MS GERRI CHRISTIE 2013 Arcylic on Canvas 120 x 180cm

GREAT NEWS! My Portrait of Gerri Christie has been selected for the 2013 Victorian Salon des Refuses ( Hidden Faces of the Archibald Exhibition )

The exhibition will be held at the Hilton Melbourne South Wharf from 1st June 10 – August 8th, 2013

CLICK ON LINK TO SEE THE PROMOTION VIDEO: My portrait near the end!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6HGe-QWJms

Ms Gerri Christie is my latest portrait for The Archibald Prize.  Gerri has had a life of service for others.  She trained as a primary school teacher.  In 1990, changed career direction and began her own marketing company before being offered the position of Director of Development, firstly with a private school, followed by the Women’s & Children’s Hospital in SA, and then a number of national NFP organizations.  Ms Christie was the CEO of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Victoria for six years. After her retirement from the RFDS Gerri has been invited to be on the board of Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre (MRC). She is consulted by other boards seeking her expertise in management and fund raising. Gerri has also been a finalist in the 1997 Telstra Business Women of the Year Awards.

As you can see Gerri is a dynamic high achiever, whose drive and focus is to support and improve the lives of others.  She is a very charming and warm person, with an easy communicative style, who can tell many interesting stories, particularly from her time as the CEO of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Victoria.   The RFDS is a not for profit charitable organisation and relies on the support of governments, companies the community and individuals.   Gerri believes in the vision of the REV John Flynn, who is the founder of the RFDS, and that is to provde a ‘mantle of safety’ for the struggle of others.  Gerri worked tirelessly with her team to raise the needed funds to ensure the much needed and respected services of the RFDS. Even in retirement Gerri seeks to help migrants and refugees settle and participate in their new communities.

‘DEBORAH  FORSTER – AUTHOR’ 2012

Acrylic on Canvas  120 x 180cm

GREAT NEWS!  My portrait of  Deborah Forster was selected for the 2012 Portia Geach Memoral Award Exhibition.   The exhibition is held at the S.H. Ervin Gallery, Watson Road, Observatory Hill, The Rocks, Sydney.  The Exhibition dates are 27 September – 4 November 2012. Gallery Hours Tuesday to Sunday 11am – 5pm.

My portrait of Deb Forster was unsuccessful in getting into the Archibald Prize, but it was selected for the Victorian Salon des Refuses or Hidden Faces of the Archibald for 2012.

The exhibition will be at the Hilton Melbourne South Wharf, 2 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf

Click on the Youtube Link for a Video of the Hidden Faces of the Archibald 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6W4mHJYWpU

After spending time with Deb I felt that she was a very private and modest person, who really didn’t want a ‘close up’. So when I asked if she had an idea of how she would like to be painted she told me of adoring portraits of ladies reading.
My immediate response was – YIKES, because it would be quite a different type of composition for me.  Naturally, my challenge was to try to ‘capture’ Deborah and after a great deal of thought and sleepless nights, I began to see that those gentle portraits, did reflect her personality beautifully.  I began to see her sitting reading her computer in her comfortable study, being accompanied by her charming companions, all playing their part in the creative and insightful writing of Deborah Forster.

I began researching and found Johannes Vermeer’s portraits of domestic interior scenes and became inspired by them, as I felt that they would suit the composition and narrative of a ‘serene’ group of friends and memories surrounding and influencing the creative process of a talented and sensitive author. Vermeer’s use of transparent colours and pearly highlights, along with his use of precise positioning in his compositions supported by light and perspective effects, made me feel that I was on the right track.  I attempted to engage the viewer with the direct gaze of old, wise Sam, and hopefully, beguile and intrigue with the portraits of the young school girl and young woman – both Deb, of course!  The sweet puppy, Maisy’s  deep love  is shown by the strong gaze, guiding the viewer back to a contemplative, Deborah.   I felt a need to find a way to include Steve, the cat, so I had him nearby and on the alert of the over friendly Maisy. Steve is seen as the odd tail, on the left side of the arm chair.  His tail had been bitten and got infected, resulting in the missing section of fur!  I feel that Steve’s tail also locks in ‘time’ as his tail is now mended and back to normal.   I wanted to make the portrait contemporary , or rather post-modern, by having the ‘reading woman’ reading an ‘Apple computer’ , the author’s great research tool, and what Deb uses to write her wonderful books.

Deborah Forster’s brilliant book ‘The Book of Emmett’ is based loosely on her life growing up in Footscray, which made me feel the need to include the photographs of her as a school girl and a young woman in order to reveal the influences of her environment and life’s journey in her profound writing. The aura around Deborah is of introspection and serenity as she sits in the cosy study with her dear animal friends. Her home is filled with the love of her family and imbued with memories, which all truly inspire and reflect the charming and talented Deb Forster.

I hope you like the portrait.

My photography has enriched my artistic journey through the strengths of another medium, which resonates and enhances my concerns about finding a balance between our economic needs and preserving natural habitats and ecosystems for the coming generations. My conceptual use of the negative and solarizations, increases the sense of otherworldliness and a link to negative consequences of actions.  The connected images question the viewers idea of reality, and extends the perceived scene to a panoramic vista, suggesting an interrelated, larger picture.  The profound spirituality we find in the natural world seems to magically appear in the form of mystical doorways or portals at the interconnections, seeming to invite the viewer into a new beginning.

The other paintings are the portraits that I have entered into the Archibald Prize, and have all be selected for the Victorian Salon des Refuses, or Hidden Faces of the Archibald.  For the 2011 Hidden Faces of the Archibald  Alan Kohler was the Guest Speaker at the Opening! My portrait of Deborah Forster, was also a finalist in the Portia Geach Memorial Award.  My latest portrait for The Archibald Prize 2013,  is Ms Gerri Christie.

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While James was an Intensive Care Nurse in Cairns. He worked in the Cairns Base Hospital, and had a very challenging time dealing with Cyclone Yasi.  He was involved in the evacuation of the Cairns Base Hospital, and stayed with a group of friends when Cyclone Yasi hit North Queensland.  It was a difficult and anxious time for all the people in his area, ( including his parents ) and he feels extremely fortunate, when so many people, suffered so much.  The floods, the cyclone and the fires have sorely tested Australians.  James being an Abstract Expressionist will no doubt feel it necessary to express these experiences, emotions and creative energy in his art.

ARTIST STATEMENT

James is an Abstract Expressionist who is heavily influenced by Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko.  He too believes in the importance of the subconscious to inspire his art.   From this inner world emerges the creative part which helps guide his thoughts and movements.  This intermingling of the inner world with conscious action can be seen powerfully in James’ paintings.His current series focuses on the tension of the flowing together of the subconscious and conscious realms.  James’ use of vivid colours and the interplaying of the concentrated fluid paint into a myriad of colour variances and nuances aims to reflect the state of our complicated modern society.  At the same time the underpinning of the coloured forms beneath the web of marks gives a tension to the work with the often subtle breaking through of the background into the foreground tantalising the viewer into contemplating the ebb and flows of life within oneself.James feels that he is at the beginning of his journey into expressing his feelings on the human psyche dealing with the complexity of our collective worlds.

CONTACT

0408298793

jathe2@gmail.com