We’ve been to Woopi!

Woolgoolga – known to the locals as Woopi – is approximately 20km north of Coffs Harbour.  Friday night was the opening of the Woolgoolga Art Gallery’s annual Lillipilli Exhibition, which runs until 14-October.  We went down for the opening – stayed overnight and went into Coffs Harbour the next day.

Woolgoolga Art Gallery is community run gallery, staffed by volunteers.  Their Lillipilli Exhibition should be an example to all community galleries on how to run a show.  The opening night was just so good – the staff were helpful, food and drink were plentiful, and the art was of a high standard.  I had two entries – a new Fishy Fantasy above, and the Fantasy in a Fishbowl.

Saturday morning was a look around Coffs – we checked the shops, bought the groceries, then headed out to the Marina for a stroll around to look at the tourists and locals and to check the shops, including Geoffrey Baker’s Art Gallery, followed  by lunch on the deck at the Yacht – looking out over the bay and the Solitary Islands.  How good is that!

 

 

Fantasy in a fishbowl #3

Fantasy in a fishbowl #3

 

This fishy piece was awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ at the recent LCACA small works 8×8 exhibition.  The piece features a bunch of fantastic fishy critters more or less in a dreamy fishbowl – however a few of the critters are making a break for it!

The exhibition has since ended, and this piece has been updated and remounted onto a solid timber base.  This piece is now at Ferry Park Gallery – if you are travelling up the Pacific Highway and passing through Maclean, pull off the highway and take a break while you check out the Ferry Park Gallery.

This piece is the smallest of my ‘Fantasy in a Fishbowl’ series – just 19cm wide by 14cm deep by 23cm high – priced at $285.00.

2018 Festival of Glass – Happy!

The 2018 Festival of Glass was held over the weekend of 17-18 February at Drysdale, Victoria.  The event is organised and run by the local Clifton Springs – Drysdale Community Group.

We arrived on the Friday eventing, and delivered my entries to the Glass Art Awards team.  We met other entrants, saw some fabulous work that had been entered, and we got to catch up with other glass folks who were setting up for Sunday’s Glass Expo.

Saturday evening was the ‘Twilight Flames’ event at the nearby Leura Park Estate winery, where the good folks served us fine food and beautiful wines while Murano master Mauro Vianello demonstrated his skills with sculptural glass.  Lots of fun catching up with more glass folks!

The Glass Expo was a lot of fun – but a long day for the exhibitors!

During the day, the winners of the Awards Show were announced.

I was totally stoked to be awarded First Place in the Wearable Art section, and delighted to be second place behind the wonderful Kathryn Chaston in the Sculptural section.  Happy with that!

 

Seabed Series Pendant

 

‘Against the Flow’

Clarence River Women in Art

Fantasy in a Fishbowl

Yesterday afternoon, the ‘Clarence River Women in Art Exhibition kicked off at the Yamba Museum.  The exhibition features 60 artists who live and work in the Clarence River valley.  The show is the result of a lot of hard work and organisation by Debra Novak, aided and abetted by Bob and Marea Buist.  The exhibition runs from 12-December, and runs until 28 January 2018.

I am proud that my ‘Fantasy in a Fishbowl’ is part of this exhibition.  The piece is collection of quirky marine critters, mostly contained within a ghostly fishbowl – there are a few escapees…

One of the features of the exhibition will be artwork by  earlier women artists from the Clarence Valley, some from the 19th century.  These artists recorded people and places that are now historical. The show also features a painting  by Lillian Chauvel, the first Australian female artist to exhibit overseas.  Incidentally, Lillian Chauvel was the sister of  General Sir Henry Chauvel, who led the Desert Mounted Corps at the Battle for Beersheba, where the 4th Light Horse carried the famous charge.

‘Roses’ by Lillian Chauvel

The opening event included performances by two young Clarence Valley singers – the classically trained Michelle Jean Ryan and contemporary singer/songwriter Grace Hickey.  It turns out that Michelle’s great-aunt was Margaret Gard, born at Harwood, and better known as Margherita Grandi, a noted operatic mezzo-soprano and diva, who sang at Covent Garden, La Scala and other noted opera houses, who sang in movies such as ‘The Red Shoes’, and who was recorded in in work conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham.  That’s a long way from Harwood Island!

 

 

 

Dancing With the Flame

Detail – Fishbowl Fantasy #1

The ‘Dancing with the Flame’ exhibition at the National Glass Art Gallery in Wagga Wagga has kicked off.  And what a collection it is…  Great flame worked glass from Australia’s best.  Some stunning work!

The exhibition opens today, with the official launch party this evening.  The exhibition runs  until 20 January 2018.

This juried exhibition celebrates the best of Australian and New Zealand flame worked glass.  I was pleased to be invited to be participate in this show.  I have six pieces in this show – including my ‘Fishbowl Fantasy #1’.  And two of my pieces were used on the cover of the brochure!

Credit to coordinator and driving force Deb Dunkerton and to Curator Michael Scarrone for putting this event together.

If you are travelling up the Hume Highway, take the time to drop into Wagga Wagga and check out the National Glass Art Gallery and the National Glass Art Collection.  The National Art Glass Collection is just spectacular and should not be missed.  Every serious glass lover must go see!

Fantasy in a Fishbowl #1

Windows Plus Series necklace

Tangerine Forest Series necklace

Forest Hollows Series necklace

Black and White Series necklace

The last Flame On Glass at Kirra Gallery…

Mark Eliott, Kathryn Wardill and Alistair Mead on the torches…

Kirra Gallery has hosted the last Flame On Glass gathering.  At the end of September 2017, Kirra Gallery will close its doors, and close the doors on an era of Australian Glass Art.  The last exhibition to be held at Kirra is the Flame on Glass Exhibition to celebrate the work of Australian contemporary flamed formed glass artists.

For 15 years, Kirra Gallery has brought together Australia’s best to show off this mostly neglected aspect of art glass.

To celebrate (or commemorate) the occasion, Peter Kolinar commissioned Dr Gerry King to write an essay, which was published in this glossy booklet.  I am absolutely flattered and stoked that one of my pieces has been included in this high profile collection!

Seascape Fantasy Pieces Sold!

These Seascape Fantasy pieces were something new for me.  They were great fun to make, and I love them.  But I never expected that anyone would buy them!

This one went to Kirra.  Hand carried on the airplane to Melbourne (and I dropped the box as I got out of the taxi at the hotel- nervous moment, but no damage).  And it sold.  Yasmin from Kirra tells me that it was bought by one of their regular collectors – many thanks to him – perhaps one day, I can thank him in person.

The little brother to this piece that went to Kirra picked up a win in class at the Clarence River Arts Festival, then a few weeks later, sold at Ferry Park Gallery!

So exciting!  And unexpected – who would have thought!

So many thanks to all of you lovely people who like my work!

But now, I am working on a new piece for another exhibition – watch this space!

 

 

 

 

Flame On Glass 2017 at Kirra Gallery

Seabed Series Pendant

 

We’ve just returned from a 6 day road trip (motor cars, hotels, airports and airplanes) for the Kirra Galleries 15th Flame On Glass Exhibition.  This is also the final Flame on Glass Exhibition.

As far as I’m concerned, this show is the most prestigious gathering of torch work glass artists in Australia at Australia’s most prestigious and influential glass gallery.  But for those who participate, the highlight is the meeting and mixing with a whole bunch of fellow torch workers – great people, great technical skills and great glass artists.  Most artists tend to be solitary souls, working alone in their hideaways.  But at events like Kirra Flame on Glass, we emerge, blinking, into the daylight and collectively share our art and technique.

Later, when my head is clear, I’ll post more of the show.   For now, here are the pieces I exhibited this year…

Kirra Galleries – Flame On Glass 2016

 

Flame on Glass 2016 is the 14th Annual Overview of Contemporary Flame Formed Glass at Kirra Galleries in Federation Square, Melbourne.

This year, the general view was that there were fewer artists represented, but the quality was significantly better.

As usual, the social side of the event was great – catching up with friends we hadn’t seen for twelve months, meeting new people…

‘Jewellery A-Fair’ – Old Bakery Gallery

 

 

Some old favourites…

The Old Bakery on Eighth Gallery in Maylands, Perth in conjunction with the Soroptimists, presented ‘Jewellery A’Fair’ group exhibition.