Stephen Hall's exhibition

click on the invitation for a larger view

Cultural productions and painting teacher Stephen Hall is having an exhibition at the Sydney Antique Centre with works featuring the central character Merry Andrew the Limner which he describes below:
"A bit over twelve months ago Merry-Andrew the Limner was launched to the world firstly in catalogue form with an essay introducing him & then in the large show with over fifty works in it at Depot 2 at Dank Street. One idea was that Merry-Andrew would pop up in various places in exhibition keeping true to his narrative & character. Towards the end of 09 he popped up at Bondi in Sculpture by the Sea, bursting out of the ground, overlapping that he popped up at the AGNSW in the Dobell prize for Drawing in the form of Mumbai. He has emerged in various other places since & now it is time for him to do it again. This time Andy finds himself in Artists' Books as well as other forms such as ceramic sculpture & will pop up at the Sydney Antique Centre."
Stephen's show opens on September 5, between 3 and 5pm. Stephen will be manning the show most of the four weekends it is on for if you would like the opportunity to talk to the artist about his work.

Toni Warburton at Pelaton Gallery

Toni Warburton Picture Window (detail) for beach house: roomwork 5, 2010

Cultural productions teacher Toni Warburton has an upcoming exhibition of work at Peloton. Toni's installation Picture Window recollects things salvaged from the debris of a remote beach house burnt to the ground in a bush fire. The work parallels contemplation of structural inside and outside with emotional interior and exterior.
On a window sill, in a picture frame, ceramic objects altered by wood ash, wind force and temperature are shelved.

Peloton is located at 19+25 Meagher Street Chippendale, and Gallery hours are 1pm-6pm, Thursday-Sunday.The exhibition runs from August 26 to September 18, 2010.

Photograms photoshopped

digitally altered photogram by Diploma of Fine Art student Alex Curtis

Photography students from the Diploma of Fine Arts year 1 are currently producing some beautiful photographic images that combine old and new photographic technologies. These evocative images have been initiated in a traditional wet darkroom using photogram techniques. Photograms are silver-based images that are produced by placing objects directly onto photographic paper and exposing it to light. Once produced, the students have scanned their images and manipulated them in photoshop. Final output is to photo rag inkjet paper. For more examples of this lovely project, see our flickr set at http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsifineart/sets/72157624618884587/

Catherine O' Donnell's Venice Residency

a snap from Cathy's Venice residency, 2010

Fine Arts teacher Catherine O'Donnell has recently returned from an inspiring artist residency in Venice. As part of winning the Albury Art Prize in 2009, Catherine was awarded apartment accommodation and a studio in Venice at the Scuola International Grafica, as well as a generous travel bursary.

"My trip was amazing not only as I was staying in one of the most unique places in the world, but I had time to explore, experiment and reflect on my art practice" Catherine said recently.
" At the same time, I was exposed to the rich cultural heritage of the art and architecture found in Venice. The opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the Renaissance masters, and be immersed in the culture was an extraordinary experience. At Scuola International di Grafica I mixed with artists and scholars from other countries as well as the broader community. The people I had the opportunity to meet enriched my experience greatly."

As well as the apartment, Catherine had a studio which she visited daily, and also took numerous side trips including visits to the best Museums and Galleries in Europe and New York City.
" For all of this I have to thank the Albury Regional Gallery, who sponsored my trip" Catherine said.
"Their generosity has enabled me to grow on a personal and artistic level, a growth which can only come about as a result of the time and space a residency can provide."

Catherine highly recommends an overseas residency, and we look forward to seeing the body of this work that will surely come from this fantastic experience.

view of the studio space in Venice provided by the residency

Silk Cut Award

Carol Fitzgerald, 'Anthony' lino cut

Congratulations to Carol Fitzgerald, who has been selected as a finalist in this year's prestigious Silk Cut Lino Award. The Award is one of Australia's most important printmaking prizes, and is open to printmakers from all over Australia. Carol is currently enrolled in the Diploma of Fine Art, and her print, 'Anthony' has been selected as a finalist from hundereds of entries. Congratulations Carol!

The Wool Drawing

study for wool drawing by Elizabeth Dubi, Diploma of Fine Art student, 2010

The wool drawing was a collaborative project produced this July by students from second year of the Diploma of Fine Art, TAFE NSW, Western Sydney Institute, Nepean College. The drawing is based on a black pen sketch of sheep in a field by the English Sculptor, Henry Moore (1898-1986). The students made a large scale drawing, that was approximately 3 x 5 metres, using black wool as the drawing medium. The wool was used to 'draw' lines on white paper to create the image of the sheep and additional wool was added to create darker areas of tones in the drawing. The project was created and exhibited at the Trapezium Gallery during July 2010. A time-lapse video of the students creating their drawing can be viewed on Youtube at WSI Fine Art channel, by following this link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaetbebV0so

2010 National Photography Prize

Cath Barcan Bear hug, lambda print, 80cmx 50cm, 2009

Lenore Gee, 'The First Meditation' Cyanotype on cotton sateen, 92cm x 92cm, 2009,

Fine Arts at Nepean Arts and Design Centre is represented twice at this year’s prestigious National Photography Prize. Works for this year’s prize were selected by Dr Isobel Crombie, Senior Curator, Photography, National Gallery of Victoria.
Head Teacher and art photography teacher Cath Barcan has a work in the prize titled ‘Bear Hug’, which is part of a portrait series called ‘At Home with Cree.’ The work was shot in Tasmania, at the home of the subject, who lives with a menagerie of large toy animals. Also represented in the NPP is recent graduate Lenore Gee. Lenore graduated with a Diploma of Fine Art from WSI, and undertook extra fine art photography studies with us. Her work in the prize uses a 19th century blue emulsion known as cyanotype. The image, entitled ‘The First Meditation’ is a response to musings by the philosopher Descartes on the dream state, in which he debates whether the dream or waking state is our true reality.
Both works are on display at the Albury Art Gallery from August 31-September 26.