Monday, October 7, 2013

Exhibition at Bondi pavilion

Last week I was informed that my partners and I were successful in getting a spot on the Bondi Pavilion gallery for March 2014. Woo hoo! The only thing standing in the way is the number of artworks required. I'm painting busily again and whilst not having posted new works, I've been producing!



This is a small painting depicting Jibbon beach at Bundeena. The way to Jibbon is via some dense bushes and trees.


The next one is a picnic in the country. A huge gumtree has fallen down maybe due to drought or lightning but immediately suckers appear and they grow to a grove of mature trees themselves. We sit on the old trunk and enjoy the shade.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

North Bondi rock pool

I embarked on my largest painting to date, on a canvas I purchased for $10 from somebody who had ambitions but never got around it.


Thus far I have only done the rock pool but after I put in these two figures I thought I'd post a progress post. It's at north Bondi on a perfect winter day. This painting is for our Bondi exhibition - if we get in.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Sun bather

Originally purchased for an entry to the Pyrmont art prize this small canvas was chucked aside when I went gallivanting off to USA. Then I thought I might as well paint something that could be used next year.


I saw this woman sunbathing at Wylies and she was rather wrinkled probably from too much exposure to the sun. However I liked her pose and surreptitiously snapped her. I'm not sure this is finished yet but plenty of time to work on it - it's rather impressionistic at this point but does convey the mood.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Momentum

Well dear readers after my exciting time in America, I came back full of ideas of what to paint next. But before I could do anything worthwhile, I had visitors which was very nice but hardly productive. So before I knew it, the end of July is nigh and I had to enrol in a painting course to get going again.


Momentum is a funny thing and it applies to any activity really. Once stopped there's so many barriers (or excuses) to getting going. But get started and it's effortless to roll into the next creative thing. I attribute this to being in a creative zone.


Paul McCarthy is currently into painting gum trees. I love gumtrees and was able to get a few tips about mixing the colours right. But before gums I longed to paint an urban scape of New York City. Here is my effort of Times Square on a rainy day.



As you can see its a very loose style where I'm normally quite neat. Splashing paint on quickly to cover the paper and then putting in some detail. The funny thing is that it's quite convincing even if there is scant detail. The brain makes out the crowd and the bright neons which is what glitzy Broadway is all about.

Monday, May 27, 2013

The Fabulous Met

Just came out from the Met museum and it is simply enormous. There is also a diverse range of exhibits; everything from Asian art to Eygpt (whole temples and tombs) and of course Western Art. Our friend in NY Iris told us to offer a price for entry, it is not $25 as advertised. I find this quite strange. Suppose that it traps tourists and those who do not read the fine print.



The exhibition of Impressionism and fashion was on its last day, with crowds to match. This painting was by the American woman artist Mary Cassatt, who was based in Paris. It struck me as wonderfully evocative of the opera scene - a young woman savouring her first opera with gusto.


I've often seen and admired the works of Bonnard especially his use of vibrant complementary colours. But this painting is actually huge with great impact. The figures are close to life size. The viewer is swallowed into a world of orange.



There were rooms full of Degas - his pastel technique is unique. Some earlier paintings were rather drab but the later pieces became more vibrant.


The Met had lots of Monets but this one was most realistic in capturing the ripples in the water and the reflection of the sky plus greenery. Wonderful ...

Friday, May 24, 2013

National art gallery East Wing

The East Wing was a treasure trove which would have taken me a week to do it justice. My first stop was the French Impressionist paintings. There were rooms full of Cezanne, Monet, Degas, Renoir and Van Gogh.


Artist garden at Vetheil by Monet.



House of Pere Lacroix by Cezanne.


The amazing thing is that they are worth a mint but nobody stops you from photographing the works. I returned the next day but was saddled with Miss 9 who was none too pleased when we could not borrow the audio tour for kids because mum forgot her photo ID. Nevertheless the Gallery had some great paper guides for keeping kids entertained. We started at the Dutch 17 century paintings. The likes of Pieter Van Hooch, Jan van Huysum and Rembrandt illustrated their glazing techniques to super realistic effect. Not exactly my sort of art but you have to admire the perfection of peaches with fuzz, the grapes with dull and shiny surfaces and silky tulip petals.


Miss 9 was reminded that Holland was flat, had lots of canals and windmills. We then turned to Italian art and compared it pre and post Renaissance.


The subject matter does not change - all biblical subjects but their rendition changes. The colours become more lively and poses more realistic. The use of perspective became more sophisticated. This beauty is the 'Adoration of the Magi' by monks Fra Angelico and Fra Fillippi Lippi circa 1450. By this time Miss 9 had had enough and demanded to experience the Hollywood style walkalator. Fair enough.

National Art Gallery west wing Washington DC

Who could imagine that half the best and most renown European masterpieces are actually in Washington or NY? Being the most capitalist nation of the world, there are many extremely wealthy (as well as many poor) people in the US. The wealthy can afford to purchase the best of European art to decorate their mansions. These were often subsequently bequeathed to public institutions with the result that the best works are viewable in USA.


This painting by the Spanish artist Miro is rather less surreal than his usual. Called the Farm, it is an early depiction of his life on the farm as a young person.


The Bathers is a common subject in classical art, with numerous modern depictions from Cezanne to Renoir. This subject was treated differently by Roger de la Fresnaye in a cubism manner.


We attended a special exhibition titled "When art danced with music" about Diaghilev the Russian exile who started the Ballet Russes in Paris. Regarded as the finest ballet company in the 20th century, Ballet Russes' productions combined new dance, art and music, and created a huge sensation around the world. This exhibition showed costumes and backdrops, many of which were designed by famous artists such as Picasso and Matisse.


This backdrop was designed by Natalia Goncharova, another Russian exile for the ballet "Firebird". This depicts exotic old Russia with golden onion domes, lost after the Revolution.



Picasso's painting "Two women running on beach" was enlarged and painted by another artist for the "Blue train".


This groovy walkway connected the West Wing (modern art) with the East Wing (13 to 18 century art). It's got a touch of Hollywood about it!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

MOMA

MOMA is the museum of modern art in NY and it has a fabulous selection of art showing the roots of modern art; ie before it became incomprehensible to the likes of me. This progression took several decades and probably began with Impressionism. The Impressionists attempted to capture the light and atmosphere. My favourite impressionists Monet and Cezanne were well represented.

This Cezanne showed how he captured "vibrations of light" and movement through his brushstrokes and colour. Have you noticed how Cezanne uses these short but directional strokes always? Seurat is another artist attempting the same but through tiny dots of colours (pointillism).
Monet late in his life made these room sized paintings of the famous pond at Giverny. The most extreme examples are held at elliptical rooms at the Musee L'Orangerie in Paris. MOMA has several examples that are smaller. These later Monets are much more abstract and due to the size and composition, I felt that I was actually immersed in the water. What a great idea for a painting!

This Picasso is my favourite - a great example of early Cubism - the bodies are more geometric but still recognisable. I have seen it years ago in Sydney on loan and attempted my own version but that was before I was confident in life drawing so the results failed to live up to my expectations.

This is an abstract of swifts flying by Giocomo Balla. The notion is to capture the movement of flight.
Gino Severini also did some fabulous work of capturing motion with his 'Dynamic Hieroglyphic of the Bal Tabarin' - a study of dance motions. In my time I've attempted some studies of Flamenco dancers but nothing quite as accomplished as these masters. Another great direction to pursue when I get home!

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Brooklyn museum NY

A post from New York!
Readers, I've finally made one dream come through and am in New York City. This was an opportunistic trip taken in between R's jobs. As he had been with the previous organisation for 12 years, I had to grab my chance when it presented. The short notice nearly drove me balmy in making travel plans.



Today was cold and wet in NY so it was definitely a museum sort of day. I took child to Brooklyn Museum as R had the man flu and lolled in bed all day. This sculpture of voluptuous Standing Woman by Gaston Lachaise was much to my liking. There was a marvellous collection of Egyptian artefacts and S was freaked out when she learnt that the mummy was a real body. Never mind that its 4000 years old.


This painting and drawing caught my eye. A whimsical illustration of Huck and Tom by Santi Moix, beautifully rendered.



The blockbuster was a watercolour exhibition of John Singer Sargent. The subjects ranged from women lounging in pastoral settings, Italian gardens, Venice, Bedouins and some landscapes. Doubtless he was a master - just look at how he painted white on white.



My favourites were his landscapes. This one is the Crags. The following are two renditions of the same subject, one in watercolour and the other in oils.





See how the water ripples and sparkles? Sargent's watercolours are lively and vivid. He does this in that infuriating, unforgiving medium what I fail to capture using acrylics. There are definitely lessons to be learnt here.....

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Art in the dialysis clinic

My sister Dr Mun Woo who lives in Glasgow Scotland is a nephrologist - a kidney doctor. Like me, she has had an enduring love for visual arts and although she seldom practises it, she has managed to incorporate art into her occupation.


Dialysis is a long tedious process that is vital for the health of the patient. The process could be made more enjoyable if patients had something to occupy themselves. So this enterprising woman sought and won a grant to teach dialysis patients how to paint. The works are amazing - noting too that patients may sometimes have to paint using their non dominant hand due to demands of dialysis.



Can you imagine the great sense of achievement that some patients have felt since they took up art? You can read more about this program here.




Monday, April 22, 2013

Waves

Last attempt I made at waves was a small diptych which I've now decided is a bad format for an essentially landscape subject. Anyway further experimentation has taken place on how to paint delectable waves.


This painting represents my 'watershed' moment - think I've finally worked out how to paint waves. My husband who is a surfer likes this painting. Although he says its breaking too close to shore to surf.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Second take on the rock pool at Little Bay

A few years ago I painted the rock pool at Little Bay. Recently thought I'd give it another go. The pool is man made, created from blocks of sandstone and rocks from the vicinity. It was intended as a shallow bath for the nurses who used to work at the Prince Henry Hospital (now a million dollar housing estate).



It's an idyllic spot, attracting crowds on hot summer days. Whenever I go, I remember why I choose to live in this glorious city.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

The last eucalyptus

Last year on a vacation to Mudgee, we went for an 8 km walk through a pine forest to get to some rocks and a view. It took an hour to get there and another to get back. The pine forest dominated but here and there the remnants of a eucalyptus bushland was visible. This painting was inspired by the contrast.



Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Elkington park beach

The autumn weather has been lovely and sunny and the best part is the ocean temperature has finally caught up with the air temperature. I was feeling quite guilty about not finishing a painting but compromised by starting a small painting of the spot I planned to visit a little later.


After some progress on the painting, I visited the Dawn Fraser Baths in Balmain. The baths close for winter this weekend and so I was just in time. Enjoyed a refreshing dip - it was high tide - and spent some time admiring the beach next to the baths. This is the result. It really helps to revisit the source of inspiration, don't you think?

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

The business of getting noticed (part 2)


The second in the series has Lisa Woolfe running a session on how to create artist websites and how to use Facebook.  I must admit I skipped this because I had attended her seminar previously – hence the website I have now created (www.mengwoo.com).

A good website is essential but where I’m not clear is how to utilise Facebook as an artist?  Lisa’s opinion is that a personal Facebook account can double up for family and friends as well as art contacts.  You just need to know how to organise it accordingly. 

The third in the series featured Sara Leonardi McGrath, Glenn McGrath’s second wife.  Sara opened a contemporary gallery in Chippendale (www.mclemoi.com) last year and came to tell us what gallerists do and how to approach a gallery.  Sara is refreshingly honest and open.  What I gathered is that a good gallery is a publicity machine for their artists.  They’re constantly on the phone, ringing up potential buyers and answering emails.  They are basically the people who chase the sale.  And if they do everything that Sara does, they more than deserve their 50% commission!

As to how to approach a gallery, her advice is to scout around and get to know the galleries and what they specialise in.  There is, for instance, no point at all for me to approach her gallery as I’m not a contemporary artist.  But if the gallery was as approachable as she was, I’d be very lucky!

Sunday, March 24, 2013

The business of getting noticed (part 1)

For Art Month March 2013, ArtEst school at Leichhardt is running a series of seminars on professional development for artists.  Bravo, Jennifer!  There are so many art schools around but most focus primarily on technique, not how to make a living from your art.  We all know that artists are not usually the most business savvy people – the delight is in making art, not to selling it. 

I must admit the business of selling art fascinates me more than most artists, mainly because my other job is management consulting.  I’m always wondering how business principles can be applied to my hobby.  So these seminars were just the thing to illuminate.

The first of the series has Todd Fuller talking about Art Prizes, Grants and how to be noticed.  Todd is 24 and graduated from NAS.  For such a young man, he has done very well to be noticed, and is in fact represented by a well regarded gallery.  It is clear from the talk that Todd understood what it takes to be a professional artist as he was applying for residencies and entering art competitions, even whilst at school. 

The first step is to build up a convincing CV.  To get an idea of what an artist CV looks like, he suggests googling your favourite artist (someone alive, preferably).  Usually, this has a practice rationale which requires some thought to put together.  A hook to get people interested.  And if you have friends who are copywriters, get them on the job!  The CV also lists prizes/ awards and education.  The first requires perseverance as art prizes are a lottery (how can any one pick a winner from a broad range of genre and mediums? Yes, eeny meeny, miny moh).  But there are lots of grass root prizes to try before entering the Mosman prize or attempting the Archibald.

 

Monday, March 4, 2013

Print making with Jane Gascoigne

Jane Gascoigne, also an inner west artist held an exhibition at the Chrissie Cotter Gallery in Camperdown. Jane offered free print workshops for adults and older kids and I brought Miss 9 along with her little friend. Which sparked off my interest in print making.


We used a real leaf for this which was rolled a red and pressed against a Lino tile in green. Nice effect but not sure how reproducible it is.


This bird is a sgraffito attempt. Oil pastels are applied then painted over in black. A toothpick was used to scratch out a design which revealed the colour underneath. Jane also showed us how to print from a Lino cut but wisely provided a precut piece. I could just imagine the blood involved otherwise! Anyway this has sparked my imagination and I thought I'd attempt some Lino printing. Soon as I can get to an art shop....

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Sister's creek completed

After much messing around I completed (for now at any rate) this painting. The actual creek is a tannin colour and if you are submerged in it you couldn't see past your waist. But it does a great job in reflecting.



Monday, February 25, 2013

Bold impressions

In a bid to get my painting mojo back I decided to cash in my voucher and enrol in a one day workshop at ArtEst. Having had a rollicking good time with Paul McCarthy previously I decided to go for the 'Bold Impression' workshop once more.


Paul is a master in the application of colour theory. He paints with one brush and mixes his colours on the canvas and never puts a ground on his surface. Yet the results are eye catching and harmonious. His trees are pink, his sky hardly ever blue but they are far from discordant.



This painting is of an urban landscape - the rooftops of Balmain, near the Dawn Fraser pool. There is something harmonious about a row of terraces. The shapes are like frozen music.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Back in the saddle

The lateness of my posts probably has not gone unnoticed. Apologies all round and rest assured I'm back in the saddle now. I started on this painting of a creek in Sister's Beach, far north west Tasmania a few weeks ago. Sisters beach is a lovely spot, surrounded by bush and rather prone to bush fires. Ocean swimming in the height of summer is still a cold affair. Indeed I thought I'd lost all circulation on my feet after 5 mins paddling!


The solution is to swim in the creek. The creek flows out to the beach and at low tide, the water is warm although tannin tinged so that one can't see the bottom. At high tide, all the cold cold sea water comes in and the water is clear but cold!


This painting was inspired by the creek and please note that it is a work in progress. I decided that the sky be pink which meant a rework of the entire colour scheme. It's a Paul McCarthy (ArtEst tutor) touch which I hope will succeed.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Sunrise completed

Apologies for the long absence but I've been away over the festive season. It's pretty hard to get back into painting after a break. I'm struggling to inspire myself despite the fact that I saw lots of beautiful scenery in Tasmania.


This sunrise painting was completed priorto my break. Ha ha. I've hung it up in my lounge and feedback is that people noticed it and liked it too. Using Carla's tips, I've knocked back the reflection and occasionally when I catch a glimpse of it, I'm impressed with the realistic way the sunlight is peeping out of the clouds.

Although I think I should do a couple more skies for the practice, I have not had the opportunity to observe a sunrise recently. The sun gets up far too early and as for sunsets, unless you live in WA they are just as elusive.