ART @ TRINITY

Today I am ‘gallery sitting’, day 2 of a 3-day art exhibition at the Trinity Uniting Church in Launceston that features the work of local artists Margaret Baker, Jeane Pryor, Carlene Bullock, Lynne Hutchins, Jack James and myself.

Richard

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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

MOOD SWINGS: LOUISE SKABO

Cheshunt Heritage, is a typical example of the competent watercolours that Louise Skabo is noted for.

This is a beautifully composed work of angles, lines and colour washes that engage the viewer.

Louise has an excellent grasp of the fundamentals of perspective drawing.

Her employment of subtle tones on the rear building work beautifully as does her treatment of the large tree (back-left).

Louise’s fresh palette has resulted in a delightful painting that celebrates and honours Tasmanian buildings of a bygone era.

Tomorrow’s featured artist is Pauline Winwood.

Richard