2013 Blacktown Art Prize - Winner for Watercolour

Catching up with old news! Close up of the work that got me the Watercolour prize second year in a row! I had just finished and framed the work in time for the Blacktown Art Prize, so thanks to Silversalt photography for passing me the image taken at the exhibition on Opening night

Oh....hello there...I didn't think we'd meet again...

So after my boyfriend got sent a letter from the tax office reminding him about how his tax return is due I started to have an incredible panic urge to sort out my life. Attempting to do my own tax made me realize that I haven't stored any of my receipts, invoices and general paper material in order for several several years. Too scared to deal with cleaning up room I looked to cleaning up the files on my laptop. The situation was basically the same. Now I'm trying to bin things and go through old files and I'm finding things that for some reason at the time I didn't want to post. Buuuuut I don't really care anymore so I'ma just gonna put 'em up! I also got a couple pointed remarks about how I never update my blog. Apologies, hopefully these random half finished poorly made photoshop attempts appease the two friends I have that read my blog.    

Construction for Firstdraft show

The very long and emotionally draining process of building the corner wall! All made possible through my partner Chris Ross' help, expertise and studio!  The photographs were taken during just a few stages of prep including gauging what height the shelves should be, painting the walls and putting the skirting on at Firstdraft Gallery.

Exhibition at Firstdraft Gallery

I currently have a show on at Firstdraft Gallery 

116- 118 Chalmers St

Surry Hills NSW

Here are a couple shots of the install but to see all the artworks come by to the exhibition

The show ends Saturday 11th of May with an artist talk, some drinks and some nibbles at 2pm

The gallery is open 12-6pm on Wednesday till Saturday the 11th

2012 Blacktown City Art Prize

Due to a missed international flight (it takes skill) and my natural forgetfulness I managed to miss the opening of the Blacktown City Art Prize.  Which is an incredibly shame for many reasons, one of which being they do incredible shin digs.  The food they put out and exhibitions they put up are usually first class.  Apart from missing high class spring rolls and other munchies I also missed out on time on the stage.  I won first prize in Watercolour, one of the eight prizes available for the night.  With one of my friend's Marikit Santiago walking away with the Youth Art Award.  Thankfully she was there to pick up her prize.

My first large prize and I wasn't around to receive it.  As the Universe goes this was a pretty shit pull.  Nevertheless things do work out for the greater good in the end.  The prize money for winning the Blacktown City Art Prize for Watercolor has paid off the international flight I had to buy to get back to Sydney, with some left over for future traveling and art-related activities!  Another wonderful development was that my work was acquired by the Ford Land Company, one of the sponsors for the Blacktown City Art Prize.

The coveted red dot is displayed next to my work and you can see it, and the work, on display till the 10th of November.  The Blacktown City Art Prize has become a pretty popular prize pulling a lot of entrants outside of Western Sydney and it's a worthwhile trip to have a look at some really talented pieces.  Put in a vote for People's Choice Prize or buy some art!  Some of it cheap, and others not so much. 

The exhibition is held at Blacktown Arts Centre
78 Flushcombe Road Blacktown
10am — 5pm Tuesday to Saturday (closed public holidays)
close to Blacktown Station and with on site parking available.  

Sheffer and ongoing work

Here are just some shots of the salon style install I did for Sheffer Gallery.  Very fond of this surprisingly.  I'm still keen on installation works and the marriage between 2D elements and display units but this was really effective and got a lot of positive feedback on it.  The possible premise being that a lot of my installation units are low, therefore requiring people to bend down to look at the detail of the faux photographs.  With some basic research I think we can say people don't like bending when they don't have to.  It also explains why my work was so popular with children and toddlers in previous exhibitions.  It looks like something for them, being so short and easy to access.  Always lovely to learn some things about viewing and the way people experience artwork.  As well as thinking of the embodied spectator according to ages.

Following that are a couple of in progress shots from work in the same series.  It doesn't show up well but I'm quite excited about this because its Sparkly!  The background noise is made up by a 'silver' pastel that has a nice grey and glittery tone. (So exciting)  I'm also really fond of this image because at one stage it looked like one of the little boys was bursting into flame.  Kind of in the Marvel tradition of Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch, but as a boy in the burbs.  (Please forgive my nerd-out.)