www.ArtistsConnected.com

Have you ever dreamed of creating JUST the perfect Art environment online?

Something that reflects both real living fine artists and unique fine art?

The groundwork has begun.

An artsite with a collection of quality art and quality artists with an international base and a single planet mind?

A collection of 'connected' artists ....... connected to their art. Connected to proactive ideas about how art should be shared with the public. Connected to bricks and mortar galleries and connected to events happening in many different locations with many different art styles and art types. That is the idea and that is the intent.

As this is the 100th POST on my blog i thought it APPROPRIATE to dedicate it to a crazy group of artists who have connected to each other for various reasons and cemented for me the idea that artists need artists. I have learned so much from this very cool group of artists who continue to inspire and support my thoughts, my art and my self.

To me this is the birth of a new way to make, share and imagine..............

How exciting is our mindseye.

A HUGE YEAR

What a HUGE year its been.......... moving from australia last January with my two boys..... leaving my lovely old home and parents and daughters behind and travelling 25,000 km to be with the man i love was JUST THE BEGINING of the novel, intriguing, exciting, scary, thrilling and awesome year for creating memories.

NARUTO COMES TO MORAVIA

Seems like Jye has been hit by the Naruto phenomenon...... and to be honest i can;t say i am sad to see POKEMON move to second place.......its after all a natural evolution......

And its amazing what one can do with $1.50 worth of black fabric and recycled aluminium drink can........Jye was very happy with his special headband......hovering around every step of the way. We looked online and they sell for $29.50........OUCH........ err i had more fun making it than i would have buying it.... money notwithstanding.

And of course making it oneself helps add secret special ninja powers don't you know????!!!

Yes he is happy!

PLAYROOM MAKEOVER IN MORAVIA

One of the most important places in our home is the Play room as it is where the boys share time ...... they can watch dvd''s, play lego, draw on the chalkboard, play a board game or even use the play station. It was also a boring BEIGE space with two small windows high up........ now even tho the furniture in the room is less than desireable there is much one can do to a space by changing both the colour and the furniture layout. In all i spent $120 on the space to create the feel it has now........ and some quality time. The boys were instrumental in choosing colours and accessories........

ETERNAL MOMENT - new painting

Aboriginal legend and creation myths (dreamtime) refer to the custodianship of the planet as 'dreamgardening' and in a culture where the spirit of place is reflected in the sense of there being no such thing as time.There is only an eternal moment. they have no word for time...... as a concept it is unique in indigenous peoples...... and while our world moves from a focus on information to a focus on imagination...... it serves well to remember the wisdom we humans have ALWAYS had........This is the garden of the 'Eternal Moment'.

ARTMAKER PRINTMAKING REVISITED

The Plate AFTER taking a hand rubbed impression on damp watercolour paper to check for depth of line and image balance.

The plate after inking and rubbing with a very FINE layer of ink in the engraved plate.

It has been a few years since i created a limited edition series of fine art prints and there are new products to investigate, new papers to trial and i have different aspirations and thoughts.

Printmaking Inks

Unlike free flowing drawing and writing inks, printmaking inks are designed to be just the opposite. Despite the vast differences involved in printmaking, the only real difference in printmaking ink is viscosity and the binder. Traditional lithographic ink is oil based but differs from oil paint in that the ink must be ground to the very finest sort of grain and the most complete dispersion possible, by being repeatedly put through powerful and accurately adjusted roller mills. The consistency requirements differ from those of oil colors in that print making inks must be capable of depositing on the paper a smooth, level, uniform stain rather than a thick painty layer. The color effect is generally that of watercolor, the underlying white paper contributing brilliancy and luminosity to the tones; but opaque color effects are not entirely unknown. In order to meet these requirements the ink makers produce a very stiff paste, capable of being spread or rolled out to a level flat film on the inking roller, and having just the necessary degree of snap or sticky tackiness, combined with certain oiliness.

One of my major concerns is the lack of a printing press and running this edition through WITHOUT one and printing by hand. it's going to take some trial and error i suspect Yet learning as we go is half the fun....

PERMENANT RESIDENT ALIEN

On the 14th of February at the beginning of the worst blizzard we have had this winter the family and i travelled some 3 hours away to Buffalo New York where the boys and i had an interview to process the final stage of our permenant residency application.

Apart from i can think of better things to do with Valentines day.......and BOTH boys were sick.....but especially Drew with pneumonia (and the antibiotics were making him throw up) we managed to rather enjoy our night away from Moravia. We stayed in the Holiday Inn on Delaware street and managed to enjoy each others company! I really liked being able to fall asleep in the same room as the boys and we managed to all get a really good sleep.

The staff at the Buffalo Office of USICS were FANTASTIC to deal with professional and treated us with dignity and efficiency. The security procedures entering the building were to be expected and things went smoothly. we managed to even have our interview and be out of there early as the blizzard had created some blank spaces as people had cancelled ! How cool was that.....

The trip home was treacherous with the trucks being considerably problematic in covering the car with slush and reducing visibility to NEAR ZERO at times........Patrick was careful and managed to get us home in one piece.

What this means for me persoanlly is i can regain some lost independence and open a bank account here and do ordinary things like join a library, and NOT be concerned someone was going to ask for a social security number before i could do anything.

MONUMENTAL ART PROJECT. ARTEGRITY IN ACTION

I have begun the process of creating the artwork from a gathering of thoughts. The basic structure of the tree of life has been transferred to the metal....... I simply painted the aluminium disc roughly with gouache and used my gold transfer leaf to create the image. That way when i carve into the metal with the dremel it will be easier to see where i have been.

MONUMENTAL ART PROJECT. ARTEGRITY IN ACTION

One of the motifs and icons i use in my art is the 'curl' and 'spiral' to denote a modern tribal imagery for growth and change and feminine majik. I also like to refer to the tree of life in my art....... as a starting point for the monumental i wanted to combine my love of tree's with my artform.......seems to recurr i realise this... but it also is part of who i am.

NEW HOPE FLOUR MILLS - IN THE SNOW

We headed off for a little explore to the New Hope Flour Mills site near Moravia. The place was Blanketed in snow and made the rambling and forlorn buildings and detrius to a bygone age really stand out in their antiquity and sheer (for me) interest.

I hope you enjoy my images.

n

MORE COLOUR REVISITING

The kitchen is looking so much bigger now it is complete. The trim is painted and the holes are all filled and painted.