Gaye’s Studio News

In the pink

30 June 2023

I love the way the paint moves around on the surface allowing colours to mingle and at times shout at each other. I love the marks made with the beautifully creamy oil sticks.  Building up layers of paint, not knowing what will emerge  and waiting for that fortunate stroke of serendipity is quite meditative. I work on a number of paintings at once in sets of two or three so that I can put some aside for a day (or week) or two if cant resolve them.  My studio in late afternoon.

Finished I think are these two paintings inspired by a colour palette used recently by Betty Krause. Interesting marks and shapes and harmonious hues.

The Art Society of Tasmania’s annual exhibition is coming up in late August and I am working on a large painting which I might enter. This is a small close up section. The gestural marks are built up over an orange background.  Another new work is needed for this show too, so I need to get moving.

Sitting aside for many months were two 50 cm paintings from a few years back which I had messed around with unsuccessfully until recently. Using a heavy duty paint scraper I removed most of the excess paint leaving an interesting surface then painted over this more subtley. I am pleased with the result and these will join my ‘Imagined’ set at City Doctors in early August. Titled A lively duet 1 and 2.

The Art Society of Tasmania at Lady Franklin Gallery Lenah Valley has an exhibition for July  ‘Sense of place’ with a focus on Kunyani Mt Wellington. I tried a larger realist painting in oil and cold wax but wasn’t happy with it; instead I entered a smaller mixed media piece of a tree clinging to a mountain top  ‘Clinging to life’.  Now I discover I didn’t photograph it!!

Magenta stars in two paintings I am working on. These are more structured that some done recently in my heart series. Added some heart symbols and hope they are not too kitschy.  I can over paint them if needed, but a little fun into the mix.

These are still in progress.

Today I delivered two paintings to The Bellerive Community Art Centre’s exhibition at the Rosny Schoolhouse Gallery which opens next Friday July 7  and runs until 30 July. They are Beating heart and From the heart