Landscapes

How pleased am I to be able to support such a wonderful charity like Friends of BFT Australia. The Painting for Peace Art Show at Marcel Desbiens’ Breakfast Creek Galleries was held this weekend. The proceeds of all artwork sold during the exhibition goes towards supporting Friends of BFT Australia (FoBFTA). This charity changes the lives of Cambodian villagers, particularly children and their families. FoBFTA raises funds for BFT (Build your Future Today) to secure resources and construct classrooms and other buildings as well as supply key equipment to assist in the everyday lives of humble Cambodian families.

Just like Gaudi, the famous painter Vincent Willem van Gogh loved nature. Nowhere is this more evident than in Arles, a beautiful city in Southern France. The city carries a lot of van Gogh’s memories, both good and bad. It is here that he created a new approach to local landscapes and still lifes. His paintings became brighter in color, and his subject matter was broadened to include white fields, sunflowers and olive trees.

Recently I spent some time travelling around Europe so thought it would be good to share some highlights from places I visited synonymous with 3 significant past legends. Malaga Spain the birthplace of Pablo Picasso; Barcelona Spain the hometown of Antoni Gaudi; and Arles France the inspiration for many of Vincent Van Gogh’s works. Over the next 3 posts, I will reveal insights into these legends and places I discovered during my trip.

When was the last time you took time-out from your busy schedule and indulged in a true personal passion? For me, it was last weekend. I had the opportunity to attend a 3-day workshop to learn from John Wilson artist, Australia’s foremost landscape artist.

My painting “Delicate Balance” made the finalist cut for this year’s Brisbane Art Prize. I am one of 115 finalists from Australia and 6 other countries including England and Malaysia. The Brisbane Art Prize is a unique event, as all works are restricted to dimensions of 40cm x 40cm, no bigger, no smaller. It makes for a nice level playing field for all contributing Artists. The theme for this year’s Prize is “The meaning of life”. A balancing act between the choices we make, the risks we take and the successes and failures on life’s journey is what my painting Delicate Balance is all about. I feel it is a perfect fit for this year’s theme.