Success for me early this year at South Australia’s biggest art show. This is the highlight of  the Rotary/lions clubs art shows program with 1300+ paintings this year. A high quality show with fewer paintings than in previous years which came about due to an on-line application process where paintings were registered on ‘gallery 247’  before formal entry could be made.

I was thrilled to sell two pieces out of the three entered. Excellent result as these were two  large pieces not sold at the Maxwell’s Exhibition late last year.

Another post coming soon outlining the year’s art aims with Marion Art Group.

Early morning at Chapel Hill Winery. Acrylic on canvas, 1000mm x 700mm: SOLD

Wreckollections, Silverton NSW 2.
Acrylic on Canvas, 750 x 500 mm: SOLD

                         Spirit of McLaren Vale

Exhibition open 10.00 am to 5.00pm at the cellar door, Maxwell Wines, McLaren Vale corner of Chalk Hill and Olivers Road starting from Sunday 28th September until Friday 28th November 2014

The paintings are finished and most of the arrangements have been made. The painting above is my feature piece (one meter square) and is representative of the flavour of the whole exhibition (24 paintings). It is only left to hang the paintings at Maxwell Wines, conduct the opening and then hope that many people visit the exhibition over the subsequent two months.

Maxwell Winery is a great supporter of the Fleurieu Peninsula art scene. What could be better than touring one of the premier wine regions of the world, sipping fine wine and viewing thought provoking art.

To all you art lovers/users of this website who are South Australian, it would be wonderful if you could make it to the exhibition. Any feedback would be gratefully received.

The artist at work

As I count down to the opening of my one-man- exhibition at Maxwell winery towards the end of  September, I have again adjusted my thoughts on the final pieces to be completed.

I am currently working on the last piece, a small 30 x 30 cm canvas which will form a pair with an earlier completed sepia toned image of an old railway water pump at Milang Station. This last piece is an old domestic pump in Willunga and will bring a full stop to my work for this exhibition.

Despite having plenty of time to do more, I will halt my output now, one painting short of what I intended. (24 instead of 25) for a couple of reasons. Firstly because rather than physically squeeze the final painting into the space I have available at Maxwells, I think it is better to spread what I have comfortably into the space. Secondly, and more importantly, because I find my self starting to labour,  trying to force out ideas and motivate myself to complete the task. I must be getting tired and it is time to stop!

It will be great to spend the last month leisurely doing the necessary jobs to prepare for the event itself. Finishing off pieces, varnished and  ready to hang, is one thing I still need to do and preparing labels for paintings, biographical sheets, price lists, advertising flyers to my corporate contacts at clubs and businesses and the second round of invitations still have to be sent to a few people.

I already have RSVPs to the opening for 34 friends and family and others who have said they will come to see the exhibition during the time it is displayed throughout October and November.

Sooooo ……..now to the next level of organisation for this exhibition.

It’s been a while since my last Post!! …..because I have been busy!!!!

MAG activities are building. We have an exhibition at the Atrium Gallery, Mitcham Village, throughout July and I have two entries out of the 26 on display. We will be at Colonnades Shopping Centre for two weeks early August and then our Stobie Pole painting task in the local community (immediately around the Marino Community Hall), will take place throughout August and September. The Marion Shopping Centre Exhibition is on13th to 19th October. I will help to organise the Stobie Pole activity, but the two shopping centre exhibitions are not on my radar  whilst I concentrate on creating enough paintings for my exhibition toward the end of September.

The Opening of the one-man-show at Maxwell Wines, McLaren Vale will take place on 27th September, Saturday, 6.00 to 7.30pm.

I have now completed 16 pieces, with two others mostly finished and then I have another 7 pieces to complete ( 3, 400x500mm  and 4, 300x300mm canvasses). Total is 25 pieces which has changed over the last few weeks as I have discarded a couple of large canvas ideas to make room for more small pieces which may be more saleable. With the current economy, several other artists I have talked to, are saying keep artwork small in size to make then more affordable. The small canvasses I have left to do will not take me long. With two months to go I think I am in a good non-panic position. I do have to varnish all my completed canvasses yet, and I have a number of tasks like an advertising brochure, articles for newsletters and the exhibition catalogue to produce, but I am feeling good about the way things are going.

It is great to have my artist friends at MAG and family and friends at home to offer advice, help and encouragement. The three finished canvasses of tourist attractions painted in sepia tones, have been well received by others who believe that they will be very appealing to visiting tourists….but who knows what will sell!!!

My ideas and plans have continued to evolve. The small canvasses have inspired me to develop some micro-views of vine leaves, in their states of different stages and colour of their life span. Some experiments in different media (ink and conte) have been discarded, but it is good to try things and have enough material so I can be choosy. (shown below)……More thoughts closer to opening night!!

Milang tractor, mixed media experiment

Willunga pump, conte experiment

Spinifex Pigeon

Outback Erosion

Marion Art Group (MAG) activities are keeping me pretty busy while I try to consistently chip away at paintings for the Maxwell Winery Exhibition in September.

The Marion Cultural Centre Gallery M exhibition for MAG is about to finish and my two pieces have not sold ….but, another painting ‘The young hunter’ is about to be hung at the Red House exhibition at he same venue. This painting, which is of a white faced Heron about to strike, may be more appealing to viewers.!!??????? who knows??

The MAG exhibition at Pasadena Shopping Centre was very successful for us. About 50 pieces sold, of which 2 were mine, shown here on the right.

My progress and ideas for September’s one man show continue to evolve. I now have four watercolours  framed and four 600 x 600 mm canvases of various ‘vintage’ interpretations, completed.  The latest finished piece is a 700 x 500 canvas “Tranquillity in Old Noarlunga” which features the old ‘Tranquil Zone’ shop framed with Jacarandas in full flower.

I am now about to embark on a series  on the theme of ‘Preserving the Past’. Each piece to feature the use of  sepia tones, but with a full coloured human focal point to emphasise how important it is for our intervention to help maintain our historical heritage  on the Fleurieu Peninsular. I have experimented with brush and sepia ink  and have now fully planned  two small acrylics on canvas. One of the cockle train at Goolwa home base and the other of paddle steamer ‘Oscar’ at Milang wharf. The tricky part will be creating the sepia tones in acrylic. I suspect burnt sienna and cadmium yellow will play a part!!!!……………. I need another photo shoot on the Peninsular to provide material for more work on this series.

With four months to go before the opening of the exhibition September 24, I feel in control at this stage. I do have another 10 pieces to do, and a couple of those will be large feature canvases, which I am really looking forward to tackling!!!!

More progress reports to follow.

Developments are occurring and plans adapting.

I am now in the process of creating three pieces at the same time. A watercolour and two acrylic canvases all in various states of completion.

Already completed: 2 canvases and 3 watercolours.

It turns our that the opening will be two weeks later than originally thought and now will take place Saturday 27th September, 5.30 to 7.00pm.

So if anything I am ahead in my planned schedule.

I am in the mode of representing Fleurieu Peninsular vintage buildings, artefacts, icons and environment in my  ‘naturalistic’ style and am reluctant  to complicate matters by trying to add hidden meanings.

I am trying to emphasise the colour and texture in 1850’s stone walls, elderly trees and old atefacts. I am hoping that it is the glow from layers of wash and glaze that will communicate the lustre, age and beauty of these subjects and so making them appealing to the general public and tourists passing through.

I am currently working on images of McLaren Vale Wineries. Owners will be invited to the opening!!!!!

I do have a master plan of all works to be completed with photos selected as references from my several hundred taken over the last few weeks.

but…….the plan is constantly changing as I complete work and as I seek the right balance of images for the walls of the gallery at Maxwell Wines.

I find myself thinking about the design aspects of filling the gallery space with out over filling it , and allocating feature paintings to particular walls. I feel that the three big paintings I have planned need to be off-set with more affordable small pieces which will be grouped according to their subject matter. These may well be the ‘bread and butter’ paintings that will be appealing to the tourist trade as it passes through.

Of course I can’t reveal any work completed until after the exhibition…..so no pics yet!!!

Until the next update……….next report will be about the various Marion Art Group activities coming up over the next few months.

Currency Creek, Kingsbrook Inn :- watercolour in progress

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The artists studio, watercolour in progress

Much to think about! Some very sound planning is required!!

Costs to me?  17 canvasses, 4 watercolours, framed. Using a local professional backyard framer and stretcher maker. I have found a great price on-line, for a roll of canvas, 10 oz double primed, 10 metres which will cut down on costs enormously.

Maxwell Winery/Gallery will organise advertising, printing, invitations and wine at the opening.  I provide the nibbles.  Excellent!!

My prices must be affordable. I obviously want to sell!…….. I will need to sell 6-8 paintings out of the 21 including at least one large canvas to break even.

Theme/title of exhibition  to be “VINTAGE FLEURIEU”. So the subjects need to be all things old and/or winery related. historic buildings, artefacts, sheds, farming equipment, old vehicles, not forgetting old trees and Yakkas etc for aesthetic appeal.

I must not lose sight of making sure that the historic nature of my subjects must be composed to ensure they are aesthetically appealing. Do I make deep and meaningful historical statements? or keep entirely to communicating the beauty of light and shadow on ‘vintage’ subjects from the Fleurieu peninsular??? something to think about further.!!!

Trips to the Fleurieu peninsular to be planned and early morning and late afternoon photo opportunities to be factored in.

Already trip to Goolwa/Victor Harbor has been quite fruitful. Cockle train,  paddle steamers, old bridges and historic buildings have been photographed. Some of the lighting is not ideal and may have to go back to reshoot at different times of the day.

Now starting on some watercolours while waiting for canvasses to be made.

The process has started.