but the high points, have been worth the altitude! I disappeared a little into the realm of social media. I discovered a wealth of cool art people to speak with and share. I developed relationships and understanding of a large group of people, mainly woman, at once. It was a whirlwind and invigorating and is now informative and I am learning how to flow with it. It takes time but adds dimension. I've felt, like I have had company in my studio when I paint my current serries, akin to a party. All my new friends there in spirit. It's cool, something someone said in the forum comes to you, to influence while your working. even just the fact of knowing 'other's' are doing the same activity with the same passion, in another location. is invigorating to me. It's strengthening.

It's also a learning curve to navigate and boundaries to set, terrain to explore. I am expanding on many levels at present, literally and it's expressing in my paintings. It's a  24/7 pace, but it is such a good feeling, it hasn't been too hard to maintain. Imminent growth and a new mix of palette's to boot. Once again, a mix of the old and the new and yet it is a new vibration. Bright and radiant from with in. There are techniques and textures apparent through all panels, in different degree's.

I am waiting to photograph the paintings properly, to share. Meanwhile I am Happy to share studio shots, a taste of what is to come....

:)

Reaching out to other artists through social media.

I have just joined a newly formed 'closed' group for artists on a social network. It is like pigging out at a buffet after dieting for years! There are many different groups and I am a member of a couple. They all have their own flavour and I appreciate the friendships I have made and the inspiration and motivation I have received from other members, mostly artists too. It is an interesting time in history to be an artist well, just to be alive but in terms of art making, which is often a solitary pursuit in a studio environment by oneself (at least for me) I have found this medium of social networking an amazing boon to my self discovery and confidence. The groups I belong to are not just about posting your work hoping to get likes, in fact one of the groups doesn't allow posting except on a given day and only one share each, they are about opening up and sharing of oneself to get to know yourself better and to share with others on other levels. These groups enable us to share things we have learnt that may be helpful to others, whether it be practical advice on technique or marketing or how to build your website to better suit your needs, even just to  share a block in creativity in search of a way out of it. The best thing is the groups are focussed on positivity. Helping one another become bigger and better at what we do. Helping us to find our authentic voice. It takes time and like everything, has to be weighed up in terms of how much one allocates to it. I am still painting despite having discovered 300+ new 'friends' in one week that I wish to get to know better. I haven't vacuumed my house or mopped my floor but I have still fed my family. So it is about prioritization. Sometimes the world does have to stop for a moment. We do need to jump in the deep end and immerse ourselves in the experience at hand. Learning when you are hungry to learn works up an insatiable appetite. Sharing with other people who are passionate and likeminded is such good soul food it is worth having a dirty floor! So, to all those who may be afraid to join a network of new people I am here to say 'don't be', take a risk, give it a go. You might find in sharing yourself, you find a little bit of you  that you hadn't really noticed before. It may be you as a reflection from someone else or it may be in the way you find you interact with another or answer the questions they ask. What's the worst case scenario, you join , don't like the experience and leave the group? The best scenario is that you learn and grow and share. I have some wonderful friends I am truly grateful for and one day I hope to meet in person.

Meanwhile, I have a few paintings on the go in the studio. They are not yet complete but here is a studio shot of what is in the midst of creation.

'The Birds' Triptych found their new home for Christmas!

I began this work in 2011. It changed numerous times until mid 2013 when I chose to do some line work on two of the panels. That began as an exercise to free me up again with the brush. I had become blocked and things were not flowing as I would like. I decided to paint lines across two panels just to see what it looked like and because the movement felt good to my hand. After that layer had dried I applied Indigo abstractly with a palette knife for effect. The Birds were born and in flight!

I love it when an experimental technique works so well for a final finish. The outcome was NOT the purpose, the PROCESS was the goal and yet, here it is...complete. Another example to me of trusting each moment as it unfolds, not needing to know the destination, while remaining open to what reveals itself along the way.

I am happy to announce this Triptych has found it's new home here in Dallas in time for Christmas. It is in a beautiful new home with a lot of character and fabulous people. It joins other paintings in the collection with some reference to flight. I am so pleased all 3 panels are back together again! It took a few years to come together but it did!

A new addition in the studio!

As it turns out, I now require reading glasses! It occurred to me that I paint a lot more than I read and should buy a pair to wear while in the studio. I only need them for short distances, so while painting I actually look over the top of them but they are perfect for when I am mixing my colors! I hope over time, the glasses themselves will be testament to the colors worked with while wearing them. If my Iphone and Ipod are any indication, my glasses will soon be an artwork too!

Studio in July...

I started late last night but I made some headway with this new Triptych. With the warm weather in Dallas at least these layers will be dry to work on again tonight. I am feeling the pull of the Autumnal palette, there is something soothing about working with Burnt and Raw Umber's, Sienna's and White.

"Of Water I" has found it's new home...

I received this photograph recently of my diptych 'Of Water I' in it's new surrounds, in a beautiful home in Miami.

I love that it has been hung above the piano! Music and Water go together, there is a lyricism in the energy of flow they share.

I always love seeing the paintings in their new environments, hope you do too!

"The Deep End" (Msg 4) has found its new home!

"The Deep End" - (Series 1, Message no 4) from my Melbourne Exhibition in 2009 has found it's new home right here in Dallas, Texas! It may take some time but paintings have a way of finding their rightful owners.

I am always delighted when a work resonates with someone enough for them to wish to hang it in their home. It is very rewarding as an artist.

Studio space...

Seems I am outgrowing my studio space again! I migrated down the hall into the sun room and yet still here...no room to move!

It would seem I have come full circle and am creating a series based on a work I made in 2001 titled 'Lest we forget'. I was heavily influenced at the time by Mark Rothko and his division of the picture plane.

The red and orange here provides a base for which many layers of drips and swatches of color will be added in layers.

It is a happy coincidence that I have begun work on these paintings on the 25th April which is Anzac Day, when we (Australia and New Zealand) remember our troops that gave their lives at Gallipoli.

It was Anzac day when I finished the original painting in 2001. I remember finding an Anzac memorial pin outside the studio and placing it in the top of the painting, where it stayed for many years. It was painted in memory of the Anzac soldiers. I have been planning this series for a couple of weeks now and am happy to have begun.

This is the original Anzac painting titled 'Lest we forget' 2001

"Migrating Tribe"...A commission for an Australian client arrives safely

I recently was asked to paint a commission for an Australian couple based on an earlier work they had seen and liked. The end result had a similar palette but was very different to the mentioned work.

Every painting has it's own voice and although I may set out with a specific intention when I pick up my brush, by the time I have finished painting the work that comes through is often very specific to the person whom commissioned it. It is a trust process on both sides!

My client's wife (for whom the painting was a birthday surprise)  loved the hieroglyphs in previous works but when I painted on this canvas, they came out as a tribe migrating across the canvas rather than filling the ground.  I am pleased to report not only did the painting arrive safely but they love the 'tribe of hieroglyphs' that came through too, it reminded them of the Kalahari. I have found with commissions, it is safe to trust my intuitive process as the outcome often resonates with the client in a way I could not have predicted and with a meaning quite personal to them.

It was wonderful to be able to roll up a canvas with a bit of bubble wrap and send it in a tube pack via U.S Postal service. In the past I have always looked in to art-specific carriers for art work. It occurred to me I had a fabulous framer in Melbourne who also stretchers canvas on to support. It turned out to be much more cost efficient to send the canvas rolled and re-stretch it on delivery than send it as a finished work.

This is good news as it really opens up the way for sending work overseas , something that I thought of as too difficult or expensive to do in the past!