January 2011

New Gallery Representation at Without Pier Gallery, Melbourne

Heralding in the New Year comes an exciting new association with the highly respected 'Without Pier Gallery' in Melbourne. It is fabulous to be invited to be represented by such an exciting team, having met them at the Camberwell Art Show earlier this year.

Established in 1995, Mr. Terry Earle and his team have developed an enviable reputation as specialists in Australian contempory art. The Galleries are based in the delightful seaside suburbs of Cheltenham and Hampton.

I have been invited to take part in a joint exhibition later this year at the Hampton gallery. The dates will be announced later in the year. Hope to see you there!

For more information please follow the link below to the gallery website.

www.withoutpier.com.au

December 2010

Alexander Miles Gallery London Opening Night


We all braved the record cold and snow in pre-Christmas London to attend Alexander Miles' opening night on the 2nd of December. Dressed in snow boots and arctic coats, invited guests battled the snow and ice to enjoy mulled wine, hot mince pies and a traditional choir from Kings College, Cambridge with their wonderful carol singing - and of course the art!

The gallery is nestled amoungst the boats of St. Katherines Dock next to Tower Bridge. with two walls being made of glass it offers a lovely light and airy space for the art. The gallery offers a wide range of high quality paintings, sculpture and glass, and is well worth a visit.







The Gallery was wonderfully festive and beautifully decorated, with a wide range of styles from the colourful abstracts to more representational and traditional work, featuring - my favourite - a lovely selection of Still Lifes. I was thrilled to meet many new people, some of whom have purchased my work in the past and others who did so during the course of the exhibition. Thank you! So if you are in London, pop in and say hello to Alex and view some really lovely artwork!





The exhibition was a great success and I wish Alex all the very best with his new venture!

November 2010 New Work

New work & the Australian Art Excellence Awards



'China Blue II' Oil on Canvas 24"x32"



November has been another busy month with new work being finished and shipped in preparation for next months opening in London.


This month I was also invited to be a finalist in the prestigious Australian Art Excellence Awards in Melbourne, of which one of my entries was China Blue II as seen above. It was a real honour to have been one of only 25 artists invited to participate and I pass on my warmest congratulations to the winner Christine Cafarella-Pearce AGRAF, who produced some stunning work for the exhibition.

October 2010 London Exhibition

October 2010 London exhibition at The Alexander Miles Gallery.


In December, an exciting new gallery is opening at St. Katharines Dock, London, called The Alexander Miles Gallery.
Mr. Miles has very kindly invited me to exhibit at his gallery and I will be attending the opening night on December the 2nd, 2010.
If anyone would like further information, please find contact information below.
I wish Mr. Miles every success with his new venture!


　
'China Blue' Oil on canvas 24"x32"


The Alexander Miles Gallery Ltd
1 Cloisters Walk
St.Katharines Dock
london E1W 1LD
　
Tel: 0207 481 1199

http://www.thealexandermilesgallery.com/

September 2010 AGRA AAL Exhibition

September 2010 AGRA AAL Exhibition Australian Guild of Realist Artists AAL On-Line Exhibition





Award winnining painting 'Primary Colours'

The AGRA AAL (Artists At Large) Exhibition is an on-line competition that is open to all members Australia-wide. A maximum of five entries per member are judged by three judges individually, with the results put forward for further imput by the society. A vote is then put to all members and the public at large for the final results.


I entered with five paintings in May, and the long awaited results are in. I am so thrilled to discover that I have been awarded first and second place with the other three being highly commended in the top ten! So I am completely lost for words and so awestruck by the response I have had to my work since returning to Australia from the UK! Thank you to all thse who have voted for my paintings, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it! Visit the following Link to see more http://www.agra.org.au/

August 2010 Mortimer Prize

2010 Mortimer Prize




'Summer Harvest' 10"x20" Oil on canvas

After all the excitement of Florence, I have returned to my studio and begun many new works for the whirlwind of exhibitions and competitions over the next twelve months.


But the most exciting news for the month is that both of my entries for the Mortimer Prize have been accepted for exhibition!



The Mortimer Prize is a travelling exhibition and shows will be held at St Brigids Hall, Brisbane St, Dubbo from the 26th September to the 17th October and selected works at The Scots College, Bellevue Hill, Sydney from the 22nd to the 31st October , KIKU ARTs, Bungendore from 26th November to the 27th December and Byron Bay from 3rd to the 31st January.

June/July '10 Study Trip to Florence.

Study trip to Florence, Italy.


I have just returned home after my latest trip to Italy, where I studied once again at the Angel Art Academy in Florence, in a bid to improve the more technical aspects of my work. The methods of the Old Masters from the Italian Renaissance through to the French Academies of the late nineteenth century have always fascinated me, so where better than the 'home of the Renaissance' to undertake further studies in these techniques.





'China Blue', unfinished, oil on canvas 50cmx70cm

This year I was able to set up my composition with objects carried all the way from my own studio, and this still life concept is the first in a series of new works which I have already begun in ernest since returning home.
The methods and procedures used in this technique are very involved and time consuming, often taking between six to twelve months to complete a single painting. The process begins with canvas preparation and setting up the composition, both of which have many technical considerations in themselves. Next comes the sight-size drawings and transfers, before moving into the many painted layers, using a mixture of glazing, toning and opaque application of paint. The paint is mixed with a variety of mediums which are 'home-made', mixed in the studio using the Old Master recipies, and vary from layer to layer. Even some of the paints are hand-mixed from dry pigments! Although it sounds exhausting I just love the overall finish that this method gives to my work, and I hope that anyone who sees my work enjoys them as much as I have enjoyed painting them!