Catching Up

          Family Portrait 2015

Things are constant, as usual. June is well underway even though I still feel as if the year has just started. So far this year, I have completed a couple of commissions for people. One a family portrait, a football painting and a cricket painting; commemorating significant life/club/personal milestones. 

I also participated in the Glen Eira Artists Society's (GEAS) annual exhibition at the Glen Eira Town Hall, with two of my recent urban portraits.  It was the society's second major exhibition, with works from many local artists hanging together in a manner that, I thought, showed a growing sense of development and confidence. Less work on display, some larger pieces as well as a variety of contemporary styles made the show a bright and inviting exhibition. I look forward to next years show and hope that we, as a group, can continue to learn and grow.

            Local Girl; After School 2015

For the last few months I have been helping out on a local community art project with a small group from the GEAS. It has been alot of fun as we have been given our own space to create a work of our own in conjunction with the community groups. More to come when the project is finished.

I had a devine week away in Bali....no cooking and no housework, good company, good food as well as the odd cocktail at 5. Very little sketching was done. I hadn't been to Bali for years, so I was busy just enjoying and absorbing the atmosphere, the culture and the people. If I had had more time I would have done more in the way of sketches and watercolours. When in a new environment, I find I need time to just look and see; for some reason the compulsion to draw or create art is something that only comes after some experience or familiarity.

You have to live it before you can recreate it. It's a bit like the way we observe others endlessly taking photographs of things; sometimes you just want to say to them "put your camera down" and just take in the experience, live and savour it.; taste the experience before you record it, otherwise you don't really know what it is you are recording.

Whilst I was away a new TV was bought for the bedroom. I am not much of a TV watcher and generally have no idea what's going on in the world of television. However, this larger screen TV has replaced a tinny sounding, and tiny one that was painful to watch. The new one is fantastic and compensates for the fact that I don't like the look of it. 

I've tuned in to two shows in the last week. The first being The Killing Season and the second, The Secret River. The Secret River is superb! The imagery of the Australian bush, the characters, the backing music and narrative is wonderful. I am really surprised though, that only two episodes have been made; it could easily have taken in a couple more.

This week, I am back in the studio and have cleaned it up....again. I have filled it with vases and flowers. I have moved my easel to the front of the shop. The space is filled with the perfume of jonquils. 

On that note I'll end this post here and continue on in a week or two.

Lately Painting....

I have come to the end of two commissions that have occupied me for the last few weeks. Both are now complete, which means I can go back to the pieces I was working on last year. I am working on a set of urban portraits. Not sure how long it will take me....as it depends how much of the 'other things' there are going on in my life. (commissioned pieces not shown here yet)

With reasonably good autumn weather, I have also been out and about drawing and sketching on location. it helps me brush up my tan and gets me out of either the confines of the house, the local primary schools fete preparations and the studio.

There will be a few Melbourne themed framed pen, ink and watercolours available soon. 

I have decided to separate my drawing/sketching page from this site. It is now back in its original home at www.drawinglife.me. It just seems better there as I am finding, it is an entity of its own.

My sporting themed pieces with image and words, I still submit to The Footy Almanac website. It's a fabulous spot for those who like to write a bit about life and sport... oh and yes, a bit of footy too. It is a unique space for its ability to share the communal experience of sport across a diverse community of writers, fans, sporting aficionados, sporting philistines and all that is in between. It's footy's own spice of life.

Currently in my studio window @ 1159 Glen Huntly Road, Glen huntly:-

Day on the Heath

oil on canvas

120cmW x 90cmH

Day on the Heath is racing painting at Caulfield. I have depicted the running order of place getters for the 2014 Caulfield Cup in which Admire Ratki was the winner. I think the first Caulfield Cup I painted was of the 2006 race in which Maldivian was scratched after an injury in the starting gates.

In the time since, I have consolidated my painting practise and really learnt an abundance when it comes to painting larger genre type works; both in the painting of people and in the concepts required for constructing the composition of a larger piece. I have a better understanding of perspective, although it still has a tendancy to muck with my head.

I am better placed now to move forward and experiment further, given that I have built up many grounding principles, principles applicable to all forms of art, whether it is figurative or otherwise.

In doing these paintings, I OFTEN feel like getting a big brush and slapping the paint any which way and settling for something 'abstract' and far more saleable. However, there is something in the scene, the people, the personalities and in the story that keeps pushing me forward and to see these works to their completion.

Scratching on the Heath

oil on linen 2007

110 x120cm

sold

Scratching on the Heath is an example of one of the first horse racing paintings I did. It was a bright, vibrant and fun piece of work. However, when I did it I didn't really feel like I had any control over what I was doing. I just did it and a few more. A sort of beginners luck. Some where between this and my last piece, Day on the Heath above, is where I'd like to settle...easy to say, not as easy to do. It will take time. 

Hopefully it will be a considered place that holds within a degree of both control and and freedom. (... a joke perhaps)

Also in the window:-

Things On My Bench 2014.....and alot of reflections

oil on canvas

25cm x 25cm each

$155 each

Let me know if something interests you. In the studio I have some cards available and can make some up upon request using images of paintings that I have done. $7.50 each signed.

i don't keep regular shop hours so keep in touch via facebook, instagram or here.

You are welcome to share this post with interested friends.

Kate

0400444138

Commissions and Pricing

Over the last few years, I have done many commissioned family portraits. This is the latest one.

They can take a little while to complete, especially if there are more than two or three people to be in them, as I need to be able to get everyone together, at the one time, in order to get some photographs.

I prefer to work from my own images and to have met the subjects for paintings as specific as this one below.

Pricing

 All Portrait works depends on size, from $800 - $1500 including background and one figure; $300 for each extra figure that you would like included.

Footy Commissions

These work well on a canvas size around 50/60cm x 76cm. This can comfortably include the ground and a stand, clubrooms or a scoreboard, as well as  the subject or subjects. This size works well to if it is be given as a surprise, as it is neither too small, nor too large. These can be managed with a photograph sent through. Given the subject is often a moving one, I only aim to get a rough similarity to the person. Other personal elements can be added in collaboration with the client, for example a score of a particular game, specific club rooms, emblems and sporting attire, even the era can be considered and can make for interesting images....and enyoyable for me ( I love looking up the history of sporting events and places etc)

Other Work

ie genre work and larger footy and racing paintings: I charge a certain rate per square inch and then factor in any variable such as canvas quality and the number of figures in the work. Canvas varies in weight, the heavier ones being more robust. Linen is beautiful to paint on, but dearer again.

Artists like to sell their work as it enables us to keep on working. Enquiries welcome here

Young Adults

oil on canvas

76cmW x 76cmH