‘The problem with being with a commercial gallery, Stephen told us, is that they want consistency in your work, not variety. It can kill creativity.’
That’s a quote from the September 2019 newsletter of the Ku-ring-gai Art Society, and the Stephen they refer to was Stephen Hall, the artist who was demonstrating at one of their monthly meetings. What he said really resonated with me, because it seems that so often, artists who have made it (and by that I mean they have gallery representation) continue to produce work that never seems to change very much.
I was at an exhibition last week and was speaking to a man who, with his wife, buys paintings for their home simply because they like them. He said how really weird it is that an artist who is recognised in the art world could produce a piece almost identical to that of another artist – one no-one has ever heard of – and yet because one has a name and the other doesn’t, the prices of the two pieces can be vastly different.
That’s the art world!
I have recently painted a piece that was very different in both style and subject matter to the works I usually do. I didn’t set out to create something different – it just happened – but it has motivated me to continue, to paint an ongoing series which I am calling ‘Anthophilia’. Anthophilia is the love of flowers, from the Greek ‘anthos’ which means flower, and ‘philia’, or love. That first painting was a Gymea Lily, one of our most striking (and tall) native flowering plants, which have been looking so amazing these past couple of months.
So there is to be a new page in my Gallery – Anthophilia – and like the flowers I will be painting, the series itself will grow as time passes.
In the meantime, I’ve been painting quite a few pet portraits, which is something I’m really enjoying. And my ‘Wednesday Project’ continues, although other aspects of my art practice are slowing down as the year slips away. If you’re looking to get out to see some art, however, The Northern Beaches Gallery’s ‘Summer Exhibition’ is now open, or if you’re wanting to stay in and shop online, CASS (the Combined Art Societies of Sydney) is holding an Online Summer Sale throughout December and January. And don’t forget, my studio will be open across the last weekend this month, when I’ll be here with Kanak Kiran and Dee Jackson, displaying and selling some of our works. Details below.
Coming up …
‘Summer Exhibition Art Prize’ at the Northern Beaches Gallery, 161 South Creek Rd, Cromer, NSW, until Thursday 30 November
Open Studio, Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November
CASS Online Summer Sale, from Friday 1 December 2023 to Wednesday 31 January 2024
Until next month.