This year I was invited to submit 6 artworks and I was lucky enough to sell three of them. It was a bit of a risk to invest in 6 canvases/floating frame combos of the same size 600 x 400 mm and all planned to revolve around the same concept: ‘sepia historical abodes’. I was thrilled to sell three pieces.

Now planning to enter the three unsold pieces into the Glenside Lions Club Exhibition in October. I have smaller pieces earmarked for Marion Art Group’s Brighton Shopping Centre Exhibition and Sale starting mid October. Its all go!

The Marion Art Group is now approaching the last couple of months or our year. There is much to do wind up for 2024. More details to follow.

My two months at ‘It takes a village’, Towers Terrace, Edwardstown, has been a great success. 10 sales in a variety of subjects, media and style.

….and now to 6 paintings I have been working on for the Blackwood Rotary Art show. This starts on Thursday July 11th and closes Saturday July 20th at the Blackwood High School, (during school mid-year holidays). Find Blackwood Rotary Art Show on Facebook for details.

Marion Art group has 10 artists entering work in this great exhibition. Always many quality artworks entered by, both local hobby and professional artists.

I have 15 pieces in ‘It Takes a Village’ Cafe, 46 Towers Tce, Edwardstown, until the end of June…..and sold an acrylic, ‘Blue Wren’ (below), straightaway. I think the display is an interesting collection with a variety of mixed media and acrylic artworks in a variety of sizes (but mostly small).

So, now I am concentrating on producing 6 acrylics for the Blackwood Rotary Art Show in July. My theme is old buildings in sepia. I am thinking I may add a small splash of colour to provide a focal point and add to the narrative of each piece. ( a bird, a small patch of flowers, a discarded object or toy???)

Early days with this but I have my six canvases ready to go and my photos sourced from my years of photo-shoots all over the country!

A little bit of a downer for me as I did not sell any of my 5 paintings at the Victor Harbor Rotary Art Show in January this year. Perhaps my work is a bit ‘tired” and I need to change it up somewhat.

With that in mind I have started some small mixed media pieces in a different style. A series of these have been planned for a Solo Exhibition at my local coffee shop, to open at the beginning of May, for 2 months to finish end of June.

One of my unsold Victor Harbor artworks below.

Marion Art Group has made a good start to the year, with some new committee members coming on board. I have high hopes for this being a transition year in more than one respect. We will be moving into the new Marino Community Hall when it is finished. At this time it is unclear when that will be, but by the end of the the calendar year we should be settled in. I am also hoping to step back from the Presidency, maybe by the end of the year. It will take some thought to identify some willing member and then support that person through the initial stages of their tenure.

As we come to the end of 2024 and I enter 5 paintings into the Victor Harbor Art Show to be on display January 2024, I have now finished up for 2023 at the Marion Art Group AGM/Christmas wind-up last Monday 4th Dec. To my surprise, I was awarded Life Membership for my 10 years of service on the MAG Committee and in particular for the last 6 years as President of the group.

The painting below didn’t quite make the cut to be included in the five pieces chosen for the Victor Harbor Art Show. It was my contribution to an internal display at our ‘Celebrating 45 years mid year lunch .

…and the commission job, mentioned last post, has been completed. The finished piece is now hanging on the client’s wall.

Time now to communicate the latest news from Jim. Things have been a little busy in the Greenies household with ‘Life’ and at times ‘Laziness’ getting in the way of creative pursuits.

Preparations for the Brighton Rotary Art Show were somewhat rushed to meet the deadline for delivery of artwork. Maybe something to do with being invited to submit 6 Paintings!

This was a great exhibition with 700 paintings , once again extremely well organised.

I did sell 2 paintings which I am very happy about.

…….. and now sold a third pieces after the exhibition.

My new buyer has now commissioned another painting. I had better get busy!

With MAG’s Exhibition at Gallery ‘M’ long finished we can reflect on the results. Only 5 sold out of 50 pieces, but many people came to see our exhibition and many very flattering comments were made.

I have been working on some paintings lately. More and more, it seems I need an incentive (or two!). Two good ones. Blackwood Rotary Art show, opening mid-July and this time I have been invited to enter 6 pieces.

So, I already had 3 available paintings of musicians. (two medium 600 x 400 mm and a small 300 square mixed media piece. These include the two unsold Paintings from the Gallery ‘M’ exhibition. Another 3 needed! I am just now finishing three ptgs of wildlife in their habitat. ( two large 750 x 600 mm on canvas and a small 300 x 400 mm on a wooden panel)

…………a sneak preview of the small panel below

The Marion Art Group has several of us in this exhibition, including some very recently joined members. We are now approaching the middle of the year and looking at developing our program of activities and exhibitions for August to December. Our wonderful committee has been a great support to me, taking on many responsibilities to make my job less demanding as the President of our group. Temporary accommodation at the Seacliff Uniting Church Hall is a very comfortable home for us for the next year or so.

A new era at the Marion Art Group is about to start this year. Moving out of the ‘old’ Marino Community Hall during April and into the Uniting Church Hall, Seacliff, for about a year while the ‘new’ Marino Hall is rebuilt!!

Also during April this year, Marion Art Group’s exhibition ‘Celebrating 45 years’ will be take place at Gallery ‘M’, Marion Cultural Centre. Opening Friday 14th April and available for public viewing until Sunday 7th May.

My entry into this 30 artist, 45 artwork MAG exhibition is a pair of canvases to be named ‘Rhythm and Blues”. See some early steps of the final pieces below.

A highly successful exhibition for our Marion Art Group members. We ‘done’ very well.

My personal sales were surprisingly good. Sales below.

As the Marion Art Group winds down for the year and I look to my next artistic challenge I am encouraged to prepare 2 large canvases of musicians for the next exhibition I am entering. ‘Marion At Group Celebrates 45 years’ at Gallery M, Marion Cultural Centre in April 2023.

Marion Art Group’s first shopping Centre Exhibition for three long years!!! Monday 17th – Sunday 30th October at regular shopping hours. 9 -5 most days,’till 8.30 pm Thursdays and starting 11 am Sundays.

We will be set-up with 6 of our famous screens and our fancy, new exhibition table which has been waiting patiently to make her debut. she has a gender because she is so pretty!!

30 of our artists will be exhibiting nearly 200 paintings, with quality original art at affordable prices. We are opposite one of the best Foodlands in SA, which is next to a wonderful ‘Celebrations’ wine shop/bar & Cafe.

We would love to see you there. Do some shopping, have a coffee and come and say hello.

I have a half screen with 8 small paintings on display. come and see some thing different from me this time….yes, I have ventured into some ‘action portraiture’. Not sure what that is????Come and have a look!!!

The painting above is not in the exhibition, but may make it onto my half screen to replace a sold painting. I cut out the tree carefully from one of my watercolour paintings and adhered it to a canvas stretcher and finished the background in acrylic. This exaggerates the 3D effect with the tree in foreground and the background receding more.