S.H. Ervin Gallery - Wendy Sharpe

Isn't all life really imagined? ... Dive into the divine world of Wendy Sharpe ... For a painter who paints from life ... What’s imagined and what’s not?

Wendy Harmer opened this show and talked about the ‘Wonderful World of Wendy's’, the connection all Wendy's share in having the same name! Just like the marvelous group 'The Shirley's who formed a few years back to celebrate their name.

Its good to talk about sharing a name, women do that sort of thing, they share other common experiences as well ... Which brings us to the content and concept of Wendy Sharpes work. Artists express and often bring things out into the open, so do a lot of women.

Wendy is an artist who wears her heart on her sleeve, bringing her world out into the open for us to experience and enjoy. I don’t know of many more natural or natural born artists than Wendy Sharpe in my life. Wendy's paintings only get better if that's possible..

Wendy taught many of us at NAS in the 90's and 00’s where she openly shared her exuberance, experience, energy and life, many a student still discuss her beautiful works, life sketchbooks and teaching she is such a generous Artist and that is everywhere in and who as a teacher never worried about sharing her Art and insight...

Wendy's show at the S.H Ervin is a tribute to an ebullient and gorgeous painter who just keeps getting better and better! Yay!

This is my sort of painting show!!!

Written by Bernadette

26th February - 10th April 2011
www.nationaltrust.com.au/placestovisit/sheg

The Depot 11 Gallery - Gabrielle Courtenay

I always imagined Danks Street was easy to get to, well maybe if you drive... Not for this little duck though, a train/bus ride and then I over missed the mark by 3 blocks... But got there eventually to find a gallery full of wonderful paintings by someone I have known for some time but haven’t really seen much of her work...

These works are great, a definite surreal edge... Although void of bright colours, the grey hues seem to reflect a certain depth which gives the narrative ever changing colours...

I loved the series of small circular paintings hung together on one wall, each telling different aspects of a small story... My favourite would have to be the largest circular painting in the show ‘Colliding Worlds’, acrylic and oil on Belgian linen... I circled the room a few times and was always bought back to this painting, to me it’s like the entire universe on 1 canvas!!!

Now a fan I have to say, I love Gabrielle’s attention to detail, her sense of duty to keep her fans entranced... But I must apologize, I am a little late at putting this post up and this show sadly closes on Saturday 20th March, so please if your in Sydney get on a bus or walk and make sure your GPS is working and see this show...

Written by Fleur

8th March - 20th March 2011
www.gabriellecourtenay.com.au

Gaffa - Eduardo Wolfe-Alegria

'Bodhisattvas is the title of Eduardo Wolfe-Alegria’s first solo show. The title of the exhibition was chosen as a response to the Buddhist concept of enlightened existence or the enlightened being. Wolfe-Alegria draws on this idea as inspiration for a body of work that deals with notions of self-awakening and liberation, as each work produces both a personal and universal narrative, playing on themes of intimacy and inter-connectedness'

A hip and gorgeous crowd ... We want them at any/our next show!!!

The Gaffa Gallery was throbbing, as part of ArtMonth celebrations and what an interesting Gallery this is...

We took the stairs and found Eduardo was showing his vibrant illustrative works with an MA @ SCA in progress!!!

These works are large and lush... Great fluro colours bounce from the walls and the subject matter is complex and interesting...

On a lighter note It got me thinking about the skeleton obsessions many artists have...

Written by Bernadette

10th March - 23rd March 2011
www.gaffa.com.au

King Street Gallery on William - Robert Hirschmann

To be completely honest I wasn’t sure what to expect, although I have known Robert’s work since when I first stepped into King Street Gallery back in 1994.

It makes so much sense, as seeing the tiny self portrait and the uprooted trees, Robert is creating a new beginning for himself... Delving into his past, resurrecting his persona, striping away the layers of his personality to reveal a deep soul within... Tackling his bare roots as to say!!!

‘Night Jar’ oil and charcoal on board, speaks to me as once a large and proud Western Red Cedar in the glistening sunlight, I could be horribly wrong but the colours are richly dark and remind me of Cedar... ‘Local Roots I - VIII’ mixed media on paper, a beautiful tender representation, while ‘Rose’, ‘Famalia’ and ‘Horos’ all oil and charcoal on board throw wild passion into the wind... And ‘For Nick’ oil on linen brings you back and prepares you for what’s next...

‘Self Portrait (Madrid)’ pen on paper 1996 is an adorable reminder and ‘Untitled’ dry point etching, a portrait of Robert by Kevin Lincoln introduces us to an older version of Robert... ‘Momento II’ oil and charcoal on linen, is a knuckle buster with it’s thick as rough cement exterior and a quiet tortured soul looking out from within. I love ‘Falling’, oil and charcoal on board and ‘Echo’ and ‘Blind’ both oil on linen, with there tiny hints of colour of a life that once lived...

‘October I - V’ chalk and graphite on board a series depicting the end of life for a tree, the stages of decay and I found myself contemplating on the chalk marks...

‘Wangaratta - Whitfield Road 1 & 2’ charcoal and oilstick on paper are two really sweet works that softens the blow before ‘Momento I’ oil on linen, is this him? is this a self portrait? with his steely eyes and a 3 day growth... Could well be but are we to really know!!! It’s a strong and gutsy work built up with loads of raw energy...

Robert is Not an arrogant twat, thankfully, he’s deeply sensitive and quietly spoken and
he deserves some praise, we’ve all missed him when he left sydney long ago to live in the bush and start a family... But he’s still painting and keeping in touch!!!

But these works and past works remind me of another artist but in a good way as Anselm Kiefer is one of my all time favourite artists so I guess Robert Hirschmann is too!!!

Written by Fleur

8th March - 2nd April 2011
www.kingstreetgallery.com.au

Tim Olsen Gallery - Guy Maestri

A large crowd at Tim Olsen that was difficult to manoeuvre but quite thrilling just the same... Everybody knows.. Winner of the Archibald and a most technically gifted Painter!!!

Landscapes of Hill End, Robertson, The Southern Highlands and surrounds... The small works are a series of ink on paper studies... Minimal, tonal and confident introductions to the paintings... The Landscapes are so confident and bold in their directness, deconstructed forms with strong and assured painting...

Broad slathered oils with enamel, of a fresh coloured palette and then the darker palette are slashed across large canvas's of linen. The fresh palette, these paintings sit happily amongst the darker palette paintings which are romantic....

Terraced Landscapes of distance and foreground, I liked the fuzz/blurr paint of airbrush creating contrast to the definition of the foreground and glimpses of primed white empty linen... And works that struck a chord were ‘Hill End about 6pm’ I wonder what happens then?, ‘The Rock Where the Swallows Roost at Mary Flyns Water Hole’ offers a strong and distinct work almost symbolic and perhaps a nod to another great Australian painter... ‘The Bridle Track’ (I’ve been on it), ‘Where the Macquarie River Meets the Turon, Down the Bridle Track’, a very fresh painting and last but not least the lovely and serene ‘Valley’

Written by Bernadette

2nd March - 20th March 2011
www.timolsengallery.com