Let's Talk Art Blog

In recent weeks, I've found myself encountering a series of disruptions to my work routine, which have in turn shifted my focus away from thoughts about where my work is going.   I found myself painting a door this past week, rather than a canvas...(it's a long story, which I'll be able to explain if you come and see me at open studios in October - it involves a bit of show and tell.....) Anyway; it's a strange but interesting place that feels a little bit unsettling....

Art has long been a powerful lens through which we view the world around us—its beauty, fragility, and the urgency with which we must protect it. In a time of great environmental change, artists are using their creativity to honour wildlife and wild places.

There are notable and high profile mammal species that are at risk globally, but I chose to explore my backyard and look at Australian creatures, and subsequently the smallest beings that are essential to our survival as a human species, as they act on a macro level to ensure both the physical health of our ecosystems and the productivity and sustainability of our food plants due to their role as pollinators.

Colour is an essential element of design that can significantly affect both the aesthetics and emotions evoked by a work. While many artists often work with an array of colours, the use of limited colour palettes is a powerful way to harness the visual impact of fewer hues. Let's explore the concept and look at a few practical ways to help you choose a limited colour palette.

With my recent printing experiments now brooding quietly on the studio bench and as I wonder where to go next with them, I've been tuning into the importance of experimentation. Stepping beyond tried and proven processes or techniques and embracing working with new materials is always a step into the unknown. And one to be relished rather than feared!

I've been thinking a lot about the role of the creator and the role of the viewer, in the creative process and how they are intrinsically intertwined, much like dance partners.....Salsa, Waltz, Disco.... take your pick!   Art by its very nature is a collaborative experience between the artist and the audience. The artist makes the painting with an intention (generally, but not always) that other people should see it at some point and that the work be shared with others.