Winner 

Oil and Acrylic Section

4th Solar Art Prize

Caring for our Planet

Hanging on for dear life   Oil on canvas   40cm x 60cm

I am proud to announce that this little painting 

heralding the plight of the wild chimpanzee

was tonight awarded the 1st prize in the oil

and acrylic category of the 4th Solar Prize.

My sincere thanks go to curator/organiser Phillipa Fletcher,

her judges and her major sponsor

Natural Technology Systems. 

This competition is growing in stature each year

as it attracts more and more high calibre artists.

Exuberant

Exuberant - watercolour 31cm x 26cm medium 300gsm

It's difficult,at times, not to ascribe human emotions to animals.

This is one such example.

Six step watercolour portrait - 40cm x 30cm

In honour of the New SAWS website (link at top right by clicking logo) I thought I would show a step wise progression from pencil sketch to finished (almost still needs a signature) painting.

The SAWS website has been taking up much of my time but I'll be back to posting more frequent blogs from now on.

Running for joy

 

Running for joy - watercolour 76cm x 56cm on Arches 300 rough

 

Oh to be young again.  The exuberance of youth, to run for the sheer joy of running.

 

NT Drover

 

NT Drover - oil on canvas  37cm x 25cm

Every now and then I find the need to do something a little different.  I don't think this gentleman is actually a drover but I'm pretty sure he's from the Northern Territory.

RECENT HAPPENINGS

The Mechanic - 53cm x 73cm, watercolour on Arches 300 rough

This painting is one of my entries to the 2012 Walkerville Rotary Art Show next week.

RECENT EVENTS

My thanks to all who took part in the Watercolour Portrait Workshop at Port Community Arts on Sunday last.

I hope that you all got as much pleasure out of it as I did did.   A mental comparison of your work with images I saw in one of my books on watercolour painting tells me that each and everyone of you did an exceptional job in the short time we had.

Port Community Art Exhibition

Thank you to the judges who awarded my work 'Resigned' (see previous blog) with the third prize. And thank you to the sponsor 'Art to Art'.

Gawler Art Prize 2012

I am pleased to announce that my painting 'Wintersun' (see previous blog) was accorded First Prize at the 6th Gawler art Award.  This marks the third time that my work has won this prize over the years and I am truly thankful.

My grateful thanks to the judges, the organisers and the Gawler Council, as sponors, for their selection and support.

Shark

Shark - watercolour on arches rough 300lb 52cm x 72cm

These animals are at the top of the food chain and all around the world their numbers are decreasing dramatically.

They do not contribute to the human food stock to any significant extent yet they are being calously hunted for their dorsal fins.

Resting in slips

Resting in slips  - oil on canvas  20cm x 36cm

Another small oil. 
To me a boat on land is like a fish out of water - t'aint natural.

This will be available in the soon upcoming
Blackwood Rotary Art Show.

Gawler Backyard

Gawler Backyard - oil on canvas 20cm x 40cm

I have resisted painting landscapes for some time now.  But seeing others paint
them with alacrity has spurred me on to try my hand. 

I have started small, just to get a feel for the genre.  I'll post a few more shortly.

Embittered

  Embittered - watercolour on 140 Arches medium  A3 size

I've been a bit preoccupied lately with the establishment of

the South Australian Watercolour Society (SAWS) and I haven't

been able to paint as much as I'd like.

This study was honoured by receiving the People's Choice award

at the recent Port Adelaide Art Centre members' exhibition.

It's not me but it is how I sometimes feel.

If you'd like more information on SAWS please drop me a line.

Kapunda Workshop

What a wonderful day!   Thankyou to everyone who came along.

I deliberately set a difficult challenge and I think you all rose to meet it splendidly.

Just a shame the weather was so nice and we spent the day inside.

Adelaide had it's day in the sun too, with Black Caviar setting her world record.

Simply perfect.

Resigned

Resigned -  Watercolour on Arches 300gsm rough, 43cm x 54cm

Sometimes it takes a while before you can approach a personal subject.

This portrait is probably the last one I'll do of my late mother and

will be on display at the Campbelltown Rotary Art Exhibition in May.

I spent my youth in Athelstone and Campbelltown and

went to the high school there before they tore it down.

It's good to recall the past occasionally - even therapeutic.

Just Wishing

Just Wishing - watercolour , 19.5cm x 28cm, 185gsm Arches medium

When we're young we spend a lot of time wishing for things to happen.
As we get older we realise we have to become the agents of our own destiny.

I am happy to report that Haircut (below) was awarded 3rd prize at the recent Port Adelaide Community Art Centre exhibition.

I am also pleased to alert everyone to the intended formation of the
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN WATERCOLOUR SOCIETY. 
If you're interested please complete the online form above or contact me via my email grit@skymesh.com.au.

Rough Night

Rough Night - watercolour on 300gsm medium (unknown make), 38cm x 28cm

Some papers are a dream to work on some are not.  This pad has been a real pain in the @#&%$ but for some reason I keep returning to it.  I don't think I have any scottish blood in me - although there are some personality traits that would indicate the opposite.

Don't forget I've got the watercolour portrait workshop coming up at The Framer.

Haircut

Haircut - watercolour on Fabriano 300gsm rough - approx 38cm x 28cm
We can all sympathise with the trauma of a young boy at the barbershop - everything is daunting and frightening and if you dare to make any move not only will you ruin your haircut but you could lose a piece of your ear as well.

I will be conducting a one day workshop in watercolour portrait painting on the 31 Mar 2012 at the Framer.

Contact Karen for details.

Little Miss Perfect

Little Miss Perfect - oil on canvas - 60cm x 90cm

As the Christmas season rushes relentlessly upon us I find myself focussing more and more on my family.
It is truly a time to be thankful and to count our blessings.
Try as I may in my paintings I can never get close to the the beauty of the real thing - hence my title for the picture - it refers to my grand daughter not to my painting of her.

Please have a very merry festive season and a truly happy new year.

(On display at the Port Adelaide Rotary Art Show just after Christmas)

Wimbledon - C'mon

Wimbledon - C'mon  oil on canvas 90cm x 90cm

It's been a while since my last post and I have no excuses.

This painting is one of three showing the grandchildren that will be on display at the Victor Harbor Rotary Art Show in  early January 2012. The others are both watercolours, "Independent" and "Because of the wind", posted previously on this blog.

In my next post I'll include work that will be on display at the Port Adelaide Rotary Art Show over the New Year.

First Prize St Peters Cathedral Art Show 2011

I am delighted to report that my small oil portrait,

"Holding On", was awarded 1st Prize Overall at

the 2011 Adelaide St Peters Cathedral Art Show

Rosie Hamilton, Art Show organiser, Poh Ling Yeow, celebrity chef and official opener,

Jeff Neale, major sponsor Paradise Motors and yours truly at the announcement.

Here I am with a permanent grin in front of the winning entry  (now SOLD)

I wish to express my sincere appreciation to Rosie and the Cathedral as well as 

Jeff at Paradise Motors.

Kapunda Workshop 17th Sept

Pictured here are most of the members of last Saturday's workshop at Kapunda.  Thank you to all who attended I had a great time and I really appreciate the effort you all took in your work.  This workshop was the first time many had tried oils and even more had tried portrait painting - but looking at the results you really wouldn't know - you can all be justly proud of the results.


A short 45 minute drive from my home, Kapunda is a small town in the mid north with a long history of copper mining and farming. It is also the home of the Kidman Art Prize - in honour of a rather canny agricultural business man who established a very profitable means of bringing stock from up north to southern saleyards in the late 1800's. 

Kapunda Exhibition - FLASHBACK

1967 - 2010  - oil on canvas  100cm x 100cm
First Prize Overall


My entry, above, a painting of my brother, came about as a response to the Kapunda Community Gallery nominating a theme of FLASHBACK for their winter exhibition.  I chose to paint him with his first home made surfboard from 1967 in the background and as he is now, still happy to be messing about with matters relating to the sea. 
Thank you to the organisers at Kapunda for presenting us with the challenge of this theme and with the opportunity to participate.  Of course I'm thrilled to have won!!