Gaye’s Studio News

Colour is everything

13 April 2022

In my last news update I was working on two blue and lemon works, now finished and up on my website www.gayeoakes.com and on Bluethumb for sale. Titled Citrus nebulae and Cool carnival. Both are 60cm square and use the same colour palette but different tools and media to develop the layers.

Inspired by an older painting featuring beautiful opal colours, I set about creating 4, 44cm square paintings. Four pieces of sealed cartridge paper were taped to my painting wall and I set about the challenge. I didn’t achieve what I was hoping for, partly because I was drawn to using my favourite oil sticks rather than the silicon spreader and oil paint mixed with wax. My brain really likes to do its own thing! Can’t fight it!

Am I happy with the result which is only minimally like my inspiration piece? Yes I am. They should look good in my recently purchased wide white frames.

I have been preparing for my next exhibition at City Doctors in Collins St Hobart where there is space for 10 medium to large sized works. I am thinking of an autumn theme in keeping with the season; a glorious time where I live. Often still, warm days but with cooling at night and crisp mornings. I have a few paintings from my Unearthed series that should hang nicely together. Inspired by a theme of red, magenta, gold, black and beige and grey neutrals.

Following this colour theme my next creations, with less defined marks, shapes and lines are making me very happy. I am at a point where I am being pulled between wanting to create more structural work and like these looser feeling ones. I love the soft blended background.

Moving on to a different set of colours for the next two with mixed results. They were inspired by another two completed recently in the same colours; ultramarine blue, magenta and Indian yellow with a touch of black and white. These feature more structured and definite shapes and lines. The first is titled Another place and the second unresolved one is Out of place. I need to put the latter aside for a while to dry and decide what it wants to do.

Feeling a little discouraged by these and looking back through my visual catalogue and came across a painting that I loved and sold which was one of those significant works that heralded a new direction in my work. Loved the colours and thought I could use a process like the two black and red ones discussed above. Going well so far!

On the theme of colour the Art Society of Tasmania’s current exhibition at the Lady Franklin Gallery in Lenah Valley is titled It’s all about colour . I have entered two works one in my new wide white frame and titled Wild bunch and the other is unframed but matted ready for framing. Its called Fragile. Both florals are on display until 1 May.

I have re-activated my Art Lovers online gallery space. It is similar to Bluethumb but perhaps focusses more on the collector rather than the artist. There is interesting information for collectors about choosing art and/or building a collection.

https://artloversaustralia.com.au/

Thank you for taking the time to read my news and please leave any comments or email me direct at [email protected]

Happy Easter!