Nature's Paint Box eZine Sampler by Lesley Smitheringale Fine Art

Premier Issue

official eZine produced by Lesley Smitheringale Fine Art

FEBRUARY 2009

FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE THE ART OF SILK PAINTING techniques and inspiration

WEBSITES TO SELL AND PROMOTE YOUR WORK the best sites for artists and photographers to sell online

COMPUTER SOFTWARE for artists and photographers

RECOMMENDED BOOKS of wildlife, art and photography

2009 WILDLIFE ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITIONS & EXHIBITIONS

FEATURED ARTIST – Eric Wilson one of Britain's leading wildlife artists, a multi-award winner.

Garden Guests Diary A photographic journal of backyard flora & fauna in Queensland, Australia

Capturing Critters through the Lens by Australian artist Lesley Smitheringale

FEATURED ARTIST – Ernestina Gallina’s gorgeous hand painted rocks

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Featured Wildlife Artists, Photographers & Crafters interviewed with examples of their work

AUS $7.50

WIN PRIZES by subscribing to Nature’s Paint Box to celebrate the launch of this new eZine for wildlife artists, crafters, photographers and nature lovers.

Welcome .. to a brand new eZine for professional and aspiring wildlife artists, photographers, crafters and nature lovers.

A very warm welcome to this premier issue of the official Nature’s Paint Box eZine produced and published by Lesley Smitheringale Fine Art. This quarterly eZine aims to inspire, instruct, promote, educate and acknowledge the outstanding talent of nature artists, photographers and crafters throughout the world who are inspired by the wonderful array of animals, birds, insects and flowers with whom we share our world. Even if you are not an artist or maybe want to learn how; all nature lovers will enjoy seeing our flora and fauna observed and then created by artists in a range of media including paintings onto canvas, watercolours onto paper, screen and lino prints, scratch art, illustration, digital art, sculpture and jewellery, polymer clay and ceramics, photographic prints and many more.. This eZine is chock full of goodies to download as well plus lucky draw prizes for subscribers and a quarterly competition. Please let us know what you think of this eZine!

Lesley Smitheringale Interested in advertising, being a featured artist, guest writer or contributor in Nature’s Paint Box eZine? Drop me an e-mail with links to your product, site or work. lesley@lesley-smitheringale-fine-art.com

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Lesley Smitheringale, Editor, Designer, Producer & Writer lesley@lesley-smitheringale-fine-art.com http://www.lesley-smitheringale-fine-art.com

COVER PHOTO “Snatch and Grab” Australian King Parrot by Lesley Smitheringale

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REGULARS in every issue 42

Competitions Current Art, Craft and Photography Competitions

Garden Guests Diary A photographic journal of the Australian flora and fauna in artist & photographer, Lesley Smitheringale’s garden. Software A review of Photo Storage and Sharing Site Blogs & Websites Recommended sites to inspire, educate and simply enjoy

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Books Recommended Books for wildlife artists, nature lovers, photographers and crafters

Exhibitions on wildlife, flora & fauna, nature & landscape

Newsworthy Seen and heard in the news and blogosphere regarding art & wildlife.

FEATURED ARTISTS 6

Lesley Smitheringale – artist & photographer who specialises in Australian flora and fauna

Eric Wilson - one of Britain’s leading wildlife artists – a multi award winner

Steve Bullock – stunning macro shots of reptiles by this Australian photographer

Ernestina Gallina – this talented Italian artist and teacher paints gorgeous creatures onto rocks

Pam Johnson Brickell – nature journaling from the Low Country Wild

Macro Photography by Steve Bullock

“Dog“ hand painted rock by Italian artist Ernestina Gallina

Nature Journaling by Pam Johnson Brickell

“Midnight Feast II” Sugar Glider with Grevillea , graphite by Lesley Smitheringale

FEATURED ARTISTS

“Greeting the First Snows of Winter” pastels by Eric Wilson

TECHNIQUES 10

The art of Silk Painting by Lesley Smitheringale

FREE DOWNLOADS 63

Learn about the basic techniques, tools, equipment and resources of this stunning art form.

Fonts, Frames, Photo Editors, Wallpapers, Vectors – free to download and use in your digital art projects

ARTICLES & REVIEWS 27

WAYS TO PROMOTE and SELL your artwork online – a review of these sites

Photo Organisation storage, sharing & online editing software – what is best for you?

TUTORIAL

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Rock Painting – Flying Bugs by Ernestina Gallina

Capturing Critters Through the Lens – macro photography

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TECHNIQUES

The Art of Silk Painting by Lesley Smitheringale

“Legend has it that the Chinese Empress Hsi-LingShi, (who is still honoured as the Yuanfei, the patron of silk), was in her palace garden one day and happened to notice the 'fruits' of the mulberry tree moving. On closer inspection, she observed that they were not fruits, but silkworms spinning fine threads which had a unique sheen.”

l to r: silkworm larvae munching Mulberry leaves, adult silkworm with eggs, silkworm cocoon

I first discovered the art of silk painting whilst browsing the art & craft section in a book store when I lived in Scotland. I was flicking through a book on the technique and was very inspired by the art form which I had never heard of. I purchased the book “ A Complete Guide to Silk Painting” by Susanne Hahn and was keen to try it out for myself. After purchasing a wooden frame, silk, silk dyes, a pressure cooker (for steaming) brushes & gutta I began experimenting from the book, made lots & lots of mistakes but eventually got the hang of it. “Birds in Flight Silk Scarf” – my most popular design

Some good books on Silk Painting – Click to see them on Amazon

A very young “me” with one of my silk paintings

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I bought Suzanne Hahn’s Guide – it got me hooked

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The Art of Silk Painting

SALT TECHNIQUE – This is a really fun and gorgeous technique which you can see in the background on this page. Table Salt, Rock Salt and Urea can be applied to freshly painted silk to form textural effects. The salt is simply sprinkled or placed over the freshly painted silk. It’s best to wait a while for the final results and the dyes have to dry before shaking off the salt. I found that a soft makeup brush or large paint brush worked well to get rid of any excess salt left on the silk.

STEPS FOR STEAM FIXING USING BOTH STEAMERS – 

Freshly painted silk should be left for at least a day before fixing in order for the colours to show up more vividly. If you have used salt, make sure that you have removed all of it.

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Roll up silk items separately in either butchers paper or fine pre-washed cotton such as lawn (cotton in better than the paper as it minimises creasing caused by rolling the fabric. Make sure the silk does not extend beyond the paper/cotton and that there are no rips or holes as this will result in staining. Secure the paper/cotton with plastic adhesive tape such as electrician’s tape.

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As an extra precaution, attach pieces of aluminium foil to the edges of the paper/cotton and twist them tightly.

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If using the pressure cooker, you then have to line the base and sides of your inside steamer with a thick layer of newspaper

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Place the rolled up pieces of silk into your steamer in spiral shapes, fitting as many in as you can.

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If using the pressure cooker, place a thick layer of newspaper above the rolls of silk, to protect from condensation.

STEAM FIXING METHODS - Whatever steam fixing method you are using, it is possible to steam several pieces of silk at one time although you will only be able to do about 2 square metres due to the capacity of either the pressure cooker or bamboo steamer. PRESSURE COOKER – Apart from the pressure cooker you will also need an inside steamer to hold all of your silk. This should be and aluminium or stainless steel container of some kind without a lid and should have ventilation holes in the bottom. I made my own by hammering holes using a nail in to the bottom of an old aluminium bowl and it worked really well. You also need to make yourself a little tripod out of strong metal wire to enable the inside steamer to sit above the water level, which should be 1 -2 cm. Alternatively, you could use a cake rack if it will fit inside the cooker.

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TECHNIQUES

Featured Artist

Ernestina Gallina

Website http://www.pietrevive.it/en/index.html e-mail ernestina@pietrevive.it Job Title Rock Painter

Cesenatico Preferred Medium

Acrylic

Country of Birth Italy, Cesenatico Country of Residence Italy Available for commissions Yes

An interview with...

Ernestina Gallina When did you realise that art had to be part of your life? Since I was a child I dreamed of becoming an artist, but I thought that I wasn't good enough to make a living from it. So I decided to study education and became a teacher.

What or who has inspired you throughout your artistic path? The beauty of nature and rocks. I am a careful observer. I watch animals, study their anatomy, draw sketches, and collect photos. That is one way of learning how to see an animal in a rock.

I discovered rock painting by chance in 1998; it fired my imagination and my enthusiasm. I absolutely had to try it! I still remember my first painted rock, it was a cow and I was fascinated by how paint could transform an ordinary rock into a life-like looking creature. From that moment rocks took on a new meaning and became a significant part of my life. I have painted thousands of them and continue to find this art form irresistible and magical.

What is your favourite media and why have you chosen to work with these media and techniques? I work exclusively with acrylics. These are incredibly versatile; they take to the most unusual surfaces and work wonderfully on rocks.

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Ernestina Gallina

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TUTORIAL Equipment used: Canon EOS 400D (10.1 mp) EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM, Canon Speedlite 430zEX Flash

CAPTURING CRITTERS THROUGH THE LENS tutorial - Stick Mantid by Lesley Smitheringale I often think that there is a misconception out there that photography as an art form is easy, especially as there is an excellent range of cameras which do a remarkably good job even set to auto where we can just shoot away to our heart’s content. Now, it’s true, in my opinion, that the top of the range digital cameras do a fantastic job but I also feel that the photographer needs to know what they are trying to actually achieve in the photograph and it is another form of art after all where the person looking through the lens has to consider composition, lighting, focal point, background, colour, texture, mood, personality, focus etc before pressing the shutter. You will understand that I’m not talking about quick snapshots in this article but photography as an art form. I have included this post due to my current photography competition which I am running entitled “New Year Garden Guests” which is open to amateur photographers like me. I am not a photography expert but I do have professional training in art and design. I thought that these examples I am about to show you and discuss might give you some tips and inspiration for the competition.

Shot 1

Ok, this is a real example of a mini photo shoot I had with a garden guest - the fantastic stick mantid which has personality plus! I have only ever seen two and this series is from my second sighting and he appeared quite out of the blue when I was in the bathroom, believe it or not, and I happened to see him on the outside of the window. Now, I have to confess at this point that I am particularly “obsessed” with any form of wildlife in my garden since I purchased my camera and it has opened up a whole new world that I never knew existed to the point where I do not want to weed my yard for fear of killing some of these critters I have photographed. How’s that for the ultimate excuse in not working in the garden! Shot 1 is the very first photograph I took (outside my bathroom window) simply to show you that this is a real photo shoot. This is what I consider to be a “snap shot” and a picture that is taken quickly, without any thought, simply to capture the moment or evidence of what you saw. The only bonus is that he happens to be looking right at the camera. I was using an additional macro lens to take these photographs. The second shot is an improvement as I have zoomed in to get rid of the ugly, unnatural background of the window but there is still the horrible man-made brick background with some strong shadows which detract from the mantid. He is looking up at the camera which is good and his head is a focal point but still not the ideal shot.

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Shot 2

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SELLING YOUR WORK ONLINE – SITES to consider

ARTICLES & REVIEWS

REDBUBBLE

by Lesley Smitheringale Firstly, let’s face it, we are turning into a lazy society, governed more and more by what we can and cannot do online, sitting in front of our computer screens in the comfort of our own homes, no petrol money spent on trips, no queuing in stores, plenty of time to make choices and we can use the internet to ‘virtually’ see the products from different angles, research the products via reviews to find out good and bad experiences other people have had with these products before we make our purchase which can also be done online. Is anyone old enough to remember when we had none of this and had to buy it anyway! Is ignorance bliss? The Internet has come a long way and many more retail outlets are recognising the importance of offering customers the option of perusing online “virtual shop fronts”. People, however are still hesitant about purchasing online due to security issues but online shopping carts using PayPal for instance alleviate many of these concerns and PayPal has become the standard, worldwide, most popular way of safely and securely purchasing products online. As artists, this is a huge and exciting facility to tap into but the down side is that there are so many artists out there trying to sell their products online that the consumer is overwhelmed by choice and artists can get lost in the endless cyberspace of talent. Due to this, consumers can easily become blasé when it comes to choosing what they want as they are overwhelmed by it all. Is there too much choice out there now to the point where the consumer loses the ability to make a decision? I guess artists who are producing sellable products need to then market their work and try to stand out from the crowd. Building up a reputation is difficult and engaging the trust of casual visitors to an artist’s website to the point where that visitor feels confident enough to buy can be a difficult. I have selected a few of my favourite online “virtual stores” for you to consider if you are thinking about selling your work.

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Most importantly, for Australian residents such as myself, they have a branch in Australia and America. The range of products which can be printed from your artwork/photography is extensive from the least expensive Cards (which are the best quality cards I have ever seen by the way and certainly not thin and flimsy) to the top of the range framed wall art. The community is one of the friendliest, most helpful group of artists you could hope to “virtually” meet. There are a lot of Australian and American artists on RedBubble which makes the community even more appealing. The quality and professionalism of the printed products are outstanding. Work actually SELLS on this site. This site remains FREE no matter how many photographs you choose to upload.

Featured Artist

Eric Wilson

Website http://www.ericwilsonwildlifeart.com e-mail ericwilson1@btinternet.com Job Title Professional Artist Preferred Medium Oils/Pastels Country of Birth United Kingdom Country of Residence United Kingdom Available for Commissions Yes

An interview with...

Eric Wilson When did you realise that art had to be part of your life? I was born with a powerful conviction that I was meant to do something special with my life. Many people feel this way I'm sure, and for me it goes back to my earliest memory, when I was still a baby in my cot. I had a very powerful dream, believe it or not about my own brain and it made such an impact on me that I have never forgotten it. It drives my ambition to this day. I'm still puzzled at how a baby could dream about, or even conceive its own brain but believe me, that’s exactly what happened and I came away from the experience with the powerful conviction that I was to use mine. I could always draw well, it just came easily to me and I can clearly remember even in the nursery, arguing with other infants who painted the mandatory blue strip along the top of their painting to represent a sky, that the sky in fact should come all the way down to meet the strip of green that represented the land. I just couldn't understand why the other kids didn't get it. More than just having ability though, I really felt a love for art and that art was something I both understood, and would be able to communicate with.

What or who has inspired you throughout your artistic path? Rolf Harris made quite an impression on me back in the mid 60's. He had a TV show where he would paint a picture live and I would be sat in front of the TV with paper and pencil frantically trying to keep up. My first experience of a real artist. He was a hero to me - and still is. After that I was very inspired by the fantasy art of Frank Frazetta and then the incredible realism of Norman Rockwell. In the field of wildlife art I greatly admire Robert Bateman, Carl Brenders and for sheer oil painting technique, Anthony Gibbs. I am inspired by powerful subjects, and having a lifelong passion for wildlife has led me to paint the predators and other large impressive mammals, they have that primal quality of fear and awe that appeals to me. I love all wildlife, and can delight at seeing a robin on a branch, but it doesn't particularly call out for me to paint it in the way the predators do.

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“King of Beasts” ©Eric Wilson 32

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BOOKS

“One Man’s Island” [paintings & sketches from the Isle of May] by Keith Brockie – When the original hardback edition of this book was published in 1984, it was an immediate bestseller. Keith Brockie’s remarkable artistry and his extraordinary sensitivity to wildlife drew admiration from readers and reviewers all around the world. His 150 exquisite paintings and sketches from the Island of May in the Firth of Forth, Scotland, representing not only a year’s intensive field work but also a decade of observation devoted to this important wildlife centre, are again reproduced superbly for this brand new paperback edition – reinforcing his reputation as one of the finest artist-naturalists of the present day. “I own this book and it is a masterpiece of wildlife observation on the scene, mostly as pencil sketches and watercolour by this enormously talented Scottish artist. Nature Journaling at its very best and a book you will treasure and look at again and again” Lesley Smitheringale

I would be lost without this book “Wildlife of Greater Brisbane” as it is my main source of wildlife identification in and around the Brisbane area. My copy is already well thumbed with notes added to what I have seen and photographed in my garden. This is the latest edition and it is a full colour production with extensive information on all the garden guests in and around Brisbane. A Queensland Museum Wild Guide in partnership with Brisbane City Council.

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NATURE’S PAINT BOX Official Ezine

BOOKS

NATURE’S PAINT BOX Official Ezine

“Seeing the Light” an Artist’s Guide by Betty Carr [Create depth, form and atmosphere with light in watercolour and oil] Working with light can be an inspiration – and a challenge – for any painter. Much of a composition’s success depends on the correct application of light from revealing multiple textures to establishing perspective. In “Seeing the Light”: an Artist’s Guide, Betty Carr shares her methods for getting light perfect very time. Whether you work in oil, watercolour, or both, you’ll find all the instruction you need to infuse your paintings with light for stunning results. “I stumbled across this book when I was in Photo Continental one day and just had to have it – stunningly beautiful and inspirational book about painting with light by a very talented artist” Lesley Smitheringale

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EXHIBITIONS

“Cattleya Orchid and Three Brazilian Hummingbirds” [detail] by Martin Johnson Heade, 1871, oil on panel, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC Yale Centre for British Art Endless Forms: Charles Darwin, Natural Science, and the Visual Arts

Dates: 12 Feb 09 - 3 May 09 Categories: 1800-1900 (Impressionism, etc) Modern (19001945) Address: 1080 Chapel Street New Haven 06520-8280 Tel: +1 203 432 2800 Website To mark the bicentenary of Charles Darwin’s (1809-82) birth, the Yale Centre for British Art looks at the link between the scientist’s ideas and the visual arts of the late19th and early-20th centuries. Darwin’s theories of evolution and natural selection radically altered the conventional wisdom regarding the relationship between humans and animals, and undermined religious beliefs. The show includes nearly 200 objects including paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, books and biological specimens. Among the artists included are J.M.W. Turner, Thomas Moran, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas and Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

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Historic Charleston & the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition - February 13 – 15 2009 For one weekend each year, this genteel city roars to life with the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, the nation’s largest wildlife art and nature event. Now in its 27th year, the Expo showcases original paintings, carvings and sculpture by some of the most gifted artists in the wildlife art genre, as well as diverse sporting and conservation exhibits, interesting presentations and lectures, fun children's activities, and much more.

AN EYE ON THE WORLD Saturday 31st January to Sunday 1 March Hampshire's finest photographers come together for a stunning exhibition featuring a broad range of fabulous photographs. Flora and fauna, land and seascapes images from all around the world. Stunning photographic images of the natural world around us. Framed, unframed photographs and large selection of greetings cards are all for sale. Free Admission. The Gardens are situated between the Hampshire villages of Ampfield and Braishfield, three miles northeast of Romsey, UK

COMPETITIONS

NATURE’S PAINT BOX Official Ezine Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards 2009 The editors of Nature’s Best Photography magazine invite all photographers to enter the 2009 Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards competition. More than $15,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded. The winning photographs will be published in the Awards 2009 Collector’s Edition of Nature’s Best Photography, and may be selected for our annual exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC and displayed in other locations and photo gallery presentations related to the Awards competition. Entries are judged on technical quality, originality, and artistic merit.

Silverback Western Lowland Gorilla and Baby by Albert J. Valentino

DEADLINE: January 26 - May 4, 2009 Enter Online or by Mail postmarked or uploaded no later than May 4, 2009 with your paid Entry Fee of $25 US dollars only – no foreign cheques. RULES: Each submission is limited to no more than 20 images (35mm colour slides, larger format colour transparencies, or digitally captured images.) The total of up to 20 images costs an entry fee of $25 (US dollars-no foreign checks). Each submission MUST follow the guidelines as stated. NOTE: Prints and images on negative film are NOT accepted. Each submission MUST follow the guidelines below and be uploaded online or mailed in one package along with the Entry Fee and the completed Entry Form with ALL information filled out in clear, legible print or typed. Download the Guidelines, Entry Form and Categories on PDF ALL PHOTOGRAPHS must accurately reflect the subject matter as it appeared in the viewfinder. Nothing should be added to an image and, aside from dust spots, nothing should be taken away. Normal processing of RAW image files and minor adjustments to colour and contrast are acceptable, as is minimal cropping. Select a category that you feel is the best fit for each image. Images may be entered into more than one category. Judges reserve the right to move images into alternate Categories as they see fit. See Categories in the Competition section of this website or on the Guidelines PDF. Exceptions: Anything goes in the Creative Digital category! Stitched panoramas may be entered in any category, but they must be identified. Website: http://www.naturesbestphotography.com/index.php

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Californian Poppy by Robert Knight

CATEGORIES NOTE: Your photos may fit into more than one category. Choose the one you think fits best. Judges reserve the right to move images into other categories if necessary. ANIMAL ANTICS ART IN NATURE BIRDS CAMERA CLUB CREATIVE DIGITAL ENDANGERED SPECIES ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES INDIGENOUS CULTURES LANDSCAPE OCEANS PEOPLE IN NATURE PLANT LIFE SMALL WORLD SPECTACULARS WEATHER WILDLIFE YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR ZOOS & AQUARIUMS

Featured Artist

Website http://www.bullockphotos.com e-mail steveb013@hotmail.com Job Title Travel Agent Preferred Medium Digital Photography Country of Birth Australia Country of Residence Australia Available for Commissions Yes

An interview with...

Steve Bullock

When did you realise that art had to be part of your life? Probably when I was about 10 years of age. I started drawing and painting, turned to clay and other mediums then finally I could afford a camera when I was 20 and never looked back! What or who has inspired you throughout your artistic path? Many artists, but I love Steve Parish and Ken Duncan's work. Who doesn't right! What is your favourite media and why have you chosen to work with these media and techniques? Photography, probably because I figured I couldn't draw or paint that well! But I love the creativity you can explore, the moments you can catch, and the ease of the digital world. Why have you chosen wildlife as a subject matter in your work? I've always loved animals, watching National Geographic and World Around Us every week, seeing the documentaries on Africa and everywhere else in the world. Just so many animals to see, so little time!

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NATURE’S PAINT BOX Official Ezine

BLOGS & WEBSITES A Passion for Nature Winter Woman is Jennifer Schlick, a teacher-naturalist living and working in Western New York. “I love winter, which is why my friend Wanda gave me the name Winter Woman. I write this blog because taking pictures and writing about them helps me remember the things I am learning on this journey through nature. If you enjoy it and maybe learn something here, well, that’s a bonus, isn’t it?” A Passion for Nature - Winter Woman's

Monarch’s Nature Blog I am a naturalist, field biologist and nature photographer from the Western New York area. I have started exploring nature writing through this blog and it truly has been fun sharing my numerous adventures with everyone. Occasionally some Young Naturalists will help me with my post and they will be sharing some of their nature explorations as they too are becoming young writers, photographers and naturalist. Monarch’s Nature Blog

International Nature Niche

If you have a nature blog then you may want to participate in this site. This site gives you the opportunity to gain more recognition and potential visitors to your nature blog. I t is a network of the most popular nature blogs throughout the world, based on the number of visitors to your blog. Once you submit your blog and it is accepted, you can see how well it does in the rankings after you place a piece of coding on your site. Plus you gain access to other inspirational nature blogs across the Globe. Nature Blog Network

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An International niche for all nature artists, crafters and photographers to share a love of wildlife in any media. This is a free site where you have access to a gallery, slide show, e-mail address, RSS Feed, widgets, live chat, templates, Groups, Music Players and much more. Promote yourself whilst making new artist friends – standard of artwork is very high! International Nature Niche Site

Oz Nature Niche An Australian niche for all nature artists, crafters and photographers to share a love of wildlife in any media. This is a free site where you have access to a gallery, slide show, e-mail address, RSS Feed, widgets, live chat, templates, Groups, Music Players and much more. Promote yourself whilst making new artist friends – standard of artwork is very high! Oz Nature Niche

NATURE’S PAINT BOX Official Ezine Garden Guests Diary by Lesley Smitheringale Sharing Supper I captured Mr and Mrs Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo sharing supper late this afternoon. Our seed bell had been munched to the point where it had fallen to the ground and these birds are known for their intelligence. The pair was sitting very close to me on our pool fence, about an arm’s length away, undeterred by my camera and they continued to share the remnants of the seed bell. It was a beautiful moment and one where you have to shake yourself to believe that these are actually wild birds! Here are some of my photographs of this stunning couple.

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Garden Guests Diary

Featured Artist Website www.creatingnaturejournals.com\

www.pamjohnsonbrickellart.com

e-mail pjbartstudio@hargray.com Job Title Nature Artist Preferred Medium watercolour, watercolour pencils, acrylic Country of Residence USA Country of Birth USA Available for Commissions Yes

An interview with...

Pam Johnson Brickell When did you realise that art had to be part of your life?

I started taking art lessons, from a professional artist, at the age of 12. When it came time for college I knew my education had to center around art. I was so focused on being able to study art that I chose one school to attend, the School of the Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts. What a rush it was to be accepted into their program. At the time, SWAM was one of the top 10 art schools in the country. My freshman class had 33 students. Three years later, 16 of us graduated.

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ÂŠ Pam Johnson Brickell

NATURE’S PAINT BOX Official Ezine ‘New Year Garden Guests’ Photo Competition 2009 - Win Prizes! To celebrate 2009 I am running a New Year Photo Competition and there are four prizes to be won! The theme is “New Year Garden Guests” where you must submit a photograph of any wild creature(s) [not pets)] which could be animals, birds, amphibians, reptiles or insects in your garden in their natural habitat.

Subscribers’ COMPETITION The Prizes! 1st Prize A Premium hardback book containing a selection of high resolution photographs by Lesley Smitheringale which your coffee table will be proud to display. Additional Details: This book is A4 in size (21 x 29.5cm) and contains 46 full colour pages with 120 gorgeous Australian flora and fauna photographs.

CLOSING DATE: Sunday 29th March 2009

2nd Prize

RULES    

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An 8 x 10” high resolution print which is matted and Only 1 photograph may be submitted per person backed with foam board. Frame size is 11 x 14”. Signed You must be an amateur photographer (sorry pros) and dated by Lesley Smitheringale. A selection of prints The photograph must be a jpeg and no larger than 800 is available to choose from. pixels on the largest size (Larger entries will be rejected) Entries must be of wild creatures and must be a 3rd Prize photograph you have taken in 2009 so get out there and take some new photos A 5 x 7” high resolution Only minimal Photoshop processing is allowed such as print which is matted and auto levels, colour, contrast, sharpness but no other post backed with foam board. processing techniques or filters please Frame size is 8 x 10”. Signed You must be able to identify the creature you have taken and dated by Lesley the photograph of so do some research if you’re not sure Smitheringale. A selection (Please add this information when you submit your photograph to the competition) of prints is available to The photograph can be shot using any lens including a choose from. macro or telephoto and can be in colour or black and white (your choice) People’s Choice Prize The photograph must show the wild creature(s) in a natural setting in your garden so no set up studio shots A Greeting Card, key ring and please. fridge magnet for the most Do not add frames to your photographs but you may popular photograph as voted watermark them if you wish as I will be displaying the by readers and subscribers. accepted entries on my website and in newsletters.

IN ORDER TO ENTER THIS COMPETITION you must have purchased at least one eZine, be a subscriber of this eZine, (4 eZines in a Year) or a subscriber of Lesley Smitheringale Fine Art Newsletter - just look for the chimpanzee, which you can access on the sidebars of my website. Oh, and by signing up for my newsletter you will also get 3 free wallpapers of my nature photographs. There has never been a better time to get your photography noticed, gain recognition and become involved.

Send all entries to lesley@lesley-smitheringale-fine-art.com 65

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CLOSES: 29 MARCH 2009

NATURE’S PAINT BOX Official Ezine

NEWSWORTHY

Some Joy among the Heartache of the Victorian Fires in Australia Wednesday, February 11th, 2009 by Lesley Smitheringale

I would like to offer my sincere condolences and prayers to the families in Victoria, Australia who have been affected by the fires, lost loved ones, their homes and everything they treasured. Australians and the rest of the world cannot begin to come to terms with the enormity of this disaster and I personally find it impossible to imagine what it would be like to be left with nothing apart from the clothes you are wearing. Everyone is shocked and grieving but like true “Aussies”, the nation has acted by fund raising like crazy, in any shape or form to help these poor, now homeless people who must be completely shattered. My College has stepped in by fund raising as well and if we can all chip in and financially help these fire victims in any shape or form then it is a good thing. Unfortunately, we cannot even begin to mend the emotional trauma some families are experiencing. Perhaps putting the “alleged” serial arsonists behind bars will be a start… I certainly do not intend, for a second, to place the welfare of wildlife as being more important in this article than the life and rehabilitation of a person but it is only intended as a bit of light relief and a tiny glimmer of hope in the whole scheme of this horrendous devastation to both human and wildlife welfare. I sincerely hope that this article will be viewed in this light.

Bellerine the possum in good hands

The koala (above) wandered in to a family’s home in desperate need of water and he ended up actually sitting in the bucket – just gorgeous!

Sam the fortunate koala 66

| Nature’s Paint Box eZine

This image on the left has engaged the nation of wildlife lovers because a totally, wild and traumatised young koala, nick named Sam, entrusts a volunteer fireman to give her water and she is resting her paw on the fireman’s hand which is quite extraordinary for a wild animal. This image epitomises the Australian icon of the koala as being vulnerable in the fires and totally loved by all Australians to the point where we would do anything to help and save this dearly loved marsupial. In other circumstances, this same koala, would be lashing out in fear at the fireman with her very sharp claws. That’s why this scene is so very special and heart wrenching.