It has been raining for the past few days. Although it is good for the water tank and our vines, it also means bad internet reception. Bad internet reception equals no WiFi which means limited smart devices and emails. It's great at home as we get back to basics. The board games come out after dinner and a disco can spontaneously start in the lounge room. Kids laugh, the dog barks and we sit back and watch the raucous.
Read MoreThe Australian art world lost a beautiful soul this week, Judy Cassab. Gifted, gracious, passionate and inspirational, a lady who I had the privilege to meet and consequently correspond with years later.
Read MoreI love the rain. It sounds beautiful on the tin roof. I can hear its melody now as I write this blog. The plants thrive, frogs croak and our tanks fill with precious water. You miss it when it doesn’t come especially after bouts of dry weather.
Read MoreThere is a saying in Australia, to blow one’s own trumpet. It means to say self-gratifying statements to raise one’s ego or status. It is looked down upon and seen as egotistical. Therefore if this offends please tune out now or if you are happy to placate me, then please keep reading.
Read More“The master of skies”, Impressionist painter, Boudin used Nature as his studio with the majority of his paintings being completed outdoors.
‘En plein air’ is a French term which means open (in full) air. I have spoken about it in a previous blog post. The Impressionists coined the term as they often painted outside in search of the perfect light.
This week I said goodbye to a recent landscape series which is a part of a bigger body of work. The recent work has taken me over 4 months to complete. This work began in 2006 when I found the joys of painting ‘en plein air’ around the Hunter Valley.
Read MoreJuggling family life can be a challenge especially when you are creative. Sometimes when the need arises and the creative urge is calling, you are mid-flight on the school run or helping with homework. The school holidays are the most challenging - play dates, bored children and Mum’s café always open.
Read MoreThis week I was sharply confronted with the injustice of the economy of scale in the western world.
Read MoreMy bags are packed and I’m counting down the hours until I’m at my artistic and spiritual home, La Macina Di San Cresci (San Cresci) artist residency in Tuscany.
Read MoreOver 35 hours of travelling and I’ve finally made it back ‘home’. Although exhausted from the tyranny of distance, the moment I laid eyes on the rolling green hills of Greve in Chianti, I was re-charged and full of excitement.
Read MoreI’ve recently been told by my fellow San Cresci residents, Elena and Monique, that I say “Don’t be precious” often. It’s funny how your idiosyncrasies are amplified when you are out of your comfort zone.
Gratefully my idiosyncrasies aren’t getting on my fellow artists nerves (well, they aren’t saying anyway!). Elena and Monique have encouraged me to write this post about my ideas of being precious
I’d like to start off my saying the following is purely my experiences. Residencies come in all sorts of incarnations, so everyone's experiences will be all different. I’m also travelling with my family which is another entirely differently experience than if you are travelling alone.
Read More“Two years later and equipped with my pochade box (en plein air box) of confidence, I embarked on my initial project of painting this majestic landscape. I’m still rather in awe of its beauty however after a month long residency, resulting in 30 paintings, 3 boxes, 20 drawings, sketches and 2 large soft pastel drawing, I am feeling more assured to paint this breathtaking scenery…..”
Read More“Art is a powerful visual language which can access society and make us think/feel and act upon. For example, Renaissance art was simply a form of advertising to the masses. Works usually commissioned by the church to teach society how to behave…”
Read More“in my last post I asked the question: What is a good painting? I didn’t speak about the technical points of painting and drawing- composition, value, colour, mark making - as I personally feel the intent of the work is paramount…..”
Read More“There’s a connection between man and nature, present at all times yet often unseen. Rath paints her landscapes with the express purpose of creating an awareness of this connection. Unique in style, yet reminiscent of the works of Turner, Constable, but also of writers such as Shelley, Keats, and Muir, Rath’s aim is not just to show a ‘pretty picture’, but to create a specific experience in the viewer….”
Read More“Last week I posted an image of my cache of sketchbooks which I’ve collected from my recent collaboration with Margan Family Wines. It’s been lovely drawing weekly in their garden; documenting the plethora of organic veg and fruit. It’s a visual feast for the eyes. It it a nice reminder of my "In Season" series too.”
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