Artists Down Under - Australia and New Zealand - August 2017 by Artists Down Under

Australia and New Zealand

i s s u e 5 - a u g u s t 2 0 17 | d i g i t a l a r t i s t r y

06 E D I T O R ’ S M E S S A G E b y A t h a l i e Ta y l o r

26 B A R N O W L

D AY D R E A M

48 T H E N E X T U N I V E R S E by Heide Hoffmann

by Julie Powell

07 P H O T O S H O P A R T I S T R Y by Sebastian Michaels

27 W H I T E R A B B I T S D AY D R E A M S . . .

ARCHITECTONIC... b y A t h a l i e Ta y l o r

by Julie Powell

08 W H AT ’ S O N a n d N E W S by ADU Members

28 B O R N T O B E W I L D 1 BORN TO BE WILD 2

50 L A D Y I N A B L A C K H AT LADY WITH BLACK...

by Julie Powell

NEWS cont by ADU Members

29 P A G E O F W A N D S by Julie Powell

by Barbara Dudzinska

51 C O L O U R M Y W O R L D PYRO

by Anthea Scotte

14 I N T E R V I E W

by Jacqueline Hammer & ADU

30 C H I L D ’ S P L AY

A SWEE T CHILD’S...

52 S P L I T I N T H R E E A P P R E C I AT I O N by Ilona A bou-Zolof

b y Tr i s h H o s k i n

FRAMED by Ann Lavin

31 B L U E S Q U A R E – M YA L L 1 BLUE SQUARE – ...

53 T H E D A N C E R b y D i e p Tr a n

by Viki Murray

WE NEED PEACE by Ann Lavin

32 C O B W E B W I N D O W

54 W H AT A L I F E !

by Corrine Davis

b y D i e p Tr a n

POPPIES

OLD TIME MEMORY

20 B I R D N E S T

33 A B S T R A C T

55 S U N S T O R M

21 D R E A M I N G O F H O M E

34 Y O U A R E I N M Y P O W E R

56 T H E C AT ’ S E Y E

by Joyce Maris

DESTITUTE DRE AMING...

by Sharon Rankmore

TURTLE L AND...

b y Tr a c e y P o g s o n

22 N E W F R I E N D S

CHERRY BLOSSOM TIMES

by ALBaMass

MY LADY

by Bill Oldham

35 S E O U L

RED WINE

b y D i e p Tr a n

MY DEER AND THE MOON b y D i e p Tr a n

by Ron Rodgers

by Thysje Arthur

23 G H O S T LY L A D Y. . .

b y D i e p Tr a n

36 A F R I C A . . .

b y To n y S t e p h e n s o n

58 P H O T O G R A F F E

CIT Y OF DREAMS by Dale Botha

24 T H E E L E P H A N T W A L K W H AT B I R D A M I ?

46 C O M I N G H O M E

SHE PROTECTS ME

by Ann Wehner

25 T H E K E S T R A L by Julie Powell

by Johanna Goudsblom

THREE BE ARS IN LOVING MEMORY by Kevin Sims

59 W E T P A N D A W AT C H I N G A N I M A L F O U N TA I N by Bronwyn Kenmir

60 F LY I N G H I G H

FOLLOW THE LIGHT by Louise Campbell

61 I T H I N K W E A R E L O S T. . .

B L A C K- B A C K E D J A C K A L

by Lyn Darling ton

62 L O S T AT S E A

by Judi L apsley Miller

S T R I AT E D P A R D A L O T E S T H AT S I N K I N G F E E L I N G by Andrew Haysom

76 D O C K L A N D S M A R I N A . . . S TA R Q U A L I T Y by Andrew Haysom

63 D O I D A R E

by Judi L apsley Miller

T H E P O W E R O F. . . by Andrew Haysom

89 A F R I C A D R E A M I N G A F R I C A N D AY S by Karen Waalw yk

90 F L U I D P I P E R

SOF T BEAUT Y by Jim Dawson

91 2 M A I A JANE

by Hazel Blake

64 I P H O N E O G R A P H Y

by Phillipa Frederiksen

78 S T O R M C O M I N G

DOCKL ANDS DUSK by Mary Knaggs

66 L A U R A A N D T H E L I G H T by Sue Masterson

79 C U D D L E S

BL ACK BIRDS

92 T H E P R I N C E S S FORBIDDEN

by Pamela Henderson

93 LT T T L E A N G E L S by Helen Jones

by Helen Akerstrom

67 E M I LY

by Sue Masterson

80 C A M B O D I A T I M E by Mick Rooney

94 K E E P E R O F T H E E G G S PICKING ON THE... by Helen Jones

68 A F T E R N O O N AT T H E . . . OLD COLONIAL...

81 B AT M A N ! W E N E E D Y O U C E L E B R AT I N G L O V E

by Sylvia Chat ter ton

69 L I LY à T R O I S MIST Y ANZAC

by Maureen Maxwell

95 W E ’ R E M O V I N G T O T H E . . . COUSINS MOVING TO... by Helen Jones

82 T H E D A N C E R

96 M E L B O U R N E I N C O L O U R

83 T H E A W A K E N I N G

97 T H E G U M L E AV E S

84 F A C E S F R O M S K E T C H . . .

98 S P E K E AT D AW N

by Laki Anagnostis

by Helen Jones

by Jack McKenzie

70 A N G E L O F D A R K N E S S WA K ING UP

by Chris Barnes

by Helen Jones

by Edwin Leung

BOX IN BOX G U A R D I A N S O F. . .

by Joyce Maris

by Mike Stone

72 W A I T I N G F O R H U G S RESTING PL ACE

by Shar yn Walker

86 T H E L A C E M A K E R

MICHAEL A AND TOBIAS

by Christina Brunton

73 P E L I C A N D R E A M I N G by Andrew Haysom

by Liz Abbott

P L AY I N G C A R D S 2 C O N C E N T R AT I O N by Margie O’Hara

MAGPIE IN THE GRASS RED-CAPPED ROBINS by Andrew Haysom

A L O N E AT D U S K

88 G E T O U T O F H E R E PENSIVE

by Leanne M Williams

99 D E AT H B E C O M E S H E R W AT E R A N G E L

by Christine Stevenson

100 B AT H T I M E RED

by Lonnie Lovejoy

101 T H U R S D AY A F T E R N O O N by Ineke Clark

102 H A R V E S T Q U E E N

112 A B S T R A C T I N R E D 10

PUSHING THROUGH

by Dean Hohn

by Kye T hompson

120 A N O T H E R D I M E N S I O N BROTHER BE AR

by Michelle Drummond

103 W A R E D F L O W E R I N G G U M

113 T H E S P I R I T ’ S . . .

121 N I G H T R I D E R

104 W A C O M I N T U O S 5

114 3 0 x 3 0 E X H I B I T I O N

122 T R A N S C E N D E N T

107 T H E A G E O F S T E A M

115 3 0 x 3 0 E X H I B I T I O N

123 T R A N S C E N D E N T

108 J A B I R U W I T H F I S H

116 G O L D E N P H E A S A N T S

124 T H E S T E A M P U N K K O O K . . .

by Sue Maples

b y R o s e D ’A z u r e

by Dean Hohn

b y R o s e D ’A z u r e

by Dean Hohn

HUMMING BIRD

by Julia Harwood

by Margo Zerbes

109 C O M P O S I T E 10

117 B I R D I N A R O S E

OUT AND BACK 5

by Margo Zerbes

by Colin Campbell

118 N I G H T ’ S S W I F T D R A G O N S

FULL MOON

TA K E A N A X E T O T H E . . .

by Gerard Whelan

by Merran G Âû

INDIAN MOON GODDESS

119 S P I R I T E D

by George Koncz

O l d Ta l l a n g a t t a

by Mike Stone

THE STE AMPUNK... by Colin Killick

125 M AT E T S I E L E P H A N T B A O B A B – S O F T. . . b y To n y S t e p h e n s o n

110 B R I S B A N E

111 B R O K E N D O L L 4

by Margaret Kalms

W AT E R B A B Y by Phillipa Frederiksen

Helen Jones

126 A U T U M N I N T H E A I R

ROMPING ON THE BE ACH by Ingrid Douglas

127 I TA LY

B E A C H D AY S by Carolyn Jenson

My Molly

Helen Jones

aD rOt W i s tNs U N D E R Australia and New Zealand

EDITOR’S MESSAGE Artists Down Under members continue to shine. Several members had work in exhibitions and successfully sold work. You’ll see their reports in the news section. One member, Mike Stone, took on a challenge, entered his first competition and had his first artwork printed and shown in his first exhibition. See his story on pages 122-123. Dean Hohn had a spectacular month with a sell out of his work at the Pejean Gallery 30x30cm Exhibition, and then had his book cover design chosen by 5 Islands Press, the publishers of Kristan Lang’s poetry book “The Weight of Light.” You can see reports about these in the News section on pages 8 and 9. There is also a two page spread on pages 114-115 showing Dean’s exhibition work.

T he Old Woolshed

Julie Powell

Corinne Davis and Trish Hoskin were two of the three successful Awake members in the recent Artisan Colour’s promotion for the Awake Artboja artists. ArtBoja is an online gallery featuring the art of a large group of international digital artists, all members of Sebastian Michaels’ Awake and Kaizen art community. See Trish and Corrine’s winning artworks and report on page 9.

Rose D’Azure’s article, pages 104-106, on the Wacom tablet will encourage you to consider her suggestions and add one to your creative kit. Down Under artists were represented in issue 29 of the “Living the Photo Artistic Life” magazine. See the news for more details. Judi Lapsley Miller, Viki Murray, Dean Hohn, Mike Stone and Margaret Kalms have exhibitions scheduled from July through to September. Individual exhibition dates and venues are included in the news section.

There’s an interview with Jacqueline Hammer, a fine art photographer from Far North Queensland, Australia. Her approach to her work will inspire. Pages 14-17.

Ever dreamed of a trip to Africa but hesitated because of the cost? In this issue Tony Stephenson takes us on an Artist’s Tour of Africa for people on a budget. The ten page feature will give you ideas of where to go, what to visit, where to stay, what to take with you and costs. Pages 36-45.

Julie also had success in the June, 2017 Shift Art Photoshop Challenge.

Two members, Julie Powell and Trish Hoskin, were successful in the Light, Space and Time’s June 2017 “Seasons” competition. See page 10.

There’s an article on iPhoneography from Phillipa Frederiksen on pages 64-65 and Joyce Maris will inspire you with her story about her unique art. See pages 84-85.

Another very big issue full of interest!

Athalie Taylor

Melting Flower

D i e p Tr a n

aD rOt W i s tNs U N D E R Australia and New Zealand

WHAT’S ON Judi Lapsley Miller

Solo exhibition

Visions of Zealandia June 01 – August Ext

Viki Murray

Along the Way

Dean Hohn

Gallery Pejean

Mike Stone

Magpie Springs Photographic Competition Exhhibition July 16 – July 27

Magpie Springs 1870 Brookman Road, Hope Forest, SA

Judi Lapsley Miller

Invercargill Licensing Trust Art Awards Southland Art Society July 29 – Sept 02

City Gallery 28 Don Street, Invercargill, NZ

Margaret Kalms

Evolve

Watson Arts Centre 1 Aspinall Street, Watson, ACT

July 06 – August 06 30 x 30 2017 July 12 – August 05

Marsden Art Group August 03 – Aug14

Zealandia Eco Sanctuary, Visitors Centre End of Waiapu Road, Wellington, NZ Outback Arts Inc 65-67 Castlereagh Street, Coonamble, NSW Pejean Gallery 57 George Street, Launceston, TAS

NEWS Living the Photo Artistic Life magazine Congratulations to the following Artists Down Under members who had work published in the July issue of the “Living the Photo Artistic Life” magazine, an international magazine featuring the artworks of the GALLERY PEJEAN

students of Sebastian Michaels’ AWAKE and Kaizen courses. Included this month are: Ann Wehner, Rosemary Smith, Julie Powell, Sue Masterson, Christina Brunton, Louise Campbell, Diep Tran, Ann Lavin, Viki Murray,

Trish Hoskin, Maureen Maxwell, Joyce Maris, Dale Botha, Tony Stephenson, Thysje Arthur, Barbara Dudzinska, Hazel Blake, Ilona AbouZolof and Colin Killick. Congratulations everyone.

Group 30x30cm Exhibition

Opening Night – July 14 by Dean Hohn I got a wonderful surprise when Margot introduced me to a gentleman and told me he had just purchased the complete series of images! That was followed buy another lady telling me she had just purchased #2/5 of Terrestrial Garden!

We had the opening of the Group 30x30cm (12"x12") Exhibition at Gallery Pejean tonight in Launceston. It was wonderful that Athalie and John Taylor were able to attend along with Robyn Gloede and Graeme Whittle.

as well. If you would like to buy any of these images, you can contact Margot at Gallery Pejean and she'll be glad to help you. We can ship world wide! http://www.gallerypejean.com.au/

I feel very blessed that people like my work and I hope they get the joy of having it in their home that I got in creating it. Feeling very fortunate! The exhibition will be on until August 05 at Gallery Pejean in Launceston. These images are limited editions of #/5. All of issue 1 is gone and #2/5 of Terrestrial Garden is gone

Te r r e s t r i a l G a r d e n

NEWS

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ARTISAN COLOUR

Winners

Artisan Colour offered ArtBoja members the opportunity to submit their favourite piece to be considered for possible promotion in the Heaven Arts Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona. The

and exhibited. The work of other artists would be shown on 65” LED high definition screens. The Heaven Art Gallery is the first-of-its-kind; a real, physical, brick and mortar art gallery exclusively using digital technology to display the work of thousands of artists from around the world.

The three winners were announced recently and two were Down Under artists; Corinne Davis from New Zealand G a r d e n P a t h C o r i n n e D a v i s and Trish Hoskin from work of three artists would be chosen, printed Australia. Congratulations Corinne and Trish. DEAN HOHN

Cr ystal Waters

Tr i s h H o s k i n

Book cover

Anther wonderful success for Dean Hohn.

The book will be published sometime in the future.

A few months back I was contacted by a poet who is having a book published and she found one of my abstract images online and wanted to use it for her book. We came to an agreement, but the final decision was with the publisher. Well this evening I received word that my image has been selected for the cover. MARGARET KALMS

You can see more of Dean’s work on pages 112-115 of this issue and on https://tinyurl.com/ybuoo5fz h o o d . c o m https://artboja.com/art/yw8ic8/

Exhibition “Evolve”

Margaret Kalms, as part of Marsden Art Group, will exhibit in “Evolve” to be held at Watson Arts Centre in Canberra in August.

Endometriosis” project. The theme “Evolve” reflects a process of

ists to develop thoughts and processes, unfold stories, advance ideas and unravel histories. Marsden Arts Group continues to evolve while maintaining its strength of inclusiveness, mentorship, the provision of opportunities that may not be available when working on one’s own and the promotion of education in the business of art. Meet the Artists Afternoon Tea 1.00pm3.00pm Sunday 13 August at Watson Arts Centre, Canberra, Australia.

Ancestral Sea

Colours of Pelvic Pain

She has two works on show; “Ancestral Sea”, a digital photoart print, and “Colours of Pelvic Pain”, a presentation showing conceptual evolution of light, colour and shape expressing internal pain – part of the “Life with

change whether in relation to humans, animals, the planet, weather, plants or thought. Our emerging and established artists will use a diversity of mediums and interpretations. The theme provides opportunities for the art-

Artists: Ian Baird, Julie Delves, Liz Dovey, Val Gee, Margaret Gordon, Susan Hey, Penina Huho, Marilyn Hutchinson, Sally Jones, Margaret Kalms, Manuel Pfeiffer, Saggu Sukhvinder, Barbara Van Der Linden, Delene White.

NEWS

(CONT)

Light, Space and Time Online Art Gallery’s 6th Annual “Seasons” Art Competition results The Light, Space and Time’s competition for June 2017 was the 6th Annual “Seasons” Art Competition. LST competitions are divided into two categories: Painting And Other Media and Photography And Digital Media. Two members from the Artists Down Under group were very successful. Julie Powell was awarded 6th place in the Overall Category with “Helmeted Honeyeater – Spring”. The same image received 3rd place in the Photography and Digital category. Julie also received an Honourable Mention in this

Helmeted Honeyeater – Spring

category with “Snow is Falling – Winter”. www.juliepowellphoto.com Trish Hoskin also had success in the “Seasons” competition receiving a Special Merit in the Overall Category with “Autumn Leaves” and a Special Recognition award in the Photography and Digital Media category with “Autumn Sunset.” http://www.trishhphotography.com/

Autumn Leaves

Congratulations to you both!

Snow is Falling – Winter

Autumn Sunset

Julie Powell Julie Powell’s artistic life continues to flourish. Her image “Snow is Falling” pictured above was recently featured in Fine Eye magazine.

Julie has a Conceptual Fine Art Portrait Workshop planned for Sunday August 06 2.30 – 5.30pm at the Picture Perfect Studio.

Julie received an Honourable Mention for “The Lady in the Straw Hat” in the June 2017 Shift Art Photoshop Challenge, she then created a video tutorial of the process for ShiftArt members.

For more information contact Julie through https://www.pixelsistersstudio.com/events/

You can learn more about the video and the challenges on ShiftArt: https://shiftart.com/

The Lady in the Straw Hat

Brunswick Street Gallery – Solo Exhibition – Colourful Odyssey Athalie Taylor’s Solo Exhibition – Colourful Odyssey finished on July 05. She sold two works, “Kaleidoscope” and “Kaleidoscope 2” to the same buyer from Sydney and another work, “Circles, Lines and Triangles.” All three images were printed by Print 2 Metal, a Melbourne based firm, on ultra gloss metal using the sublimation method of printing. Kaleidoscope

K a l e i d o s c o p e 2 C i r c l e s , L i n e s a n d Tr i a n g l e s

NEWS

(CONT)

CARE FOR AFRICA FOUNDATION RAFFLES – Winner and Collaboration The winner of the first Care for Africa Foundation raffle is Charlene (Rose) Maginn from Canada. The prize is Dean Hohn’s artwork “Threatened” pictured right (printing generously donated by Print 2 Metal) The winning ticket was drawn on July 25 by Nigel Lazenby/Dean Hohn artwork

Diana Butler OAM, CEO of the Care For Africa Foundation. The raffle raised AU$440 which buys 11 people water for life! Thank you to everyone for your support and hopefully you’ll continue to support the CFA Foundation in future raffles! This piece is a Unique State (1/1) image so don’t miss your chance to be in the draw for this Nigel Lazenby/Dean Hohn collaborative piece. In my continued drive to raise awareness and funds for drilling water wells in villages supported by the Care for Africa Foundation in Tanzania, I approached Print 2 Metal in Melbourne, the company who prints my metal images for the galleries.

Water is Life

It is with great delight that I inform you the piece to be raffled this quarter is a collaboration between esteemed Tasmanian artist Nigel Lazenby and myself. I felt very honoured and privileged to be asked by Nigel if I would like to join forces and do a collaboration.

Marie and Frank from Print 2 Metal have agreed to donate an image on a quarterly basis and Anna and Ross from the Penguin Creek Gallery are willing to allow us to run a raffle in their gallery to raise much needed funds to help drill fresh water wells in the Tanzanian villages. Raffle tickets are $5 for one and 3 for $10. The raffle will be drawn October 24. Watch this space for the winner.

While in Melbourne I visited their premises and had the privilege to watch the printing process in action.

Tickets are available from the Penguin Creek Gallery, or from me by sending me an email to dean.hohn@bigpond.com

As a result of the sublimation process, the image is scratch resistant, UV resistant and washable. This makes these images ideal for use in wet areas, public spaces and in areas such as doctors surgeries.

Raffle tickets are also be available from Care For Africa Foundation CEO, Diana Butler OAM, and her team in Launceston at diana@careforafrica.org.au Dean Hohn

Art Edit magazine – Trish Hoskin More great news for Trish Hoskin. She will have one of two submitted artworks shown in the next issue of Art Edit magazine. Art Edit is an Australian magazine that showcases the work of Australian artists and connects them with interior designers, homeowners and art buyers. It also includes useful

hints on how to install, style and look after artworks. The two pieces are “China Town Melbourne City” and “Tell me your Secrets” So on July 31 take a look at the Art Edit magazine in your local newsagent.

12th Kaiapoi Art Expo – Thysje Arthur Over 100 artists exhibiting 570 artworks under one roof made the 12th Kaiapoi Art Expo Waimakariri district’s largest ever visual art show a wonderful success. Over NZ$40,000 worth of artwork was sold over the weekend of July 15-16. Artist Down Under member Thysje Arthur had 5 artworks in the show. “The photo, taken by my husband, shows me beside my panel of art, and see the pieces

with the little red dot stickers? They were the ones sold! I’m very excited about it, three out of five sold is great! I had a great chat with the people who bought the two big pieces and was delighted to hear their comments and thoughts on my work.” Thysje Arthur

NEWS

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ARTISTS DOWN UNDER FACEBOOK PAGE Three ADU members receive a special gift The Artists Down Under – Australia and New Zealand Facebook page was formed on March 01 to showcase the work of the artists who reside in Australia and New Zealand.

The three members to receive these gifts are Colin Campbell who posted more images than anyone else. He was closely followed by Ilona Abou-Zolof. The third artist was Phillipa Frederiksen. ADU chose the third name randomly to give all contributing members the chance of receiving a gift.

The artists in this group met through a common interest in photography and digital art. They were all part of the world renowned international Photoshop Instructor Sebastian Michaels’ Photoshop Artistry: Fine-Art Grunge Composition course and later enrolled in the more advanced course Awake: Living the Photo Artistic Life. It was through these two courses that friendships blossomed and grew.

Storm Backgrounds

This month saw something new for the Artist Down Under members... a surprise! Our very good Awake friends Teddi Rutschman of Foxey Squirrel and Diane Stafford from WhiteLaneStudio have given gifts as a reward for members of the Artists Down Under group who have been contributing to the ADU Facebook page by regularly posting their artworks and supporting other members with their comments.

P Frederiksen – From a Dif ferent World

Teddi, from Virginia, US, is well known for her fantastic sets of digital designer backgrounds, masks and all kinds of wonderful elements ready for designers to add to or build a wondrous creation. Phillipa Frederiksen – Reverberations

http://www.foxeysquirrel.com/ http://shop.scrapbookgraphics.com/search. php?mode=search&page=1 Teddi has made her new Storms background kit available for one very lucky member. Diane Stafford from Chester, UK designs Photoshop textures and overlays for photo artists and photographers to use in their digital artworks. Each of Diane’s fine art textures start life as a hand painted art piece or an interesting photograph. Diane has created a special kit just for Artists Down Under.

P h o t o A r t Te x t u r e s

Two artists will receive a Diane kit each. https://www.etsy.com/shop/whitelanestudio

Phillipa Frederiksen – Buried

NEWS

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C o l i n C a m p b e l l – G e r u n d # 12

C o l i n C a m p b e l l – E x h i b i t # 10

C o l i n C a m p b e l l – O u t A n d B a c k # 13

Ilona A bou-Zolof – Broadbeach Mor ning

Ilona A bou-Zolof – K ick ing Up a Stor m

Ilona A bou-Zolof – Af ter the Fig ht

aD rOt W i s tNs U N D E R Australia and New Zealand

JACQUELINE HAMMER Fine Art Photographer Jacqueline Hammer is a well known Australian Fine Art Photographer who lives in Cairns, in Tropical Far North Queensland, Australia. Jacqueline has been very successful in club, state, national and international photography competitions gaining honours in the Australian Photographic Society and through FIAP – The Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique, translated to English as the International Federation of Photographic Art. In 2013 Jacqueline was awarded Excellence FIAP (EFIAP), in 2014 EFIAP/Bronze, in 2015 EFIAP/Silver and in 2016 EFIAP/Gold. In 2015 she was also awarded the top honour in the Australian Photographic Society GMAPS, Grand Master of APS. ADU: You display a number of themes in your work as well as individual ideas for images. Can you please describe for our readers how you come up with the ideas for your themes?

My ideas come to me in several ways. Sometimes I create an image and it becomes highly successful in competition, so I produce more on the same theme. Other times I get a number of interesting images from a single shoot which work well both individually and as a group. There are also times when I have ideas in my head for a series, having been inspired by something I have seen, and slowly work on producing them over time, as I gather the photographic material and processing skills along the way. Also as I compete in a lot of international competitions, I need a lot of new works, and so my still life flower theme occurred as a result of that. ADU: Do you make detailed plans when you decide on a theme or concept and follow those plans through, and if so, do you have a process for detailing those plans? When I get ideas for future images or themes, I make a little sketch in a notebook

to record the idea. I often come up with a title too at this stage. Some of these ideas remain in the book for years, others get produced soon afterwards. Creation depends a lot on what photographic material I have at the time, or how quickly I can access what I need. Therefore I now collect as I go, i.e. shoot textures, landscapes, floors, skies, walls, components of images to have ready for use. The eventual images from my original plans may or may not be exactly the same. Sometimes they work perfectly, sometimes they don’t work at all! At other times, I get a variation on the idea or even a new idea that comes as I am arranging and shooting, and works beautifully in the series. ADU: Or do you continue to explore the possibilities of a theme or idea until you think you have fully developed the concept? For most of my themes there is more to be

Circular Arrangement Viewing the Globe

Aviolin

JACQUELINE HAMMER explored and developed. I don’t usually have a set number for a series so often more can be added when I get fresh ideas or come across the relevant subject matter. ADU: Throughout your portfolio there is an artistic simplicity that appears to focus on line, shape and form. Your architectural images are a good example of this approach. How do you explore an area of architectural interest? And are you able to previsualise the final outcome when you are photographing in the field? With architecture there are two scenarios for taking images. One is the search and find situation where I’m in an area (often somewhere new) and I walk around to see what is there. The other is when I drive past something interesting and plan to shoot it later. The line, shape, form, colour, light and shadows all attract my attention. I know the structure has potential but not what the final outcome will be. That depends on the time of day, the light, what obstructions there are etc. The post-processing involves trying out different styles and presets until I’m happy with the outcome. ADU: There is also a limited colour palette to most of your work. Your monochromatic images, in particular,

(CONT)

are very effective. Can you tell us about your approach to colour? I do like strong colour, as well as monochrome in my images. Some images are captured specifically for their colour. The ones that end up monochrome are often those that have little colour in them to start with, or a distracting colour, or simply because the tones and contrast in monochrome have more impact. I think the use of colour started as a subconscious thing, but as I view a lot of outstanding images every day often using a limited colour palette, this started to become a natural progression in my work. I now manipulate colour if I need to – from reducing the saturation of a single colour to changing the colour of a whole structure. It was only after seeing lots of my images together that I realised I had some colour themes happening (such as yellows or reds). For my monochromes, after converting to black and white in Lightroom I adjust the colour sliders to change the tones, as well as try out presets, and this can dramatically change the style and mood of the image. It is always done on an individual basis however. ADU: Your liquid art is most interesting and intriguing. The shapes and colours also follow an abstract minimalism that is so interesting. How do you approach this work? And what level of post processing do you employ?

I find liquid art fascinating, and the number of variations is infinite, especially with the oil and water macros. I set up in the same way every time but try and manipulate the bubbles or get them moving around and capture the photo with flash. Often it’s a case of aiming for one thing and getting something else! The lighting and coloured paper below the bowl are very important but often difficult to reproduce. I use a pin to get unwanted tiny bubbles out of the way, or move bubbles slowly around with the end of a spoon, to get a good composition. Post-processing is required to clone out unwanted bubbles or streaks (sometimes they are too small to see with my eyes). I also compare colour vs mono and adjust the contrast quite a bit. I use the graduated filter in Lightroom in most of my work, using it at bright edges for example, or for changing the amount or direction of light and shadow in an area of the image. ADU: You are leading a very photo artistic life that many of us try to achieve! Do you have any advice or suggestions for our readers on how to set their goals to achieve their photo-artistic dreams? Often my own goals are related to competitions and obtaining photographic distinctions. Competitions have certainly helped me to improve, so one piece of advice would be to enter a variety of competitions to see how well your image does, as well as to

Waves

Tu l i p S t a i r c a s e

Zig Zag Shadows

JACQUELINE HAMMER

(CONT)

view the award-winning images of the other entrants. The more you look and the more you practise, the more ideas you get for future images and series. Shoot your favourite subject matter too. ADU: At the moment you appear to successfully concentrate on a limited number of genres. Do you see yourself exploring other styles or areas of photography and photoartistry in the future? And, if so, what other photographic interests would you like to explore? My limited genres came about partly due to what subject matter I could easily access, fitting in around family life, and

Just Steps

Paper Abstract

Shif ting Shapes

Angle

Going Home

and abstract arrangements at any time of day. I could then view the results on my computer and make small adjustments to the arrangement if necessary. I love abstract because subject matter is everywhere and infinite, and yields unique results.

my various elbow and shoulder injuries! I also found that when I created something new that I really liked and was successful, I wanted to pursue the genre in more depth. I set up an office/photo studio a couple of years ago, allowing me to easily do still life

Other genres I would like to try include portraits, dogs, minimalist landscapes, urban landscapes, panoramas and composite work such as textured artistic styles and surreal creative images. Most of what I enjoy is created rather than taken â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the creativity

may be in the form of a table top arrangement, a composite image, or for architecture modifying and processing the image to create something unique. I also like creative story-telling images. These sometimes turn out quite realistic-looking. Often photos are categorised into Realistic or Creative, but I feel there is an in-between zone waiting to be explored. To see more of Jacquelineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work go to https://1x.com/member/225251

JACQUELINE HAMMER

(CONT)

The September issue of the Artists Down Under magazine will have an article by Jacqueline where she discusses one particular idea. The image below is one from the related series.

Wheat

FRAMED by Ann Lavin

Australia

h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t /d 6 a u 4 o /

WE NEED PE ACE by Ann Lavin

Australia

h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t /d 6 a u 4 o /

BIRD NEST by Joyce Maris

Australia

w w w. j m a r i s a r t . c o m . a u h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t / 5 y 5 m 3 p /

DRE AMING OF HOME

DESTITUTE BE AUT Y â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ANDII b y Tr a c e y P o g s o n

Australia

NEW FRIENDS

CHERRY BLOSSOM TIME by Thysje Arthur

New Zealand

https://artboja.com/art/wpqa4m/ https://www.facebook.com/wintersheart.art/

G H O S T LY L A D Y O F T H E L A K E by ALBaMass

Australia

h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t / n s t h n n /

T H E E L E P H A N T WA L K

W H AT B I R D A M I ? by Ann Wehner

Australia

h t t p : // w w w. a n n w e h n e r d i g i t a l a r t i s t r y. c o m h t t p s : // w w w. f l i c k r. c o m / p h o t o s /a n n w e h n e r d i g i t a l a r t i s t r y/

J U L I E P O WE L L

THE KESTREL 25

BARN OWL

D AY D R E A M by Julie Powell

Australia

h t t p : // w w w. j u l i e p o w e l l p h o t o . c o m / h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t /g l u l 6 i /

WHITE RABBITS

D AY D R E A M S , W H AT E V E R H A P P E N E D T O S U P E R W O M A N 27

BORN TO BE WILD 1

BORN TO BE WILD 2 by Julie Powell

Australia

h t t p : // w w w. j u l i e p o w e l l p h o t o . c o m / h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t /g l u l 6 i /

PA G E O F WA N D S I have always been involved in art. I come from a family of artists, painters, sculptors and writers. When I discovered digital art a few years ago, I threw myself into it, as I do with every new endeavour, with wild enthusiasm. Then I did Sebastianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Digital Art courses and started to see myself and my art in a whole new way... a way of life, an Artistic Life. Delving into Digital Art after a long career in graphic arts, I feel I have really come into my own style, as eclectic as it is. Every day is a new day to create and to teach and to inspire and be inspired.

I adore dark and moody and love to work with colour and texture, inspired by the Masters; Degas, Rembrandt and Monet, as well as modern artists Even Liu, Robert Cornelius and Brooke Shaden, with their use of light and colour and texture to add surrealism and atmosphere, giving the viewer a glimpse into another world. Anyone can take a photo; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the digital artist that creates a whole new world. I use the camera and computer as my canvas and as my brush exploring both natural and manmade environments in my art. I work with colour and light, as well as texture to create

images with such depth that they almost glow with light. Digitally hand painting many of the elements, especially the light. My biggest passion is my Conceptual Portraits. I often work in a large series, but have a love of regular portrait photography, Still Life, landscapes and Fine Art Nudes. I have also worked quite a bit of late with birds and other animals. I also teach workshops for Still Life and have started running workshops for Conceptual Portraits as well. 2017 has been a very big year for me, and it is only just past half way!

C H I L D ’ S P L AY

A S W E E T C H I L D ’ S P R AY E R S b y Tr i s h H o s k i n

Australia

w w w. t r i s h h p h o t o g r a p h y. c o m h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t / 7 2 6 r z m /

B L U E S Q U A R E – M YA L L 1

B L U E S Q U A R E – WA R R I O R by Viki Murray

Australia

h t t p s : // w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / V i k i m a g e s h t t p s : // w w w. i n s t a g r a m . c o m / v i k i _ m u r r a y/

COBWEB WINDOW

POPPIES by Corrine Davis

New Zealand

w w w. m a d e i n g l e n o r c h y. c o . n z h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t / f j o n s r/

ABSTRACT by Sharon Rankmore

Australia

h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t / 0 7 l 9 a j /

YOU ARE IN MY POWER

T U R T L E L A N D AT M E L B O U R N E S C I E N C E M U S E U M by Bill Oldham

Australia

h t t p s : // w w w. f l i c k r. c o m / p h o t o s / 2 5 8 18 7 12 @ N 0 4 /

SEOUL

RED WINE by Ron Rodgers

Australia

aD rOt W i s tNs U N D E R Australia and New Zealand

AFRICA ON AN ARTIST’S BUDGET Tony Stephenson Lets face it, probably most people have “Africa” on their bucket list. You long to see that amazing array of wild animals and beautiful landscapes that appear so often in glossy magazines and TV documentaries. But for the uninitiated, the thought of travelling to this part of the world is a daunting prospect. For starters, there are dozens of countries making up the continent, which ones are where and which are the best and safe ones to go to? Then there are the thousands of safari destinations and packages to choose from in hundreds of locations, all promising the experience of a lifetime. And most importantly, there’s the cost, the number of zeros in the price becomes pretty scary pretty quickly. At least that has been my experience any time I have looked at holiday packages in that part of the world.

Firstly let’s take a look at the southern part of Africa. This is the area I am most familiar with. The largest country in Southern Africa is South Africa. It is bordered by Namibia and Botswana to the west, Zimbabwe to the north, and Mocambique to the east. Together, these five countries have the most incredible scenic and wildlife resources probably in the world and they can all be reached either by car or by air.

other mind blowing attractions such as the Blyde River Canyon that should be included in any trip to this area.

Here is a very brief summary of what each country has to offer;

Bostwana’s landscape is defined by the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta, which becomes a lush animal habitat during

Namibia: this country of ancient deserts and arid lands is renowned for being the home of the skeleton coast – where many seafarers have perished in times gone by, and the rolling sand dunes of the Namib desert. It’s famous game reserve is the Etosha National Park.

Well, I’m here to tell you that there is a practical alternative that can get you to Africa just as soon as you have a few weeks to spare, in a way that will not consume your life savings. And a suggested itinerary. Then I’m going to give you some tips on how you can travel safely and wisely in that part of the world. By way of a brief introduction, I was born in Zimbabwe (formerly known as Rhodesia), and lived there until I migrated to Australia some 30 years ago. They say that you can take the man out of Africa, but you cannot take Africa out of the man, and that is certainly the case with me, I have returned to Africa more times that I can remember and each time I do my love for Africa, its people, its wildlife, and its incredible landscapes, is renewed. My most recent trip was in 2016, and the next trip is in planning for next year. So, whilst I am not a travel agent, I have a great deal of experience travelling in that part of the world.

C a p e To w n

South Africa: the iconic city of Cape Town and the amazing Garden Route that leads from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth; the semi-arid wilderness called the Karoo; an abundance of famous wildlife parks such as Kruger National Park, ADDO Elephant Reserve, Marakele National Park and Tembe National Park just to name a few. There are

seasonal floods. Many will recall the iconic delta from the many documentaries that have been produced to show the massive annual ebb and flow of rain water that brings life to the region. North of the delta, and bordering on Zimbabwe, is the Chobe National Park, home to more elephants than any other park in the world.

AFRICA ON AN ARTIST’S BUDGET

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Zimbabwe: is home to the enormous Zambezi river which thunders over the Victoria Falls – one of the seven natural wonders of the world. And the Hwange National Park. And Lake

Gorongosa National Park – completely destroyed during a civil war in the 1970s. Its is being quickly restored to its former magnificence through the philanthropic work

Ok, so much for the region. Hopefully you are drooling by now!

To n y o n t h e G a r d e n R o u t e

The Garden Route

C a p e To w n

Karoo

Here’s how you make this happen.

Karoo

C a p e To w n

Karoo

Kariba, stretching some 250 kilometres through the Zambezi Valley. Other glorious national parks are positioned along the river and the lake.

of Greg Carr – a US businessman who has devoted 20 years and millions of dollars in aid to the park. I have been there and it’s wonderful.

Mocambique: beautiful, unspoiled coastline and offshore islands offer a relaxed and idyllic lifestyle of swimming, fishing and snorkeling. Probably one the least known wildlife sanctuaries in the region is the remote

At the centre of this photographer/adventure universe is Johannesburg – South Africa’s economic capital. Johannesburg is the main hub for your trip of a lifetime, and is the primary port for international flights.

Before I go any further, you need to know that this is a DIY trip – it is possible to organize virtually everything yourself, with just a little know-how. It’s also a self drive trip (where feasible), because this gives you significant savings, plus flexibility, convenience, and the ability to stop anywhere and everywhere to take photos. And believe me, you will! Here’s how your trip might go:

AFRICA ON AN ARTIST’S BUDGET

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THE CAPE MEANDER

could spend seven days on this leg).

Fly into Joburg and take a connecting flight to Port Elizabeth. Collect your hire car at the airport. Stay there overnight in a B&B, then in the morning head for Cape Town via the famous Garden Route. Take 2 days for the trip, stopping for a night in Knysna. The scenery, and side trips you can make, are numerous and wonderful. (There are so many attractions along the way you

Take 3-4 days in Cape Town, staying in a B&B. Take a trip up Table Mountain, head out to Robin Island (where Mandela was incarcerated), go on a Stellenbosch Winelands Tour and marvel at the cape-dutch architecture and the huge variety of wines, shop at the Greenmarket Square craft market, and relax at the Harbourside Waterfront with its delicious seafood.

You could easily use up a week in this fantastic city. Point the car northwards and head to Johannesburg via the Karoo. Wild and remote, the landscape is breathtaking. Two days if time is short, three for a more relaxed drive. You will need to do a little research on the best places to stop over – there are plenty of great options available. This blog has some good suggestions: https:// www.portfoliocollection.com/travel-blog/ take-the-back-roads-between-joburg-andcape-town Now for some wild life! KRUGER PARK ADVENTURE

Blyde River Canyon

Graskop

After staying in Johannesburg (or somewhere close) for the night (once again, look for a B&B with plenty of positive reviews), head for the Kruger National Park. Note on Kruger National Park What many people don’t understand is that one of the unique aspects of Kruger is that many years ago the park was “extended” into adjoining farm lands in order to provide opportunities for private enterprise to participate in the park and its wild life. In effect the park fence was moved to encompass private properties under certain rules and obligations. The result is the creation of many luxurious safari lodges with access to the park and of course the wild life that has also occupied these areas. Thus, when you search for Kruger National Park on the internet you see a great number of safari camps and safari experiences and it is easy to be confused into thinking that you need to stay in one of these places in order to visit Kruger. And they are seriously expensive. Now, I am not knocking these camps, they offer a personalized and very luxurious and pampered “African” experience, but what gets lost is the fact that you can experience the magic of Kruger in another way – by driving yourself and staying at one of many fabulous camps run by the National Park itself – and saving thousands in the process. When you arrive at any South African National Park – including Kruger – you have to register

AFRICA ON AN ARTIST’S BUDGET

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Stay 2 nights in Letaba, exploring all the local roads and tracks in your car, and/or taking up one of the dawn/dusk safari drives organized by the park. Some offer nature walks too. No need to self-cater, there is a restaurant.

Kruger – Letaba

and pay entry and daily conservation fees. A great way to save money on these fees is to pre-purchase a Wild Card from SANParks (https://www.sanparks.org/wild_new/). This will be valid at all South African National Parks and will save you heaps as you will likely be visiting several parks along your journey in this country.

there too, I have stayed at the Panorama, run by the local municipality. Its basic but clean and safe, and you wake up to views to die for. On the second day of this leg, take in the sights and meander down to the Kruger National Park. Enter via the Phalaborwa gate. After checking into the park, take the road to Letaba Camp. It’s about 2 hours, but leave

Still in Kruger (it covers an area of 3.5 million square kms!), head south to Olifants camp and stay here overnight (also pre-booked). Olifants is fabulous – it sits high on a hill overlooking the Olifants River and the views are stunning. There is a restaurant here too! Next day head for Lower Sabie camp for another wonderful night in the park. As usual, give yourself time to get there because you will stop often, and there are strict speed limits on the park roads (pretty much all tarred roads). On your last day in the park, take your time to drive slowly as you track the Sabie River, the lush vegetation conceals a huge array of wild life and birds and you may spot a leopard in this area! Exit the park at Crocodile bridge, and overnight at a B&B in Nelspruit, before heading back up to Joburg. With some basic planning you could time your arrival at OR Tambo airport in Joburg to catch your flight to your next amazing destination! MOCAMBIQUE – as remote as it gets

Kruger – Letaba

You can do the trip to Kruger comfortably in a day, but it’s a longish drive and you don’t want to get to the gates just before they close. (Your accommodation will be in the park itself and they don’t allow driving at night.) Besides, I recommend you take the route that goes via Graskop and stay there overnight. The beauty of this area is simply breathtaking, and you will need time to take in the craft shops at Graskop, and gaze in awe at the Blyde River Canyon. There are some good places to stay

more time for this drive – you will see wild life within minutes! Plan to get to the camp before 5.30pm – remember, no driving after dark, and the gates will be locked at 6pm. All internal camps in Kruger are fenced and gated for your own safety, as you are in the middle of a wild life kingdom where animals rule! You have to pre-book your accommodation here via SANParks. Peak holiday periods are very busy so plan well in advance.

There are lots of destinations in Mocambique, but staying on the wild life safari theme, I’m taking you to Gorongosa National Park. This is truly a gem of a place, and if you are wanting to experience the remoteness and vastness of Africa while retaining some of the comforts of our way of life, then this is the spot for you. Read more about it here, in particular the amazing work done by Greg Carr. The most convenient way to get there is to jump on your pre-booked flight to Beira in Mocambique. Its about a 2 hour flight to this port city on the Indian Ocean, once the holiday mecca of countless Rhodesians visiting from neighbouring Zimbabwe, but now pretty run down – though it has improved somewhat in recent years. Be prepared to experience something completely different! You need to get a visa at the airport and this needs

AFRICA ON AN ARTIST’S BUDGET

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Mocambique – Gorongosa

patience and US dollars. Book in at one of the better Beira hotels. We stayed at the Tivoli. Basic but passable considering its only a night in transit. Pre-arrange for the hotel to pick you up at the airport. Explore the city and its ocean beaches and open-air bars dotted along the beachfront. Your hotel driver will set you up with a car and driver/ guide, this won’t set you back much at all. The hotel will recommend a restaurant for your evening meal. Beira is safe, but stay close to your hotel, don’t carry valuables (camera excepted), and keep your wits about you. Next day, Gorongosa National Park will have arranged to collect you at your hotel. Don’t expect the latest model limo, but relax and enjoy the company of your driver and possibly

other guests, and the local music on the radio. The drive to the game park is approximately 3 hours. You will never have experienced roads and road traffic quite like this, but it’s all

part of this unique experience. You will truly feel like you are at the end of the planet. But then you arrive at the park and enter another realm – thick vegetation, palms, waterholes, and a vast array of game, reintroduced to the park over the last 10-15 years. You soon get to the camp – an oasis of thatched huts and colonial buildings that will be your home for the next few days. I recommend 4 days here. This will give you time to go on morning and evening game drives, relax at the swimming pool or open air bar and restaurant, and explore the many attractions nearby. Unwind and soak in the atmosphere of real Africa! Climb Mt Gorongosa, home to some bird species found nowhere else on the planet, visit a local clinic

fire damage left from the disturbances in the 1970s. Reverse your route to get back to Johannesburg, time your drive back to Beira to meet your outgoing flight. THE SMOKE THAT THUNDERS Ok, now on to Zimbabwe. Here, I am going to recommend you spoil yourself rotten. You deserve it! While there are game parks and other adventures you can add to your trip to Zimbabwe (happy to recommend some) what I’m suggesting will give you a short break from wild life – though you are never far

Mocambique – Gorongosa

and school, take in the fantastic conservation work being done there, and absorb the turbulent history of the park. Some of the buildings there still carry the bullet holes and

from it – and let you have an experience that almost defies description. Back in Joburg from your Mocambique

AFRICA ON AN ARTIST’S BUDGET

(CONT)

Zimbabwe – Zambezi River

adventure, take the 1.5 hour flight to Victoria Falls. Be prepared for a hot sticky wait to get through immigration. Your hotel transport will be waiting for you. The hotel I’m recommending – nay, commanding – you to stay in is the Victoria Falls Hotel. Yes, it is expensive, but you have been working to a budget thus far, and now it’s time for a treat. This hotel was built many, many years ago in the Rhodesian colonial era, and staying there will take you back to those heady days of early Rhodesian settlement. It’s a grand place. Luxurious. The food and service to die for. Don’t miss it.

apply), and stroll along concreted pathways to the falls themselves. It’s just an unspoiled, minimal-intrusion place. If you want to walk to the edge of the precipice and lose your balance, there are no barriers to stop you. The path takes you all the way along the edge of the falls on the Zimbabwe side (Zambia on the other side). Take in the amazing sound of 38,000 cu ft per second tumbling 360 feet vertically downwards, feel rain falling upwards (the spray forced upwards by falling water). There are many places you can sit, close your eyes and just experience this with all of your senses.

Stay here 2 nights, 3 max. The main attraction is, of course, the Victoria Falls themselves.

Satisfy your retail urge by stopping at the vibrant craft market at the park entrance

Zimbabwe – Zambezi River

falls, cultural experiences, gambling at the adjoining casino, and heaps more. And then there’s sipping G&T’s on the terrace… Aah, you will love this place. THE OKAVANGO The penultimate leg of our Africa adventure takes us to Botswana, land of the Kalahari and Okavango. Now here, I would not recommend self drive for the uninitiated. This is a real wild place, with serious distances, limited facilities along the way, and tough roads. Depending on the time of year you go, many roads are not driveable anyhow. The best way to get around Botswana is to fly. In the delta there a numerous private lodges where you can stay and immerse yourself in this very special part of Africa. So this will also be part of the trip where you aim to give yourself a real treat. There are a bunch of private air operators set up to fly tourists in and out of these camps, and it’s a cinch to organize. So here’s your recommended itinerary: Take road transport from Victoria Falls to take you to the Botswana border town of Kasane. The hotel will arrange this for you. Stay at the Chobe Safari Lodge (in Kasane, situated right on the AMAZING Chobe River) for 3 nights. Go on game drives, river cruises, and see a fantastic National Park housing all of the big five species.

Zimbabwe – Victoria Falls

Just a short and safe walk from the hotel (you can sit on the terraced lawns and hear the water cascading through the gorge, and watch the spray rising into the heat of the day), you enter the park reception (yes, fees

before heading back to the hotel and lunch at the terrace. There’s more for you here: game drives, sunset river cruises, helicopter rides over the

Head for the airport to meet your twin-engine light aircraft taking you to your next destination. There are lots of them and I have not visited them all, but you can choose from the likes of : •

Pom-Pom (I have stayed here and highly recommend it)

AFRICA ON AN ARTIST’S BUDGET

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day guided tour for our first trip. This included all transport and accommodation. (Other, longer tours are also available of course). But here are the details, provided by Cardboard Box Travel – these guys are amazing: http://www.namibian.org/travel/safaris/accomsaf/dunes&wildlife.html So: arrive in Windhoek, arrange for overnight accommodation. Next day you will be collected from your hotel and depart on your guided tour. This will take you to:

Botswana

– Chobe

Botswana – Pom Pom

• •

Gunns Camp Moremi Crossing

And many many more – stay at Pom-Pom, or research to find the one that most appeals to you. Tariffs are high, however they generally include accommodation, all meals and all activities such as game drives, guided river trips on dugout canoes, nature walks and the rest. And the experience is absolutely amazing. Stay 3 nights at your delta camp (2 if your budget is groaning), then take the light aircraft flight south to Maun. Here you depart the same day for Windhoek in Namibia.

THE SKELETON COAST Full disclosure: I have not been to Namibia – yet. This was on the cards for this year but we are going to Europe instead. Next time! What I love about Namibia and can’t wait to experience, is the wildness of the place – rugged, sparsely vegetated hills and mountains, desert dunes, salt pans and tough, adapted animals, and the history of the country and its towns, occupied by Germany in its early days. Because Namibia is vast and sparsely populated and the distances huge we planned a 6

Day 1: Windhoek – Etosha Park Guests will be collected from their accommodation in Windhoek at around 7.15. There is a brief stop at Otjiwarongo, before entering Etosha Park, you will game drive through the park to the rest camp at Halali, where you will spend the night. Halali has a spotlit waterhole for evening viewing allowing you to continue your game viewing experience late into the night. The evening meal is prepared by the guide, and after the long drive with an early morning wake-up call looming, a good night’s sleep is on the cards. Day 2: Etosha Park There will be an early wake up call today to make the most of the early morning game viewing, (which is best in the early morning and late afternoon). The morning drive across the Etosha Park is great fun and will take in many waterholes. Apart from being in pursuit of the big 4, (there are no buffalo in Etosha, so you can work out what the others are on the way) identifying the huge variety of plains game is an interesting diversion. As the guide prepares a delicious lunch, it’s time to get out the speedos and bikinis and jump in the pool, or for those who can’t get enough of the wildlife, then there’s a great waterhole here. After something to eat, it’s time to visit the mighty Etosha Pan and marvel at the sheer immenseness of the saltpan, not to mention its inhabitants. Accommodation tonight is outside the park in twin share rooms or permanent tents, with en-suite bathroom facilities. The evening meal will be prepared by the guide, and with another early start the following day, the tour won’t take much rocking to sleep tonight. Day 3: Etosha Park - Swakopmund Early morning breakfast before departing at 08h00. Today’s drive is via the communal lands of Damaraland (Kunene Region) a stop

AFRICA ON AN ARTIST’S BUDGET

(CONT)

is planned at the Ugab River bridge to visit with the beautiful Herero ladies who sell their small art and craft items to support their families. Lunch in the shadow of the Brandberg Mountain and have a short visit with a Himba group who have moved into this area to sell their jewellery and other items. After lunch we head directly through the Namib Desert and stop at the latest shipwreck on the Skeleton Coast before arriving late afternoon in Swakopmund. The town can easily be explored on foot this afternoon and a highlight for many is a visit to the Swakopmund Jetty for sundowners overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Your guide will be happy to recommend a good restaurant for your evening meal (own expense). Botswana – Pom Pom

Day 4: Swakopmund – Sesriem This morning after breakfast you may choose to visit the Museum or Aquarium (optional and unguided) while for the adrenalin junkies a 2 hour quad bike experience in the dunes should get your pulse racing. Departure from Swakopmund at 12h00 noon (summer time) or 11h00 (winter time). Driving through the Namib Desert via the Kuiseb Pass and small settlement of Solitaire to arrive at the lodge in the late afternoon. There is a chance to relax and enjoy the views before taking a short walk for sunset looking over the Naukluft mountain range. The swimming pool and bar are ideal sites to relax and unwind after a day’s drive. An early night is sensible, and the twin share permanent tents, with en-suite facilities and private deck, provide suitable sleeping quarters. Day 5: Sossusvlei A short drive of only 3kms takes the group to the Sesriem Park gate. The dawn departure from camp ensures the tour arrives in time to enjoy the early morning light on the dunes. Then it’s down an ancient river bed, (for about 55kms) surrounded by those famous towering dunes, to the 2x4 parking area. The 4x4 shuttle goes straight into the Sossusvlei area and it’s time to explore the dunes, before stopping of at Dead Vlei, with its large expanse of bleached cracked-clay and skeletal camel thorn trees. Return transport is either by foot or back on the shuttle, stopping at (and climbing if desired) the famous Dune 45, before returning to Sesriem and a visit to the nearby Sesriem Canyon, one of the few

Botswana – Pom Pom

permanent water sources in the area. The tour arrives back at the tented camp late afternoon, in time to watch the sunset over the desert. Day 6: Windhoek After a leisurely breakfast, it’s time to load up and return to Windhoek, on a slightly different route via Bullsport and Rehoboth. Arrival time is early afternoon at your Windhoek accommodation, with sufficient time to clean up and prepare for the next trip. Any onward travel arrangements, including airport transfers, should be arranged in advance. Next day, take the scheduled flight back to

Johannesburg for your flight back home. So there it is, my suggestions for your African adventure on a limited budget. The beauty is that you do not have to do it all – you can pick and choose from the portions of the trip that interest you or more closely align with your budget and personal goals for the trip. I am including rough estimated costs in a table to assist with you planning, but here are some general trips for African travel. Remember, with the exception of Namibia, I have done all of these trips, some several times. When to go Best time of the year is April-June. This way

AFRICA ON AN ARTIST’S BUDGET you miss the heat of summer and you miss the rainy season. It is cooler, though not cold, and because the vegetation is reduced, game visibility is improved. There are fewer mosquitos – a big plus. Price-wise, it’s not the peak season either. The roads Freeways in South Africa are fabulous. I have found drivers to be more courteous in South Africa than anywhere else in the world. Main roads? Some good, some very potholed. Secondary roads are pretty bad. Stick to the freeways and major arterials and you can’t go wrong. In remote rural areas livestock is a real problem, so keep an eye out for dogs, cattle and goats. Mocambique roads are simply crazy. Get a local, who knows the conditions, to drive you. In Zimbabwe the roads I have travelled on have been acceptable, though care is always needed. Police and “tax” roadblocks are common. In Botswana, very remote conditions generally, self- drive not recommended. Eating out Stick to well lit and well populated food and entertainment areas such as the Cape Town Waterfront, don’t go off the beaten track at night. If you are self catering, stock up in advance in daylight hours. Accommodation I recommend using AIRB&B for your accommodation bookings. Go for 4 stars and above, where there are LOTS of positive reviews. I have stayed at “hotels” in South Africa where I have not booked in advance, and just looked around for some accommodation when entering a city for the night, and have found the “Star” rating to be completely unreliable. Not that I have felt unsafe – just the standard is not high unless you go for the branded hotel chains and want to pay the going rate. Sometimes this is the very best way to go. So, book your accommodation in advance, and where your plans go pear shaped and you have to improvise, look for something centrally located, and do your local research diligently. Personal safety

(CONT)

I have personally never felt threatened, though I have found myself in areas I was in a hurry to get out of, from time to time. I love shopping so I tend to get out of the car a lot and also shop in malls etc where available. In South Africa, hire cars tend to be autolocking, so no one can open the door from outside. But check this and ensure you keep your doors locked. Do not stop to help strangers, locals can take care of that. Do not be tempted to engage with vendors at traffic lights and other intersections, even if they are or appear to be destitute. With your money and credit cards: don’t carry large amounts of cash if you can avoid it. Never let your card out of your hands. They are pretty advanced in Africa in terms of electronic banking, so wherever you go they have blue-tooth payment devices, where you can swipe your card yourself. I repeat – don’t ever let your card out of your hands, let alone out of your sight. Never accept assistance from anyone when you are at an ATM. It’s a favourite ploy to offer to help someone use the ATM, meanwhile your card is skimmed before you know it. So my best advice is to exercise what I call “situational awareness”. Look around you, check out if there are people about, suss them out, and avoid situations where you have to engage with strangers. Tropical diseases Check out yellow fever inoculation requirements in all countries you will be visiting. For malaria, seek medical advice on approaches to take for prevention. I tend to not take anti malaria drugs, and prefer to avoid being bitten by using repellants and suitable clothing, but this is not advice that you should necessarily follow. I also avoid travel in the wet season when mosquitos are the worst. SANCard. Get one! https://www.sanparks.org/wild_new/ Hakuna Matata This means “no worries”. It’s more about an attitude than anything else, and is perhaps the most important approach for you to adopt in this part of the world. In Africa, if you are easily frustrated you may be sorely tested. Things don’t always happen in the same

timeframes as they do in our highly regulated society. Planes leave late. Bookings get lost. Arrangements go pear shaped. Things break down occasionally. If you prepare yourself in advance and plan to greet every challenge with a smile, and say to yourself: “hakuna matata”, you will be amazed at how much more relaxed your holiday will be. There is really nothing that can be achieved by ranting and raving. (Believe me, I’ve had experience!) People in that part of the world are always ready for a laugh and will respect your happygo-lucky attitude. I have found that pretty much every hassle gets resolved sooner rather than later. It’s all part of the adventure. What to wear In April-June, temperatures are usually in the low to mid 20s(C) and it’s generally sunny, so as far as clothes go, I would pack a pair or 2 of light coloured chinos and a bunch of t-shirts. Best to avoid strong colours but anything goes. Also a couple of pairs of shorts, sandals, decent walking shoes, and bathers. I also would pack a light long-sleeved shirt and a track suit top or warm jacket in case I got the odd cooler day, or to wear in the evening or on a dawn game drive. And a cap or hat. Honestly, that is about all you need. Smart gear is just not needed. It’s extremely casual, and you want to be comfortable. For the ladies, a couple of skirts would be great if you wear them, and shorts are also a good plan. Oh, and pack suntan lotion too. Photography Photography-wise, you will generally be able to get pretty close to game and unless you are an avid bird photographer, carrying a very long lens may not be necessary. It is always useful of course, if you have one and don’t mind lugging it around. However you won’t regret having a 200 or 400 mm lens in your bag. There are amazing birds and other small game and sometimes you just can’t get close because the game is on the other side of a river or waterhole – it will come in very handy for these situations. For the best of both worlds I would recommend a zoom lens like a 28-300. Nikon make one (which I have), but I am sure Canon does too. You won’t need a flash and a tripod is just a burden. Remember, 99% of the time you will be taking photos from your car or safari vehicle, so

AFRICA ON AN ARTIST’S BUDGET photographing with a long lens is problematic or impossible. The are always other people wriggling around so the vehicle is never still. Getting out of your car is not recommended (in fact it is forbidden in National Parks) because there are animals there that would love you for lunch and you can’t always see them! Read up beforehand about how to approach

(CONT)

wild animals in vehicles. There are good and bad ways to do this, and by and large it’s only dumb or impatient people who end up in YouTube videos getting their cars totalled by elephants and things. It is extremely rare, so be comforted. Estimated costs

Please, please take time to check prices. I have done my best to estimate accurately, but these have not been independently verified. I have also tried to err on the costly side, you could well do this trip for less! Costs are in US$, and are for 2 adults sharing.

Route

Days

Airfares

Car Hire

Accommodation

Food/Other

Total

PE/CPT

115

155+400

550

500

1,720

Kruger

120+170

625

500+120+200

1,660

Gorongosa

600

Trf 320

900

1,500

3,320

3 [2 nights]

500

850

500

1,850

Botswana

475

4,250

1,500

7,050

Namibia

1,000

2,100

500

3,600

Victoria Falls

19,200

Tr e e o n H o r i z o n 2

Sydney

Gorongosa Girl

COMING HOME

SHE PROTECTS ME by Johanna Goudsblom

New Zealand

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THREE BE ARS

IN LOVING MEMORY by Kevin Sims

New Zealand

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THE NE X T UNIVERSE IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER by Heide Hof fmann

New Zealand

w w w. h a u p a . n e t w w w. f l i c k r. c o m / p h o t o s / h e i d e h o

ARCHITECTONIC EMOTION b y A t h a l i e Ta y l o r

Australia

h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t /e k a 9 s g / h t t p : // t i n y u r l . c o m /A t h a l i e -Ta y l o r- D i g i t a l - A r t i s t

L A D Y I N A B L A C K H AT

L ADY WITH BL ACK WINGS by Barbara Dudzinska

Australia

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COLOUR MY WORLD

PYRO by Anthea Scotte

Australia

SPLIT IN THREE

A P P R E C I AT I O N b y I l o n a A b o u -Z o l o f

Australia

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D I EP T R A N

THE DANCER 53

W H AT A L I F E !

OLD TIME MEMORY b y D i e p Tr a n

Australia

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SUN STORM 55

T H E C AT â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S E Y E

MY LADY b y D i e p Tr a n

Australia

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MY DEER AND THE MOON I am Diep Tran – born in Viet Nam and now living in Brisbane, Australia. I enjoy taking photos of simple things around the house, during travel and asking relatives and friends to be my models. Joining the Photoshop Artistry course by

Sebastian Michaels has broadened my mind in the creative side of photography. Being part of Awake has pushed my creativity further and I am so happy that some of my digital arts have been published in a number of issues of “Living the Photo Artistic Life” and “Artists Down Under – Australia and New Zealand” magazines.

My buddhist upbringing taught me to appreciate the beauty and quality of life in natural and man made objects around the world. After travelling to a few countries and observing different climates, seasons and ways of living, my outlook on photo art has improved and my presentations hopefully show that aspect in my work.

PHOTOGRAFFE

CIT Y OF DREAMS by Dale Botha

Australia

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W E T PA N D A WAT C H I N G

A N I M A L F O U N TA I N by Bronwyn Kenmir

Australia

h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t / b p r 5 p e / w w w. s m i l e t i m e . p h o t o g r a p h y

F LY I N G H I G H

FOLLOW THE LIGHT by Louise Campbell

Australia

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I T H I N K W E A R E L O S T. . . W H I C H WAY I S H O M E ?

B L A C K- B A C K E D J A C K A L by Lyn Darling ton

Australia

h t t p : // w w w. s a b v a n i n g p h o t o a r t . c o m

L O S T AT S E A by Judi L apsley Miller

New Zealand

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DO I DARE by Judi L apsley Miller

New Zealand

h t t p : // w w w. a r t b y j l m . c o m / h t t p s : a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t / 9 3 x42 w /

aD rOt W i s tNs U N D E R Australia and New Zealand

IPHONEOGRAPHY Phillipa Frederiksen most widely used cameras... it is the camera that is always with you. With the introduction of photography and design apps it has become a canvas for many artists. The apps allow photos to be manipulated and treated in much the same way as the more conventional Photoshop and other programs on computers.

Phillipa Frederiksen has been interested in Photography since she retired in 1995. She is a member of the Australian Photographic Society and is currently Junior Vice President and Chairperson of the APS CAPA, the Conceptual Art Photography Awards. She is a very successful exhibitor having received many awards in national and international competitions and is a very popular speaker at APS conferences and camera clubs.

Adventures range from main stream photography (carrying around all those heavy SLR cameras and lenses!) to iPhone photography. In 2015 I discovered some on line courses in iPhone photography. Sebastian Michaels offers several courses! Presently I have trouble sitting at the computer for any length of time and I found that I could sit back in my comfortable TV chair, with the dog on my lap, and edit photos on my phone.

Her interest presently lies with Creative iPhone Photography.

I have always been interested in creative photography so it didn’t take long for me to start putting various photos together to create a totally different image.

The iPhone has become one of the most popular,

My very willing grandchildren are my most pop-

Earth, Sea and Sky

ular models but I also use mannequins (I can edit them more drastically, without them objecting). I usually use the “Snapseed” App for general editing. Snapseed is presently free and can be accessed by iOS and Android smart phones. For combining photos I usually use the App. “Leonardo” App (iOS) but in the past I used to use Superimpose App (iOS and Android). I take photos of all sorts of textures and light sources that I can add to my combined images. Sometimes I might use the Mextures and Distressed FX Apps for added light and textures. I love creating abstract and minimalist images but am still learning to moderate my enthusiasm as I keep wanting to add more and more layers and textures. I love to show others how to edit on their phones! The first 4 photos were taken and edited while we were on holiday over the last couple of months. The dark birds are Magpie Geese. phillfoto.smugmug.com https://artboja.com/art/33o0hk/

Flight

IPHONEOGRAPHY

(CONT)

Flying into the Sunset

For the Birds

Songs of Praise

Space Life

Fogged In

L AURA AND THE LIGHT by Sue Masterson

Australia

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E M I LY by Sue Masterson

Australia

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A F T E R N O O N AT T H E B E A C H

OLD COLONIAL BUILDINGS by Sylvia Chat ter ton

Australia

L I LY Ã T R O I S

MIST Y ANZ AC by Jack McKenzie

New Zealand

ANGEL OF DARKNESS

WA K I N G U P by Edwin Leung

New Zealand

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BOX IN BOX

GUARDIANS OF SACRED L AND by Mike Stone

Australia

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WA I T I N G F O R H U G S

RESTING PL ACE by Christina Brunton

Australia

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A ND R EW HAY SOM

PELICAN DRE AMING 73

MAGPIE IN THE GRASS

RED-CAPPED ROBINS by Andrew Haysom

Australia

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S T R I AT E D PA R D A L O T E S

T H AT S I N K I N G F E E L I N G 75

DOCKL ANDS MARINA SUNSE T

S TA R Q U A L I T Y by Andrew Haysom

Australia

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T H E P O W E R O F I M A G I N AT I O N I think of myself as a photographer first, Photoshop “junkie” second and more recently have been venturing into the world of digital art. A fairly late convert to photography I bought my first DSLR only six years ago and am basically self-taught. Starting off with Photoshop Elements for post-processing I

converted to Photoshop when the Creative Cloud bundle became available, and am now a self-confessed Photoshop addict. Whilst I love photographing anything, my two major photographic passions are the local birdlife and Melbourne’s wonderful street art. I think the birds are my true passion though and I could easily spend all day, every

day wandering Woodlands Historic Park, my local birding paradise. I have made some of my closest friends through my photography and they are a constant source of inspiration and support for me. Andrew Haysom

STORM COMING

DOCKL ANDS DUSK by Mary Knaggs

Australia

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BL ACKBIRDS

CUDDLES by Helen Akerstrom

Australia

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CAMBODIA TIME by Mick Rooney

Australia

B AT M A N ! W E N E E D Y O U

C E L E B R AT I N G L O V E T O T H E by Maureen Maxwell

Australia

THE DANCER TO THE E ARTH by Laki Anagnostis

Australia

w w w. r e g e n c y s t u d i o . c o m . a u

T H E AWA K E N I N G by Chris Barnes

Australia

h t t p s : // t i n y u r l . c o m / f l i c k r-Tr i s h E d w a r d s

aD rOt W i s tNs U N D E R Australia and New Zealand

FACES FROM SKE TCH TO FINISHED ART Joyce Maris Joyce Maris is a photo artist. She uses original photos and creates mixed media whimsical faces to produce fine art. This is her story. I live on the beautiful South Coast of NSW, Australia, right next to Jervis Bay. I have been drawing faces for about 5 years which is one of my artistic passions. I usually refer to a reference photo for light and shadow, and the face profile and draw mainly soulful expressions using bigger than normal eyes. I like it when my faces are out of proportion. My favourite media is waxy coloured pencils,

acrylic paint and smooth watercolour paper. Once the face is complete the real fun begins. I take a photo of it and in Lightroom adjust the image (mainly brighten), then into Photoshop where the face and background come alive. I am very much an organic artist, finding my way through an art piece by experimentation. As I normally do not draw hair on the original face drawing, I incorporate digital elements in Photoshop to create a sense of wild hair or headpiece. I use textures and elements with blend modes for the background and use textures and adjustment layers to change or enhance the colours and tones, to accomplish a unified look. I always use dodge and burn and also use AutoFX for lighting effects. On some

images I use the Topaz plugins (Impressions, Clarity, Clean) to get a certain look or feel. I use texture/s to create a vignette and lately I have been experimenting with the Particle Shop plugin. Still so much to learn, to experiment with, and so much fun and excitement to be had, all thanks to Sebastian Michaels and his Photoshop Artistry, Awake and Kaizen training courses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love my artistic lifeâ&#x20AC;? www.jmarisart.com.au https://artboja.com/art/5y5m3p/

Wings

FACES FROM SKE TCH TO FINISHED ART

(CONT)

Joyce Maris

Fiesta

THE L ACE MAKER

MICHAEL A AND TOBIAS by Liz Abbott

New Zealand

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P L AY I N G C A R D S 2

C O N C E N T R AT I O N by Margie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara

Australia

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GE T OUT OF HERE

PENSIVE by Leanne M Williams

Australia

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AFRICA DRE AMING

A F R I C A N D AY S by K aren Waalw yk

Australia

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FLUID PIPER

SOF T BEAUT Y by Jim Dawson

Australia

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2MAIA

JANE by Hazel Blake

Australia

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THE PRINCESS

FORBIDDEN by Pamela Henderson

Australia

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HEL EN J ONE S

LIT TLE ANGELS 93

KEEPER OF THE EGGS

PICKING ON THE WRONG BONES by Helen Jones Australia b e l l h o u s e15 _ h e l e n j o n e s h t t p s : // w w w. a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t / 5 f h s w s /

WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE MOVING TO THE COUNTRY

C O U S I N S M O V I N G T O T H E M O U N TA I N S 95

MELBOURNE IN COLOUR by Helen Jones Australia b e l l h o u s e15 _ h e l e n j o n e s h t t p s : // w w w. a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t / 5 f h s w s /

T H E G U M L E AV E S The camera is the least important element in photography.” Julius Shulman

other courses: AWAKE, KAIZEN, 21 Days To Creative Abundance.

Yes I’m a dreamer, I always have been, but being creative and innovative inspires my fascination to apply different techniques and practices and lets me experiment and escape into my own world of fantasy, that, I can’t seem to live without. I love all sorts of methods, mediums, textures, layers, painterly and impressionistic creations I can conjure up.

And then I enrolled in David Cross – Selection, Masks and Channels and iPhoneography with Susan Tuttle.

In my 30s I studied Art and Sculpture at TAFE, then went on to study oils with a local artist, but then it brought out the “I want to be a creative artist’’ in me. I was piqued by the camera, trying to find what suited me, and getting a product and effect I desired, they seemed to be worlds apart. But all types of photography are my window now, not just that single one I thought I was looking for. Macro, Portraiture, Landscape and Architecture have all influenced my art which flows through to the content of my final images of which I have a very diverse range. Photography is now one of my greatest loves, but when I found a course of “Photoshop Artistry – Fine Art Grunge Composition’’ by Sebastian Michaels it was a dream come true. I jumped on board and haven’t stopped creating since. I then graduated onto several of his

I have had two of my images selected for headers for Web pages; one for the Ashville Skate and Bike Park in America (through Sebastian Michaels) and the other for a Property Solicitor in Canberra who selected my ‘’Moving House’’ story book type image for his web page. Sebastian has taken me on a never ending creative journey of learning. I am a member of Shift Art and Impressionist Photography. Recently I was involved in an artist collaboration with Dean Hohn of Tasmania. In July 2017 I photographed with Asian photographer Yao Jui-Chung for the Mirage Exhibition Albury. (Yao Jui-Chung + Lost Society Document + Sandy Hsiu-Chih Lo for Albury, as we begin the extension of their artistic project Mirage, into the Albury-Wodonga region). Jui-Chung photographs local abandoned

buildings that belong to our Councils that could be used by the community, but instead are left to rot away. It’s a controversial issue as these buildings are out of the reach of our local community. All our photographs are submitted and printed out for an ongoing exhibition and then remain the property of the MAMA Gallery (Murray Art Museum Albury). My Inspirations In 2015 I studied Photo Imaging at TAFE where I found Photoshop and fell in love with all the creativeness it could give me. Here I met another fellow Photo Artist (Dirk Wallace, a teacher of photography at MAMA Art Gallery, Albury, NSW) who introduced me to expressionism in photography. I felt a new sense of freedom and gave myself licence to ignore the knockers and just create. I don’t think Dirk and Sebastian realize the impact they had on me, but I certainly appreciate their contributions to my life. I have won several Artist of the Day, Edit Feature and Challenge Winner Awards through Instagram and Highly Commended in a photographic exhibition. My dream is “To keep learning, photograph and create”. ’’I like being a dreamer’’.

S P E K E AT D AW N

A L O N E AT D U S K by Shar yn Walker

Australia

w w w. c h a n g e o f f o c u s . c o m . a u h t t p s : // w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m /c h a n g e o f f o c u s

D E AT H B E C O M E S H E R

WAT E R A N G E L by Christine Stevenson

Australia

h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t / 9 1d 3 b y/

B AT H T I M E

RED by Lonnie Lovejoy

Australia

h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t / z 9 t x p l /

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T H U R S D AY A F T E R N O O N by Ineke Clark

Australia

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HARVEST QUEEN

PUSHING THROUGH b y Ky e T h o m p s o n

Australia

h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t / x b 2 k g r/ i n d e x . p h p

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WA R E D F L O W E R I N G G U M by Sue Maples

Australia

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aD rOt W i s tNs U N D E R Australia and New Zealand

WACOM INTUOS PRO 5 Rose D’Azure

I have a Wacom Intuos Pro 5 Graphics Tablet in Medium size, a Doki Art Glove and the ExpressKey Remote. Above you can see my desk setup with two monitors, keyboard, mouse and the dark grey/black rectangle in front of the mouse is the tablet. This is how my desk is setup all the time – Cognac is lying in his usual spot too! Quite frequently I see people asking about getting a tablet, wanting to know what the best size is, how much it’s used, how it’s used and if people like them and would they recommend them. My answer to this is always YES, I would totally recommend one, and here are my reasons why etc. 1. I have issues with damaged tendons in my wrist and thumb area, which means lots of mouse use really hurts, especially those small controlled repetitive brush

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stroke movements. So using the pen is a different angle of grip for me, which helps control the overuse, and also promotes healing in the affected area, as it’s not being continually strained all the time. This is also helped by the fact that the entire surface of the Intuous works like a touchpad on a laptop, so I can use it to mouse with just one finger. Plus the scroll circle on the side allows for easier scrolling, which is kinder on the hand as well. 2. Freedom of movement gives better, more accurate control. I can rest the side of my hand on the tablet for steadiness with very fine brush strokes if necessary. Or I can swing my whole arm from the shoulder for loose easy strokes and movement, reducing repetitive strain on the wrist and forearm. The movement is more natural and better for the body. 3. The Doki Art Glove is an interface be-

tween the skin of my hand and the surface of the tablet – you can get friction juddering, and also sweat build up with contact on the surface. The glove provides a friction free surface, which is washable, and makes for a much nicer user experience. I only got my glove before Xmas but I use it all the time. 4. MOAR BUTTONS! One of the cool things about the tablet is it has programmable buttons to do certain things – I have mine set to things like Undo, Alt, Ctl, Shft etc. But there are lots of steps or functions that I do over and over again that I need more buttons for – so I got an ExpressKey Remote (admittedly it was damaged box stock at a fraction of the usual price!). So I now have buttons dedicated to New Layer, Stamp Visible Layers (Ctl Shft Alt E) and I have a whole heap of other ones I need to program but the two buttons I use the most with my

WACOM INTUOS PRO 5

(CONT)

Image from Doki site

tablet are Right Click and Adjust Brush Size – if I click one then the other and hold down with my left hand, if I move my pen to the top and bottom of the tablet, it changes the hardness, and from left to right changes the size of the brush. Being able to work with both hands simultaneously is so much faster and more efficient! I was already doing this but it required holding one button on the tablet and a right click on the pen, and was very awkward and tiring. Doing it on the two big buttons at the bottom of the Express Key is much better.

Above relates the to the Pen Functionality when PS is open - it maps to only ONE monitor

THINGS TO BE AWARE OF WHEN CONSIDERING PURCHASING A TABLET What size do you get? •

I was lucky enough to borrow a Bamboo tablet to try for a week to establish if it

•

It takes some getting used to.

•

It’s a very different approach and not easy to make the transition over. All the training videos say you should go completely no mouse for at least a week to get used to it – depending on how much you use your computer and potentially the tablet, I would plan on around 2-4 week period of adjustment. There isn’t a lot of information around on how to set it up really specifically to

• Image from Wacom Australia site

was a viable option for me, it was a small sized tablet and I felt it was too small. I ordered the Medium instead and when it arrived it seemed HUGE but I quickly established that it was the right size – too big and you get tired from moving your arm all over the place. I use two monitors which is one of the reasons I got the Medium size, it easily allows me to mouse across both of them with accuracy.

•

your requirements – ie. how you set up buttons to do a certain thing or function. I watched a LOT of videos and harvested various tid bits from each until I got an idea of how it could do what I wanted it to do. That evolved over time which ended up with the Remote solving a lot of those problems for me more efficiently. You can do lots of different things with it, like set it only to work in one mode in one program which it will do when that program is open, but will work in a different way when that program is closed.

So when I have Photoshop open, the full area of the tablet is focused on the monitor that has PS loaded up into it for the PEN functionality – but I can use my finger to mouse across both monitors. When PS is closed, the pen works equally across both screens. To get the best out of it, you really have to invest some time in educating yourself about what it can do, then muck around with the settings until you find a combination that

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WACOM INTUOS PRO 5

(CONT)

There are different nibs supplied with the Pen. Inside the pen base are a whole range of different nibs and they all feel different, I use the white springloaded one as it had the nicest feel for me, but no one obviously tells you they are hidden in there! Unscrew the base to access them. Price is a factor These tablets are not the cheapest option and the bigger you go the more the $$. Also the Cintiq is even more $$ cos you work directly on the surface of the device. All the accessories are also expensive – I would love to have the Art Brush but cannot justify it at all. However I truly believe if you make a lot of art, this will have an easily justifiable return on investment, if you put the time into learning it and setting it up to benefit your work flow.

This relates to the Pen Functionality when PS is closes - it maps to BOTH

works for you. It makes Art Easier To Do Pressure sensitive brush strokes! Angle sensitivity! Feather light touches, quickly adjustable hardness/softness or size makes masking fiddly areas much, much easier. It makes fluffing around with the fiddly stuff fun, and

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with the pressure sensitivity, you have much more control and can use more sophisticated brushes to better effect. Yes you still need a mouse I find the one thing impossible to do on the tablet is click and drag, and I do a lot of that. So I still have my mouse handy.

OK that should give people a good summary to figure out if a tablet is what they want to go for – I absolutely LOVE mine – it has helped reduce quite crippling pain in my hand, made art fun and easy to do, and generally improved my capabilities and enhanced my ability to add subtlety and nuance into my art in a way that wasn’t manageable before. https://us-store.wacom.com/Product/Intuos-3D-S01#/undefined1 http://www.dokiwear.com/ https://buywacom.com.au/expresskey-remote.html

THE AGE OF STE AM b y R o s e D â&#x20AC;&#x2122;A z u r e

New Zealand

h t t p s : // l e n s a d d i c t i o n . w o r d p r e s s . c o m / h t t p s : // w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m /e v o k e a r t i s a n p h o t o g r a p h y/

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JABIRU WITH FISH by Julia Harwood

Australia

h t t p : // w w w. j u l i a h a r w o o d . c o m h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t /s 6 w7a f /

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C O M P O S I T E 10

OUT AND BACK 5 by Colin Campbell

Australia

colincampbell.mypor t folio.com h t t p s : // w w w. a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t / 6 b q 9 c j /

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BRISBANE

FULL MOON by Gerard Whelan

Australia

h t t p : //g e r r y s p i c t u r e s . c o m . a u / h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t /a b f4 8 i /

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BROKEN DOLL 4

INDIAN MOON GODDESS by George Koncz

Australia

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A B S T R A C T I N R E D 10 by Dean Hohn

Australia

https://tinyurl.com/ybuoo5fz h p : // w w w. j u l i a h a r w o o d . c o m https://artboja.com/art/yw8ic8/

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T H E S P I R I T â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S R E C E P T I O N 10 by Dean Hohn

Australia

https://tinyurl.com/ybuoo5fz h p : // w w w. j u l i a h a r w o o d . c o m https://artboja.com/art/yw8ic8/

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aD rOt W i s tNs U N D E R Australia and New Zealand

30X30 EXHIBITION – GALLERY PEJEAN Dean Hohn Through my love of photography, I also found my love for abstract images! The patterns, shapes, textures and colour all go into the making of an abstract that you just want to stand and look at and immerse yourself in. Technology now plays an important role in my art, similar to the darkroom and chemicals used in days gone by. I love taking a photo of a scene, an item or just the colour of a subject and then turn it into a piece of art. The pieces in this 30cmx30cm (12”x12”) exhibition have used the majority of the tools I have available to me to make a statement with my abstract designs. These images are the culmination of a multitude of hours and images created to learn what and how to go about creating abstract images on my iPad Pro using various apps. It is mind blowing the number and the power of the various apps that are available to be

used for mobile artistry. There are artists who only use their mobile or cell phone to create their art. There are others that use a combination of mobile devices such as their iPhone and iPad to create their art. Myself I predominantly create my abstract art on my iPad Pro, but also use my iPhone and Mac Pro computer to achieve my finished piece. Once I am satisfied that I am finished with the piece, I then have to decide if I will enter it in an exhibition or just what I’ll do with the image. If I choose to enter the image in an exhibition, I want my images to stand out from all the other images if it is a group exhibition, such as the Gallery Pejean 30x30 Exhibition. To achieve this point of difference and make my images stand out, I have them printed on Ultra Gloss aluminium. The process is called sublimation printing and the finished product is UV resistant, scratch resistant and is

Condo Blue

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washable. This makes them ideal for placing in wet areas such as bathrooms and kitchens. They are also ideal for display in public areas and in doctors surgeries where they can be cleaned. Print 2 Metal in Melbourne do all my metal printing and I can’t recommend them highly enough. They will treat your work as if it were their own and if it’s not perfect, it doesn’t leave their hands. The Group 30x30 Exhibition at Gallery Pejean in Launceston, Tasmania is on from July 12- Aug 5 2017. If you’re in the Launceston area call in and have a look or if you see a piece you like, you can order it by contacting Margot Baird at Gallery Pejean. The 5 pieces I have in the exhibition are each Limited Editions of 5. They can be shipped to anywhere in the world. https://tinyurl.com/y74skjmr https://tinyurl.com/ybuoo5fz

Puzzling

30X30 EXHIBITION â&#x20AC;&#x201C; GALLERY PEJEAN

(CONT)

Terrestial Garden

Continuity

The Art of Reflection

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GOLDEN PHE ASANTS

HUMMING BIRD by Margo Zerbes

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Australia

BIRD IN A ROSE by Margo Zerbes

Australia

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NIGHT’S SWIF T DRAGONS

TA K E A N A X E T O T H E P R I S O N WA L L by Merran G Âû

New Zealand

h t t p : // b i t . l y/ M e r r a n G : // w w w. j u l i a h a r w o o d . c o m h t t p : // b i t . l y/ M G H a l l e l u j a h

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SPIRITED

WAT E R B A B Y by Phillipa Frederiksen

Australia

p h i l l f o t o . s m u g m u g . c o m h p : // w w w. j u l i a h a r w o o d . c o m h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t / 3 3 o 0 h k /

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ANOTHER DIMENSION

BROTHER BE AR by Michelle Drummond

New Zealand

h t t p : //e n c h a n t e d - r e a l i t y. b l o g s p o t . c o . n z / h t t p s : // w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / W h i m i s c a l . I m a g e r y/

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NIGHT RIDER by Margaret Kalms

Australia

endowomanart.com facebook.com/lifewithendometriosis

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aD rOt W i s tNs U N D E R Australia and New Zealand

“TRANSCENDENT” SURPASSING THE ORDINARY Mike Stone I am relatively new to the photography world, I must admit. Over the past two years I’ve been feverishly learning and creating, purely for my own sanity and amusement. Never having any clear direction or purpose, my journey in photography, in hindsight, has been a healing one for me. It all started when my wife Conny and I went on one of our beloved Sunday drives into the countryside. With my camera backpack always sitting in the back, I took many spontaneous photos. As we live in the city of grape vines and fabulous wines (Adelaide, South Australia) you will more often than not find us discovering a new winery and tasting their fine produce. When a winery has a sign on the side of the road displaying wine, art, and coffee we have to stop. As we find a space in the car park and I take my camera out of the back seat, the owner of the particular property at the time spots me, and tells me about their photo competition and how I could, and should, enter. Avril Thomas, owner of Magpie Springs Winery and a fabulous artist in her own right, who calls herself an Archibald Prize serial pest, challenged me to step past the virtual world of posting my images on Facebook instead create and show, something that could be hung framed on a wall in a photo competition. The line was drawn in the sand and my foot had passed the point of no return. The Brief I had to follow a set plan, and this was new to me. I had only previously photographed objects, landscapes, and people that had pre-

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sented themselves to me in the moment. The objective of this photo competition at Magpie Springs was to use anything or everything that Magpie Springs had to offer on their property. Roaming hills of grape vines, lakes and ponds of still waters, bush lands and old relics of barn doors, there were hidden gems and spirits of the land in this place. The Image (always have a backup plan) I was inspired by the land and by a master class mentored by Toby Burrows to create a perfect levitation shot of someone levitating above the vines upon this mystical land. I called out to Jesse Deslandes, who I had photographed a few times for his fire twirling in the past, a person who is also quite spiritual at heart. In the first weekend of winter, I asked him to jump upon a trampoline shirtless in the middle of the vineyard on the windy side of a hill. It was ironic that someone else should suffer for my art instead of me. The image I was hoping for was to communicate warmth rising from the cold earth; a polarisation; a confrontation of opposites, the warmth rising in a cold environment which in itself is extraordinary, or transcendent. This concept came to me over time while I worked with the concept of levitation, which can be associated with enlightenment, photographed in the wintery environment of Magpie Springs. However, after three visits to Magpie Springs, using the trampoline, I was not able to get a persuasive floating affect that I had envisioned. So, I decided to use my backup

plan to have Jesse standing upon a ladder for the illusion of someone levitating. And it worked. The Editing Process Step 1 – Edit out the ladder. Step 2 – Add drama to an over exposed sky with four textures and light flares. Step 3 – Clone more grass to the foreground. Step 4 – Add a darkened square to the trees in the background in order to lead the eye into the centre of the image. Step 5 – STOP! Pause, look. So many times I went way too far with the creation only to be discouraged with my efforts. After removing the ladder in Photoshop, Jesse was levitating evenly and convincingly in the air. My favourite style utilised in my past photos is that of heavy blacks and moody tones, however this did not suit the photo I had taken. I had to adapt myself to apply light and pastel colours as it more naturally suited the photo. In addition to Steps 2 and 3, the teachings of Sebastian Michaels came into play to subtly hide the boring and to add the drama to the piece. And, also, I used leading lines of the vines to create movement in the image along with the darkened square of Step 4. The first four steps of my editing process may be explanatory but please heed my warning about Step 5! The Print (or putting money where your mouth is)

“TRANSCENDENT” SURPASSING THE ORDINARY

I have never printed any of my work before, spending money on my art was seen by me as a daunting prospect. Was I truly willing to take the risk to spend money on my own work for the first time? Further-more which printer do I use? On which format? Will it come out the same as the image on my monitor? What picture frame should I use? What was the deadline again? Why am I doing this? Can’t I just post it on Facebook? I asked for advice. I needed to know what problems I could face when printing an image for an art competition for the first time. So I talked to a lot of photographers online to get their views.

(CONT)

Get your image calibrated by a professional printing company to the colour of their own printer; don’t calibrate it yourself. They may charge an extra $15 or so for the service for calibration but it’s worth every cent. Also, I can recommend that you should get your print done on smooth cotton (which is more expensive but with a better result).

for the photographic competition at Magpie Springs, which was also under the banner of 2017 SALA (South Australian Living Artists Festival). Honestly I thought it was just the opening of the gallery, and a simple competition. I just wanted to see my print hanging on the wall not knowing it included judging and handing out of awards in person, on the day.

The Event (we can’t believe we turned up on time).

Seven of us won awards for our imagination and skills; I fell into the imagination category.

Magpie Springs Winery is a beautiful, eclectic, mish-mash of buildings ripe for a creative soul, a canvas and a new spiritual home for Conny and I who have dreamed of owning a place like this one day.

I must say that I learnt a lot from this experience. Take all that you’ve learnt from life, take your artist’s vision and lens beyond your limitations. Be bold and scare yourself every once in a while. Be astounded by how a simple device called a ‘camera’ will lead you to meet some amazing people. It most certainly has taken me on a journey; one of adventure, of imagination, of improving myself.

Here are the key points of my research:

After just arriving in time, it was 2.00pm on a cold wintery Sunday afternoon but warm in the art gallery of like-minded artists of the lens.

Don’t be cheap and calibrate your own image.

I’ve been picked with sixteen other finalists

http://magpiesprings.com.au/blog/magpiesprings-photographic-competition-2017

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THE STE AMPUNK KOOK ABURRAS

THE STE AMPUNK GIRAFFE by Colin K illick

Australia

w w w. d r i f t i n g l e a v e s . n e t

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M AT E T S I E L E P H A N T

BAOBAB â&#x20AC;&#x201C; SOF T L ANDSCAPE b y To n y S t e p h e n s o n

Australia

h t t p : // t o n y s t e p h e n s o n . p h o t o s h e l t e r. c o m / h t t p s : //a r t b o j a . c o m /a r t / v1t z l g /

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AUTUMN IN THE AIR

ROMPING ON THE BE ACH by Ingrid Douglas

Australia

h t t p : // w w w. p e r f e c t o a r t s . c o m . a u

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I TA LY

B E A C H D AY S by Carolyn Jenson

New Zealand

h t t p : // w w w. c j e n s o n i m a g e s . c o m

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http://tinyurl.com/artisitsdownunderpublic