SOPHIE'S SISTER

It’s been a somewhat blurry line, moving from my work of over 35 years in publishing to the very different life of an artist, but this month marks a definite turning point for me. It’s been a long time in the making, but I’m really excited to announce that my book, Sophie’s Sister, has now been published! Here’s an outline …

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Sophie doesn’t know there’s a dead girl in her head, and that the dead girl is her twin sister, Georgia.

When faced with a ‘sliding doors’ moment – the opportunity to travel across Australia with freelance photographer Clinton West who is on assignment at Cocklebiddy Cave, on the Nullarbor Plain – she turns it down. Georgia on the other hand, who didn’t survive their mother’s pregnancy but who lives on as a voice in Sophie’s head, is angry and frustrated with Sophie’s boring life, so decides to break free and go without her.

Travel across this incredible country with Georgia as she learns more about her sister, and life, than she anticipated. Through the extreme sport of cave diving, and the force of Mother Nature, Sophie’s Sister explores the fine line between life and death. It uses the extraordinarily beautiful, dramatic and dangerous landscape of coastal and inland Australia as its canvas. What are the expectations we place on ourselves and others when it comes to excitement and contentment? Dreams don’t have to be big. The small ones mean just as much.

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If you’re wondering how you can get a copy, here are a few links: The MoshShop, Amazon, Kindle and Smashwords.

Sophie’s Sister will be launched later in the year by award-winning author Pamela Hart (who also writes under the name Pamela Freeman), who wrote the following:

‘If you’re tired of predictable, stay-at-home novels, Sophie’s Sister is for you. Alternately dreamlike and shocking, Paine’s deeply-felt depiction of the Australian landscape meshes seamlessly with her larger theme of what makes a satisfying life.’

As far as my painting goes, I’ve been working on a series inspired by a trip to Central Australia last September. Also happening at the moment, and coming up:

·         My ‘Shared Spaces’ series is on display and for sale at Sous le Soleil in Roseville (60A Clanville Rd). Sous le Soleil is a lovely restaurant with a gorgeous shop on Sydney’s north side, and is open at selected times for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

·         I have two pieces in the annual 8 x 10 Group Exhibition, Corner Store Gallery, Orange. If you’re planning a trip out west, this exhibition runs from Wednesday 19 February through to Saturday 7 March. 

·         I’ll have six pieces in Ku-ring-gai Art Society’s Autumn Exhibition, from Monday 9 March to Sunday 22 March at the St Ives Shopping Village.

·         And of course here in my studio, open by appointment.

Until next month.

A JANUARY TO REMEMBER

January is always a strange month. Time is a peculiar concept anytime, it just seems more so at the start of a new year when routine takes flight for supposedly better times. But none of us is going to forget January 2020 in a hurry.

I’ve tried, but there’s no way I can fully appreciate how very difficult, frightening and heartbreaking the past weeks have been to so many people across New South Wales – across Australia – people who have lost so much, in some cases everything. Anything I might have to say seems grossly inadequate.

And life goes on. It has to.

In my own little world, my paintings can be seen at the following:

Be Brave Artspace in Avalon, Sydney. Until 19 January, my 10 Australian birds are hanging in a big group exhibition called ‘A Little Brave’.

Sous le Soleil (Roseville Park, 60A Clanville Rd, Roseville, NSW). Just last week I delivered a number of my paintings to this lovely restaurant on Sydney’s north side, where they’ll be for the next few months. (One of them appears above.) The restaurant is open at selected times for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and their shop is a treasure trove of beautiful things.

National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour. The Combined Art Societies of Sydney is hosting their ‘Art of Sydney’ Awards from Saturday 25 to Tuesday 28 January.

Broadhurst Gallery in Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre (782 Kingsway, Gymea, NSW). The Australian Society of Miniature Art’s ‘Intimate Universe’ exhibition is on from 25 January to 24 February. This exhibition will move to the Maitland Regional Art Gallery (230 High Street, Maitland, NSW) where you can see it from 9 May to 26 July.

And of course you’re welcome here in my studio, anytime, by appointment.

Until next month.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

We’ve had blood-red sunsets for almost a week now, and they’re always beautiful but at the moment it’s particularly disturbing because they’ve come as a result of the dreadful fires NSW is experiencing. The photo above is one of those sunsets reflected in the pool, a dipped toe creating the ripples.

So, 2019 is almost over. My plan this year was to convince myself I’m worthy of the professional title, ‘Artist’, and from 1 July I started keeping records so I could even convince the taxman of the same! It doesn’t come easily, calling myself an artist, but if commitment and effort play any part, I think I’m on the right track. It’s certainly been a learning curve – dipping a tentative toe into this pool created unexpected ripples, ripples that equate to time, time spent doing things other than actually painting. I suspect those ripples are a necessary evil when a hobby becomes a profession.

In between all those distractions, I’ve been working on my next series of works, the inspiration for which was the trip I made to Central Australia back in September.

In the meantime, my little series of Australian birds are hanging at Be Brave Artspace in Avalon, as part of the exhibition ‘A Little Brave’. It’s a fabulous exhibition with such a variety of work on show from over 30 artists – something for everyone! It’s on until 19 January so if you’re up on Sydney’s northern peninsula, detour to the gallery.

And if you’re looking for something else to do, some place to go, my work can also be seen at each of the following:

·         ASMA (Tasmania) Annual Awards Exhibition at The School House Gallery in Rosny Farm, Hobart, until December 22.

·         Sous le Soleil (Roseville Park, 60A Clanville Rd, Roseville, NSW) from mid-January.

·         CASS ‘Art of Sydney’ Awards at the National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney, from Saturday 25 to Tuesday 28 January.

·         ASMA ‘Intimate Universe’ exhibition, which will be at the Broadhurst Gallery in Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre (782 Kingsway, Gymea, NSW) from 25 January to 24 February, and then at Maitland Regional Art Gallery (230 High Street, Maitland, NSW) from 9 May to 26 July.

·         And of course here in my studio, open by appointment.

Happy Christmas everyone, and thanks for stopping by!

Until next month.

UNDER THE SUN

When I last wrote, ‘Shared Spaces’ – our exhibition at Be Brave Artspace in Avalon on Sydney’s northern beaches – was about to open. Now it’s about to close. Nita, Kate, Simone, Vicki and I all agreed our pieces came together like they were made for each other, and our thanks go to Tina for doing such a beautiful job of curating. Our opening night was really well attended (thanks so much to everyone who came along) and we hope those who have been since have enjoyed what they’ve seen. Feel free to contact me at manina@bigpond.com if you’d like to see or buy any of my work. I can also put you in touch with the others.

I’m very excited to share news that my pieces from Shared Spaces will be moving on to Sous le Soleil in the new year. Sous le Soleil is a really beautiful French restaurant and shop in Roseville on Sydney’s north shore, so if you missed our exhibition, treat yourself to breakfast, lunch or dinner, and after you’ve eaten, enjoy a wander through the shop.

Before then is ‘A Little Brave’, again at Be Brave Artspace. ‘A Little Brave’ is a big end-of-year exhibition with works submitted from over 30 artists. It opens on 30 November and will run through until mid-January. Now seems a good opportunity to send a huge thanks to the lovely staff at The Art Scene in Ryde – Kim and the others (both in the shop and behind the scenes) always do such a beautiful job framing my paintings.

And lastly, if you’re lucky enough to be planning a trip to Tasmania before Christmas, the Australian Society of Miniature Art (Tas.) is holding their annual awards exhibition from 28 November to 22 December at The School House Gallery in Rosny Farm, and four paintings of mine will be hanging there. There’s something really gorgeous about miniature art, so I would encourage you to get along to that one if you’re in the area.

Until next month.

SPRINGTIME AND SHARED SPACES

Not long now until ‘Shared Spaces’ opens at Be Brave Artspace in Avalon, and it’s super nice to be exhibiting with old friends and new. Nita, Vicki, Kate, Simone and I have put together our varied interpretations of the theme, and I’m so looking forward to seeing everything finished and together. I hope you’ll be able to come along to see it – details on my ‘Coming up’ page.

Following on almost immediately after that exhibition is another I’m involved in at the same venue – a much larger group exhibition that will run over the Christmas/New Year period. The fantastic thing about group shows is the variety of work you see – I would suggest it means you can kill two birds (or in this case many birds) with the one stone, but for this exhibition I’ve been working on a series of birds and so don’t want to suggest any harm comes to these creatures!

More immediately, it’s springtime! I love seeing all the new growth in the gardens, and since I last wrote I’ve seen some particularly beautiful gardens in both the Southern Highlands and the Blue Mountains. As I was leaving the Conservation Hut in Wentworth Falls (which, by the way, I love), I was able to buy a few waratahs from a roadside stall. Sunflowers are definitely my favourite, but I think these striking flowers come a very close second. I’ve never really done much painting of flowers – I love them, but don’t think they can be improved on in a painting (not by me, anyway); maybe I should try.

Speaking of spring, I have a few works hanging in Ku-ring-gai Art Society’s Spring Exhibition, so if you’re up at the St Ives Shopping Village, I hope you’ll take a stroll through the Gallery (14 to 27 October). And the City of Ryde Art Society is holding its annual art exhibition from 25 October to 2 November, at the Coxs Road Community Hall. I will have a couple of pieces hanging in that one, too.

Until next month.

GETTING OUT THERE

My mum used to say that once September’s here, the rest of the year slips by so fast, and she was right. But I’d also say that the entire year seems to have been passing by incredibly quickly. Again.

I’m just back from a few days in Central Australia. Those who have ventured to Australia’s heart know that the colours have to be seen to be believed; that the landscapes are so old and majestic it’s impossible not to feel small. Very, very small. The small group I travelled with was allowed a glimpse into the lives and creations (visual, edible and musical) of our Indigenous peoples, and we enjoyed meals and laughter by a mesmerising campfire on the dry Ellery Creek, in Finke Gorge. All that and our own little fireside exhibition! (The less said about the thunder bucket the better.)

So, my photos have already been printed and sorted, but there’s a lot of thinking time ahead before I’m ready to put paint to paper for those works.

It’s not long now until I’ll be picking up my paintings from the framer for ‘Shared Spaces’ (at Be Brave Artspace from 25 October). That’s a bit like Christmas – a really exciting moment when you see your work framed for the first time! At the moment I’m working towards another exhibition (‘A Little Brave’) at the same venue with a large group of artists, as 2019 fast becomes 2020.

In the meantime, and if you’re interested, I’ll also have works hanging at the following:

·         John Copes Watercolour Prize, Bowral Art Gallery, opening 28 September

·         Hornsby Art Society’s 9” x 5” exhibition, Wallarobba, opening 3 October

·         Ku-ring-gai Art Society’s Spring exhibition, St Ives Shopping Village, opening 14 October

·         ASMA Tasmania’s Annual Awards exhibition, The School House Gallery, Rosny Farm, opening 28 November

Until next month.

BACKING MYSELF

If anyone had told me I’d have my own website one day I wouldn’t have believed it, but here it is, and here I am. 

Earlier this year I attended a short professional development course called ‘Backing Yourself as an Artist’, at Eramboo in Terrey Hills (pictured). It came at the perfect time for me, as I’d decided this was going to be the year – the year I redirected my focus from words to pictures. The course was fabulous, and naturally we were given a lot of sound advice; advice that included, you guessed it, getting a website. 

As there didn’t seem a lot of point in seeking advice and then ignoring it, I enlisted the help of the wonderfully talented Samantha Mackie and, ta da! A website I can call my own.

For those of you not familiar with Eramboo, it’s a special place (with a very special gate), located in the bush off McCarrs Creek Road. What I like most about it is that it’s non-threatening! Eramboo has such a lovely feel about it, thanks largely to the people who meet there. People much like me. Backing themselves is something a lot of creative people find difficult, and in that regard I’m no different to anyone else, but things like that seem to become a lot easier as we get older. I suspect it’s because we learn life really is short – too short to be doing things we don’t want to be doing, or letting the opinions of others matter to us all that much; certainly not as much as they did when we were younger.

So I’ll leave it there for now, and turn my chair from my computer back to my painting bench! It’s literally right behind me but it opens up a different world!

Until next month.