Table of contents for Issue 18 in Creative Artist

We’re thrilled to bring you some wonderful profiles from inspirational artists, accompanied by their amazing workshops. There are also plenty of tips and hints, including Patrick Hedges’ feature on manipulating light and shade to create drama. An interesting read, Margaret Hodges explores the phenomena of iridescence and how you can experiment with this concept to instil life into your work. We also highlight the best upcoming exhibitions to visit over the next few months. Plus, we put the spotlight on the iconic Geelong Gallery in Victoria, which boasts an impressive permanent collection and exhibition program. As always, we look forward to hearing from our readers. If you wish to be featured in Creative Artist, please send your submissions via email to editorial@wpco.com.au or post your contribution to: Creative Artist, PO…

Materials List • Cartridge paper • Willow charcoal • Kneadable eraser • Stanley knife for sharpening charcoal sticks • Small brush for blending • Cotton swabs for blending • Home-made charcoal blending tools • Workable fixative spray for charcoal When I am doing a portrait, I prefer to work from the person. That gives me more detail to work from. It gives me more understanding of the moods and feelings of the subject. Nevertheless, for this demonstration I had to use a reference photograph because my model, Philip Strutt (Phil), is a very busy man. I have wanted to do a portrait of him for a long time. We had discussed this before but could not get to it because of his busy schedule. I am not a great believer…

Today I’m down in the south west of Western Australia, 282km from Perth to visit artist Suzanna Hay in her bush studio, near the pretty country town of Nannup. The town is surrounded by Jarrah and Karri forests, which often give way to sweeping views over the rolling hills and sheltered valleys, while the Blackwood River quietly meanders nearby. Nannup is well known for its music festival, but few visitors would know about the vibrant artistic community that exists in the area well away from the bustle of city life. It’s here that Suzanna has her amazing studio, for the most part hidden in the trees which on arrival give way and open up to a wonderful panoramic view. Suzanna’s studio was built to take in these views. It’s just…

Portraits: Margaret Olley ‘Because I have a face like a pudding and it’s easy to draw.’ This was Margaret Olley’s humorous response when asked by friend and biographer Christine France, why, in her opinion, she was such a popular portrait subject for fellow artists. Margaret Olley is the most painted face in Australian art history. As a fledgling artist at the age of 25, Olley sat for friend and fellow artist William Dobell. His portrait Margaret Olley 1948 won the Archibald Prize, hurtling the shy young woman into a media frenzy. More than six decades later, Olley was again the subject of an Archibald Prize winning portrait; this time by Ben Quilty, Margaret Olley 2011. Olley’s remarkable career is bookended by these iconic portraits. Alongside self-portraits are portraits of Olley…

The word IRIDESCENCE is derived from Greek and Latin, (iridos means rainbow in Greek) this combined with Latin suffix, ‘escent’ meaning beginning of a state or action and ‘Iris’ from Greek Mythology meaning the Rainbow Goddess. Iridescence is also known as goniochromism; its origin is from the Greek words ‘gonia’, meaning angle and ‘chroma’, meaning colour. Iridescence is the phenomenon where certain surfaces appear to slowly interchange colour when the viewing angle or illumination of light changes. Iridescence colour movement is created by structural colouration called microstructures that interferes and plays with light shifts. The beauty of iridescence colour presents itself as an enigma, giving the optical phenomenon of changing hues on surfaces with movement as it activates multiple reflections from two or more semitransparent phase shifts on the surface,…

In August, the National Gallery London will unveil The Caged Bird’s Song, a new tapestry by Turner Prize-winning artist. The exhibition marks the first time the artist has worked in the medium of tapestry and will include a series of preparatory works on paper in an installation conceived by the artist for the Gallery’s Sunley Room. Ofili is returning to the National Gallery following the exhibition Titian: Metamorphosis 2012. In this he was one of three contemporary artists asked to respond to Titian’s great mythological paintings, Diana and Actaeon, The Death of Actaeon and Diana and Callisto, which depict stories from the Roman poet Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The imagery in this new tapestry reflects Ofili’s ongoing interest in classical mythology and contemporary ‘demigods’, together with the stories, magic and colour of…

Hi Brett, I’m finding it very frustrating trying to improve at freehand drawing but not knowing what to do to make it better. What, how, when, why??? Regards, Lost. Hi Lost, Like most worthwhile endeavours in life, freehand drawing isn’t automatic or even easy to get a grip on at first blush. It takes application, practise, and an open mind with the golden-tinged ability to learn from your ‘mistakes’ in order to see your progressing freehand drawing project in an overall way. I use that word advisedly as there really are no mistakes when freehand drawing, just developmental stages that become more and more accurate as ongoing adjustments and refinements are made as the project comes together. A lot of it comes down to preparing the ground. From selecting an…

Pradeep Ruwanpura was born in Sri Lanka where he lived for most of his life. He describes growing up always wanting to be an artist, to feel and experience the freedom of art. “I used to be very good at art in school. Nevertheless, during the 80s and 90s in Sri Lanka, no parent wanted their child to end up as a professional artist. The contemporary society expected ‘more’ from a child. Consequently, I ended up being a dental surgeon.” As a young dentist, Pradeep had the great privilege of going to Japan to read for his PhD in Biochemistry. He had always been fascinated by Japanese style paintings and during this time, looked for a way to escape from his cell culture laboratory and find out more about Japanese…

Nicole Foxall is an artist based in Bathurst, NSW. Her art journey started later in life, although making art has always been an interest of hers. After living in Sydney for 10 years working as a nurse, Nicole returned to Bathurst in 2000 with her husband to settle into a quieter country life and start a family. “Having children involves a large degree of redefinition in ones life, and it was around this time I felt the urge to pursue my creativity more,” says Nicole. With this mindset, Nicole started classes with local artist Merylin Rice, and with her guidance progressed from foundation basics to developing her own style, along with a desire to learn more. Workshops and short courses with the likes of Marijke Greenway, Ros Psakis, Ochre Lawson,…

Vojt ě ch Hynais (1854–1925) mainly gained fame through his share of decorating the National Theatre in Prague. Although he spent the final part of his life in Prague, his artistic homes were first his native Vienna and, later, Paris. The Collection of Prints and Drawings of the National Gallery in Prague holds an extensive body of inherited draughtsmanship by Hynais. These works, most of which will be premiered this time, correspond with the wide range of Hynais ʼ s oeuvre. They simultaneously represent the outcomes of a draughtsman in their main functions and expressions (sketch – study – design). The selection displayed in the Graphic Cabinet will introduce visitors to the artist ʼ s journeying throughout Europe and to his professional successes, from the early works from the 1870s…