Thank you David Newman White http://david-newman-white.com.au/abc-interview-with-david-newman-white/ for your terrific portraiture workshop, taught this weekend in the beautiful village that is Carcoar. Here is an image of one of my works of the striking man that is Al.  He was with us the whole weekend, sharing a little of his life through his engaging being and character filled face.  A man with a brilliant smile – that’s Al.  It was a treat to draw him.  And draw him we did – with charcoal, with pastel pencils with chalk pastels and with watercolour washes all thrown in.  So 6 portraits later from Al just in front of me, I know I have grown more as an artist – thank you Al and thank you David! I loved the way David shared through demonstrations and I certainly learnt exponentially about using pastels.  Thanks too to the terrific bunch of fine artists sharing this experience and sharing some of their stories too – it was wonderful to meet you! And then last but certainly not least, thanks need to go to the wonderful people of Carcoar and the team at Shalom where the workshop ran.  Talk about hospitality – it was authentic, wholesome and just outrageously good!

I felt honoured to be finalist in this year’s Calleen Art Award with one of my recent paintings of Sharon Riley.  Thanks Sharon, and thanks too to Helen and Patsy for coming for the ride.  The opening was really fun to reconnect with some gorgeous people whom I met at last year’s Calleen Art Award and connect with some new people, both artists and Cowra locals – so many interesting beings at every turn.  I was won over by the thoughtful and joyful speech about imaginings by the judge John Cheeseman – what a talented professional to see, feel and share so eloquently linkages weaving their way through so many of the works. I was intrigued by the merging of the delicate precision with a little looseness that comes with watery chaos in Tania Mason’s winning work. I loved that she shared her award with the engaged little one by her side. Another work that spoke to me was of the studio space formed in Rachael Miln’s painting. This exhibition and Cowra for that matter is well worth it.

This terrific night came on the back of winning the Winmalee Artfest prize just the night before. I wish to thank all the givers who helped put on and support this exhibition from the dedication and hard work that is so clearly evident in the staff at this school, the P&C volunteers, the students and all the Artfest Angels.  This is a terrific community and just one example of the many incredible public schools that we have. It was only one day after pulling down my Wild exhibition in Cowra Regional Art Gallery that five of my works (Where have they gone?, New futures, Eastern quoll (mabi), in the gully, O malleefowl (yunggaay) and Red bag) from this exhibition went on to be hung at the Artfest. I felt an enormous privilege to accept this award for my whole suite of works.  Thank you to Tara Moss and Mathew Lynn for your warmth in awarding the prize and thank you to the judges: Tony Nesbitt, Dr Shirley Daborn, Katrina Sandbach and Marina (Grasso) Johnson.

And on this weekend too was the opening of Nicole Foxall’s exhibition at The Corner Store Gallery in Orange.  Congratulations Nicole! I look forward to A Country Drive …  http://www.cornerstoregallery.com/exhibition-calendar/2016/4/28/nicole-foxall