Hapy New Year!

Here it is January 2012 - and SO much has been happening - with a group exhibition in Jahroc Galleries (Margaret River) in the South West of Western Australia in December 2011 and another two in Traffic Jam Galleries in Sydney in February 2012, a number of private commissions for portraits from Perth and New Zealand and an exhibition booked for September the paint and canvases are flying.  Im now also selling works just out of Queenstown as well as Auckland in New Zealand and I count myself so lucky! Hoping this finds you happy,healthy and full of the possibilities that 2012 brings!

Turpentinely yours

jane

Spring has sprung and the days here are crisp and golden.

Its been a monumental time in the Studio with a portrait donation to the inaugural Save he Children Fund ball, group exhibitions at Traffic Jam Galleries in Sydney late August, another group exhibition (Four by Four) opening at Jah Roc Galleries in Margaret River late December, Bumper to Bumper group exhibition scheduled for February 2012 at Traffic Jam and a solo at Traffic Jam in September 2012.

In the meantime there has been the Black Swan portrait award to enter and the portrait of celebrity chef Anna Gare ("and Anna laughed..") back from the Archibald Prize entries of 2011.

To top off this marvellous cake of opportunity for work I have been lucky enough to gain representation this week in Auckland at Rinke Design and will be sending work there in the next week. Youll find a hyper- link to there and all the other galleries on my Home page.

Better sign off and get back to the easel!

Jane

Here it is already more than halfway through the year!

 My last blog entry was prior to the Spectacle and Observer exhibition at Traffic Jam Galleries in Neutral Bay NSW in July. What a fantastic opening night!

Following a shortlisting in the Black Swan this year i have buckled down to getting on with work for up and coming exhibitions in Jahroc in Margaret River (December 27th - January 16 2012) , in Traffic Jam Galleris in Sydney in February and again in September 2012. It would be terrific to catch you at any one (or indeed all!) of these

 Im pleased to say the Nehru Kenyan fundraising painting raised a substantial amount of funds and continuing with the fundraising theme I have  additionally donated a portrait sitting for Save the Children at their up and coming Ball.

So thats all from me here - both the easels are loaded with work and on the go  - so its back to it!

Cheers

Hi There!

 Following on the highly succesful Art for Heart Charity Auction in Queenstown ($75,000+ !!)fundraising for the Christchurch earthquakes in New Zealand,i returned to the Studio with my brain buzzing with ideas and keen to knuckle down and prepare works for the Thematic exhibition of Spectacle and Observer opening 30th June at Traffic Jam Galleries in Neutral Bay NSW.(Cant wait !! Sure to be a fantastic opening night!).

in the meantime i am delighted to have had the opportunity to donate a work to  Art for Africa fundraiser for The Nakuru, Kenya Family Project.100% of funds raised goes to helping to train women to earn an income. An extraordinary and  very worthwhile project. The auction is being held at Gadfly Gallery  in Dalkeith WA on June 6th at 4.30 pm.Please get down there and suport it if you can.  

All of this and its almost Black Swan Portrait Prize time again!

Til next time

Cheers!

Jane

Hello again.

What an extrordinary year its been so far in the world.

Its sobering to think about the present appalling situation in Japan following the terrible seris of earthquakes in Christchurch - without considering the political upheavals at present. I felt a pressing need to help fundraise wherever possible and as such am pleased to advise I am part of the Art with Heart auction in Milbrook, Queenstown New Zealand (http://www.millbrook.co.nz/events/featured/art-with-heart/donating-artists/).

With sales in Sydney recently I am busy preparing for a thematic exhibition at Traffic Jam Galleries (Neutral Bay) in July and getting organised for a solo exhinbition in September 2012. (www.tgj.com.au)

The studio has just seen my Archibald entry for 2011 sent to New South Wales in the past week - a four head portrait of celebrity chef Anna Gare. It was a delightful experience painting Anna -she is as lovely inside as out, and generous in the extreme with her time (copy of image attached - thank you Karin Calvert/The Sunday Times)

The year has seen more travel so far than most - and i hope to be in Sydney for the opening in July.

Would LOVE to see you there!

Its almost here again!

I cant believe how quickly Christmas has come this year and now with less than a month to go paintings have been packaged  and sent on to Jahroc in Margaret River and Traffic Jam Galleries in Neutral Bay,NSW for their opening in mid-December, and the decks are almost clear. Underway are  works being created from impressions gained in the September trip to New Zealand,(a whole new colour palette has opened up) and some mega portraits.Its always a busy time - and this year seems to be more than most.

There are some wonderful exhibitions on at the moment -and the concerts are on in Perth for every indiviual taste (Blondie, the Pretenders and Leonard Cohen this week without dipping into the classical genre)

Artists Christmas lunch at Di Taylors is eagerly anticipated.

A safe and happy festive season to all of you.

lash out and buy yourself a painting for Christmas/Hannukka etc - or even just because ...

"Speak" soon

Jane xx

Spring has most definitely sprung here in Perth! Art is everywhere ! In the guise of the Art in Bloom exhibition the city centre was turned into a floral celebration from the massive floating lotus blossoms made from vinyl in a rubber pond out of the front of the art gallery through to the grass-seeded pillows by the Fine Art students at the Central Perth Tech  and the floral roof on the information centre whose decoration of plastic budgerigars confounded a passing seagull.

The painting fraternity has also been celebrated with the annual National Portrait prize of the Black Swan Portrait Prize being held. The 42 finalists were exhibited in the Perth Town Hall. Finalists represented 6 States this year and the quality of work was formidable. It was great to be included . We celebrated in style, meeting other entrants at the Artists breakfast,the Cocktail party and Award night and the Lester Group Cocktail night. Accolades must go to Tina and the crew at Artrinsic who are a non-profit organisation and take their annual leave to coincide with this week. Also sincere and heartfelt thanks to the Lester Group. Without their generosity the prize could not happen.  Excited congratulations to Peter Cliemetis and his portrait of Anne Archer. A marvellous work and a terrific  and very modest artist. Thanks to my model Mr James Bogle - film director.

The Studio is really busy with work mounting up around me and Im painting like theres no tomorrow - so its back to it!!

Cheers

Jane

Here it is early July and really bitterly cold. Colds and flu abound.(*sniff*)

 June found me travelling to NSW and a road trip down through the western NSW to Melbourne..Was wonderful and incrediby inspirational.The light there is SO different to the light in Perth. I have also learned in the past month that you cannot buy paint and take it in a plane with you ( note to self - a bargain is not always a bargain)

The final brushstrokes are being applied to this years Black Swan Competition entry... and I am delighted to have been added to Traffic Jam Galleries stable of artists in Sydney. If youre in Neutral Bay drop in and have a look aorund - say hi to Rebecca!

Catch up soon

Jane

Ive been SO remiss with my blogs recently and apologise...The studio has really cranked up since Ive come back from New Zealand and Ive been painting pretty much 8 to 10 hours a day...with every painting I am learning so much . News from the studio is that I have sent to pieces off to Geelong Galleries for the  Fletcher Jones Art Prize - keep your fingers crossed for me :)

I have also (delightedly) indulged in a couple of spectacular exhibitions. The "Hatched" exhibition of newly graduated art students at PICA (Perth Institue of Contemporary Art) was an amzing array of installations that stretched the imagination and concepts of space..LK Galleries(contemporary) in Hay St Subiaco has a fabulous exhibition of sculpture by James Corbett - who works in car parts..incredible, clever and funny stuff.Their other gallery in Shenton Park has a wonderful exhibition of Stephen Glassborrows new collection of elegant artdeco style bronze figurines and fabulous etchings - both of these are a MUST!! I was lucky enough to chew the fat with Stephen on opening night - hes a very insightful and cool dude.

Also just finished reading  Goyas biography - poor man went deaf in his 30s which mustve sharpened his powers of perception to make him the extrordinary panter he became..What an extrordinary legacy we become a part of when we pick up the brush..

Stay tuned for the next exciting episode :)

Cheers!!

I cant believe how talented the people of Perth are!

Spent last weekend visiting wonderful art exhibitions at PICA (interactive scuptures of water are incredibly popular on a hot Sunday in Perth City Centre, and a wonderful mirrored maze provided a mind altering view of the body I avoid in the the swim suit store) then took in the McCubbin exhibition in at the Art Gallery of Western Australia marvelling at the body of work taken from the last years of the Victorian artisits' work. Polished the visit off with a trip though the Year 12 Collective Exhibition marvelling at the work of some up and coming artists. They are all a MUST SEE - if you havent already taken them in...(there was a lot of marvelling :) )

This week the launch of  the annual Sculpture by the Sea at Cottelsoe beach is proving incredibly popular and I cant wait to get to THAT this weekend!

Meanwhile in the Studio, new canvases have been stretched up and I'm even managing to get some paint on them- in between resuming the weekly Life Drawing  and coming home smeared in charcoal

Off to participate in my pet hate - brush cleaning....

Catch you soon

Jane