A Yellow Start to 2024

…. yellow is a colour that always draws my attention and is a favourite of mine, I was married in a lovely yellow dress!

This week I picked up a new art book ‘The Secret Lives of Colour’ by Kassia St Clair.

In the introduction to the book Kassia describes her approach ... “I take a colour and pull it apart at the seams to discover it’s hidden mysteries …”

It's the sort of book that is ideal to dip into whenever the opportunity arises. Under the heading of Yellow, Kassia writes about …. Blond; Red-tin Yellow; Indian Yellow; Acid Yellow; Naples Yellow; Chrome Yellow; Gamboge; Orpiment; Imperial Yellow and Gold.

So I started with Yellow! No surprise …

This section covers a lot of territory, travelling from the 1895 arrest of Oscar Wilde “What decent many would be seen openly walking the streets with a yellow book” to India where yellow is symbolic of peace and knowledge, and is particularly associated with Krishna, who is generally depicted wearing a vivid yellow robe!

For me the greatest interest lies in the stories of the early yellow pigments and that “with the exception of the yellow iron ochres, which even at their best tend to be a little dull and brownish, there were no yellow pigments that were completely reliable until the twentieth century”.

Inspired by my new discoveries about colour, I'm now getting back into the flow of my art practice and have been playing with ….

Sketching with Art Graf

Collaging with Fabric

Quick Beach Study

1.

Sketching using an Art Graf square block in yellow ochre! The square is water soluble as well as being soft and rich – very satisfying to work with!

2.

Using some of my still large stash of fabric as a collage material in some small paintings … this little piece is 20cms in diameter, acrylic paint and fabric collage on canvas, mounted on wood panel.3.​

3.

Painting small, quick studies inspired by my return to the pleasure of regular beach walks (when the weather is co-operative !)

I think this may be the start of a new series of work for me and I’m excited to see where it goes!

So 2024 is off to a fresh, yellow and interesting start!

I hope your 2024 is filled with colour, reasons to celebrate and new adventures ….

Thank you for taking the time to read … your interest and support is greatly appreciated!

Till next time CC

Freedom to Explore

Hi there

... without the pressure of a new exhibition these past few months, I have taken the opportunity to push my work in a number of different directions, exploring ...

1. Using collage elements as the feature vs using them as minor elements or background

2. Making works that are just painted vs making work that is just collage

3. Using more drawing and/or more pattern in my work

4. Using glazes and thin paint vs thick paint

This grid shows these variations (in order) ...

I have also been spending some time revisiting that amazing and unending study of colour, exploring more colour mixing, different colour palettes and ways of using them! So much to learn here!

So where did these explorations take me and what do I want to pursue ….

I am very drawn to the work where the collage is featured (especially the text) rather than just an element or background - perhaps a new series?

Areas of thin paint that allow drawn elements/collage to show through so you can see the layering draws me into the work … so more of this!

As I learn more about the practical side of colour I am keen to push my colour boundaries!

Talking about colour, a recent article about the Pierre Bonnard Exhibition, which has just opened at the National Gallery of Victoria caught my attention! Bonnard is know as a master of colour and this exhibition looks amazing!

See a taste of the exhibition in the short video introduction from NGV (2.38mins) Link below .... it's on until October so I'm hoping to find an opportunity to visit!

NGV - Bonnard Exhibition Introduction

Having the space to explore and play is so helpful! It's a way of energising and feeding my art practice and keeping my art moving forward!

I enjoy writing this journal and nearly always find I discover something in the process!

Thank you for taking the time to read … your interest and support is appreciated!

If you have any comments just reply to this email!

Till next time .... CC Always

PS. Thought you might be interested to know about a couple of plans that have recently come together for me ….

I've set up a new profile page on Bluethumb - an Australian online gallery and I'm gradually loading work for sale. I have also given my Website a fresh look and updated images and content. Hope you will check them out when you have a minute and let me know what you think!

Bluethumb Online Gallery