Studio Work ABOUT my art & others

 I have been creating works that celebrate colour, shape and texture which got me thinking about the saying 'art for art's sake'.  Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (Portrait of the Artist’s Mother)  by James Abbott McNeill Whistler, 1871,  via Musée d’Orsay, Paris This infamous portrait of Whistler's mother is generally known as 'Portrait of the Artist's Mother", while its official title - Arrangement in Grey and Black No,1  - suggests the painting is nothing more than an aesthetic composition of muted colours. Whistler also frequently painted foggy river scenes of the River Thames at night, a series titled Nocturnes . Rather than a conventional landscape painting, each Nocturne , a dreamy visual effect of light and colour comprising a flat, simple composition in a monotone colour palette with wide translucent brushstrokes.  Walter Pater claimed that 'all art constantly aspires towards the condition of music".  Whislter was drawn to this idea as...

 Bela Kacso  Born 26 June1936-2003 (21March) My Dad would be 87 years of age today and i know he would have loved Tasmania. I miss him. It is difficult to look back because he is no longer around and there are so many forgotten memories that re-surface when looking through old documents and letters exchanged during the days of snail mail and faxes! He was always immensely supportive of each of us whilst always insisting on kindness and respect for my mother, no matter what. In the mid-90's he supported my 'want' to do art and design and purchased my first computer. When i suggested a cheap model to begin with he said 'now why would i buy my daughter a bicycle without wheels?' and sent me off to 'research' the best type of computer (with programs) i may need so i could do digital art and design. I came back with the top 3 upon which he handed me a cheque with a smile and said 'no need to tell mum' .... Once upon a time, he wrote (in part) '...

 In general conversation (email), about artists and paintings, the name was mentioned within a block of a few others ... for some reason I copy pasted the name Joaquín Sorolla ... wow. What a find. His use of colour and light immediately hit me as I looked across all the images of his paintings on google. Drilling down a little I find he is called 'Spanish Master of Light'. 'Spain's Impressionist'. Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863-1923). Born in the coastal city of Valencia, Sorolla is best known for his depictions of beach and water scenes. But he was also proficient in portraiture and landscape painting. We take a closer look at the artist’s life and work. read more I see/think when i look at these images. For the lights to work, the darks are just right. - both are so well handled as lights, darks, and together White is not white The colours are beautiful and clean The colours in the shadows 'read' colourful whilst kept in shadow. The composition of...

Many years ago when holidaying with my daughter and her young family in Sydney I caught up with exhibitions at the Art Gallery of NSW and i loved this image i took of my reflection in a Dale Frank painting. loved the painting/assemblage. The image, to me, speaks of a self portrait - artist looking and admiring the art. I usually walk through the gallery room quickly, scanning each one as i move through and then return to the ones that speak to me. This artwork was one of them - the image itself that you see here made an impression upon me once i got home and downloaded all the holiday photos. this other one is more like the day to day snapshot that is taken ... its still a self portrait but much less emphatic or meaningful, i think. It kind of tells all whilst the one above is mysterious and encapsulates the premise of 'self portrait with Dale Frank'. Whilst revisiting this memory I realise, in retrospect, i was drawn very much to this piece as i was experimenting with ...