I've recently been a finalist in a number of art prizes which is exciting.

The Mortimore Prize where I won the surrealism section. This drawing is part of a series I'm developing that will lead to an exhibition in a year.
The Mortimore Prize will be touring to these venues:

• Dubbo - St Brigids Hall - Opening night 6pm 29th September - open to public 30th September to 21st October 2012 Adults $8 Children Free
• Sydney - The Scots College - 9th to 18th November 2012
• Mudgee - 2013
• Brisbane - May 2013
• Canberra - Canberra Grammar - 8th to 23rd March 2013
• Gosford - April 2013
• Bowral - District Art Society Gallery - 11th to 15th April 2013
• Bendigo - Dudley House - 30th May to 3rd June 2013
• Melbourne - AGRA Gallery - Camberwell - 5th June to 7th July 2013
• Geelong - 8th July 2013

The Black Swan with a portrait of myself. This was an interesting process - I used old illustrations from picture books that I ripped up and used as a collage underneath the painting. Very therapeutic!!

The Portia Geach portrait Prize with a portrait of Nigel Westlake composer of many films including Babe and Miss Potter. He's the most delightful man and with his wife runs the 'Smugglers of Light Foundation' (http://smugglersoflight.com/aboutus.htm)
The exhibition is open at the S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney until November 4th.

And the Cricket Art Prize. You can see this at Members Pavilion, Sydney Cricket Ground, NSW – 5th to 21st Oct 2012 where you can vote for the People's Choice Award.

Mick Malthouse Prints

Limited Edition Prints of Mick Malthouse are now available. They're only 250 being printed and Mick is personally signing them all - and very carefully and artfully I must say. He put a lot of thought about the type of pen and placement which is lovely.

The prints are also signed and numbered by me underneath.

The prints are from a huge painting hanging in his house which featured in Better Home and Gardens recently. It doesn't include the elements of his family that are in the original painting. We decided it would be more relevant to footy fans just as him, and I love the format it's now in.

For anyone who is interested they can be purchased through my website, www.jacquigrantford.com or by contacting me.

And if you know anyone else who is a footy fan and would be interested please let them know…Collingwood, West Coast, or just plain footy fans... . It's only a limited number, so good to get in quick.

He's been such a great inspiration to many people, so I'm so pleased he's agreed to the prints

My latest work, done with graphite on watercoulour paper. It was great to get out the pencils again.

Full work at 70cm x 50 cm












Detail of work.

An Artist's Mind

One of my latest works. It started as a tree in the sky with a figure and then all the mechanics in the tree were added. And of course the compass that looks particularly clock like is an ode to Dali. I call it 'An Artist's Mind' although it's a bit too orderly for that.

good canvases

For those artists out there who want a good quality canvas at a wonderful price, go to Gemel Art Supplies. I use them all the time and they're terrific.
You can also use a special promotion code JG100 till the end of March and get 30% discount.
Happy painting!

A little exerpt from 'Shoes News'

I just thought I'd share the story behind Napoleon's shoes from my book 'Shoes News'.


"Napoleon Bonaparte ees defeated!

Napoleon Bonaparte has led la France to loss and defeat at le Battle de Waterloo. Les citizens mourn zis tragique day.

In compensating for his petit stature, he wore extremely high platforms into ze battle. Whilst les French above all others comprehende l'importnace de fashion, ze high heels proved inffective when leading la charge, and la running away when necessary.

Le new gouvernement ees considering putting a complete ban on les platform shoes, and possible on ze short people as well."

 

(Prints are available of this and many other stories from 'Shoes News'..... good for a smile.)

Ripping out pages of Simply Drawing

I heard that a teacher bought a copy of Simply Drawing, my 'How to Draw' book and DVD to show her class. Apparently the boys were so obsessed with the nude drawings that she had to rip the pages out!!



www.grantfordprints.com

quirky art fact

Quirky art fact:

Picasso's Full Name Has 23 Words
Picasso was baptized Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso. He was named after various saints and relatives. The "Picasso" is actually from his mother, Maria Picasso y Lopez. His father is named Jose Ruiz Blasco.



www.grantfordprints.com

Facebook

My Facebook profile has just been updated and now has it's own URL
http://www.facebook.com/grantford.prints

Artistic Cats

Every artist should have a cat.
My gorgeous cat works with me every day, sleeping comfortably on a nearby chair. She always needs to be near and when I ask her opinion on my work, it's always positive.

My cat isn't quite as artistic as the one in this You Tube clip, but I'm sure she could be with a little practise.



Jacqui
www.grantfordprints.com

Gallery Review

I've just started doing Gallery reviews once a month on 3MBS (103.5 fm)
I'm going to post them on another blog - Classical Gallery (www.classicalgallery@blogspot.com) It's a great way to see some interesting work.
Every 3rd Saturday of the month you'll hear me between 10 and 12.

Jacqui
www.grantfordprints.com

Drawing tip: Light and dark in a work are extremely important - the greater the contrast, the more dramatic and powerful the work. A lot of people when they start out drawing don't have enough differentiation between the darkest and lightest points.

 Interesting art fact: *Lighting on a painting needs to be dimmer at night and brighter during the day.

Limited Edition Prints!!

My limited Edition Prints are now available from my website!!

I'm very excited about this and love the fact that I can now offer my art in this form.

I've had lots of people ask me about it, so great to finally be there.

If you subscribe to my newsletter you receive a code that gives you a 10% discount on all prints.

www.grantfordprints.com

a little more about Nigel

I've included here a couple of photos of the first stage of the painting of Nigel. It shows the size of the canvas and the technique with the music behind his face.

Latest portrait - Nigel Westlake

I'm using the score for this music to create a montage behind the work. Nigel has seen the work in its unfinished form and his reaction was really fascinating. Most people only see the work, but he could ‘hear’ the work. Seeing his music presented in ripped up and randomly placed spots was very powerful to him and a cacophony of sound.

I've copied part of a news report about the incident below.
"Fooling around with his brother and friends after a night out, Eli Westlake threw some cheeseballs into the air "as a celebratory act'', his parents say. But the mood swiftly turned sour when they landed on a car being driven by unlicensed, drug-affected and drunk driver Sarah May Ward.

Ward had been so ‘incensed' by the cheeseball affront she jumped out of the vehicle and got into a physical altercation with Eli's brother Joel Westlake, the court heard. She then hopped back in and drove at the group of young men, glancing off one of them, before stopping the car.

Then she spotted Eli, who had been hiding behind a skip. Her headlights went on full-beam and she drove straight at him, dragging him under her car and down a flight of steps."

After that Nigel stopped composing until recently when he wrote his ‘Requiem for Eli’. This premiered at the Myer Music Bowl and I was quite moved by the performance when I went to see it with my daughter.

I'm using the score for this music to create a montage behind the work. Nigel has seen the work in its unfinished form and his reaction was really fascinating. Most people only see the work, but he could ‘hear’ the work. Seeing his music presented in ripped up and randomly placed spots was very powerful to him and a cacophony of sound.


work in its unfinished form and his reaction was really fascinating. Most people only see the work, but he could ‘hear’ the work. Seeing his music presented in ripped up and randomly placed spots was very powerful to him and a cacophony of sound