Always a great opportunity to see quality artwork by selected Western Australian artists.
I have 4 pieces on display at this years exhibition.

I have just returned from a glorious weekend in Karratha in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia.  Returning with plenty of inspiration and material for next years Cossack Art Awards.
My entry this year received a Highly Commended from the judges and the experience of being there on Opening night in the historic buildings of Cossack, the earliest port in the Pilbara made it a special night.  We arrived just as the sun was setting. The artwork looked great on the stone walls of the historic buildings.  

"GLULP, where's your mother?"  Depicting a Dad emu with his very energetic chicks that he needs to look after. Click here to view previous blog showing the before and after workings of this painting

Lyal Richardson Hall, The Agonis, 2232 Albany Hwy, Gosnells

Good to see a great crowd and plenty of talent at this years awards. The variety ensures that their is something for every taste. I have an Oil, "Wheatbelt Storm" and a mixed media piece "You Ruffle My Feathers" on show.

 This is my entry for the 2018 Rockingham Art Awards. It has been entered in the Historic section as the Penguins live and breed on Penguin Island in the Rockingham area and are a very big tourist attraction in the summer months where you can wade across the sandbar at low tide to make your way to the Island where it is a sanctuary for many other migrating birds as well.
The Australian Blue Banded Bee (Amegilla-cingulata) is native to Australia lives a solitary life and has turquoise bands instead of yellow. I was lucky enough to have one visit me in my garden last year. see picture below.

The Cossack Art Awards are held north of Karratha in Roeburne in Western Australia. It is now a ghost town but still has the beautiful old stone heritage listed buildings where they have been transformed into an Art Gallery.

This paintings beginnings were as a result of a mishap while painting "Pilbara Red I & II"
The dropper lid became lodged in the cap of the acrylic ink bottle this is something I am always warning people about and the resulting spill was quickly mopped up by placing another sheet of watercolour paper over the spill.  It was then put aside to dry.
When I next had a chance to look at it I could make out the shapes of several emu chicks.
Can you spot them in the image below?

Scenes from Kununurra and the Coral Coast are featured in this exhibition at my local gallery, Atwell Gallery , Canning Highway, Alfred Cove.  Why not come and see work from multiple artists depicting our beautiful coastlines and natural Australian bushland.

If your are looking for colour to brighten your day or your home then it's worth a visit to Atwell Gallery.

The exhibition goes until the 25 Feb and if you make it in this week you'll see art in the making with a art workshop in the gallery as well.

Gallery hours 10-4 Monday to Saturday and 1-4 Sunday.

http://atwellarts.weebly.com/current-exhibition.htm

I have these three pieces hanging

The Portugal Story
“Asno no Luar” (Donkey in the Moonlight) and “Pescador no Nascer do sol” (Fisherman at Sunrise) both evolved from an initial abstract wash on the one full sheet of watercolour paper. A wash of Acrylic inks and watercolour were laid down on each half and formed the abstract beginnings of each painting.

 At the time of the initial washes it was not my intention to create two paintings with a connection of place or time.

The paintings, as with the paper, are connected yet separated.

The paintings are so different in subject matter but connected by my experiences in the city of Lagos in Portugal.

They are again separated by time of day, one at sunrise while the other at sunset.

Each evening a lone donkey would spend the night outside our bedroom window highlighted in the moonlight and each morning we would walk into town and watch as the fishermen returned from the sea with their daily catches, clean their nets and then sell their catch from the wharf.

I had an unbelievable connection to these pieces and can only really see them as one. The Portuguese Story. 

I am delighted to say that they will stay together as one in their new home in Mandurah where I know they will be happy and are reunited with the sea. Luckily for me I have a connection with the new owners so on occasion I will still be able to visit them.

Links to previous Blogs about these paintings
Donkey in the Moonlight
Fisherman at Sunrise

This piece flew off the easel even before it was finished at last Sundays open day. It has now been finished and will be on display for my last studio open day for 2017.

I extend my "invitation to be curious"  to have a look at it before it leaves for its new home.

Challenge....As well as the Frogs, finches and fairy wrens you can look a little closer and see if you can find "Big Ted" and "Little Ted" hiding in this one!