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.