ARTS ZINE MAY 2024

t u d i o L A P R I M I T I V E

arts zine issue 56 may 2024

L E N N B R A D Y

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glenn_brady_art/?hl=en page 24

https://www.instagram.com/xavierginibilane/

XAVIER LANE

slp studio la primitive CONTRIBUTORS

Josh Lord

Glenn Brady

George Gittoes

Sandra Lalopoulos

Xavier Lane

Lisa Wiseman

Maggie Hall

SEIGAR

Brad Evans

Reese North

Peter J Brown

Stephen Hobbs

Judy Henry

Janet Steele

ADFAS Newcastle

Eric Werkhoven

Robyn Werkhoven

Helene Leane

Art Systems Wickham

Timeless Textiles

Barbara Nanshe

Newcastle Potters Gallery

Straitjacket Gallery

Gresford Community Gallery

Dungog by Design

Studio La Primitive

CULT VASE Ceramic and glaze H22 X W12 cm.

Red Serrata, Collagraph Print, Judy Henry.

EDITORIAL

Greetings to ARTS ZINE readers, this is our May issue 56 for 2024.

The May issue includes a great collection of engaging and intense artists, photographers and writers.

Australian Contemporary iconic artist Josh Lord influenced by cultural movements and art genres including Pop Art, Dada and Surrealism. Lord says of his work –“They reflect the struggles, triumphs, and ambiguities that are part of the human experience, and they are an invitation to the viewer to reflect on their own lives and experiences.”

Artist Glenn Brady portrays everything from joyful scenic landscapes to decaying cities. A prolific artist, his subjects are from everyday life, the streets, and the people around him, to politics. Conjuring moods of dark and eerie scenes or whimsical chaos.

Renowned artist and award-winning film maker George Gittoes presents a delightful and heart felt article The Girls of the Village from the Yellow House in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

Newcastle Emerging artist Xavier Lane court the eye of ARTS ZINE with her raw and dynamic paintings and ceramics.

Artist Sandra Lalopoulos presently lives in rural Dungog NSW. The feature tells about her creative journey, the love of capturing the Greek and Australian landscape. And more recently Sandra’s exploration in to portraiture.

Lisa Wiseman from Dungog NSW (a Mecca for the Arts), a passionate artist and talented singer and multi- instrumentalist tells us her story of art and music.

Artist and poet Maggie Hall features a surreal and fantastical piece Enigma.

International Spanish artist and photographer SEIGAR includes a series of photos – Tales of Cyprus.

Don’t miss out reading new works by resident poets Brad Evans, Reese North, Peter J Brown and Eric Werkhoven.

ART NEWS and information on forthcoming art exhibitions.

Submissions welcomed, we would love to have your words and art works in future editions in 2024.

Deadline for articles 15th June for July issue 57, 2024.

Email: werkhovenr@bigpond.com

Regards - your editor Robyn Werkhoven

JOSH LORD

JOSH LORD

Australian Contemporary iconic artist Josh Lord started his career after High School designing artwork on skateboards which would later come full circle when he started designing for ex Powell Peralta team member Steve Steadham and Disagree Skateboards. In 1992 his work began to be published in magazines in Melbourne, Australia.

Lord’s latest exhibition We all want something beautiful, was held in February - March 2024 at Compendium Gallery, Armidale, Melbourne, Australia. https://www.compendiumgallery.com/

“I am a painter who explores the theme of human identity in a future modern city. My work is a mixture of abstraction and representation, and it is an exploration of the relationship between form, colour, and deconstruction. I work primarily with acrylic on board, using a process of building up layers and then scraping back to create a textured surface of my paintings. My goal is to create a sense of depth and complexity and to invite the viewer to look beneath the surface of my work to discover the layers that are hidden there. My own experiences travelling the world inspire my paintings. They reflect the struggles, triumphs, and ambiguities that are part of the human experience, and they are an invitation to the viewer to reflect on their own lives and experiences.” - Josh Lord.

“Lord's layered motifs and fractured juxtaposition of his subjects give his work a pleasantly confronting and gritty vibe.” Compendium Gallery 2024.

Page 12: It’s the beginning of a new age H200 x W120cm. Acrylic and spray paint on board. Josh Lord 2024.

Right: Analog World Attack H100 x W81cm. Acrylic and spray paint on board. Josh Lord 2024.

We are divine H200 x W240cm.

Acrylic and spray paint on board.

Josh Lord 2024.

JOSH LORD - INTERVIEW

Where did you grow up and education?

I grew up on the Mornington Peninsula mainly Mornington and Tyabb. My art education started very early, my mother and I would make collages together based of the Dadaist, by the time I started secondary school I was pulled out of my art class and put into higher levels.

What attracted you to the world of Art?

What attracted me to the world of art, I think because you are able to be an individual, you’re able to make something that is you.

When did your artistic passion begin?

That would have been childhood, first my mother when I was very young, we would make collages together prior to starting school. Then my childhood friend Matthew and I would do drawing and make films together.

Have you always wanted to be an artist?

Yes, I think that’s because I wasn’t very good at other things or I didn’t find other things interesting.

Describe your work?

I find it hard to describe as it is a visual thing, but I guess it would go under Decollage, Combine or Deconstruction, but I could be wrong.

What is the philosophy behind your work?

Future, the kind of things we forget and one day stumble across them and have a sense of nostalgia. A future we never got to live.

Do you have a set method / routine of working?

Well I get up very early and work until late and have a lot of coffee in between HA!

Why do you choose this material / medium to work with?

I use acrylic house paint because its easy for me to use and it dries fast .

How important is drawing as an element to your artwork?

It is and it isn’t, its really a means to an end.

What inspires your work / creations?

There are many things, its really hard to say one thing, it could be an idea, or a conversion and it sets off an idea.

What have been the major influences on your work?

fiction

Science

Right: How Much for the City H200 x W103cm. Acrylic and spray paint on board, Polyurethane skull and video monitors and light. Josh Lord 2024.

What are some of your favourite artworks and artists? Artworks?

Oh there are a lot, getting to travel around the world I’ve been very privileged to see so much amazing art and to point out which ones are my favourites is very hard. Artists, well my top favourite artist would have to be Robert Rauschenberg, Wolf Vostell, John Frederick Peto, Raymond Hains, Anselm Kiefer, Barbara Kruger, Takashi Murakami, Jenny Holzer and John Brack to name a few, but there are some many more.

Any particular style or period that appeals?

Not really

What are the challenges in becoming an exhibiting artist?

Arrr having enough work and a good relationship with the gallery.

Name your greatest achievement, exhibitions?

There have been a lot of them, but the one that sticks in my memory is getting a phone call by the then owner and later chairman of McDonalds

Daniel Ng requesting a meeting with me to discuss and commission a painting for Mc Donald House which was originally meant for Melbourne but later he changed it to Hong Kong.

Right: Tales from a deleted city, held at OneStar Gallery North Melbourne 2022.

How has the COVID 19 Virus affected your art practise?

Oh, my studio is out the back of my house, so it wasn’t that bad. What are you working on at present?

A body of would for next year 2025, I have no title for the exhibition or date, but it will be held at Compendium Gallery in Armadale, Melbourne.

What do you hope viewers of your art works will feel and take with them?

To be honest I really haven’t thought about that, I hope they like what I do and don’t walk away saying there’s a couple of hours I won’t get back.

Your future aspirations with your art?

To keep on developing and finding new ways to create or express.

- Josh Lord © 2024.

Right: Midnight on Mars H74 x W42.5 cm. Acrylic and spray paint on board, Polyurethane skull. Josh Lord 2024.

Across the Universe

H160 xW160 cm.

Acrylic and spray paint on board, Polyurethane skull. Josh Lord 2024.

G A L L E R Y J O S H L O R D

Page 22: My Egypt

H40 x W40 cm. Acrylic and spray paint on board, Josh Lord .

Right: That was then, this is now Acrylic on board

H43 x W43 cm. ( hand painted) Josh Lord.

We all want something beautiful held at Compendium Gallery High St Armadale, Victoria 2024.

Phase 3 Bside gallery Josh Lord 2021.

Battle cries and champagne hanging in the home of Colin Hyett Mornington, Victoria.

Tales from a deleted city held at OneStar Gallery North Melbourne 2022.

Artist series Skateboards with Disagree, Sweden. Josh Lord.

It’s just a beautiful memory

H200 x W120 cm.

Acrylic and spray paint on board. Josh Lord 2024.

https://www.instagram.com/joshlordart/

https://www.facebook.com/JoshLordartist

Portrait of Josh Lord by Matthew Ellery.

Getting to the bottom of it all.

After a game of Scrabble, after it all seems useless to protest, hardened by a sense of futility, we will make a toast to the future.

I have been up awhile and wasted about one hour catching up with the News.

So many hypothetical possibilities of the threats, to impose more austerity measures.

Something of an unstoppable sequence of events serve as a reminder. And yes, many of the situations are in dire conflict, to shudder in disbelief at the many new safety features, the new work policies.

It goes to show, not much has changed we are fed propaganda, to try to remember it by heart. Concerned our mind is under quite a lot of pressure, and a lot remains unsaid. So much for getting to the bottom of it all.

So much for spending all those years on a course that will be made redundant. Learn, educate, learn, so goes the mantra of our deep learning curve. Never too old to do just that and sign in for a refresher course.

Which is not compulsory once you (we) have been properly drilled and inducted.

I had to think, that safety is paramount, and the stats say we are getting older, to live longer than forty or fifty years, because the medical profession and health care system, care for our wellbeing. (They will finally get their money back.)

The hope prevails that euthanasia will be an accepted force to be reckoned with. We pray for an easy way out, salvation and relief of suffering.

A clearer, mindful objective for homo sapiens to secure prominence in the holistic. Eric Werkhoven© 2024.

GEORGE GITTOES

THE GIRLS OF THE VILLAGE YELLOW HOUSE JALALABAD

THE GIRLS OF THE VILLAGE YELLOW HOUSE JALALABAD

George Gittoes

Hellen and my six-month long experiment to see if we could re-establish the Yellow House under the Taliban Government was a success. We now have two Yellow Houses in Afghanistan. One is the tribal Yellow House outside the city which I purchased in 2022 and the other, which we are renting in the City and hope to buy.

When I bought the Tribal Yellow House building in 2022, I had been advised that it was too dangerous to have a Yellow House in the city as we had done since 2011 because we would be targeted by Islamic State Daesh terrorists. That danger has passed now that Taliban forces have forced them well outside of the city.

Our aim to prove art and empathic communication can win where 20 years of war have failed, is achieved. Hellen and I are back in Australia to support our Ukraine Guernica Exhibition at Hazlehurst followed by Deakin University Gallery, Melbourne. We will return to Jalalabad in July.

The community that surrounds the Tribal Yellow House are rural and indigenous. The Taliban are not permitted into the tribal areas and have no influence. Girls mix freely and play with boys without the cultural restraints children face in the city. When they reach puberty, the girls must cover up and create distance from boys but not as completely as in the city. The local school has inspiring and dedicated teachers. Many of the children have learnt some basic English.

Hellen and I enjoy giving workshops for these village kids and their enthusiasm is boundless. The parents trust us and support the Yellow House to the max.

In the last weeks I began doing portraits of the girls. I was always surrounded by a crowd waiting for their turn to be drawn. They were happy to stay still in a chosen pose until I had finished. I doubt whether kids in Australia would be able to remain undistracted for more than a few minutes.

I hope that my 12 drawings tell the story of these girls, their hopes, and fears, better than I can do with words. I’ve used ancient, carved wooden, Afghan stamps in the backgrounds surrounding the portraits. They symbolise the way the girls are caught in the net of this culture and how as they grow older the culture makes them less and less visible to the world. All the girls have ambitions to continue their education on to university and become engineers, doctors, and teachers. We filmed interviews with them about these dreams for the future. I tried to interpret what they told me by using an abstract symbolism when choosing and applying the stamps.

George Gittoes with children at the Yellow House. Photo courtesy of George Gittoes.

The advantage of the two Yellow Houses for the girls is that it enables them to visit us in the city, something they can rarely do. This opens doorways to possibilities not accessible in the villages. They can see how education can enable them to have careers away from the harsh rural work and hardships their mothers and countless generations of tribal people have known.

Each girl I drew went away with a smaller sketch I made for them to keep.

- George Gittoes © 2024

George Gittoes drawing portrait of a village girl at Yellow House, Jalalabad.

Photo courtesy of artist.

A L L E R Y D R A W I N G S

Girls with Hellen Rose at the tribal village Yellow House Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of George Gittoes.

Girls with Hellen Rose at the tribal village Yellow House Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of George Gittoes.

Girls with George Gittoes at the tribal village Yellow House Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of George Gittoes.

GEORGE GITTOES

George Gittoes is a celebrated Australian artist, an internationally acclaimed film producer, director and writer.

Gittoes’ work has consistently expressed his social, political and humanitarian concern and the effects of injustice and conflict"I believe there is a role for contemporary art to challenge, rather than entertain. My work is confronting humanity with the darker side of itself."

As an artist Gittoes has received critical acclaim including the Blake Prize for Religious Art (Twice) and Wynn Prize. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of NSW. His films have won many International Awards and in 2015 he was bestowed the Sydney Peace Prize, in recognition of his life’s work in contributing to the peace-making process.

George Gittoes with Angel stencil, at Hazelhurst Gallery NSW. Photo courtesy of artist.

B

R A D E V A N S

In your year, you knew who they were. Sometimes it took a while to figure them out, at other times it took no time at alljust one look & you could see something wasn't quite right.

Certain types found themselves repulsed by them, others were indifferent, and then there were those handfuls who were drawn to them like flies to dogshit. I sometimes wondered how they got thereA family - abusive or non-existent?

Or minds built purposefully for disorder?

With time, some of them got through it, settled down, became upstanding citizens. While the others bequeathed to our memories unique trails of fire . . . signatures sometimes brilliant, sometimes bloody, always brief.

- Brad Evans © 2024.

later, that afternoon

They pulled her out of the rubble with their bare handsa child of 6 who’d been asleep in her bed, who had once lived on that strip of land where the bulldozers died …

He carried her along what was once that street where they both shared after-school giggles with dreams of ice cream on dribbled chins.

One by one the mourners left him

When they lifted her up she was quickly covered with a veil of dignity but in between sobs, the father found words and removed the veil: ‘I will not hide the face of a martyr!’

One by one the mourners left him as he carried her late into the afternoon until he came to the sea, lay her down on the sand and finished the story he had begun the night before. - Brad Evans © 2024.

the fate of the bougainvillea

It was while teaching an Improve Your English class, when a student asked me what the word 'bougainvillea' meant; and that’s when I thought of you, dad... remembering back to when I was a teenager, witnessing that ongoing campaign between yourself and mumyou wanting to be rid of it entirely while mum insisting it remain there on the fence –some kind of a floral showpiece for the pool area. And what a showpiece!

It seemed like every summer that bougainvillea somehow crept further along the fence and back into the conversation with its thick and thorny coils penetrating verbs and wire fencing.

Sometimes, mum would relent and you would happily start cutting it back with shears & hacksaws. At other times she held her ground, that’s when it came back with a vengeance: twisting fiercely through the wire fence like some flowery python.

One day, when you were at work, I traced my fingers carefully along the bougainvillea, from its outlying tips to the thick, anchored sourceits tormented tendrils bearing the scars and amputation stumps - a botanical rendering of nuptial relations from all those past summers… having you in that class to explain to that student what 'bougainvillea' meant to you, with that tone of disgust in your voice would've been priceless.

And I don’t recall the fate of the bougainvillea.

Just as you guys packed up to move north and inter-state, I’d been accepted at uni and headed south and we went our separate ways.

- Brad Evans © 2024.

GLENN BRADY

GLENN BRADY

From Brisbane artist Glenn Brady is a self - taught painter who portrays everything from joyful scenic landscapes to decaying cities. An incredible prolific artist, his subjects are from everyday life, the streets, and the people around him, to politics. Conjuring moods of dark and eerie scenes or whimsical chaos.

“Glenn Brady is an old punk rocker who brings the punk ethos to his paintings. Punk has the attitude of just go out and do it, and to choose subjects that are key ordinary life.” (Henderson Gallery)

“I just paint as much as I can, a couple of times a week I’ll see something, or something will pop into my head that I want to paint, sometimes from years and years ago. I get a lot of colours from watching the sky at different times of the day, from this I can then shape the rest of the painting around those colours, I watch a lot shapes of things....my heart soars when I paint I can punch teachers and priests and endless politicians, and 41 years of TV sitcoms, horror news, wars and bullshit, square in the face and not be kicked out and beaten by bouncers! I can stick my hands up and yell anything that I want. Try to 'unlearn all the things I’ve been told from childhood onwards about life and death and how to be and make my own version of what I believe my own small world”. – Glenn Brady.

Page 50: Isolation Acrylics / pastel Glenn Brady.

Right: The Australian Soldier H103 x W76 cm. Acrylics / pastels, Glenn Brady.

GLENN BRADY

I started painting when I was twelve in 1978. I was in grade five and a new teacher arrived and showed us poetry of Australian poets Henry Lawson and Banjo Patterson.

I loved reading and got right into their prose which, was so very Australian the landscapes and outback.

I lived in a sort of nowhere working-class suburb, on the north side of Brisbane (Australia).

Just generic rows of houses then a great big industrial estate by the railway.

So, on my twelfth birthday my mum gave me two books of the poetry of Henry and Banjo.

But it was filled with paintings of an artist ‘Pro Hart' who lived way out west near the desert.

And as soon as I saw his work something changed in a split second.

His paintings are so bright the cobalt skies and raw sienna grounds.

From that moment I knew what I wanted to do with my life and that was to paint.

So I started and after about a year I could paint in Pro’s style.

But I wanted to paint where I was from.

From rows and rows of wooden houses...the railyards with rusting old factories and machinery.

I started to look at things differently and see things to paint everywhere.

Page 52: Angel Falling H70 x W90cm. Glenn Brady.

I'd never been outback; I was a just an Aussie schoolkid who played footy and baseball and cricket.

Nothing else ever (and still doesn’t) interests me, except music. It was painting or nothing.

So at the age of sixteen I stopped. I hadn't been able to paint my surroundings.

I left home and school at sixteen and tried twice to get into art college and was refused.

And that pissed me off.

But I was young, music was happening everywhere, and I got right into the Brisbane punk scene.

Joined a band, moved around, drank a lot, and had fun.

But painting was always there waiting. As was depression and alcohol abuse.

I went too far with drugs and ended up with psychosis and terrible anxiety.

I could hardly go outside unless I was drinking.

Forty years later it’s still here...comes and goes.

I wasn't ready, yet.

I just try to be as honest as I can.

Paint my life and others around me...both good and bad, sad or happy.

Page 55: Blue Tongue Lizard H70 x W90cm. Glenn Brady.

I want to show that a kid from nowhere can make art just as good and interesting than anyone who has studied.

I have never cared much for the art 'scene' and all the so called 'art capitols' like Paris, Berlin and New York.

Doesn’t mean anything to me....

Art is being both involved in life and not..

Observation or involvement.

Both...

I tried to reimagine my day-to-day life and what I see and do.

It’s quite a thing when you start seeing paintings to do everywhere.

Be it’s when out walking, or on the train ....or doing the dishes.

Everything can do it...

Heart and mind are both awaken to everything.

But this also has a downside when you can’t help see sadness as well in your trails and it can and will take its toll.

You yell I love life!

But it can hurt like hell.

- Glenn Brady © 2024.

Page 57: Blue Wallabies H70 x W 90cm. Glenn Brady.

G A L L E R Y G L E N N B R A D Y

Black Water Creek H60 x W40 cm. Acrylic / pastels, Glenn Brady.

Boys at the Christian School H70 x W90 cm. Acrylic / pastel, Glenn Brady.

Australia 2019 H70 x W90 cm. Acrylic / pastel, Glenn Brady.

Australian Man Confused in 2019, H70 x W90 cm. Acrylic/pastel, Glenn Brady.

AWAY! H70 xW90 cm. Acrylic / pastels, Glenn Brady.

After the Battle H70 x W90 cm. Acrylic / pastels, Glenn Brady.

Beast H70 x W90 cm. Acrylic / pastels, Glenn Brady.

Cat and the Endangered Birds H70 x W90 cm. Acrylic/pastels, Glenn Brady.

G L E N N

B R A D Y

Sewer Nymphs

H90 x W70 cm.

Acrylics / pastels

Glenn Brady.

Bent H40 x W60 cm. Acrylic / pastels, Glenn Brady.

Fallen Tree H103 x W70 cm. Acrylic / pastels, Glenn Brady.

Acrylic / pastels, Glenn Brady.

Home Made Trees H76 x W 103 cm. Acrylics / pastels, Glenn Brady.

Dead Machinery H40 x W70 cm. Acrylic /pastels, Glenn Brady.

Children H40 x W70 cm. Acrylic / pastels, Glenn Brady.

Psyche Ward Birthday

Acrylic / pastels Glenn Brady.

In the Bar

Acrylic / pastels

Glenn Brady.

Back Yard H40 x W60 cm. Acrylic / pastels, Glenn Brady.

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/glenn_brady_art/?hl=en

The Children Who Lost Their Faces

On a TV

the boy whose face was burnt off in Lebanon spoke of devoting his life to peace I saw him live at the opening of a monastery, his face encased in a mask. What broods there? What moods breed?

In a café, I drink with an ancient Bohemian, venerable friend, who saw Hiroshima in ashes. Though I make an effort not to pick his brains, out of the blue he explains:

“The Japanese are fatalists. They adapted to defeat. They have an expression, shikata ga nai, meaning ‘It does not matter’.

I went to the island where they kept the survivors of Hiroshima. I saw a girl with half her face melted away. They used to call them the Hiroshima Maidens. When they went to America for plastic surgery Journalists chased them all over the country.”

Behind his ironic mask

I saw the boy who stole a boat and got caught, sent to a Boys’ Home, into the army, off to Japan.

I see his father, a farmer, sitting behind a machine-gun at Villers Brettoneux, breaking to Ludendorff Push, he and his mates paid in marmalade to go over the top. I’m afraid I see lampshades made of human skin and cities fire-bombed; the French using tear gas at Neuve Chappelle and 17,000 men firing off a quarter million tons of mustard gas during World War I. Five times more effective by weight than shot or shell. At Neuve Chappelle in the moonlight I see Hell.

I see the grave of a POW in a Newcastle park, died of something unrecorded in 1945. And a girl in a madhouse, acid casualty, institutionalized.

- Peter J Brown © 2024.

SANDRA LALOPOULOS

SANDRA LALOPOULOS

Artist Sandra Lalopoulos presently lives and works in rural Dungog, NSW Australia.

After attending East Sydney Technical College, National Art School at Darlinghurst, she travelled extensively overseas living in London for two years then Athens, Greece for eight years.

Her love of the Mediterranean light and the everyday lifestyle of the villages throughout Greece is reflected in the works presented in the following pages.

Where possible Sandra travels throughout Australia, here the brush finds everyday life scenes and the landscape fascinating and inspirational.

In the recent ten years Sandra has had a keen interest in portraiture. Her work was selected three times for the Portia Geach Memorial Award for Portraiture held yearly in Sydney, Australia.

Page 78: After the Rain Uluru Oil on Canvas, H61 xW95 cm.

Right: Red Rock Oil on Canvas H77 x W61 cm. Sandra Lalopoulos.

Canola Field Oil on Canvas W125 x H92cm. Sandra Lalopoulos.

SANDRA LALOPOULOS - INTERVIEW

Where did you grow up and education ?

I was born and educated in Sydney. After the Higher School Certificate, I was accepted into the National Art School.

I now reside in the Lower Hunter.

What attracted me to the world of Art?

My passion started around seven years old. I would draw all the time with encouragement from my talented grandmother. She entered my drawings into every competition she could find.

Have you always wanted to be an artist?

Apart from drawing, as I grew older I loved architecture and all forms of design and textile. It was a difficult decision as to whether I would seek entry to the National Art School or Sydney University Architecture Degree.

Describe your work?

My work is based on colour, atmospheric tone and most importantly light. The subject matter and style can vary quite a lot. I like the challenge of different subjects.

What is the philosophy behind your work?

My philosophy is to produce paintings whereby observers can be transported into some sort of story, e.g. where is this depicted; where does that road lead; what time of day is it and to feel the texture of the oil paint on the canvas and once again, experience the light.

Do you have a set method / routine of working?

Once upon a time, prior to travelling overseas, settling in Greece and having a family, I did have a routine. This change in lifestyle made work practices rather difficult. Any parent can attest to this situation!

My routine, now that I have more time in my day, is usually working on several paintings at the one time because oils dry so slowly. Sometimes this can disrupt the flow of the subject unfortunately. I have no set studio hours.

Why do you choose this material / medium to work with?

I love oil it is so sculptural, luscious and tactile.

How important is drawing as an element to your artwork?

Drawing is paramount!

I spent hours and hours drawing drapes at Art School, which at the time I thought was a tad boring but I thank those classes. Without understanding drawing, I would be lost within large oil canvasses. What inspires your work / creations?

My main inspiration is light and form, particularly with a subject matter that really ‘sings’ to me.

What have been the major influences on your work?

Light is my main influence. This plus form is so inspirational. It controls my paintings.

What are some of your favourite artworks and artists?

My favourite artists are Lucian Freud and Egon Schiele.

All their work is inspiring, the subject matter, the excellent paint application, colour, form and masterly creative drawing.

Marsh Oil on Canvas W95 x H61cm. Sandra Lalopoulos.

Any particular style or period that appeals?

I am drawn to the human form and portraiture, with a personality inference. The last decade I have concentrated on portraits. The interaction with subjects and personalities I find fascinating.

What are the challenges in becoming an exhibiting artist?

The challenge of an exhibiting artist is mainly time. It all sometimes does not run to schedule in a creative mode. There is a lot of pressure which is just not seen by the observer. It is not just painting, the list is enormous to actually get your painting on the wall and still be true to your creativity.

Name your greatest achievement, exhibitions?

I am most proud that I have been a three time finalist in the Portia Geach Memorial Portrait Prize.

How has the COVID 19 Virus affected your art practise?

As I do mostly portraiture, being in lockdown did make things awfully difficult and I was not inspired really. I have to be in situ. I am now back to my travels overseas and Australia and am finding a renewed enthusiasm. Travel and observation are so important to my work and Invigorates my painting process. I do a lot of sketching and photo graphing for subject inspiration.

The Art of Bonsai Oil on canvas H120 x W88 cm. Sandra Lalopoulos.

What are you working on at present?

At present I am painting an oil portrait commission.

What do you hope viewers of your art works will feel and take with them?

A feeling of wanting to travel within the painting.

To feel the atmosphere.

Your future aspirations with your art?

To hone the skill of portraiture and in particular to portray the personality of my sitters. To try new methods within this genre.

Forthcoming exhibitions?

There are no exhibitions at the moment. Commitments to portraiture have taken priority. - Sandra Lalopoulos 2024.

Suzannah Oil on canvas H95 x W61cm. Sandra Lalopoulos.

A L L E R Y S A N D R A L A L O P O U L O S

Page 66: Stepping Stones

Oil on Canvas

H100 x W100cm.

Sandra Lalopoulos

Left: Lagoon Inlet

H35 x W35 cm.

Sandra Lalopoulos

Cambodian Water Garden Oil on Canvas H78 x W78 cm. Sandra Lalopoulos.

Santorini Baskets

Oil on Canvas H78 x W78 cm. Sandra Lalopoulos.

Alexander McKenzie Oil on canvas H78 x W100 cm. Finalist in the Portia Geach Memorial Portrait Award 2018. Sandra Lalopoulos.

Jack Oil on canvas W120 x H88 cm. Sandra Lalopoulos.

Approaching Winter Oil on Canvas H35 x W35 cm. Sandra Lalopoulos.

Last Rays Dungog Hills Oil on Canvas W89 x H59 cm. Sandra Lalopoulos.

Jug and Gerbera Oil on Canvas H35 x W35 cm. Sandra Lalopoulos. Michelle’s Pears Oil on Canvas H 35 x W35 cm. Sandra Lalopoulos.

Saki Oil on Canvas H12 x W12 Sandra Lalopoulos.

Apple Study Oil on Canvas H13 x W13 Sandra Lalopoulos.

Peter Oil on canvas H100 x W78 cm. Sandra Lalopoulos.

Brian Keane Oil on canvas H100 x W78 cm.

Finalist in the Portia Geach Memorial Portrait Award 2013. Sandra Lalopoulos.

Ilsa Konrad Oil on canvas, H x W cm. Finalist in the Portia Geach Memorial Portrait Award 2016. Sandra Lalopoulos.

ACTS OF KINDNESS:

My experiences as a nurse began in Ward 4 — what the Seniors called The Monsters’ Ward. I got the drift when I saw an appalling mass of deformed humanity writhing, and struggling to move and breathe.

“I never knew this could happen to a human being.”

I said to Joyce, the Charge Nurse.

“Well you’d better get used to it young man,” she replied.

I felt diminished by her tone.

I’d guessed my mettle was being tested when I was given Chucky for Primary Care.

Chucky had been neatly packaged by nature to fit into his Mother’s womb. His legs were folded up until his knees stuck to his chest. His arms were curled till the backs of his knuckles pressed against his shoulders.

And the eyes. My God the eyes.

They were large brown pools and if it weren’t for the rest of him you’d swear he was in a state of grace. There was a purity in them: a depth beyond my comprehension.

When I was alone with Chucky I tried to straighten him out. It was like trying to iron ripples out of a river. His body was frozen tight.

Chucky’s fate had been sealed at the moment of conception. He was ordained never to grow beyond the form he took inside his Mother’s dark chamber.

This was no nursery for happy families. It was the Inferno of the cursed. Small kindnesses did nothing to alleviate the terrible suffering clearly articulated by screams of anguish, and physical pain from the gummy mouths of our charges. R E E S E N O R T H

The gallows humour of senior staff, such as:

“These useless skin-bags would make good book ends or door stoppers”, left me confused and queasy.

My working days caring for Chucky turned into weeks but the first words spoken to me by the Charge Nurse: “Well you’d better get used to it young man” still rang in my ears.

One rainy morning Joyce prepared the body of a short-lived boy who’d died from a seizure during the night. She carried his remains to the bathroom as any Mother would carry her own. She gently washed and padded dry his twisted limbs; the whole time she sang a prayer of comfort to his departing soul. She then placed his body in a cardboard coffin, and laid a dark red rose upon his chest. Ward 4 was silent for the rest of the shift. This was one time none of us ever got “used to it.”

One evening, after putting Chucky to bed, I read his file. I understood his parents need to make him a Ward of the State. My heart opened when I read how his Mother sobbed uncontrollably as she handed over her son, John, and walked away, alone. I wondered at the absence of his father.

I smirked the day I washed and dressed John for Family Day. Nobody ever came to visit any of the wards we looked after. I combed his hair and playfully experimented with different hairstyles. A part in the middle followed by a bikie brush back made him look handsome. I smiled to myself at the momentary change in his appearance. It made me think of what he might have been under different stars. When I looked into the pool of his dark eyes I was shaken by a look of unadulterated love.

When I entered the afternoon tea-room, Beryl, a senior nurse, looked up from her cupcake, and asked:

“Have you straightened out Chucky yet?”

“His name is John, and he is a person Beryl!”

The rest of the staff looked up at me and to my delight their faces were soft with kindness.

“Of course he is.” Beryl replied as she handed me a cupcake.

- Reese North © 2024.

‘What Devils Do’

7th October 2023 after a violent nightmare mixed with images & sounds of crumbling buildings & screaming children, I wake to the blinding flash of lightning at 5am, followed by the roar of thunder & hail pounding my tin roof then silence I drift between worlds & listen to water gurgling in the guttering — an early bird sings light into morning — then up at last at 8am, I wash & dress

then riffle through an essay written by Susan Grujevski about the role racism played in the Holocaust*

I’ve decided to read it in the university garden, then pay a visit to my old supervisor.

A quick coffee in the campus lounge, where everyone is vital & alive with debate, makes me pine for my student days the garden is a silent library — I read salient quotes in Susan’s essay

from Allan Bullock’s reading of ‘Mein Kampf’:

‘The Jew is no longer a human being . . . (a) leering devil invested with infernal powers

. . . into which Hitler projects all that he hates & fears & desires.’** from the coffee shop jukebox

Neil Young’s song Pocahontas, echoes around the campus:

‘They killed us in our teepees And cut our women down They might have left some babies Cry’in on the ground’*** the irony doesn’t escape me —

so I head off to see my old supervisor, who teaches

The History of Violence but I’m cut off by the University’s version of the Town Cryer —

‘HAMAS invades Israel

A thousand dead & hundreds taken hostage!’ And so it begins again.

Walking home in the evening a mother possum with a joey on her back crosses my path — while above Marshall Street a cauldron of bats glide through the light of a red moon.

-- Reese North © 8th April 2024.

Footnotes:

* Super Scripts Volume 3 - 2001, Nationslism & Fascism, Susan Grujevski, pp. 143-161

** from Super Scripts Vol. 3, Bullock, Allan. ‘Hitler A Study in Tyranny.’ Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1962, p.34.

*** Lyrics quoted from the song ‘Pocahontas’, by Neil Young.

E E S E

Here

1. In June

I take the first step of my journey to the top of the mountain the old track is barely visible as I wind my way ever higher.

N O R T H

A deep gorge beckons me to cross an unstable bridge — I look down, the tops of ghost-gums disappear beneath a white blanket of mist earth holds her breath.

2. Winter frost crunches underfoot — icicles cling to the green needles of pine branches thin air burns my cheeks.

I am in the world where rivers begin — below me mountain peaks push through clouds and swirling mistabove a plateau where my shelter is

I struggle against tired limbs and the weight of time.

3. The trail has vanished the only way is up

I recall the Art of Wu Wei and I become as water is — my feet make their own choices shaping their way over or under, through or around every rock and log and gully as I carve my path without pause or resistance or ceremony I am intimate with earth.

A forest of pine trees cuts me off from afternoon light I pass through darkness

to merge with sunshine the plateau is alive with coloured flowers, and the door to my shelter is open.

4. Silence is everywhere a Great presence, breathing — this is where I have always been whether in the noisy streets of cities, or here on top of the world. - Reese North © 2024.

By Reese North

Reese North is a resident poet featured in Studio La Primitive Arts Zine. North's first book is now published and will be launched at the Uniting Church, Hamilton, Newcastle, 5 November, at 1pm. Profits donated to protect the health of disadvantaged Aboriginal children. Direct link

REESE NORTH

Reese North was born 1951 in Newcastle, NSW, Australia. He began writing poetry at an early age and developed his distinctive voice through his adult years. North presently lives and works in Newcastle.

Reese finished his HSC in 1969 and began work as a trainee Psychiatric Nurse. He was very good in this role but his spirit was constrained and so he set up his own gardening business. Following the death of his father in 1974 Reese left Newcastle and began a fifteen-year odyssey around Australia.

Fourteen years were spent living his life with the Aboriginal community, initially with Canberra Tent Embassy (1976-79), leaving behind his former life and becoming completely immersed on Koori culture.

Reese returned home to Newcastle in 1990 and completed an Arts Degree at Newcastle University with majors in History and English Literature. He was awarded a Distinction for his paper on the case of Jimmy Governor and another for his broader consideration of the nature of Aboriginal resistance in the Frontier Wars. During his university years (1995 to 2000) Reese worked as a Literacy and Numeracy Tutor, employed by the Aboriginal Tutorial Assistance Scheme.

Reese represented the Hunter Region at the 1995 Sydney Writers’ Festival, held at the Sydney Opera House, and later his work was visually represented at the Opera House in 2003. He continues to evolve his style.

Excerpt from Introduction of his book ‘What the Land had to say’

“I wrote the following suite to communicate not only the terrible plight First Nation people of Australia have suffered as a consequence of European invasion, but also to inspire in the reader the understanding that none of us exist in isolation to one another. We each need to recognise our interconnectedness and the impact that our actions have on other people, and the necessity to cultivate the indispensable qualities of empathy and compassion in our relationships with each other. Or put simply, just put yourself in the other person’s shoes!

Through the use of metaphor, social realism, narrative poetry and all the other literary devices in my kit-bag as a writer, I invite you, dear readers, to contemplate your role in the community of humanity and to recognise the significance of our interwoven lives.’ - Reese North. © 2023.

XAVIER LANE

XAVIER LANE

Artist Xavier Lane lives and works in Newcastle, Australia.

Lane studied at the Newcastle Art College – Visual Arts Diploma 2018-20.

Exhibiting in Newcastle and Sydney galleries, her work has been selected as a Finalist in the National Emerging Art Prize 2023 and the Hunter Emerging Art Prize 2020/ 24.

“My work represents the process of painting for me, the darkness the unknown which then turns to light through the instinct of mixing colours together is how I have learnt to make sense of the world, the singleness I feel in the privacy of my studio, a reminder that you’re not alone in this practice” - Xavier Lane.

“Xavier's style holds back no punches in mark making, employing the brushes as in interface to articulate her experiences. Xavier chooses to use the marks as a vehicle to express her ideas in paint, using the rawness of colour to create a tension and impact within the artworks”. – Leda Gallery.

Page 106: Scales, Acrylic on canvas, H30 x W30 cm. Xavier Lane.

Right: Scales, Acrylic on canvas, H100 x W147. Xavier Lane.

Hall of Glass

Acrylic on canvas

H30 x W30 cm.

Finalist Hunter Emerging

Artist Prize 2024. Xavier Lane.

What attracted you to the world of Art?

XAVIER LANE - INTERVIEW

Ever since I can remember I was always drawing in my books in school.

When did your artistic passion begin?

Yes, I always knew I was going to be an artist, I was lucky I had adults around me that knew it and encouraged me as a kid.

Describe your work?

My work ranges in many sizes and mediums mostly acrylic on canvas at the moment.

I like to think of my work as loose but intentional.

What is the philosophy behind your work?

Painting is how I have learnt to make sense of the world, it’s how I process and soak in the events and situations around me or in the world.

Do you have a set method / routine of working?

I try to get in the studio most days, I spend a lot of time trying to stay inspired by researching other artists and concepts I’m interested in.

Why do you choose this material / medium to work with?

I find acrylic more organic to work with, I like that the paint dries fast allowing me to move onto the next subject of work rather than oils which I worked with for years.

How important is drawing as an element to your artwork?

Drawing has become the foundation of my work which is funny as I was scared of drawing for a long time.

A Dog Knows, Acrylic on canvas, H158 x W240.cm. Xavier Lane.

What inspires your work / creations?

Mostly other artists, people and situations.

What have been the major influences on your work?

I was lucky to have a great music teacher as a kid after school who taught me the work ethics of practicing an art, my Grandma is very passionate about the arts, as a kid she would take me and my cousins to galleries and the theatre, I had a Steiner education which encouraged me to pursue arts, both my parents are writers and musicians so I guess you could say I’m a product of my environment.

What are some of your favourite artworks and artists?

Joan Mitchell, Tracy Emin, Basquiat, Rose Wylie and Robert Rauschenberg, I don’t really have a favourite piece but the painting that has had the most emotional effect on me would be ‘Waterloo Bridge, London, at Sunset’ by Claud Monet.

Any particular style or period that appeals?

Neo expressionism and the early Abstract Expressionists and Avant Garde.

What are the challenges in becoming an exhibiting artist?

Balancing work and play.

Name your greatest achievement, exhibitions?

Finishing ETHOS IN RED a body of work where I was proud of most of the pieces in the show, I am yet to finish a body of work where I am proud of every piece.

A Spider in the Rocks, an Insect in the Rocks

Acrylic on canvas H30 x W30 cm.

Finalist National Emerging Art Prize 2023. Xavier Lane.

How has the COVID 19 Virus affected your art practise?

I don’t think Covid affected my art practice that much, in fact it gave me the time to take my work more seriously. What are you working on at present?

I am currently experimenting and working towards another body of work.

What do you hope viewers of your art works will feel and take with them?

I hope my works inspire other artists in the way other painters inspire me.

Your future aspirations with your art?

I hope to improve in my practice as much as I can and stay proud of my work. Forthcoming exhibitions?

I don’t have any exhibitions coming up at the moment which is nice.

- Xavier Lane 2024.

Photo of Xavier Lane courtesy of artist.

G A L L E R Y X A V I E R L A N E

Page 114: Reflection in the Creek,

Acrylic on canvas

H155 x W102 cm.

Xavier Lane.

Right: Modern Corinthian in Chequers

Ceramic and glaze

Xavier Lane.

There was something in the water and I saw you

Acrylic on canvas

H101 x W76 cm. Xavier Lane.

Washing an Ancient Memory, Acrylic on canvas, H40 x W51 cm. Xavier Lane.

The God You Think You Are

Acrylic on canvas

H30 x W30 cm.

Xavier Lane.

Stretch Cat Stretch

Acrylic on canvas

H20 x W20 cm. Xavier Lane.

X A V I E R

L A N E

Page 120: If it’s Before or After Death

Ceramic and glaze

H24 x W 15 cm. Xavier Lane.

Right: All Hail Kali Pot Ceramic and Glaze Xavier Lane.

Studio scene

Photo courtesy of artist Xavier Lane

Left: A Chequered Vessel, ceramic and glaze, Xavier Lane

LISA WISEMAN

LISA WISEMAN

Lisa Wiseman is an dynamic artist, singer and multi instrumentalist, living in the beautiful, rural district of Dungog, NSW.

In the mid-eighties Lisa attended Newcastle TAFE (Visual Arts).

Lisa is always passionately involved with creative projects, she has just finished working on a huge project of painting vividly coloured Emus on a water tank, and busy performing in duo Watts Wise around the Hunter Valley NSW.

Lisa is a fourth generation crocheter who enjoys blending traditional and contemporary techniques, producing many unique, quirky, fun loving hats and sculptural pieces.

"The landscape and animals of my home are frequent subjects for paintings and sculptures." - Lisa Wiseman.

Page 124: Eagle, detail from mural by Lisa Wiseman.

Left: Rainbow Octopus hat, mixed medium, Lisa Wiseman.

Lisa Wiseman wearing her Conflagration Cape.

Photo courtesy of artist.

LISA WISEMAN - INTERVIEW

Where did you grow up and education?

Until about age 11, when I started high school, I lived at the south side of Lake Macquarie, at Shingle Splitters Point. Then the family moved to Newcastle. I attended Newcastle TAFE (Visual Arts) in the mid-80’s.

What attracted you to the world of Art?

I have always drawn and painted, from when I was a small child - mainly horses!

When did your artistic passion begin?

I couldn’t give it a date - it’s more something that has always been part of me, rather than something which began.

Have you always wanted to be an artist?

Yes. Describe your work.

It is most often very bright, vivid and either whimsical or a little peculiar. I enjoy colourful, weird and wild.

I paint on all sorts of things. If it stands still long enough, it’s likely to get painted on around here. That has included horses and dogs at times.

Vehicles, trailers, houses, fences, water tanks, clothing, glasses… you name it, I’ll paint on it!

Murals are enormous fun - I love painting on big things!

Subject matter depends on the owners of the murals - different and interesting subjects are a challenge I enjoy.

I also crochet - I learned as a child. As well as crochet sculptures like the Goanna Dragons series, I make fun, functional, wild, whimsical wearable art hats, clothing and other accessories. Things like poseable dinosaur hats that hold Stuff for their wearers (like spectacles or paint brushes). There is also the series of crochet ‘hardhats’ made for the Liddell WORKS Project- hi vis faux fur, hats with pipes, or huge transformer arms… These are called ‘Thinking Caps for Lady Liddell’ - they are fetishes or votive objects, tributes to aspects of the deity of the power station- like the transformer yard, or the turbines.

I occasionally play with mixed media sculpture, printmaking and other techniques and media. What is the philosophy behind your work?

I like to explore interesting solutions to design questions, in my own way. So if, perhaps I needed a beanie it might end up being rainbow coloured, with horns and/or ears as well as being warm.

Do you have a set method/routine of working?

To an extent - I tend to crochet of an evening, watching TV or reading. Colour is super important to me, so I choose colours for yarns, and paint or draw almost always only by daylight. If I’m working on a mural outside, weather and temperatures, dampness, drying times etc. influence when I can work, so I tend to start about 9 or 10am and finish by 3pm. Then I’ll go home and crochet.

Because of the orientation of my home, if I’m painting inside, I get best light of a morning and early afternoon, so prefer to paint indoors then.

I have pretty set routines, which usually involve assembling all the colours I want before I do anything else, whether that be in paint, yarns or other media. And then there are murals, just to throw a spanner in the works- they’re usually outdoors and need to be dry (dew can be an issue till mid morning in some places), fine weather and no extreme temperatures.

Lisa Wiseman working on a V8 1977 F100 Ford Blitz truck. Photos courtesy of artist.

Why do you choose this material/medium to work with?

I work in a quite wide range of media in any scale, from textiles- crochet sculptures, clothing and accessories, painted clothing and accessories, collaborating with my mother Lorraine to produce images which she digitises for machine embroidery- to painting- murals, canvases, house hold items like glasses, tools, or anything which stands still long enough.

I’ve painted vehicles, including a 1939/40 Ford Blitz camper, a bus, caravans, trucks and cars. Other murals are on water tanks and the interiors and exteriors of buildings. Painting garden gnomes amuses me.

Why I work in any particular media may be as simple as I want to give it a try to it being just ‘the’ suitable media for ‘that’ piece- for example putting poseable crochet dinosaur hats on people’s heads is something that needed to be done, and only crochet would do.

I’m also a musician and multi-instrumentalist, currently half of the duo ‘Watts Wise’ with Phil Watts, another local artist. We’re working on bringing unique visual aspects to performance.

How important is drawing as an element to your artwork?

Extremely important. As well as producing the occasional finished drawing for its own sake, I almost always start paintings and mixed media works with preparatory drawings - compositional sketches and snippets of expressions or poses I need to work out - but I usually only do preparatory drawings for large crochet pieces. Having worked out on paper some detail of anatomy like how goanna-dragon leg or wing joints bend really helps when making larger than life 3D critters, for example. I attend drawing groups at Newcastle Society of Artists when I can- never often enough!

What inspires your work/creations?

First and foremost, a love for colour and light, an overdeveloped sense of the ridiculous and passion for whimsy. I live in the foothills of the Barrington Tops, on a property with lots of fabulous forest and animals, and there are so many things here which make me stop and think- from the ever-changing light on the hills, to the often-elegantly-odd things my horses and greyhound do, or photo fungus, fireflies and glow-worms.

I like to make multipurpose items which have visual and tactile appeal, hence my scarts and scoods (hat/scarf/bag and hood/scarf/capelet combos).

Sandi the Handy Dragon Beanie, crochet/mixed media, Lisa Wiseman.

Holly Frog Specs, crochet / mixed media, Lisa Wiseman.

What have been the major influences on your work?

Living where I do continues to influence my work. I’d also have to credit my mother and grandmother with instilling in me a deep respect for the amount of skill and sheer work that goes into some traditional fibre crafts, as well as beautiful fibres themselves. I adore the look and feel of natural luxury fibres, but sometimes I just need the loud colours, fuzziness and washability of synthetics.

My great grandmother produced amazing, fine Irish crochet lacework, some of which still exists, and crochet is a skill which I originally learned from my mother, when quite young.

What are some of your favourite artworks/artists?

Muybridge’s photos of horses in motion, Monet, Stubbs, Norman Lindsay, Thelwell’s cartoons of naughty ponies in the English countryside. Tell me about your love for music and what instruments you play?

I’m a classically trained pianist, having started lessons when very young. I play piano and anything with a keyboard, including pipe organ (love the sheer size of the sound, plus pedalboards are fun) and piano accordion (thanks to Ros for my new one). Guitar, harmonica (diatonic and chromatic) and a few odds and ends like melodica, recorder etc. I have been looking at theremins lately too…

Tell me about your new musical duo – Watts Wise, with Phil Watts.

Watts Wise has come about through Phil and I meeting at a mutual friends’ jams, then deciding to make music together. Phil is a talented singer-songwriter and another multi instrumentalist, as well as an artist, so we’re having fun working on his new songs, arranging them, making recordings and videos and looking at some new and interesting ways of doing that- we’re working on ways to combine musical performances with visual art experiences…

Phil Watts and Lisa Wiseman. Photo courtesy of Watts Wise,

W A T T S W I S E

What are the challenges in becoming an exhibiting artist?

Framing! Framing is just all too often annoying. Seriously, there can be quite a bit of travelling involved in setting up exhibitions when you live in a rural area like Dungog. We do have some great organisations like Dungog Arts Society, which has its own gallery. Gallery on Dowling has also shown my work, and there are other organisations and venues in the town and further around the shire.

Probably I should say just keeping on putting your name down for things, and getting them done well in time is The Challenge. But that could be said for anything, I suppose. Coming up with interesting ways to do whatever it is, and to make sure that you deliver what you promise, on time.

Name your greatest achievement, exhibitions?

I like that the National Library has archived a website I made some years ago. Being part of the Liddell WORKS Project has been great, and

I’m really looking forward to seeing the exhibition with works from all the artists involved. At any time you asked that question, it’s usually whatever I’m working on, or just finished which I’m happiest about, because I’d like to think that my work is improving over time.

How has the COVID 19 Virus affected your art practise?

I can be a bit of a hermit at times, living out of town on a property. So Covid restrictions weren’t as stressful as they might have been for people in other places. I did make a new website and online sales during that period were especially good. During that time I was working on a huge mural in a private home, too, locally, and had plenty of time to play with that, with fewer distractions.

Oh and then there’s the garden… I started making big, raised garden beds in cages constructed from scrap metal, wire and odds and ends like bedframes, gates, screen doors… often inhabited by gnomes and concrete critters. And am still building, planting and growing weird and wonderful vegetables like giant loofas and tiny mouse melons. Strange, living sculptures which are edible or useful.

Page 134; Phil Watts and Lisa Wiseman. Photo courtesy of Watts Wise,

What are you working on at present, with your art and music?

Watts Wise is gradually recording songs and making videos, as well as performing as often as possible. There is also the performance-withvisual-art aspects too. And I’m presently collaborating with Phil on a new song which he’s written lyrics for.

The latest mural is an exciting one- at the Community Courtyard at Muswellbrook. I’m painting bright coloured, fun, life-sized ponies and other animals. It is in progress at the moment.

Another painted guitar strap would be nice- in my spare time. Meanwhile there are a couple of small paintings and a handsaw on the go at home, which I work on in between other things.

Crochet is always something I’m working on. I’m busy of an evening just now, crocheting the tentacles of a giant rainbow squid hat. Marine creatures are fun, as are lighted hats, and one day I will make a lighted angler fish hat.

What do you hope viewers of your art works will feel and take with them?

Firstly, a smile. A lot of what I do is ‘feel good’ stuff. Hats that are soft and snuggly and funny. Quirky pony paintings. Strong, bright contrasting colours.

I do hope that people see/experience my appreciation for colour and light and will look at their own worlds with that in mind. Your future aspirations with your art?

To continue to improve! To paint bigger and better things, and to get around to making myself a new crochet hat and fingerless mittens before winter.

Forthcoming Exhibitions?

Liddell WORKS Project at Muswellbrook and Singleton galleries, opening in June 2024. https://liddell.works/ I have work at Dungog Arts Society, Dowling Street Dungoghave recently had a display of my work in the front windows, with my mother Lorraine. We plan to have another window display later in the year.

I will be drawing Humans as Horses (caricatures) at Scone Horse Week on May 19th at Glenbawn Dam. My work can always be seen online at www.cerublu.com.au _ Lisa Wiseman © 2024.

Flame Fetish Shawl, crochet, Lisa Wiseman. Photo courtesy of artist.

A L L E R Y L I S A W I S E M A N

Page 138: Tiger Mural on van by Lisa Wiseman. Above: Black Cockatoo tank mural, Main Creek NSW. Lisa Wiseman.

Go Anna Dragon, Lifesize crochet winged lizard, Lisa Wiseman.

Dragon, crochet, Lisa Wiseman.

Water Tank Emus Mural Lisa Wiseman.

Shaw's Williams River Bakery at Clarence Town. Mural by Lisa Wiseman.

Bubble Belcher, crochet hat, Lisa Wiseman.

Red Boggle Eye, crochet hat, Lisa Wiseman.

Snarosaurus Dinosaur Beanie, poseable critter handy hat, crochet, Lisa Wiseman.

Sassy the Squid handy tentacled hat, crochet, Lisa Wiseman.

Toothy Fish Hat- Rainbow Stout, crochet, Lisa Wiseman.

Sunburst Scood, hood, scarf, capelet combo, crochet, Lisa Wiseman.

Sid the Squid, crochet squid hat , Lisa Wiseman.

ENIGMA MAGGIE HALL

ENIGMA

Clashing religious philosophies in unknown transformation. The spirit of sky gurus, blessed by three graces, dancing in the rain of recycled cigarette papers. Jumping over Neptune in a game of thrones, not a book, a series of clones.

I am your guru’s guru charmed the snake. The next sentence marks the doorway into a next poem. No lion would sit by toadstool buildings; Open, come in, you are welcome. Please close the door when stepping through the devil’s metaphor, next door. Let it take you through sliding cathedral skies where satellites play tic-tac-toe and masquerade as stars. He loved me once I told him twice while slamming a jammed receiver button on the arsenic room. Droplets of poison stand frozen like ice, liminal seasons pushing through motherboard eyes. Faux musical segments left behind, start with a simple restraint, tie his legs in a Y shape, hold them open on the bed, it’s visually more fun than tying wrists and hooding the head. Seen from space that cannot be-traced, lurking behind a door you cannot sense. The portal leaves without a trace inside toadstool buildings engineered of dust.

Signals telepath typed warnings into a hollow cloud. Crackling shadows anticipate land where tinsel cars are lost in the marmalade fascination. A next sentence types up the angelic smile creation. Did you receive each refraction?

While sitting at a piano mimicking the difference between energy and mass. Motions sail like electric sheep repeating an angel’s voice. Singing trumpets on a grand piano where we meet under dark red velvet swallows. Catching doves while screaming friction. The warning cell bleeds where highlanders meet. Do you remember now?

Shuffling roses cut into stone swim long distance across each mountain. The navigator can be seen holding lead magnets to keep the crossing. In a shroud clasping the sensor she swings the clarity of time listening to voices of a recording. The sandpaper dissolves litmus of nine Spanish skies. Flying spacecrafts repeating time. Blood meridians kiss the wind of cosmic rain, birthing response in rippled skin. Surface organs wrapped in the holy cloud, absorbing actions within and without. Oh, precious beauty, I watch from across the lake while clapping sticks in wooden fury. Disambiguation buys the shroud a drink in heaven. Metal hands eye a rope.

Pull out of the invisible lemon sky as she wraps black skin in a blindfold, careful to cover the bone binding his mouth. Do not assume each limb has been bound, by a knife edged painted fingernail. You need no expensive rope just tease them with toys bought off Amazon, delivered in a truck.

Down at the bottom of the deep blue sea catching fish is 123. Father plays the rhyme while holding a child. Battleships and submarines echo beep outlines of a heartbeat.

I wonder which coloured bin should be put out tonight. Yellow for recycling, green for dead trees, red, everything else. Play your favourite scene from a film unforgotten. Remember, safety first in the conversation.

The star child last seen wearing Earth while catching wind is holding fire where Indian ancestors once buried. Wearing the smoke from a pipe dressed for Halloween, trapped in a single doubled column tie, and forgotten. The dance of 1000 eyes brings on black silk. Saturn sucks the turtle upside down while turning mirrors the right way around; cutting wrists, ankles, knees, elbows; in mid-shoulder painted ekphrastic nails.

.

A letter in blue and the hill with one shoe, a green phone box dressed in orange boots. Eighteen miles reflects in a photograph, seven sewn pylons reach for the sky. Wallpaper behind his bed is in a sleepless night’s dream. Remember to have scissors by the side table, in emergency. Out of nowhere came a black cat in distraction, I am alarmed, pulling the red wagon. Smiling like the Cheshire Cat watching the ice storm under the bridge overpass. Subtitles turning the wheel lost on a map, he plates a beautiful presentation for dinner with five slices. It would be wise to dish up while watching an episode of Master-Chef.

The sweet potato mounts a chicken leg. A sardonic gustation that detests each play. It seems an obvious shape is missing, caught up in conversation with Stockholm Syndrome. Digging gold coins out of silver sand the carrot top floats like bottles lost underground. And to the sparking night’s quarter moon a synopsis avoids each area where nerves run close to surface of skin.

- Maggie Hall © 2024.

TALES OF CYPRUS

S E I G A R

Tales of Cyprus by Seigar.

Artist Statement: The series “Tales” is the way I present my travel and street photography work, and my main intention with these photo narratives is to express the Latin message of Carpe Diem. I think it’s related to waking up, “enjoying life” is essential. “Taking care of ourselves” is part of waking up too. It’s strictly linked to all these ideas. Concerning censorship, cancellation culture, and all that, I think artists need to be brave, fight, and do it! Think about artists like Madonna, who has fought against so many taboos and is still there fighting against the rules and conventions. Artists need to stand up, be brave, and just go for it. If we all do it, the system won’t be able to keep up with this nonsense. I believe individual freedoms must be kept, and they are in our hands. For instance, if any social network censors a type of image or a type of expression and this one doesn’t damage anyone, it’s a matter of us all united to stop it; we are the ones who should decide. I think it’s a matter of time for people to realize that we are the ones who decide. No one authorizes me to create; I authorize myself to do whatever I want. It’s not out; it’s just me. My authority to be free and independent is inside of me; I don’t need to wait for anyone or anything for approval or permission to do what I want to do. I feel I am powerful, and I believe we are all powerful beings that just have to act and do. Throughout art history, many voices have rebelled against the rules, and they changed the path by doing that. I think it is time for contemporary artists to do things and break the rules. Actions are more important than words. There is no point in sharing a message asking for freedom; just be free. Let me tell you this with a metaphor. The metaphor is clear; it’s like a bird inside a cage with the doors completely open. That is how I feel about censorship. I also feel the same about many other situations society is facing these days: the same pattern, a bird that can fly and doesn’t. Why? I think common sense must be above any rule in the system. We can't obey a system when it goes against common sense or individual freedoms, and we cannot wait for its authorization to take care of us and do the best we can for ourselves. You just have to follow your instincts instead of blindly following “what you are supposed to do." Let’s be free and stop begging for our freedom. Life and magic are omnipresent; we only need to open our eyes. In recent years, I've consciously distanced my ego from my heart, focusing on immersing myself in the creative process. My priorities have shifted to living, self-care, and relishing life. These new tales reflect this sweet phase in my life, and I am committed to making it last for a long, long time. In my quest to identify the identity of the places I visit, I found my voice.

- Seigar 2024.

Travel Itinerary in Cyprus

Paphos.

Petra Tou Romiou (Aphrodite's Rock).

Avakas Gorge Hike.

Paphos Downtown, Port and Castle.

Akamas National Park: Sea Caves, Afrodite's baths, Adonis' baths, Blue Lagoon.

Troodos Villages: Lofou, Omodos, Platres (Eat: Trout) - Millomeris Waterfalls (Short Hike). Limassol.

Larnaca (Salty Lake- Flamingos- Mosque) Hala Sultan Tekke.

Ayia Napa - Sculpture Museum.

Greco Cape, Blue Lagoon, Bridges of Lovers, Marine Caves, Profitis Ilias Church.

Nissi Beach, Makronissos Beach.

Famagusta, Varosha (Ghost Town).

Nicosia / Lefkosia - San Hilarion Castle - Kyrenia Port.

SEIGAR Biography

Seigar is a passionate visual artist based in Tenerife, Spain, specializing in travel, street, social documentary, conceptual, and pop art. He is deeply fascinated by pop culture. This fetishism is evident in his works exploring photography, video art, writing, and collage. A philologist by profession and a secondary school teacher, Seigar is a self-taught visual artist, having completed courses in advanced photography, cinema, and television. He has been to 56 countries and has a long wishlist! His artistic mission is to narrate tales through his camera, creating a continuous storyline from his travels and encounters. He has participated in various international exhibitions, festivals, and cultural events, and his works have been featured in numerous publications worldwide. His recent focus includes documenting identity and spreading the message of the Latin phrase carpe diem. Seigar was honored with the Rafael Ramos García International Photography Award. He shares his predilections on art and culture on Pop Sonality, his blog.

S E I G A R G A L L E R Y

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NEWS

STEPHEN HOBBS

STEPHEN HOBBS

Artist Stephen Hobbs presently lives and works in Maitland NSW.

With a lifetime of experience working in studios and Galleries, Stephen is an accomplished photographer who learnt to light and to develop and print photographs traditionally before witnessing the whole shift to digital media. Stephen spent his time making fine art photographs that examined man's fragile relationship with the environment and works that explore pure composition for its own sake.

Today he is exploring his vision of the world through painting.

“Painting appeals to me, because it is a process of slowly assembling an image and in that sense rather like analog / studio photography.”

In August 2023 Stephen held an exhibition of paintings at Richard Tipping’s Gallery Wordximage in Maitland, NSW.

In 15 - 30 June 2024 he will hold an exhibition of his latest contemporary works at Newcastle Art Space Gallery, Newcastle NSW.

Page 182: That Magenta, Arcylic on canvas, 102 x 102cm. Stephen Hobbs.

Stephen Hobbs - Studio. Photo courtesy of artist.

Stephen Hobbs - Studio.

Photo courtesy of artist.

STEPHEN HOBBS That Magenta

Cropping and composing are something that I like to do in my mind all the time, playing with shapes and weight. I like a square format, as I have a photography background and particularly like medium format cameras that use a square frame. Painting appeals to me, because it is a process of slowly assembling an image and in that sense rather like analogue / studio photography. I have worked to make compositions that go beyond the boundaries of the canvas, to give an architectural feeling to my paintings. Some compositions are drawn from the built environment around me. In particular the industrial architecture, machinery and infrastructure of Newcastle and the Hunter Valley. Others just have a certain “ je ne sais quoi”. I make a lot of small square sketches in my journals, using gouache and watercolour. Choosing the ones that pop to explore on a larger ground. Investing time into preparing my supports, using lots of gesso, sanding meticulously between coats to provide a luxurious white paperlike surface to draw / paint on. My work is an expressive hard edge abstraction, sometimes employing geometry. I don't use a ruler or tape. The slips, accidents and imperfect lines are embraced. I love art materials, pigments come from exotic places, ultramarine blue from a particular mountain in Afghanistan. All the cadmium colours are highly poisonous, I love them. Colour has power, I like to use strong colour. Abstraction is like music without lyrics. More than colours and shapes, abstract painting comes from within and in that sense can be viewed as an extension of genres such as portraiture and landscape. Music is important in my practice and I never work without it. Titles to the works in this show are from the music I listen to in the studio which is a mix going back over my entire life.

- Stephen Hobbs © 2024.

Paintings in Stephen Hobbs studio.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555506220944

GRESFORD COMMUNITY GALLERY

Gresford is a small rural village set in the lush country side of the Hunter Valley, 40 minutes north of Maitland NSW.

The Valley is home to many dynamic artists and craft persons.

Exciting news to announce - a group of local artists have been working to establish Gresford Community Art Gallery / shop in the Therese Doyle Community building next to the beautiful Arboretum gardens.

The Gallery doors will open to the public with the grand opening on SATURDAY 28th SEPTEMBER 2 - 4 pm.

The Gallery will feature a variety of quality art and craft, highlighting the local arts creative community in the Hunter Valley.

Application Call Out – Gresford Community Gallery and Shop

Applicants may live locally or in the Hunter Valley.

If you would like to exhibit or have work in our Gallery and Shop and you are an artist or crafts person making quality: painting, drawing, glass, jewellery, textiles, photography or ceramics we’d love to hear from you!

Please send an email to gallerygresfordcommunity@gmail.com with:

A brief outline of your artistic practice with links to your website and/or Facebook/Instagram OR 3-5 images of your work with a brief outline of your creative practice.

The Gallery now has a Face Book page which will give regular news updates of the Gallery’s progress and sneak previews of what's to come!

Please Like and follow our page. Link: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555506220944

Gallery committee: Fiona Wright, Christine Pike, Dawn Thompson, Misha Moon, Janet Steele, Judy Henry Robyn & Eric Werkhovenall looking forward to the opening of Gresford Community Gallery and meeting and working with other creative souls.

JANET STEELE

Sneak preview of one of the artists who will be exhibiting their work in Gresford Community Gallery from 28th September.

Artist Janet Steele has her home and studio in Paterson. Janet will be exhibiting in the new Gresford Community Gallery. Janet Steele is well known for her exquisite textiles and embroidery.

Steele says“My work is usually inspired by the power of Mother Nature, the resilience of women or the freedom gained from education”.

While living in the United Kingdom Janet attended the Royal School of Embroidery based at Hampton Palace, London.

Steele regularly exhibits in Newcastle galleries and has received awards for her work, selected as a Finalist for Australian Textile Art Award, 2020 and 2024.

Textile art : Above - Rainforest Fungi, knotted sewing thread,17 x 12 x 4cm. Janet Steele. Pink Oyster Mushrooms ’ knotted crochet cotton on bloodwood base 15 x 38 x 24cm. Janet Steele.

Judy Henry is a local artist, who lives in the Paterson Valley. Judy began her career as a Photographic Colourist and studied Fine Arts at the Hunter Institute of Technology, Newcastle and Visual Arts at Newcastle University. Exhibiting her work in Melbourne, Newcastle and throughout the Hunter Valley Vineyards NSW.

Judy Henry enjoys creating Paintings, Printmaking and Assemblages. Judy’s works are all about putting the first mark onto paper or canvas and allowing the mark to tell the story.

“I love creating something from nothing, I am a collector of bits and pieces e.g. old objects, wood, metals etc., (anything) that catches my eye for future Assembles. I am an applier, adding onto, not taking away. I love layering e.g. different papers I collect from overseas.

I recently travelled to Japan and visited Taira, the village of Gokayama Washi Japanese paper. I was privileged to be able to attend a workshop to make traditional hand- made paper, the paper is made from Kozo tree, which is a type of Mulberry tree.” J U D Y H E N R Y

Victorian Artefacts Series II, Assemblage, mixed media. Judy Henry.

Sawtooth Banksia, Collagraph Print, Judy Henry.

R R E F O R S

ADFAS newcastle

27 May 2024 (morning)

Scandinavian Glass: Orrefors to Ikea presented by Antiques Roadshow glass expert Andy McConnell. The Nordic countries played a major role in the development of modern glassmaking. Rivalries abounded. Sparks flew and ideas were ‘borrowed'. The result was an outpouring of designs of all types.

10am at the Apollo International Hotel, 290 Pacific Highway, Charlestown. The two lectures (with morning tea) will be followed by a glass appraisal. All are invited to bring a piece of glass for appraisal (your risk). Register ($55) at 10am at the Apollo International Hotel, 290 Pacific Highway, Charlestown. The two lectures (with morning tea) will be followed by a glass appraisal. All are invited to bring a piece of glass for appraisal (your risk).

Register ($55) at https://adfasnewcastle.org.au/ by 18 May.

27 May 2024 (evening)

Bottoms Up! A history of wine, its rituals and its vessels presented by Antiques Roadshow glass expert Andy McConnell.

Follow the story of wine through the ages and the extraordinary art and artefacts created to enhance the pleasure of wine.

24 June 2024 (evening)

Private Art Patronage in Contemporary Japan presented by Kathleen Olive.

Explore private art patronage in Japan from the Itchiku Kubota Kimono Museum, to the refined tastes of Kazuo Okada, and the renewal of Naoshima’s Benesse Art Site.

Evening lectures are at 6:30pm at the Hunter Theatre, Cameron St, Broadmeadow. Register ($30) at https://adfasnewcastle.org.au/ More information on all lectures and ADFAS Newcastle at https://adfasnewcastle.org.au/

Click on cover to view the issue.

STUDIO LA PRIMITIVE ARTS ZINE

PREVIOUS ISSUES

Arts Zine is an online art and literary magazine, featuring artist’s interviews, exhibitions , art news, poetry and essays.

Arts Zine was established in 2013 by artists Eric and Robyn Werkhoven.

In 2017 it was selected by the NSW State Library to be preserved as a digital publication of lasting cultural value for long-term access by the Australian community.

POETRY & SCULPTURE

Right : Singing Fish, Autoclaved aerated cement / cement / lacquer.

Right : Eric Werkhoven working in studio.

Photograph by Robyn Werkhoven.

May 3 - May 19

SCINTILLA

Nicki McCann, Theodosius Ng, Rosie Turner, Eddie Lou & Bridgette Beyer

May 24 -June 9

TIME SPACE and LIGHT

Keith Nesbitt, Paul Foley, Chris Buller, Olivia Hamilton, Ramona Ravon, Jacquie Garcia

June 14 - 30

CLAY MATTERS

2024 Diploma of Ceramics Graduates, Newcastle Art School

July 5 - 21

IS THAT THE TIME?

Margaret McBride, Janette Kearns Wilson, Margot Dugan, Varelle Hardy, Sue Stewart, Pat Davidson, Corrine Bowden

57 Bull Street Cooks Hill NSW Hours: Fri Sat Sun 11am - 5pm www.newcastlepotters.org

https://timelesstextiles.com.au/product

27 April - 19 May

Dan Nelson

Lydia Miller

Anne –Maree Hunter

25 May - 16 June

Leslie Fitzsimmons

Dan Nelson

Michelle Teear

22 June - 14 July

Hugh Ramage

Jill Orr

Jo Dyer

Rhino Images - Art and the Rhinoceros

Lorraine Fildes and Robert Fildes.

Art and the Rhinoceros - There are over three hundred Rhino images in this book.

Whether in the ancient past or in the present the rhinos are always represented as huge, powerful and solitary animals. The book includes paintings, drawings, woodcuts, etchings, rock carvings and sculptures of the rhino all depicting the power of the animal.

These images of the rhino range from early civilisations such as in China, Roman Empire, Indus civilisation in Pakistan/ India area and from Southern Africa down to current day images of paintings and sculptures produced by modern day artists.

The text indicates where you may find these wonderful images as well as the websites of the artists concerned, the caves where the rhino images have been found and the places where posters use the rhino image.

There are very few of these magnificent wild animals left in the world, so unless they are protected and managed, artistic images will soon be the only viewing option.

Rhino Images – Art and the Rhinoceros, First Edition, 2017, is available for download at The Rhino Resource Centre web site.

Direct Link : http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/index.php?s=1&act=refs&CODE=ref_detail&id=1518479271

Page 216 : White Rhino crash at Whipsnade Zoo, England. Image: Robert Fildes © 2019.

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The Dogs Dance Back at You, Acrylic on canvas, H30 X w 30CM. Xavier Lane.