Artists' statements

Exhibition Connections renewed

Connections Renewed

Opening Saturday October 5th at 4pm

Brisbane Institute of Art

41 Grafton Street Windsor

The bond between these four women commenced when they all attended Art classes at the Brisbane Institute of Art, which was established almost forty years ago.

“Connections Renewed”, a joint exhibition by 4 exciting Brisbane artists whose careers have interwoven over the past 15 years, opens on 5 October at Brisbane Institute of Art.
The exhibit features works of sculpture, paintings and ceramics inspired by the natural environment and will be opened by well know Brisbane sculptor and educator Stephen Newton.

The four female artists, Linda Back, Lyn Derrick, Lily Karmatz, and Sharon Lee met through their early fine art studies at Brisbane Institute of Art where they were all tutored by Stephen Newton or attended his Moreton Island workshops. Since meeting all four have maintained individual art practices and their lives have converged and diverged over the years.
The four have recently reconnected after recognising that nature was the source of inspiration for all of their work. Linda Back says, “our works are all inspired by nature and we are environmental conservationists by heart. This has allowed us to reconnect on a professional basis and to deliver a cohesive exhibition.”

Wave forms, old growth forests, the weather, and organic matter provided inspiration for some of the diverse works on display. Lyn Derrick’s architectural timber and steel sculptures are concerned with the conservation of Tasmanian old growth forests and her work includes a 1.5m Huon pine back- sawn flitch salvaged from the Gordon River. Lily Karmatz’s 3-D mixed-media works are deeply influenced by ikebana and feature leaves, leaf forms, found wood, and vibrant colour. Linda Back’s ceramic vessel collection, inspired by flotsam and jetsam and wave action, includes bowls, ikebana vessels and curvaceous tubular forms mounted on red cedar wall units. Sharon Lee ‘s multi-layered paintings on canvas are visual narratives of the weather and environment and embody the movement, energy and colour of nature.
Collectively the four have previously exhibited in Australia and Japan, been recipients of residencies in USA and China and regularly exhibit in national international art competitions.
Linda Back commenced studies in 1985,


Sharon Lee in 1992,



with Lyn Tidey (Derrick),




and Lily Karmatz undertaking their Certificates and Diplomas from 1997.




Love to see you at the opening, Cheers Sharon

Time . . .

Anyone who knows me well, will have heard my constant lament 'where has this year gone' . . .and this year is no exception. I have neglected to blog as life has been too hectic, but now almost ready for my next exhibition, I can leave a few words and pictures here to prove I have not been completely lazy. . . .though not as busy as some.

Workshops

Kieth Lo Bue workshop at Studio West End, Brisbane

Kieth is an American born Found object Jeweler and Sculptor, living in Sydney Australia. He calls himself a 'Stuffsmith' and when you see his work made from Stuff into Objects of Artwork . . . stuff acquires a whole new meaning.

I adored the man and I enjoyed the workshop - conducted at Studio West End here in Brisbane.

If you are interested Kieth has many web sites and Blogs. Well worth a look.

http://www.keithlobue.com/

Art in the Olives. Fantastic weekend of creativity and mmmmmmmmmmmm gluttony.

 

Myself and a few friends attended the festival to do some Basketry with Therese Flynn Clarke (Winner of the 2012 Caldera Art Award.) We sat on the side of the river, and trying not to be distracted by the scenery, sound of live bands playing music and the smell of food, we used random weave techniques to create sculptural vessels from numerous fibres and cane.

  

 

 Therese Flynn Clarke  Winner of the 2012 Caldera Art Award

The Arts in the Olives is a festival celebrating the creative arts. The festival is a collaboration between the residents of the Lost Worlds Valley and BADCAP - Beaudesert and District Community Art Projects and offers a variety of workshops.

Plenty of great accommodation on offer.

Wide selection of luscious food and operators - cheeses, wine, olives, pickles, sausages, honey and gorgeous baked delights . . . .

Huge selection of workshops. We all agreed we will do Blacksmithing next year.

Fingal Workshop

How glorious to share a week with friends at the beach. . . .being creative.

My latest work - printed, grounds and painted on 100% rag

   

  Sometimes, it is hard to remember we are here to do work! 

Could not resist doing a series of photographs with this huge jelly fish. 

Rusty Roo workshops

I have enjoyed weekends at the Roo with friends in my NEW STUDIO space. . .. (not as many as I would like as we have been busy building the new studio space and bathroom and the pottery studio . . .  .) look forward to the ones organized for later in the year. 

  

 Studio has windows on three walls and double set of doors - great light

Cameron with the help of my Father and Son hauled the mammoth press upstairs into the light filled space with it's wide veranda, with great views. (Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!! )

Cameron and I installed a new bathroom upstairs so that we do not need to go down and out when we need . . .. to go. It is Fantastic.  

Lily - Sculptural art in the Landscape                            Linda Wheel throwing on one of our two new pottery wheels.



Linda firing her pots in Rusty Roo pit. 

Opening the pit after a long slow burn over the week.

Example of results from Pit firing.

Lily creating Ikebana magic throughout the property. Example of my photography which was conducted into the wee hours of the night with the help of torches, wine and lots of laughter. . .

 Something to admire while drinking our wine and watching the sun set.

Flying Arts workshop

Gelatin plate workshop with Flying arts. Great workshop held at the state Library Brisbane

 

Something unrelated

Cameron and I recently attended a costume party . . . (We passed a group of small children on the way and it took all our considerable will power not to jump out of the car and scare them. . . . .  Then Mr Plod said NO!)

Beautiful pair ain't we . . . .NO?

Delivered and in the News

On Saturday we took my entry along to the Tip shop where the hard working endeavour team placed it in safe keeping ready for the publicity shoot and then transportation to the city Library.

I had the opportunity to see a couple of other artists works - Karl de Waal's mixed media was there - (this is but a small piece . . . . .)

 . . . .and Fatima  with her quirky slant on life . . .mmmmmmmmmmmm

Channel 10 news coverage of the Tip Shop Competition 2012. (June 2012) Sharon Lee and her daughter Brianna where interviewed in the video along with the Brisbane Lord Mayor.

Since then I have been talking to some of the industrious people from the Brisbane City council and they expressed how thrilled they are with the selection of art works that they have received as entries for the second year - 2013 tip shop competition.




I have also received the Cannel Ten news segment that ran last year 13/06/2012  - after the competition was finalized.

We were also inteviewed for a segment on the radio. . . . so a very exciting process. Now I can't wait to see all the new work for this year arranged together -

from first May at the Brisbane Square Library - with the launch on the 10th May at 5pm - should be a great night . . .  .

come along - it is a fantastic Library . . . (just feels great and the service is seamless . . .with this lot of art in it - it should be a real treat)

Another soul working on the wasted

I would love to introduce you to a very talented artist who has a macabre and intriguing slant on life and its machinations - Fatima Schelfisch.  Fatima entered the competition last year and was one of the finalists with a groovy Waverly table that I coveted. This year she has created an even finer example of upcycling - and her painterly additions are incredible.

 

These two pictures are examples of some of the art work now found on the discarded item she chose from the tip shop. . . . . I bet the people who discarded this piece of furniture - would now like it back.

To see the pictures on the incredibly creative item of furniture - come along to the Library . . . the one in the city.
Details and dates in last post.

Tipped to shop - again

Tip Shops People's choice Competition, on again

This year there are twenty individuals chosen to enter the annual competition - which of course means I have a lot more competition to win the monetary prize . . .  (but that just makes it far more interesting.)

Walking into the  Acacia ridge Tip shop, I did not need to introduce myself  - they remembered me by my very heavy piece of furniture, which was my entry last year. (Drinks cabinet won in 2012) After talking to the friendly and helpful volunteers,  I walked around to the ringing cries of  "please - something not so heavy this year . . . . " so, with this in mind, I looked for small things.  

46 COLEBARD Street West, Acacia Ridge, 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BrisbaneCityCouncil

Endeavour Foundation Tip Shop, Brisbane. http://www.endeavour.com.au/page/shop/tip-shops/

Once again I was confronted by a plethora of items. Would I Mosaic, paint, collage, print or redesign a piece of furniture? SMALL furniture.

Now here i am, with an extraordinary mix of old, new, and items that screamed 'don't go there' and others that I just needed to take home, with no fixed idea of outcome in mind.

I loved the look of them and though I did not know what they would become, I was  sure they had potential... . . .  I think!

I have an old broken light with glass fixtures (one missing, presumed broken) Toys, bowls, plumbing waste fittings, plates, more toys and half an old lamp base . . . . mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I want to use as many of the available things that I can, so that my end project will highlight the issue . .. which is, WASTE. . . . NOT to be wasted. . . . .

Not waste, that is rubbish, but waste that is just thrown away and could be given a new life with some cleaning, remodelling and imagination . . . . sometimes that is, LOTS of imagination!

So if you need a something why not try the TIP SHOP and assist the Endeavor Foundation at the same time, while also helping reduce the amount of WASTE that goes into our dump sites.

So now to making something - keep your fingers crossed and I will keep you posted,
Cheers

Go on . . . you never know what you will find . . .
46 COLEBARD street WEST, Acacia Ridge

Where does time go?

The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.” ― John Muir

I appear to have neglected to enter anything here for what appears, a very long time.
Yes! Too busy. I hear this all the time, and I think it is because we have so many options - there are just too many great things to do and be involved in.

We have been building at the Roo. A new pottery shed, new bathroom upstairs and the addition of a office/ spare room mmmmmmmmmmmmm all take lots of time. . . .but that said, I know they will all be appreciated. Having Cameron and Arron move my mammoth printing press up to the second story of the building - yep! Up stairs - was a huge task.

The rains have ensured the place is looking spectacular. . . . .but it also encouraged us to plant up other areas . . 

Watching and photographing the wild life is another time waster.

We have hosted a few Artist retreats - which are a lot of fun . . . . . 

 however, that is more time gone.

 

Land and sea mixed media drawings/studies Fingal Heads Artist retreat.

Installation work at the Rusty Roo  

Grounds and Mixed Media at the Rutsy Roo

Then I attended a few Artists retreats at Fingal and The Tweed in NSW - very beautiful places - and Yes! More time.. . . . but i am not complaining.

 

Pottery classes at Logan Artist society of a Monday night. . . . . Learning to wheel throw.

Entering a couple of exhibitions ( one with Studio West end - Ex Libris, book plates, now in the State Library permanent collection ). . .print making and Jewellery making workshops,( one with Keith Lo Bue )

Drawing (West end - with a model of a Wednesday evening )and writing (at Queensland State Library ). . . . . . . 

21st Birthday parties,( Bri has reached the big one!!! - Great parties!!) 

Holidays (Noosa, Fingal, Caloundra and Straddy Islands), Christmas.  . . .

and  .. . .  so here we are 2013

I have two exhibitions this year . . . and lots of work to do. So I hope to post a little more frequently.  We took our dog to the beach at Stradbroke Island  January this year, and stayed at a fantastic place right on the beach - near the gelati place Yum!!!! Dog Loved it!

After recieving many complaints about my lack of blogging, and being unable to answer - what I have done since this time last year . . . . . . . now, after listing some of the things we have done, since I last blogged . . . . I now know where most of our time has gone.

I do Hope 2013 is a very good year.