Visual Art Staff Show - you are invited to the floor talk!

The 2016 Visual Arts Staff Show is currently on display in the Trapezium Gallery. This elegant exhibition showcases the arts practice of staff currently teaching on our visual arts courses. 

This week, on Wednesday March 23rd, the weekly NADC Arts Forum will be held in the Gallery, with many of the artists present to speak about their work, and answer questions from the audience.

Join us in the Gallery at 12 noon on March 23 for drinks and nibbles. At 12.30, NADC painting and drawing teacher Tim Allen will M.C. the floor talks, introducing the artists who will speak about the motivation and techniques behind their works. The talks will last for approximately half an hour, and from 1pm to 1.30 pm you can mingle with the artists and continue to enjoy the exhibition.

The exhibition includes work by David White, Tim Allen, Catherine O'Donnell, Jo Newton, Samara Kendall, Anthony Cahill, Cath Barcan, Jacqueline Spedding, Linda Seiffert, Cameron Ferguson, Matthew Ablitt, Di Holdsworth, Stephen Hall and Shirley Daborn.

The exhibition continues until March 31. Gallery hours are 9am-4pm, Monday to Friday.

Artwork by Anthony Cahill(iphone snap by Peter Helm)

Artwork by Linda Seiffert (iphone snap by Peter Helm)

Catherine O'Donnell's Exhibition

Join Catherine O Donnell  - one of  our fabulous drawing and theory  teachers -  at her show 'Estates of Tommorrow',  at the Flinders Street Gallery:   - http://www.flindersstreetgallery.com/ .

Catherine's work was described by  Sydney Morning Heralds  Michael Fitzgerald as ' like crime scenes mixed with love'.

Be sure to see this amazing show of intimate and detailed drawings - closes on the  20th of April.

You're invited to the Visual Arts Bus Unveiling!

All welcome to the Great Unveiling on December 13!

We are getting pretty excited as the day of the Visual Arts Bus unveiling draws closer !

Here is a recap on the bus, and an updated timeline. We do hope you can join us for the festivities.....

More than seventy self portraits from the Me Myself and I project will adorn the side of a local bus that will travel the local region around Penrith and St Mary's. Me Myself and I is an annual project we host in the Trapezium Gallery at NADC, and features self-portrait images from NADC students and staff.

The bus will be officially unveiled  on Thursday December 13, at the Bus Stop outside of Gate 1 in
 O' Connell St, Kingswood. All friends and supporters of Visual Arts at NADC are warmly invited to join us for this celebration. We will gather at 10am, for a 10.30 unveiling.  There will be lots of photo opportunities, and the artists will be invited to sign their work on the side of the bus. We do hope you can join us.

At approximately 11.30am, the bus will then go on a tour of Penrith, and take us to the Penrith Regional Gallery, for a welcome to the latest exhibition from one of the Gallery's curatorial staff. (or if you prefer, the cafe does one of the best coffees in Penrith..)

Artists who are exhibited on the side of the bus get first dibbs on a seat, however if there are any spare seats, anyone can jump on board. If you don't get a seat, we would love to meet you at the Gallery if you can get there under your own steam. We expect to be back at the College around 1pm, with one stop off point in Penrith on the way back.

We don't have many seats left, but you can book yours by calling Regina Cooper on ph 9208 9484 :

If you can't come for the ride, we would still love it if you could join us for the official unveiling at 10 for 10.30am, Gate 1, O'Connell Street.

Featured artists are:
Aaron Berndt, Adele Bruens, Alex Curtis, AmorV, the late Arnold Freen, Blake Hicks, Carol Donovan, Chris Legaspi, Claire Lang, Constance Taylor, C Spillane, Danielle Pearse, David Raynor, Di Holdsworth, Elise Pike, Emma Smith, Eva Mahfoud, Georgina Taylor, Grace Edmonds, Jack Gibson, Jacqui Graves, Jade Martin, Jaimie Gall, Janet Reinhardt, Jason Dewhurst, Jeliza Vega, Jennifer Chapman-Paton, Jo Newton, Jodi McConaghy, Judy Frazer, Julia Samuel, Julieanne Bartolo, Julie Willis, Karen Normoyle, Karl Hellman, Karl Doyle, Katherine Kennedy, Kathryn Trippett, Katriona Asiata, Kerry Donnelley, Kimberley Miles, Lisa McKay, Lorraine Bateman, Lyndon Matts, Lynn Williams, Malcolm Nash, Maria Okon, Marion Brooking, Micheal Sharpe, Narwal Khatiwada, Naomi Murdolo, Natalie Horvat, Nelson Nyangole, Nerida Gibbs, Nicola Mason, Reena Mitra, Ricardo Della-Ricca, Robert Musgrave, Robyn Lewis, Rum Hort, Sally Evans, Samara Kendall, Sandra Hussey, Shannon Ring, Sharon Zou, Stephen Hall, Suzie Harris, Sue McDonald, Sue Evans, Susan Jorgensen, Tatiana Campos, Terrence Combos, the late Tim Dean, Tim Newman, Tom Brady, Tom Groves, Tracey Leigh Smith, Vaughan England.

Congratulations to all represented artists, we would have loved to include many more, but we would need another bus!

You can register and enrol for Fine Arts courses at NADC for 2013, by visiting our course information page:
http://nadc.wsi.tafensw.edu.au/art/course.aspx
or calling 131 870.

Previews of the Me Myself and I books can be found here:
http://www.blurb.com/books/2023001
http://www.blurb.com/books/3120682

NADC at the Fisher's Ghost Art Award

Cath Barcan, Untitled image from the series 'Film', inkjet pigment print,
 35cm x 50cm, 2012 
This work won the Photographic Award, Fisher's Ghost Art Award, 2012.

A huge crowd filled the Campbelltown Arts Centre for the 50th Fisher's Ghost Art Award on Friday night. Amongst the artists included in the exhibition were NADC staff Nerine Martini and Cath Barcan. Also selected as finalists were current students Nawal Khatiwada, Julieanne Bartolo, Ruma Hort, Barbara Hellman and Katherine Kennedy. In addition, numerous graduates of fine arts at NADC were amongst the selected artists. And if that isn't enough, did we mention that fine arts T.O. Ricardo Della-Ricca helped install the show in his other role as freelance preparator?

The Fisher's Ghost Art Award offers a  first prize of $40,000  which was taken out by Raquel Ormella. Raquel is now a very successful Australian visual artist who started her art training with us at Penrith TAFE some twenty years ago.

The Fisher's Ghost Art Award has numerous category prizes, and Fine Arts Head Teacher Cath Barcan won the Photographic Award. Her winning image is pictured above.

The Judges for the prizes were Natasha Bullock, Curator Contemporary Art, Art Gallery of NSW, Lisa Havilah, Director  of Carriageworks, and Keith Munro, Curator Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Programs, Museum of Contemporary Art.

Congratulations to all NADC participants on your involvement in this show.

International Exhibition

Congratulations to our fabulous painting and drawing teacher - David White, who has been accepted into the international drawing exhibition: ‘Contemporary Drawing 2012’ at the Schweizer Kunstraum (Swiss Art Space) in Lausanne, Switzerland. The exhibition runs between the 1st of November – 30th November, 2012.

David has had three works selected for this exhibition. Below is one of them – ‘The Patriarch’

Cathy O Donnell showing in Queensland

Catherine O'Donnell - drawing and history teacher at NADC   is currently showing in 'Venetian Visions' at Caloundra Regional Gallery (11 July to 12 August 2012) in Queensland.

Catherine's fabulous drawing exhibition is a result of winning the prestigious Albany Art Prize and its accompanying residency in Venice, Italy in 2009.

The exhibition has been touring around the east coast of Australia for the past year. In the exhibition is a suite of large-scale charcoal drawings of the Venetian landscape exploring the architecture, culture and history of everyday Venice.

Catherine spent the weekend as the guest of the Regional Gallery delivering a formal guest lecture and talks reflecting on the works in 'Venetian Visions' to gallery patrons. Catherine also delivered a booked out drawing workshop which was so popular a waiting list had to be created. Congrats to you Cath!

Tim Allen solo exhibition and student excursion

click for a larger image

Fine Art teacher Tim Allen currently has a solo exhibition at Defiance Gallery, Sydney. The show is a result of a trip to the Northern Flinders Ranges in South Australia to work plein air, which led to a series of large scale paintings produced in the studio.

On Saturday 28th July at 2pm Tim will hold an artist floor talk at the gallery, in conversation with Richard Morecroft, to discuss the processes, ideas and experiences behind the artworks.

Second year Diploma painting students will visit the exhibition as part of a series of commercial gallery visits on Tuesday 31st July. Gallery owner Campbell Robertson-Swann will give a talk to the students about aspects of forging a career as a professional artist. The students will be joined on excursion by 2nd year painting students from Hornsby TAFE (with teacher Stephen Hall) in order to encourage an exchange of ideas between art schools.
The exhibition runs until 11th August. Defiance Gallery is located at 47 Enmore Rd Newtown.

Catherine O'Donnell's show in Melbourne

click for a larger image

Anyone heading down to Melbourne during the break? NADC Fine Arts teacher Catherine O'Donnell is exhibiting at Dianne Tanzer Gallery. The Gallery is located in Gertrude St Fitzroy, which is a fantastic area for art, design and fashion. Catherine's show runs until July 21: congratulations to Catherine on another great achievement.

Stephen Hall's Solo Show

a work from Stephen Hall's solo show

NADC Fine Art teacher Stephen Hall has a solo show opening at Gallery Red in Glebe this Friday night from 6pm-8pm.

Stephen will be exhibiting mixed media works, in an exhibition called 'The Kedumba Musings of Merry Andrew the Limner'.

You can read more about the exhibition on Gallery Red's website.

Hidden 2012

Congratulations to staff members Stephen Hall and Aiden Harris  who have  been selected for the fourth annual Hidden : Rookwood Sculpture Walk. The exhibition invites  audiences to explore the historic cemetery and find the sculptures  installed within  the grounds.
All artworks selected into Hidden 2012 are short listed for the Rookwood Necropolis Sculpture Award -  a $5,000.00 non-acquisitive award.

 'With views of the city on the horizon, this site offers artists a rare opportunity to showcase their work in an extremely thought provoking context'.

"The Limner Loses"

gouache on a photographic image on watercolour paper

 Image from Stephens proposal for Hidden 2012

Clay at the Corner

Clay at the Corner was established last year at the Arts and Crafts Studios at St Marys Corner by Penrith City Council, aiming to promote community connections in the Nepean region through the creative medium of clay.

Nepean Ceramics teacher, Susan Jorgensen opened an exhibition of ceramics by members of the Nepean Potters Society on the Friday evening, and followed up with a clay workshop for children on Saturday and another for adults on Sunday. There were "local families from St Marys and St Clare, Penrith , Blue Mountains and other regional areas...over 100 hundred in the first few hours of the Saturday workshops." said Adnan Begic, Cultural Projects Officer.

Paola Talbert in Head-on Exhibition

Fine Art photography teacher Paola Talbert is exhibiting at Chrissie Cotter Gallery in Marrickville as part of the head-on Photo Festival. Paola is showing with fellow artist Johanna Trainor, who has also taught with TAFE NSW for many years.
Paola's exhibition opens this Friday May 18 from 6-8pm at Chrissie Cotter Gallery in Piddock St Camperdown. All welcome.
'Paola Talbert's captivating translucent assemblages of glass fragments, scavenged at low tide, are arranged in painterly constructions defining a topographic edge. Juxtaposed with underwater scenes that reveal and conceal the body in a diaphanous plastic, her photographic series Gyre exposes the fragile ecology of our oceans and foreshores'.

Drawing Prize Finalist

Congratulations are in order for yet another staff member, this time Catherine O' Donnell  who has been selected  for the The Rick Amor Drawing Prize 2012

Rick Amor, one of Australia's leading contemporary artists, has sponsored a $10,000 acquisitive prize for small drawings at the Art Gallery of Ballarat. In sponsoring the prize, Amor says "I hope that this prize gives people one more reason to keep drawing on paper… the most direct and intimate expression of an artist's sensibility".

70 finalists were chosen from a field of nearly 600 submissions, all of drawings no larger than 76 x 56cm.

                             Catherine O' Donnell - Block 253,  Charcoal on Paper  70X53cm 2012

Staff finalists in Painting Prize

Congratulations to  our new full time painting and drawing teacher Tim Allen , selected as a finalist in the 2012 NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize. Congratulations also to  fellow Fine Arts teacher Stephen Hall who has also been selected.

The term ‘en plein air’ refers to the practice of painting out of doors, in direct engagement with nature. Tim described this practice in relation to his selected entry:


“This work was created over Easter 2012, at a property outside Cooma on the Monaro Plains. The collections of granite boulders and dieback trees that dot the property have the starkness of the European romantic tradition. This was emphasised on the day of this painting when the initially sunny day quickly transformed as a strong southerly front brought an unseasonal snowstorm. The energy and tension imbued into an artwork by the unpredictability of working en plein air is what I love about the process. The day finished with a beer, contemplating the painting on the veranda as snow fell and the other artists started a snowfight'

The finalists are on display at NSW Parliament in the Fountain Court until 31^st May. The exhibition is open Monday to Friday, 8.00am – 5.30pm.  

Tim Allen -  Granite Fields Monaro Plains

2012 Staff Show

Our annual staff show is now open for viewing!  This exhibition showcases recent work  by our  fine arts staff  members illustrating a variety of disciplines, approaches and practices.  Peruse the show at  your leisure  then join us for the official launch on Wednesday the 28th  of March at  lunchtime - all welcome!

Jo Ernsten in 'Beyond Language' an overseas printmedia exhibition

The works of one of our printmaking teachers - Jo Ernsten is now showing in 'Beyond Language'  at AshvilleBookworks - North Carolina  USA.
This is an exhibition of printed works  made using the ' building blocks of communication, all of them structured deliberately not to be read as text, but rather understood as compositions. A few pieces in the show take a path toward literally making illustrations with letters that have been whimsically liberated from their usual work of making words, while other works arrive to use more abstactly and with a strange beauty that is ironically bound to them by their illegibility'

Catherine O'Donnell's three exhibitions

Catherine O'Donnell, 'inclosed land', 2011, charcoal on paper, 42 cm x 210 cm

NADC Fine Arts teacher Catherine O'Donnell is currently showing in three exhibitions.

 'Still Life' is an exhibition at the Parramatta Artist Studios (Feb 27- March 23, 2012), which is curated by Sophia Kouyoumdjian. This exhibition challenges the common perceptions of the still life genre, from the kitchen table to the streets of Western Sydney, and darts around the tradition of motionless composition.

 The exhibition features contemporary works by Catherine O’Donnell, Sarah Goffman, Helena Leslie and Naomi Oliver, that utilise emotive stillness, clustered objects and arrangements of light and shadow to inject currency into convention. This exhibition was opened by Anne Loxley, C3West Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art.

Catherine is also showing in the 2012 Adelaide Perry Prize for drawing. This annual exhibition is an acquisitive drawing prize judged by art critic John McDonald, who shortlisted 48 artworks for exhibition from more than 420 entries from across Australia. Alongside Catherine in this exhibition is fellow NADC Fine Arts teacher Tim Allen.
The exhibited drawings reflect the broad range of contemporary Australian artists’ approaches to drawing.

 Catherine O' Donnell, Shared Zone, 2011 charcoal on paper

In addition to these two achievements, Catherine's solo exhibition,'Venetian Visions' is a touring the east coast of Australia, and currently showing at the Grafton Regional Gallery.

Toni Warburton at Articulate Project Space

NADC Fine Arts teacher has been working on an experimental project called eye of Horus lost and found  at Articulate Project Space in Leichardt. There will be an open day this Saturday March 10, and an opportunity to see the artist at work.
For more details visit the articlate blog: http://articulate497.blogspot.com.au/

Di Holdsworth at Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest

'Pygmalion', 2006, kinetic collage assemblage, 48x39x7cm

Fine Arts teacher Di Holdsworth is showing in a group exhibition at the Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest. The exhibition runs from the 11th of February to the 27th of April.
Join the artists for the opening at the Gallery on the 18th of February from 5pm-7pm.
The following extract is from the PRG website.

Hello Dollies presents a range of artwork by accomplished artists who, from the 1940s until the present day, have identified with the symbolic and psychological resonance of ‘the doll’. From the portrayal of personal despair to the satirical exposé of socio-political issues, the human condition is scrutinized. This exhibition’s starting point is a painting by celebrated artist Joy Hester, whose poignant depiction of Gethsemane, a doll belonging to childless art patron Sunday Reed, will underpin the exhibition’s focus on dolls as human substitutes and holders of desires, hopes, fears and fantasies. 

Artists include: Peter Baka, Penny Byrne, Gunter Christmann, Will Coles, Matt Coyle, Destiny Deacon, Adrienne Doig, Fiona Fenech, Rosalie Gascoigne, Barbara Hanrahan, Di Holdsworth, Linde Ivimey, Kate Just, Deborah Kelly, Alasdair Macintyre, Tracey Moffatt, Mirka Mora, Janet Parker-Smith, Joan Ross, Sally Smart, Kat Smolynec and Peter Spilsbury.

A good start to the year for Tim Allen

 Above Gorge Country (2011) : Tim Allen's work featured in the SMH, 26.1.12

It's been a great start to the year for NADC teacher Tim Allen. Tim has been teaching fine arts with us for many years, and  this year, he has just been awarded a full-time position at NADC.

In other good news, Tim was also featured in the Australia Day edition of the Sydney Morning Herald in their 'Great Australian Landscape' feature. You can see Tim's work and the other featured artists here.

The artists featured in the Sydney Morning Herald are all part of an exhibition currently on view until January 29 at:

Tim Olsen Gallery,
63 Jersey Road, Woollahra
Tuesday to Friday 10am-6pm
Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 12pm-5pm
9327 3922
timolsengallery.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/the-great-australian-landscape-20120125-1qhrp.html#ixzz1kbDj4HXl