December 2023

27 Dec What happened in 2023

🎨 It was a “patchy” year for me I guess. A bit great, a bit not so much.
This was a year for the Australian Wooden Boat Festival so I did some research on rare Tasmanian timbers and some
of the old boats of the 1900s. The timber story is truly fascinating!
And the boats were beautiful, and hardy. Some still floating, many being faithfully restored and given new life.
My painting for the festival, Huon Ladies was based a very small b&w image taken in Dunnelly c1908. Challenging! I’m not happy
so I will revisit that work in 2024.

🎨 I was invited to paint boats racing on Sydney Harbour, based at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron in Kirribilli a few years ago.
The work was auctioned to raise money for Stepping Stone House. Self funded, SSH supports young people facing homelessness
due to poverty, family violence & inequality. In 2023, we changed that a little bit. A Certificate was auctioned and the lucky winner
gets a painting of their own boat. Keen sailors are hard to catch!
They are always away sailing somewhere, but the “study” is finally approved and we are on the way to a very nice painting! Stay tuned!

🎨 In March I entered a major landscape prize, sadly I bombed out on that one, with a very bruised ego. Never mind, we move on!
After that, here were some commissions, some new very small works, a couple of online exhibitions, then a new collection for the Moree Gallery.

🎨 I was selected as a finalist in the 9×5 Waverley Woollahra Landscape Prize which was great! Two Paintings too!
🎨 The Australian Society of Marine Artists (Marine Artists Australia) National Exhibition was held in Melbourne this year.
I entered two paintings, and won the Curator’s Choice Award (such a compliment that a great marine artist selected my work!),
and the work sold as well. Very happy was me!
🎨 I’m very excited to say that the Moree Gallery has already sold almost half of the new collection!

That’s it for 2023.

04 Dec Some Marine Art

For me, a radical change in subject matter is a bit like a holiday! It’s rejuvinating.
Marine Artists Australia have introduced 4 small online exhibitions each year (a nice idea
because you don’t have to ship everything!)

Here are three very different pieces from two exhibitions, one online and one not –
I’m very excited to say I won The Curator’s Award in the ASMA National Annual Exhibition,
which was held at the Victorian Artists Society in Melbourne this year. It was a great surprise,
and even better, the work SOLD at the exhibition! Very proud am I!

The theme for one online show was “Fish & Ships” (cute!), so of course I had to paint a fish.
I really enjoyed the fish, maybe I’ll paint more sea creatures in the future.
I’m happy to say this one SOLD as well (but post exhibition).

The final work here, is the first study for a larger commission, so it’s only really a sketch.
I entered it in the ASMA National but I’m holding onto this one as reference for a larger study
and then the commission (click the image below for a larger view).
Stay tuned… if you like marine art.