One Way in Beach Street

One Way in Beach Street

Watercolour on Arches

76cm x 56cm

October Coogee

October Coogee

Watercolour and Chinese Ink on Arches Paper
57cm x 34cm

Today I visit Gallery East in Clovelly where my solo show will be in April 2011. The exhibition was another local artist called Nick Hollo.  Like my recent work, he is also inspired by the Sydney landscape as his subject-matter. He uses oil pastels on board to create wonderful bold interpretations of the landscape.

Coogee Distilled

Coogee Distilled

Watercolour on Arches Paper

47cm x 33cm

Coogee is a suburb with a distinct visual language. The low-lying red roofs, the use of red brick, the exposed electricity wires, the mature foliage between the buildings. I want to reduce the representation to give a sense of this rhythm so that the painting could be representative of anywhere in the area rather than just a particular view. 

South Coogee Horizon

South Coogee Horizon

Watercolour on Arches

58cm x 39cm

From a Coogee Roundabout

From a Coogee Roundabout

Watercolour, Ink, Chinese Ink and Paint on Arches Paper

75cm x 56cm

Coogee Rooftops

Coogee Rooftops

Watercolour, Chinese Ink and Paint on Bockingford Paper

75cm x 55cm

I do not know if this piece is finished, it might need something to pull it all together. It is larger than I have been working on on previous pieces. I want to find the right balance between abstraction and representation to give a greater sense of the place.

Made in China

California Bungalows on Rice Paper

Chinese Ink and Paint on Rice Paper

42cm x 34cm

 Coogee California Bungalows

Chinese Ink and Paint on Paper
40cm x 29cm

Continuing with the Shui-mo-hau influence, I want to juxapose these Chinese art materials with a distinctly Sydney built environment.

Brook Street Bungalows

Brook Street Houses

Acrylic, Ink, Graphite and Oil Pastel on Paper

64cm x 54cm

Any painting lies somewhere between complete abstraction and complete representation. This painting is another attempt at abstracting the landscape more so that it is clear what is represented but that the painting takes on a character of its own. Like any landscape Brook Street is layer upon layer of pattern that comes together in a way that is distinctive for the area. The low lying red california bungalow roofs, the electricity wires and the foliage are features that are intrinsic to the character of Coogee.

North Coogee Beach in Winter

North Coogee in June

Watercolour on Arches 300gsm Paper

56cm x 21cm

Tower Block in Coogee

Watercolour on Arches 300gsm Paper

27cm x 21cm

Coogee Bungalow

 Coogee Bungalow

Brown and Black Ink, and Watercolour on Watercolour Paper

42cm x 29cm

Brook Street

 

Brook Street viewing South

Watercolour on Arches 180 gsm

27cm x 20cm

Carrington Road

Carrington Road Viewing South

Watercolour on Arches 180gsm Paper
33cm x 31cm

Petrol, Roofs and a Pole in Coogee

Coogee Petrol

Ink and Watercolour on Watercolour Paper

42cm x 29cm

Carrington Road Roofs

Ink and Watercolour on Watercolour Paper

42cm x 29cm

Portrait of a Pole on Powell Street

Ink and Watercolour on Watercolour Paper

29cm x 42cm

White Picket Fence

White Picket Fence

Ink and Watercolour on Watercolour Paper

29cm  x 42cm

Coogee in June

Wedding Cake Island in June

Watercolour

29cm x21cm

Watercolours are a lifestyle choice for me at the moment for two reasons; they are beautiful and results can be achieved quickly. Each piece takes me about ten to fifteen minutes. I work with three to four layers always from top to bottom. The first layer is a thin wash that I allow to dry, and then I work in the detail with the subsequent layers. The quality of materials is fundamental in this medium. The top painting of today ‘Wedding Cake Island in May’ is painted on relatively good quality Bockingford 300gsm cold-pressed paper. It provides a reliable balance of absorbency and flow that keeps the paint luminous. The other paintings from today are on paper of a lower quality. As a result the paint seems bold or over worked as I struggled with the absorbency in painting.

Gordons Bay in June

 Watercolour

29cm x 21cm

 

View towards to Coogee in June(small)

Watercolour

29cm x 19cm

View towards to Coogee in June (large)

Watercolour

42cm x 28cm

Coogee Rooftops from Brook Street

Coogee Rooftops from Brook Street

Watercolour

29cm x 21cm

South Coogee Coast

 

Wave Wash South Coogee

Watercolour

29cm x 21cm

South Coogee Wave

Watercolour

29cm x 21cm

View Past Wedding Cake Island

Watercolour

29cm x 21cm

Arden Street

Arden Street

Mixed Media on Paper

63cm x 48cm

Arden Street traverses Coogee Beach with steep inclines. In this view south the beach is hidden but it provides a good outlook on the urban texture of the area. There are proposals at present to redevelop Coogee Bay Hotel with a higher building. From this angle it is clear a taller building would change the present built density and probably the feel of the area as a whole. In this painting I enjoyed making playful marks to define the buildings and particularly the exposed electricity wires.