streeton roberts mccubbin awards exhibition 2010

the sherbrooke art society will be holding its 2010 awards exhibition from 22 may 2010 through 6 june 2010 at the gallery. 62 monbulk road, belgrave, victoria,

this is a great gallery to visit, not only because of the generally excellent quality of the artwork but also for the magnificent "rainforest" setting in the dandenong ranges. the trees are autumnal and full of color. the chestnut man is roasting fresh local chestnuts. there is a nip in the air as we head toward our winter. across the road from the gallery is a terrific tavern that sells guinness and other beers and ales on tap.

definitely a worthwhile outing. here is a "phone" snap of me getting ready to deliver my entries. the art society is fairly "traditional" in its approach. so, my entries are unlikely to win an award. but, i will be happy to put these pieces on show.

north end

this is just a study. i thought it was too dark. but i like the composition and several other elements. this is the sort of thing i do not always share. but, afdter all, that is kinda what a "blog" is for......

burns and braes...

hmmmm. tired from so much color etc...

melbourne autumn - 2010

hmmmmmmmmm............

sketches post-Alvaro

you say "al-VAR-o". he says "AL-var-o". one thing we all say is that he can sure paint a mean watercolor.

for three torrid days in the company of this master painter i found myself challenged. i soon realized that no one painter can copy another painter's techniques successfully. but, by golly, one can learn a heap of stuff.
for weeks after the class i tried to incorporate what Alvaro taught into my paintings. what i have learned is and will be very valuable to me going forward. here are a coule of sketches that lean heavily on some of Alvaro's favorite subjects. they are really quite abstract and atmospheric. but i am pleased with how they have taken me in a new direction and expandeed my horizons...

turbulence (blue)

so cool. been watching some work by the master (Arnold Lowrey) and putting my own spin on it. this led to a powerful, spooky result. something only watercolor can do. barely in control. neat stuff.

"New Season" heads to Shanghai!!!

This painting ("New Season") made the initial cut for the Zhujiajiao watercolour show at Expo 2010 in Shanghai! This is so exciting for me! (i.e. i just had to share the news). No guarantee of making the final cut - but to get this far makes me both proud and humble!