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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BRAVE ART(IST)

4 of the 6 paintings that I am featuring in an exhibition with 5 other local artists that’s on in Launceston next week at the Trinity Uniting Church, Oct 25 – 27.

Well it’s finally happened. I’ve signed a contract with a Northern Tasmanian Art Gallery, the Brave Art Gallery to be exact. This is something that I have wanted for a number of years, in fact since I retired from full-time teaching 6 1/2 years ago.

This move is really important for me because it gives me a sense of belonging, something that I really haven’t had before. It also gives me a sense of purpose to go with the self-discipline that I have. I needed an outlet for my work and now I have one.

Along with such a move comes the realisation that it’s a two-way street. I need to support the gallery and it in turn it must support me. I am impressed with the gallery and its staff and this is something that I haven’t rushed in to. Throughout the negotiations I have felt comfortable and valued.

Now that I’ve signed I need to spend some time and plan ahead as I aim to have a solo show early in 2014 at the gallery. I have been invited to contribute two paintings for the gallery’s December exhibition and a single piece for a special exhibition next March.

I will be releasing a series of limited edition prints from my recent ‘Midlands’ pastel series through the gallery. These will be limited to editions of only 10.

Busy times ahead, but that’s how it should be!

http://www.braveartgallery.com.au

Richard

CP WARRIOR

I used to be quite competitive in my early years in most things. I have mellowed somewhat over the decades, but one thing that still “drives” me is my passion and competitive spirit when it comes to coloured pencil art versus “the rest of the world”.

CP art doesn’t receive the respect it deserves and every chance I get to enter an open medium art prize, means another opportunity to tackle the “big guns”; oils, acrylics and watercolours. I’ve had my successes, but I’ve struggled to match my record in art prizes with sales of my work.

The art market is fickle and at times rather naïve when it comes to taste. Attitudes have changed little. The established mediums have always attracted patronage sufficient to remain economically viable. Any art in pencil is usually labelled as drawing or sketching, with no thought that in the case of coloured pencil it could gain the status of being a form of painting.

What can be done?

Changing attitudes can take decades, even centuries. I can’t wait that long!

Time for action!!

I need a plan (or many)…

1. I should invent a crossbow that shoots coloured pencils, so I can stand near my artwork in galleries and “persuade” people to like (and buy) my work. I’ll need to wear body armour and a helmet. Na, too radical and extreme. Anyway, it would get very hot, very quickly in such a suit. Galleries are very hot sometimes!

2. Wear a T Shirt that says, “Coloured pencils artists are for real”, or something along those lines.

3. Change my name to” CP Warrior”.

4. Have all art mediums except coloured pencil made illegal.

More thinking needed…

If you believe in a cause, then you must persist.

I’d better get back to painting……… with coloured pencils.

This weekend I’m in Hobart conducting a 2-day CP workshop. A report later next week.

MONDAY: The value of a website.

Richard

PASTEL NOT PENCIL

Shells, Scamander, East Coast.

Faber Castell Pastels on Canson Paper

Coloured pencils are not the answer for every two dimensional idea an artist has. It certainly has its limitations and as a cp artist I am fully aware of what I can and can’t draw.

Smooth shells are not at their best when rendered in cp if you work the way I do. I do not add any solvent to my work that would result in a ‘smooth’ finish. I believe that the marks made by pencils should be seen. After all, pencils are mark makers and they don’t contain paint therefore, they shouldn’t behave like paint.

Pastels are they way to go when drawing smooth shells.

Today’s image features chalky pastels that I used a lot in the 1980s.

I have tried to draw smooth shells in cp, but realise that I’d better stick to more textured shells that are much more successful in my preferred medium.

Whenever you are planning a drawing or a painting, remember to consider the appropriate medium to work with before you start.

Richard

WHY ARE ART MATERIALS SO EXPENSIVE? Part 3.

Aren’t art shops brilliant! Once you’ve got past the window display and entered the store you are confronted by an explosion of colour and shape. Objects of every size, trillions of coloured objects (pastels, pencils, paint pots etc.) sitting there just waiting for you to take them home. How can you in all conscience leave an art shop without buying something!!

So many sheets of beautifully textured papers, some hand-made laid in shelves and racks greet you as you walk past in a daze.

Coloured pencils usually get my attention more than other art materials. Paper and pastels then follow.  I love staring at displays of coloured pencils especially any opened boxes or tins. When I have purchased tines of pencils I have found it very hard to remove any of the pencils. They look so good as a collection. What you need when you walk in to an art shop is not necessarily what you leave with!

Today’s image is a photo of the pencil display that I was given when an art shop closed in Launceston about 6 years ago.

More on Tuesday. Tomorrow’s post will feature another Glover 2011 update.

Richard