Judi ParkinsonMultimedia Artist

Fine Art Gallery

Take a browse – Judi is a Featured Artist at Bluethumb online gallery.

WIP

My hubby sure has grown a lot of roses over the years. They are always absolutely beautiful. I have photographed so many of them, usually in the garden, sometimes as studio shots. And I have often painted them, usually in a traditional Still Life composition with a vase etc.

The Work in Progress

This is the first time I’ve painted them on such a large canvas, 100 x 100cm stretched linen. I’m working with acrylics and using the traditional oil painting technique – give or take a little artistic license, and a few complementary flowers 🙂

So this week – I’ve still been painting them – there’s a lot

I’m not a gardener. To me – a rose is a rose is a rose! So I had to number the rose/photos and create a legend as I was quickly getting lost LOL!! I have scattered several pretty Montville Roses through the artwork and I’m picking these fresh from our new garden to paint directly.

We live in the sub-tropics, so although it is Autumn here, the weather is still in the high 20’sC and the paint is drying quite quickly, but I prefer not to use drying retarders. The only medium I add is Atelier Binder Medium diluted with water, 1 part in 4. Occasionally I add a light spray of water if it thickens. For large areas I mix the colours and store in jars, and just take out a little at a time to spare the paint drying too much.

Local Artist – Local Content Exhibition Opens

Congratulations to the winners at the Local Artist – Local Content Art Prize Exhibition announced at the opening. I was so thrilled be be a finalist in this beautiful collection of works about our Sunshine Coast. Over 150 entries from local artists, and 40 finalists selected, all with varied interpretations of subjects about our area. Click the links to view the Winners and the Finalists

My Artist’s Statement reads:

Spent Banksia

The Australian Banksia symbolizes to me endurance and the ability to change. From the glowing flowers on the ‘cones’ to the spikes, follicles and seeds remaining in the dry dusty state, the Banksia continues to delight at different stages of decay.

Varieties of Banksia trees and shrubs are scattered throughout the Sunshine Coast in parklands, roadsides and private gardens. The moment I saw these spent flowers in my friend’s garden I knew I had to paint them! Rather than arranging the Still Life traditionally, I chose a floating ethereal composition to emphasize the everlasting resilience of the stoic Banksia.

The exhibition continues until Sunday 2nd May at the Caloundra Regional Gallery, and definitely worth a visit.

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.