katemccredie

Hidden Faces of the Archibald

2009-07-04T14:32:47Z

On the 18th of June I was priveledged to be a part of the Hidden Faces of the Archibald exhibition, held at Smart Artz gallery in Sth Melb. Fabulous night, and I met some really interesting people, not to mention saw some BRILLIANT art. I had no voice, and mum even made me a little sign, but I managed. ;~P

Barbara Potter AM and I, posing with the portrait for the official photo. :~)

Can you see a likeness? She has the most beautiful eyes!

My painting happened to be hanging beside a portrait of Judith Durham from the Seekers, and I got to say hello! Which was pretty much the highlight of the evening for me, cos I've been a fangirl for as long as I can remember, sing her songs every day and my kids know her songs! She gave me a lovely hug!! *squeeee!*

Went back again the next day with my Thursday Art group (Diamond Valley Arts Society) and was able to get some photos without the crowd.

A couple of my favourites -

It's running till the 12th of July, so if you're in Melbourne go check it out! :~)

Hidden Faces of the Archibald.

2009-06-13T11:30:17Z

My portrait of Barbara Potter AM is in the Hidden Faces of the Archibald 09.
17th June to 12th July Tuesday - Sunday 11-5
at SMART artZ Gallery
2 Alfred Place Sth Melb.

Mine appears at 0.29seconds! ;~D

World Drawing Day

2009-06-06T10:02:17Z

Yes, I got everything (everything I HAD to) done before lunchtime, and have been painting ever since! Was irritable and grumpy all morning because I was afraid this visit from the Muse would pass with nothing to show for it. But YAY! Painting is happening! And it's fun that it coincides with

World Drawing Day! Another advantage of living in Australia where it's already tomorrow... I get an extra day to work on things! ;~)

So here's what I've done today -
Worked on a commission, which I'll admit I'd already started, and was working on the day Mum fell down stairs!

WIP goodness

Still got quite a way to go on this one.
It's a Magical rockband btw. ;~D

In between I was painting this -

painted the canvas black, then splashed some water on it and pulled off the paint to make some interesting blotches. Squirted on lots of colour!

Mmmm, colour!

starting to look interesting. ;~)

splotchy

and this is how it looked when I stopped for dinner. :~)

It's another big one - 75x100cm. All acrylic so far. Don't ask me what it is; the Muse is in control. *clings to Muse* I am tentatively calling it 'the forest,' and hoping it will be finished by the end of World Drawing Day.

This is when I really miss my Wacom. It's too dark to paint now, and I'd love to paint in photoshop.

art - From the Ashes.

2009-05-01T02:12:45Z

Finished a new painting this week. (the Muse is with me! YAY!) A personal piece. I actually started it last time she was here, but then she left and the painting floundered. :~P I tried to finish it, but it looked like utter shite. But here it is, the way it was supposed to look! Definitely worth waiting for the Muse to come back. ;~)

This is my response/catharsis to the Fires in Feb. Can you see the Phoenix? ;~)

See how different each photo looks? Even if my camera wasn't a bitch about focus and stuff, this one would be really hard to capture the colours.

Acrylic, gold, silver, and copper leaf on canvas.

:~)

Shirley.

2009-04-25T12:55:30Z

Last Monday I had the amazing privilege of meeting Ted Egan and his lovely wife, Nerys, for a portrait sitting. (He agreed to sit for me for my next attempt at entering the Archibald!) They were in Melbourne to visit Ted's sister, Shirley, who has been a dear friend of my Mum's since I was 14, and who I'm sure was instrumental in Ted agreeing to sit for me.
Sadly, Shirley died yesterday. :~C She had been at death's door for a while (hence Ted's visit), but I am nevertheless very sad she has gone, and I know my Mum will miss her terribly.

yes...

2009-04-07T04:23:37Z

...and now she Tweets too.... ;~P

Spellcraft magazine.

2009-03-24T03:38:55Z

Received a complimentary copy of Spellcraft magazine in the post yesterday, because my art appears in it this month!

One was the Wizards painting, with an article on Paganism and Commercialism. The other was a piece I don't think I've ever posted online, which was a painting I did of all the different faces of God. ;~) That one got the centre-spread with an interesting article about reconnecting with Gaia in the way that we are all indigenous to Earth.

*is delighted*

Good Morning Starshine

2009-03-13T06:32:51Z

Lashed out and bought a lovely BIG canvas yesterday. The Muse was with me and I couldn't paint quickly enough! Finished the painting this afternoon! Better photo coming when I can get it in better light without it reflecting like crazy. But whoo hoo for finishing!

All acrylic. The 'stars' are silverleaf.
:~)

a day of epic fail....

2009-02-25T05:47:48Z

The list of finalists for the Archibald was released today. Sadly I didn't make it. :~(

Also, my Mum drove me all the way into the city for a doctor's appt. this afternoon. I got to the desk to discover that I had the right DAY, but the wrong MONTH. My appt is next month. *sigh* All that way for nothing... Talk about feeling like a complete idiot.

Victorian bushfires.

2009-02-16T05:14:29Z

Posting here mostly because I can't not mention the fires in this journal. I would look at myself in 10yrs and wonder wtf I was thinking.

I am still obsessively checking and updating the CFA incident page, having minor heart failure every time a fire pops up in Eltham, Diamond Creek, or Hurstbridge. There was one a few days ago in IVANHOE (arson), which is the city side of us! And yes, I felt surrounded.

My heart breaks for everyone affected by this.

the Archibald.

2009-02-04T01:31:47Z

Well, I've leapt out of my comfort zone and entered the Archibald. O.o

I have absolutely NO illusions of winning, but it would be nice to be a finalist.

It shipped off to Sydney first thing Monday morning, and I hope-to-god made it there in one piece!

My portrait is of a lovely lady named Barbara Potter AM, who was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia, the AM for services for people living with dementia, and in 1998 was pronounced Senior Australian of the Year "in recognition of the outstanding contribution in serving and improving the quality of life of people over 50."
She was Foundation President of the Alzheimer's Association, Victoria, and worked at establishing art classes for people living with dementia; a program still running today.
Probably most importantly, she was Carer of her mother, who had Alzheimer's, for 21yrs.

Barbara has the most beautiful eyes, and not just for their lovely aqua colour. Her eyes sparkle and dance when she talks to you. But there is a sadness there too, not immediately evident during our first sitting, but something I noticed during the second, and hoped to capture in this painting.

Barbara came to see the painting last Sunday, and seemed very happy with it! Which made me very happy! :~)

ps: I meant to add that the painting was acrylic (used like watercolours) on watercolour board.

Finalists are announced in The Australian on 26.2.09. *wibbles*

Portrait

2009-01-03T08:39:49Z

Yes, it's another post!

A commissioned portrait for a family in New Zealand.

30"x22" acrylic.

more Oz art.

2009-01-03T07:42:18Z

Rather belated posting of another piece I did for the Oz Collectible Card Game.

Wiping the Tin Woodsman's tears.

and without the glasses...

and here's the Emerald Palace one without the glasses too. ;~)

All digital art. :~)

Welcome 2009!

2009-01-03T07:22:42Z

I had a rather nice surprise yesterday when I finally cracked open the Spring issue of Spellcraft (I've only had it for 3 months!) and found my art on one of the pages! (advertising a Beltane festival near Sydney back in Oct. ;~P)

This art originally appeared in Witchcraft mag (which has since morphed into Spellcraft) back in 2001! And was part of the impetus which got me doing the Illustration Diploma in 2002 and 2003. Call me crazy, but I'm choosing to see this as a good omen for 2009. ;~)

Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home....

2008-09-01T15:02:31Z

I found myself wanting to draw a bird-woman, and when my eldest son looked at my initial sketches he called her a "Ladybird," which brought the old nursery rhyme to mind, and thereby gave me something of the theme.
So here you have a creature with features from several Amazonian parrot species; her Amazon home burning beneath her.

A3 digital art.

Soon available through EMG (if the damnable thing uploads!) ;~)

ETA: fixed links!

EMG and new art.

2008-07-10T05:19:49Z

A new painting for Show&Tell -

The Celtic Raven.

plus I wanted to let you know that you can now buy prints of this painting, as well as several others, through Ellen Million Graphics, where there is a huge range of gifty type things! Go have a look; there are so many fabulous artists there as well!

Altennimer&Astraea

2008-06-29T11:57:20Z

Not quite Epic Fail, but I did manage to miss the deadline for an art comp I was planning to enter. *sigh* Next year, mayhap. Takes a tiny bit of pressure off, and allows me to focus a bit more on the other deadlines I have pending. O.o

On a brighter note - I come bearing new art!

done for siriusstar. Original characters from her own story.

Altennimer

Astraea.

Mixed media on watercolour stock.

eta: LJ cut DOH!

Epic Fail

2008-06-02T08:31:49Z

*sigh* Well, I made a vow to myself that I would be honest and post both good and bad in here, so...

I entered the Nillumbik Art Prize and failed to make the finalists. *woe* Them's the breaks. Call me egotistical, but I was really looking forward to having my art on show at Montsalvat.

I entered 2 paintings, the one in my avatar and this one -

Not my usual style, but it was originally done for another comp and had to be a landscape. (it's actually the view from my front yard.) I may still enter it in the other comp, but we'll see. It'll depend if I can afford the entrance fee come August.

*dusts off ego and opens current commission in photoshop.*

Red Dragon art

2008-05-23T13:06:52Z

Hello! Yes, here I am with some new art. Just finished, so I might decide it needs more work tomorrow, but as of right now... it's finished. ;~)

Digital art. *pets Wacom*

Oz art

2008-05-02T07:16:35Z

It's all been hush-hush but, with the launch of the website, I'm now allowed to show you what I've been working on intermittently for the last few months. I was just one of a collection of amazing artists chosen to participate, including Loraine Sammy and Meredith Dillman, and now I can post a couple of the paintings that I've done for the Oz Collectible Card Game.

Dorothy, Kansas farm girl.

Entering the Wizard's Palace.

I was fortunate enough to have the job of designing Dorothy; helped by the fact that I was able to use my daughter as a model. ;~)