Judi ParkinsonMultimedia Artist

A Day at the Botanica Exhibition

Yesterday was my duty day at the Arts Connect Inc members’ exhibition at Mary Cairncross Reserve in Maleny. My husband Greg shared the responsibilities with me. We met so many lovely visitors, some locals, others were travelers, and some were re-visiting with different friends which is a great compliment to the quality of the exhibition. There were many comments on the high standard of artwork presented. People were genuinely interested and spent a lot of time viewing works, and there was a keen interest and inquiry in to the techniques and materials that our members had used.

I took along just a few leaves and feathers, from my collections of found flora, wings, insects, and feathers etc., with the intention of sketching some. There wasn’t much sketching completed which was all good 🙂 as many visitors were interested in the cyanotype processes I use, and as I mentioned other artists’ media. So the box of samples ended up being the perfect support for describing some of the techniques for my cyanotypes that were on display. I was also asked to do a workshop for an art group, and others asked if I teach drawing, which I might get back to doing in the future. Please let me know if you are interested in a workshop in 2021 and I’ll keep you in the loop. Happy to say that I sold three small cyanotypes, and several printed cards.

The show closes Sunday, so if you haven’t been along then do try and pop in. Beautiful paintings in various media, prints, wood carving, ceramics, to name a few. Lunch or coffee at the Mountain View Cafe is a perfect addition to your visit, or BYO picnic to the gardens 🙂

Botanica Exhibition

Botanica Exhibition at The Mary Cairncross Reserve, Maleny (details below).

I’m one of nineteen ACI artists exhibiting at the beautiful gallery space at Mary Cairncross. We have all been inspired by the natural rain forest environment and I’m looking forward to exhibiting with these talented artists. I’m entering two paintings.

Since ‘giving-up’ my oil paints I’ve been working with watercolours, inks, and acrylics, and often I add dry media. Combining dry and water-based mediums in a semi-abstract style allows me to explore concepts, composition, and my response to the environment or subject in a new way, instead of the traditional technique I was taught for oil painting. One feels very insignificant in the rain forest world. Spending time in the majestic Mary Cairncross rain forest with its ebb and flow of nature suggests to me an endless theatre. On a pleasant day the stage is set with dappled sunlight, with silent players towering, gently whispering with shimmering hula skirts dancing high. As an artist my challenge was to portray that feeling.

Centre Stage – Mixed Media on stretched canvas 50.7cm (W) x 50.7cm (H) x 4.2cm (D) Artist’s quality acrylic paint, graphite, pastel, binders, layered varnishes, and cotton canvas. Finished with semi-gloss varnish.

Dance of the Picabeen Trees – Acrylic Paint, 50.7cm (W) x 50.7cm (H) x 4.2cm (D) Artist’s quality acrylic paint, graphite, binders, layered varnishes, and cotton canvas. Finished with semi-gloss varnish. My step-by-step image for this painting is in a previous post.

Creating Tussie Mussies

Especially thrilled to have it as one of the four feature images for the Facebook promotion. There are over 11,000 artists on Bluethumb so feeling pretty chuffed

I have been fascinated with the Victorian Tussie Mussies for a few decades 🙂 The fragrances created by combining flowers and herbs into a posy are just beautiful. Sometimes I even add rosemary or mint to a collection of garden flowers for the kitchen table or bench for their scent. Also, parsley is a lovely touch for greenery in a kitchen vase.  Several years ago I filmed myself, with camera on trusty tripod, creating a Tussie Mussie for the HD DVD The Vegetable Patch (Carers Resources).

In February 2018 I was an exhibiting member with the Arts Connect Inc Untethered Exhibition at The Butter Factory Arts Centre, Cooroy, Queensland. It was a natural, instant thought for me to create an ‘untethered’ Tussie Mussie. This video provides step-by-step images and instructions for making a Tussie Mussie cyanotype. Or watch on YouTube.

Please feel free to leave comments or queries.

Have a lovely day, Judi