'WET' is for watercolours, 'DRY' is for Pastels and 'OILY' is for Oils
...just in case anyone was wondering...
 Debra’s journey… for ‘Wet, Dry and Oily’ Exhibition
I had just finished an overseas Pastel commission when Lawrence approached me to be the Pastel artist and I thought what an opportunity.
I had 3 grandchildren under 2 which included a set of twins. Everybody said I’d be too busy but I was determined that I would stay on course and accepted the challenge.
It did mean I squeezed a lot of my work into the wee hours of the morning (I am typing this at precisely 3.51am) after having them visit all day yesterday but I wouldn’t change a thing.
So what made me choose my Theme?
A very small painting that I had recently finished, it was small but it had some punch and it had a couple of Grass Trees in it!
I loved my new colour palette and the mood it created and funnily enough it was already titled “Defiant”

I decided I would like to do several others as I love our unique Australian landscape, flora and fauna.
The next piece I did was the grass trees on the cusp of a hill with the eerie moody sky from burn-offs and without too much thought it was titled “Resilient” (there was definitely a theme starting to emerge)

This then took me on a journey of discovery as I began to research our beautiful grass trees. I found that there are at least 30 different species of Grass Trees in Australia. Our most common in the South Western corner of WA is “Xanthorrhoea Pressii” commonly referred to as “Balga”.
The other most amazing and enlightening discovery was that I had grown up believing that there were male and female grass trees which had different flower spikes but in fact they are known now to be totally unrelated with completely different DNA and although look characteristically the same they now have their own classification and are termed as Grass Trees and Grass Plants!

Having found this out I have taken it on as my mission to educate others of this fact through my exhibition. So the next two pieces are painted as a diptych each with their own title. “Xanthorrhoea” and “Kingia Australis”
Then it occurred to me that they are so much like my new set of twin granddaughters, they may have been born on the same day and both girls but they have their own unique DNA.
 
 

These five plus one more titled “Smoke among the Grass Trees”, which is also very current as we have lived with the smoke haze in recent weeks, make up my themed two metre square panel on our feature wall.
 

You might find that a few more Grass Trees have found their way into a couple of other pieces hanging in the gallery too, but the others show my journey with Pastels through the years. Each has a story to tell and I’m happy to share them with you when you come to visit.
You’ll have to visit to see how my Challenge pieces for Lawrence’s “Bird” theme and Gordon’s “Chidley Point” theme stack up…

An invitation to my latest exhibition,
 “Wet, Dry and Oily”
The official opening event is Sunday 16th May 2pm with live music, nibbles and drinks.
Everyone has a chance to win 1 of 3 paintings or if you prefer $150 off the price of any other exhibited artwork just by visiting the exhibition.
There are also 3 workshops (Pastels-Tues, Oils-Wed, Watercolour, Thur)
Demonstrations will be ongoing throughout the exhibition.
 
This exhibition showcases my Pastel paintings, taking me back to where it all began some 20 years ago when I first entered a Pastel painting into a public exhibition. Joining me are fellow artists Lawrence Easton and Gordon Alexander.

The title alludes to our chosen media
“Wet” – Watercolours- Artist: Gordon Alexander
“Dry”- Pastels – Artist: Debra Scidone
“Oily”- Oils (of course)- Artist: Lawrence Easton

Check out the attached invitation for all the details
The exhibition will be open every day from 10am to 4pm Saturday 15th May to Sunday 23rd May 2021
Hope you can make it
Cheers,
Debra

Some may remember  seeing the "first wash" of this piece at last years Open Studio. There was a lot of discussion as to what people could see. It took a while for the story to emerge as I started seeing birds. They were all birds I had come across on a recent trip to the Snowy Mountains and the painting started  to take shape. The four mini slide shows help you to "See what I see". Still a work in progress...

As children we play without prejudice, we link and hold hands and make friends easily. We grow up and are influenced by those around us as adults I could only wish that we would focus on the colour of our shadows to unite us in this ever changing world as this is what we pass on to our children. 

I used the simplicity of the childhood activity of the paper doll chain replacing the paper with multi-coloured felt symbolising our evolving genealogy as society weaves us  together and copper wire to depict our monotone shadows that  link us to the past and the  future.
Suspended between two perspex panels, additional shadows form from various light sources representing the many different people that influence us to make us who we are.

I  hope that someday I create a piece that is provoking and makes a difference to the world we live in.
This is one of two pieces that emerged for 2020 as my attempt to produce pieces that have a deep and meaningful message to send out into the world.
Simple but with a powerful message.

This piece definitely started the conversation last weekend.

"You Ruffle My Feathers" is a favourite of mine. It's story began as does so many of my works in watercolour and Inks with splashes of colour and then the images and story slowly emerge. "You Ruffle My Feathers" is a love story. Ospreys predominantly mate for life and nest in old dead trees or man-made structure high in the sky above the waters edge. In this piece if you can "see what I see" there are elements of a darter and dolphins that are also found in our waterways.
To complete the "Bird Wall" my Kookaburras"Stick the Landing" and "Egrets Walk" prints also sold as part of this collection. 

This time last year…What an unexpected year 2020 has been but for all the differences and changes I have actually had a great year and would love to share some of it with you

The best ‘good news story’ was the safe arrival of our twin granddaughters which has really thrown the balls up in the air but in the most delightful way.

This year’s studio open will be equally different as 2020 has been.

The collection that I will be presenting has taken me on quite a few tangents.

I have written and illustrated a Children’s Book but the twist is, it has Adult content as well...Curious?

I have plunged into a series of textile mixed media art inspired by our mining history and unique landscape with 4 completed artworks and 1 in the making for you to see in its conceptual stage.

My “Fire” collection has a mixed media piece that has a story to tell along with my Pastel smoky fire scenes.

Then there are some “Conversation” pieces where I get a bit ‘D and M’ where life imitates art.

I hope you will join me and accept my 7th Annual “Invitation to be Curious” at my Open Studio and Garden for each Sunday in November from 10 – 4
(There are 5 Sundays to choose from)

I hope this finds you well and hope to see you soon.

Last note please be aware of new parking restrictions on our street. Parking is only allowed on one side of the street so please use our driveway or park by the river and stroll up to the studio.

The mind boggles... I was working in my studio on a pastel commission of a bush fire. This painting-  "Where there is Smoke" eventually traveled across the seas to England. While working on it the inspiration for "Natural Rhythm" emerged.

Natural Rhythm
The inspiration and meaning behind “Natural Rhythm” comes from TWO sources. Serendipity and Knowledge.

The Inside Story…(serendipity)
The inspiration came as I looked out of my studio window while hard at work on my commission piece. It was a grey, drizzly day.
I noticed that a spray from our reticulation had left a circle of discolouration on my garden wall. I saw this as the glowing red hot sun of the fire season. Then I noticed that the damp on the wall left a ‘pattern of hills' rising up from the base of the wall and the  long drips of moisture looked like trees... 
AND…
 I just happened to have a canvas the exact same dimensions waiting to come to life. I initially got all excited and thought it would look great in black and white using charcoals and conte crayons but it slowly became obvious that multiple glazes were what was needed as well as adding some intense inks for good measure, then I added the silk threads and felt and ribbon musical notes as the painting really wanted to ‘sing’.
 
The Outside Story…(knowledge)
Fire is one of nature’s essential elements without it there would be no life. Although sometimes we see it as catastrophic and devastating it also provides warmth, regeneration through germination and produces essential minerals that are returned to nourish the soil.
I often describe it as Mother Nature doing her housekeeping.
The textured area for the sun reflects its radiant energy that then flows in waves across the painting finishing with the notes representing the natural rhythm of nature.

This piece has turned out to be my key piece for a joint exhibition with the South of the Rivers Potters' Club titled "FIRE" featuring a curated collection of the clubs best work from the humble beginnings of "Glorious Mud" and up to 20 of my paintings on the wall to compliment their theme.  I hope you are able to join us at the exhibition and this insight into my crazy thought process shows how easy it is to be creative if you let your  imagination go and run with it.
Debra Scidone

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31/8/2020
8/9/2020

The South of the River Potters' Club are having their biennial selective exhibition "FIRE" at the Atwell Gallery. Their great creations have been "fired" in the kiln and I am lucky enough to compliment their theme with my "Firewall" of paintings.  You are invited to call in from Sunday 13 Sept to Sunday 20 Sept .
You might even get a start on your Christmas shopping by purchasing  a work of art from these talented creatives. Hope to see you there.

 We had perfect days for each of the four Sundays this year and I would like to thank all who came to see the 2019 collection.
This years challenge was to match the new pieces to the following categories;

1. My Dreamscape
2. My Imagination
3. My Fauna (more Pigmy Possums are on the loose again!)
4. My Gardenscape
5. My Seascape
6. My Landscape
7. My Birds

there were plenty to choose from but here are some pictures.......

Two to go....... The first two Sundays in November were perfect and this week is set to not disappoint with 28 degrees and our wonderful Christmas trees in full bloom in the reserve outside our garden. The flowers are down nice and low for a really good view.

There is a NEW artwork in the Studio as well. She glows from the doorway, you can't miss her. This is her new beginnings........

And this is how she emerged as the "Glowing Bride"......

Hope to see you soon, on the last two Sundays in November or make an appointment at a time that suits