Still - on show at the Rotary Art Spectacular

I am delighted that my large painting Still will be shown at The Rotary Art Spectacular, Waterfront Place Brisbane, opening tomorrow evening at 6.30pm.

This exhibition is one of the most prestigious Art Exhibitions on Brisbane's art calendar; it showcases work by many talented artists while raising funds for charity. An online gallery has been created so you can view all the works on show.  

Still - oil on linen - 1200mm x 910mm  ©2015 Carol Lee Beckx

The exhibition has moved to a new venue this year, which is slightly smaller than in previous years, so having work selected for this show is particularly gratifying. In line with other similar exhibitions, the Rotary show has work selected in two categories - work to be displayed in the exhibition venue and work selected for the online exhibition.

I have written about the process of Still in this blog post, and here is a Flipagram showing clips at the different stages.

Two more paintings, Watching and Rocks 21st December 5.09pm, have been included in the online show. 

Rocks 21st December 5.09pm - watercolour and ink on paper ©2015 Carol Lee Beckx

Watching was the result of sketches done while on holiday at Coolum Beach during December. Rocks, on the other hand, in watercolour and ink was painted en plain air. More about those days spent sketching at Coolum can be found here and here.

Perhaps one day I will work in oils on site, but for now sketches and studio painting is working for me. The logistics of working in ink and watercolour are reasonably manageable; working outside in oils is perhaps another story altogether!

Exhibition Season - Immanuel Arts Festival in Buderim

It seems as though May and June are popular exhibition months in Brisbane and the surrounding areas. 

This week I will have three paintings on an exhibition in Buderim, on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland. The Immanuel Arts Festival has a Gala Opening at 7.00pm on Thursday 21st. The show runs until Sunday 24th May closing at 2pm.

Full details of this Festival hosted by Parents and Friends Association of Immanuel Lutheran College can be found here. 

Glimmering Fragments of the Mist 1200mm x 910mm Oil on linen ©2015 Carol Lee Beckx

There's more about this painting in this post: Glimmering Fragments of the Mist

Coolum Rocks 24th December 2014 6.54am ©2015 Carol Lee Beckx

I've written more about this painting in this post: Coolum Beach -Two Paintings

Dahlia Love Watercolour on paper 270mm x 270mm Framed ©2015 Carol Lee Beckx

And here’s a reminder that The Moreton Bay Regional Arts Award show continues until Sunday 24th May. The standard of work this year's is extremely high, with a wide range of techniques and styles. All the work can be viewed online here:

Moreton Bay Art Award Finalists for 2015

Opening hours daily are 10am to 4pm with an Arts and Crafts Market Day on Saturday 23rd May.

There are more Exhibitions to come in the next few weeks: The Rotary Art Spectacular and The Lethbridge 10,000 Exhibition.

Vale Sue Pearson

On Tuesday I was showing one of my students some photos of Sue Pearson's paintings to illustrate the art of using gentle soft glazes in a watercolour painting. We talked about her process and I spoke about Sue's gentle, patient approach to both art and life. Sue was a talented watercolour artist whose style was unique. Each transparent layer would be applied with care. Her subject matter included flowers, pebbles, shells and landscapes.

Sue Pearson FWWSA

On Wednesday I received the sad news that Sue had passed away suddenly.
I first met Sue at a Watercolour Society meeting many years ago when she was the current President. An item on the agenda was about a special exhibition - Artists for Hospice, to raise funds for the Westville Hospice. Each artist would work to a size that would be framed in a standard size frame. The frames had been sponsored but a working party was needed to assemble the completed paintings. 

I volunteered to help with the framing and by so doing I got to know a very special person who became both mentor and friend. After the Hospice Exhibition, Sue invited me to join the committee of WSSA. (Watercolour of South Africa) At the very first meeting Sue managed to convince me to be her Vice President. Her gentle powers of persuasion were legendary - who could ever say no to Sue?

                       Low Tide Knysna Heads watercolour on paper - © Sue Pearson

Sue served on the committee of the KZN Branch of WSSA for many years. She was elected a Fellow of the Society, an honour awarded to very few artists. She was also made an Honorary Life Member in recognition of her service.

During the years that followed, I became more fascinated with watercolour and solely due to Sue's encouragement I eventually became an Associate member. Together with a few friends, Sue and I met every Thursday to paint; experimenting, sharing ideas and developing a very special friendship. I treasure those memories.

Thank you, Sue, rest in peace, my dear friend.

Deep Ripple at the Moreton Bay Art Award 2015

Deep Ripple was inspired by a visit to the Mt Coot-Tha Botanic Gardens, Brisbane. I did a number of sketches and took numerous photographs. (I do so love digital photography because I can over-indulge in taking loads of photos)

In this painting, the water is dark and mysterious but interspersed with bright reflections of the sky.There is a moment when something has broken the smooth surface of the pond. Then the surface flattened and the moment was gone.
Who knows what was there? 

Deep Ripple oil on canvas 610mm x 610mm © 2015 Carol Lee Beckx

I am delighted that Deep Ripple has been selected as a Finalist for the Moreton Bay Regional Art Awards Exhibition which will be held in the Strathpine Community Centre, 199 Gympie Road, Strathpine. (Entry and parking via Mecklem Street.)

 This prestigious exhibition showcases excellent work from Queensland and beyond, with a  number of artistic disciplines being presented. There is a section for 2D artwork incorporating paintings and drawing; a section for photography and then another for 3D works. 

No theme is set which makes it so interesting to see the wide range of artworks all with varying sources of inspiration and using a wide range of techniques and media. 

The opening of the exhibition is the Friday evening at 6.00pm and will run until 24th May 2015. 

More experiments with mixed media

Following on from my Sktchy portraits I decided to experiment more with textures, stencils and collage. I used some of the portraits, scanned and printed then added some quotes that I gathered during the week.

Such fun to just play and see where the painting goes.

Gazing into Your Soul – mixed media on watercolour paper ©Carol Lee Beckx