IMPRESSIONS 2016

Recently I’ve been working on a linocut for IMPRESSIONS 2016, the biennial fundraiser for the Australian Print Workshop. My print, The Odd-numbered Plait, is a numbered edition of ten. Directly below are a series of progress views of the work, all of them taken in the Ballarat studio. 

I used carbon paper to transfer the image to the block

This was the result

The image was fleshed out with india ink and a touch of acrylic paint, then cutting began

A much later stage of the cutting process

The finished block

During printing some of the background area started to fill in, thus the masking
tape 'bandaids' 

The final print rests on the press bed.
The Odd-numbered Braid, 2016, linocut, 20 x 15 cm, edition:10

IMPRESSIONS 2016 opens on Friday, 25 November at 6 pm. The exhibition will run until 25 February, 2017. 

NOTE: The APW Gallery will be closed during the Christmas break. Check their website for details.

As the following list attests, the lineup of artists is huge, and includes a considerable number of Living Legends:

Mari ADAMS, Greg ALEXANDER, Penny ALGAR, Rick AMOR, Brook ANDREW, Raymond ARNOLD, Rosalind ATKINS, Susan BARAN, Elizabeth BARNETT, Alexis BECKETT, Louise BLYTON, Emily BOYLE, Matthew BROUGHTON, Peter BROWN, Rob BROWN, Kate BUTLER, Violeta CAPOVSKA, Lauren CARTER, Raymond CARTER, CIVIL, Peter D COLE, Dianne COLK, Marisa CORRAL, Vicki COUZENS, Beth CROCE, Suzanne DANAHER, Aleks DANKO, Philip DAVEY, Yvonne DAY, eX de MEDICI, David de ROACH, Clive DICKSON, Louise DONOVAN, Graeme DRENDEL, Lesley DUXBURY, Peter ELLIS, Farimah ESHRAGHI, Paula EWINGTON, Kasia FABIJANSKA, Tama tk FAVELL, Michael FITZGERALD, Angela FOLEY, Julie FORRESTER, Graham FRANSELLA, Alex GAME, Zoe GEYER, Janet GOLDMAN, Kate GORRINGE-SMITH, Kaye GREEN, Andrew GUNNELL, Fiona HALL, Richard HARDING, Vicki HARMAN, Greg HARRISON, Anton HASELL, Katherine HATTAM, Jarmila HAVA, Carolyn HAWKINS, Euan HENG, Jackie HOCKING, Judy HOLDING, Alex HOTCHIN, Kate HUDSON, Clare HUMPHRIES, Suzanne HUTTON, Anita IACOVELLA, Kyoko IMAZU, Chris INGHAM, Callum JACKSON, Georgia JANETZKI, Shane JONES, Gina KALABISHIS, Andrew KEALL, William KELLY, Alexi KEYWAN, Hyun-Ju KIM, Martin KING, Jenny KITCHENER, Barbie KJAR, Deborah KLEIN, Hertha KLUGE-POTT, Helen KOCIS-EDWARDS, Damon KOWARSKY, Tim LANE, Jo LANKESTER, Georgia LAUGHTON, Christine LAWRY, Alun LEACH-JONES, Libby LETCHER, Bruno LETI, Kevin LINCOLN, Eloise LINKLATER, Nina MAGEE, Ellie MALIN, Margaret MANCHEE, Harley MANIFOLD, Marion MANIFOLD, Jennifer MARSHALL, John MARSHALL, Marie MASON, George MATOULAS, Tommy MAY, Mitch MCAULEY, Janice MCBRIDE, David McCALL, Stephen MCCARTHY, John McCLUMPHA, Laith McGREGOR, Paula McLOUGHLIN, Robert MIHAJLOVSKI, Lewis MILLER, Louise MINAHAN, Allan MITELMAN, Simon MOORE, Hannah MURRAY, Janice MURRAY, Kate NEAL, Tom NICHOLSON, Liz NORRIS, Chris O'DOHERTY (aka Reg MOMBASSA), Peter O'DOHERTY, Emmet O'DWYER, Allison ORTON, Jan PALETHORPE, Margaret PARKER, Larry PARKINSON, Jon PATON, Brian PIEPER, Catherine PILGRIM, Michael PITSON, Jutta PRYOR, Fleur RENDELL, Michael RIGG, Jennifer ROGERS, Robert ROONEY, Georgina ROSS, Kate RYAN, Gareth SANSOM, Gwen SCOTT, Jan SENBERGS, Simon SHERRIN, Julia SILVESTER, Andrew SINCLAIR, Jennifer SMYTH, Anne SPUDVILAS, Lisa STEBBING, Mervyn STREET, Deb TATE, Andrew TAYLOR, Deb TAYLOR, Georgia THORPE, Gera TONGE, Wayne VINEY, Anne VIRGO, Susan WALD, Deborah WALKER, Thornton WALKER, Lee WARD, Louise WEAVER, Peter WEGNER, Gali WEISS, Sophie WESTERMAN, Simon WHITE, John WOLSELEY, Pedro WONAEAMIRRI, Tinping WONG, Amanda WOODMANSEY and Kate ZIZYS

Australian Print Workshop

210 Gertrude Street
FITZROY, Vic, 3065
Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm

Goldfields Printmakers End of Year Brunch

On Saturday morning, November 19, the Goldfields Printmakers held their final meeting for 2016 at Kitteltys, the Art Gallery of Ballarat's elegant cafe.

There was much to celebrate. It's been another busy year for most of us, both individually and collectively, and 2017 is shaping up to be busier still. Much of this is due to to the vision and indefatigable energy of our founder and co-ordinator, James Pasakos. With Christmas looming ever closer, it's a notoriously difficult time of year to get everyone together - nevertheless, it was a terrific turn-out.

Among those pictured here are (clockwise): Penny Peckham, Jackie Gorring,
Melissa Proposch, Josephine Walsh, David Pudney and Loris Button

Pictured above (clockwise): James Pasakos, Penny Peckham, Jackie Gorring, Dianna Orinda-Burns,
Anne Langdon, our treasurer, Melissa Proposch, David Putney, Loris Button and Kir Larwill 

The food was marvellous. That's me in the bottom lefthand corner tucking into a scone. (Photo credit: James Pasakos).

Afterwards some of us adjourned to the Federation University printmaking studio in Lydiard Street to collect our works from the Goldfields Printmakers show, Elemental, which premiered at Latrobe University Visual Arts Centre, Bendigo, back in February, then travelled to Adelaide College of the Arts in May. This was my first visit to the studio; it's a beautiful space: airy, light-filled and extremely well-equiped.

Centre: Melissa Proposch and Anne Langdon

Relief prints on the drying rack, alongside a huge woodblock

Ballarat Show 2016

Last weekend marked the 150th anniversary of the Ballarat Show. Shane Jones and I have been attending for the last 4 years and every time we pronounce it the best ever. This year was no exception. On Saturday, November 12, our friends Gracia Haby and Louise Jennison came for the day. It was their first visit to the show, and I'm fairly sure it won't be their last. For all of us, the animals provided some of the many highlights.

There were donkeys:

baby alpacas:

and this fine frog, surely a prince in disguise.

We met an exotic grasshopper:

and an extremely laid-back snake, pictured below right with Louise Jennison

- and in the following photo with Shane.

There were some champion pigeons.

We even got to hold one of them. That's me on the right

- and in the next two photos, Gracia Haby.

We also encountered some ferrets.

The next generation of Moth Women and Homo-insecta even put in an unexpected appearance.

The students were from Year 5

I couldn't find a label indicating which school has been studying my work, but loved their artworks and took it as a tremendous compliment.

As if that weren't enough excitement, there was pig racing

and a diminutive circus pony.

The day ended on a spectacular note when Louise was plucked from the audience to take part in this hair-raising lariat act.

She and her fellow "volunteer" hid their nerves like real troupers. Thankfully they both came away with their noses intact.

They took well deserved bows, as Gracia, Shane and I breathed a collective sigh of admiration, tinged with relief

- and swifter than the crack of a whip, our visit to the Ballarat Show was over for another year.

CHROMATIC

This month at Queenscliff Gallery & Workshop the focus is on colour. It starts today with the group exhibition, CHROMATIC and print exchange, CHROMA. 

Four of my works are part of CHROMATIC (See below). Looking them over now, it's clear that for my own contributions the dominant colours are two primaries, yellow and red, and two secondary colours, green and orange. I wasn't conscious of this during the selection process. Only in retrospect did I become aware of it.

To see the names of participating artists with greater clarity, click on the invitation.

Exhibition dates: 3 - 28 November

Opening event: Sunday 6 November at 3 pm

Queenscliff Gallery & Workshop

81 Hesse Street

Queenscliff Vic 3225

Phone: 03 5258 4927

Hours: 10 am - 5pm (Closed on Tuesdays).

Deborah Klein, Agathia pisina Moth Mask, 2007, acrylic on canvas, 25 x 20 cm.

Deborah Klein, Dysphania cupria Moth Mask, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 25 x 20 cm.

Deborah Klein, Eustixis laetifera Moth Mask, 2007, acrylic on canvas, 25 x 20 cm.

Deborah Klein, Jewel Beetle Woman, 2014, Hand-coloured linocut, 56.5 x 38 cm.
Printed by Simon White at the Australian Print Workshop, Melbourne. 

MEKONG DELTA BLUES CD

The CD KROM - MEKONG DELTA BLUES featuring my drawing Virginia Woolf and the Lighthouse (1992).
Photo credit: Christopher Minko.

I can't remember the last time my work was featured on a CD - and a Grammy-nominated one at that. (Come to think of it, this is the first time ever). KROM: MEKONG DELTA BLUES was previously available to download, but now it also exists in physical form. The artwork is based on my 1992 drawing Virginia Woolf and the Lighthouse.

The CDs were digitally mastered, pressed and printed in Nashville, USA and are released on the MUSIK and FILM label.

For some background information on Krom and its founder, Christopher Minko, visit:

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-weekend/longtime-phnom-penh-band-hopes-export-mekong-delta-blues

To see the original artwork and preview the disc, go here:
http://deborahklein.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/mekong-delta-blues.html

Three highlights from last weekend

The opening night of David Ferry’s exhibition, THE INVADER’S GUIDE TO THE BRITISH ISLES at the Post Office Gallery, Ballarat on Saturday evening was one of three highlights of the past weekend. The opening address by guest speaker, Euan Heng, was the second. The exhibition spans twenty-five years of David’s work; it includes altered books and images that take a sassy, satirical poke at British history and geography. The show runs until 20 November and is a must-see.

Pictured L-R: Euan Heng, David Ferry, Anne Rowlands and Simon Storey.

Viewing a selection of David's altered books and printed ephemera.
Behind me is Christine Hickson. Photo credit: James Pasakos.

L-R: Euan Heng, Catherine Heng and Post Office Gallery Director, Shelley Hinton.  Photo credit: James Pasakos.

The opening night at its height. Among the crowd are: Pauline O'Shannesey-Dowling,
Shane Jones, Catherine Heng, Ewan Barker, Debbie Hill, myself and Carole Wilson
Photo credit: James Pasakos.

David Ferry and Euan Heng. Photo credit: James Pasakos.

Third of last weekend’s three highlights was the visit Shane Jones and I made to Queenscliff Gallery & Workshop on Sunday afternoon. Queenscliff must be one of the prettiest towns in Australia, and the gallery, which is in its centre, is absolutely beautiful.

Outside the main entrance of Queenscliff Gallery & Workshop. Photo credit: Shane Jones.

Directly below are two views of the gallery's mezzanine level. Pictured L-R: Shane Jones and Soula Mantalvanos. On the table are my four works destined for the next exhibition, CHROMATIC, including the linocut Jewel Beetle Woman and (barely visible through its bubble wrapping) the painting Dysphania cuprina Moth Mask. 

We were fortunate to catch the splendid group show, CREATURES, before it closed at the end of October.

Selected artworks from the group exhibition CREATURES

 Pictured above: Theo Mantalvanos and Shane Jones. Artworks L-R: intaglios by Philip Davey, 
followed by two of my linocuts from the Winged Women series and two watercolours
(with charcoal and pencil) by Leonie Connellan.

Best of all was catching up with Theo and Soula at long last. Thank you both for the great conversation and seriously good coffee.