Portia Geach, Female Artists Only Competition

Friends, I'll take you to Portia Geach Award, the most prestigious portrait prize for women artists in Australia. Enjoy some of great finalists work! The level was very high. Delightedly, this year, the taste of judges overlaps mine! My many favourite artists are in. My watercolour study of the winner, Zoe Young, "Drawing Storyboards". Colour use, contrast and composition are lovely and interesting! I've learned a lot. Bruce Beresford, a famous film and opera director is the subject. 

A b&w and value study tells me how to use colours. 

Original, acrylics

It’s a good practice and a free private tutoring by a topnotch. National Trust staff and I enjoyed a chat over the sketch.

Some finalists impressed me. Jeska Valk. 

Esther Erlich

Katherine Longhurst

Jude Rae

Ildiko Hammond

Joanna Braithwait

Janne Kerney 

Seeing is believing. Come and see this great exhibition. 

To see other good works is a great and essential study for me. Subjects, themes and techniques inspire me and encourage me. Also, thank you very much, Sydney Sketch Club!! I sketched the exhibition. Others sketched landscapes. A member gave me a ticket for my birthday present. Wonderful.  

I'll keep up! Have a wonderful week. Happy Painting. 

Portia Geach, Female Artists Only Competition

Catch Up With My Dear Friends in Deaf Festival

We enjoyed DeafFestival 2018 in Parramatta. I did "catch up with" good friends, Riona, Sue and Kristina, my superheros at Accessible Arts NSW, Contemporary Art Museum and peak bodies. We say "Good" in Auslan and smile. *Auslan is an Australian sign language. Face painting was fundraising for Deaf Society at the festival. Children and volunteers were enjoying communication in Auslan. Lovely. Many people were coming and having a cheerful chat in Auslan. Visitors looked so happy. 

I'd introduce my great friends : Riona Tindal, Sue Jo Wright and Kristina Tito. 

Riona Tindal has overcome her difficulty and gained a PhD. She's become the expert of Australian frogs and a visual artist. Her guts and a story encourages me. She could not hear frogs, but her team assisted her and examined collected frogs' data. So, a bonus, her team members, all became PhD candidates! Furthermore, she precisely recorded each frog by drawing and watercolour painting so that they would bear a scientific argument. Her paintings and drawings are very beautiful. Breathtaking. Imagine, even people without disability cry in the painstaking process of PhD research and a thesis. It demands a huge energy. Riona challenged herself, prejudice and has overcome them all. What a woman! Sadami, your leg is not a problem at all!   

Museum of Contemporary Art stall

Sue Jo Wright has already come up in my blog post on Arts Activated Conference 2016 held by Accessible Arts NSW. She was born with no sound, but she's a promising photographer and today, an Auslan interpreter at Museum of Contemporary Arts Australia. 

Kristina Tito advocates the disadvantaged in society. She's been working for access, equality and social justice at peak bodies. She's one of my strong supporters. I have nothing, but good friends. I'm very proud of being their friends. 

Accessible Arts NSW stall

Nice! The friends' smile always gives me energy to move forward. I'm enjoying the projects. You, too, have a productive week and enjoy life! Happy Painting, Friends. 

Catch Up With My Dear Friends in Deaf Festival

Endeavour. Sail to the world.

We, Drawing Sydney members had a great fun time around the museum. I sketched Endeavour that Captain Cook sailed at Maritime Museum. I sketched a front and a side view of this tall ship. "On life's vast ocean diversely we sail. Reasons the card, but passion the gale," (Alexander Pope), my favourite say since a teen age. I've loved tall ships since childhood! The proportion is the key to create a successful ship's image. I enjoyed adding ropes on the ship.

We had a wonderful sketching time in sunshine. Luckily, it stopped raining while we were sketching. This small group offers a very friendly mood. Most of us belong to other sketch clubs such as Sydney Sketch Club and Urban Sketchers. So, we know each other well. Group activities are fantastic to have mutual support. 

Museum staff says they will share my work's picture among colleagues. Wow, pleasure and honour. I hope I will sail to the world and life. Friends, you're my precious ports in storms. Thank you. 
Sometimes, life is not easy though, I want to enjoy this adventure in a positive way. 
Friends, have a productive week! Happy Painting!  

Endeavour. Sail to the world.

Curiousity 1

Have you ever tried machines? Only me picked up the inside of a car engine in Urban Sketchers Sydney meeting. Being honest with myself is my policy and important. To distinguish each part, values and colours are emphasised. I've sketched around the world from curiousity since childhood. I want to draw like a little kid. 

Btw, the three projects are ongoing. They keep myself busy. 

I've joined another sketch club, "Drawing Sydney." See how it goes. Many people seem to join different clubs at once = We bump each other at varied clubs. Balancing my work and life, I want to enjoy group activities. It's lovely to foster friendship. 

Friends, Happy Painting!  

Curiousity 1

Curiousity 2, two value drawing

I've sketched around the world from curiousity since childhood. I so much enjoyed this monochrome sketching in a dark concert room at a fringe festival. It was challenging to define values. I carefully observed a singer and decided to use a two-value drawing technique. Once, I got the "feeling" of sorting out values, it became easy! I chose the grey mixed of French Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna. Then, interesting colours came up naturally. Have fun! 

  

Night scenes and dark rooms require different approaches and techniques. Have you ever tried them? If you know how to do it and share it, please inform me. I want to capture light and shadow. This experiment gives me some idea. 

Now, hope you'll have a wonderful productive week. 

Happy Painting, Friends!! 

Curiousity 2, two value drawing

Fun! Workshop at Eastwood Library

Children, parents, librarians and I enjoyed a watercolour painting workshop at Eastwood library. I'd share joy with you in their great art works. The children drew animals or any creatures from imagination. I demonstrate salt, crayons and bubble wraps techniques. My mission was to bring out each child's uniqueness. I want to create work like these children! 

Here are the masterpieces. They are fantastic!! 

Once, children successfully "geared up" and got on the work, they began to draw subjects freely, beautifully and independently. Ah, they are my teachers! Then, they began to chat loudly, hahaha! Some children were shy. A librarian and I assisted them. 

Each child's interesting concept and vivid colours.  

Wow, a good texture! Quite sophisticated. 

This awl is so cute. It can be a children picture book illustration. 

Not cooking, but a salt technique. It's tricky though, a fun!

Very happy to see their concepts coming out.

Very rewarding. Some children came to me to tell, "Thank you very much," after the workshop. It touched me so much. Oh, so sweet. 

"Enjoy wateroclour painting at home, children!" I said at the end of the class. 

Being an artist and picture book illustrator is wonderful. I'll keep up. 

Friends, happy painting! 

Fun! Workshop at Eastwood Library