Toni&Guy Yen Young Australian Art Award

After frequently checking my email on a daily basis for confirmation of my entry into this year's Yen Young Australian Art Award...I ended up stumbling across my published entry in their Gallery! There are some fantastic prizes up for grabs but I would be blown away with making it into the final 20 who get to exhibit as a group show at Gaffa in Sydney from March to April next year. Check out and LIKE my entry 'Aesthetic Slave' in the Gallery of published entries.

Click this link to see my entry!

Another successful showing in Toowoomba!

Follow this link to a recent write up in The Chronicle for the support Toowoomba's Cafes are providing artists...my name gets mentioned in the last sentence!

http://m.thechronicle.com.au/story/2011/12/16/cafe-art-culture-thrives-city/#.Tuu6Wd7syhM.facebook

The perfect profile photo...

I am very slowly getting my website ready to launch and it is a lengthy process...but I want to do it right! So I enlisted the help and skilful ability of a very lovely friend (Ms Talia Standing) to take a few shots of me with my mural down at Nobby Beach this morning. After getting through the awkward stage of posing for a photo without trying to look like I was posing for a photo, Tals managed to get some great shots. Here are my favourites!

The Birds

Firefly cafe in Toowoomba have kindly opened their doors and wall space up to any artists interested and willing to display their work each month....for FREE! This was another opportunity I could not pass by, so after collaborating on a few canvasses with the divine Alice Constance Weinthal we came up with some quirky and colourful pieces to hang. The remaining space has been filled with BIRDS BIRDS BIRDS just in time for quick christmas purchases. A big thank you to Jess and Ash for their support and assistance in organising and setting up the display. If you live in Toowoomba and you are yet to try the food and coffee on offer at Firefly, do yourself a serious favour and give it a go. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner or Dessert...you won't be disappointed or out of pocket for that matter!!!

Drobe Feature Artist

I should be so lucky! My work is now on show at the one and only Drobe in Fortitude Valley. I have created two new Bubble fro beauties to compliment the colours of this summer's fashion and also sent along a few birds and the ever popular Aesthetic Slave'. The work is easily visible from Ann St or even better why not go in and drool over the divine clothes and accessories. My work will remain on the walls of Drobe from Dec to March next year.

The Birds

So with Christmas just around the corner I figure smaller more affordable paintings are the go for keen art customers and the Birds have been a big hit this year. So in the next few weeks I will be painting my little wrist off with a brand new collection of unique, colourful and quirky birds on all sized and shaped canvasses. Here are a few sneaky peeks to tantalise the eyes!

Big first...big opening!

So the many months of excitement in lead up to my first ever solo show came to a head on Friday night and I could not be any happier with the turn out! Made experienced record numbers for the gallery on any opening night so far and amazingly 6 of my paintings sold.

The work will remain on display at Made creative space on Margaret street in Toowoomba QLD until the 30th of October.

Thank you City Dweller

At the very beginning of this year, shortly after starting a facebook page dedicated to my Artwork, I was privileged enough to receive a message from a lovely lady named Rebeka Mason. Rebeka had a little fashion boutique in Broadway Mall in Brisbane's CBD and wondered if I might be interested in displaying my artwork on the boutique walls. This delightful boutique is known to many young female fashionistas as City Dweller and I of course was delighted to have such an offer. It is now October and sadly City Dweller will be closing its 'physical' doors at the end of this month. City Dweller will continue to operate online and hopefully gain some customers from all around Australia and even overseas. They house some amazing designs from extremely talented local designers. I have found it very difficult to not buy something each time I have dropped off my works to City Dweller, as there are many many many lovely things in store that have captured my attention. Sadly I will be making one last trip to City Dweller later this month to collect the paintings which proudly decorate the walls of this delightful establishment.

I want to sincerely thank Rebeka and her staff at City Dweller for kindly supporting my work and always greeting me with friendly smiles and genuine admiration. I am truly grateful for the opportunity xx

GEt online and check out City Dweller's range of fashion or even better drop into the store before it closes!
http://citydweller.com.au/

Dreaming of becoming an Illustrator.

I recently met a Gold Coast Artist and Illustrator by the name of Susy Boyer. Susy came and said hello to me at the launch of Miami Marketta and was full of compliments. Our paths crossed again at Nobby Beach while I was painting my mural and she again greeted me with friendly compliments and a serious suggestion to consider applying to Illustrators Australia (IA). I had never considered selling my images for use as illustrations, but I had dreamt of being a fashion illustrator when I was a little girl. I find it really strange that most of us would probably disregard the dreams we had as children, because I now find myself wondering why on earth I didn't pursue illustration as a career option when I left school. After checking out the artist/illustrators profiles on IA's website, I have recognised the work of so many artists that I have gazed at in magazine editorials and book cover designs. I particularly love and have long admired the work of Australian Fashion Illustrator Kerrie Hess. Her Art has taken her to so many heights and she now resides in Paris and has designed for Chanel. If only!!!!

Check out her work, I am sure those fashion fans out there will instantly recognise her work from many a VOGUE magazine.

http://www.kerriehess.com/

Mural At Nobby Beach

Thanks to a bit of hype at Miami Marketta word spread to new gallery owner Steph at Canvas Espresso that I can paint! A week later I met up with Steph after receiving an email to display and sell my work at Canvas. Surprisingly she asked me if I would like to paint another Mural...so I said yes! A few weeks ago I finished a new hairy lady. She is located on the storefront of Canvas on Lavarack Road Nobby Beach on the Gold Coast.

My first solo Art Exhibition

One week to go until I unveil my new works at MADE creative. I am really happy with all of my works for this show...but I am still nervous. Also looking forward to seeing work by Marryanne Oliver and my past Art student come performance artist Wenonah Barber! Small world.

It's all in your head

I finished this rather large work last night just in time to enter it into the Nudgee College DIMENSIONS Art prize for 2011. Here is my artist statement for the work:

Vanity or desire? As an ‘Aesthetic Slave’, I am drawn to all things beautiful. Vanity plays its part well in this mind game, after all judging a book by it’s cover is deemed shallow, yet with aesthetics comes a form of power few can compete with.

Let me know your thoughts on this work.

Snap Happy in New Zealand

I recently toured the land of the long white cloud by car with my lovely husband and as expected the scenery did not disappoint. Here are some of my treasured snaps from both islands. Enjoy!

Doug Bartlett purchase

Doug Bartlett is a collaboration of two artists Nick Morris and Dave Bowers who bring their skills in various mixed media techniques to create these amazing works incorporating imagery from pop culture with layer upon layer of rough paint application, collage and screen prints. Morris has worked for Quiksilver designs and Bowers has produced work for Mambo. You can totally see these influences of style in all of their works. 

I fell in love with a number of their pieces at Byron Bay's Retrospect gallery and with my pocket money from this year's painting sales I am currently paying off a series of 4 of their framed prints. I am so in love with the colour combinations and and juxtaposition of recognisable icons from days gone by. See more of their stuff at Retrospect in Broadbeach. Will post pics once I have my new acquisitions hung on the wall...excited!!! 

Borrowing from Banksy

As if he would mind!!! A recent mixed media print of Banksy's monkey on a bomb detonator that I made for little Brodie's first birthday has been requested as a T-shirt print! Not sure that I feel right about printing another artist's image onto a t-shirt, but I certainly would like to get some of my hairy ladies onto some plain white tees. I am having trouble finding a reputable online printing company, that gaurantee decent fitting shirts and reasonable printing prices. Would love to know of any printers you may have dealt with in person in Brisbane, Logan or on the Gold Coast?????

Street Art in Surfer's Paradise

The final weekend of the Surfer's Paradise Festival saw the completion of a collaborative spray painted work by four different street artists. Take a look at the pics for yourself. Amazing stuff!

Hairy Ladies Mural

So the Mural was completed back in April this year, and here is my first attempt at a time lapse video. Let me know your thoughts.

Click this link to watch the time lapse:  Hairy Ladies Mural

Aesthetic Slave

The very first piece (still a work in progress) for my upcoming solo exhibition 'Aesthetic Slave'. I have plans and design ideas for about 4 more works and each will be held together by a few common threads. The Afro will make an appearance along with numerous bubbles. This collection will focus on an ever increasing obsession with beautiful 'things' and the consumer wants and desires with feed this obsession. So while there are very few of you following my blog I want to at least give you an insight into the titles I have decided on for a few of the works:
'Too much of a good thing'
'Can't get enough'
'Slave'
'Fill me up'

There will be a huge influence from recent Vogue shoots, particularly from a recent article in the July 2011 issue...but that's all I am willing to reveal at this stage.

Networking on the Gold Coast

Have had an uplifting saturday morning viewing creative artwork and chatting to creative minds! My ever supportive Matty drove me down to Broadbeach today to finally visit the new Contemporary Art gallery Retrospect. We stumbled across this little gem last month while holidaying in Byron and discovered they have a sister gallery on the coast ...basically this gallery showcases emerging and established contemporary artists with affordable price tags. The gallery is perfectly positioned in the new stylish precinct directly opposite Max Brenner (bonus). I met one of the artists who works at the gallery part time (Mari Harati) and she was super helpful in dishing out some very good advice for getting my work out their and further developing my CV and portfolio.

We then made our way down to Miami to check out Rabbit and Cocoon...another very exciting cultural advancement for the G.C. This warehouse space is catered to all artists (visual and performing) as well as fashion designers on the coast looking for studio space to work, collaborate and run workshops! Now we just need to keep these exciting ventures alive by getting on board and supporting them.

Follow their blog:
http://rabbitandcocoon.blogspot.com/

rabbit + cocoon: ABOUT US

rabbit + cocoon: ABOUT US: "rabbit + cocoon is a multi-arts hub launching to the public early 2011 at Miami, Gold Coast. The not-for-profit hub aims to address the ..."

The very thought of you

Have been listening to the beautiful voice of Billy Holiday a lot lately and started googling images of her. I noticed some stunning portraits of her with a flower in her hair and I saw a huge resemblance between this image and a recent commission I painted with a Samoan influence. What do you think? I am now determined to squeeze in some Billy portraits as soon as I get the chance...who needs sleep anyway!

Zodiac Beauties

Here is a super sneak peak of a current series of 12 portraits I am working on. There is one 70s beauty for each star sign. What's your star sign? I'm an Aries.

In love with Neo-Pop

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Consumer thoughts

Made my first visit to 'Made' yesterday to see the gallery space I am exhibiting at in October and have further ignited the motivation and excitement for the show. Have had thoughts bouncing through my mind all day of new concepts for paintings that revolve around my obsession for aesthetics in all aspects of life and the fuel this provides to buying, desiring and wanting material 'things'... because they are beautiful. But why? How does this make me feel and why does it become a strong desire? Surrounding ourselves with gorgeous things doesn't make us different on the inside, but it certainly does make us appear different to those viewing our lives from the outside. Does this make me shallow? I don't quite know. However for me, these beautiful 'things' are a reflection of my tastes in design, history, culture and life I guess. 

Going to purchase a brand new visual diary to start documenting all these ideas visually...before they fall from my mind!

Here is a clue as to what some of my exhibition work will include...the jar will serve as a metaphor of the depth of our consumer driven lives. How shallow are you?