After many years of working in the field of freeform knitting and crochet, writing my freeform books followed by several more years of working with mixed media, I have finally returned to my very first love, that of painting and drawing.
My artist skills did suffer from such a long time away but I am gradually regaining my confidence and am throwing myself into trying new things, combining techniques and most of all continuing to experiment.
When we moved to our 5 acres in 2013 all my art works (and supplies) were stored away for almost a year while the house, husband’s workshop and my studio were being completed. Once my studio was finished and all my goodies moved in, my artwork from previous years remained in their folders as I began to work in mixed media. It’s only recently that the urge to return to painting and drawing has become overwhelming and so, out of curiosity I opened up the art folders to see what was there.
Rediscovering some of my artwork from so many years ago was such a joy! I had forgotten about so much of it! A lot of the larger paintings are still wrapped and stored in the mezzanine of my husband’s workshed due to lack of space in my studio. I hope to find photos of them but if not, maybe I will unwrap them and take new ones some day.
In the meantime I am creating new, much smaller mixed media works, combining collage and different media: acrylics, pastel, charcoal, fabric and stitch.
Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.
……………..Margaret Mead
Life Drawings
I have included this monoprint out of nostalgia rather than an examply of ‘good’ art – it was one of my favourite life study drawings. It was created at art school and sold during an exhibition I held there. I was sorry I’d sold it almost immediately but couldn’t take it back. This image is a photo of the original hence the poor quality.
Abstracts
Landscapes
Recent work -2019 to 2021
No one travels
Along this way but I,
This Autumn evening
…..Matsuo Basho
This collaged landscape was created using altered National Geographic papers with drawn figure – leaves were added using red ink. This technique was inspired by Eva Macie
In 2019/2020 Australia suffered through the worst bushfires in living history. At the height of the fires the front stretched from the Victorian border in the south to the Queensland border in the north, with NSW in between, a distance of approx 2000kms, as well as inland to the ranges and beyond.
As at 9 March 2020, the fires burnt an estimated 18.6 million hectares (46 million acres; 186,000 square kilometres; 72,000 square miles), destroyed over 5,900 buildings (including 2,779 homes) and killed at least 34 people. Billions of iconic wildlife were killed and thousands of precious trees and plants. Some were bought to the brink of extinction.
These next few images are experiments inspired by the horror of those fires.
In the above image a fireman stands overwhelmed by the magnitude of what is before him. The men and women of the fire services, the SES, the defence forces and the many other volunteers fought these fires for 6 months and were brought to the point of total exhaustion. Australia will be forever grateful for their bravery and commitment to duty.
This image depicts the aftermath of the fires, blackened tree trunks and pale ash where once stood trees and lush green vegetation
Don’t paint the object, paint its effect.
― Unknown
JenArt 