Paint Out Day with Gregory Smith

We went to Malmsbury Botanic Gardens, about one hour drive, north west of Melbourne.

This is a beautiful place. There're many scenic landscapes where we can paint.
And there's a gorgeous railway viaduct, which unfortunately I didn't have time to paint.

I'll definitely go back and paint more.

Oil on panel 16 x 20 in.

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Richard Dawkins at Melbourne Convention Centre

It's always a great pleasure to hear from one of the most famous scientists in the world.

This 'conversation' was moderated by Leslie Cannold, and it's subtitled 'An appetite for wonder' which is the title of his most recent book.

I was a bit disappointed by her choice of subjects in their conversation.
I was expecting to hear far much more about his life, which is all about his new book, but, it all became bogged down on usual atheism vs religion trite.
I believe everyone in the audience has already heard of these.

Worst of all, her repeated use of twitter and documentary footages Richard created years ago were just annoying. I think they were cutting off the flow of the interview.

I found Q&A session from audience far much more interesting, and it finally succeeded in bringing this great man closer to us.

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My client Sandy McDonald speaking at TEDx Melbourne

I cut Sandy's hair today.
We had talked about her forthcoming appearance at TEDx Melbourne the last time she was in a salon telling her how amazing it was to be invited to TED, but, I didn't know it was already uploaded to YouTube.

Well, I've just finished watching it.
It's a very moving story, and I think she did a fabulous presentation.

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Coburg Night Market

I've been going to this market for a while, and this is the 5th year according to their website.

This is a wonderful market with interesting craft stalls, great foods and live music, with a very cosy atmosphere.

Every Friday until Dec 19.

Here is its website.

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Oil Painting Lesson with Gregory Smith - Day 8

Greg told me to leave the statue for now, and do some work on the two others at its sides.

I'm reasonably happy with these. Based on his suggestions, I tried to create three dimensional tonality, focusing on whether the shape is coming up or down.

Then, I found that I was running out of time doing work on the statue.
Put it simply, I had forgotten to get the big shape right, rather than fiddling small details.

It was a great challenge for me to paint this one, but, I've learned a lot.
I'd like to come back to this subject in the future.

Two more lessons left this year, and I'm planning to paint flowers next Monday.

Oil on panel. 16 x 20 in.

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Sitting as a model for Oil Painting Lesson with Gregory Smith - Day 3

Today is the final session. 

Actually, it's very hard to sit still for a long period of time. 

Watching these different styles of my portrait is fascinating. Also, hearing Greg's suggestion is always a great opportunity to get some tips on painting.

I really enjoyed the experience.

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Plein Air Oil Painting

I went back to Le Page Homestead at Plenty Gorge Park in Hawkstowe.

I decided to paint from the same viewpoint to see any difference.

It was a bit windy but very comfortable painting afternoon.

I tried to simplify shapes and see big overall picture.

I still struggle with trees, but I'm reasonably happy with the rest. 

Oil on panel. 16 x 20 in.

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"Still Body' exhibition opening

It was a great opening at Nest Coworking in Thornbury.

This place is very well designed, with very clever use of timbers and natural materials.
At the back, there is a small cinema space where Frank played a slideshow.

I met a lot of good friends and my clients, and people I didn't know. It was a great pleasure to have an opportunity like this.

There was also Mexican food truck outside, and it was very tasty.

With my painting framed and hung for the first time in a gallery space, I was very happy with it.

It really was a memorable evening.

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British Hairdressing Awards 30th Anniversary Book

Hairdressers Journal published this 200-page book to commemorate past 30 years history of this prestigious award.

It's inevitable to be selective, considering the timespan, but, I was expecting much more photos of the winners' works from the early days.

The focus is clearly on the latter part of its history, and that's fine, but, I really wanted to see more from the 80s and 90s.

Still, this is a great book to keep, and savour lots of iconic images that were created by hairdressers in the UK. They were and are a vanguard of this creative industry.

The photo is Artistic Team of The Year by Toni & Guy from 1989 to 2000.
Anthony's incredible creative output at its pinnacle.
He's the one who made me decide to go to London.

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Richard Dawkins : Australian Tour - 'An Appetite For Wonder'

I've just found that Richard is coming to Melbourne! Very exciting.
I'm really looking forward to it.

The details are here at  The Atheist Foundation of Australia.

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Oil Painting Lesson with Gregory Smith - Day 7

Again, I spent a whole session trying to get a statue right.

First, Greg pointed out her breasts were too big and low, and I changed that.
He also told me not to concern about its details, and focus on its big shapes.
And, try to create three dimensionality utilising tonal shift.

I didn't do a good job today, fiddling bits here and there.
I should keep reminding myself of Greg's advice that a painting is a sculpture on a flat surface.

At the end of the lesson, he pointed out that I was too obsessed with details, particularly the bottom half.

I'll have a lot to do next Monday.

Work in progress. 16 x 20 in.

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Sitting as a model for Oil Painting Lesson with Gregory Smith - Day 2

This is the second session.

It's very interesting to see the shape start to emerge. I think that's the power of Greg's method of painting.
We don't draw. We simply observe tonal balance of different shapes and put them down on a canvas.

Well, I just said 'simply', but, that's the most difficult thing to do.

I'm loving this. Everybody has a different style, and that's what makes art so fascinating.

We have one more session next Monday.

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Oil Painting at Last Peek Studio

We had a great model today.
Geraldine has a strong sports background, and she's very keen on exploring different poses.
She has an amazing ability to hold them very well.

I tried to capture the effect of light on her skin, but, I still struggle to get its colour right.
I'm happy with its overall shape, but, I did have a very difficult time doing her face.

Still, it was a great day with my friends in this lovely studio in Thornbury.

Oil on panel. 16 x 20 in.

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VCA 2014 End of Year Dance Performance - 2

There are four programs by graduate dance students at Space 28, 28 Dodds Street, Southbank.

It was torrential rain in the evening and the traffic in city was terrible.
To my disgust, I missed the first one, Fragile Oasis (2013), choreographed by Anna Smith. She was one of my favourites last year, so I was really disappointed.
My friend said it was a great work.

'God Save The Queen' by Lina Limosani was very intriguing. Its very comical but energetic dance sequence kept my foot stomping.

'A Signature Species of Semblance' by Prue Lang was a beautiful, slow and elegant study of movement.

The day was ended with 'Pterodactyl' by Stephanie Lake. It gave opportunity to every dancer to showcase their dexterity which is the culmination of their hard work of the last three years.

Its energy and excitement linger long after the end of this great performance.

I wish them all a great future in this wonderful form of art.

Some of notable performers.

Sarah Bruce, Claire Lesk, Harrison Ritchie-Jones, Ellya Sam....

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Oil Painting Lesson with Gregory Smith - Day 6

Today, I spent a whole lesson trying to get a statue right.
However, I ended up fiddling everywhere, completely forgetting tonal balance.

Then, towards the end of lesson, Greg showed me the importance of seeing big shapes.

He told me that there are four main planes, her thigh to knee, top of her head, chest and her tummy.

I had been drawing small lines here and there to try to create three dimensions, but, he just got rid of them, painting much broader basic planes to achieve that.

The result was a really truthful rendition of tonal three dimensionality. He just does that so easily!

I learned a lot today.

Work in progress. 16 x 20 in.

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Sitting as a model for Oil Painting Lesson with Gregory Smith - Day 1

I was asked to be a model for this Monday afternoon class.
I've never been painted this way, and it was a fantastic experience.

It's fascinating to see everybody paint differently. Each has their own style.

Just hearing Greg's advice to my friends in a studio was a great way of learning.

I'm loving this, and looking forward to next Monday.

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Debra Luccio : Black Swan White Swan exhibition

Subtitled 'Monotypes of The Australian Ballet',  this exhibition at Steps Gallery in Carlton showcases her artworks that are inspired by The Australian Ballet in rehearsals for Graeme Murphy's 'Swan Lake'.

Monotypes are very laborious process, well I just know it from her previous talk, that involves applying layers of sticky etching ink on a plate, wiping them off with a cloth or fingers that create whites (colour of paper), and the image is transferred from a plate to paper.

All the works on display are monochromatic, very different from her colourful prints I've seen before.

Marco told me that that's how she started monotypes, and, as he said, I can see the purity of dancers' body form more vividly.

I had a great pleasure talking with Marco and Debra who're always very kind and they never cease to inspire me creatively.

Artist Floor Talk is on 16 Nov Sunday, but, unfortunately I won't be able to make it.

http://www.debraluccio.com
http://www.marcoluccio.com

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Victorian Artists Society Open Day with Gregory Smith

Greg painted outside this iconic building as part of the festival.

It's always a precious opportunity to watch him painting, and talk with him about his thought process.

He's very generous answering all my questions, and I learned a lot today.

This is the way he starts. No drawings are involved.

Basic forms start to emerge. He carefully measures proportions and angles all the time.

Still, everything is kept very loose. However, they're all in a right place.

I was watching the way he paints trees. Just a dab of colours!  It really was like a magic.

Voila!

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'Ways of Seeing' by John Berger

I've just come across this superb BBC documentary through one of art blogs I subscribe.

Produced in 1972, this grainy YouTube video offers us a very fascinating question of 'ways of seeing.'

Based on Marxist philosopher Walter Benjamin’s 1936 essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction", there are four episodes that explore, for example, the impact of photography on our appreciation of art, female nude in painting, oil paintings as personal property, advertising and painting.....

This is a very thought-provoking TV series, and the comparison with Kenneth Clark's 'Civilisation' is very interesting.

Now I'm reading the book he wrote, which was based on this program. Brilliant.

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'Still Body' exhibition

I'm taking part in this exhibition organised by Last Peek Studio.
If you're interested, please have a look.
I'll be at the opening, so, hopefully see you there.

Nest Coworking 

829a High St, Thornbury

Opening: Nov 21 Friday 6-9 pm

Until Dec 7 Sun.

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Plein Air Oil Painting

It was a beautiful Melbourne Cup day.
I went back to near Olympic Park.

One of the challenges when painting outside is strong winds, and today was such a day.

The wind got so strong that my easel fell down once. Fortunately, that was at the beginning of my painting, so I didn't suffer much this time.

I put more weight on my easel, and it was ok for a while.

Then, the wind got much stronger, and I had to hold the easel at the same time painting.

It was really tricky.

However, I managed to finish this one.

The colour green seems to be my biggest challenge.

Oil on panel. 16 x 20 in.

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Oil Painting lesson with Gregory Smith - Day 5

Greg told me that there's a problem of the statue, it looked a bit squashed.

He suggested I should do a background in order to correct its shape, mixing Ivory Black and a touch of Cad Red.

Then, I put Yellow Ocher on it and a metal vase, and dirty green on a porcelain.

There wasn't much tonal contrast, so I darkened edges and put some highlights.

I spent the rest of the class trying to get the statue right, but, I found it really difficult, especially a drapery.

This one has become a real challenge.

Work in progress. 16 x 20 in.

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Plein Air Oil Painting

I went back to Le Page Homestead at Plenty Gorge Park in Hawkstowe.

It was a rather chilly day. I tried to get proportion right by measuring it carefully.

The secret Greg told me is, mixing Lemon Yellow and Ivory Black, and we get lovely green colours!

There's something wrong with this one. The house seems to be too slanting.

I think it's due to wrong perspective. It's very frustrating when I realised it after coming home.
I should have stepped back more often and carefully check it.

I love this place.

Oil on panel 16 x 20 in.

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VCA 2014 End of Year Dance Performance - 1

There were four programs in today's end of year performance by 1st and 2nd year students.

I was intrigued by a song footage used in the first program, 'Amoureuse'.
I've never heard of this song, but, I loved it.

Today's standout was the second show 'Stone', choreographed and directed by Rochelle Carmichael.
Her name is a familiar one for me.
Last year, she choreographed a program 'T.Issue', and that one, too, was a standout.

This year, she used two couches with wheels attached underneath it as a prop.
It was a very clever idea. Dancers were either standing on them or lying on them, moving around the stage quickly or slowly....

With hallucinatory beat sound by Zac Barraclough, spectacular lighting by Bryn Cullen, costume design by Robyn Mcpherson, and high octane energy output and at the same time, very graceful movement from dancers, this was one of the best contemporary dance performances I've ever seen.

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