Art Chat

When the word creativity is brought to mind the words art and music soon follow. Here is what a few of our artists have to say on the topic of Music.
“I like to listen to anything… except those screeching opera singers, and country music about their horses that die!” – Mel Brigg

“When I’m painting I love listening to Gershwin, Vivaldi, Piaf. My sons band Kooii or a combo and fusion of jazz and reggai” – David Hinchliffe

“Anything… but particularly 60’s and 70’s… When a painting is really looking spectacular I tend to sing along and have been known to dance around my studio, how embarrassing!” – Paul Margocsy

“I’m a glam rock and 80’s pop and rock fanatic! Anything and everything from Poison to Duran Duran” – Starr

“I don’t listen to music while I create, I find it too governing. If the music is calm the art is calm, if the music is high energy the art is high energy. If I had to make a chocse and paint to music it would be to ‘Miles Davis’.” – Dean Reilly

If you want to know more about any of the artists then please email us at art@redhillgallery.com.au

‘Images of Light’ is the upcoming solo exhibition by esteemed Australian artist Richard Musgrave-Evans. Featuring stunning coastal scenes, dramatic landscapes and throughtful reflections of rural Australia the exhibition is set to impress.

Being a passionate outback artist and devotee of plein air painting (a french expression which means ‘in open air’) Richard’s work is quickly rendered and spontaneous. Working directly before his subject he must work rapidly to capture the fleeting moments before him. Rendering the paintings in such a fast manner leaves little room for thought as the process becomes more instinctual giving his paintings a rare naturalness and peaceful ease.
With a love of the landscape, the bush, the hills and the city, his paintings have a unique and dramatic quality of strength and energy, which reflect his drive and dedication to his art.  ‘I aim to convey the brilliance of light through the adventurous application of colour, tone and texture.’ ~ Richard Musgrave-Evans

This major solo exhibition will officially open in Brisbane at the Red Hill Gallery on Sunday 19 May 2013.

Katherine Wood’s solo exhibition “Into Blue” will open on Friday the 19th of April. Please come along to the opening night held at the gallery from 6pm to 8pm. Meet the artist, have a glass of wine and enjoy this beautiful body of work from a very talented woman.

AC: Katherine, you’ve recently made the permanent move from South Africa to Australia. What has been the biggest adjustment so far?

KW: Life in Australia is very similar to South Africa so there hasn’t really been a culture shock that is often experienced when immigrating. Having lived in Melbourne for a year and having visited the Sunshine Coast on numerous occasions has also made the move more comfortable. However, leaving familiarity and ‘starting over’ is never easy and often daunting but three months in we have settled nicely and it is already feeling like home.

AC: Do you think this change of scenery and lifestyle will be reflected in your paintings?

KW: I do think so. Every stage of an artist’s life has an impact on their outlook which indirectly carries through to their work. Having been painting professionally for over a decade now, my style is pretty much my own but the new experiences and outlook will slowly reflect in my artworks.

AC: You regularly include a sole tree in your artworks. What does this signify?

KW: The tree, personally, has always symbolised “us as individuals”; how we come into this world alone and how we inevitably leave this world alone (our immortality). Yet, like the tree, strong and defiant we stand. A metaphor for our own insignificance in relation to everything we have to face out there – the vast and powerful sky that continues to challenge us. We have to conquer all our demons alone. Like the tree we stand proud and deeply rooted in contrast to all the temperamental elements, always changing, sometimes challenging, peaceful and sometimes relentless and turbulent. The tree acknowledges our simple and beautiful existence that ultimately shows how tiny and insignificant we all really are in the bigger scheme of Life.

AC: Everyone always comments on the dynamism of your thick impasto in your paintings. How do you achieve this aesthetic and how long does the paint take to dry!?

KW: The texture is an imported ‘secret ingredient’ that I apply with a pallet knife and then paint over with oil paints. It is a material that we discovered 10 years ago whilst at an art fair in Scotland that could handle a change in temperatures (as my works go to all environments of the World), movement as well as not rejecting the oil paints. I just loved the effect it offers and has been a trademark of my work ever since. It does not affect the normal drying time of the oils.

AC: Your paintings tend to depict sparse landscapes receding back to a flat horizon line. What draws you to paint these particular scenes?

KW: I studied at Stellenbosch University in the mountainous winelands of Cape Town and would often just disappear with my sketchbook and lose myself in nature. This was the start of landscapes as my subject matter and I have just progressed from there. My strength was always in my technical sketching and drawings which I try and adapt into my figures and other works. However, I find a simplicity in the horizon in my works that breaks the balance and strength between the sky and land. I also try to achieve depth in my work through the use of my horizon and the defining ‘tree’ which creates a focal point.

AC: You and your husband have a young family, are there any aspiring artists wanting to follow in their mother’s footsteps?

KW: Not just sounding like a typical mother but the artistic ability is evident in my children. I also come from a very artistic family with my grandmother and mother being very talented artists and my sister is now a professional photographer so the gene is strong. Whether I would push my kids into being professional artists is another question as it is a tough career, but yes, they love to draw and paint.

AC: Who or what first inspired you to start painting? Did you always envision yourself becoming an artist?

KW: Art was everything to me from a really early age. I was very lucky to have a fantastic art teacher at my secondary school who identified my talent early on and nurtured it. I was enrolled at Frank Joubert in Cape Town which is a specialist art school from an early age which gave me a great grounding. I was also fortunate to have a mother who believed in me and encouraged me to go follow my art studies and career. I always wanted to be a part of art and I started out by owning my own gallery before I really became a successful artist which gave me the insight into the world of art. My career took off from there.

AC: Katherine you are internationally recognised, what do you attribute your success as an artist to? Do you have any advice for younger emerging artists?

KW: I guess always having a support team behind you has made a difference. As stated, my mother to start with and then my husband. However, at the end of the day it has been my personal never die attitude and strong will to succeed that has evidently carried me onto success. I am very dedicated and treat it as a full time job. I also have the privilege of having my husband to take care of the administration and sales side of the business which allows me to focus on painting which often hinders other artists. I also took a big step in 2004 in opening my own Signature Gallery which has allowed my product to become a brand and a business.
My advice to emerging artists is to believe in yourself; if your work is good enough then it will sell.
Allow your work to emerge into the market and don’t be too heavy with your pricing to start with and let the market work itself. You will soon find your niche and pricing structure when the time is right.

AC: When you are not working on your painting how do you like to spend your time?

KW: Kids, kids, kids. I guess between painting and looking after a young family there are not enough hours in the day and they really keep you on your toes. I really love spending time with my family and so I guess my spare time and energy is devoted to them.

AC: Can you describe your work in one sentence for us.

KW: My branding logo is: “My work is not about reproducing reality; it is about capturing the energy that creates it.”

AC: And lastly we always like to know what music you listen to while you paint?

KW: I am an oldie at heart so love the older music but I really only listen to the radio as I feel this keeps me in touch with the world outside my studio. I don’t go on the computer at all and don’t really watch the news, so I guess this is my window to the world and keeps me in touch with reality. I also like the daily banter of the radio hosts other than the voices in my head…

“My art is not about reproducing reality; but capturing the energy that creates it” – Katherine Wood

Picture this… you’ve just moved into a new house, shifted some furniture and discovered some bare wall space, or you are purely just bored… you trudge down to your local gallery and sift through the paintings, you find an artist you like, but no painting that suits the size you are after and you don’t like the subject matter etc… This can be a repetitive and disheartening venture at times (especially when that big empty chunk of wall just stares at you as you eat your breakfast). So why not save the trouble and get a commission?

A commission enables you to have a personalised piece of art. Personalised not just in the sense of subject matter but the sky is ACTUALLY your limit, you can choose colours schemes, backgrounds, dimensions, medium etc .
It’s about marrying the artist to the commission… something we’ve become a bit of an expert in.

Although we undoubtedly can all agree that a thing of beauty is a joy forever, especially when talking about art, it is sometimes hard to find that perfect ‘thing of beauty’ i.e. art piece. That’s when the conversation about ‘commissions’ should be entered into.

Now the process involved in commissioning an art piece may be easier than you think! Let me lay it down for you;

First step – Deciding what you want
Do you want something personalised or a similar piece of artwork you’ve seen before, perhaps in a different size or colour?

Second step – The nitty gritty…
Do you have specific requirements? The dimensions, framed or unframed, maybe particular colours, the medium – watercolour, oil or acrylic etc .

Third step – The marriage!
This is where we suggest the appropriate artist for your commission. We’ll show you some of their previous work and if you like their style we will approach them with your request.

Fourth step – Approval
Once the artist has agreed to do the commission and we have discussed the price and established a time frame, a deposit is then required for the artist to commence the commission. Depending on the artist and your requirements, preliminary sketches can be made available.

Fifth Step – Picking up your art
The artist has finished your masterpiece; you’ve paid for it and voila! You have a beautiful piece to adorn the walls of your home!

Stuck for ideas on what to get commissioned… here are a just a few suggestions but the list is endless!
• Portraits of loved ones (pets included) 
• A memorable picture from a recent holiday
• A painting of your home
• The view from your home or beach house
• A specific moment in history – a protest outside parliament house you were involved in or a photo from childhood
• It could darn well be an interpretation of your favourite novel…or the Knights Templar

The world is your oyster when it comes to commissions. You are the director and the artist is the producer.

Artists: Kieran Hall, Jan Prior, John Beeman, Starr, Emma Middleton, John Maitland, Loretta Blake and Robert Ixer

“My work is not about reproducing reality; it is about capturing the energy that creates it” – Katherine Wood

The internationally acclaimed South African Artist Katherine Wood will be on display in the upcoming exhibition ‘Into Blue’. In her paintings Wood amalgamates the traditional genre of landscape painting with contemporary abstraction creating a recognisable signature style that has made her an international success in the art world.

Katherine’s canvases reflect the raw energy of nature. Her paintings tend to depict sparse landscapes receding back to a flat horizon line. The simplicity of the horizon gives the painting a sense of recession and creates a balance between the strength of the sky and land.

Her thick impasto paint creates movement across the landscape drawing and capturing the viewer’s attention. The texture adds another dimension to the canvas and her depictions of land and sky, whether calming or turbulent, are awe inspiring and thought provoking – a true evocation of raw emotion.

A signature feature in Katherine’s landscape is the singular tree. While providing a focal point within her composition it also has a more symbolic meaning. Katherine describes the tree as a symbol of “us as individuals; how we come into this world alone and how we inevitably leave this world along.”

Within the exhibition Wood has also painted a number of floral still life and nudes in monochromatic tones creating a very beautiful yet edgy aesthetic.

“Into Blue” will run from the Friday 19th April – Sunday 5th May, 2013.

How lovely is this Beatrix Potter print? It encapsulates everything that Easter is about from gathering with friends and families around a nest full of eggs… luckily for us ours are chocolate.

Easter is a special time of the year. Whether you are religious or not you cannot help but be affected by the happiness and joy that this holiday brings. The long weekend gives us all a chance to reconnect with family and friends, the thought of the Easter bunny brings smiles to our children’s face and the ensuing sugar overload is laughed at instead of dreaded!

However, despite the laughter and fun that Easter brings the holiday also gives us the opportunity to rejoice and reflect on all that we have to thankful for in our lives.

Father Bob, the Catholic Priest and media personality from South Melbourne who is famous for his Sunday Night Safran segment on triple J says Easter is about symbolism and the egg is a symbol of Easter… so the message this Easter, to all Australian’s is to “Be A Good Egg”

Artists: Karen Atkins, Shirley Marais and Sebastion Toast 

“Ballet is a unique combination of poetry and art that appeals to the mind, the emotions and the senses.” . Extract from Soldiers of Beauty by David Ira Rottenberg

“The Arts” comprise of many things but few are visually more beautiful and appealing than a work of art or the display of dance. Throughout history artists have been drawn to the visual dynamism of dancers, especially Ballerina’s. You only need to think of 19th century artists such as Degas and Manet to be reminded that dance has captured the eye of artists and audiences from across history. Fortunately the present still delivers this encapsulation with dance! We need only to drive around Brisbane to see the advertisements on bus shelters for the Bolshoi Ballet to be reminded of this.

Artists are also still perpetuating the love of dance in their depictions. Here are a snapshot of some of the Dance themed pieces in the gallery. Please click on the thumbnails below to view the full image.

“The dancer’s body is simply the luminous manifestation of the soul. The true dance is an expression of serenity; it is controlled by the profound rhythm of inner emotion. Emotion does not reach the moment of frenzy out of a spurt of action; it broods first, it sleeps like the life in the seed, and it unfolds with a gentle slowness. The Greeks understood the continuing beauty of a movement that mounted, that spread, that ended with a promise of rebirth. “-Isadora Duncan

Paintings by Starr, Kristian Mumford, John Maitland, Katherine Wood, Emma Middleton and Nick Young. Sculptures by Jane Creenaune and Greg Harbutt

Although these paintings are beautiful in their own right nothing quite compares to seeing the real thing. Luckily for you The Queensland Ballet Company will be performing Cinderella in April, under the guidance of the new artistic director Li Cunxin!

For those who are blissfully unaware The Archibald Prize is one of Australia’s most prestigious art awards, featuring the “who’s who of Australian culture”. The art prize is awarded annually to the best portrait, “preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in art, letters, science or politics, painted by any artist resident in Australasia.” Along with the Archibald Prize there is also a Packing Room Prize and People’s choice Award.
First awarded in 1921 the man behind the prize JF Archibald (1856-1919) – a journalist and founder of the Bulletin magazine, who also served as a trustee of the Art Gallery of NSW – created the prize with the intention to support artists and perpetuate the memory of great Australian’s whilst also fostering portrait painting within the country.

This year’s Archibald entrants have already been shortlisted to a selection of finalists and from this select group of portraits the winner will be chosen (see the finalists here).

As you can imagine, with such a coveted award comes many, many entries, Red Hill Gallery would like to show you a few of our talented artists entries that the general public do not usually have the opportunity to view! And although we have the privilege of representing previous Archibald finalists such as Dean Reilly (2010 finalist) and Fu Hong (2008 & 2009 finalist), we also have other equally talented artists entering in the award. Bearing this in mind we have contacted our artists and asked them to send in their entries so that we may admire their talent and portraits… here is what some of our artists have sent to us.

The Art Gallery of New South Wales has revealed that of the 860 entrants for the 2013 Archibald Prize, only 39 finalists have been selected. The winner of the $75,000 prize will be announced on March 22.

Here is a representation of some of our gallery artists that entered The Archibald this year! What do you think?
‘For many are called but few are chosen’ Matthew 22:14
Fu Hong (2008 and 2009 Archibald finalist)
Nick Young
Emma Sheldrake
Dan Mason
Sonja Perkovich
Seabastion Toast
References: www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/

Recently, my friend Ed (at the ripe age of 22) decided to take the plunge and become the first of our friendship group to move in with his long term girlfriend. After scoping out the rental scene they found a lovely apartment in Teneriffe and began the arduous task of furnishing the space. Now, as most males know when it comes to interior designing women tend to come out on top. Us women have wily ways that tend to leave the male population utterly bewildered at how the black leather couch and recliner turned into a three piece baroque style French lounge suite.

This was definitely the case with Ed; after trying for a Banksy print he had to settle on a rather shmick knife block. His new pad, although beautifully decorated, had a female flair which would leave the most feminine of men feeling rather deflated. After a quick investigation and chat to a few mates I realised that Ed’s situation was not out of the ordinary with many men pining for a man cave or even a bit of ‘Man Art’ in their home.
Red Hill Gallery represents over 120 artists making it one of the biggest commercial galleries in Australia. With such a large number of artists we like to think that we have something for everyone regardless of taste or budget.

So I decided to consult the president of SoFA (the University Of Queensland Society of Fine Arts) and fellow colleague at Red Hill Gallery Simon Brigden on what he thought to be the more ‘manly’ art in the gallery and this is what he came back to me with…
Interior decorating: gentlemen don’t turn away. This activity is a means for you to turn that knife block into vivid, striking works by Dean Reilly, Richard Kulma, or Angus Comyns. Transform house into home, or just create a man space to enjoy alongside your partner’s own design choices.

One set of values, or just one look, does not define the contemporary man, and he has many aspects. An interest in all things sport does not discount his need to wear a clean cut suit and ironed shirt. And his castle can now be hung with art which reflects his many varying interests.
Now, this mantuary might be an ode to cricketing great, and controversial character, Shane Warne. One of Richard Kulma’s works captures the bowler just after he releases one of his destructive leg spins. Australia’s men side may not be the number one Test team in the world, but Warney is still taking wickets from his perch in the man cave. Mates can unite around the memories he conjures, and the work will become the centrepiece of any abode.
The urban images of Angus Comyns provide another outlet for vibrant expression in the home. Taking after street art, the ubiquitous visual medium which also brightens a worker’s day as they head down Burnett Lane, Comyns work reflects the best of popular culture and contemporary life without its stresses (no gridlock thank you). His aesthetic fits equally perfectly in the inner-city apartment as it does in the suburban Queenslander.
A piece from Dean Reilly’s new corpus completes this man space. In particular, his Kamikaze Moose (2012), with its striking, jagged shapes and vivid colours would blend into the home of any man seeking solitude from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. And Reilly’s unique look is just one facet of the contemporary man, just as pieces by Comyns and Kulma are.

The upcoming exhibition at Red Hill Gallery, Men of Matter, will showcase new work by established male artists, and is a must for any budding man who wishes to decorate his space in style. These artists add a unique character to any home, and will complement the choices made by your significant other. The mantuary may be endangered, but it isn’t dead.

“Men of Matter” is an exhibition comprising of three male Australian Artists. The exhibition to be held at Red Hill Gallery in March will juxtapose the very different stylistic approaches of Dean Reilly, Dan Mason and Kristian Mumford to create a fresh and dynamic exhibition showcasing these talented artists’ works. Artchat has caught up with these three prior to the exhibition to get the low down on what to expect.

DEAN REILLY
AC:          What inspires you to create?
DR:          This world that I live in.

AC:          Do you think your style and the direction of your paintings have developed and evolved throughout your career?
DR:          That is the whole point of my art. Evolution, specialization is for the insects.

AC:          How did the career choice of becoming an artist play out for you?
DR:          I think it is both genetic and environmental. I really didn’t have to make the choice, it has always felt to me the choice was already made.

AC:          What are your top 5 albums and artists you like to listen to while creating?
DR:          I don’t listen to music while I create, I find it too governing. If the music is calm the art is calm, if the music is high energy the art is high energy.
If I had to make a choice and paint to music it would be to “Miles Davis”

AC:          In 2011 you were a finalist in the Archibald and Doug Moran Prize; would you say these are your biggest achievements to date?
DR:          I have been a finalist for the last three years in the Doug Moran it has been more of an honour rather than achievement.

My greatest achievement is always the current piece I am working on.

DAN MASON
AC:          How would you describe your artistic style?
DM:       Energetic. I’m not an ‘illustrator’ of thought. I’m a projector of feeling.

AC:          What inspires you to create?
DM:        I’m inspired to create on many levels; there is of course that burning desire to embrace and reflect the incredible gift that is life. I cannot get enough of painting. If I’m invited to a party and there’s work to be resolved in my studio I’ll most likely choose the isolation of the latter.

AC:          This body of work in the upcoming exhibition is different to your past work, can describe the process of this new development in your work?
DM:        I’ve spent 25,000 hrs painting full-time. This long journey has taken me to places light and dark, internal and external. Now I feel that I’m in a place where all the light vibrations can be tapped into instinctively – they flow and work creates itself. Can I breakdown the physical processes involved in my work..? I am just beginning to learn what drives them. When I truly understand them I will teach them.

AC:          How did the career choice of becoming an artist play out for you?
DM:        Grade 0ne art prize – 1977 🙂 It goes without saying, but I will, that we are all born creative. Drawing and in particular ‘colouring-in’ always excited me.
Professionally..? I never thought it was possible to be an ‘artist’ for a job!!When studying Psych/Visual Arts at uni I worked part-time in a photographic studio where they shot glamour make overs.

My job was to crop the negatives and when the film prints came back I ‘retouched’ all the wrinkles, blemishes etc from peoples skin directly onto the print with a size 00 brush and photo retouch dyes.

This was an amazing art-form as one could only ‘increase’ density and not lighten the print, so erasing a bag under someone’s eye was not an option.
This craft required the blending away of this darkness and creating the illusion of
lightness – and it worked !! Lights and make-up could only do so much.

In the late nineties this craft became redundant with the advent of digital retouching and non-film photo paper.

I’d built 200 skateboards, a lot of furniture and large picture frames from old railway sleepers in my garage during this time and did a market stall at the beach briefly as well.

I commenced a carpentry apprenticeship living out of my van on the Sunshine Coast but when offered a job back on the Gold Coast running a small Picture Framers I jumped at the idea of being able to shower every night again.
I left this after a year and worked for three years for a much larger art gallery/framing warehouse where I pushed and pushed and pushed the directors to sell some of my art.
They eventually folded and gave me a small commission which their client loved. Then a bigger one and so on and so on.

Despite winning a picture framing award at national level and being the go-to custom framer, my only yearning was to paint.

I gave the framing away and became that self-employed artist guy in late 2002. Since then I have, like most artists do, struggled from time to time with finding consistent income.

My love for the processes of artistic expression always pull me through.
The idea that people are drawn to and hang my energy on their walls is nice too.
I’m forty one – If I were a cricketer I’d have put down the bat, but I’m an artist and the journey has really just begun.

AC:          What are your top 5 albums and artists you like to listen to while creating?
DM:        At the moment, I’m embracing triple J radio again. Popular music is in a very healthy place right now.

If I’m using my saws or pneumatic tools I’ll have my headphones on with my go-to album on; AC/DC ‘Back In Black‘ – I can never get tired of this 1980 masterpiece.
The history of rock n roll can be defined, in my opinion, as ‘pre’ and ‘post’ Back In Black’.
AC:          What do you hope your art means to your collectors?
DM:        Every feeling is purely subjective so whatever they feel they feel – this is out of my control and not for me or my ego to dictate.

KRISTIAN MUMFORD
AC:          How would you describe your artworks?
KM:         I’m a ‘new gen’ visual artist in the tradition of Australian figurative and landscape painting. I count my landscape architecture as art too. My paintings are individually described, and my work generally is hopeful; at least in a small way that its beauty will promote a return of standards in visual arts with my image of strength, passion and grace. My individual paintings are more important than being ‘artworks’, because they have the truths of colour plus value, composition, brushstroke, multiple points of focus, and squinting.

AC:          What inspires you to create?
KM:         I do a painting for the joy and peace of it. I think this honest answer echo’s the beliefs of many artists. In my teens, the Australian impressionists were my first heroes. At about 16, I remember talking to master Alfred Engel about it. 1800- 1960s Figurative realism is inspiring. I’m usually inspired by my greatest love, Mother Nature! This includes the personification of soul, as feminine! I’m inspired by this theme and to advance the understanding that great art begins with expressing it poetically through mastery of all aspects of technique. I think it’s a mistake, some makers of art and self indulgent artists try and ‘find’ a subject and prejudice concept to paint/draw etc. If you look hard enough at tea leaves, you can eventually find the Virgin Mary.

AC:          You paint a lot of females, what are you aiming to capture in depicting this type of subject matter?
KM:         ‘Females’ is not a ‘type’ of subject matter nor am I aiming at a message. I paint/draw because I feel like it. My work is actually diverse, and includes male and female portraits, landscape, genre and subject painting. Take “Asya’s Butterfly” for example, another composite piece made by juxtaposing a classic nude and a butterfly. This might sound like a weird answer to some people but I usually don’t have a message I’m trying to communicate through my art work. I usually just do a painting for joy. If anything, I aim to provide a responsible view in opposition to the current ‘ugly’ bizarre art establishment. I prefer to conjugate the body, than put it in a position to be vulgar. It’s a mistake that some critics and connoisseurs of art try and find a message or pointless underlying subtext in everything. Viewers sometimes approach with prejudice and pre dispositions (e,g, their own male ideological pressures on the female) but if you incorporate my art work into your life by buying it, and look inside yourself, your psyche/personification of soul, as feminine (as I spoke about before) you will see there is a higher purpose for one’s beauty – the purpose of shining your light as a gift, free from cultural or power restrictions.

Art is supposed to be spiritual and sacred in that it leads us to a deeper, broader, more honest awareness of what, and why, we are. The arts, if they’re properly fed, can help our world avoid a crash and burn; and if they’re not fed, and we do crash, it will be the arts that lift us back up again.

AC:          How did the career choice of becoming an artist play out for you?
KM:         I am third generation young apprentice master at just 32. Fourth gen if you count my great grandmother who was a pianist. I prefer this terminology than the derogatory attribution’s “emerging/mid/establish career artist”. I’m an artist ‘being’ not artist ‘becoming’. I’m also a person not just the ‘artist’. Being a decent man, and my work in landcare, is more important than being a visual ‘artist’ Master Zbukvic told me. Creativity is a ‘gift’ to me, that’s the way I see it, I just do it. I have practiced skills much like a singer with scales, but it’s not what makes somebody part with their hard earned cash.  I talk to many people far and wide who take the time to engage in conversation and treat me like a friend.

AC:         What are your top 5 albums and artists you like to listen to while creating?
KM:        Too many to mention; I like Sting, Jim Keays, a lot. I like making my own music too.

Fresh stuff…

Easy Star All-Stars- Dub Side Of The Moon (Pink Floyd)

Quantic – One Off’s Remixes And B Sides (2006)

Gotan Project – Lunaitco

Maurice Massiah – Seventh Heaven

Kingfisha – Promises EP

AC:          As an artist, what has been your biggest achievement to date?
KM:        I have several shows a year and I’ve exhibited internationally. I like my privacy, and my studio is private. I consider these achievements. Also, Deans Merit Award twice at the South Australian School of Art, and In 2012 I entered a portrait into the Archibald of famous Musician Jim Keays.  Jim has cancer, and it showcased in the Victorian Cancer Council. I was the Ipswich Just Nude prize Winner twice plus People’s Choice, and have sold my work as far as Sweden, but actually my biggest achievement is to just be a man, let the sun set on me, and when the darkness comes, let it be a womb to me. Love is all we are. The rest amounts to nothing.

Men of Matter Exhibiting March 2013 at Red Hill Gallery.

We highlight the colour Emerald Green, nominated by the world experts, Pantone  the oracle of colour trends.
This year you will see the colour in many aspects of design, including paintings, contemporary glass, sculpture, jewellery as well as fashion, home wares and interior designer show pieces.

Emerald green has been described as sophisticated, luxurious, universally appealing, inspiring and classically elegant!

This green is also brings a sense of energy, renewal and rejuvenation, which is so important in today’s complex world.

In the wondrous world of the arts we have been embracing this colour for centuries. So it is wonderful to see this year’s focus on a colour that has been popular with artists for hundreds of years. We would like to entice you to add some emerald into your life with some images from many of our artists at Red Hill Gallery in Brisbane Australia!
CHRISTINA BINKLEY of The Wall Street Journal declared Diamonds may be forever, but emeralds are for 2013.

And what would an article on this colour be without a quote from a world famous artist Pablo Picasso when he said “They’ll sell you thousands of greens. Veronese green and emerald green and cadmium green and any sort of green you like; but that particular green, never.” – Pablo Picasso, Umm!!!

What do you think about this upcoming colour trend? How does Emerald make you feel? Will you be embracing it in 2013?
All of these artists can be found online at www.redhillgallery.com.au

Red Hill Gallery is dedicating the month of February to the femme fatales of the Australian Art World. Meet Madeleine Ekeblad, Rebecca Pierce, Danielle McManus and Emma Middleton in this exclusive interview on their work. Stay tuned to Red Hill Gallery’s facebook page and website for updates and sneak peeks of the upcoming, collaborative exhibition featuring these four talented artists.

“Women of Substance” will run from Friday 15 February – Sunday 3 March.
Madeleine Ekeblad

Describe your art in one sentence?
Music and Dance are my greatest loves and this is portrayed in my energetic style of ‘freeform’ painting.

What/who inspired you to first start painting?
I am fourth generation Artist, and growing up in an artistic family allowed for creative thinking and experimentation, although I didn’t embrace the arts until well into my 20’s. Rebellion is part of my spirit. My mother is an artist painter/sculptor, my grandmother was a designer milliner and her father-in-law was an artist/engraver for the British Mint.

Do you have a particular process you use to get into the creative zone?
I’m never out of it!

When I can’t paint, I am writing. Or I create different art structures in my artistic getaway garden. My teapot, tinker, time tree is amazing. I am currently filming a documentary about a 1930’s piano.  ‘The decomposition of an Upright Piano”.   This is in my backyard under a double gazebo with the flowering Indian Glove vine over it.  The filming will take 18 months.

When I need other influences I go to the Art Gallery & GoMA and walk around visiting all the Australian Masters. Remember my life has been surrounded by artistic influence. Art is my life.

Do you think living in a creative Island community has affected your work in any way?
Artists and artisans living on a small isolated island seem to have a significant awareness of their surroundings. This tends to provoke deeper thinking and awakens the artistic inquisitiveness to capture the movement and rhythm of the landscape or seascape.  I keep wanting to paint the water but end up painting music or dance.  Even when painting something as simple as a tree it ends up being a female form ‘dancing’.

Musical overtones are always prevalent in your work, what music do you listen to while you paint, and do you express yourself differently when listening to different genres?

JAZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love me, love my Jazz.

If I’m out ‘en plein air’ painting  then I listen to the sound of the landscape around me.  Standing silently in the Bamboo Grove at the Botanic Gardens you start to feel the sway of the bamboo then the drums start to beat and the wind whistles its flute.  Get the picture. I hear music everywhere.  Allow the Bohemian mentality to be at the forefront of your creations!

Lastly, you have written a number of books about art and art making, which are currently on-sale in the gallery, can you tell us more about these?I was asked many years ago to put the artistic quotes that I term at my art school, OMSA, down on paper. This produced the first book “The Reluctant Artist!” and of course, as I am talking all the time, I write like I speak, which can be unfortunate for the public as having suffered a minor stroke at 43 I lost the use of my peripheral vision and my speech for a short time, everything is fine again now, but my speech and words were very dyslectic.  I am making the most of every single minute of every single day and enjoy every moment.

I help artists to understand not ‘what’ they paint, but ‘why’ they paint!

Rebecca Pierce

Describe you art in one sentence?
Semi abstract contemporary art that closely references the Australian outback and flowering coastal plains.

What/who inspired you to first start painting?
No particular person inspired me. I have always loved colour and texture.

Do you have a particular process you use to get into the creative zone?
No not really, I love to be able to paint at every opportunity, and enjoy the idea of my work as a form of escapism.

How did it feel to be selected in 2000 to create a limited edition collectors design for Wedgewood and The Royal Australian Mint, Canberra?
It was a brilliant opportunity as I had over 20 government appointed licensees to work with straddling all areas of retail from limited editions to general keepsake.

You’ve had an enormous career, what have been the highlights?
I now have the opportunity to work with my children and to watch them embrace art in all its forms.

Danielle McManus

Describe you art in one sentence?
My paintings are colourful, whimsical and for the most part simple images inspired by everyday life.

What/who inspired you to first start painting?
My earliest inspiration were book illustrators like May Gibbs   and Beatrix Potter. I originally wanted to illustrate books.

Do you have a particular process you use to get into the creative zone?
No. With three young children I just grab any spare time I get to paint! They do give me plenty of inspiration though!!

How did you develop your figures? Have you always painted people in this way or did it develop with your style?
I developed my figures from the artwork in illuminated manuscripts and religious icons I had seen while visiting Malta and Italy. I studied illustration at University so my earlier works were realistic portraits and illustrations. This style developed over time to break away from the rigidity of my original work.

Are your paintings of a particular person or a made up character?
No. I usually think of the subject or situation depicted in the work first and then place people into it. On some occasions they might bear resemblance to one of my kids, such as in works like the pink horse series. It was my daughter who inspired that.

Emma Middleton

Describe you art in one sentence?
On the one hand it is an expression of the beauty of women, and on the other a physical manifestation of emotions.

What/who inspired you to first start painting?
From the very beginning my Grandmother, whose studio was filled with landscapes, nudes and flowers, and later on the dancers in the Vienna ballet who offered to model for my sketches.

Do you have a particular process you use to get into the creative zone?
I have a constant companion; music. Often classical harp, or the other extreme; alternative bands.

Emma your nudes are gorgeous. Do you always use models to paint, do you find an advantage?
I use models, however to capture the effects of natural sunlight, that I find so intriguing, I photograph the models to record the moment in time.

Each woman I paint brings her own unique and beautiful quality that together with my interpretation forms the essence of the work.

You were a professional ballerina at some stage… do you think this has had an impact on your style and subject matter?
Yes, an enormous impact. A dancer’s instrument is the body, and at the same time it is a conveyor of artistic expression.

My more recent black and white works represent the struggle I face to become more conscious of a broader spectrum of self-realisation. Including the dark emotions and the light, with all the greys in between, and the full range of beauty, challenge, and possibilities.

We welcome in the Chinese New Year “The Year of the Snake”  and acknowledge two of our artists of Chinese Heritage Fu Hong and Echo Chai.

Fu Hong was born in China in 1946 and arrived in Australia in 1990, a place he now calls his home. Renowned for his paintings of many famous Australians, including
philanthropist  DameElisabeth Murdoch 1909 –2012 , Dr Joseph Brown 1933-2009  (NB both portraits were selected as  finalists in The Archibald Prize 2008/2009) and Li Cunxin  (Mao’s Last Dancer, recently  appointed Artistic Director, Queensland Ballet.)
Fu Hong  is undeniably a master of composition, light and colour.  The luminous bursts of colour that often appear are mirror images of Fu Hong’s own infectious exuberance for life.

Echo Chai   graduated from Peking University  with a Bachelor Degree of Art in Literature in Beijing, China and moved to Australia  in 1989.
Echo was mentored in oil painting by the highly commended artist Fu Hong. She has been awarded and selected as a finalist in numerous art awards.  Echo is also a photographer and in 2009 was a finalist of the NTDTV Photography Competition  in New York, USA.

Fu Hong and Echo Chai are both busy celebrating Chinese New Year, but we promise we will catch up with them for an interview. So stay tuned for an insight into the world of these two very accomplished artists.  In the meantime enjoy their paintings available at Red Hill Gallery.

In the “Year of the Snake” we also salute a Brisbane icon Eddie Liu OBE, OAM   a long time friend of our Gallery Director Graham Campbell-Ryder and well respected patriarch of the Chinese community in Brisbane

What would Chinese New Year be without food, our favourite restaurant the award winning China Seas at Milton will be cooking up a storm. We recommend you try their Salt and Pepper Squid

Many will have fond memories of Celebrating Chinese New Year.  Our director Margaret Campbell-Ryder remembers well the many celebrations she attended growing up in Bendigo,  Victoria particularly the Bendigo Easter Fair.  The Easter procession and the main highlight was the Chinese Dragon “Sun Loong”,  the longest imperial dragon in the world, dancing through the streets of Bendigo.

Every year her family would be there to see this magnificent Dragon and marvel at its beauty but Margaret does admit to hiding behind her dad and peeping out sometimes.  (NO – we find that hard to believe!)  Today that beautiful piece of heritage still resides in its home in Bendigo, in the Golden Dragon Museum  one of the oldest Chinese communities in Australia with a tradition dating back as far as maybe 1850’s -1880’s?

Do you too have fond memories of celebrating Chinese New year? Will you be embracing the Year of the Snake in 2013?

Meanwhile Happy Chinese New Year, Gong Hey Fat Choy 新年快乐.

2013 brings with it many new things, it is the 50^th Anniversary of Surfing Australia, it is an election year for Australia AND more importantly it is the year of Emerald Green¹! Emerald, associated with the brilliant green of precious gems brings a sense of “clarity, renewal and rejuvenation”², the perfect way to start your year!

Now when we talk ‘emerald’ a lot of you will be envisioning an 18^th century British manor. Although we can appreciate this look we are not suggesting that you go out and buy thick emerald velvet curtains, plush cushions with gold trimmed tassels or a giant jade lotus sculpture. No, we’re talking about the small changes, the little added touches that can change the dynamics of a room to enrich your life.

Whether you live in a modern house with a minimalist look or a classic Queenslander that is full of clutter (or vice versa) the little changes can make all the difference. The year is still young and many of us are suffering from the reality of returning to work (aren’t holidays bitter sweet?!) so why not start a new project. Bring Emerald into your life! Enhancing your home doesn’t have to be costly, perhaps you buy a potted plant with lush emerald leaves, a new throw for the couch, a couple of cushions, a piece of glass or (and of course we would say this) why not add a bit of art to your walls? We thought we should give you a few suggestions of our own…

So why not take charge of 2013 and enhance your life with the colour of the year? Come into Red Hill Gallery, we would love to help you go green.

Pantone for the Colour Blog  – Pantone Reveals Color of the Year for 2013: PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald

Pantone Fashion Colour Report

The month of February at Red Hill Gallery is dedicated to celebrating our Australian women artists. Showcasing four of our most popular and promising artists, Rebecca Pierce, Emma Middleton, Danielle McManus and Madeleine Ekeblad.

Within the exhibition there will be a vast array of styles from the thick impasto paintings of Rebecca Pierce and the musical overtones of Madeleine Ekeblad; to the soft and sensual female nudes by Emma Middleton and the familiar faces of Danielle McManus. Women of Substance will run from 15th February – 3rd of March.

“Our 2012 ‘Women of Substance’ exhibition proved to be very popular and we are looking forward to our four 2013 female artists having another successful exhibition.” – Margaret Campbell-Ryder, Director.

Please click on the thumbnails below to see the full image.

Red Hill Gallery’s annual Sale  is almost upon us.  With over 2,000 pieces of art, from original paintings, works on paper to fine glass, ceramics, sculpture and wearable art. Everything is discounted between 10-60% off its original price; making this Brisbane’s BIGGEST art sale.

“Artists make a living by selling their work, and every piece they sell gives them the opportunity to produce something new.” Margaret Campbell-Ryder (Director).

The Sale is a two (2) week window where you will be able to buy extraordinary Australian art at significantly discounted prices. Open to the general public on Saturday the 19th of January the Sale will continue daily until Sunday the 3rd of February and after this period the artworks will return to their original prices.

If you have never purchased a piece of fine art the Sale at Red Hill Gallery is the perfect time to put your toe in the water and visit the gallery, you might be pleasantly surprised at what a wonderful world you discover.

Art can be a lifelong passion of learning and collecting so why not start NOW by visiting the Gallery and picking up a bargain at the same time.

Art will last you a lifetime and give you pleasure every single day. Enjoy your journey into our artistic world!

Stay tuned to Facebook  to see sneak-peaks of our Sale items or inquire after your favourite artist by contacting the gallery, art@redhillgallery.com.au,  from Friday January 18.

Sunshine Coast Artist Nick Young catches up with Art Chat. Having studied at Julian
Ashton Art School in Sydney Nick approaches his painting in a classical manner
with a contemporary edge. In 2004 Nick entered a portrait of artist Pro Hart
into the Archibald Art Prize. Due to the publicity given to the painting during the Archibald selection process, negotiations were started with the National Portrait Gallery where it was decided that the painting had the artistic merit to be included in Australia’s
collection of portraiture housed at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra!
AC:      Nick your still- lifes with their dark background and strong source of light are reminiscent of 17th century Dutch painting.  What inspires you to paint in this way?
NY:     I love that form and light interplay to create a subtle but powerful composition. I like to paint in a way that is not just about an initial attraction to vibrant colour to grab
the eye, but a painting that allows me to wander through its passages and constantly appreciate the nuances that hide within. The Dutch masters did this very well and are a constant source of inspiration to me.

AC:      You often depict a mixture of east and west, what draws you to paint these particular scenes?
NY:     I am intrigued by the varieties of ideas and concepts in different cultures and like to incorporate that feel in my work, a hint of the unknown and mysterious of our world.

AC:      You’re lucky enough to have a background in formal painting, how do you think this has influenced your creative process?
NY:     A formal training is most valuable to me in the process I use to paint. Strong drawing skills and the ability to underpaint and then build up the layers of a painting with many transparent glazes is necessary to achieve the results that I seek.

AC:      Your portrait of Pro Hart for the Archibald in 2004 was very popular and has lead to great things for you. How does it feel to be selected to hang in Australia’s National Portrait Gallery?
NY:     This was a great honour for me, it still is – what more can I say!

AC:      Who or what first inspired you to pick up the paintbrush?
NY:     I have been drawing all my life; from my early teens I knew I wanted to be an artist. The Australian impressionists were my first heroes and I guess I have been lucky to earn my living this way for many years now.

AC:      Do you have a particular process you use to get into the ‘creative zone’
NY:     I like to spend “quiet time”, a time to just look and reflect on objects and their
beauty and then to arrange them in a way with a nice light source. Sometimes
this happens quickly, sometimes it takes a long time, but once a setup has that
‘feel” the creative zone is easy because the beauty is in front of me and I
become eager to try and interpret that with paint.

AC:      What music do you listen to while you work?
NY:     Heheheh! Anything from driving rock to opera, to country, to ballads. I seem to start with gentle music at the start of a painting, loud rock in the middle and finish the subtle nuances towards the end listening to Bocelli!

AC:      If you could have three artists (from any period) to dinner who would they be and why?
NY:     Van Gogh, to see if he is as crazy as me , Turner, to see if he is as crazy as me , Pollock, to see if he is as crazy as me ! On a more serious note , I would love to have dinner with the 3 of them , it seems weird, their work is all so different, but their dynamics
and honesty in their work is something I really dig.

AC:      What is your favourite childhood memory?
NY:     In New Zealand where I was born I could walk through the fields to a piece of really old forest and lose myself in there, it was my own private world, I loved it.

AC:      You have a gorgeous old sailing boat, how often are you able to get out on her and what do you love most about her?
NY:     In the last year I sailed it a 1000 miles down the east coast of Australia to spend time living in Sydney Harbour. I try to make sure that once a week I take her out for a sail. I am wanting to go for a run up to New Guinea for a few months. My boat is a gorgeous old 68 foot timber gaff schooner, I love her because to me she is like a still life painting, with beautiful and gracious lines and curves – a living beauty.

AC:      And lastly, if you could paint anyone in the world who would it be?
NY:     mmmm, Penelope Cruz!!!