Gosford Art Prize 2012

This my entry in the Gosford Art Prize 2012 and lucky for me I was selected as a finalist again this year. It is titled 'My Tribute to David Clarke' who was a watercolour teacher of mine at the Gosford Art Gallery a few years ago and he passed away in April this year suddenly at 52yrs of age. I was in shock as I consider him, and always will, a mentor who helped me rekindle my love of watercolour painting. It's a little unusual I know but I meant well ha! You see David had been teaching me how to paint cows, a regular feature in his rural paintings, and he had taught me the skills needed to paint an onion using watercolour techniques. My thoughts were... onions make you cry the cow is sad, the onion is dripping with juice , it might make you cry...and I am so sad he has left this earth so I figured the small amount I had learnt from him I enclosed in a painted frame. I had this image floating in a scene that David had painted called 'Rising Fog'. I'm just humbled to think I have this painting, and it's framed beautifully by the way you'll have to go see, hanging in the Gosford Art Gallery. About 530 entries were received but only about 165 artworks were selected to be exhibited in the gallery. The Gosford Art Prize is on now until November 25, 2012.

Blue Gum Art Show 2012

 The Blue Gum Art Show was fabulous this year with many new artists choosing to exhibit their artworks here. As I was coordinating it again this year I certainly found it a little easier third time round and did much more advertising to get people to attend. Advertising was done on 101.3SeaFM, Coast Arts community radio, Central Coast Express newspaper and various businesses helped to display entry forms and posters. I set up a facebook page last year for the Blue Gum Art Show and relayed info there. 

I exhibited my acrylic painting "Snow Gum Brumbies" (top) and this time had it professionally framed before the art show and that decision paid off! It was 'SOLD' before 11am. It's always sad to see my paintings leave but I hope the new owner will enjoy it as much as I did painting it. Bye Brumbies... I also painted a fun mixed media painting titled 'Gerbera'. I used crackle medium in the centre and carefully glued sheer silk material to the base and top which had a blue background painted underneath. I madly painted the gerbera with acrylic paint using the tube as my brush so it has lots of texture. I have this one hanging in my home now.