2016 Royal Melbourne Show

I was honoured to be the printmaking judge at this year's Royal Melbourne Show. On judging day, September 9, I was thrilled to discover an old friend, Oenone Oxlade (pictured with me above, right) was one of the stewards.

The prints made by primary and secondary students were a particular delight. It was also a pleasure to meet other members of the dedicated team at Art, Craft and Cookery who work so tirelessly behind the scenes. 

Monday's visit to the Show, my first in many years, was an absolute treat, as was hanging out with Shane Jones, Gracia Haby, Louise Jennison and catching up with Jill Kellett, Vicki Fowler, Kerry Fowler and Art, Craft and Cookery Coordinator, Ramona Barry. 

Pictured with some of the marvellous children's prints. Photo credit: Shane Jones.

Primary and secondary students printmaking section, 2016 RMS (Detail 1)

Primary and secondary students printmaking section, 2016 RMS (Detail 2)

Here are some more visual highlights of our wonderful day at the 2016 Royal Melbourne Show, starting with the Art, Craft and Cookery section...

...followed by the cats section...

Left: Jill Kellett and far right: respected cat judge, Dr Kerry Fowler

Above and directly below: Gracia Haby, Louise Jennison with newfound feline friend

Dr Kerry Fowler (right) gave a fascinating talk. Here she extols the virtues of Summer, a bicolour Ragdoll cat

Left-right, foreground: Louise Jennison, Jill Kellett and Vicki Fowler

...and some random animal views:

The sign above this magnificent beast reads: 'I weigh 1050 kg. I am 22 months old and very friendly'. And so he was.

Thank you to Louise Dennison for introducing us to the thrills of motocross:

As old friends and longtime visitors to this blog will be aware, I grew up near Luna Park in St. Kilda, which fostered a lifelong fascination with sideshows and fun fairs:

The following view was taken from our Ghost Train carriage (thus the ominous presence of the spider and skeletal hand). Shane and I have the Skyflyer ride earmarked for next year. Roll on, RMS 2017!

PRINTS 1987 - 2016: Opening Night

Thank you so very much to everyone who came to the opening night of PRINTS 1987 - 2016 at Tacit Contemporary Art, including those who travelled long distances in less than perfect weather! It was a wonderful turnout and the presence of so many friends, both old and new, made my evening complete. 

Huge thanks also to curator TJ Bateson and Keith Lawrence, director of Tacit Contemporary Art, for making this show possible.

For those who couldn't make it, and don't live in another state, territory or country, all is not lost. The exhibition continues until 2 October. Full details are in my previous post.

L - R: Shane Jones, Tim Gresham, Julie Keating myself and Louise Blyton

L - R, foreground: Beverley and Robert Clinch, Julia Boros and Tim Gresham. (Photo: Shane Jones).

Tess Baldessin, Angie Black, myself and Caroline Durre. (Photo credit: Shane Jones).

One of the Paparazzi caught at his own game! Second from left (with camera): Shane Jones.
Also in this shot: Tess Baldessin, Nora Sumberg, Peter Lancaster, Irene Wellm and far right, Bill Reid.
(Photo credit: Deborah Bradbury)

Shane Jones photographs an unseen Deborah Bradbury, as she photographs him. (Photo credit: Deborah Bradbury)

With Loris Button. (Photo credit: Deborah Bradbury)

With Lisa Sassella and Bill Reid. (Photo credit: Shane Jones). 

Bill Reid and Deborah Bradbury. Deborah owns a portrait of Bill, which my partner Shane painted in 1995 and which
was a finalist in the 1998 Doug Moran Portrait Prize. (Photo credit: Shane Jones).

Speaking of the Doug Moran, pictured above are two subjects of works that were recently selected for this
year's semi-finals. On the left is writer Lucy Sussex, the subject of Lucy by Trudi Canavan,
and Shane Jones, whose Self Portrait in a Blue Sweater has also made the first round of judging.
My works have appeared on the front covers of three of Lucy's books: She's Fantastical (1995, an anthology
she co-edited with Judith Buckrich) A Tour Guide in Utopia (2005)
and Matilda Told Such Dreadful Lies: The Essential Lucy Sussex (2011)

It was a very lively opening. Among the crowd in this photograph are Marguerite Brown, General Manager of the
Print Council of Australia, Peter Lancaster, Tess Baldessin, Loris Button, Heather Shimmen and Nora Sumberg.
Photo credit: Shane Jones

Left - right: Nora Sumberg, Irene Wellm and Louise Blyton. (Photo credit: Shane Jones).

With my partner, Shane Jones. The daphne I'm carrying was grown and presented to me by Nora Sumberg.
It's aroma was intoxicating. Nora was one of several artists present at the opening who are also talented
gardeners. Would that I could number myself among them! (Photo credit: Deborah Bradbury).

Opening tonight: PRINTS 1987 - 2016

Great eggfly winged woman, 2011, hand coloured linocut, 32 x 32 cm. Photo credit: Tim Gresham.

Great eggfly winged woman, 2011 (pictured above) is one of seventeen works selected by curator TJ Bateson for my solo exhibition, PRINTS 1987 - 2016, which opens this evening.

Join us for a celebratory beverage from 6.30 - 8 pm at:

Tacit Contemporary Art

312 Johnston Street,

Abbotsford, Vic, 3067

tacitart.com.au

Phone: 0423 323 1888

Hours: Wednesday - Friday 11 am - 6 pm
Saturday - Sunday 11 - 5 pm

For those who can't make it tonight, PRINTS 1987 - 2016 runs until 2 October.

TJ Bateson installing the first prints on Sunday, 11 September. Works left - right: Dorothy Parker, 1991, woodcut with
chine colle, Snake Charmer, 1996, linocut and Mirror Mirror, 1996, linocut. Photo credit: Keith Lawrence. 

Winsor and Newton Acquisitions

In the midst of pre-exhibition nerves prior to my solo show at Tacit Contemporary Art (see Blog Post Wednesday, August 31) I've received some terrific news. Three of my Winged Women linocuts have just been acquired by Winsor and Newton Australia.

Originally flown to Jasco headquarters in Sydney for the July launch of Windsor and Newton's Pigment Markers, they were destined never to return – and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Below, left - right: Green-spotted triangle winged woman and Clearwinged swallowtail woman, both 2011, hand coloured linocuts, 32 x 32 cm., pictured in the Ballarat studio shortly before their one-way flight to Sydney.

To the right of screen, L - R below: Green spotted triangle winged woman, Clearwinged swallowtail woman and Blue triangle winged woman, snapped at the W&N Pigment Marker launch at Jasco on 7 July 2016.