A peep inside… Part 5: Homo-insecta Portfolio

An inside view of another book on my studio table, shortly before it was packaged up and delivered to Stephen McLaughlan Gallery in good time for the opening of Artist Books & Folios on September 20.

Pictured above: Homo-insecta Portfolio, 2013, unbound artist book with selected page views. A4-sized folio with hand-coloured linocuts and inkjet-printed text. 

The linocuts recall the kind of fantastical specimens that might be found in a Cabinet of Curiosities (think Feejee mermaid). I also drew inspiration from the works of one of my favourite artists, the naturalist, entomologist and scientific illustrator, Maria Sibylla Merian. 

Homo-insecta Portfolio was originally created for the group exhibition Wonder Room, exhibited at Maroondah Art Gallery in 2013. 

Quicksand

Work continues in earnest on the group exhibition Wonder Room at Maroondah Art Gallery. There is still much to do before we hang the show on October 15, but progress has definitely been made. Last night at a meeting with fellow artists Rona Green, Paul Compton and Heather Shimmen (four out of the five WR crew) I was privileged to see some of their fantastical Wonder Room artwork and thrilled to get a real sense of how our collective vision is beginning to converge: the show’s title is certainly apt.

Here is another of my own humble contributions. Quicksand is from a suite of fourteen miniature silhouettes. (See also previous blog post that features the first in the series, Tall Poppies).

Like Tall Poppies, Quicksand also served as the basis for a one-of-a-kind vertical concertina book, which is also destined for Wonder Room. The artwork for both books has just been completed. To preview them in their unbound state, visit Moth Woman Press HERE. 

Pictured left: Quicksand, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 12.5 x 7.5 cm.   
Photograph by Tim Gresham.

Spring Blooms: Tall Poppies

Previewed in this post is Tall Poppies, one of fourteen newly completed miniature silhouette paintings that will make their debut in the group exhibition Wonder Room in mid-October. The series evolved directly from the miniature paintings and unique artist books that were exhibited in my solo show Tall Tales at Hand Held Gallery back in July.  

It is the introduction of selective areas of colour that most markedly differentiates this series from the earlier paintings. This, and their tall, narrow compositions, aligns them more closely with the vertical concertina artist books. Like the previous, even more diminutive black on white silhouette paintings, several of the new works, including this one, will serve as the basis for an artist book. To see the artist book Tall Poppies in progress, visit Moth Woman Press HERE.

Pictured left: Tall Poppies, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 12.5 x 7.5 cm.

Time Out

In between sampling the many and varied delights of this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival (personal MIFF standouts include The Patience Stone, Shirley - Visions of Reality, Blancanieves, Wadja and the short film The Amber Amulet) we’ve also managed to fit in some theatre visits: Victorian Opera’s inspired and inspiring staging of Einstein on the Beach by Phillip Glass and their glorious production of Sunday in the Park with George by Stephen Sondheim. Our theatrical feast concluded last Saturday night when we experienced the breathtaking Botanica by legendary ballet company Momix.

On the drawing board: reference material, working drawings and lino blocks drawn up and ready for cutting.
Lino blocks L-R: Hover Fly Winged Woman and Spider Hunting Wasp Woman

Somehow I've also managed to make time for my own work (see above). With October’s Wonder Room group exhibition looming relatively soon after my solo show, I haven't been able to take a proper break. But a concentrated block of self-imposed "interruptions" has provided some much needed time out. I’ve been working at a slower, but steady pace, whilst being fed, nourished and rejuvenated by a plethora of rich theatrical and cinematic treats. It was time out I couldn't really afford; ironically, I'm sure my work is all the better for it.