ABSTRACTING TULIPS

I have enjoyed a successful fortnight working for my next one-man show, this time at the Brave Art Gallery in Longford, Tasmania. I aim to produce a series of ‘cleansed’ landscapes, some of which border on the abstract due to their minimal detail.

The clean lines of sown and ploughed paddocks feature prominently in the first 6 paintings that I have produced. I am now turning my attention to tulip fields that form part of the rich tapestry of farmland in North West Tasmania.

I have featured 2 paintings today of tulips at Table Cape. As you can see, the bottom image is a work-in-progress, but there’s enough detail to show you the nature of my subject.

From a distance fields of tulips are seen as bands of colour and this suits my way of seeing. I love the simplicity of these fields and their vibrancy. There is a ‘loudness’ that I find appealing, and these paintings will add a touch of ‘dazzle’ to my exhibition.

Although landscapes in their own right, I want to include areas of very little detail and clean, well-defined areas of colour.

Art is not simply about what one sees, it’s about what fires your imagination.

Where to after the tulips?

Following a series of ‘tulip’ paintings I intend to ‘move’ to the Midlands area of Tasmania, a landscape that is very different to what I’m currently working on, then to Tasmania’s North East, again, different with its own unique appeal.

Tasmania is packed with subjects crying out to be painted!

Richard

LANDSCAPE PRECIS

The past 2 weeks has been very rewarding for me in my quest to develop a sound portfolio to select a body of work for my next one-man show in March. It took me some time to decide what my theme will be, but now that I have directed my energy at ‘landscape simplification’, I feel more settled and I’m confident of producing a collection of paintings that gain the respect of my peers and the general public.

Results to date have been encouraging. I have been researching and documenting with much gusto and I have several paintings in the ‘pipeline’.

I hope to use the word ‘precis’ in my exhibition title. I think it encapsulates what I’m trying to ‘say’ in this body of work – I see the (Tasmanian) landscape in simple terms (a type of cleansing), as simple as possible (a summary) without losing each subject’s integrity.

My latest paintings are the result of my ‘brick’ theme that I began last August. I recognised the shapes of trees in the patterns of several of the bricks whose patterns I was painting. These ‘trees’ then took on a surreal form that morphed into whimsical landscape, followed by what you see on this post.

Where to from here?

My aim is to complete at least 20 paintings, but I want variety not repetition, so I’m intending to vary the size and subject matter. I aim to produce a group of smaller paintings, (30 x 20 cm), maybe some even smaller! Should I try 1 or 2 much larger? I like the idea of life-sized paintings that have little content. I am mindful however, that the gallery I’m showing in ( the Brave Gallery, Longford) is quite small and is well suited to the size of paintings that I’m currently producing.

It is important to consider the space in which you intend to exhibit your art.

People need to view your work in uncluttered, open spaces, especially if they are interested in purchasing!

Richard

HAPPY DAYS?

Whimsical Landscape 3

Prismacolors on pastel board   40 x 40 cm

Things haven’t been easy since my one-man show last month where I only sold 2 paintings. I have struggled to maintain any real momentum and that has strangely enough, seen the ‘birth’ of a less-serious series of paintings that can be classified as ‘whimsical’. One may even call them ‘happy’, ‘cheerful’, ‘naive’, ‘innocent’ etc, etc. I’m not sure where these paintings have come from. I suspect they are from my ‘vulnerable’ side, and are a last-ditched attempt at producing something that will acquire a red dot. maybe they are a product of my frustration and (at times) annoyance as to the ‘buying’ public’s attitude towards my work.

I got very close in the recent Tasmanian Art Awards with one of my ‘bricks’, a large abstract that I consider the best painting I’ve done since returning from the mainland after a year’s holiday. But (as has been the case before), I wasn’t close enough. Where did I go wrong? Is it worth pursuing the theme of abstraction that has been my ‘raison d’etre’ for the past 3 months? Is my (current) obsession a waste of time? Should I make more of an effort to make my art more ‘sellable’? So many questions, so few answers.

Next March will see me with another one-man show, this time at the Brave Gallery in Longford. What will I exhibit? It’s not a huge gallery, so 16 – 20 paintings will be enough. Abstract or realistic? Commercial or individual? What will I paint? Should I paint and instead, exhibit some of my new digital art? Reality or pipe-dream?

I’m looking at another substantial framing bill. Is it worth the money?

If I was true to my art, I would exhibit the series of abstracts that I have been working on lately. I find this series fascinating, but as I have only sold one to date, I fear that it will be an exhibition in a ‘foreign language’ to art patrons.

Aiming for a ‘sellable’ exhibition is just as dangerous. What if nobody likes my ‘realistic’ work? It can be too dear, even too cheap in people’s eyes. I have been criticised on more than one occasion because my art is (perceived as) too cheap!

I am seriously thinking of having an ‘ecclectic’ show, featuring a broad range of work from nearly 40 years of art. This would not be a retrospective show, but an overview of the range of art that I have covered over the past 4 decades.

Whatever I decide, I must do so within the next month or two.

Now back to the present…… maybe I should continue with some ‘happy art’ and see what happens.

Richard

IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?

Left: On Holy Ground 1.                Right: On Holy Ground 2.

 

The last few weeks have been hectic to say the least. Completing the final preparations for my current exhibition, completing entries for 2 other exhibitions and for 3 forthcoming art prizes, plus completing several other paintings. It all came to a head on Friday…..the dreaded artist’s block. It was the end of a difficult week and I felt that I was ‘over’ my 2 days of depression following the opening of my exhibition. But then it hit me, what was I going to paint next? I needed a break from the series of abstracts i had been working on, but what should I do?

 

Artist’s Block is usually a very large wall that appears across one’s highway of creativity. It can come at any time and for various reasons:

 

1. You’ve ran out of ideas.

 

2. You have too many choices to paint and don’t know which subject to paint next.

 

3. You are bored with your art.

 

4. Other problems are taking over your life and are directly impacting on your art.

 

5. You are stressed because everything you try is a failure.

 

6. You are worried about sales, so you try to paint what people like. What do people like? What if people don’t like what you think they like? More stress and frustration!

 

I ended up with a 48-hour dose of the ‘Block’. No drugs needed, just something to calm me down, so I reached for one of my art folders and completed 4 paintings (2 are featured today) that eased my mind and well and truly settled me down. My wife and I went out shopping and enjoyed a coffee. Day 2 saw us visit 2 art exhibitions (one being the Glover) and of course, enjoy more coffee!

 

By day 3 I was in a more positive mood. I had completed 4 paintings and uploaded my current exhibition to my website (www.artkleko.com). It was then when the solution came to me and that’s the subject for my next post.

 

If you ever suffer from a dose of Artist’s Block, don’t panic!

 

One method I have used is that I get as far removed from my studio as I can for at least 24 hours. Go and do something different, like fishing, or gardening. In other words, have an art-free break. I’ve tried it and it works!

 

The other method is the one I employed on this occasion, go back and look for work that you haven’t completed or simply stopped painting and see what you can do.

 

It’s wise to document all of your ideas in visual diaries, do plenty of sketches, write lots of notes, thoughts, statements and take a heap of photos. Such documentation is invaluable when it comes to ‘searching’ for ideas. I have often sought ‘help’ from my ‘recordings’ and photos.

 

On this occasion it was a case of ‘self-healing’. I feel much better and I’m excited about my latest painting.

Richard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A WASTE OF TIME AND ENERGY?

 

It’s been a difficult week since the opening of my exhibition in Launceston. Sales to this point in time have been very disappointing. Comments from all who have seen my work have been extremely positive and I believe that the work on display is well executed and beautifully presented. Where are the buyers?

 

I can identify to a certain extent with artists who depend on their art for a living. What happens when sales are poor? How do they handle this type of situation? How do they deal with it?

 

I’m fortunate in that I don’t depend on my art for an income. Sales and prizes keep me going to the extent that my art pays for itself. That doesn’t stop me from being depressed when I go to such an extraordinary extent as has been the case in preparing for this exhibition, only to find that hardly anyone is interested in buying my work. How do you deal with that?

 

Once I had ‘let go’ of the anger and disappointment I felt (about 2 days), I got straight back into more artwork. By Thursday I had completed 2 abstracts that I consider ‘keepers’. Today’ I have embarked on totally new work for a fresh approach.

 

I have always been interested in ‘light’, especially those images that are to a certain extent imaginative and abstract. Before I commence new work however, I intend to complete 2 paintings of ‘light’ that have been in one of my folders for several years.

 

Art is great therapy. It keeps you ‘busy’ and entertained. Its process is wonderful for healing especially in times of depression.

 

Was holding this exhibition a waste of time and energy? No, because of the following reasons.

 

1. It was a celebration and account of a wonderful 12 month holiday.

 

2. I derived a great deal of personal satisfaction from the process of creating all 30 paintings.

 

3. I made a self-imposed deadline.

 

4. I am pleased with the standard of my work.

 

5. The exhibition realised a new theme, ‘Bricks’, that has already realised success.

 

6. I have ‘grown’ due to the whole experience.

 

Would I do it again? My next one-man show will be at the Brave Art Gallery, Longford, in March next year.

 

Time to get back to painting!

Richard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXHIBITION UPDATE

 

Well it’s all up and finally open and what a lovely opening it was with a great performance by my youngest daughter Shannon, who read a poem by local artists and great friend, Margaret Baker, followed by a wonderful opening speech by dear friend, Mary Machen. I’m pleased with the exhibition both in content and display. Only one sale at the opening, but enough interest to encourage me to think that there will be more sales before the exhibition closes on April 3.

 

Below is the article that was published in Saturday’s edition of our local paper, The Examiner.

 

Later in the week I’ll post photos of the artwork on display.

 

Richard

 

 

 

 

ANOTHER BRICK FROM THE WALL

Austral Brick Landscape DNA

Prismacolors on pastel board   80 x 40 cm

I am involved in 3 exhibitions this month. The first  (Art of Norfolk Plains)is currently running and it’s the exhibition where I won the major prize. The second opens at the Brave Art Gallery tomorrow evening (my entry is the featured photo) and the third is my own exhibition which opens on Sunday afternoon.

The idea for today’s featured painting actually came from a wall of bricks at the entrance to the Austral Brick Company at Longford.  This is one of 9 paintings that I have produced using Austral Bricks as my inspiration. I also have 14 other ‘Brick’ paintings from other locations. There are 6 in my one-man show and 8 waiting to be framed and there are another 12 planned.

This theme has given me a tremendous amount of motivation and inspiration.

I am acutely aware of the danger of similarity and repetition. Once that occurs I shall stop the series and move onto something different. I have put a lot of time and effort into researching and documenting this current theme, but it’s starting to show some dividends.

Today’s featured painting is my interpretation of a striking brick pattern that looks more like a landscape than an abstract design. What are your thoughts?

Next week I will be reporting on my one-man show at the Mill & Providore Gallery in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.

Richard

ART EXHIBITION

Next Sunday sees the opening of my one-man show in Launceston, (my home town) Tasmania, Australia. It has been almost 12 months since my wife and I returned from our 12 month trip to the Australian mainland. 23, 000 klms of travelling will be revealed in 30 paintings, not of spectacular scenery, but of rocks that caught my interest.

My initial plan was to feature one painting per place that we visited, but it has ended up as a series of paintings whose subject matter gave me the most inspiration. Some places like Hervey Bay for example, has resulted in 5 paintings.

I could have painted many, many more, but there came a time when I had to stop and head in new directions.

One-person shows are always risky and they cost a great deal of time and money. The economic climate especially in Tasmania, is not good. People don’t buy as much art as they used to. There is a lot of competition between artists. People don’t seem as interested in art as they once were. Sounds bad, doesn’t it? What the heck!

This exhibition will give me ‘closure’ on what was both a brilliant trip, but also a time when I struggled with being away from my home for so long. Some paintings illustrate my feelings at certain times, while others ignited my passion for abstraction.

All the paintings have been superbly framed by my framer, John Crook, so the exhibition will be presented well and I hope it will be visually appealing.

I can but only try, the rest is now up to the viewing public.

I have no doubt that holding one’s own exhibition is the most stressful task that an artist can seek to do, so why do it? There is no guarantee of sales or even a positive response from one’s peers or art patrons. This is a dangerous task! One must have a degree of self-belief, confidence, bravery, luck and timing. And of course there is the ‘elephant in the room’ – money. One needs money to make money. This is probably why so many artists struggle and are forced to seek ‘another job’ to fund their passion.

Since I retired from full-time art teaching at the end of 2005, I have preferred to exhibit my work with various groups. I did however, have a one-man show in Hobart in 2010. Group exhibitions are more “economical”, less stress and are (usually) an excellent opportunity for exposure to the art market. But now it’s time to be brave again (that’s maybe the reason I joined the Brave Art Gallery in Longford) and ‘face the music’.

Next week I will post a report of the exhibition opening and reveal the paintings on display.

Richard

ART PRIZE

Norfolk Plains Landscape DNA

Prismacolors on pastel board   112 x 67 cm (framed)

What a difference a week makes.

 

Last Friday week I found out that I had failed to make the finalists’ list for the Glover Art Prize. Last Thursday afternoon I received a phone call informing me that I had won the Art of Norfolk Plains Prize. The following night I received the award at the exhibition opening.

This painting was about raw (unfired) clay and that  each section (raw brick) contained the characteristics of the landscape from whence it came. This clay is from Brickendon, a World Heritage working farm near Longford in Northern Tasmania. Many of the original buildings are made from clay that came from the property and was fired there to make the bricks we see today. This is an exceptional place and is a must-see destination if you are visiting Tasmania.

 

Any prize win is great news. In my case it was vindication that my current theme of ‘bricks’ was getting some recognition from my peers. I’ve been working on this theme for nearly 4 months and month-by-month it’s taking me off in new directions. I’m not sure for how long I will continue this work, but I’ll know when it’s time to take a different turn or simply stop and start something completely new.

I love working in themes, but I’m acutely aware of the danger of ‘repetition’. I’ve seen it happen and I don’t like it. It’s so easy to become formula-orientated especially when you are selling your work. I try to be different as an individual, but also in the variety of work I produce.

Winning an art prize with my own one-man show less than 3 weeks away has given me a little more confidence that my exhibition will be well received. Time will tell, but at least my collection will (I hope) have something for everyone ‘s tastes.

Richard

C.A.S. Art Exhibition 2013 Part 1.

 

The Cairns Regional Art Gallery in my opinion is one of Australia’s best regional galleries. This beautiful building in the heart of Cairns is always a delight to visit and last week was no exception when I was charged with the task of judging the 66th Annual Cairns Art Society Annual Exhibition.

 

I spent Thursday afternoon judging and I announced the results to a packed gallery of 225 on Friday night.

 

I wanted to see evidence that the work on show was a response of being an artist in Far North Queensland. 52 artworks were selected and featured examples of oils, acrylics, watercolour, pastel, mixed media and a variety of sculptural materials. The variety on show was commendable, but I expected to see more watercolour and drawing mediums. The strongest section was sculpture, closely followed by acrylic painting. The standard of presentation was excellent as was the arrangement of the entire exhibition.

 

Most artists responded to aspects of the tropical environment through realism., while 2 abstracts provided another way of ‘seeing’.

 

As with all art societies, there is a broad mix of skill and ‘thinking’ on display. It’s great to see both amateurs and professionals being given the opportunity to exhibit together in such an inspiring gallery. It is also very pleasing to see such a gallery acknowledge its local artists. This type of support is not only valued, but is essential to the welfare of art and artists in regional Australia.

 

Two artists featured work from their recent overseas travels and both added colour and mood to the exhibition.

 

Far North Queensland is beautiful, but isolated. This exhibition tells in part, the story of living and working in a unique part of Australia.

 

In my next post I will discuss all but one of the artworks I selected as major prize winners. A following post will feature the major award winner.

Richard