New Class - a Spring in the step

Starting a new class is both energizing, challenging and a little draining... but I love it. Too bad next Monday is a holiday to interrupt the flow of lessons. Still all the members of the Burnside Painters can, I feel confident, handle such a minor disruption with aplomb.
This batch of watercolours are mostly under A4 and some are or will be part of the current course.

(For more details visit facebook)

Back in the swing....

This morning (Fri 23rd Feb) I'm sitting in at the Port Adelaide Community Art Centre from 11 am and doing my watercolour thing. You're most welcome to come along, entry is free and the exhibition "Synthesis" will amaze you. Its work by PCAC members and well worth a visit. Also this weekend the Tea Tree Gully Lions Club exhibition starts at the Tea Tree Gully Library and once again there are many wonderful works on display. This is one of the few competitions that shows hand built ceramics and I have one of my pieces on display as well as an oil portrait and a full sheet watercolour portrait.
To get you in the mood here is a selection from this week's small watercolours - as usual all under A4 size - some on white, one on brown and some from my sketch book. Please enjoy.

Recent excitement....

All in reverse chronological sequence

Friday night:

WINNER   - St Peters Cathedral Art Prize  - Social Comment Section

"After the fire has gone out" - oil on canvas  60cm x 90cm

I was delighted to have my canvas receive the category prize at the St Peters Cathedral Art Prize 2017.  My sincere thanks to Rosie and the team for their concerted efforts.

Thursday Afternoon: 

Word from the Walkerville Rotary Art Exhibition that my bronze sculpture "Dignity" (see previous post below) has been sold.  (the new owner has let me know who he is and I am happy to report that it will go to a caring home)

Tuesday afternoon: 

I was thrilled to get advice that my elephant sculpture "Dignity" was awarded a Commendation at the Walkerville Rotary Art Exhibition. (I was just reminded that it had also won 1st prize in the indoor sculpture category at the 2017 Clare Rotary Art Exhibition - always a hotly contested category.)

Tuesday:

The last session in my current Pepper St watercolour classes.  The images below were from the final session.     I hope that members were not too distressed by the challenges I set them during the last five weeks - I know from their work that everyone improved markedly - I just hope they also enjoyed the sessions as much as I did.

Just to round out the week

Just to round out the week here's a small oil study from yesterday morning ( 2.5mm MDF 200mm x 250mm) ..... 
Unless someone can come up with a better name I'll call it "Deep in thought"

With today's temperature set to reach 30 degrees C I took the opportunity to fast dry it by leaving it under the back window of the car out in the sun.   

Three days this week.....

The week started with the SAWS AGM and the twenty minute demo below....

Followed by a sprint to the Port Adelaide Community Centre opening of the latest exhibition, "Fusion"....  where my painting of the boy in the hat was awarded a merit... as was my elephant statue.   WOW

Then while sitting in at the Gallery on Wednesday morning I painted a couple of extra works. The one below was my favourite.

So this morning at the Elizabeth Art Society ANEAS I painted the small oil below in preparation for a larger piece.

SALA festival in Adelaide is always a busy time but I didn't realise just how busy until this year.

The week that was... and coming stuff

So what's new?....

So what's new?....

Well Mike Barr organised an article for all four Amigos ( Mike Barr, Bill Truslove, Alan Louis and I) to appear in the August 2017 edition of Australian Artist magazine and its out.... thanks Mike.(Bruce Weir took the photos .. thanks Bruce.) I am once again chuffed.

Last week's output included these watercolours...all on brown packing paper.

BTW my September/October class at Pepper St is filling quickly...

email me grit@iprimus.com.au

if you want more details.  Numbers strictly limited.

and more stuff...

The sculpture of Brian Cox (see earlier post) has been fired and mounted on a rustic wooden base. I decided to leave it in its terra cotta state without trying to colourize it or simulate a patina. The natural state has more honest integrity and shows up all the texturing well. It will be on show during the Royal South Australian Society of Arts Portrait Prize Exhibition for which it has been selected as a finalist. 
I'll be part of a portrait painting demonstration there on Tuesday 
8 August from 11am to 1pm - bookings are essential, contact RSASA.

Recent Watercolours

Heart Breaker - Watercolour on primed plywood panel 15cm x 20cm 

Done for a small community gallery fundraiser.

Male Study - Watercolour on brown packing paper 20cm x 20cm 

Man in a cap - Watercolour on brown packing paper 20cm x 20cm 

Today ... at the SAWS Saturday session.

I usually go to my art group sessions without any real plan of what I want to paint. 
That was the case today and I started out painting a gentleman with a red bow tie on some paper Lynda Fanshaw asked me to try out. We both agreed the paper was so so. 
Then I saw Steven Lush 's post of his grandmother on Face Book - he was most gracious to allow me try to paint her. The result, on brown wrapping paper, is below. Thanks Steven, I tried to keep in sympathy with the look of the old photograph.
 Finally, with a few minutes left, I got out the sketch book and added the small painting of the little boy. 

They are all about 20cm x 25cm.

Tomorrow the workshop at Art Stretchers on Light Square.

Innocent

Innocent - Watercolour on Fabriano rough A3

In a world full of "In your face" confrontational art I like to present an alternative ... it's the softer side of me emerging.

BTW the Pepper St class "Feathers, Fur and Fins" is fully booked - thank you to those who are coming - I'm sure it's going to be fun and I'm looking forward to it.

This Sunday 19th March I'll be hosting a Watercolour Portrait Workshop at Art Spectrum.
Details from Angela at Art Stretchers 82122711.

Happy painting.

The week that was...

Saturday night my little elephant was awarded 2nd prize in oils at Tea Tree Gully Art Show.

I didn't have time to paint until Thursday morning when I did three small oils

all approx 12cm x 18cm .....

The Blacksmith - oil on canvas sheet

Child study - oil on mat board (unprimed)

Head of a woman - oil on primed MDF board

Then yesterday morning I tried a watercolour on some paper a dear friend had given me.

Fisherman - watercolour on Blue Lake handmade toned paper from Mt.Gambier. approx 30cm x 40cm

and then in the afternoon when I went to pick up my work from the Tea Tree Gully exhibition I had a lovely surprise.
My small terra cotta had been accorded, what some artist friends regard as the ultimate accolade, a People's Choice Award.

Winston in the garden - terra cotta and australian oak - approx 30cm x 20cm x 15cm

Perhaps colleagues are right - I really haven't got anything to complain about. 

BTW - the watercolour portrait workshop at Art Stretchers on March 19th still has a few vacancies - contact Angela on 82122711 for details.

Recent Watercolours

I will try to update this blog with watercolours on Monday posts.

This is a selection of my recent work and as they are mainly all small (less than 14cm x 22cm) I'll only give more details on the larger one.

Baby - on brown packing paper

Horse (in sketch book)

Kitten

Ostrich (in sketch book)

Splish, splash

Galah ( 20cm 29cm)

I intend to update oil painting posts on a fortnightly basis.

Winner - Best in Show -

Young Galahad - watercolour on Arches 300lb - full sheet

 I am pleased to announce that my painting of my grandson was awarded the Adelaide Brighton Cement prize at the current Port Community Art Centre memebrs' exhibition "ARTiculated" , on until Sunday 4th September.  The title is play on our surname which translates as Knight.  The broad sword is all his own work.

I will be sitting in at the exhibition this Monday 22nd of August from 11am to 1pm.
Pop in and see me at work or just for a chat.  Entry is free.

SIBLING RIVALRY   watercolour Full sheet Arches 300 rough

 

I am delighted to report that this painting has been juried into the 1st IWS International Watercolour Biennale in Vancouver Canada in July 2016

WINNER - My watercolour of my young nephew - titled "Lookout" has been awarded second prize overall at the Port Adelaide Rotary Art Show (now on). It's the second year in a row I've won second prize and I am delighted. Congratulations to Sam Thompson (1st prize watercolour section) and especially Victoria Rolinski who took out first prize overall - well done guys.

Someday at Christmas - Watercolour on Arches 140gsm medium A3 size

Some pictures just cry out to be painted. This little girl was singing along to Stevie Wonder on Apple's Christmas ad on TV last night and this morning I yielded to temptation. The painting "fell off the brush" in about 30 minutes of casual painting. Enjoy!

The Wedding Guest - oil on canvas - approx 60cm x 60cm

This painting was recently awarded the runner up prize in the Open Section of the Port Adelaide Rotary Art Exhibition 2014.  It shows my grandson's character exactly - and I daresay that of many other boys his age.

Brother and sister watercolor portraits.

 Brother and sister - watercolour  on Arches 300lb rough - A3 size 

Completing any commission involves a level of stress and anxiety
however in this case the experience was comensurate with the result.
The children were a genuine delight and meeting their parents was
invigorating.  
There is so much negativity about in the media that
one sometimes has doubts about the future - it is truly reassuring 
to see that our future is in the hands of young people such as these.

The Laugh - Patinated Terra cotta on Jarrah Base
approx 45cm W

This is my winning piece - what a delight - after winning first prize overall last year I was chuffed to get First Prize in Freeform Ceramics as well as Second Prize in the Watercolour Section.

Lookout  - Watercolour on Arches 300gsm 70cm x 50cm

This is the work awarded second prize in the Watercolour Section of the Lions

Tea Tree Gully Exhibition 2014.