Charcoal drawing I am working on

3 meters done, 3 to go - Thinking about how to hang it for assessment - Straight, tight, baggy, from ceiling....................

Large Charcoals

Just finished these three large 800mm square drawings on Fabriano.

Really enjoyed working on them.

Upcoming Workshop Dates at CAE

April 17th - Simple Bookbinding

May 22nd - Japanese Bookbinding

May 29th - Simple Bookbinding

June 19th - Japanese Bookbinding

June 26th - Simple Bookbinding

July 17th - Japanese Bookbinding

July 24th - Simple Bookbinding

August 21st - Simple Bookbinding

at CAE Melbourne, contact CAE for bookings.

Some sketches for some new works in the pipeline - small oils, large charcoals and a compilation charcoal which I am really looking forward to starting.

A Little Walk in light rain.....

A warm, cloudy day, a fabulous walk started out in rain but soon stopped. A 1.5 hour walk to the summit of Mt. Bishop in Wilson's Promontary, Victoria. View was beautiful as the lighting changed across land, water and islands.

Latest Oil Painting

Is there any bad taste in Art?

Is it possible to go too far in stretching the boundaries of taste in art?

I would be interested to hear what others think of this topic as I am writing an essay on it and am finding a world of difference from what Curators think and what artists think. Any input appreciated.

Words of wisdom

“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is

too high and we miss it,

but that it is too low and we reach it.”

- Michelangelo

Painting Inspirations

Artists Paintings from top left across and down, row by row.

Shane Wolf 1

Jeremy Geddes 2, 8

Vilhelm Hammershoi 3

Golucho 4, 9

Odd Nedrum 5

Sol Halabi 6

Claudio Bravo 7

Zack Zdrale 10

Ninni Hedlt 11

Graydon Parrish 12

Kate Lehman 13

Mark Demsteader 14

Nicola Samori 15

Salustiano 16

Drawing Inspirations this week

Artists Drawings from top left across and down, row by row.

Shane Wolf 1,2,4,5

Zang Chun Hong 3

Ted Seth Jacobs 11

Steven Assael 6,10

Robert Liberace 14, 15, 16

Vernon Ah Kee 12

Jon de Martin 7

Wes Walters 8

Michael Grimaldi 9,13

JADA at Latrobe Regional Gallery

Image credit: John Philippides, Portrait 2, 2008. Lead point on paper.

Worth a look at if you are in town, or visit Latrobe Gallery here.

Quote of the week

‘Beauty is vanishing from our world because we live as though it did not matter; and we live that way because we have lost the habit of sacrifice and are striving always to avoid it. The false art of our time, mired in kitsch and desecration, is one sign of this.’

Roger Scruton

New Eco-Book with some of my book projects on sale.

http://www.larkbooks.com/catalog?isbn=9781600593949

Recent Charcoal Drawings

Some of my recent drawings with the human figure in charcoal on toned paper.

This one is still unfinished.

Golucho

Golucho

Amazing artist with such strong imagery. His oils are fabulous too.

A Day by the Sea (Seaweed)

Used Papermaking and Bookbinding Equipment and Books for Sale

Tibetan Pour Mould and Deckle $25

Hand paddle beaters - wood - A pair for $30

Finishing Press (As new)

$AU 70

Sewing frame with cord and tape keys for book binding. (Never Used)

$AU 100

80 Litre capacity 'Mark Lander' style Hollander Beater with motor

$AU 800

Paper and Book Binding Studio Clearance Sale

All prices exclude delivery/postage costs from Victoria and are in Australian Dollars.

THE HIGH COST OF IGNORING BEAUTY

This is a snippet from an article that Graydon Parrish just posted on his FB.

'THE HIGH COST OF IGNORING BEAUTY

I have concentrated on architecture since it provides such a clear illustration of the social, environmental, and economic costs of ignoring beauty. But there is another cost, too, and it is one that we witness in individual lives as well as in the community. This is the aesthetic cost. People need beauty. They need the sense of being at home in their world, and being in communication with other souls. In so many areas of modern life—in pop music, in television and cinema, in language and literature—beauty is being displaced by raucous and attention-grabbing clichés. We are being torn out of ourselves by the loud and insolent gestures of people who want to seize our attention but to give nothing in return for it. Although this is not the place to argue the point it should perhaps be said that this loss of beauty, and contempt for the pursuit of it, is one step on the way to a new form of human life, in which taking replaces giving, and vague lusts replace real loves.'

Roger Scruton is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. He is a writer, philosopher, and public commentator, and has written widely on aesthetics, as well as political and cultural issues.

Ron Mueck at the NGV in January

Sculptures by Ron Mueck soon to be showing at the NGV from January 22, 2010.

Text from NGV Catalogue.......

Mueck’s sculptures are some of the most widely acclaimed, prominent and identifiable works in the international contemporary art arena. Often naked and suspended in states of self-consciousness, introspection or deep contemplation, his figures present both emotional and physical states of exposure. As viewers we experience a level of unease that is borne of a voyeuristic awkwardness, as though we have invaded some kind of personal space. However, we also identify with the human condition these poignant moments express. Astounding in their apparent realism and compelling in their ability to invite interaction Ron Mueck’s works have earned him a singular place as the creator of some of the most evocative sculptures of our time. This is the most comprehensive exhibition of work by the Australian-born, London-based artist to have been presented in the southern hemisphere. It includes four new works by Mueck in addition to some of his major, recognised works including the iconic Dead Dad 1996/97.

Now showing at the NGV

2009 Clemenger Contemporary Art Award Winning sculpture by Ah Xian

Great exhibition on until February 7th.

Drawing Montage for 2009

A montage of what I have been up to this year in drawing.

Masterpieces from Paris Exhibition - Canberra

Just some of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works on exhibition in Canberra at the NGA until April 2010, on loan from the Musee D'Orsay, Paris.

Cezanne, Sisley, Seurat, Van Gogh, Monet, Bonnard, Bernard, Vallotton, Denis to name just a few. To see the artworks with their brushstrokes and canvas details was stunning. Listening to the commentary from passing visitors just as stunning but for all the wrong reasons. I have really come to appreciate my growing knowledge of art history as it made the exhibit so much more accessible and rewarding. If you are in Canberra over the next six months you must visit it. From Australia it travels to Tokyo, Japan and then San Fransisco I think.

Vilhelm HAMMERSHØI

Monet

Pierre Bonnard

Van Gogh

Today's Drawing

Charcoal on brown paper, 10x8 inches. Study of oyster shells.

Shane Wolf artworks

These works need no introduction - they all possess such a beautiful luminosity. The site of Shane Wolf is well worth looking at. http://www.shane-wolf.com/

Artwork of David Kassan

Stunning works by David Kassan. For more info have a look at his blog at http://blog.davidkassan.com/