This week in the studio

It's just past nine pm and I have not shared with you my week in the studio, so here's what I have been up to.

I had a productive week in the studio, I finished some old paintings, played with Envirotex for the first time, stretched some linen on boards and started a few new paintings! It feels so good to get back into the actual image making side of my art practice, and I am beaming with ideas about direction and new ways to apply paint.

Here are the paintings that I finished and coated with Envirotex.  (Envirotex is a two part resin that dries hard and shinny). They turned out very good for my first try with resin, I had massive fears that it would turn cloudy or ruin my painting. There are a few air bubbles here and there, which I was told could be removed on smaller projects by exhaling on them while the resin was still wet, it did not seem to work.  Next time I will be prepared and get a small BBQ flame starter to remove all the bubbles.

I had some left over resin so I coated an older painting too. Below is a photo of it before it's been coated. I will get an image of it coated for you next week, very happy with the resin job on this one!

 SOLD

Below is what is on my easel at the moment. The top four surfaces are boards that have been stretched with Linen, and the bottom four are just plain board that has been sealed and primed. I'm in-visioning crackling medium, bees wax and delicate layering, flowers, doilies and also incorporating other animals too, This is just the beginning. For my smaller works, I work on one painting at a time, but for these larger pieces I will be working on several and building them up all at together.

Next week is going to fun!


I hope everyone had a productive and happy week/weekend!





Come say hi to me on facebook

My week in the studio

I had one of those weeks...

I had hoped to get into my next body of work this week and paint, paint, paint.  However I got some sort of virus early in the week and the energy was sucked out of me. I spent a lot of time in bed resting and sleeping and also got a chance to read some of my art books and I re-investigated one of my all- time favourite artist, Michael Sowa.  I have a charming little book on him in my collection with the most amazing images. So inspiring.  Here's a few of my favourites:

 

 

I also re-visited "SO YOU WANT TO BE AN ARTIST & still eat" a book put out by Artworkers Alliance. This is a fantastic read, with great ideas and advise for artists wanting to make a business out of their art.  I would recommend getting your hands on this book if you have not already.  Here's what Artworkers have to say about it:

"Artworkers Alliance has published a handbook written with the starving (and clueless) artist in mind. It is titled So You Want To Be An Artist And Still Be Able To Eat? and was created by a team of emerging producers, writers, designers and photographers.

The handbook fills a big, black hole in the self-help market for artists. It gives readers the low-down on how to find work and get paid, how to establish and grow your arts practice and let them in on helpful business, legal and financial advice.

All content is presented in bite-sized articles, written in conversational language, and interspersed with artwork and advice from local artists".

By the end of the week I had enough energy to do a little bit around the studio and work on the business/admin/accounts side of things.  Sometimes one needs these kind of weeks, I doubt that I would of taken the time off on my own accord to rest and read my art books if I wasn't sick. 

I Hope you are having a lovely weekend!

Come visit me at http://www.facebook.com/tracey.potter.artist

 

My week in the studio

I had an enjoyable week in the studio framing my paintings for next weeks' show at Vintage by Lou Lou.  If you saw last weeks' post you would have seen the beginnings of what I was up to.  I spent the week spray painting, crackling, brushing, rubbing, gluing, cutting and drilling and here's what I came up with!

And here's a closer look at some of my favourite pieces...

'The Persimmon King' got some special treatment and was turned into a key box.

These two photo frames were turned into box frames and backed with Willian Morris paper.

Later in the week my moo cards were dropped off at Bleeding Hearts Gallery along with my donated painting for cathARTic.

After a few weeks of letting the clutter build up in the studio, I have tidied up, cleaned my brushes, put my paints back in order, put away all my frames and reclaimed the kitchen table for eating on.

I'm ready to start some new paintings this coming week! I've got so many ideas, I'm so inspired and I can't wait! Here's one of the vintage photographs I intent to use as inspiration for one of my next paintings, It's an old image of actress Adrienne Augarde.

And here is a painting by Daiva Staškevičienė. I stumbled across this artist on facebook this week.  Love the quirkiness, compositions, colours and paint application! I'm going to do a bit more research into the workings of Davia this coming week, inspirational.

Also this week:
I wanted to do something special for my supportive 'likers' and give back some of the love I get. Valentines day is coming up too! So to celebrate all the love in February 'Blue Dancing Bird' has been reduced just for fans. I think it would make a lovely gift for a loved one, What do you think?

I hope you are having a lovely weekend!

Come say 'hi' to me on facebook

My week in the Studio.

Our living room has become an extension of the studio this week, the dinning table and couches have been taken over with all my art stuff and paintings.

Most of the week has been dedicated to mounting and packing all my donated paintings to send off to the generous winners of the various flood appeal auctions that were held on Facebook. I'm excited to say that my small paintings raised over $1,000 to help with the recent disaster that affected my fellow Queenslanders. The response was overwhelming, with new and loyal fans joining in the fun, it was fantastic to see all the bidding wars going on, not just on my paintings, but on all the donated items. Makes me proud to be an Australian!

Once all the paintings were backed, packaged and sent (still a few left to post as I'm waiting for confirmation of payment), I got the opportunity to start the mounting and presentation of my paintings for the upcoming exhibition at Vintage by Lou Lou. I'm delighted to be involved in this show and completely honored to be the featured artist at the official opening of this lovely vintage boutique.  If you are not familiar with Vintage by Lou Lou, take a look at their gorgeous online shop where you will find pieces that make a "House a Home".  Here's a few photos of me playing around with framing of my paintings, still a bit of work to go before the opening on the 10th of February, but I believe they will come up fantastically. 

Donations to the Flood Appeal are still needed, it will take a long time for Queensland to rebuild after the January floods. There are a few galleries holding charity auctions during February to help raise more much needed money for the clean up. The below painting will be part of the Cathartic Exhibition and Flood Charity Art Auction held at Bleeding Hearts on the 10th of February (6pm - 9.30 am). Tickets to attend the auction evening are available here: http://tickets.oztix.com.au/?Event=19581

Also this piece (below) has been donated to the Art for Ipswich - Charity Art Auction which will be held at the SWICH Contemporary Art Space on the 12 February 2011. Please get behind these auctions as every little bit will help those in need.

 

 

I've also been playing around with making some little badges to give away. Some of the badges I made are going to the generous winners of the auctions who bid over $80 on a painting. Here are some of the badges packaged up, what do you think?

Have a lovely weekend! 

Come say hi to me over at  http://www.facebook.com/tracey.potter.artist

Birds at Bleeding Hearts Cafe and Gallery's Gift Shop

For the last year or so, I have been meeting a good friend of mine at Bleeding Heart's Cafe and Gallery every few weeks to have a coffee, catch up on all the gossip and look at the gallery and gift shop. It's a perfect place for our regular catch ups because it's in a central location (being in the heart of the Brisbane city) the staff are friendly and welcoming, the coffee, banana cake and toasted ham and cheese sandwiches are nice and well priced. It's the kind of place where I feel comfortable spending hours and hours in great company and fantastic surroundings.  The wonderful thing about Bleeding Hearts is that all the profit that is made through the shop, cafe and gallery is donated back to charity.
  

I have been toying with the idea of putting my work in the gift shop there for a while now, and I've finally done it! Here's a photo or two of the current display:
 

                               Date:                     21 January 2011 -onwards

                               Time:                    Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm.
                                              

                               Location:              166 Ann Street, Brisbane.

                              Website:                http://www.bleedingheart.com.au/

                              Facebook Page:    http://tinyurl.com/4csv7ge

                              Map: 

        inquires:  www.facebook.com/tracey.potter.artist

AMENDED: Please note exhibition has ended.