Gaye’s Studio News

Episode 37

28 April 2021

Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing.  Making your unknown known is the important thing.

Georgia O’Keeffe

Georgia O’Keeffe was one on my earliest favourite artists and I have a book about her and her work by Susan Wright, ‘Georgia O’Keeffe – An eternal spirit’ published in 1996 . As a beginning artist I wanted to paint larger than life, close up flowers and did so with some success. I worked in watercolour then. These are a few examples of Georgia’s work. They are probably a metre high.

I am still drawn to flowers because I love the organic shapes and limitless colour palette. I have been trying to work bolder and looser and as large as my substrate allows. This week I started a new one and feel I am achieving what I want although I am still undecided on the colour balance. These are the first and fourth layers only using paint and a 5cm silicon shaper(like a kitchen bowl scraper).

My deep pink peonies is finished I think. I am quite satisfied with how it turned out even if it wasn’t as I thought it might be. It is 60 x 60 cms.

I have two paintings on show in May at the Lady Franklin Gallery in Lenah Valley. The theme is Inspired by music .

I am taking a week off this week to catch up on other chores that have been accumulating while I have been working hard in my studio, but also helping my husband painting the exterior of the house. We are having wonderful mild autumn weather, except for a blast from Antarctica last week) so its great to get outdoors for a change.

I am think of working a few more large florals and then shifting to my coastal series. I must have another read of my Georgia O’Keeffe book. Georgia was born in about 1888 and lived until her 90s. She was a prolific artist who lived in the desert of New Mexico in her later years. Painted a lot of animal skeletons seeming to float in blue skies.

I would love to hear from you and welcome any comments and thought you might have about my art.