Gaye’s Studio News

Seasons greetings

12 December 2024

A mild spring with good rainfall created abundance in my garden, keeping me very busy.  Now summer is officially here with bumper raspberry and broad bean harvests underway.  

On the art front, I have pursued my floral/garden series project based on my most successful work from the first series; trying to keep the energy flowing with just a hint of floral.

Its amuses me that I am doing this because I love flowers and gardens but I loath using green paint.  It is probably the most difficult colour to master. It has to be mixed from a blue and yellow of which there are many variations. I think I am getting there with these. Maybe a break for a while. Face them to the wall.

It is the time of year I review my progress and acknowledge my successes, look for areas to improve or extend myself.  

I started my abstract expressionistic phase four and a half years ago in 2020, although I had played with abstract art since 2014. My first blog newsletter was in May 2020 and first sale on Bluethumb October 2020.  The admin work needed to support and maintain this momentum in my art practice is considerable.

2024 saw me experimenting with mixed media collage work, tissue ink printing, a little teaching venture, delving deeper into oil and cold wax medium techniques and ideas.  I appear to have worked on and mostly completed 80 paintings. My goal was to average two per week.  

Sales on Bluthumb have reduced in the past year; I think because there are just so many artists on the platform now(100,000s).  With BT taking such a large commission, placing restrictions on artists, heavily discounting works and about to be offering photographic prints, I am seriously thinking about not continuing with them.

Maybe I need a break or a holiday!

I did enjoy the mixed media collages earlier in the year.

2024 collaged Inflections series

Memories of the Fagus is another series recently finished, building up many layers, alternating opaque and transparent, light or dark,  or warm or cool colours, creating an interesting complex surface.

One was selected as a staff pick on Bluethumb online gallery where I sell my work.

I have continued with online courses in 2024, including with the Cold Wax Academy and Kasia Clark. It is good to experiment and play with different techniques. I am coming to realise that some subjects, especially representational, may not work as well with oil and cold wax, My still life series was a disaster.

Where to next! I have a couple more to finish in my floral series and then I might take a break, maybe play with collage or interpreting shapes.  I have a realistic coastal work planned for an exhibition titled Pathways in 2025.

I recently rotated my doctors practice works adding a new set to Sandy Bay on a floral theme with 3 previously unseen works. So can have a break from that as well.

I have my entries ready for the Waterways Art Exhibition in the Long Gallery, part of the Hobart bi-annual Wooden Boat Festival in early February.  Also entries for the Cygnet exhibition in March.

I hope this season brings you joy, peace, and lots of great food.