Jamie Boyd is a magnificent craftsman and colourist whose observation of his subject matter is touched by the light and atmospherics then expressed in his exhilarating visions.  He is constantly challenging and redefining his knowledge of art through experimentation and reinvention resulting in his intense, lyrical paintings.

Now living in London with his family, Jamie has gained international standing for his own creative talent and distinctive style.  On a recent visit to Australia Jamie had a successful exhibition, opened by former Australian Prime Minister The Hon Bob Hawke AC, at the famous Boyd Bundanon Estate.

This exhibition followed on from a successful show in London which was opened by the Australian High Commissioner. 

AC:  What inspires you to create?
JB:  The intuition that there is something new to be discovered

AC:  In three words describe your art
JB:  search for beauty

AC:  How do you spend your leisure time?
JB: attempting to play the piano

AC: Who is your role model or person you most admire?
JB: Vincent van Gough, Arthur Boyd

AC:  What music do you listen to while you create?|
JB:  Bach to Fats Waller (more or less anything played with passion)

AC:  What was the last book you enjoyed?
JB:  The Clergymans’ Daughter by George Orwell

AC:  What does your art mean to you?
JB: Takes me out of myself

AC: Growing up with so many famous artists is there any particle memorable moment you would like to share with us?
JB:  Painting by the river with my father I glanced across at the small canvas he was working on – so accurately had he captured the spirit of the scene it was as if he’d dipped his brush into the landscape itself or chipped off bits of the sky, rocks and river.
Born in Melbourne, Jamie moved to London with his family as a young boy. At the age of seventeen he began painting full-time in London and held his first Australian exhibition in 1966 at the Bonython Galleries in Adelaide. Since then, he has exhibited regularly in Australia in addition to showing his work in England, Italy, Germany and Holland. His work is represented in major collections throughout the world.

Jamie Boyd will present a collection of his work, exhibiting with his compliments, there will be five (5) generations of the Boyd Dynasty on show at Red hill Gallery.  Along with his son Nathaniel Boyd  and his father Arthur Boyd AO   we will also have on show works by his grandfather Merric Boyd and his great grandmother Emma Minnie Boyd. 

The Boyds – An artistic Dynasty  since 1858 an inspiring and creative family
You can read Jamie Boyds extensive CV here.

Visit the exhibition on line John Beeman Exhibition Red Hill Gallery.

John Beeman - Oil on Gesso - A Simplified Explanation of Gesso - As a Ground for Painting

Apart from painting on walls, artists have been very limited in their choice of surface on which to paint.

There are two main surfaces which have remained unchanged for several hundred years. These are: – a fabric, usually canvas, stretched on a timber frame or a wooden panel. Both have to be coated with a primer, usually a white paint or gesso. Both of these have the added advantage of being portable. Each of the above have disadvantages as follows: – The flexible nature of the canvas has the potential to crack the paint surface and it is vulnerable to cuts and bumps and humidity and unstable atmosphere can have a harmful effect
on the painting.

Timber panels are limited in size, subject to warping and splitting and attacks by insects (borer and woodworm.)

Modern technology has produced materials that are dimensionally and chemically stable and can be obtained in large sheets. They suffer few of the disadvantages of canvas or timber.

During the years that I was doing my Post Graduate Studies in London at the Slade School of Fine Art. I was aware that while I was receiving a thorough grounding in the skills of drawing and painting, the information on painting materials was superficial and largely dependent on the range of choices in the art material suppliers.
I applied for one of the few positions at the prestigious Courtauld Institute. I was fortunate to be accepted, with three other like-minded students, to be trained in their laboratories in the chemistry and structure of painting. A further stroke of luck was at that time a Dutch conservator was working at the Courtauld Institute restoring a Flemish Painting for the National Gallery. He was an expert in the preparation of gesso and was keen to share his knowledge.

On returning to Australia I made gesso in the ‘time-honoured’ method, preparing the gesso with rabbit skin glue and calcium carbonate. There were five or six coats brushed on with a large flat brush, each at right angles to the last. The temperature of the gesso mixture had to be maintained within critical limits, allowed to set but not dry. In all
there were sixteen steps and it was very time consuming.

I continued preparing gessos this way until my son David developed equipment which was capable of applying the hot mixture while maintaining the critical temperature and viscosity.

The structure of the surface is all one could wish for and is physically and chemically stable.

The white gesso has great optical qualities reflecting the light back through paint layers. It is rugged and stands a certain degree of aggressive technique or a sensitive response to a fine application of glazes.

As well as oils these gessos can also be used for egg tempera or acrylic.  John Beeman

Born in 1948 in Murrumbeena Victoria, the son of Arthur Boyd and nephew of David, his world has always been surrounded by art and creativity. From this solid foundation Jamie has taken his own work to new heights to become a truly unique artist in his very own right.

At age seventeen he embarked on a full time career as an artist and studied at the Michael Karolyi Foundation in southern France. He held his first solo exhibition in Adelaide in 1966 and has subsequently held exhibitions throughout Australia, Italy, Germany, Holland and England.

He has lived most of his adult life in London, returning to Australia periodically. His distinctive work thus reflects both the enduring influences of the Australian landscape and a broad international sensibility.

“There is a fundamental difference between a person’s perception of a cypress-studded horizon in Tuscany and the same person’s idea of the Australian bush landscape. The European landscape evokes intrinsic harmony whereas the Australian does not. One is made to feel intrusive; the bush’s intimate fragility is disquietingly unfamiliar.”

‘There is a dream-like quality throughout Jamie’s work.  He is an enthusiastic painter of the landscape and the figure, constantly challenging and redefining his knowledge of art through experimentation and play.’

Jamie currently lives in London with his wife and five children.

EXHIBITIONS

1966                  Bonython Galleries, Adelaide

1967                  Australian Galleries, Melbourne

1968                  Bonython Galleries, Sydney

1969                  Drian Galleries, London, England

Von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle

1970                  Australian Galleries, Melbourne

Bonython Galleries, Adelaide & Sydney

1971                  Clytie Jessop Gallery, London, England

Von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle

1972                  Drian Galleries, London, England

Australian Galleries, Melbourne

1973                  Skinner Galleries, Perth

1976                Von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle

Gallerie Kuppers, Neuss, Germany

1977                Gallerie d’Eendt, Amsterdam, Holland

1978                Fine Arts Gallery, Perth

1979                Rex Irwin Gallery, Sydney

1980                Australian Galleries, Melbourne

New South Wales House, London, England

David Ellis Fine Art, Ballarat

1981                Phillip Bacon Gallery, Brisbane

1982                Australian Galleries, Melbourne

Holdsworth Gallery, Sydney

Bonython Galleries, Adelaide

1984                Barry Stern Gallery, Sydney

1985                David Ellis Fine Art, Ballarat

Cariaggio Gallery, Palaia, Italy

1986                Bonython Meadmore Gallery, Adelaide

Beaver Galleries, Canberra

1987                New South Wales House, London, England

1988                Boundary Gallery, London, England

Savill Gallery, Sydney

Schubert Gallery, Surfers Paradise

New South Wales House, London, England

1989                Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, Italy

1990                Boundary Gallery, London, England

Beaver Gallery, Canberra

Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich, England

1992                Gillian Jason, London, England

1993                Aviva Campbell Gallery, Windsor Hotel, Melbourne

1994                Corbally Steurton, London, England

Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane

1995                Chappel Galleries, Essex, England

Eva Breuer, Sydney

1996                Stair Gallery, London, England

Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane

Galleria Aniela Fine Art, Kangaroo Valley, NSW

“People, Places, Landscapes” Aviva Campbell Gallery, Melbourne

1997                “Reaching Beyond Time” Galleria Aniela Fine Art, Kangaroo Valley, NSW

“Encounters with Prints” Aviva Campbell Gallery, Melbourne

1999                Savill Gallery, Sydney

2000                Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane

2002               Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, England

Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane

Greythorn Galleries, Melbourne

2004               Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane

Greythorn Galleries, Melbourne

2005               Chappel Galleries, Essex, England

2007               Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane

Greythorn Galleries Melbourne

2009              Christopher Day Gallery Sydney

Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane

2010                Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane

2012               Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane

PUBLICATIONS

‘Dictionary of Australian Art’, Alan McCullock

‘Australian Art 1975-1980’, Kim Bonython

‘The Art of the Boyds’, 1979 P Dobrez / P Herbst

‘Creating of Self Portraite’, T Coates / M Beazley

‘New Art Four’, Nevill Drury

‘An Antipodean Connection’ G Prampolini / MC / Hubert / Slatkine / Geneve

‘Modern Painters Autumn ‘92’

Boyd Dynasties ABC Television 2006

WORKS IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Artbank Australia, Mertz Collection, U.S.A, University of South Australia, University of Western Australia, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston, B.H.P Australia, Boxer Collection, Australia, Tavistock Centre, London, UK, National Gallery of Victoria, Council of Adult Education, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London, UK

Mel Brigg is a self-taught, professional artist who commenced his painting career in 1970. As well as having exhibited in England, Portugal and Singapore, he has had numerous solo and joint exhibitions in South Africa and Australia. His collections of works are held by numerous major international companies worldwide plus several South African Embassies as well as the Queensland State Government.

Mel is a great supporter of various international charities including Care Australia, World Wildlife Trust,  Wildlife presentation Society of QLD, to name just a few.  Mel’s artwork was used for the main promotional material during the visit to Australia by Pope Benedict IX for the Mary MacKillop Foundation.  Mel was the founder of the Swellendam Art Society in South Africa.

“This current collection can only be described as hauntingly beautiful.  When you view a painting by Mel Brigg you are drawn into the subject, thereby discovering the powerful message that the artist is portraying. This exhibition has exceeded all my expectations of this very talented artist with his diverse selection of subject”.  Margaret Campbell-Ryder, Director, Red Hill Gallery

AC:     What inspires you to create?
MB:    The excitement at seeing a blank canvass develop into something many may enjoy.

AC:     In three words describe your art.
MB:    Hopefully, thought provoking landscapes…..sorry that’s 4

AC:     How do you spend your leisure time?
MB:    With family and good friends chatting and enjoying fine food. Mowing 1,5 acres of lawn, that one see’s growing as I mow!

AC:     Who is your role model or person you most admire?
MB:    Vincent van Gogh had the most horrific life but continued to create masterpieces (and my wife, because without her I would have no ears)

AC:     Share something with us about yourself that we don’t know.
MB:    My Father was absolutely against me painting as a career and because I persisted, I was alienated for some years.  I was a troop leader in the Boy Scouts, a gunner in the South African Navy, a dairy farmer, an olive farmer, had a gift shop and weaving factory and bred my own Angora goats for their hair!

Ran an illegal pre-school for 120 African kids, during the Apartheid era…..fostered kids from St George’s Boys Home in Johannesburg.

I was also involved in the rehabilitation and welfare of ex of prisoners from Polsmor Prison in Cape Town.

Was actively involved in the organisation called Parents Of The Detainees …….looking after African families whose breadwinners were incarcerated for so called crimes against the state.

AC:     What music do you listen to while you create?
MB:    Anything …..except those screeching opera singers, and country music about their horse that died ! (AC: We hear you!)

AC:     What was the last book you enjoyed?
MB:    A novel on the Rhodesian war called…….. ‘Let’s Not Go To The Dogs Tonight’

AC:     What does your art mean to you?
MB:    Everything, I cannot imagine life without painting! I am in a constant artistic blur! (So my wife and kids tell me.)

AC:     In your work there is often a circle around a figure. Can you tell us what this represents?
MB:    It highlights that person, his feelings of angst, arriving in a new strange land, and being different, as if in the spotlight, and being scrutinised by the locals (myself included.)   Until I discovered the SWANS…… the MAGPIES- ETC were not in fact endangered birdlife!

AC:     You were born in South Africa, what made you decide to make Australia your home?
MB:    Most law abiding people would leave if they could…it was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make in my life, but we saw no future there for our children.

But, I know now,…..the best decision I’ve ever made……this is our home!

THANK YOU AUSTRALIA

Mel Brigg - Exhibition April 2012 at Red Hill Gallery

Whether fictional or based on real-life family events, Danielle’s love of storytelling is evident in her colourful, figurative offerings that provide viewers with thought-provoking images frequently set against a backdrop of Mediterranean landscape.

Danielle holds a Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts) from Newcastle University, Australia.

AC: What woman is most influential to your artistic life?
DM: Ive always admired Frida Kahlo, Mirka Mora and Margaret Woodward

AC: What activity makes you lose track of time?
DM:  Creating – whether its painting, sketching anything art!

AC: What makes you smile?
DM:  My kids make me smile – they are a big inspiration to me!

AC: What inspires you to create
DM:  My kids, nature, life in general!

AC: In three words describe your art
DM:  Colourful, happy, quirky

AC: Tell us something we don’t know
DM:  When I was at school I was going to study to be a vet! Um…sort of changed tack!!

AC: What is your goal in life
DM:  To keep doing what I am doing. It’s a great job!

Danielle McManus - Her colourful, figurative offerings provide viewers with thought-provoking images.

Danielle is exhibiting at Red Hill  Gallery as part of the Women of Substance show. You can view that collection online here.

AC: What woman is most influential to your artistic life?
JH: I cannot say there is one woman ..however I am influenced every day creatively by many…my work is generally very feminine with an undercurrent of courage & strength simmering beneath the surface.

AC: What activity makes you lose track of time?
JH: Painting and drawing

AC: What makes you smile?
JH: Nature and animals and life in general.

AC: What inspires you to create
JH: I find inspiration everywhere…from music,poetry..life stories..The need to create is like a drug…addictive…I live to paint.

AC: In three words describe your art
JH: Emotive, energetic and expressive.

AC: Tell us something we don’t know
JH: We should always keep a little mystery about ourselves.

AC: What is your goal in life
JH: My goal in life is to be a  thoughtful, good person, create paintings that people respond to and enjoy this beautiful life with my family.

Julie HUTCHINGS Is an intuitive artist who paints with tremendous energy & expression.

View Julie’s current exhibition at Red Hill Gallery HERE.

AC: What woman is most influential to your artistic life?
EM: My mother who is creative herself and has always supported that direction in my life.

AC: What activity makes you lose track of time?
EM: Painting & surfing.

AC: What makes you smile?
EM: My partner, a good joke, children.

AC: What inspires you to create
EM: Starting with nothing and ending with something.

AC: In three words describe your art
EM: Spontaneous, bold, pop

AC: Tell us something we don’t know
EM: I am a mad cook & gardener.

AC: What is your goal in life
EM: To create, to love, be happy & be myself

Emma Sheldrake - Exhibiting February 2012 - Women with Substance - Red Hill Gallery

Em is fast gaining recognition for her unique style of painting and is now represented in Brisbane exclusively by Red Hill Gallery.  You can view her current exhibition online here.

"My art is a commitment to craft, a commitment to design and a commitment to expand the knowledge of what we see as beauty." Dean Reilly

We are so excited at Red Hill Gallery to welcome Dean Reilly to our Gallery.

In 2010 Dean Reilly was a finalist in both the Archibald Prize and Doug Moran Portrait Prize, arguably the most prestigious art prizes in Australia.  He also made the 2011 Doug Moran final.

His works have been shown in the New South Wales Art Gallery, New South Wales State Library, The German Embassy and many prestigious private collections.

His works are highly acclaimed for their style, design and variation.  His commitment to quality is outstanding and his constant search for the epic theme has an enduring
presence.

He continues to delight and inspire collectors around the world with his
unique approach to painting, come in and see his work soon at the Red Hill Gallery – or view them online here.

There is more to working in an art gallery than you think.

To complete my degree I had to complete an internship working within a company business that somehow incorporated the skills learnt during my degree, so I naturally thought an art gallery would be the best place. There are many types of art gallery and I wanted to utilise this internship by experiencing an area I hadn’t explored before. I chose the Red Hill Gallery because I had never worked in a commercial retail environment and wanted to challenge myself and see if that industry suited me. My position during the internship was working as part of a team in the independent commercial retail Red Hill Gallery, which the journal article Economics of the Art Market defines as “The art market is characterized by a hierarchy of sub markets. At the first stage sometimes called the primary market, individual artists provide works to galleries, local art exhibitions, or directly to find consumers…” defined by Gerard-Varet (1995, 511). During my time at the Red Hill Gallery I realised there is more to working in an art gallery than you think. It’s not just sitting around all day talking about art, but much, much more. I learnt many new skills during my internship including different hanging systems, making displays, how to store artworks, marketing, the filing systems and the use of stock takes and different sales techniques.

One might think selling art is just the same as selling any other consumer product however it is not, as according to Reinstaller, Schonfeld (2007, 1) “The crucial distinction between art and other consumption goods is that the quality of an artwork cannot be objectively determined. Instead, the value of art is socially constructed.” In knowing this it was interesting to see how each person in the gallery approached selling art in different ways. One of the things I learnt along the way was that it’s not just about how you talk to clients; selling art combines many skills together like marketing, art history, hanging and creating merchandised displays, etc. This can be described as an ‘interdisciplinary’ approach as defined by Repko (2008, 5) “The word interdisciplinary consists of two parts: inter and disciplinary. The prefix Inter means “between, among, in the midst.” Disciplinary means “of or relating to a particular field of study” or specialisation. So a starting point for the definition of interdisciplinary is “between fields of study” (Stember, 1991, p.4). Inter also means “derived from two or more,” for example; it starts by using art history knowledge in choosing which artists are to show in the gallery then displaying the artworks in complimentary ways (by using light and making sure the artworks around work together) which lets the clients sees what real potential the artwork has. The marketing brings the people into the gallery and a bit of art history knowledge and sales technique complete the original aim – selling art.

Although I didn’t complete the aim during my internship by selling an artwork, I think I helped with a few. Most importantly I learnt a lot of new skills and made some new friends along the way. To the team at the Red Hill Gallery, Thank You. J

References

Caplin, L. 1998.  The Business of Art. 3^rd ed. USA: Prentice Hall Inc.

Chong, D. and Robertson, I. 2008. The Art Business. NewYork: Routledge.

Gerard-Varet, L. 1995. “ Economics of the Art Market. On pricing the priceless: Comments on the     economics of the visual art market.” European Economic Review. 39 (3-4): 509- 518.

Gillmore, J. and Pine, J. 1999. The Experience Economy: work is theatre and every business a stage. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Reinstaller, A. and Schonfeld, S. 2007. “ The effects of gallery and artist reputation on prices in the primary market for art: a note” Journal of Culture Economics.  31 (2): 143-153.

Repko, A. 2008. Interdisciplinary research. Thousand Oks: Sage Publications Inc.

Louise Clark - Louise Clark Bachelor of Creative Industries (Visual Arts/ Art History) at Queensland University of Technology and amazing Cirque performer

Starr - A New Traditionalist

Artchat asks this Hot Young artist to reveal a little of herself.

AC: What is your favourite Christmas memory?

S:  There are too many great Christmas memories as I love the Christmas season. My favourite recent memory was when I finally found the perfect tree, a black tree with technicolour decorations and lights. It’s the perfect of expression of me and my art!!

AC:  What inspires you to create?

S: I am constantly inspired by the world around me. In my imagination, the people and places I meet and visit become part of my life and it gives me great pleasure to see them come to life on canvas.

AC:  In three words describe your art

S: Colour, Passion and Fluidity

AC:  How do you spend your leisure time?

As an artist I am drawn to all expressions of art. I love the theatre, the ballet or just going along to see my favourite bands perform. As an artist I have been lucky enough to travel. Having seen the ballet in Paris and my favourite 80′s rock bands in Hollywood, are among my most treasured memories; though I have to admit that I am a huge fan of Science Fiction. You can always catch me around my home watching BattleStar Galactica, whether I’m laying in bed or painting!!

AC: Who is your role model or person you most admire?

S: I can honestly say that my Grandfather is the person who has meant the most to me. He was an amazing man, always giving his time (and money) to others.  My Grandmother too is an inspiration, she’s wheelchair bound now, but still feisty, happy and full of life. Her spirit is contagious and I love to visit her every week.

AC:  Share something with us about yourself that we don’t know

S: Well, you probably don’t know that as a child I had to make a decision between art and ballet lessons. I chose art, but I always wondered what it would be like to dance in a ballet. I think that comes through in my paintings as I seek to recreate the fluidity and grace of the dancer in my work.

Starr --- Beyond Pink --- Black Swann --- Starr's work is available for purchase at Red Hill Gallery

AC:  What music do you listen to while you create?

S: As you probably realise, I am a Rock Chick. I love the music of the 80′s and the over the top ‘glam bands’ like Bon Jovi, Aerosmith and Poison never cease to inspire me.

AC:  What was the last movie you enjoyed?

S: Ironically enough, I would have to say that Tim Burton’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ is probably the best I have seen for a while. He’s a great director and I’m a huge fan of his visual aesthetic.

AC:  What does your art mean to you?

S: Art is my life. It’s all I have ever done and all I know. Each painting is an expression of my passion and joy in life. Without art, I cannot imagine what I would do.

Conclusion:

I think to sum up my work in one sentence is impossible, but my love of art is what drives my painting. I draw great inspiration from the Masters like Monet and Picasso, but my work has always sought to have its own voice. I take great pride in every painting I do and it is humbling to know that my work is hung in so many wonderful places in the world.

Starr

Starr -- Roses are Red -- Moulin Rouge -- Iris -- Starr's work is available at Red Hill Gallery | Brisbane

View Starr’s work here