A small glimpse of paintings in progress for my next exhibition, in April at Yering Station Gallery. I will be showing, new and older paintings and will include an installation of framed photographs, “Spaces Below”, shot in France. The gallery is large and raw with an industrial feel. A perfect space for larger abstracts. All commissions taken from my sold artworks at Yering Station Gallery will be donated to…
Ever wish you could buy that original piece of art but it was just too expensive and out of reach? I know I have.
Have you ever considered prints of your favourite originals?
Even if you can’t afford an original piece of art, purchasing prints can be more affordable and if the original artwork is sold, there may be prints available. It not only brings art into your home but, it also supports the artist community too.
I have recently been setting up my online print shop, where you can now purchase prints of my original artworks.
Please see my Gallery page or, click the headings below. There you can browse my selection of framed prints, canvas prints, art prints, acrylic block prints and metal prints.
ABOUT MY PRINTS
The source, for all my art prints, are created in my studio by hand, in (Australia) using my original artworks and photographs. Hand drawing, painting, photography and making collage, is all part of the creative process. Then, the prints are ethically produced by my digital printing partners in Melbourne, Australia, USA and London,England. My prints come in many sizes and prices, to suit your budget. All prints are created from the best, fine artist grade, papers, canvas and materials. Each print is clear and vibrant using specialists inks that will last. Your purchase is wrapped carefully then, packaged in sturdy custom- made boxes, so they make it safely to your door. Please see … Worldwide Delivery plus 100% Returns and Exchanges
I am still in the process of creating my online print shop and will gradually add more prints over time. Enjoy your browse!
Custom-made box or flat frame styles. High-quality timber frame finishes to suit your decor. Premium Perspex – clearer and lighter than glass. Exhibition quality box or flat frame styles.
Each custom artwork is hand stretched and printed for your order. Vibrant colors printed on artist grade canvas. Printed image wraps 0.25 inch (0.6 cm) over the edges; the sides are white. Hanging hardware is included.
Custom sized prints (with various border widths). Gallery quality vibrant colours.
Lightly textured 100% cotton paper.
Refer to size chart for dimensions if self framing.
Vibrant back mounted photographic prints 1″ (2.5 cm) thick. Solid free-standing acrylic block for desk, table top or shelves. Diamond cut sides provide a sharp image from any angle. Hand polished for a crystal clear finish.
Available in both High Gloss and Satin. Gently rounded corners. Cleanable surface. Lightweight aluminium is literally infused with the chosen artwork.
Everybody who knows me, knows, how much, I love metal, rust and decay. Many years ago, I collected old rusty, metal objects from the roadsides and turned them into sculptures. I also gained my certificates in welding. At the time, with myself and 3 children to support, I welded in factories to make a living and in between, I made sculptures from the rusty found objects. I don’t weld much anymore, as it’s a problem for me to move around the heavy metal, but I still have a large collection of smaller bits, I use, to rust up, paper, objects and textiles for my projects. Lately, I have been playing around with some commercial rust paints.
Clay, Botanics Rust Paint, IOD Décor Moulds
Today, I tried out, Botanic’s rust paint, from L’essential in Australia. I love the fact they are all environmentally-conscious products, free from nasty additives and are preservative-free where possible. They smell good too. I’m very pleased with the result and it does, really look like rust.
Clay, Botanics Rust Paint, IOD Décor Moulds
The problem I have is, I need large amounts of rust paint for my projects and now looking for a brand with reasonable prices.
Maybe I could even make my own…
I love Gesso paint and use heaps of it in my work. It’s gritty, chalky and can be applied to artwork to give a translucent or opaque look. It’s also very expensive so I decided to make my own.
Gesso is used for many things such as a primer for canvas or on paper to give a good base for painting, drawing or mixed media work. When making collage I use it as a gluing medium to stick on papers, in-between, painting and drawing layers.
The recipe below makes 2 litres of Gesso paint
( If not using straight away, this Gesso will last approx. 4-6 weeks)
Homemade Gesso
PLASTER MIX
1 cup Plaster of Paris or fine white plaster powder
1 cup of PVA or white glue
1 cup hot water
PAINT
3 cups white acrylic paint
UTENSILS
Container, cup and mixing stick or spoon
RATIO: 1-3
Plaster Mix 1 – Acrylic paint 3
Method
To make the plaster mix. Add the plaster to the hot water and stir ( Safety purposes: always add the plaster powder to the liquid, not liquid to plaster, as it will blow up into your face and always wear a dust mask)
Dust Mask
“Plaster of Paris” and cup
Hot water and mix
Next add the PVA or white glue, stir.
Finally add the white acrylic paint and mix. ( I used some acrylic powder paint I had and made it up with water) You can use any kind of acrylic paint or colour .
Result
I was very happy with the result. The gesso is translucent with the gritty bits I like. You can also do several layers of gesso to give a more opaque appearance. It covered my canvas very well with only 1 coat. When adding more than 1 coat you can sand in- between to give a really smooth surface for detailed work .
2 litres of Gesso
Gesso on stretched canvas
Gesso on paper
To see this and more of my free tutorials, please go to Tutorials I even show you how to make my large studio easel.
One of my life- time interests is collecting vintage, antique and found objects. I believe, through objects, stories can be told, and through imagination, new ones found.
Objects and their stories, often inspire my art making too. I deconstruct items for sculpture. Old clothing and antique quilts, are often used in textile pieces, artist books and collage. Aged surfaces and patinas of collections, make their way into my abstract paintings, too.
Lately, I have been asking myself a few questions about, collecting and identity. Especially after the passing of my step father a few years ago, when I had the huge task, of cleaning out his house and shed. Overwhelming at times, the hoard, has found it’s way into my life & studio
Having only known him for a short time, (5yrs) I’ve discovered, through his belongings and objects, a hidden or, new identity.
Strangely , I now find myself imagining, a new “make believe identity” through the objects he hoarded
This has lead me to many questions…
When alive, do we really know a person? and can things and objects help us to see, a new, or different identity?
Through objects and belongings, can we feel connected to that person?
Can objects change, how we see others & ourselves?
A few years ago, I changed from oil paints, to acrylics, after I became allergic to the turps. I’m still not used to painting with acrylics as, I just love the lushness, depth and movement of oil paints. Something, I haven’t been able to achieve with acrylics. So, recently I bought some oil painting supplies, eco friendly turps, to see, if I’m still allergic to it.
The life of a Painting.
Oil paint , medium, wax on canvas
Sometimes I think, I should stop earlier, when its fresh and spontaneous, but usually keep going. I just have to trust the process and know, that eventually, I will end up with something I’m happy with.
I will revisit the painting, in a few days time to decide, whether I will take it further. At the moment, I’m feeling, times long past.
Connections and contrasts of imperfections, found in the urban environment, highlighting, insignificant marks, weathered surfaces and cast – offs. I am influenced by abandoned and derelict spaces, vacant industrial sites, structures, old walls & graffiti.One of a kind, handmade ( Limited Edition) artist books from Australian contemporary artist Jenny Davis
Each book consists of:
1 Vintage cigar tin lined with eco- dyed crochet scrap in Shibori- dyed indigo blue, or rust.
1 Handmade concertina artist book, collage with rust – dyed papers and slow stitched with Japanese Shibori threads.
A vintage button with an 1800’s, rusted suspender buckle, winds around the book to close. Some buckles have “Paris” engraved.
1 Scrap piece of rust – dyed canvas cloth, frayed, embellished with slow stitching.
1 Handmade collage created from aged, rust paper, antique suspender buckle and slow stitching.
2 photographs in an acrylic pouch, taken beneath the City of Paris, France.
1 rusted fence loop found in the outback Australia.
(Each artist book is original, handmade and differs from the other. They are all created from the same materials though, making each one, a collectable piece of art)
Please click on photos to purchase!
Rust 2
Rust 3
Rust 4
Rust 5
Rust 6
Rust 7
Rust 8
Rust 9
Rust 10
For the past decade or so, I have worked with an amazing group of women artists at the old schoolhouse in Badger Crk. Victoria. We meet up weekly to paint, throw around ideas, experiment and play with new, unusual, materials and techniques. This time is invaluable to me, as it, gives me a break from the usual, business side of making art and gets me out of the studio. We chat about our work, share ideas and discuss what’s happening in the world and our lives. Mostly, it’s just a whole lot of fun, mucking around with good friends who happen to love making art.
Lately at the schoolhouse I have been working on some mixed media pieces with paint paper, cloth and thread.
I use thread and needle to make marks through the artwork.
Each stitch leads onto the next, weaving over the painting.
Found papers intermingle with rotted and rusted cloth.
I like to use off- cuts of textile, paper and patterns and throw it against slabs of paint and marks.
In the above artwork I am enjoying the contrast of the piece of vintage cross stitch, I found in an op shop once.
The stitches wander around and find their own place in their own time. I’m not in control and use the thread, as another tool to make marks.
I don want to make embroidery’s and my mistakes can be my jewels.
All these artworks are in progress and not yet finished. Some may just be experiments for fun and to learn from.
I started this blog back in the early 2000’s as a sort of diary, to document my work and creative life and to give something back to others.
Going through some of my old posts recently, I was able to pin point, some pivotal moments in my life, of where my ideas and artworks originally came from, why my work and arts practice has changed and how, it’s evolved over the years, to where it is today.
After visits to Europe, UK and an arts residency in Spain, in 2005, I especially noticed some changes in the way I was working. Though I have always worked between disciplines, painting was always my main form of expression. I was becoming more dissatisfied with just painting and found it hard to do any creative work for awhile. Then, after a 3 month stay in France 2007, I realized I could no longer, only use paint, to express my ideas.
This led to a series of experimental installations, videos and a book of photographs. Touched by Dada and Surrealist ideas, I had to re-access what I was doing as an artist.
The installation and video below “Parisgrit” was shown at Tilt Gallery, in Melbourne in 2006. I can see quite a few interesting elements in it, but it’s way too long and very noisy. Maybe someday, I will get around to re-working it and revamping it into something else.
https://youtu.be/qUp3r-oEa-I
By looking back over my old blog posts or (diary entries) I find it helpful, to reflect on the areas, where I can make improvements and expand on previous ideas. I can also see where, my ideas have come from. I get a glimpse of how & why, my artwork, techniques and materials have changed over time and maybe where I could be heading in my arts practice.
Still working on small textile collages.
I found an old army blanket from my childhood and couldn’t resist it’s raggedy worn, loveliness and further rusted it. Leaving it in the elements outside for a few weeks.
It can take ages moving pieces around to get the right composition.
then sometimes it just happens straight away.
Adding more marks…
The good thing about using a stretched canvas as a base, I can stitch right into it.
Just like using a embroidery hoop.
I am a visual artist who works with a range of mediums and my process varies.
I use which ever vehicle helps me to express my ideas. Each work informs the other and leads onto the next idea.
The collages I’m working on at the moment are a follow on from my hand sewn fabric pieces and with more experiments I can see 3d objects creeping in
New Paintings, sculpture and more available in the Gallery Some are already framed others are ready to hang with all hardware attached. Shipping included in the price!
I am influenced by abandoned and derelict spaces, vacant industrial sites, structures, old walls & graffiti. The paintings below are about the connections and contrasts of imperfections, found in the urban environment, highlighting, insignificant marks, weathered surfaces.
Wallmatter 13
Wallmatter 17
Wallmatter 14
Wallmatter 16
Wallmatter 12
Small Abstract Oil Paintings. Still & Interruption.
I spent a lot of time trying to get the surface just right, on these 3 paintings, as I wanted each piece to stand on its own, as well as, together as a whole. I also wanted to convey a feeling of stillness. A space to sit awhile.
The 3 below have colour and movement. I feel they are not yet resolved and will probably work back in with more layers.
I’m enjoying, the smaller scale paintings at the moment, especially after all the large ones I did over the past year for my “Wallmatter” exhibition.
Its a whole different way of working. Large paintings have huge sweeping strokes, where the whole body is involved. Smaller artworks allow me to come in close and are not so hard on my body. I can work longer on them, without too much pain to my back and neck.
New Sculpture in the Gallery. Concretematter.
New sculpture available from my exhibition at The Memo,in Healesville Victoria Until Tues.16th August 2016
For more information please contact
Jade Bitar
Regional Exhibitions Officer
03 5965 3509 / 0419 384 526
exhibitions@yarraranges.vic.gov.au
Concretematter
To construct my 3D objects, I have used various methods: eco rust and Japanese Shibori dyeing, molding, casting, curing, sanding, chiselling, engraving, embedding, propagating, tearing, burning, sealing and finishing. To create the pieces, I combine hard and soft materials: industrial concrete, found packaging, lichen, moss, seaweed, vintage glass, cloth fragments and rusted found objects.
Wallmatter Exhibition Photos – Jenny Davis – 2016
A huge thank you to everybody who attended the opening of my new exhibition Wallmatter last Saturday. A special thank you to all the people who helped me pull it altogether and make it a special day. I feel so blessed and encouraged with all the support shown for my artwork and the new friendships I made.
Wallmatter continues until Tuesday August 16th at The Memo, Healesville Victoria. Free Entry. All artworks are for sale.
A few photos I took the next day as I forgot my camera on opening night.
An installation of paint, concrete, rust and
textiles, inspired by imperfections and
weathered surfaces, linking to the abandoned
and neglected spaces found in urban and rural
environments.
“Surfaces and objects touched by time tell a
story and are a raw reflection of their environment.
I want to highlight the significance of a random
mark, or the crumbling texture of a wall in an
underground space. They are evidence to a
previous time in history. My abstractions are
investigations into marks and traces left behind
in the urban and rural environment.”
– Jenny Davis, Artist
Crut. New Paintings. Cradled Boards.
3 new paintings, well, it’s actually one painting, a triptych, I did for a recent art prize. Each painting was made with acrylic paint and small areas of oil paint on birch cradled boards.
I love using boards for painting. The surface is much more forgiving than canvas. Perfect for the spontaneous, mark-making and material layering I tend to do. I can scratch, sand, scrape back, engrave and it won’t tear, or break like canvas.
If I could get larger cradled boards and still be able to lift them, I would be very happy. The size of these boards are 50 x 50cm. each. Overall size 150cm. x 50cm.
About Crut
Communication to the masses. Text in the environment can mark territory, give control and can validate those, who don’t have a voice in the mainstream order. Through mark-making in the environment everybody can be heard. I see beauty and at times, desperation in the messages, found in the streets, and in the abandoned, underground and derelict spaces. Layers of tagging, graffiti and found marks on weathered surfaces tell stories about the past, present and future. Aesthetically they can be beautiful, even though they may have been painted illicitly on a wall, or other surface’s. My abstractions are investigations into, marks, traces and messages, left behind, in the urban and rural environment.
As mentioned in my previous post, here are some photographs from my published article in “Sew Somerset Summer 2016” magazine on, how to make your own mixed media collage’s, from vintage, Pulp Fiction paperback books or, any other damaged books.
I love reclaiming and re-using, old tattered books that would otherwise, be tossed in the garbage giving them a new life and a new meaning. Instead of them being destroyed and forgotten.
I collect discarded objects and litter from the streets, along with items people would otherwise throw away and use them in my art and installation work. I physically dismantle my collected items, and then reassemble them, with the intention to reconstruct its purpose, from its earlier meaning and appearance.
My artworks are little mixed-media collage’s, created from, vintage “Pulp Fiction” book pages, old linen cloth, thread, paint, coloured pencils and ink.
As a thank you to all my readers Use Coupon Code PUBL0616 for a 50% discount on this magazine when you checkout at Stampington.com, and buy four (4) or more copies of the title. Click on image below!
“Wallmatter” Exhibition Progress. Jenny Davis 2016.
All my paintings are now finished and have been taken to the framers for my upcoming exhibition, in July and I managed to fit all, 17 paintings, into the car for the short trip to Healesville.
While the paintings are at the framers I have been creating and finishing off, other pieces in the show. It has also, given me pockets of time to concentrate on the written stuff, which I find a bit difficult sometimes.
My art statement has changed a million times, but I think I’m happy with it now. Id rather just let my artwork speak for itself but, finally, after many years, I’m actually starting to enjoy the process of writing the art statement. I see it now, as an extension of my work and not, just an unrelated, add on . As an artist, you know yourself, what your art is all about, but putting it out there, for the viewer, in words, honestly, without all that “artspeak”, is a whole different art, I’ve had to learn over the years.
If you need help writing art statements, here is fantastic book that has helped me. “Art-Write. The Writing Guide for Visual Artists by Vicki Krohn Amorose.” It’s a simple, step by step guide on writing, not only, art statements but also, speeches, proposals, bio, press release’s and more. Its all related to the visual artist.
The ad for “Art Almanac” magazine has been designed and sent off to the magazine and the invite/ad for “Wallmatter” exhibition, has been designed, with some help from my daughter overseas in France… Amazing Skype!
The catalogue price list has taken a long time as every detail of every single piece has to be written down and priced. It’s an ongoing venture and still in progress as I keep adding more pieces. The food and drinks for the opening have all been taken care of, thanks, to a couple of dear friends for their help.
I’m still making some flat concrete stands I want to sit my sculpture’s on. One of them broke, so I’m not sure yet, whether Ill to use them, or not. I also need to find a way to get my paintings to the exhibition. Once framed they won’t fit into my car. Something I didn’t think off:)
The last thing I will need to do is photograph and document all the pieces, before they are sent off to the gallery. Encase they don’t come back home again:) Hopefully!
More details of what? when? and where? coming very soon!
Experiments with Concrete Cloth and Rust. Sculpture.
Just a quick update about what Ive been doing lately.
Work for my exhibition was almost finished, until, I discovered a bunch of rusted textiles Id forgotten about. Now, I want to make more sculpture. A solid form with thin wafers of cloth, concrete and rust.
Today, I’m heading into the studio to work out how to achieve this. Wet concrete is very formless so pouring, layer, upon layer of cloth then, concrete, in a mold, just wouldn’t work. The cloth would get covered with concrete on the outer edges and I want slices of cloth sticking out and visible on the outside.
Funny thing is, when I Googled it, all I came up with was my own experiments and work with concrete, cloth and rust.
So, I’m now in the process of inventing how to do this:)
More details about my “Wallmatter” exhibition coming soon!
Concrete. Rust. Textile. Sculpture. Work in the Studio.
Experiments with concrete, rust and textiles in developing sculpture.
Junk packaging for mold making
Taped up packaging filled with concrete, rust and cloth.
Poured wet concrete sculpture
A series of 3D objects in the making
The first raw reveal after 24 hours. At this stage, I need to make my final decisions and changes to this sculpture, while the concrete is still soft enough to work with. I discovered in some of my earlier experiments, once its rock hard, its more difficult to work with.
I am still working on this series of sculptures using concrete, rust and textiles that will be part of my “Wallmatter” exhibition.
