Wow! Magazine Feature & front page

great news this month!

S.A. Mining and Energy Journal has printed a 2 page feature about my art and included one of my artworks on the cover.

The 2 page spread has a mixed medium painting of copper earth spread completely across the double page and the feature reflects the copper mining industries.

Great news and really tops off my year coming up to Christmas.

Silly season is creeping up on us all so keep safe, drive carefully, dont over spend on pressys and I will touch base for the festive season.

Great Surprise

Hi again,
Just recieved great news.. I have just won the Pt Pirie aquisitive art prize.
I was a bit tounge tied and all I could say was "golly".

Makes you feel your hardwork for the year was not wasted.

go to www.djdee.com.au to view more of my paintings and etchings.

Cheers again

I will say goodbye to my "water" home for the time being. Time to revisit my home in the dust. (or should I say mud, as rain has fallen in the bush and the outback roads are muddy). There is more rain to come. Great to see rain again anyway. The countryside is greener and new colours will appear in my paintings as we head for spring.

Overall a very good exhibition with opportunities arising.

I will begin my next series blog soon so keep me logged into your favourites. The next blog will include my travels in the bush then my artworks to follow. Hope you can come along for the ride.

Cheers

150yrs of Copper continued

Tutworkers and Tributers exhibition opening was very successful with numbers of locals, visitors and artists enjoying a wine and nibbles talking about Art, life and people.

About 40 people converged on this small rarely full gallery at Moonta which gave a glisten to Pamela's eyes especially when red dots went up.

My varied style of etchings recieved the most interest, people love knowing about the people of our past. The historical canvas artworks raised interest from teachers and arts related visitors who were enthralled with my textured techniques.

Graham Hancock gave an interesting speech about my past exploits and conserving the heritage of Moonta and Burra.

Everyone was delighted to be given a commemorative postcard.

The highlight for me was to see Daryl Parker at the opening. Daryl did all the ground work to enable this wonderful Town Hall building in Moonta to transform into the wonderful gallery it is today.

After an exhausting day, and a sleep in I had a few days break to catch up on the dreaded tax bill etc.

Then back to the drawing board to plan the next venture, catch up on what is happening out there and email friends. I did enjoy a day of whiting fishing, that clears the brain.

I drove to Kadina also to follow my family history again, found out a great uncle was a criminal and also found Jeruselum where my grandmother lived when she first married. Liz Coole at the family history group is a woman after my own heart, she gets the same buzz I do when you find out something new. She knows the history, the people, the living and the dead.

The building School of Mines is a wonderful setting for the group to work from.

Raining, cold and windy. Cuppa time so will post more in a few days.

Paparazzi In Print

My dust period is near over for a short time. Cant get the dust out of my bones so I will return.
Didnt have time to write a full blog during this project.
Too much to do and too little time to do it in.

Paparazzi In Print, years of notes, ideas, research, sketches all came together as one exhibition and a book.
Women in the past were rarely recognised for their achievments so my dream to contribute to that historical oversight is complete.
After many years travelling the outback and finding, sketching and noting the remnants of settlements littered amongst some of the inhospitable territory ever occupied by man I finally traced the steps and found these families. Always there were items, an old saucpan handle, a piece of crockery or just a few floorboard nails with memories of women who alongside their husbands forged an existance on the land.
Then not to forget those still living I added to my exhibition some women who within the community of Broken hill had never been noticed whilst they silently accomplished what at the time they thought was ordinary but is actually recognised now as extraordinary achievements.

The book still available in softcover was a new venture for me but totally enjoyable. The conversations, laughs and stories with families, including some men has been most enjoyable. The visitors to my exhibition, their inspiring comments, those people now ask their mothers and grandmothers to tell them their stories so they can be recorded for prosperity.

I have to say the Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery were outstanding in their contribution not only to providing the venue but also the support provided to hang the works, statements, promoting my book and the particular display of one artwork not included in my book. This work was a portfolio of pages, handemade papers from old newspapers, clippings and empheria. An etching miniture of each exhibition work was placed on the pages and the cover made from recent newspaper papers enclosed the pages with a silver chain with lock, courtesy of the Silver City Mint.
A memorable experience for me but now I am to head to country near the sea.

Tutworkers & Tributers/ 150 yrs of Copper

In Moonta for my new solo:
Hard work, finally finished and fine tuning the last minute details. Wow the cornish are complicated. Whoops! that means me too.

“Tutworkers and Tributers, 150 Years of Copper” at Moonta Gallery of the Arts will be officially opened by Councillor Graham Hancock 2pm on Sunday, 8th August - 29th Aug. 2010.

Artworks are up and a wonderful job done by volunteers Pam and Lyn.

The artworks are grouped in a most unusual way which adds a special creativity to the exhibition.

Moonta has a fantastic community spirit and support artistic pursuits.

Sponsors are; The Copper Coast District Council, Moonta Progress Association, Moonta Gallery of the Arts, Sala Festival, The Professionals Real Estate and Moonta Hotel.

Proffesionals has supplied invitations and flyers, Liz has a committment to the township and was delighted to come on board. Moonta Hotel (a great place to meet for a drink, meal and a chat) has kindly offered wines. Kym is a bright young man who is up front when it comes to community involvement.

The gallery is delightful, housed in the heritage Town Hall on George Street it has exceptionally clear bright light for artworks and a warm welcoming ambience. The rooms have several grand antique chairs placed in strategic positions for the artlover to sit and absorb the atmosphere. To sit in one extra large chair gives you this wonderful childlike experience, let your legs dangle and feel like a child for a few precious moments(before someone comes in and catches you).

I could not forget to add that I finally met Liz Coole yesterday. She works within the Family History Group at Moonta and assisted me with research for the etching works on the pioneering people including my ancestors. The heritage School of Mines building is a cold but the appropriate setting for historical collections of empheria. The staff, all volunteers eagerly assist anyone who wishes to expose the skeletons of the past.

I enjoy being here more often and hope to meet others who have been working in the background to get this exhibition on show to the public. Greg O'Connor the Community officer for Copper City Council has made time to answer questions and assist. His arts related work is an asset to the Moonta Gallery of the Arts.

I again will add Pam Kerr to my blog as she does hours (daylight & after hrs) of probono work to see that the Gallery is seen as a forefront in the Arts of the region. A small but exceptional Gallery Moonta can be proud of. There are so many artists in this region and exposure is of vital importance to a creative practice.

Last minute details tomorrow and I will add to this next week.