Studio Work ABOUT my art & others

I have opened an online shop for small original artworks, limited edition prints and collage packs of monoprint elements, vintage papers, text etc. check it out . blackfisharts   has been refreshed - its got a cleaner feel to it and is less  confusing i think. did you know i write poetry ? you will find my poetry online - it is mostly my published pieces and is under construction, slowly.  Regent Park has also got a new look ... this is where i blog about an artist lifestyle in country Tasmania.  We live with cats, a dairy cow in retirement, ducks, turbo chooks, wallabies, possums, a tiger snake and other wildlife.  Surrounded by a forest of gum trees and wattles interspersed around paddocks and a hill to climb there is a creek that flows through the acreage, home to platypus, blackfish, a variety of so many birds and an eel.  our youtube channel covers everything and anything - find the playlists to watch studio works, country living in Tasmania, animal...

it was an interesting artist talk organised by curator Allison Campbell with local artists Michael Muruste, David Hawley and Jaclyn Poke.   Titled " Strange Faith "  t he exhibition space is filled with large abstract works of Michael and David with Jaclyn's work filling a section of the gallery.   Although subject matter of both abstract artists is not of concern, the Curatorial Statement, in part, speaks to the process that unites both. "Both approach painting as an act of discovery, allowing gesture, repetition and instinctive mark-making to become a language through which thought is made visible. Their works emerge not from fixed compositions, but through an unfolding dialogue between intuition, memory and material." The Curatorial Statement continues to describe their ways of working with two thoughts that caught my attention. "Together, they demonstrate that abstraction is not an escape from reality but another way of encountering it" and  "...

a few drawings (below) during my #getaway #artretreat at Winnaleah with Artable as per my previous post . I enjoy a walk through the landscape, taking photos, making small drawings and collecting a stone or shell to take back to the studio. It is in the studio where i am better able to access how it felt on that walk, the heat/cold, the sounds, the smells, wind waves, flora etc.   To access the memory as a whole as opposed to bit by bit on the walk, each sensory input building on the other.  drawings plein air, some paintings started outside and finished in the studio. Bay of Fires, The Blue Lake, a river on a farm property and beach walks.

i enjoy a #getaway now and again ... a break from the studio and daily household /garden activities, no cooking! (unless its a boiled egg). Just back from a week of #artretreat, as #getaway, with contemporary artist Tim Allen . Love his work and i found him to be most generous in working with each individual to achieve what they were aiming for, one-on-one - over 5 days.  This is my second time with Artable at Winnaleah in Tasmania.  Gillian , Steve and all the staff always do a fabulous job at making everyone feel comfortable and united providing great food, art discussion and comaraderie. This group of girls was particularly fabulous - so warm, kind, all inclusive with interesting, intelligent conversations.  i enjoyed it immensely.  a post here on the drawings and studio work  I was lucky enough to be next on the wait list so i got the "Barn" along with a lovely housemate for the week.  We felt so fortunate to 'get' the Barn which was lights, airy, w...

the studio needs a clean and tidy up as there are papers, prints, works in progress, paintings strewn across the space. monoprint - oil & acrylic on 250gsm fabriano  a few images below and a walkaround here  this one (above) is a bit stiff - the one below is more like it. loving this gel print grunge (below) in the comments below do let me know what you think or better yet, what are you doing in the studio?

On a recent trip to Hobart and i ducked into TMAG (Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery) to find an exhibition of Oliffe Richmond (1919-77) - a Tasmanian born artist who built a distinguished career in Britain as a sculptor and educator. I particularly loved the sketchbook drawings. and i loved this vehicle in the pottery & ceramics room

I wrote  here  about delivering 4 works to the Out of Hand Exhibition held by Stitching and Beyond.    This year, I have exhibited, for the first time, in the exhibition held by Stitching and Beyond, Hobart.  I have been a member of the group for a few years and have been stitching for many many years; decided for the first time to exhibit.  With over 200 entries in the exhibition I am honoured to have received the Curators Choice Award for this piece 'Conversations by the Creek (Winter) the other 3 pieces are Conversations by the Creek (Summer) and Conversations by the Creek (Early Spring) and Under a Big Sky .

I took a few photos of the exhibition at the opening and after all the excitement of winning the Curator's Prize I never got back to it. This is the Out of Hand exhibition organised by Stitching and Beyond Hobart. I love these baskets ...   As well as hunting down my own pieces, these are some of the entries that took my eye at the time.  My apologies to those whose names i did not get - if you know please let me know to update my images.   my blog post does not do the exhibition justice - do get along to see it if you are in Hobart.  a few more links here to explore about the 2025 Out of Hand Exhibition - Christie Lange  Salamanca Arts Centre Stitching and Beyond