Art Town 2016; last day of live art in Chapel Street

Thanks to Justine for the picture Sunday 3/4/2016

Sunday 10/4/2016

It is 7:30 am and I am lying in bed with a cup of tea, thinking about how best to bring my artwork to some sort of resolution.

Today is the last day of Art Town's two live art weekends. I will be back in Maddock Street, near Windsor station.

(Background: Art Town is an open call to artists by the people at Chapel Street Precinct to create a work that encapsulates the life, spirit, history....of the area. As artists we are given two Live Art Weekends in which we are required to work out in public, along Chapel Street, Greville Street, or any other hub pertinent to our work. Art Town invites the public to watch the process of creating; thereby creating an audience that can engage with an artist, their working space and at times, the work itself. The works are then installed at the Chapel Off Chapel Gallery for an exhibition from the 26/4/2016. It is a unique project in Melbourne. Here is a link to my interview and background in last weeks Stonnington Leader here)

After mucking around with my painting yesterday for the first hour or so, I finally gained some traction when I went back into the portrait. It takes a little time to settle into a working 'zone'.

My goal with this painting was to capture the spirit of Chapel Street life within the public space of the no. 78 tram.

The painting subject and composition is set to reflect an image on a digital device. Hence, yesterday morning I had set out to place icons within the white space below the cropped painting in the middle.

After laying out or blocking in shapes and colours to represent social media icons, I decided the piece had become unnecessarily detailed, busy and somewhat too "lollly" in its look. 

I rubbed out theses icons (the beauty of oils) and left three simpler icons instead. Happier, I then decided to work up the central image and portrait itself. I had been procrastinating and obfuscating my way around the canvas.

As I am not working from any one image in particular, rather a collective memory, from experience and, of course, the ink sketches, I photographed my daughter to use as reference for the face. ( I spent last Saturday on the 78 tram between Chapel Street and North Richmond doing some ink works on paper, a terrific day)

It can be awkward enough when you are noticed drawing in the public sphere, more so on a tram as people are so close and watch your progress. When I work in a small sketchbook, it much easier to be discreet, in fact, people are generally so engrossed on their phones, iPods, iPads and laptops, that most often the public are oblivious.... So taking photos of people on trams was not something I could do. (There is quite possibly a law against it too, but I'm not sure).

I am much happier painting this way as it forces me to be more creative and imaginative. Using memory and feeling helps me to condense and simplify forms and focus on expression.

Yesterdays weather was perfect. Hopefully today, Sunday, will be similar.

Before heading out though, I need to attack the kitchen. I have been neglectful of some housekeeping in the last few days. The dishwasher smells, as no one, myself included, thought to turn it on....and so the benches are littered with dirty dishes. The small saucepan has the remnants of last nights SPC alphaghetti, the larger saucepan, pumpkin soup. Both have dried crusts around the edges and the insides, so they badly need scraping.

Toast crumbs dot the timber bench surface.

Being busy with Art Town yesterday, Saturday 9/4/2016, meant that I could not watch or listen to the footy. I missed the Coodabeens, my favourite radio show and wasn't really in a position to don my headphones whilst painting in public. People come up and like to chat, which I love.

Richmond's game against the Adelaide Crows seems to have been a good game to have missed. I will do catch up footy with Gerard (Whately) on 774 on Monday.

Time to get moving.

(I also rubbed out the last remaining icons on the bottom section of painting. Back to a white space, for now)

Exhibition will be at the Chapel Off Chapel Gallery from 26/4/2016 - 14/5/2016

@ 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran

P.S. Thinking later about the tin of alphaghetti ..... unless I bought it accidentally, it could well have been quite a few years old, the youngest is 10....anyway, bottulism doesn't seem to have taken hold in the days since. All is good.

And....

Monday 11/4/2016

Beds are made.

The kitchen is clean.

Yesterday was fairly productive. Finished off the portrait, worked a little bit on the hands... they still need a little bit of tidying up and definition.

There are probably figurative anomalies. I will consider which to fix and which to leave alone. I'm not keen to lose imperfections at a cost to overall expressionistic feeling.

As a whole I am reasonably satisfied that the work is coming to a conclusion... for now.

This painting will be the first in which I have painted a portrait in public. Usually, I prefer to focus on portraits without any distraction in the safety of the studio. Anyway, good, bad or otherwise, it captures the mood that I wished to create.

From a painting point of view, it was interesting to consider the effect that the outdoor light may have had. When I got the painting back into my studio on Saturday, I had planned to finish off the face there. However, the indoor lighting was too difficult to work with...I couldn't see the face the way I could see it outside. I'm wondering if the outdoor light creates a softer image?...or is my eyesight failing me?@?

I finished the day off with GB, a beer and a burrito at Fonda in Chapel Street.

I will post the finished image after the exhibition.

And, many thanks to all the people who stopped by to talk, compliment, critique, discuss, photograph and to just give their two bobs worth; to the yr 7 boy curious about my use of one point perspective, the lady with red lipstick and chihuahua who said she 'can't even draw a stick figure" and the islander man with the bomber scarf who barracks for Essendon because he likes their colours and knows '"nothing about football"!@ it was great to meet and talk with you all. Without you, there would be no inspiration to create. Thanks.

Pictures from Murrumbeena Community Garden Art Project

The Anthony Breslin Community Garden Art project is at Koornang Uniting Church, Murrumbeena.

Playground at Playtime

Recently, I did some work at the Essendon primary School sketching the schoolyard.

View fullsize

I have done alot of location work in the form of pen and ink sketches over recent years; beaches, cityscapes and suburban life have been my focus. This is the first time I have ventured into a space that is a little less public than usual.

Interesting stuff happens when you work under the gaze of those around you. The sheilding walls of the studio are suddenly opened and a degree of vulnerability creeps in, which at times, can wind its way into the work itself.

As an artist, you are used to looking at others. But as an artist working out in public, the tables turn, and it then becomes you, the artist, that is being looked at. Sometimes it feels more like a performance.

One of the reasons I like working outdoors, amongst people is that it forces you to commit; to commit to a time and place, to commit to the line that is made on the surface, be it paper or canvas or whatever. It forces you to commit to those around you, you are being watched, there is an interest in what you produce and what you see. People want to see you follow through, they want to know what you think of them and their world.

I like being able to take something that I can see moving and happening before my eyes and being able to take note of it, the fleetingness of a certain moment, punch it out and capture it into a static thing on a flat surface. 

Given the rapidity, speed and pace of daily life there is a perverse sense of satisfaction that I can in some way capture and hold onto these lost moments through the simplest of means in the use of mediums such as basic writing tools, ink and paper.

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Several community artists will have their works available and on display alongside the works of the E.P.S. school children.

Where: Essendon Primary School, Raleigh Street, Essendon

Friday November 6th 3;30pm til 7pm & Saturday 7th November 2pm til 5pm

Look at Melbourne; Small Works on Paper

 

Watch my new series unfold as I take to the streets, city and suburbs of Melbourne, with pen, ink, watercolour, and perhaps oil and canvas, in hand. 

The journey begins from Point Ormond, previously known as Little Red Bluff, St.Kilda

Background info:

One of the things that appeals to me about working with pen and ink directly on to paper, is the immediacy of being able to create a work.

It is very much a process of being in the moment and observing, deeply, that which is around you.

 In many ways it is a form of reportage, taking notes and recording the dramas and things that unfold within that environment as they occur; things that are quite ordinary. I try to explore the connections between people and places.

A pen has the capacity to be moved quickly across a page, be it a sketchbook, a dinner menu or an expensive sheet of Arches water-colour paper. The quality of the surface matters little, the execution of line, however, is vital. Perceived errors must be ignored or reconsidered in order to complete the piece.

I see these works as not unlike fine threads, that when woven together create a larger, robust piece of cloth.

It is an enriching process, as it moves me, the artist, beyond the studio and places me very much within the sphere of action.

I become a willing participant within the work.

Follow Look At Melbourne on Instagram.

Art Town 2015

Art Town 2015

This is my third year participating in this community art project and exhibition run by the Chapel Street Precinct and Art Town.

Details Here

Cityscape; the day 9/11/2014

The GEAS annual Paint in the Park Day took place along the Koornang Road shopping strip on Sunday. A great change from Caulfield Park with more community interaction and far less in the way of verdant foliage....... It is both good and bad, as it is a more confronting and visible process for the artist.

It is not everyday in Melbourne that one walks down a suburban shopping street to find twenty or so artists painting and drawing their time away at an easel; maybe along the cobbled paths of Montmatre, France, but not along the flat, grey pavement of Carnegie's main street...until this weekend, of course.

The weather was perfect. The previous days heat had dissipated and the wind had eased considerably. I took the new easel along and discovered it a much easier process to undo the legs whilst the box was upside down...Thanks to Wade for the tip, it saved my back.

I had originally thought I would paint down at the station. Logistically, this was a bit tricky. Instead, I set up outside the library with a good view of the childrens playground. It is a spot I am more than familiar with given my eldest is 21 and my youngest, 9 years. 

A constant stream of locals stopped by the playground with their kids. Some were a tad harried. Most, though, seemed content in soaking up the relaxed pace of a Sunday, and taking in as much leisure as time could afford them.

A few people watched me paint; kids, especially, curious in who and what figures I would place in the picture. "Is that me?" they would ask with any mark that bore resemblance to a figure....in scant, sketchy and washy marks they could see themselves.

Given the point of the project was a cityscape, I had begun with setting out of the environment and trying to create an urban feel. A bit like setting the stage. This part, for me, takes the longest: trying to establish structure and depth first, then I consider the figures, who they will be, where they are positioned and why they are, where they are.

So, as if on cue, and as I had begun to feel some degree of safety with the composition and the narrative, two young girls came by. They chatted with me and watched the painting progress for while. They noticed the spare lollipops lying beside my paints. I noticed their fluoro yellow nail polish, overlaid with coloured dots, like hundreds and thousands; I noticed the turquoise dress.

A short time later one of the girls came back to me. She asked me if I could put her and her sister into the painting. They suggested they could both pose. I couldn't say no. The timing was perfect.

And so the girls were painted.

Thanks girls.

This painting and the other eighteen works will be exhibited at the Glen Eira Town Hall Gallery from December 1 - 15 2014 details TBA

Saturday Arvo; Best Place

Art Town 2014 exhibition on until May 18th.

I have won the Peoples Choice Award with this painting that I did on location at the Prahran Skate park. Very exciting and many thanks to the Art Series Hotels for their prize.

Get down to Chapel Off Chapel Gallery to see all the works.

Oil on Canvas

76cmW x 100cmH

sold 2014

Art Town 2014

This weekend Art Town 2014 takes off!

I will be painting somewhere near the basketball courts behind the pool and near the skate park. If you are in the area come by and visit. The courts are on the Malvern Road side near the corner of Chapel Street. Excited but nervous as usual!!

I'll be there from 11am til 3 pm Saturday and Sunday 29 and 30th March 2014

Paint in the Park Day 2013

Cricket Club

Caulfield est 1888

Paint in the Park Day is an annual en plain air painting day for artists in the city of Glen Eira. It is run by the Glen Eira Artists Society and has been running for about four years. Artists of all ages and experience are encouraged to participate. The event takes place in Caulfield Park and runs from 10am until 4pm. Artworks can be finished off at home or back in the artists studio, but are returned to the Glen Eira Town Hall for an exhibition that takes place from the 2nd of December until 16th December 2013.

This years event was the second one that I have participated in. It would have been tempting for me to have "called in sick" for last Sundays event given the chilly weather and the fact that I had had a big day at Flemington the day before! However, it is an event I would not miss……"for all the tea in China", as they say.

Painting in public can be somewhat daunting. You have to contend with packing all your gear, the weather, people looking at you and errant dogs who are inclined to see if your paints are edible. Overall, it is an experience that is challenging, but it can be rewarding. The atmosphere is terrific and the public are generally enchanted. The music played by the city band in the rotunda is another dimension that adds to the convivial atmosphere.

I set up beside the cricket oval as I wanted to capture the clubrooms and the activity of people in and around the building; it also follows on well from my paintings of footy ovals and their clubrooms. We are limited to a canvas size of 40 x 50cm so that determined the size of my painting. I stopped by the ground during the previous week to determine where I would camp, factoring in where the car would be parked and how far I would have to walk with my stuff, given I had packed for every possible scenario. I also did a sketch. Once I had set up my working space on the day, I embarked upon my work just after 10am.

We all know the day was cold, but I can't tell you how cold I was by the time I finished up around 3pm. I was fine until about 1pm when my husband brought me some lunch and coffee, but after that the freeze set in; I guess due to a lack of movement. I would be surprised if you could not detect a quiver in the brushstrokes especially the fine ones required to finish off some of the details. Despite the cold, I was amazed at how quickly the time passed. I did not finish my coffee because I was so engrossed in what I was doing. The breeze was moderate, but did not hinder me greatly. The odd insect got stuck in the paint; one in the sky so I left him there. There also seems to be some pollen that fell from the tree above me which created a fine white speckle in some areas. A dried up blade of grass also landed on my canvas and on the grassy bit so I have also left that there too.

As for the cricket club…..all clubrooms can have that sterile, dull and municipal look to them from the outside when not in use. So I was intrigued to see the change take place from 'not in use' to 'in use'. When I arrived the clubrooms were closed, locked up and with no one around. Gradually over the period of the day Caufield Cricket Club came to life. The council groundsman arrived to prepare the ground hours before the game scheduled for midday. He was busy doing all manner of things that I had no idea about lifting tarps, marking lines, setting out cones and putting up banners. Slowly, the cricketers arrived. They warmed up and donned their gear in preparation for the game, firing each other up with lots of banter, pumping each other up…"carn boys, carn boys…. go freddie" etc etc. You could feel their energy.

Whilst the game was entertaining, my focus was mainly on the clubrooms. The game started with no spectators other than the batters awaiting their turn. By 3pm people had congregated under the veranda, leaning against the veranda posts and grouping together in twos and threes for conversation, breaking at times for the odd falling wicket and the change of over. Scorers sat at their desk, concentrating with due diligence.

I managed to get the painting done with some finishing touches added during the week. I had a few visitors stop by to look and comment, including some young boys going off to play soccer on the ground behind me. They were intrigued and suggested I paint them next year and to make sure I paint "their muscles". Another fascinated passerby declared my painting was "3D". 

At the end of our days painting, myself and the other 20/30 participants of the Glen Eira Artists Society regrouped around the rotunda. We displayed our works and discussed with each other our varying experiences and results. It is always fascinating to see how differently we all take and translate our view of our public space…Caulfield Park.

All is good.