05 Nov Commission Sold!

This painting (a commission) sold before I had a chance to include it
on this website. It was the last painting completed at my old Glebe studio:
“The painting depicts three solar powered MV data loggers that hang on 66kV power lines
and report line faults on each phase. They were designed by the Engineering Manager
at CHK Power Quality Pty Ltd and installed in 2012. CHK Power Quality Pty Ltd
is an organisation comprising of passionate and talented engineers who collectively bring
together many years of engineering excellence and know-how in the area of Power Quality
for Low Voltage (LV) and Medium Voltage (MV) power networks. Their core focus is providing
engineering solutions, products and services, for improving Power Quality”

Rydalmere Pole. 102 x 76cm. Oil

10 Oct Rozelle fire appeal – Art auction 10 October

I’m donating three paintings for the Rozelle Fire Appeal.
They will be auctioned TONIGHT at the Welcome Hotel.
Please come along and help this great cause. The event costs $65/person
for canapés and drinks, and all proceeds go to the Rozelle Fire Appeal.
Drinks start at 7pm and the auction is from 8pm.
The Welcome Hotel, 91 Evans Street Rozelle
Bookings: 9810 1323 or thewelcomehotel.com
NEWS FLASH– Thank you to everyone! My paintings all sold,
raising $1400 for the appeal. Very happy!

09 Aug Good news & bad news

The bad news first : We are undergoing a little renovation and no paintings
will be on view in my Balmain window for a little while. The lights are out
and the window is covered up while the work is carried out.
The good news : A new bunch of exciting local rooftop and power station paintings
are coming at the end of September or early October! (that’s just in time for Christmas).
In the mean time, check here and on my facebook for updates and to see currently
available paintings.

23 Jun Staying true

There’s a lot of doom & gloom out there in retail land.
Many artists produce work “to sell” rather than staying true
to a subject they love.
I admit that I have been tempted as well but when I do that, I make very bad art,
get depressed, and everything goes downhill from there. I so hate that!
So I don’t do that anymore. I have decided that you “can’t please all the people
all the time” so I paint what I like. If I think it’s good, it appears on this site,
or in a show somewhere. And if I like it, someone else (eventually) will too.
It’s a hard road, but then, there comes a spark of light! I exhibited some new
paintings (never before shown) in a pop-up show at Walsh Bay in May/June.
Two of the new ones sold without more than a few minutes on this site.
There is nothing more inspiring than having the compliment of someone liking
your work enough to buy it. Excellent. Thank you!

13 Jun Playing with Monotypes

A monotype is a form of printmaking that results in a unique one-off image.
No two results are ever the same and so the excitement comes from the unpredictability
of the outcome! In this case I used water mixable oils which were manipulated
on the plate (perspex) by hand. Then the paint (ink) was directly transferred onto
smooth archival paper in layers (I like to stop at about three). The images look amazing
when simply framed. I may give a demonstration on monotypes soon.
Stand by for more info….

14 May Pop-Up Exhibition @ Walsh Bay

This is a mixed contemporary exhibition, featuring some new paintings
by Suzy King (me), Sydney artist Carol Dance, plus a selection of works
by various Indigenous artists represented by the Kate Owen Gallery.
The exhibition is presented in a lovely little gallery right opposite the Wharf Theatre
and runs for the duration of the Sydney Writers’ Festival.  Down at Walsh Bay the
atmosphere is always exciting but it will be positively electric during the Writers’ Festival!
There’s plenty of parking (surprise), great harbourside cafés and restaurants
so please come and visit!
Exhibition : 16–9 June 2014 – 12noon–6pm daily
6/16 Hickson Road Walsh Bay (opposite the Wharf Theatre)

29 Jan Australia Day Honours

I like to read the Australia Day Honours list because sometimes
I see someone I like get a mention. This time I’m happy to see
Mr Dean Claflin get an OAM, for services to marine and maritime art.
Congratulations to you.
As an artist in Balmain it’s difficult not to be involved with the harbour, as we live
on the edge of this great waterway. In fact, the inspiration for my entry in the
2012 ANL Maritime Art exhibition was from a picture taken of my great friends
standing on the deck of the steam tug Waratah. Built in 1902 and restored by
the Sydney Heritage Fleet.  I called my painting Sea Dogs.
It’s now a part of the ANL collection but the work will always have a special meaning
of friendship for us. I was also a member of the South Steyne Steamship Preservation
Society, stripping back the old timber stairs after a fire…
But I digress, that’s for another post.

15 Dec White Bay update

Very quietly and in recent weeks, we have seen some men in yellow coats
and hard hats. Scaffolding, external stairs, wire mesh & boards have
gradually been installed. Many of the broken windows are gone.
You can see a Port-a-Loo on the roof facing Victoria Road visible from the traffic lights
(it’s a brave person who exposes themselves to all those cars!). White Bay Power Station
is changing. “Improvements” have been mentioned but we don’t quite know what
those are as yet. We shall have to wait and see…
I will complete the last of my small Power Station paintings, of which there are about 12,
from drawings, pictures and studies made to date.  There will be 3–4 larger ones to
accompany Grey Sky for a series. By then, I will have created around 80 paintings
of White Bay Power Station, a structure will never be the same again.

01 Oct A Close-up Look @ White Bay

Born in the days of the “Industrial Revoloution” White Bay Power Station
was a symbol of cutting edge technology. Today it remains an impressive
(but decaying) landmark that was once called the Gateway to Balmain’s
Industrial  Waterfront.
Still standing, although visibly crumbling of late, this fascinating structure displays
a rich aray of textures, patterns and colours under the bright Spring sunlight.
These very small paintings explore the architectural details that inspire these awesome
graphic shapes and colours.
The Close Up series of Small White Bay paintings is now on display
in my window at 95 Beattie Street Balmain and can be purchased from me.
This exhibition will continue, on a rotation basis with new local rooftop paintings,
until December.

15 Aug New paintings: Rocks & Sea

I enjoyed a break from the power station and power poles for a while,
when I painted Rocks & Sea for the Queensland exhibition (previous post).
So I created a few more. Where sea and land meet, the waves constantly play
with the shoreline.  It’s here that nature makes its unique patterns and sounds,
showing it’s moods of tranquility, great beauty, power and even violence.
Either way, we seem always fascinated by this spectacular ever changing coastline.
For me, having spent much time on the beach as a child, I feel a strong connection
with the coast, and a place I never tire from.
The series is now on display at 95 Beattie Street Balmain and can be
purchased from me. These are also available as Giclée fine art prints.