Tim Olsen Drawing Prize

I'm one of the thirteen nominated participants in this year's Tim Olsen Drawing Prize.  I've been wanting to be in this show for roughly three years now, so please come and support me tommorow night: Tuesday the 13th of September. 

Half Way House

I think I've already mentioned it, but this year I'm in my Honour's Year at CoFA working away at my art.  Every year, halfway through the degree, there is a show of our studio based projects to give a little taste of what we've been working on.  This show opened on


24th of May 
and is on till the 
3rd of June


at COFASPACE 
closest to Napier Road, 
Ground Floor E Block

10am - 5pm

The Finnisage (fancy word for closing party) & The Presentation of the 2011 GBK Awards are on Friday 3rd June at 6pm

Jenny Birt Award

The Jenny Birt Award opens Tonight!

I happen to be one of the lucky eleven nominated students for this annual painting and drawing award and I'm happy to say that I am showing NEW work.  I've been working day, night and that horrible pre-dawn time when you can start hearing the morning birds and garbage trucks.  But I'm quite happy with how things turned out.  The show lasts till the 6th of May and I'll be putting up documentation and a few process shots later on in the week.

Upcoming exhibition with Matt Huynh

Another of Matt's amazing show's has come around,

this time being held at The Paper Mill

on the 3rd of November, 6-8pm.

If anyone can remember his last show,

including ink and mixed media paintings

shown amongst bones and taxidermy

held at the skeleton gallery in the Australian Museum

I'm sure you'll know not to miss another opportunity

to see the physical manifestations of this creative mind

John Fries Memorial Prize

Brilliant news of the month:

I am one of the finalists for the John Fries Memorial Prize!

The prize was formed by the family members of John Fries to commemorate his work as former director and honorary treasurer at Viscopy, a not-for-profit rights management organisation for the visual arts.

The John Fries Memorial Prize is an annual award of $10 000 and solo exhibition at Viscopy's contemporary art space, Blackfriars off Broadway. Entries open each April and I, on a whim, entered one of my charcoal portraits. I am now one of the lucky 17 selected out of 300 entrants to exhibit at Blackfriars off Broadway and possibly win the award.

Please come and support me on:

The 10th of August (tuesday)

from 6-9pm

at

Blackfriars on Broadway

1 Blackfriars Street

Chippendale

NSW 2008

View Larger Map

The winner will be announced on opening night

and the exhibition runs from the 11th of August to 30th of September

Group Show on Friday!

Hello all,

I've been included into a group show! The Opening (incase you can't read the small print on the post)

Is on:

Friday the 28th of May at 6-9pm

at Monstrosity Gallery

93 Bourke Street Woollomooloo

(You can access it from the stairs near the AGNSW

or just by going down Bourke street)

You can find more information about the gallery here

I'll be showing a new never been seen charcoal work in this exhibition!

and after the opening I'll put up some process images!

I look forward to seeing you this friday!

Cheers

Jess

Exhibitions I've made it to recently

Close up of below

Gallery 4a

White Rabbit

Art gallery of New South Wales

Here are a few inspiring exhibitions I've been to recently as well a couple great galleries I've stumbled across.

4A deals in contemporary Asian art, it was hosting a great show with Aris Prabawa while I was there (images above). It's a beautiful space practically opposite Capitol theatre. They are also holding an Animation competition for anyone interested.

White Rabbit is one of the largest private collections of contemporary Chinese Art (I'd say in the World but I don't know enough rich people to check, but at the very least definitely Australia) Three floors of gorgeous art with a cute teahouse on the ground floor. The collection gets changed twice a year so plenty of time to wander on down and check it all out. (Image of Cang Xin's work)

I'm sure everyone knows the AGNSW.

The Archibald Portrait prize, the Wynne and the Sulman-which I have to sat was particularly good this year-finish on the 30th of May. (The above image comes from Martin Ball's entry) Art Express is also on, although I didn't make it there and an enjoyable (free!) mish mash of young contemporary Australian artists in the exhibit called Wilderness can be found upstairs.

Things I've been up to

I've been fairly quiet about what's been happening to me so far so I'm just giving a quick update. I've been discovered! by Blanket, an amazing online magazine. I entered some of my black and white work for the appropriately titled black and white issue. I've also been in a curated group exhibition at the Kudos Gallery again imaginatively titled 'Kudos'. No prizes but a little birdie told me that the judges did like my work. :)

And a few weeks ago, in time for the Spring Fair at Cofa (college of fine arts) I made a small free zine with a few friends helped out by Cofa's amazing double page + stapling printer.

mX gives some love

I got a spot in mX a couple weeks ago, it's a giant picture with a little caption promoting my solo exhibition. A big thank you to the mX team and also everyone who came down after this peaked their interest!

I was actually surprised at the amount of feedback I got from this. I don't travel by train. And there never seems to be any newspapers near my bus stops. For me the mX is a rare and temporary paper specimen. So it was great to hear friend's tell me that they flipped out on the train and leaned over to whoever was reading the mX to announce that they knew me:

"Yes, yes, her!...no not the picture of the two men spitting out wine on the opposite page...yes! that one! You do know that makes me famous by one degree of separation?"

And once again, I'd just like send some love and a big thank you to mX and everyone who came, called, emailed or sent some astral telepathic love my way and to the exhibition.

Solo Show!

I'm having an exhibition from the 9th to the 21rst of October at galleryeight!
This is my first solo and I am very excited and nervous
so please join me for drinks on Opening night:

the 9th of October,
from 6-9pm
at galleryeight
8 Argyle Place

galleryeight is open Thursdays to Sundays 12-6pm
but you might get lucky on some of the other days.

This show will be a collection of my charcoal works,
for more hints head over to my website,
but come meet them and me in person,
we're much more interesting in the 3D world.

Spring Fair! This Saturday!

The time has come again for Spring Fair!

Student and graduates of cofa bring out their wares for sale in a crazy, colourful market carnival set in cofa. There are also exhibitions, live dj's, tours, festival food and demonstrations. Even if you are broke and can't buy any art come for the free demonstrations!

I recommend the printing demonstrations. Michael Kempson will be doing a print run of professional artists' work throughout the day, working with the etching press. It's wonderful to see the before and after of prints, and if you run into the images again in some gallery you can boast that you were there when they were being made.

I will also be around and about in the printing studio, talking about printing and selling some of my own work, so come find me!

For anyone wondering where and what cofa is, it's an Art University residing in Sydney, Paddington, at the Corner of Oxford St and Greens Rd.

Spring Fair starts at 10am until 4pm
this saturday, 19th of September

Waverley Art Prize

I've gotten into the Waverley Art Prize!
Here's hoping for a prize.
I unfortunately won't be in the country during the exhibition.
I wasn't even in the country for the hand-in of the work.
But thanks to the amazing powers of my fantastic friend Melanie
my work got delivered.

Thank You Mel!

Here are the details:

138 Bondi Road,
Bondi Road Art school

Wednesday 15 July
Opening night and presentation of prizes
from 6pm to 8pm

Thursday 16 July to Sunday 19 July
Exhibition open to the public from 10am to 4pm daily

Michael Esson's Mixed Metaphors

Michael Esson's work is mind blowing, 

Nothing can really be said except that he holds a class at my university where you draw dead people.

Unfortunately his show at Manly Art Gallery is over.

Above is but a sketch I made of one of his massive drawings, to see the real work is something completely different.

Most of his work is over a meter or two meters large, and there is a wonderful, unapologetic focus of drawn images. Of describing objects through purely dry mediums with various styles.

There are too many painters around, 

Hurray for people who draw!

Group Show at Berkelouw Books 4th March

I am a part of a wonderful group show with my fellow ex-COFA's

Happening on the 4th of March 

at Berkelouw books: 

Newtown, O'Connell Street

6-8pm

There will be booze!

Group Show in Gaffa Gallery 29th Jan

Hello all,
This is a group show I'm a part of that's happening on the 29th of Jan
6-8pm at Gaffa Gallery, Sydney.
free wine and possibly free magazines from Frankie
unfortunately I won't be there, being in another country...
But hopefully you guys can show up for me.

After the show is up I'll be posting some before/progress images
Cheers jessb