Discovery

I was rattling through my studio preparing for my coming exhibition. I thought I might find something small that would go well in the show. People love to buy, but don't always want to buy BIG.

I found some that I had done and put away, thinking they didn't measure up. But it's funny how absence make the heart grow fonder; I really liked them, so they are off at the framer getting tarted up. 

I really enjoy the scribbly layered effect, so will do more when this madness of a solo show passes.....

Wonderful Reception!

Some of my blogger mates have come back in and commented after 3 years! Wow! Thank you so much for wandering by occasionally.

Since my last vaguely meaningful post, I have had a knee replacement (motorcycle accident in '07), and settled my claim with TAC, who treated me very respectfully and didn't drag me into court. But I felt a bit lost for a while after it was all done.

I have only painted here and there since, but had a collection of 6 paintings that really hadn't been anywhere much, and I liked a lot. I decided to snap myself out of my comfort zone and plan another solo. The last one was in '07. So, I got back into the zone and have completed the series with another 5 largish oils and a few watercolours and my show is on Feb 5th (see invite below). 'Archies on the Creek' is a very posh Restaurant/Gallery at Archies Creek, near Kilcunda. They have quite an impressive group of bars, cafes and a top notch restaurant, and the gallery is tagged on as well.

I wondered whether I could pull together my followers after such a long time, but friends have really rallied and are bringing extras, so we should have a nice couple of hours.

I am looking forward to getting up and running again.

I have heaps more to tell. This year is going to be a wonderful one, but I'm not going to spill the beans on it all at once!

Packed up and Ready to Go

'Pieces'
Watercolour and pencil

Well, all my paintings are finished off, packed up and delivered to Ingrid at Gippsland Artists who is the organiser for our stand at Art Melbourne 08. It's like giving away your babies and throwing them onto the world stage. I miss them already.

I haven't been a passionate shower of my work for some time now, as there has been a lot of getting over some dastardly life events to be attended to. I never stopped loving doing my paintings; but left most of them in my studio for a viewing 'some day'. Every now and again someone would take one away and leave me some room.

Sounds complicated, doesn't it? It is.....

It is time I got my arse in gear, as I am not getting any younger, so maybe good things will come out of venturing down to the big smoke.

The pretentious side of the 'art scene' bores me terribly, which involves dodging popping champagne corks, and trying to say something important about the works on show. I just really love what I do; I don't want to talk about it.

Ho hum! Somebody's gotta do it....

I love the Smell of Oil Paint

Work in progress........

Most of yesterday was spent out in the studio painting the edges of my gallery wrapped canvases in readiness for Art Melbourne 08 Exhibition in mid April.

I am paying for my laziness just painting to the edges and not the rest. For a time, I did think I would frame them, but decided I liked them better 'au naturelle'.

All colours have to be perfectly matched; no mean feat for the six large paintings. But now they are done, I am really pleased I have, because they look great, giving them an extra dimension and finish. I just have to sign them and then wait for them to dry enough to put a sealing finish on.

Baw Baw Shire have entered this great event as a gallery, and invited artists to apply. I was accepted, which is very pleasing.

Yesterday I booked my man and I into a motel for the opening night, so we can really enjoy ourselves. We rarely go to Melbourne now; we can't bear the traffic and the crowds, but I do miss wandering round the Gallery and having lunch at Southbank. My accident injuries also impede our freely walking around, so that's probably a stronger reason than the other.

Today's Work

Work out in the studio today was very productive, and I have pretty much broken the back of my 5th painting for my Coal Creek Solo. I love the colours and most of the brushwork is pretty pleasing.

When I did the photo shoot for this body of work, I wanted to use the abstract shapes of the machinery, etc, and not be able to identify what each group of objects are. My male friends are happy to describe what they they think they are but I don't listen. I am essentially a realist, but wanted subjects that had a more contemporary feel. Plus, I love any kind of machinery, and walking round the historic village of Coal Creek and looking at all the 'junk' sent me weak in the knees. Beautiful!

I regard my photography as an important part of my creative process, as I suffer from PTSD, which involves a serious undermining of the concentration process. Sadly that leaves me pretty much 'PD' (photo-dependent!), but I am so lucky to be able to still operate on a professional level where three years ago I couldn't have.

Once I get into my emerging painting, nothing else matters, so what more could I ask? So, painting number 6, bring it on!

First I might do a couple of small ones, as I have some ideas............

"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures."
.....Henry Ward Beecher

A Day in the Studio

Well, today was governed by two things : the weather and the excitement of a new painting under way.

The wind has blown furiously all day, and dog bowls, wheelbarrows and anything else not tied down has been travelling from west to east. Living in such an exposed area leaves us open to winds from all directions, hence our property name, "Hell on the Hill". In good weather, I call it 'Bliss Hill', and say it is more the latter than the former.

The new vegetable seedlings are waiting patiently in their bags, and the garden is only half turned over. The weather stopped that project in its tracks.

So, out to the studio, with the dogs in tow. The two young ones must have seen a snake, and are determinedly hunting all the nooks and crannies in the house yard every time I let them out. I now need to be very vigilant, and keep them close until I have time (and weather) to clear out a lot of undergrowth, and spray my (ordered) snake repellent around.

I love the first day of oils on a new painting. My pallet is chock full of my chosen colours and my design is set out beckoning. The next day has little dibs of leftover paint dragged onto the edge, so I can match or re-use, and it's not nearly as much fun. Usually it has a film of skin over it, so when you sink the pallet knife into it and stir, there are lumps, that need picking out as you paint. Why don't I chuck it out in the evening, you ask? Because I'm stingy, that's why...............

So, here's today's work. I am pretty pleased with it, but the shadow across the iron is irritating me somewhat. I am hoping it will add to the three dimensional effect, so will work on it some more.

I find there is often a stage in my work, where I look at it and feel there are some major issues in there that possibly can't be resolved. But I know now to work on and get through to the other side, and all is well. Hopefully this will be the case.

The paint is laid on very thick now, and will need a few days to dry before I can get back into it.

"Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads.
The wind is passing by."
.... Christina Rossetti

Back to Work (again)

This started out being basically an artist site, but I am really enjoying putting in day to day reflections. I think I will turn it into a 'dairy' book and print up the pages as they fill up, giving me lots to look back on. The thought of the wondrous Blogger dropping everything in a dark moment, never to resurface from cyberspace, fills me with dread. There's nothing like a hard copy.

So, back to painting. I am not having great success doing small works, but am determined to keep learning. I am a planner, and like to map out what I am doing, fiddle with that in acrylics, and block it all in with oils. Then I leave it on an easel in the studio, hopefully not to present me with too obvious shortcomings as I learn to live with it, and hopefully love it.

I do think about the small paintings a lot, and watch what the experts are doing, but many hit the recycle bin. Some I have done I am pretty pleased with, and that gives me cause for hope.

So, My Flood Painting (see previous posts) ~ after looking at it for a couple of weeks, and letting it dry in the meantime, I have worked over a lot of the water in the foreground. I am still very pleased with what's happening from the fence line up, but the water rushing through lacks some sort of 'direction' (pun not intended). There is not much happening there, so I need to find some coloured perspective lines via the water and pull it all together. I also think the front water turbulence could benefit from some scaling down, i.e. the waves are too big.

Next, I am beginning painting No. 5 for my Coal Creek Exhibition below...............
(see my website: www.robynrinehart.com for more details, and finished works)

I have drawn it in roughly with acrylic paint, water and a large brush. The wheel section at the top was challenging to find the circle by eye, but I let it dry, then got a piece of string and a reference point to run it from. I was delighted to discover that it followed my found line almost exactly, except for a small stretch at the top.

I am really looking forward to going on to the next stage. This is the kind of work I love getting my teeth into. I liken it to stitching away at a beautiful embroidery ~ very therapeutic.

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. "
.... Harold Whitman