BAD Exposed Exhibition invitation

Not sure if this is "readable" hmmmm. Needless to say the important details are that the exhibition is at Percolator Gallery, 134 Latrobe Tce, Paddington, Brisbane. Opening night is Friday 18th June at 6:30pm, and the exhibition runs until 27th June. All the other artists are very cool. When I work out how I wil put up links to their webs and blogs.

Delinquent Possum spoils todays plans

Well today I was going to stop reminissing for a bit and chat about what I am doing right now - for the BAD EXPOSED Exhibition etc, but last night I got so very little sleep that I can hardly string a sentence together let alone take some photos of my work.

Went to bed last night and was woken at about 1am by a possum that had got itself lost in my verandah room. Well, this young fella was very cute, for about 10mins until he started destroying the room. Knocking down curtain rods, tossing stuff around. He just couldn't find his way out of the open window so I decided to go in and open a few more. I didn't realize that Ash (very small grey cat) had followed me in to see what I was doing. He spotted young Mr Possum and immediately blew up like a puffer fish and tore agross the room like a wild bear. I went after him to save said possum, who proptly ran between my legs into my bedroom. I was left holding Ash who was going crazy so I put him in the wardrobe and set about looking for my visitor. After much searching I located him downstairs clinging to the panes in my big front window. I opened all the doors and it was cold last night! With all the doors open Myz (dog) decided that she needed to help me with this problem. Of course she was no help at all and added to the drama. No matter what I did possum wouldn't budge. He finally (no, not really finally) moved and attached himself to Ewan's surfboard which was in the corner and I clumsily manouvered it to the open door. He kind of fell onto the floor in front of the door but instead of going out there he ran past it and behind my lounge. A very big UGH from me. Much more time passed (where I considered the notion that I really do live in a circus) but I could not get him to leave so I gave up and left the door open and went to bed (sometime after 3am). The possum won this round for sure and I am cactus for the today.

where is my studio???

Studio update!
Finally (only after a year) we have the plans through council. I have proper drawings but think that my rather simplified version is more clear cut. The next thing to do is empty the "old" shed of KB's stuff - and there is alot of stuff - and store it somewhere. Then we can knock down the old bunker . Then truely it should be easy. It's a simple building so... lets see how long it takes. This is why I am so disorganised at present. I put heaps of stuff away ages ago and well, things did not go according to my plan. Fingers crossed.

rockwall no.12 - desire

rockwall no.12 desire - oil on canvas - 101cm x 101cm - 2007

rockwall no.11 - longing

rockwall no.11 longing - oil on canvas (4 panels) - 153cm x 76cm (total) - 2007

rockwall no. 10 - fissure

rockwall no.10 fissure - silverleaf, oil on canvas - 101cm x 101cm - 2007

rockwall no. 8 - texture like sun

rockwall no.8 texture like sun - oil on canvas - 101cm x 101cm - 2006

rockwall no.7 - bruised

rockwall no. 7 bruised - oil on canvas - 76cm x 51cm - 2006

rockwall no. 6 - bleeder

rockwall no.6 bleeder - oil on canvas - 76cm x 51cm - 2005

rockwall no. 5 - rift

rockwall no. 5 rift - oil on canvas - 76cm x 51cm - 2007

rockwall no.4 - precious

On my painting notes I have written tedious! It took a long, long time. Turpsy washes, goldleaf. silverleaf, sometimes put on so carefully then scraped off with a steak knife. Spidery edges glazed - removed - and glazed again. Finally a glowing jewelbox. "Butter wouldn't melt in its mouth" - if it had a mouth I mean. Oooo see how personal they get. Annoying and pleasing all at once, just like children

rockwall no. 4 precious - gold & silverleaf, oil on canvas - 76cm x 51cm - 2007

rockwall no. 3 - temporary quiet

There was nothing quiet about its beginnings. This painting did not want to be created and so many times I put it out of sight. Then one day it was done. Again it has a luminesence reminiss of stained glass. It is peaceful, quiet and cool. There must be 40 layers of very thin paint and glazes on this one.
rockwall no.3 temporary quiet - oil on canvas - 76cm x 51cm - 2007

rockwall no. 2 - pink

Pink doesn't relate to the singer (alto' I have nothing against her - in fact I think she is a solid role model for girls in general) just the overall colours that appeared when I started painting the beginning turpsy washes. Some parts looked like pink sandstone so I left them alone and I rather like them. The outline looked a little "cartoon-y" to me at first and annoyed me but I became happy with the outcome. It looks a little like stained glass and when I was working on it I had the feeling that it was really quite old... gothic? maybe, something I just can't put my finger on
rockwall no.2 pink - oil on canvas - 76cm x 51cm - 2005

So... back to Secret of the Rockwall

So, this was the first painting that actually related to the following series. It started out as an observational drawing of an actual rockwall. When it finally became a painting it fought constantly with me, thats when I went back to my glazing techniques that I had learnt so long before but they came back to me and things fell into place. I called it Secret fo the Rockwall because it finally told me what to do.
Secret of the Rockwall - oil on canvas - 76cm x 51cm - 2004

About the Polaroids

So now I am thinking I should show you some stuff from before Catalyst. This is where my altered polaroids cane into play. I also liked the tactility of chicken wire and leather. All these came into play in Golden Brown and Pour je suis les fruites de la mer and this is as far back as I want to go, I think, to make this all relate and somehow come together to explain where my work is right now. Yeay!

Further back...

Wow, this really makes you start to think. If I wanted to look backwards so that I can look forwards then I have to go a little further back. I think the Catalyst Exhibition is a good starting point. There is a painting there that pre-dates the Rockwall series but was probably another trigger in the big picture (The Glimmer) . Really need a better photo.

I also showed the last of my Urban Houswives I still have a soft spot for them. They related to my facination with polaroids - such a pity that they have discontinued making the film. I loved the immediate-ness and the colours were so vivid. You really can't get the same effect with digital. That said, I wish I had had a digital camera earlier to record my work.

It was then that I realised that I paint bodies like landscapes, and my landscapes I paint like you would paint bodies. I dont know if that makes sense of not. I also showed The Harbinger and he is a classic example of this. I always loved life drawing - but never the whole body - just the bits that took my fancy...