Press

I really, really, really want a table press.

I love monoprinting and would love to do lots of it. Here's a little bit of a play I did a few years ago:

I know it's not the Mona Lisa, but I really enjoyed the way the brush strokes came through.  Not actually representative of what I want to do.   I'm probably a bit more likely to do stuff that looks like other stuff. This was done with oil paints and some bits of plastic.  It was done in about five minutes to show a class how the technique works.

Would love to be able to do some work that I took a bit more time over.   Does anyone know someone with a spare press?

Weird old cat lady

I've just done something very silly.  I went to the pet shop today to buy a new collar for Dusty and ended up acquiring a new cat - and here she is:

It was good of her to pose in front of one of my paintings.

The situation now is that there are two grown up cats at one end of the house, and a baby black cat at the other.  She's getting more relaxed and no longer flinching when I reach out to pat her.  Still no name, but there've been a couple of good suggestions.

It's always been my ambition to be a weird old cat lady and it looks as though I'll get there sooner rather than later.

Dusty and Miniscule

Just a quick post.

I'm really enjoying the time between 6.55 and 7.00pm at the moment.

This is when the ABC shows an animated series called 'Miniscule', and Dusty is addicted.  It's a show featuring animated insects with fun sound effects.  She comes in to the studio when the theme music starts.  She makes it pretty hard for me to see the show.  That's fine.  I enjoy watching her watching it.

She's also very fond of 'Meerkat Manor'.  (I prefer the version narrated by Bill Nighy, just because he's marvellous.)

Sorely tempted

My dream job might be advertised this weekend.  I know it's coming up and I'm crossing all appendages that I'll at least get an interview.

The job is ideal because it's about promoting art in the community.  I am really passionate about making art accessible to everyone.  Art should help to form the soul of communities.  In  fact it does just that.  People don't see how much they are exposed to art, design and general creativity in every day life.  All the computer design, streetscapes, shop windows, newspapers and magazines, house and street designs, everything on the internet, blah, blah, blah are the result of someone having an idea.  Admittedly the ideas aren't always good.

A while ago, I ran a small gallery in country New South Wales.  One of the goals I set for the place was to make art accessible to everyone.  It would be great if people understood that they can own good original art for about the same price as a print bought from Hardly Normal or a print shop.  I promoted the work of local artists in a street shopfront. 

Art should not be a means of separating people.  It should be a source of enjoyment and in some cases  unite people.  This doesn't mean it should never be confronting.  There's plenty of room for that.  I just believe that it should be a part of everyone's life and that it shouldn't be a part of any artificial barriers in class, money or anything else.  I believe that much of the art 'culture' has set up structures that divorce the community from the enjoyment to be gained from original art.

So there.  That's what I think.

In the mean time, here's a pic of one of the cat's and I.

We both have impressive dark eyebrows.

Oh. And the reason I am sorely tempted is that I spent most of the day rehearsing my resignation speech to the sweatshop owners.  If I am very, very lucky, I will be out of there some time in the next month.  It's tempting to quit and see what happens, but I have a mortgage and can't yet take that leap.

Dream Job

Here's a drawing I did a couple of years ago:

It's one of a series of twelve done in pastel and based on ikat dying and swedish weave designs.  Done in hard pastels on a black pastel medium base.  Really liked the series and might get back to it.

In the mean time, my dream job is about to be advertised.  It's an education and publicity job for a local arts organisation.  My generally inept attempts at local arty networking seem to have paid off.  Will apply and hope for the best.

Oh! And here's another one of those drawings:

I do love playing with colour.

Oddness of the blog

This blogging thing is a bit of a weird concept.  Basically, it's diaries that can be accessed by anyone.  It's quite odd to put down one's thoughts and expect anyone else to take an interest.  I suppose we all like stories.

My story for the week isn't remarkable. Same old completely shit job.  Probably worse this week.  Another job interview.  I was one of 4 chosen for interview from 30 applicants.  That's happened many times before.  I get an interview but don't get the job.  I'm obviously doing something wrong.  At least I know I write a good application...

There's a woman at work who takes great satisfaction out of finding imaginary errors in my work.  She is extremely fussy about the printing I do and takes great joy in bringing it back to me and telling me it is not up to scratch.  I told her today that I am not paid enough to care about the stuff I'm doing.  She can knock it back as many times as she likes.  I'll just do the job again.  Maybe she will approve it and maybe not.  The funny thing is that she is the most appalling person. 

Enough said.