I was Interviewed by Method Press Magazine

Image: "Gabrielle Jones, Creative Space", Galia Alena, Method Press,  Issue 2

I just saw the digital version of Method Press Magazine Issue 2 ("Creative Space/Gabrielle Jones" page 25). There's a few double-page spreads of an interview with me and photos taken in my studio whilst painting. See it at:http://issuu.com/methodpress/docs/method_press_summer2011_issue2. One page doesn't load, but you get the idea. Pretty happy!

Creativity and Abstraction workshop, Sydney

Image: Gabrielle Jones, "Hillside, Whitegums" Oil on Canvas, 101 x 101cm 2011

I am conducting a Creativity and Abstraction Workshop on September 24th at Sydney's Balmain (easy, free parking) from 10am to 4pm. Using observation of real objects, I'll walk you through a number of exercises, thinking methods, tools and imagination games to develop your ability to make interesting abstract work, move your realistic paintings away from the predictable, or improve composition and subject ideas. Tuition is structured to ensure fast learning and early success and stimulate creativity and generate ideas for on-going work.  Suitable for those wishing to break out of their current painting rut, move from realism to abstraction, or who simply wish to explore abstraction and their creativity.

I held one a few weeks ago and the participants left with heaps of ideas for their work and the confidence to execute it when alone in their studios.

The cost will be $125 for the day. Morning and afternoon tea will be provided.
Further details (materials list, payment details etc) will sent upon inquiry. Contact me if interested:http://www.gabriellejones.com.au/pages/contact.html

Artist's Statement reviewed

Just uploaded one of the funniest spoofs on an artist's statement I have seen (see videos left). Enjoy!

Discovery of the week - Rafael Karcz

Albert Wang, art curator, IAO PROJECTS, Salt Lake City, USA states that rafael, a Polish artist, "focuses both the artist's and viewers' attention on various iterations of human faces, one of the traditional genres of art history. Frequently de-populated and executed with the artist's characteristic somber palette of rather monochromatic colors, Karcz's faces create an evocative atmosphere that is simultaneously disquieting, banal, and even, on occasions, gloomy or sinister. His fleeting glimpses of these motives are often ambiguous - both artist and viewer participate in the viewing of the scene and yet are somehow also clearly excluded from belonging in them..."

I think that, although showing the strong influence of the work of Marlene Dumas, these works cannot be ignored, especially for the apparent darkness in their soul. The contrast between the "touch" of water colour thin paint, applied to such violent, political scenes in dark colours is conceptually masterful, whilst the blur and misplacement of facial features - a recipe for disaster in lesser hands - is handled with great skill. But, you know what, I just love them. They move me, and that doesn't happen often. Enjoy!

Taking time to walk

I just moved to Blackheath, in the Blue Mountains 1.5 hours North West of Sydney. Took the time out from teaching, moving, commuting and painting to take a walk in the memorial park, where I discovered a wonderful avenue of Rhododendrons. It soothed my soul and gave me energy for the rest of the day (another commute and a new class to teach). Here's the photos from my iPhone. Not bad for a winter's day, hey?

Artist discovery of the...well, a long time. Adrian Ghenie

Just had this artist pointed out to me - and I must say, I think I've been living under a rock. Romanian artist, Adrian Ghenie must be one of the Ghenie-uses of our time! Man, can this guy paint!

His works all speak of his wonderful touch, although their subjects change, and they are all imbued with a dark strangeness and almost erotic sense of story and paint. What is going on? and while you're musing on this.. How does he do it? At times lush and flowing with paint and shoulder movement, at others spare and elemental - and often, all in the one painting. A wonderful treat for the eyes.

Modern edition.com says "Richly and often hermetically allusive, Ghenie's work attempts to investigate memory and the unconscious against a backdrop of 20th-century European history.Frequently attaining a cinematic, film noir-esque quality, Ghenie's highly structured, dramatically lit tableaux justifiably make him one of the major art stars of the moment".

Enjoy!

New art Classes Thursday Evening, Friday daytime

Image: gabrielle Jones, "120kph Yass", Oil on Canvas, 122 x 182 cm

Students in the new space at Balmain

Students busy in the vibrant day classes, Balmain

I've started the Friday day classes at St John's Church, Balmain (corner Spring St and Birchgrove Roads). The parking is really easy, the space is large and light-filled, there are wall heaters, a new kitchen and toilets, lots of tables and chairs, and great students! The class has been going well, and the feedback from students is that it's a wonderful space. I can now easily accommodate some more students. Time is 10-2:30pm . Come join us! Cost is $75/class for 6 class bookings.

I've also mooted a Thursday night class, to accommodate some full time workers who want to join my classes, so let me know if that suits. Time is 6:30-9pm at the same venue, cost is $50/class for a term booking (6 classes $300). Classes commence on August 4th.

If you are interested, see www.gabriellejones.com.au and follow the workshops link for more information, or you can comment on this blog or email me through the contacts page on the website, and I'll get back to you ASAP.

What my students say:

Gabrielle is able to clearly understand the

preferences and strengths of every pupil. She

is therefore able to help them maximise their

potential through individual attention within her

friendly and supportive group classes. She gives

both practical instruction in colour appreciation,

composition, etc… and thoughtful ideas to

stimulate creativity. She also provides honest

and constructive feedback to her pupils. Above

all, Gabrielle exhibits a passion and enthusiasm

for her subject that is transmitted to everybody

around her.

Susan, Avalon

Thank you Gabrielle for all your fabulous

workshops, I look forward to learning more under

your generous guidance. Gabrielle’s workshops

are always full of both inspiration and knowledge

as well as constructive critique and direction for

your own work.

Galia, Ryde

I have been to a number of Gabrielle’s private art

classes and I hope to go to many more. I originally

came to learn about painting with acrylics but

I have learnt so much more. Gabrielle has an

immense amount of knowledge about art in

her head and can hardly wait to impart as much

of it as possible to you (in a good way!). I have

just learnt so much, ranging from landscape to

abstract to still life and everything in between.

I have also learnt about the importance of tone,

mixing from a limited palette, warm and cool

colours and how they can change depending on

their relationship to each other and that’s just for

starters! Gabrielle is also very generous with her

knowledge and always encouraging which is so

important to any artist.

Carolyn, Annandale

Handing in my homework incredibly late!

Last Night In Fronteira de la Vejer - the walled city

Clouds at Sunset - Ronda

The Precarously poised bridge at Ronda

Even here, student protests are growing. In Spain 41% of 18-30year olds are unemployed

Buildings in Ronda - as viewed from Juan Bosco

Gratzelema - another of the white Pueblos

View from the Cathedral Piazza at Arcos

The beach near Trafalgar Point

Sunrise from our bedroom at Vejer de la Frontiera

And looking out the window.....

The town at night - Vejer de la Frontiera

Plaza de Espana, Vejer de la Frontiera

From the rooftop - looking at the other side of Vejer de la Frontiera. It runs across two ridges of the mountain.

OOPs! There was a perfectly reasonable explanation....

I've been back from my trip for almost three weeks - I've moved into a unit, started back teaching, found a house in the mountains to move to permanently, ramped up marketing for Bali Art Retreats and my private art classes, started said art classes in a new hall, am hanging a new exhibition on Tuesday....and not finished my blog about my trip. So here goes for the next leg (apologies for the delay).

We left Seville to drive to the far south coast of Spain and took a route via Puerta Santa Maria, a small coastal town. We stopped for lunch (very ordinary) after hiring a car which turned out to be upgraded to a brand new Volvo. First time on the "wrong" side of the road, with a big car and reduced visibility of where the car's extremities started and stopped, resulting in a five hour wait after lunch for the tow truck to remove us from the low "balls" that unpredictably marked the edge of the wrong way to the exit... 'nuff said (partner driving!)

The day was saved by arrival at the beautiful town of Vejer de la Frontier, a "white pueblo" perched on top of a mountain with the most beautiful view to the horizon. Sunset was spectacular, and sun -rise from our bedroom window, even better. Our room was an ice-blue with a deep red trim which altered my taste for white walls forever...and we ate the best Moroccan food on my tour to date at Caliph's, where it fused with Lebanese and African to delight the palate. The best white wine of the trip to date was also discovered earlier, at a bar in the Plaza de Espana which had groovy lights standing next to every outdoor table, so we could watch the parade of locals go about their business in outstanding comfort. The walk around the Jewish quarter and back to the other side takes about 10 minutes from view to view...a wonderful discovery of a town which we want to return to some day -one we wished we had more time to explore.

After breakfast in the hostal and greeting all the German tourists - a really cultured lot - we drove south to the beaches of Trafalgar point (where he defeated the French and Spanish Armadas) on Costa de Luz, travelling through an ex hippy town, and on to Arcos. We walked the steep hill to the Cathedral Square to take in the view, and had lunch at the Parrador with the most wonderful view across Andalucia from a full length and width picture window.

We hit the road again and got lost with our small and detail -less maps, but saw Gratzelema - another pretty white Pueblo in an unbelievably precarious position - and found our way to our destination at Ronda. We stayed in a seriously old house in Riad (Moroccan) style with a pretty garden overlooking the Rio (River)... and had drinks at sunset in Hotel Juan Bosco. The skies were truly magnificent, the valleys with olives, the bridge at Rondo hilariously perched.....

We then took Lonely Planet's suggestion and went out of our way to find the Bar San Francisco (named after the plaza it's in, not the city) and realised that LP is not a reliable judge of food, let alone tapas. Oh well - we ate well last night...

Stolen from Kaliman on Facebook

I can't resist re-posting this automatic artists statement generator, first seen on my facebook page, posted by Rudi Kaliman. Talk about laugh!

http://10k.aneventapart.com/Uploads/262/# (also title link)

Images from Seville

The Alcazabar from the extensive gardens that surround it.

Inside the main courtyard of the Alcazabar

Layers upon layers of finely carved decoration that manages still to have a restrained air

The Torreador stands close to the bull as it charges. A feat of skill and courage that needs to be seen to be believed - but only if you have the stomach for it)

The bull fight has enormous pageantry and tradition, and its colour and

drama can be seductive.

The wonderful old ceramics manufacturing building that now houses the city's contemporary art collection

The procession for Pentecost Sunday which winds through the narrow laneways, is accompanied by a full brass band playing appropriately dirge like music and can be heard for blocks away.

Youths spend time practicing to manoeuvre the heavy framework that underlies the highly decorated Eucharistic procession. We wondered what they were doing, and put it down to an Islamic thing, since their heads were covered in shawls that looked like Berber headwear - until we saw the above procession, that is.

Strollers on the bridge at Sunset in Seville

The Plaza Espana - a decorative, non functional folly containing ceramics at their most mixed and gaudy, still delights. Here the boats to hire to row a circuit of the "moat" around the construcion.

A large architectural structure found in the middle of nowhere, with no reference in the guidebooks, which covered the student protest now growing in Seville as well as Madrid. we think it was near one of the Universities.

Seville as seem from the bell tower of the Cathedral

The main, highly decorated altar of the Cathedral. A more constrained version of Spanish baroque

The facade of the cathedral

Hearing the “Clip clop” of horses hooves as they trot the cobbled pathways across the whole of the historical centre - the "Sound of Seville" for me.

Endless Nights of eating and drinking – how do the locals do it? (And could someone PLEASE put that young , screaming child to bed at once!)

The most beautiful Alcazar I have ever seen. Complete, well preserved with stunning gardens creating an oasis in the middle of the city and a place for a romantic stroll, complete with peacocks..

Warm nights walking through the park, home to our Hostal.

River cruise at sunset – water is silver, silence prevails, and the air is fresh.

Walking the Triana district and eating fish by the river

Political contemporary art was far too didactic for my tastes (is it visual art or political commentary??), but timely for Spaniards, considering the student occupation of the main squares across the country.

Trying to find eggs for breakfast –we did on the last day!

Why are there no real tomatoes left in Spain??? (“Tomate” just doesn’t cut it!)

I agree with Ernest Hemmingway that Bull fights are “a wonderful Nightmare”. The colour, the drama and the courage. The way the animal and the human dance together and eye each other off. I know animal rights people have every right to complain, and I was very conflicted about the bulls being killed, whilst respecting the tradition that started this, but there is some magic there, as well.

Barrio Santa Cruz and the Jewish quarter are wonderful places to get lost in.

The best food really can be in the tourist areas. We had the two best Tapas meals outside our hotel!