True Fictions installation views

From left to right: Digital Landscape, Digital Light, Entrance and Portrait of Diane

Photograph by Tim Gresham

Entrance

Photograph by Tim Gresham

Installation view by Tim Gresham 

Installation photograph by Tim Gresham

Website

Photograph by Deborah Klein

From left to right: High Definition, Concealed and Missing

Photograph by Tim Gresham

I was amused by the fact that people wanted to open the door and also when the gallery received phone calls to say they made a mistake on their website because some of the paintings were still in their bubble wrap.

Deakin University acquisition

High Definition, pictured above, has been acquired by Deakin University from my current exhibition, True Fictions. It is from a series of paintings depicting the Australian landscape as seen on television - a reference to the indirect way we frequently experience the world around us. I am delighted that my painting will be part of such a great collection.

True Fictions - Opening Night

Diane Soumilas with her portrait

Shane Jones and Rebecca Guest, Manager of Charles Nodrum Gallery

Paul Compton and Leigh Hobbs

Shane Jones and Doug Willis

Judy Holding talking to Chris Wallace-Crabbe, Vince Alessi centre. Vince is Artistic Director of La Trobe University Museum of Art Vic. and he wrote a wonderful catalogue essay for the exhibition titled Do I Really Know...

Patrica Gillard, Paul Compton, Marita Kelly, Chris Cochius and Caitlin 

Donna McCrae, Michael Vale and Tom Alberts

True Fictions - solo exhibtion at Charles Nodrum Gallery

Here is a selection of paintings from my forthcoming exhibition True Fictions at Charles Nodrum Gallery. The exhibition opens on 25 November and will run until 18 December. 

To view the exhibition online click HERE 

CHARLES NODRUM GALLERY

267 Church Street Richmond Victoria 3121

www.charlesnodrumgallery.com.au 

gallery@charlesnodrumgallery.com.au  

Tel - (61 3) 94270140

Images from top: 

Portrait of Diane, 2010, oil on linen, 101 x 76 cm

Portrait of Deborah, 2009, oil on linen, 36 x 36 cm

F for Fake, 2010, oil on MDF, 19 x 13.5 cm

Covered Nude, 2010, oil on linen, 30 x 40.5 cm

Website, 2010, oil on MDF, 28 x 23 x 32.5 cm

Virtual Light, 2010, oil on linen, 76 x 91 cm

High Definition, 2010, oil on canvas, 76 x 91 cm

Recent acquisitions, State Library of Victoria

Recently the State Library of Victoria acquired four of my paintings. One of these, Makybe Diva Winning her Third Melbourne Cup, was curated into the current exhibition Celebrating 150 Years of the Melbourne Cup. The exhibition can be viewed on the 5th level of the SLV. It continues until 31 October 2011.

The remaining acquisitions are self-portraits.

Images from top:

Pictured with Makybe Diva Winning her Third Melbourne Cup at the State Library of Victoria

Makybe Diva Winning her Third Melbourne Cup, 2010, Oil on canvas, 76 x 91 cm

Quodlibet, 2006, Oil on canvas, 122.5 x 81.5 cm

Quodlibet Self-Portrait, 2005, Oil on MDF, 64 x 49 cm

Self-Portrait, 2007, Oil on linen, 45.5 x 35.5 cm

A visit to Robert Hannaford's studio

In October 2010, Robin Rogers, Deborah Klein and I visited Robert Hannaford's studio/gallery in Riverton South Australia. In my opinion Robert (Alf) Hannaford is one of the world's best realist and portrait painters - I've always wanted to meet him. That day he was about to resume a sculpture commission, but he generously found the time to show us around his studio. Pictured here from left: Robin Rogers, Shane Jones and Robert Hannaford.

The 2010 Rick Amor Drawing Prize

My self-portrait pastel drawing was a finalist in the inaugural 2010 Rick Amor Drawing Prize at the Art Gallery of Ballarat. 

From top:

Night Self Portrait, 2010, dry pastel, 52 x 39 cm

Pictured with Night Self Portrait at the exhibition opening

The exhibition ran from 25 September - 7 November

Painting Workshops at Camberwell Grammar

I did a number of painting workshops with the art teachers at Camberwell Grammar School early in 2010. The top photograph shows teachers Marita Kelly, Anne Walters and Bonnie Wade. Other teachers who participated in the workshops were David Williamson and Kevin Boyd. 

Here are also some of the preparatory paintings I made for demonstration purposes, showing a number of ways to begin a painting and applying a glaze over a white underpainted image.

Later in the year I was invited to open the Camberwell Grammar VCE Art and Design exhibition.

Hans Heysen's Studio

Standing outside Hans Heysen's studio at Handorf, South Australia. The studio is deceptively spacious and full of excellent drawings and a few paintings. It was interesting to see some paintings in their blocked out state, because we rarely get to view an artist's unfinished work. The Cedars, the house where the Heysen family lived, contains some fantastic paintings, prints and drawings by Hans and his daughter Nora. 

My 2009 exhibition ILLUSIONS at the Art Gallery of Ballarat

The above two paintings from my exhibition, Virtual Landscape and Timeless, have now entered the collection of the Art Gallery of Ballarat

Images from top:

Self Portrait, 2009, oil on linen, 30 x 20. 5 cm

Virtual Landscape, 2009, oil on linen, 76 x 91 cm

Self Portrait, 2009, oil on linen, 35 x 25 cm

Michael Vale's inspiring opening speech

Shane Jones and Michael Vale

Installation view with Dolls House in foreground

Installation view (2)

Installation view (3)

Installation view (4)

Craig Gough, Wendy Stavrianos and painted figure

The exhibition ran from 25 April - 24 May 2009

Click on images to enlarge

To read Michael Vale's opening address, click HERE