{"id":1206,"date":"2013-02-15T17:37:55","date_gmt":"2013-02-15T07:37:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?p=1206"},"modified":"2013-02-15T17:37:55","modified_gmt":"2013-02-15T07:37:55","slug":"women-of-substance-exhibiting-february-red-hill-gallery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?p=1206","title":{"rendered":"Women of Substance &#8211; Exhibiting February &#8211; Red Hill Gallery"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"fb_share_1\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 10px;\"><a name=\"fb_share\" type=\"icon_link\" share_url=\"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?p=1206\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php\">Share<\/a><\/div><div><script src=\"http:\/\/static.ak.fbcdn.net\/connect.php\/js\/FB.Share\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><\/div><p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.redhillgallery.com.au\" target=\"_blank\">Red Hill Gallery<\/a> 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\u2019s facebook page and website for updates and sneak peeks of the upcoming, collaborative exhibition featuring these four talented artists.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Women of Substance<\/em>\u201d will run from Friday 15 February \u2013 Sunday 3 March.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?attachment_id=1242\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1242\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1242\" title=\"Madeleine Ekeblad\" src=\"http:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/MadeleineEkablad.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"349\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/MadeleineEkablad.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/MadeleineEkablad-300x130.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.redhillgallery.com.au\/MadeleineEkablad2013.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Madeleine Ekeblad <\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Describe your art in one sentence?<\/strong><br \/>\nMusic and Dance are my greatest loves and this is portrayed in my energetic style of \u2018freeform\u2019 painting.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\/who inspired you to first start painting?<br \/>\n<\/strong>I am fourth generation Artist, and growing up in an artistic family allowed for creative thinking and experimentation, although I didn\u2019t embrace the arts until well into my 20\u2019s. 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 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.royalmint.com\" target=\"_blank\">British Mint.<br \/>\n<\/a><strong><br \/>\nDo you have a particular process you use to get into the creative zone?<br \/>\n<\/strong>I\u2019m never out of it!<\/p>\n<p>When I can\u2019t 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\u2019s piano.\u00a0 \u2018The decomposition of an Upright Piano\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 This is in my backyard under a double gazebo with the flowering Indian Glove vine over it.\u00a0 The filming will take 18 months.<\/p>\n<p>When I need other influences I go to the<a href=\"http:\/\/www.qagoma.qld.gov.au\" target=\"_blank\"> Art Gallery &amp; GoMA <\/a>and walk around visiting all the Australian Masters. Remember my life has been surrounded by artistic influence. Art is my life.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you think living in a creative Island community has affected your work in any way?<\/strong><br \/>\nArtists 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.\u00a0 I keep wanting to paint the water but end up painting music or dance.\u00a0 Even when painting something as simple as a tree it ends up being a female form \u2018dancing\u2019.<\/p>\n<p><strong>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?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jazz\" target=\"_blank\">JAZZ<\/a>!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love me, love my Jazz.<\/p>\n<p>If I\u2019m out <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/En_plein_air\" target=\"_blank\">\u2018en plein air\u2019 painting\u00a0<\/a> then I listen to the sound of the landscape around me. \u00a0Standing silently in the Bamboo Grove at the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brisbane.qld.gov.au\/facilities-recreation\/parks-and-venues\/parks\/city-botanic-gardens\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Botanic Gardens<\/a> you start to feel the sway of the bamboo then the drums start to beat and the wind whistles its flute.\u00a0 Get the picture. I hear music everywhere.\u00a0 Allow the Bohemian mentality to be at the forefront of your creations!<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>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,<a href=\"http:\/\/omsa.com.au\" target=\"_blank\"> OMSA,<\/a> down on paper. This produced the first book \u201cThe Reluctant Artist!\u201d 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.\u00a0 I am making the most of every single minute of every single day and enjoy every moment.<\/p>\n<p>I help artists to understand not \u2018what\u2019 they paint, but \u2018why\u2019 they paint!<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?attachment_id=1243\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1243\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1243\" title=\"Rebecca Pierce\" src=\"http:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/RebeccaPierce.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"349\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/RebeccaPierce.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/RebeccaPierce-300x130.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.redhillgallery.com.au\/RebeccaPierce2013.html\" target=\"_blank\">Rebecca Pierce<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Describe you art in one sentence?<\/strong><br \/>\nSemi abstract contemporary art that closely references the Australian outback and flowering coastal plains.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\/who inspired you to first start painting?<\/strong><br \/>\nNo particular person inspired me. I have always loved colour and texture.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you have a particular process you use to get into the creative zone?<\/strong><br \/>\nNo not really, I love to be able to paint at every opportunity, and enjoy the idea of my work as a form of escapism.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How did it feel to be selected in 2000 to create a limited edition collectors design for <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wedgwood.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\">Wedgewood<\/a> <\/strong><strong>and<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ramint.gov.au\" target=\"_blank\"> The Royal Australian Mint<\/a>, Canberra? <\/strong><strong><\/strong><br \/>\nIt 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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You\u2019ve had an enormous career, what have been the highlights?<\/strong><br \/>\nI now have the opportunity to work with my children and to watch them embrace art in all its forms.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?attachment_id=1244\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1244\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1244\" title=\"DanielleMcManus\" src=\"http:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/DanielleMcManus.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"340\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/DanielleMcManus.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/DanielleMcManus-300x127.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.redhillgallery.com.au\/DanielleMcManus2013.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Danielle McManus<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Describe you art in one sentence?<\/strong><br \/>\nMy paintings are colourful, whimsical and for the most part simple images inspired by everyday life.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\/who inspired you to first start painting?<\/strong><br \/>\nMy earliest inspiration were book illustrators like <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/May_Gibbs\" target=\"_blank\">May Gibbs<\/a> \u00a0 and <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Beatrix_Potter\" target=\"_blank\">Beatrix Potter<\/a>. I originally wanted to illustrate books.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you have a particular process you use to get into the creative zone?<\/strong><br \/>\nNo. With three young children I just grab any spare time I get to paint! They do give me plenty of inspiration though!!<\/p>\n<p><strong>How did you develop your figures? Have you always painted people in this way or did it develop with your style?<\/strong><br \/>\nI 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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Are your paintings of a particular person or a made up character?<\/strong><br \/>\nNo. 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.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?attachment_id=1245\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1245\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1245\" title=\"Emma Middleton\" src=\"http:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/EmmaMiddleton.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"340\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/EmmaMiddleton.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/EmmaMiddleton-300x127.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.redhillgallery.com.au\/EmmaMiddleton2013.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Emma Middleton<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Describe you art in one sentence?<\/strong><br \/>\nOn the one hand it is an expression of the beauty of women, and on the other a\u00a0physical manifestation of\u00a0emotions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\/who inspired you to first start painting?<\/strong><br \/>\nFrom the very beginning my Grandmother, whose studio was filled with landscapes, nudes and flowers,\u00a0and later on the dancers in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wien.info\/en\/music-stage-shows\/dance\/dance-events\" target=\"_blank\">Vienna ballet<\/a> who offered to model for my sketches.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you have a particular process you use to get into the creative zone?<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u00a0have a constant companion; music.\u00a0Often classical harp, or the other extreme; alternative bands.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Emma your nudes are gorgeous. Do you always use models to paint, do you find an advantage?<\/strong><br \/>\nI use models, however to capture the effects of natural sunlight, that I find so intriguing, I photograph the models to\u00a0record the moment in time.<\/p>\n<p>Each woman I paint brings her own unique and beautiful quality\u00a0that together with my interpretation\u00a0forms\u00a0the essence of the work.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You were a professional ballerina at some stage&#8230; do you think this has had an impact on your style and subject matter?<\/strong><br \/>\nYes, an enormous impact. A dancer\u2019s instrument is the body, and at the\u00a0same time it is\u00a0a conveyor of\u00a0artistic expression.<\/p>\n<p>My more recent black and white works represent the struggle I face to become more\u00a0conscious of\u00a0a\u00a0broader 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.<\/p>\n<div class=\"al2fb_like_button\"><div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n(function(d, s, id) {\n  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];\n  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;\n  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;\n  js.src = \"\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1&appId=499790883388518\";\n  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);\n}(document, \"script\", \"facebook-jssdk\"));\n<\/script>\n<fb:like href=\"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?p=1206\" send=\"true\" layout=\"button_count\" show_faces=\"true\" share=\"false\" width=\"150\" action=\"recommend\" font=\"arial\" colorscheme=\"light\" ref=\"AL2FB\"><\/fb:like><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ShareRed 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 &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?p=1206\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1206"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1206"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1249,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1206\/revisions\/1249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}