Slack Lining. A Sport to keep you well balanced....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4ENUH1WlYo

check out this physically strenuous art form. many different you tube clips available to get you started. Me?  I'll just use the hammock to contemplate....!

RMIT Fine Arts Degree - not recognised overseas

http://www.causes.com/causes/537740-save-art-from-rmit

Take a look at this site. Join the cause. I did.
What is happening here is not right, especially for those who have already begun the course.  Anyone thinking of going there in the future should re-think their stance.  Do you want to pay for a degree that offers reduced hours of contact with your professors/tutors?  A degreee that is not even rocognised overseas?  RMIT has a lot to answer for, and no one seems to be holding them accountable except for what appears to be a small minority of students and one very couracgeous Steve Cox, who is being bullied by the powers that be at RMIT.  What an absolute disgrace. Theres a lot of commetary, but when it came to the crunch, the students failed to act.  Lets hope that something good comes of all this.

Animated paradigm shift in education.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

By Sir Ken Robinson
 a true thinker of our times, bringing light onto the subject of schooling, the factory line education system, the arts, mental illness, etc etc etc.

Sir Ken Robinson on Education

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

A look at how the education system stifles creativity.  A very enlightening look at education. (2006)

Also be sure to check out the more recent (May 2010) Bring on the Learning Revolution!
Both are invaluable, insightful, intelligent.  Enjoy.

A TASTE OF TURKEY - EXHIBITION

This is a great exhibition – one not to be missed.   The exhibit encompasses fine arts, handcrafted jewellery, photography, crochet and embroidery, contemporary art, ceramic art and an art form particular to Turkey: the art of EBRU - meaning marbling in Turkish.  The images created are truly magical. A must see for all of us interested in arts practices from all parts of the world. The Exhibit continues till the 23rd December at the Fo Guang Tuan Art Gallery.  Follow the link for address and further details.

http://www.multiculturalarts.com.au/events2010/turkey.shtml

Salvador Dali - Chalice of Love

As promised in an earlier post.

Chalice of Love, Salvador Dali, 1976

"Adios Amigos!"

Ok, so the first year of the 2 year diploma is done. Mission Accomplished!  Now to set myself some tasks for the break...Art tasks I mean.
I plan to give myself at least 30min everyday for art. This may be in the form of reading, writing, photography, drawing, journal entry, painting, collage, or printmaking etc etcetera. Wow I hadn't thought about it till now, but we covered a lot this year.

I may as well post a plug for NMIT. The environment is great for all levels and age groups. The teachers’ professionalism, enthusiasm for what they do and vast reserves of knowledge, together with the rapport they build with students is commendable and makes life at NMIT an enjoyable experience.  It has been a huge year for learning, resting and lovin' doin' ma own thin'...

A big thanks to my fellow students also, it’s been a great journey and we are only halfway there. Next year will be a great year, one I'm looking forward to.
My intentions for this blog over the break, until we get back into the swing of things in 2011, will be to post weekly from now on, but if the urge materializes, who knows, I may surprise even myself!

"automaton unleashed"

image : susana gonzalez 2010

This is an etching that I did this Semester,  an expression coming from deep deep down.  Get yourselves unleashed!

Photography-near and far

NEAR
Susana Gonzalez 2010



FAR
Susana Gonzalez 2010

In these shots , "near" is taken close to the subject whilst far is from a distance using  the zoom function.  Its amazing the small differences in the shot!  How from the "far" shot you can seen under the front of the car much more for example.



PHOTOGRAPHY - MANY FROM ONE

image:Susana Gonzalez 2010

image: Susana Gonzalez 2010

image Susana Gonzalez 2010

original peacock photo

In this assignment, we were to take one large file size image, to then break up into 5 smaller shots to stand on their own.  I chose this image of a Peacock that I took in Launceston about three weeks ago.  The resulting closeups are wonderfully delicate in colour, strong in compositon  and abstract form.  I love them!

Collograph Pastoral Image - Untitled

Susana Gonzalez 2010

Susana Gonzalez 2010

Collagrahs are immenscley satisfying in the final image.  The different tones and grainy patterns from the paper pulled back, the tissues stuck on, etc, give each final image a very unique look.  You have to be careful whilst wiping back though, that you don't "crack" the cardboard.  Oh, and you seal in with shellack to work with once you have prepared  the image to be printed.

Soft Ground Etching - Rotunda Locally

Susana Gonzalez 2010

Susana Gonzalez 2010

Susana Gonzalez 2010

3 images of a local rotunda, in soft ground copperplate etching and "Chine-collé".

I thoroughly enjoyed the process of soft ground etching.  The process allows for a very delicate weaving of line into your final image, creating softness with such beauty that you can't get with other printmaking processes.

Collographs - SADLY...

image Susana Gonzalez 2010

image Susana Gonzalez

                               a time of sadness - time of healing yet to come

life drawing class

susana gonzalez 2010

Blind Drawing in a life drawing class

Susana Gonzalez 2010

10 minute sitting

Both of these were done on charcoal

TAKETH FROM THE CHALICE OF LOVE

Susana Gonzalez 2010
Finished!  I will revisit this idea in a future piece.  Keep a lookout.
Isn't it great to have a tool such as photoshop at our disposal... it surely does add a dimension to art that facilitates all our processes and frees time for painting an image that is in some ways pre destined to a certain feel and look.... but could it also stifle the growth of a painting if the artist then feels obliged  to paint what he has created on Photoshop... could it also then lead to different ways of thinking about a piece?  I am planning to use this tool more often in future, and see where it takes me.  I know that in the past I have enjoyed both the process and the final outcomes reached with its different tools and filter options.
Now the title for this has no reference to the the Dalli  Chalice of Love, which untill I thought of this title, I had no Knowledge of, but I love his piece,genious that he was in his field. I'll try to post it for you to see in the future.

Taketh..In progress..

image Susana Gonzaelz 2010

image Susana Gonzalez 2010

image Susana Gonzalez 2010

Just a sample of a piece that I finished this morning.  I had one of the experimental masonite boards from earlier in the year with the dark abstract background.  Unsure of where to take it, I decided that the "bubbles from my screensaver would do for a start.  This then led to incorporating my own Life Model sketches into the composition.  When I mentioned this to my Tutor, Peter he suggested I take a look at the work of David Salle(see previous posting). All good but then to move on to the composional stage of which images, how, where etc.  The image here is the final Photoshop composition which I then Painted in Acrylics.

David Salle,, 1952, lives/works NY, USA

Whilst discussing my ideas for my the end of year personal assignment, I was pointed in the direction of this Powerful Artist!  Instantly I love his work and will be researching more of his art and techniques.  Thank you Peter!

Sustainability and art

image Susana Gonzalez 2010

image Susana Gonzalez 2010

                                                              

The piece above is the original final work for the sustainability assignment.   I then found the image of the girl looking into the abyss below, and immediately it felt right.  The girl is a found image from a magazine.

wave sculpture lovin it!

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dG3s49vRzpbolklKDyqNpw?feat=embedwebsite


Check out this link. love the sculpture

Final image for Laneways Assignment

The Laneways Commision

This is one of the images, in total I have 5 at this stage, but they are brewing in my head and more are likely to emerge in the future.  The theme being population health, and health with the workplace being an integral part of our daily lives(I think we spend more time with our work colleagues than our families, which is terribly sad to say.) it seemed fitting to begin right there.  Are we tools of the system?  Are we as "free" as we think we are?  How does our work life impact on our home life?  Is time at work slowly encrouching on our free time?  These are all valid questions, with no easy answers.  I'm just simply making an observation, basing it on what I have seen and lived whilst on the busy, busy treadmill of work and play.

Laneways commission

Population health in the Workforce - more images

more of my journal

I think I'll finish off one of the experimental transfer images from earlier in the year with this red dress as inspriation.

Image below was used as motif on lino and embossed in several different variations... I'll try to post some of them later.




image Susana Gonzalez 2010

rabbit skin glue on stretched linen

 We stretched our own linen for this one. a very smooth and tight surface, fantastic for oils.
 This is oil on linen, with mixed media, project. The piece is a bit surreal, a hand morphing into a bird, shirt cuff still attached. What do you do when you get into your front door after a day at the office? fly free..

Journal entries- laneways assign.

cropped from journal. just thoughts on where it was going






images Susana Gonzalez 2010

Monoprint

Transfer of image - oils on glass transfered to paper

experimetal process

Taj Mahal - India.

This was a Public Lecture at Melbourne Uni that I attended.

Informative, Lively lecturer.  What history, what talent the artists developed.  Such destinct art, intricate, full of colour, storytelling through art at its ultimate best.

Hagarths The Rakes Progress journal entry

images Susana Gonzalez 2010

On the left is the journal entry for the first of the Rakes Progress series of eight. Flowers and their meanings are in the journal. Each character is taken up by the image of a flower, with its corresponding meaning.  Sarah is the Daisy, signifying purity and innocence, bamboo for loyalty, and the yellow geranium for slighted love. , the devil is the Devil Flower as per its name. Begonia beware is the unlucky bride,  and pride of place, the Red Geranium for Stupidity is Tom,   who loses it all and ends up with nothing.  Reminds me of stories put forward in the media of lotto winners!  Oh, and the jail will be obvious to you when I post all the final images.

Where do I get my Inspiration.. John Brack

Images and painting of "Collins St, 5pm." 1955  and the painting of "We. Us. Them" 1983

Seeing his works for the first time was a seminal moment for me, His art moves me, and resonates of a city work force made up of automaton population, numbed by the monotony and seeming futility of their circumstance along withthe alienation that comes with cities and their growth.  I can only hope to have just a tiny fraction of this talent of moving people with my art and if I can do this just once, then I will have done something worthwhile.

graphite drawing

images Susana Gonzalez 2010

These are of a graphite pencil drawing and includes close ups of different sections.

Population Health in the Workforce-Laneways Commision

These are three of the images I developed for the Laneways Project.

Theme being Population health in the workforce.

Experiments with laying down paint

Theses images ( susana gonzalez 2010) were produced using two different methods. For the red and leaf abstracts paint was placed on canvas and either lifted off with newspaper, scrunched glad wrap, or any other material, and the lady in the red dress image was transfered on by use of

impasto medium. Great methods to start you off when feeling blocked for ideas.

BOSQUE BUSCANDO

Another experimental piece, with fabric glued on masonite boards with collage, acrylic, and ink. all sealed with bondcrete. Magic product for the easy completion of many a task in the arts world.

Title... Bosque Buscando.

Translated this means... "Woods Searching"


image Susana Gonzalez 2010

Experimental - REEF DREAMS

image  Susana Gonzalez 2010

This is an experimental work from our painting class , on masonite boards

with wrapping/patterned paper of choice glued on with bondcrete, and sealed. Then I grabbed a paint brush and let go....Voila! from a Garish floral gift wrap we now have a happy, sunny reef painting for a happy place. Collage technique was also used.
I enjoyed the process of starting with something like the masonite board, covering it with paper/cloth/wallpaper/tissue/linen... really the possibilities are endless.  And then you have a base, an abstract one at that, from which to grow your picture from.  It certainly is a great way to work when you are stuck for ideas.  Just let the pattern dictate to you where to go, flow freely, and let the imagination take you away.