Sunday, May 23, 2010

Current Exhibition: 'By The Water' paintings by Fiona Barrett-Clark






By The Water: 19 - 30 May 2010
Working directly from photos, Fiona not only aims to capture the atmosphere of the landscape but also to create a reflection of the emotions she was experiencing when she took the image. Her use of plywood instead of board or canvas gives a fantastic grainy texture to the works reflecting the grit of nature and imbuing them with the feel of old slides and photographs adding further to the reminiscent nature of the works.

"I have a love affair with being by the water and so this exhibition centres around natural water ways, rivers, bays and primarily the coastline.
The coast has a freshness, a smell that makes you feel young again, it rejuvenates the spirit and allows you to escape from normal life. Standing on a beach in the midst of winter, that cold salty air blowing through your hair or entering the surf on a hot summer’s day, its visceral effect is instantaneous. I hope when people view these works it reminds them of the tang of the sea, the occasional stillness of the water before the storm and the soft light on the water at the end of the day. Again, I have worked directly from photos and use oils on plywood to give a grainy texture to the works, which attempts to reflect the grit of nature and imbues a nostalgic feeling to the pieces "

Breathing Colours and Fiona Barrett-Clark will be hosting a Biggest Morning Tea event on Sat 29th May to raise money for the Cancer Council. 10% of all sales throughout the day will be donated to the cause. Tea, Coffee and snacks will be available by donation from 10am to 12 noon. Check out our profile on the biggest morning tea website

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Current Exhibition: 'Cockatoo In Time' By Jacqueline Lamb - 5 to 16 May




Our current exhibition is a collection of encaustic works inspired by Sydney’s Cockatoo Island:

"Upon my arrival on Cockatoo Island, at first glance it was just another tired island with an interesting history. On closer view I saw the strange metallic guardians, and sentinels of long ago, some reaching up to the sky to perhaps ward off an attack, others buckled over in defeat, all inert and lifeless as if someone just pulled the plug and walked away.

An island with as many lives as a cat: a Penitentiary; an Industrial School for Girls; a World War II Naval Dry Dock to name only a few. The only survivors of those days are rusting cranes, cogs, decrepit working sheds and discarded machinery, some having lived through more than one island life, all having their own interesting stories to tell.

I chose encaustic (beeswax) and oil as my preferred mediums. Wax, like the machinery is inert until you reactivate it, where it once again comes alive to do our bidding. Melted wax was poured onto boards or on top of photgraphs I had taken of the island. Like the photographs under the wax, so too is the history of the island buried; an undercurrent of events now hushed by time."


Born in Melbourne, Victoria, Jacqueline Lamb began painting at an early age. She has studied at various institutions in both Melbourne and Sydney as well as attending many private classes with local artists. A regular participant in group exhibitions and art prizes throughout New South Wales, Jacqueline was recently awarded “Viewers Choice” at the 2008 Lane Cove Art Awards.

Open Bite Printmakers present: 'Well Laid' 21 April to 2 May






A beautiful collection of fine art prints by the Open Bite Printmakers

There are some descriptive terms used in printmaking that can appear to be ‘double entendre’. In fact, such terms as ‘the bed of the press’ and ‘pulling a proof’ which describe parts of a printing press and printing a proof seem to have anthropomorphic, and somewhat sexualized, connotations. However, the physical act of working on an etching plate with tools, aquatint rosin and acid require time and effort on the part of the printmaker. Similarly, the processes of making a lithograph, collagraph or linocut may take several days, weeks or even months. The printmaker will carefully check each stage of the process by pulling a proof. Ultimately, the printmaker, as creator, wants to be satisfied that each of the processes undertaken will culminate in a ‘well laid’ image. This final image is printed on archival paper and the creator knows that the image will endure. It is Well Laid.

Open Bite is a vital group of 30 printmakers. The group originated from Ku-ring-gai Community Art Centre but now includes members from all over Sydney. Experienced artists, teachers and competition winners are included. Members range from etchers to mixed media artists, with traditional and abstract styles.

Sixteen of the Open Bite printmakers will be exhibiting in "Well Laid":
Rod Armstrong, Karen Ball, Elise Benamane, Jan Craw, John Crawford, Norma Dedman, Jan Farrell, Itzick Fisher, Angela Gill, Elizabeth Hunter, Heather Kepski, Kim Milne, Terese McManus, Joanne Morris, Judy Ringger and Trish Yates