So these days I’m spending every waking hour and many that should be sleeping writing my paper, either in the head or on the computer. So when it is in the head time I can fiddle about with some less demanding prints! Above is one I did for a little exchange organised by Rosanna Jurisevic who runs short courses in printmaking at the Warringah printmakers in Sydney. I also hang about on the Inkteraction website now and then, and check out some of the fantastic printmakers work there. Another distraction is trying to remember to put applications in for the various residencies that come and go each year. Hill End is about due if your into remote inland locations. OK better get back to it!

Also a new and fabulous resource is the ABC website called Artpost where artists can upload images of their work along with other bits of information. Thanks to Lynette Weir for this link!

My painting class has begun and so is the journey of learning about all the amazing things you can do with paint. The painting we are doing is abstract, so it is a loosening up lesson as much as anything else. This is the first layer which needs to dry before the next is applied. Being oil paint, this will take the week between classes, but thats fine as I have heaps of print work to do! I feel a bit like a fish out of water there at the moment!

A website drifted my way – the London Original Print Fair looks like a fabulous place to check out some top notch prints. They have a fabulous page of exhibitors, which of course lead me on to another link, being the Glascow Print Studio. They have an artist database which is a good browse. This website lead me on to one that has a number of Chinese artists living in Scotland. Ricefield has some really interesting work on show and some good links too.  Another exhibition floated in today – prints from the American scene from the early half of the 20th century. These are on show at the British Museum until September the 7th.

On Friday I head over to Melbourne to visit the Art Melbourne exhibition (I get a mention on the Ballan and Pannan page!) and the Otto Dix exhibition. This is a travelling exhibition, from the National Gallery of Australia and will be on show at the National Gallery of Victoria until August 10. There will be 51 of his etchings produced following WW1. This will be a moving moment for sure. So it is back to the print room to get as much in before flying out as possible!

A couple of things keep popping up for me, so I thought I would write about then here then I will always know where to find the links. One is paper size. This seems to be quite straight forward, but every now and then it is a matter of finding the exact size required from a standard perspective. So Markus Kuhn’s webpage is quite a handy reference.

Also an ongoing quest is finding out about paint ingredients. I found Tony Johansen’s website to be the most extensive and educational out there in web world! He has put together a huge amount of information for his students, but it is so easy to follow it is a wonderful resource.

There are a couple of exhibitions happening around Hobart as well. I fully intend to get out there and have a break from work to soak in some of the work that is on show this week, but here are the details if you happen to be in Hobart.

RACT magazine image

The RACT has a show of work from their recent inaugural competition for a portrait done by a person under the age of 30. Nice to see the youth age has gone up a little there! The work is on show at the Sidespace Gallery from 3 – 14 of April, then it travels to Launceston – 17 – 27 April at the Design Centre – then on to Burnie at the Regional Arts Gallery from May 2 – 18.

Hunter Island Press are having an exhibition and sale of work at the Old Bakery Gallery in Sydney this month. Thirteen members have prints on show using a range of techniques. The prints are all 21 x 21cm and the gallery is located at 22 Rosenthal Avenue, Lane Cove.

The Colville Street Gallery is opening an exciting exhibition this Friday. Work from the Port Jackson Press printmakers will be on show until April 24th. I’m looking forward to that one! Might even make the opening…