Jessica McCallum

grow

2012-02-18T09:40:00.001+08:00

You held a tree in the palm of your hand
a gesture I didn't understand,
Named every leaf with a wish
that two lives so different would intertwine
your wishes would become mine.
Told all your secrets to the fish

But your thoughts stayed in your head
& now the flowers are all dead.

Contemplation

2012-02-06T20:54:00.002+08:00

I consider myself very fortunate to be surrounded by creative, dynamic, passionate, outgoing friends who inspire me everyday. I'm constantly reminded of their generosity & warmth. Their support in both actions & words. Not once have a I ever heard a friend of mine say, "You can't do that" or "be realistic Jess". I guess it's deliberate that I gravitate towards positive people.
I've developed relationships with colourful souls from so many different backgrounds, histories & walks of life. Some of them have experienced wars, poverty & grief, & more pain than I can ever imagine. Some of them have all they could hope for & more, lovers, friends, children & wealth in knowledge and experiences. These people inspire me with their determination & enthusiasm depite obstacles.
I heard someone say once "learn to love your beautiful mistakes" & someone else say "if you haven't failed, you're not trying". I have the wisest friends. They have opened every door I've ever walked through, or at least given me the key.
Just wanted to put that out there.

Boylesque

2012-01-30T21:25:00.003+08:00

So going to see this tomorrow night.
Briefs is on for two more nights as part of Fringe World Festival 2012 at venues throughout Northbridge.
The lovely lady in the centre of all that pinkness is the promoter for the show and wearing one of my creations.

Laneways & interludes

2012-01-29T16:18:00.002+08:00

It was Hot Hot Hot! setting up at 3:30pm in 41 degree heat, but well worth the effort. What a turn out! So many people bustling through the laneways in search of arty bargains.
The Laneway Night Markets as part of this year's Fringe World Festival were organised by local hip young things On William.
Fabulous
My friend Judith helped me throughout in the blazing heat, looking glamorous & talking me up.
West TV filmed us, though I doubt I'll make the cut, so hot, & so nervous. Don't even rememeber if I said anything of vague interest other than "it's hot and the icy poles are really good".
Lots of friends dropped by to say Hi & show their support, some even bought stuff.

2012-01-27T16:14:00.001+08:00

One of my artworks, watercolours & inks done especially small to sell at market tomorrow. Grab yourself a bargain original, Laneway Nigh Markets Lock Lane Northbridge 28th January 2012.

Catch me

2012-01-24T15:36:00.000+08:00

Read all about it.

2012-01-18T22:48:00.005+08:00

If you're wondering how you can easily score yourself a little print of one of my artworks...
I've printed some postcards from two of my exhibitions 'Raincheck' 2010 & 'Recent Works' 2009 and they're available for sale, individually or as a set.

Printed with a satin finish, each postcard features pretty words by writer & poet Frances Macaulay Forde. I'm currently working on a set for 'All The Pretty One's Are'.

$2 each (or buy a set of 6 for $10), purchased through me direct. Email jessicamccallum76@gmail.com with your name, contact details & address (& which Postcard you're interested in) and I'll send them to you. Easy as that. Check out the designs available here

Frame them on your wall, or send them to a friend.
Get yourself some art & help a starving creative no end.
A print for a gold coin donation... It's the best 2 bucks you'll ever spend.

NB* All prices are in $AUD and do not include postage & handling.

My Cousin & her fascinator

2012-01-15T23:24:00.000+08:00

Midnight Pie: Fascinating Feathers: I'm very lucky to come from a family full of creative, talented people. I've always been surrounded by arts and crafts and been encouraged t...

small

2012-01-11T08:33:00.003+08:00

I make hats you'll want to wear with nothing else at all,
postcards you can send when you don't want to call,
little pictures you can frame, or hang on your wall,
they're pretty, but they're also really small.

www.onwilliam.com.au/markets

Stall

2012-01-05T21:57:00.007+08:00

Yay! I'm one of the stallholders for the Night Markets as part of the Upcoming Fringe Festival.
So excited!
So much to do!

I'll be putting together some smaller fascinators, as well as selling a few hats (I know the hats are a bit pricey for this kind of thing, but it's good exposure & people can see what I'm good at). All my stuff is stitched, I don't use glue (like 'Diva') & they're all original, one-off pieces.
I'll also have my postcards for sale again & I'm determined to do a few little original artworks (when I say little I mean little (I'm talking 7cm x 7cm) of flowers & pretty things.

Look out for All The Pretty Ones Are stall in Lock Lane, Northbridge, Saturday 28th Jan 2012.

For Sale!

2011-12-07T13:26:00.002+08:00

There's a few Pretty One's left still.
Online catalogue All The Pretty One's Are.

Green with envy

2011-11-26T14:12:00.001+08:00

This beautiful little shop front on William street is just bursting with potential. Distressed walls steeped in the history of the old Cloisters Building face Kakulus Brothers in the busiest little section in Northbridge. The light-filled space boasts huge windows & a little kitchenette facility. Perfect for a pop-up shop, I used it to full advantage seeing as it's just sitting there empty.

My little hats peeped out at passers-by, who pointed & oohhed & aahhed. One day it will be a resteraunt, but I thouroughly enjoyed my temporary residency.

moved

2011-11-19T19:06:00.006+08:00

I've moved!

The 'All The Pretty Ones Are' Art Exhibition has a temporary home in vacant shopfront on vibrant William Street, across from Kakulus Brothers.

Come check out my pop-up shop tomorrow between 10am & 6pm at 192 William Street Northbridge Western Australia.

virtual tour

photos

Famous

2011-11-15T17:29:00.003+08:00

Had my photo taken... a lot... for a Community Newspaper interview last week. They ended up putting me in 8 of their publications. Was torturous posing but the photographer was very patient & gentle with me. The interview came out alright too :)
Was really good exposure for the latter part of the week that I had the stuff on the walls.

Pierrot

2011-11-13T21:50:00.000+08:00

A friend of mine is a beautiful, pint-sized dancer. Graceful, warm & gentle, she treads carefully through life taking pains not to hurt the people she touches. Although delicate in aesthetic she is tough & fearless.

I asked her sometime ago to do a shoot with me, she employed some of her Capeoira moves along with her ballet to give me a series of photos full of grace & agility. I wanted to do them justice, & wasn't happy with my initial attempts to rush a set of ink drawings focusing on a red umbrella, her prop.

Sepia-toned ink on watercolour paper with a tiny brush, beautifully framed by Norman at Preservation Framers, they look best as a series, but can be purchased individually.

She confided in me a problem that was causing her sadness & frustration one night, and it inspired me to paint this triptych from the original shots. Portraying her as a tight-rope walker, fearless and strong but feminine & graceful, I believe now I have managed to depict a side of her I have learned through our conversations and shared experiences.

Buy

Bohemian

2011-11-13T21:22:00.000+08:00

It's amazing how much the women in your life, friends, family, colleagues, can influence your decisions, ideas, motivations. I know, & have known, a few strong women who have left an indelible mark on me. Every time I see them, spend an afternoon chatting about memories, shared & not, it's like looking into a mirror. They get me. Each in their own intuitive way can relate to the way I look at the world.

Bohemia (1 & 2) is as much a self portrait as it is of each one of them. Violetta, Judith, Athira, Tenille, Heidi, Alice, Lorraine, Tina, Zana, Louise & my Mum. Did I miss anyone?

It's an amalgamation of people so I used a collage of reference photographs, eyes, mouth, nose, shoulders, hands all paying tribute to each one of my girls.

I rendered it in turquoise-tinted black ink & transparent films of watercolour to hint at a camouflage of colours symbolising growth & experience. I have tattoos myself, each of them mark a memory on my skin. Bohemia embodies integrating everything you've learned in your life into all you do, like the wise women I know.

I applaud them their triumphs, commiserate in their mistakes and share their joys. I love each and every one of them for the colours they bring to my experience.

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Welcome

2011-11-13T20:17:00.000+08:00

This one is currently taking up a lot of room, physically & emotionally. I was dating this guy for nearly two years and in the end, turns out we weren't right for each other. I still have feelings for him, so I'm not sure whether to store it, paint over it ... or burn it. Will somebody please buy it?

It was difficult, but cathartic to paint. Started out strong & intense, kinda sexy, and as our relationship broke down, developed an aggressive edge, a kind of volition all it's own. For me anyway. I think that's what helped me finish it, despite my initial procrastination.

Generally I start with a photograph, or several. In this case my boyfriend posed in a top hat & suit, complete with whip, for a model shoot at the Theatre. I click away until something grabs me, the way the light hits the face, a look, a stance.

I then adjust a few of the images utilising Adobe Photoshop to change the colouring & give it more depth, bump up the contrast etc. During this process I quickly establish the most striking image (or images) & start painting on a small scale. Some pieces have more impact larger & that's what happened with this one. My background is in mural art & stage design so I like to work big, even if it doesn't sell.

I used acrylic spray paint to render most of the image onto a custom-stretched canvas. With this kind of linear design, I use stencils to get clean lines & spray the paint on thickly on an angle. It took several stencils to do this 5 colour piece & quite a few hours in the studio... inhaling. The final details are painted on with a brush and acrylic. The whole thing is then sealed with a satin finish varnish, so you don't lose the street-art look but it's protected from dust & moisture.

I see things generally as comic book images, telling a story & inviting you to peer into the image, get up close & personal. I tend to choose people I know fairly well to pose for me, but people I want to know better, as it's a process that deepens the relationship, especially once they see themselves through my eyes.

Wonder what he thought I saw in him here.

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Open

2011-11-11T23:56:00.003+08:00

Thankyou so much to everyone who attended opening night of All The Pretty One's Are.

Thank you my gorgeous guests for your support, patience & balloon skills.

Thank you State Theatre Centre of WA for allowing me to use the Studio Underground for my magnificent launch soiree & being such a supportive team to work with everyday Brendon, Alice, Lorraine, Graham & Dave in particular.

Thank you His Majesty's Theatre Foundation for organising the sponsored beverages.

Thank you Stella Bella for a magnificent red I couldn't put down, lovely wine.

Thank you Little Creatures for the beer.

Thank you Jacqueline, Kathryn & Daniel at Creating Events for the pocorn, cheese & fruit, and very attentive staff.

Thank you Irene Jarzabek, publicist extroadinairre.

Thank you my models Trav, Sean, Wayne, Athira, Louise, Paul & the girls at Dr Sketchy's for being beautifully complicated, multi-faceted & altogether fascinating.

Thank you Mum.

Thank you Dad.

Thank you Scott.

Studio

2011-11-10T17:14:00.005+08:00

Received a message from the subject in this piece today. Sometimes spray painting something red can be extremely cathartic.

On William

2011-11-09T10:02:00.000+08:00

If you're from Perth WA & you haven't heard of The William Street Collective or On William you're missing out. They do all the fun artsy stuff in Northbridge. I worked with the girls for the recent Outskirts festival & they were kind enough to include a bit of promo for me in their weekly e-news publication & on the website.
Fabulous Girls, thanks x
On William/AllThePrettyOne'sAre

firey

2011-11-08T22:18:00.002+08:00

Burning my little 'burn' pieces today. I know I'm so imaginative with names. Well they're burnt wood, what do you want me to call them? Louise & Paul were the models for these two. A fire dancer & a fire eater. Feeling creatively destructive ;P

Burn baby burn

2011-11-05T19:42:00.000+08:00

My fabulous housemate did some firedancing in the rain for me . Awesome having up-for-it type friends huh?!

She's using poi, a set of wires with flammable material wrapped & pinned to the ends. You dip it in kerosene or citronella oil & set it alight. Flamey fun ensues :)

2011-10-31T15:10:00.004+08:00

Ten days, 26 hrs & 40 minutes. crap!
Working on a set of 3 that need to be framed so better get my painting mojo on.
My friend Athira posed for the last exhibition. A dancer, she did some choreography to 'Singing In The Rain' for me in Northbridge with an umbrella.
What I was doing with the images originally was sketching them out for ink drawings focusing on the red umbrella. It's morphed into sepia-toned ink drawings of a tight-rope walker.
I sometimes wonder if my paintings change when the model's situation changes, because I know them maybe. I wonder if they ever feel how I interpret their portrait reflects how they're feeling at the time I paint it. I'd be interested to know.

tease me

2011-10-29T18:10:00.000+08:00

Back in my little nook in the window working on a silk piece called 'tease'. It's ink on dupion silk & then some of the detail I'm stitching embroidery over the top, to give it texture. The sneak peaks of this one have had all sorts of comments, mostly about her bum. I think she'll be popular.

Sneaky

2011-10-24T18:15:00.006+08:00

Thought I'd give those who have been checking my blog a sneak peak at what I've been working on now I have my mojo back.

I've just sent this piece to the framers. Spent about an hour trying to decide on mountboard & choose between 3 only slightly different chocolate coloured frames.
It's coffee on silk, very delicate so couldn't overpower it, but didn't want it to dissappear into beige-ness either.

My dirty, little stains, Abstain & Distain (pictured here).
Haven't decided on price yet, once I see the pair framed up I'll have some idea.

playtime

2011-10-22T18:28:00.000+08:00

I've been playing with my Play series today. Finally revisited after becoming disheartened. Here's one of the little sketches for the set of three.

I'll upload a little video soon of how I got to where I am now. The background was the most time consuming bit. I lost interest, revisited it with more washes, gold leaf & paint, lost interest again, then went to the Royal Show & played on a Carousel.

nervous

2011-10-03T22:31:00.005+08:00

6 weeks to go til Opening night of All The Pretty One's Are. Starting to freak out a little now. I know I can achieve alot in 6 weeks, but the pressure is on. The invites have gone out to media, & a few family & friends who've put their hand up for one. Found out today, someone in particular I can't dissapoint might be... well is, coming.

Was distracted for a couple of weeks there, making fascinators for Outskirts, moving house, wallowing.

Time to step it up, forgo the social stuff & get head down, bum up making some paintings. Oh crap it's my birthday soon. Oh well maybe a little bit of social stuff, then paint... paint like the wind. Oooh that gives me an idea... straws... ever do that thing in primary school with straws & ink?.. never mind, you'll find out :)

hat trick

2011-10-01T13:58:00.001+08:00

Didn't sell as many as I would have liked at Outskirts but hey, damn good exposure & I think I need to do smaller ones, fascinators more than hats for this kind of stall gig. Most people only have about $20 - $50 on them when they go to these things so a $130 hat is probably a little out of their price range even if it is cheap for a one-off piece & 2 weeks out from Melbourne Cup. Ho Hum. Lesson learned. They looked pretty in the late afternoon sunshine anyway :).

*NB Photo of Aimee, by Grace Forde

2011-09-27T20:14:00.003+08:00

Fantastic day, selling my fascinators at the Outskirts Festival. Well done On William, for a successful event.

skirting the issue.

2011-09-09T20:08:00.005+08:00

Outskirts is in 2 weeks & I'm studiously avoiding working on my blush coloured, satin ribbon fascinator.

So I'm procrastinating, I'm sick, I'm allowed to feel sorry for myself. Stoopid flu, stoopid half-packed (moving this weekend) house, stoopid ex- (didn't even try to fight for it) boyfriend.

Think I'll get tarted up & stand in the middle of Langley Park to take some pretty photos of 'Roses are red', a little velvet number that took hoooours to make.

Come and check out my stall. I'll be just off William Street, in the entrance to the Courtyard of the State Theatre Centre of WA, Northbridge. Outskirts Festival 2011

red

2011-09-09T19:51:00.005+08:00

2011-09-04T23:28:00.002+08:00

I have a stall for the Outskirts Festival this year. It's part of Perth Fashion Festival, but in Northbridge and showcases crafty talents through pop-up shops, stalls & displays throughout the Cultural Centre & along William Street.

I did say I wanted to sell some fascinators in September. What luck!

So come down & check it out Sunday 25th of September. You might pick up some interesting Xmas presents :)

Roll up! Roll up!

2011-09-02T11:35:00.009+08:00

The invitations for the opening night sunset soiree in the Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre of WA, will be sent off to the printer this weekend & I'm putting together my guest list.

If you're interested in coming along, send me your details and I'll post you one out. Can do digital, if you're feeling green (just make sure you RSVP so you're on the list.

Space

2011-09-02T11:25:00.002+08:00

'Funny', a set of 3 watercolours are now all framed & ready for the exhibition. So I'm getting there.
I've taken the week off work and, partly because of an emotional upheaval in my life (broke up with my muse), I am finding it very hard to focus on my art.
Put all his stuff in a box & taped it up tight as a symbolic way of putting him in a dark, dusty corner of my mind, so I can concentrate on being creative. Tried channelling all that emotional energy, unfortunately I stagnated, really didn't help. The whimsical looking pieces I had sketched out & planned though, may turn out slightly more twisted as a result.
Really need some space, and my studio / living quarters 4 walls feel like they're closing in, so I rearranged my apartment yesterday. Feel better now.

& the lights come on.

2011-08-24T20:27:00.003+08:00

Sketching out the photo of Wayne I want to turn into a really big piece in red & black.

I've ended up with an image that's a sort of graphic novel style with a bit of forced perspective to give it impact & make you wonder "what's behind the curtain". It's fairly intimidating & aggressive, less sexy than I was going for, but my situation has changed & now it fits. Towards the end it definately felt like he had all the control & was leading me into this abyss where I wasn't 'me' anymore.

I think women give up a lot, compromise on what they want their lives to be, just to share it with someone else.

I haven't decided yet if he's a ringmaster, or a lion tamer. Either way, I won't be tamed.

"This used to be our funhouse...

2011-08-17T19:09:00.002+08:00

... but now it's full of evil clowns" (Pink - 'Funhouse')

Why is it when I have the feeling my heart is wounded I'm compelled to paint with red ink? Drip, drip, drip, my emotions bleed across watercolour paper rendering it soaked in thinly veiled pathos. Too obvious, pair it back, to black & white... simple, clean, graphic novel ready.

This one will be big!

funny

2011-06-26T00:07:00.004+08:00

Sometimes I feel my painting is somewhat prophetic.
This one's at the framers at the moment.
Watercolour & ink on paper, approx 200mm x 200mm

Clowns (an excerpt)

... Are we all clowns underneath
with faces painted, emotions
cleverly masked, windows
of the soul concealed?

When make-up is removed
Will it wash away fears,
finally reveal thoughts,
make us naked? ...

Frances Macaulay Forde c 2001

fascinator models

2011-06-16T23:16:00.000+08:00

Calling all exhibitionists! I need some gorgeous glamazons to model my fascinators for a shoot at an undisclosed location. Give me a call if you’d like to be involved & I’ll send you the deets.

me time

2011-06-05T00:13:00.000+08:00

I do my best thinking in the bath.

I was interviewed

2011-05-31T23:10:00.000+08:00

Bear among bees: Speaking with Jessica McCallum: "It's Speaking with time again and for the month of May I caught up with all round talented lady Jessica McCallum via email. Bohemia H..."

fascinating cont...

2011-05-29T19:12:00.001+08:00

Still distracted by feathers & flowers. Inspired by this beautiful blood-red cabbage rose I pinched out of the garden recently, I've designed another headband style one, to be made out of red velvet.

fascinating cont...

2011-05-22T23:09:00.001+08:00

They’ve all got silly names at the moment like ‘Diva’, ‘Frenchie’ & ‘Flirt’. I’ve started buying feathers on Etsy.com, because the postage is really cheap from the US (being light) but I’m always under-whelmed by the size… and yes I did convert inches to millimetres, they’re still so small when I get them.

Found some fun butterflies though & was inspired by a Banksy artwork to design this one.

bohemian skin

2011-05-15T23:08:00.001+08:00

I have a couple of tattoos. Not big, in-your-face, colourful one’s that can’t be covered with clothing, just a couple of little indelible reminders of events & relationships. Memories permanently inked into my skin that no-one can take from me.
I painted this diptych to remind me, it doesn’t matter who, or what I become, or become to someone else, my confidence, self-reliance & independence is my strength. It’s easy to feel so safe, warm & secure in someone’s arms, that you forget how to stand up without them there to hold you. The woman I’ve painted is not a portrait of anyone in particular. Rather the aspect of myself that I see in so many of my strong, creative, female friends. When women talk about losing themselves in a relationship, or their ‘sense of self’, this is the person they’re talking about. Comfortable in her own skin, with all her truths, experiences & discoveries, growing & flowering, permanently ingrained and there for all to see. Not compromised & hidden to fit with the shared life of the elusive ‘other half’.
This is the first of a set of two.

ink & gouache on paper
180mm x 260mm (+ frame)

fascinating cont...

2011-05-08T23:06:00.001+08:00

With a theme of circus & burlesque for the exhibition, I seem to have been side-tracked playing with feathers. I’ve become pre-occupied with making fascinators. Fabulous, feathery, feminine fascinators.

I figure if I do a little stall of some description, I can drum up some interest (& maybe some moola) for my exhibition. The timing’s perfect. Get 10 or so done by September, just in time for Melbourne Cup & still have October to sort myself out for the Exhibition. Well that’s what I’m telling myself. Think I’m just distracted.

Anyone know where the hell I can buy ostrich feathers in Perth?

tempting tight-ropers

2011-05-08T15:26:00.000+08:00

The whole 2 months the circus has been parked across the road from me, with it’s gawdy signage, mid-afternoon muffled pop-music, tethered ponies & faint smell of manure & I’ve only been once for a film shoot & now to a burlesque show. Sugar Blue Burlesque took over that big stripey tent for a bawdy, ballyhoo called Big Top Tease tonight.
I wore leopard print, leather & fishnets, I ate fairy floss & popcorn, and made eyes at some guy out of my league with a busty brunette girlfriend. The human contingent of the Joseph Ashton Circus featured as well. No undignified, sequined, trained dogs, thankfully. The girls from Sugar Blue put on a titillating show complete with an aerialist & balloon popper. Must admit when the two boys came out for an ‘end of the war celebration’ themed acrobatic performance in those stretchy khaki uniforms, I joined in the chorus of the mostly female audience members who shouted ‘take it off!’ Was fun. Now, to convince SBB’s resident photographer to let me use some of the photos as references.

one night only

2011-04-26T00:14:00.000+08:00

Caught up with a friend I haven’t seen in a while. She was working on a film set in a circus across the road from me. The short film was called ‘One Night Only’. She ‘Facebooked’ me to ask if I was available to do some firedancing for a carnival scene & although I was definitely up for it, a friend of mine has forgotten he’s got my firestaff & I’ve been meaning to buy a new one. Dropped in to say Hi anyway & got roped in to help with a few things.
I could’ve just helped sign the extras in, running them back & forth with my umbrella collection, but the lady doing the hair was on her own & kinda needed some help putting little girl’s hair in curlers. Then I noticed that wardrobe had run out of shoes for one of the extras, who happened to be sitting in the front row of the bleachers, in shot. Dash home to my extensive 50’s style shoe collection & luckily they’re in her size.
Around 9:30pm, they’ve finished shooting in the Big Top & I’ve got a sponge in my hand removing greasepaint from a clown’s ear crevices. Next thing I know it’s well after midnight on a school night & I’m using my home PC to print up tomorrow’s running sheet. Gee I miss this world sometimes.

Cirque Du Soleil

2011-04-22T23:02:00.000+08:00

Saltimbanco.
Might not have been in a tent, but it still rocked my world.
I want to run away to the circus.

gallery begging cont...

2011-04-22T12:01:00.000+08:00

Thankfully I’ve now been offered the opportunity to exhibit at work. Hopefully in the Studio Underground this November… but if not, somewhere in the magnificent surrounds of the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia.

gallery begging

2011-04-11T22:59:00.000+08:00

Had a few options in my sights from location scouting last year:
King Street Arts Centre
KURBgallery
Free Range
Kidogo Art House
LastChanceStudio

Settled on Free Range Gallery to approach. Started designing the layout & wrote my proposal assuming I’d be accepted.

"Dear Jessica
Thank you for submitting an application to free range.
The exhibitions committee recently met to assess applications and plan our current program.
At this stage free range is unable to offer you a space for the exhibition you proposed.
We believe that there are other galleries or spaces more suited to your work and audience.
Good luck with your artistic endeavours.
Kind Regards,
Tanya (on behalf of the exhibitions committee)"

“Inappropriate!” In what way? I’m a local artist. The work I’m doing is experimental… for me. Which bit was inappropriate? Deliberately go a different way to work in the morning, to avoid walking past it before I’ve had my coffee.

Creepy Clowns cont...

2011-04-11T14:40:00.000+08:00

And heeeeerrrreeee’s Sean.

Creepy Clowns cont...

2011-04-10T13:33:00.000+08:00

I'm having trouble with my net so it takes a while to get these uploaded, but here's some of Wayne's shots from Thursday night's 'Funny' reference photo shoot.

I think he looks hot, but I'm biased :).

Creepy Clowns cont...

2011-04-09T23:07:00.001+08:00

Photoshoot for 'Funny' a set of 3 large paintings, either in oils, acrylics or spraypaint (haven't decided which yet), creepy, sexy, cool & slightly disturbing, larger-than-life portraits. The boys (Wayne, Travis & Sean) did a fantastic job of posing with purpose for me. Trav's featured here.

The nightshoot location was The Courtyard outdoor performance space at the State Theatre Centre of WA. So I had some great lighting to work with & nice dark backgrounds.

fascinating

2011-04-04T16:11:00.000+08:00

I have this idea for an installation, you know those creepy looking clown head things you put ping pong balls in at fairs? They oscillate from side to side & the game is to make the ping poll fall into a little narrow slot marked with a high number, the higher the number the less crappy the prize. Had a brain spasm about using the insides of old fans in foam heads, turning from side to side with puckered, pretty mouths... Hmmm. An interesting way to display my fascinators I'll be selling, just in time for Melbourne Cup.

Creepy Clown

2011-04-04T15:46:00.001+08:00

I'm going to do a series of 3 Creepy Clowns in acrylics on 500mm square canvases. They're part of my next exhibition & I'm doing the shoot for the reference pics at The State Theatre Centre this week.

models needed

2011-03-11T20:34:00.001+08:00

Need to do a shoot soon for creepy clowns, burleque girls & circus performers. Anyone know any dancers, acrobats, models (or people who just like to dressup & pull faces) who'd like to be immortalised in paint for an exhibition later in the year?

catalogue

2010-09-12T11:11:00.004+08:00

take down

2010-09-12T08:55:00.006+08:00

It's all over. 7 months work, planning, concepting, acquiring materials, designing, painting, organising a venue, media, catering, & it's all over for another year.

Wasn't hugely successful money-wise... LOL I'll never make a living out of this, but everything fell into place. The general feedback about how reasonable the prices were, how popular the pieces were (most people would hang it on their wall) & how much fun the Opening was, were all positive comments.

Next year's theme is a bit darker. Sexy burlesque & circus with a litle bit of creepy clown thrown in. I know a couple of my friends can't handle the possibility of clowns, which could be a problem... but I have a vision dammit, gotta follow-thru.

I've uploaded a catalogue here, check it out if you're still interested in purchasing a piece.

I'm always open to commissions too, what's your poison? acrylics, oils, watercolour, fabric... wall mural-sized or fit in you pocket masterpiece? Challenge me.

Still on show

2010-09-02T18:27:00.007+08:00

If you didn't make it to the Exhibition the other night, don't fret, it's still up for viewing.

August 23 - September 10, 2010
Subiaco Arts Centre Gallery
180 Hamersley Rd, Subiaco W.Australia

The Gallery is open Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm,
for more info, http://www.subiacoartscentre.com.au/ +61 8 9380 3000
or call me +61 0 417 917 632 on a weekend for a guided tour.

I'll put a catalogue of images up on Picasa before it finishes, so if you miss out, you can shop online. Happy browsing.

Thank you

2010-08-28T23:22:00.005+08:00

A huge heart-felt thank you very much to all those who supported & encouraged me in exhibiting some of my recent artwork last Saturday night at Subiaco Arts Centre. Whether you actually attended the opening night, intend to check it out over the next couple of weeks, or can't make it for whatever reason, your enthusiasm and kind words prior, during & post, have been invaluable and undeniably instrumental in making this event possible, or even probable.

Particularly there are some people I'd like to thank, as I neglected to mention them specifically in my speech on the night. Subiaco Arts Centre & staff, in particular, Kestin Owens & Sarita Leal, for the use of their fabulous gallery space. AEG Ogden Perth for encouraging creativity in a staff member by providing me once again with a venue, & their assistance in Marketing, thank you Irene Jarzabek. Creating Events With Style for their lovely catering on opening night, Anneliese, Lauren, Abigail & Catherine you did a fantastic job, thanks girls. Dave Thornbury for his assistance with the logistical side of hanging the pieces & Terry on Security, you're shining stars boys. The Wire Mag (in The West on Thursdays) for their shout out.

I also meant to thank some of my nearest & dearest, who have been there for me through thick & thin, & now, with my second exhibition, have reminded me once again why I would happily jump in front of a bus to rescue them if they fell in it's path. Judith Clark, my silent investor, you are a rare & precious jewel to be treasured. Scott Cain for his media savvy assistance with all things promotional, what would I do without you. My models, Louise, Min, Athira, Heidi, and especially Violeta Stojkovic, photographer extraordinaire, who helped me with the photo shoots, you're all beautiful. My Mum, Frances Macaulay Forde, her poetry articulates the sentiment behind each painting, resplendently.

I want to thank all my family, friends, and work colleagues, for being so understanding whilst I temporarily cloistered myself away, hermit-like, in a small room full of canvases and paint. I miss you all very much and am looking forward to spending some quality time catching up.

Last but definately not least, I need to thank my transportation engineer, logistics planner, labourer, chef, and overall emotional support-base (btw this is one person), assistant creative director Wayne Leitao. Thank you Darling.

You can gaze upon the gorgeous faces of the umbrella sporting gathered glitterati at Saturday night's soiree here: Picasa web album

To be continued...

Warm fuzzy feelings & big squishy hugs, Jess x

Proudly associated with the City of Perth Winter Arts Season 2010

crunch time - in retrospect

2010-08-22T20:10:00.011+08:00

I couldn't believe I had to vote the day of my exhibition opening. 1 day to go. Couldn't they have made us go to the polls next weekend, when I didn't have a very important event at 8pm .
I was so nervous. My apartment was becoming increasingly dangerous to navigate. One wrong step could put your foot in a pot of paint, your hand through a still-wet canvas & pour plaster down your back. It's too small for two people, & yet somehow my very supportive boyfriend & extremely tolerant cat have managed to fit in here with me for the last crazy week. There was paintings in the hallway, on the bed, covering every available nook & cranny.

The most inconvenient discovery... finding out the largest of my pieces did not, in fact, fit into a standard-sized car. Hence the ute.

down to the wire...

2010-08-19T23:54:00.001+08:00

no rain

2010-08-13T10:08:00.000+08:00

well actually there's lots of it so I can't paint outside. Hmmm plaster, pva & ceiling white, this is going to require drop-sheets, big ones.

time to panic!

2010-08-07T10:55:00.002+08:00

2 weeks to go til opening, I need to hang everything & I haven't finished painting yet. Perhaps I should be painting instead of writing in my blog ;)

A few more refernce shots for a panel I'm adding in to Red Umbrella Series 3, now simply called 'Umbrella', which is halfway through at this point. I needed aerial photos of umbrellas and a cute boy. Good job I live in a tall building :) Was alot of fun & good stress relief. I'v had a couple of set-backs, namely unanticipated chemical reactions of paint & gloss varnish which was kinda dissapointing. But, after a glass of wine & a lie down, I feel much better.

aren't you glad I don't live with you...

2010-08-06T23:35:00.003+08:00

I've taken some time off work to really focus. I'm going to be battling to get everything I want done now. Of course, as my Mum very wisely said "Only [I] have the script", but I still put myself under pressure to achieve everything I set out to do.

countdown

2010-08-02T21:46:00.007+08:00

3 weeks to go & I'm starting to freak out a bit. I'm eating way too much chocolate. I had another look at the Venue today. It's a beautiful space, I'm really looking forward to exhibiting there. I had this idea for an intsallation... hmmmm... an inability to hang anything from the ceiling has kinda put the kybosh on it. It involved umbrellas of course, strung with fairy lights twinkling off peices of mirror, beads & refletive surfaces. Might have to come up with something else.

In a fantasy world I'd have 3 stunning models to wander around in silver bodypaint Rhianna-style sporting black umbrellas dripping with battery operated fairy lights & sparkles. Now that'd draw a crowd ;) Any volunteers?

For info about the event as listed on The Subiaco Arts Centre website, go to: www.subiacoartscentre.com.au

streaky, blue canvases...

2010-07-25T16:44:00.004+08:00

... all over my apartment. The cat tiptoes through a maze of them to get to the couch.

Thought I'd put up some of the concept drawings for Red Umbrella Series 3 & show you where I'm up to. They're ink renderings on water colour paper & they'll be for sale as well as the large finished pieces.

You can see them on my picasa album but here's my favourite so far. Not just because of the gorgeous subject (my friend Violeta), it's the most striking in terms of composition.

concepting

2010-07-25T11:51:00.000+08:00

waiting for paint to dry

2010-07-16T20:59:00.007+08:00

It's as enthralling as it sounds. I'm finding my lack of space somewhat limiting, with pieces varing in size from 30centimetres to 750cm to 1.8 metres clamouring for wall / floorpsace / bedspace in my little bedsit. Winter has finally arrived for it's short stint in Perth, (til it moves on to less fortunate cities in the Eastern States), so I can't paint outside at the moment.

I've finished the 3 piece Red Umbrella Series 1, which I've entitled Falling.

As in Falling head over heels, despite the walls you've put up around your heart.

Falling for someone who might not be right for you, but you just can't catch yourself.

Falling in Love in innaporiapriate weather.

I won't show the final pieces yet, I'm saving it as a suprise for opening night, but here's a peek.

Distracted

2010-06-12T22:15:00.001+08:00

I've been somewhat preoccupied of late. In a good way. Spent an afternoon in Midland (Western Australia) wandering through a gallery and sculpture park. Difficult to tell what's art & what's functional in the context of Gomboc Gallery, home to a purpose built gallery, workshop & large grassy park nestled amoungst wineries.

Was very inspiring, I came home all enthused about installations & sculpture. Not for this exhibition but has given me great ideas for future works.

defying gravity

2010-06-07T22:51:00.001+08:00

Photo shoot for Red Umbrella Series 4 required a red umbrella & semi-blue screen background. Luckily for me, I live in Perth Western Australia & we have blue-sky winters mild enough to go to the beach in the middle of June :).

Cottesloe Beach provided the perfect backdrop for some airborne acrobatics performed by my capoira-trained friend Min. The shots turned out really well & I know exactly what I'm going to do with them. I have this kind of layered graffiti style image in my head in strong black&white contrast. Can't wait to get painting, but need to rearrange my apartment for this one. It's going to be about 1.5 x 2mtres.

For more pics from the shoot go to http://picasaweb.google.com/JessicasMomentousMoments/Exhibition2010InProgress#

'Tis the Season

2010-06-01T23:29:00.000+08:00

...Winter Arts Season in the City of Perth that is.

Started with a gloriously crisp, sunny morning on the 1st of June with stiltwalkers, a snowdome full of musicians & AN UMBRELLA FLASHMOB! They were kind of easy to pick, even before 'Singing in The Rain' started up from a small stereo somewhere, they were the only people with umbrellas.

Was good fun. My friend Judith participated, I took photos, I'm uncoorinated: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5Z7TqWV5SM
I found out about it because I met Serena, from AIVDT, on the Monday night at 399 Bar, my regular Monday night haunt. Was introduced through Kat from VJZoo. It's a small world.
If you want to know more about Anything Is Valid Dance Theatre & their stuff click here AIVDT.

The brochures for the Winter Arts Season were also handed out & guess who made page 45 :), Was so excited. I'm not on the website though, I guess because it's the Around Perth section. So you'll just have to pick up a copy somewhere, if you're in Perth.

Rainshoot

2010-05-23T13:34:00.010+08:00

Some fantastic photos resulted from my shoot yesterday. I was fairly set on the look I wanted & composition of each shot, but in terms of the right lighting etc., had no idea. I also wanted it to be fairly flexible, wih my friend's personalities very much part of the story. I did up a storyboard for the pics I ewanted & my friend Violeta helped me get the best out of my models.

I had two gorgeous girlfriends of mine model as the girl with the red umbrella. She captures the heart of my male protagonist in the story & inspires him to risk all and make the leap... so to speak. I also had one last minute, but much appreciated, volunteer pose for the required male contingent of the story. So glad he could step in when all 4 of my friends that had put their hands up, pulled out.

I now have quite a selection of beautiful reference pics to paint from. I will probably go with the one's my favourite photographer took, even though she also doubled as the other female model, as she is much better at composition & lighting (photographywise) than me. They both did a really good job though & looked so glamorous, it will be very difficult to choose.

Thank you girls! ... & spunky boy :)
For all the refernece shoot pics head to http://picasaweb.google.com/JessicasMomentousMoments/Exhibition2010InProgress#

Dots

2010-05-16T20:56:00.003+08:00

Developing one of the Red Umbrella Series at the moment. I need to get my numbering sorted so I can do prints of them, but there's 4 series of 7-10 images.

One is being turned into 3 large, square comic book style portarits of my friend, kinda based on that romantic, read: cheesy :), dancing & kissing in the rain & not caring if you get wet. That feeling when you first fall for someone. Nothing else is improtant, just being with them, rain hail or shine. Not sure if everyone can relate to that or not.

It's been through a couple of incarnations since the original red & black ink drawings. Last week it was looking kinda like this, after adding a darker background etc. in Photoshop. Now I'm playing with the colouring on the canvas & it's more shaded.

Going to keep things a bit more mysterious this time & not show the finished pieces in their entirety until opening night. One because it's cool, & two, coz I don't have a camera at the moment.

Puddle Paintings

2010-05-09T23:25:00.004+08:00

Splish & Splash evolved out of an image I had in my head of raindrops in puddles.

Using wax & gutta, some ink, watercolours & a pinch of salt on silk, I produced two pieces which will be mounted on round canvases.

Price on application at this point, I'm still working that side of things out.

Lack of rain

2010-05-05T12:47:00.001+08:00

Not so long ago it bucketed down on Perth, causing all sorts of damage in what has been dubbed The Great Storm of 2010. It's been a while since Perthians had seen that much rain all in one go. But where the hell did it go? Just when I decide I need to do a reference photo shoot for a series of paintings I'm working on, it dries up again. Blue skies... typical.

Anyway this is the concept drawing for the peice I'm working on next, Red Umbrella Series... 3 (I think). It's kind of a mockup, because I still need models to do the shoot, and a camera, and it needs to be raining...

I've had a few people offer to model for me, mostly girls, boys are shy apparently. So as long as the stars align, & the heavens open, I should be drawing attention to a couple of soggy friends sporting a red umbrella in the not too distant future.

Venue & Winter Arts Festival

2010-04-17T16:18:00.006+08:00

Exciting stuff, made the Winter Arts Festival Programme, in the Around Perth section. So looks like I'll have some fairly high profile advertising for this one. It seemed a logical event to be involved in given my subject matter, but securing a venue in the city proved difficult. So I'm not included in the website, but you can pick up a printed copy all over the city & I'm in there.

I'm extremely lucky to have landed the gorgeous, funky & oh so cute Subiaco Arts Centre Gallery for the show. Had a walk through with the General Manager yesterday & I'm positively ecstatic about the space. It's big, bright & versatile, it suits my stuff, great location, lots of natural light. It was obviously meant to be.

The exhibition will run Monday 23rd August to Friday 10th September with an invitation only opening night party on Saturday 21st August. If you'd like an invite, send me an email (http://www.blogger.com/jessica.mccallum@yahoo.com.au). The gallery's open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, or by appointment with me 0417 917 632, if you'd prefer to check it out on a weekend.

Dr Sketchy's

2010-04-07T22:24:00.002+08:00

A Marilyn Monroe theme for tonight's Anti Art School at The Burlesque Lounge.
What more could you want, as usual the model was gorgeous, my pencil was sharp & the bar was stocked.

Lost & Found

2010-03-26T00:05:00.002+08:00

I have this idea, tell me it sux because it could waste alot of time & not turn out the way I envisage it anyway but...

In the south of Vietnam on a recent trip I visited a village where they make those little conical straw hats that they wear in the rice paddies. They're awesome, not only do they keep the rain & sun off your head they're actually really decorative. In between the layers of straw that are wound over the band at the bottom & brought to a point at the top (very simple) is a layer of cardboard cutout of a little pictorial story. They're all different & you can only see it when the sun shines through your hat. I loved it.

So I had this idea for lost umbrellas, as in found in lost property in busports, train stations etc., that have a story as to how they were lost in the first place. Now what the hell am I going to make the little picture cutout from because it needs to be able to fold.... hmmmm.....

Next small thing

2010-03-16T17:56:00.007+08:00

I'm tossing up between In Case of Showers & Raincheck for the next exhibition. It's scheduled for August this year, at this point. Raincheck is oddly appropriate so I might stick with that. It's kind of evolving with an umbrella theme as the skies get greyer.

Had a look at a new space in Claremont called the Grey Door Gallery. Tucked upstairs in the old Claremont Hotel, it's currently showing an exhibition by local street artist Hurben. Definately worth checking out. Grey Door is open to the public Thursday nights atm. I planned to head down there Thursday & check it out with punters present, but looks like I'm working. Depending on costings, I'm thinking it's perfect.
I've looked at a few spaces lately, lots of clean white walls in pokey little holes, with plenty of prestige & in prime pozzies, but somehow lacking in ambiance. The upstairs space at Alda's Cafe in Wolf Lane is lovely, but tiny, & technically only has one wall... nough said.
Free Range Gallery fitted about 25 emo's in it for a recent high school grad exhibit called Debut & the rest of the punters had to mill about on Wellington Street trying not to get run over. OK for a long running not-for-profit exhibition but pretty crap for an opening night. It's just too small. I am going to make the effort & have a look at Revolutions this week, as it may end up being all I can afford if I don't start saving some cash.

Laneways & Lattes

2010-03-07T23:11:00.002+08:00

Eat, Drink Perth seems to come & go every year without me noticing. Perhaps it's because I don't make a habit of reading the paper, but it 's somewhat suprising considering, I love food... & I love wine. Go figure. This year they included a little deviation into the laneways of Perth city centre, particularly those adjascent to small cafes & bars. Each outdoor gallery had a theme.

Williams Lane (near Ezra Pound): Industrial grunge
Jay Jay's Lane: Art by the people, for the people. Unfortunately it was locked so the people couldn't get to it.
Howard's Lane (near Andaluz Bar): fine art. Apparently it was so fine it had to be taken down everyday, about the time I was leaving work, so I never got to see it.
Wolf Lane (near Aldas): The world, travel, food, people, recipes. I put a photograph of one of my pieces from my last exhibition up. I never got it back, so I guess someone liked it.

I think Laneway Art & Lattes has got serious potential as an alternative amateur exhibition, I hope they do it every year.

Singing in the Rain

2010-03-06T20:24:00.000+08:00

Did the first of a few reference photo shoots for the paintings I'm working on atm, with a dancer friend of mine who, very kindly, offered to model.
Jeppe Hein's outdoor installation for the Perth International Arts Festival outside PICA, was the perfect inspiration for a few wet piccies.
I'm going with the rain theme, with a bit of quirky, sexy circus thrown in. Started finalising concepts for 5 pieces, each made of several panels, or parts, & I've created the Facebook event for a tentative date of August 21st. So we're on our way.

* to see all the pics from the shoot, click here :)

Anticipation

2010-02-26T16:41:00.004+08:00

In case you've been living under a rock & haven't noticed the intriguing new structure being constructed on the corner of Roe & William Streets Northbridge, the new State Theatre Centre of WA is nearing completion & due to open at the end of this year. I was privvy to the plans for this fantastic cultural asset, right in the cultural centre of Perth, & I can barely contain my excitement. STCWA is going to be a one-stop shop for all things theatrically modern & engaging.

The main reason I'm so excited is the management are musing about exhibition space. Woohoo! Come on 2011 exhibition :)

* image courtesy of http://www.statetheatrecentre.dca.wa.gov.au

Inspiring Celebration

2010-02-09T13:13:00.007+08:00

Had a fabulous night Friday at the Perth International Arts Festival Opening Night Celebration with two of my closest friends Judith & Violetta. The awe inspiring La Fura dels Baus lit up the Supreme Court Gardens with a jaw dropping show. We throroughly enjoyed the spectacle, although short, it was a fantastic start to what I hope will be an inspiring festival this year.

Hanging with my girls was fun too. I haven't had a chance to catch up with them lately, & although I'm now finding the time & energy to focus on my art, being on my own, my little apartment is feeling a bit lonely without chatter.

V & I had an in depth conversation about this project in 2011. I'm hoping to collaborate with her, especially if I go with the stories idea. Her interview skills would be really useful if I end up videoing Perthites, & her architectural photography is pretty special. I do feel I need to use her sexy voice in some way & told her as much :). She's enthusiastic about the prospect, so now I need to talk to VJzoo & some other persons of interest, in preparation for my discussion next week with a prominent Perth-Landmark-to-be's General Manager.

Time to start painting again

2010-01-29T17:49:00.005+08:00

I have a couple of ideas swimming around in my head at the moment vying for attention. Not sure which theme to go with for the next exhibition. I know I want to do something midyear for the Winter Arts Festival so I guess I choose what suits best, but I also have something else to work on for early 2011 that I need to start thinking about now (and it's big). Underwraps at the moment, but I do want to go into installation & sculpture for that one, so I don't want to use my best idea in case I need it.
So what do I go with? The storyboard idea involves street art style images on large panels put together like a comic book, with the narrative linking the panels. I want to use stories that are personal to myself & friends, a loose theme kind of being lost & found and using found objects somehow. I'm thinking of using Perth laneways for my exhibition space, so you have to follow the story in a treasure hunt kind of way, with a map showing the locations all over the city.

Idea 2: I've also been attending a monthly anti-art school class called Dr Sketchy's with Burlesque style dancers posing as models. I love the circus & I have a background in Theatre, so it makes sense to do something theatrical & whimsical, but dark & a bit sexy. I could use masks & fabric, beads & rope. Would lend itself very well to VJZoo's work, & hey, my last exhibition was held in a theatre. Maybe a Burlesque lounge this time ;D. Who knows.

I like tactile, I like interactive & I like something that requires you to experience or relate to it in some way, not just view it. The 3rd idea has a lot to do with the senses & how you experience the world around you. For example, if you were blind, how would you know it was a beautiful day? You would feel the sun's warmth on your skin, feel the breeze on your face, smell icecream & hear people laughing around you - your interpretation of a beautiful day would be different from someone else's. If you were deaf how would you tell the person you love how you feel? How would I express this through art? No idea but I'm enthusiastic about the process of discovery just as much as the satisfaction of putting pen to paper, so to speak. I'd like to collaborate with other artists on this one, photographers, projectionists, puppeteers, potters.
Hmmmmm food for thought.

A place for everything

2010-01-27T20:41:00.002+08:00

I have a new abode!

Space to spread out & an inspiring inner-city location, what more could a bohemian creative want?
My combined studio / bedroom will be filled with artistic projects before long, & my exhorbitant rent will be completely justified :).

Had a housewarming yesterday (which happened to coinside with the Australia Day fireworks, on my doorstep), with a few friends, & my little bedsit is now thoroughly warmed.

Timber tattoos

2010-01-03T20:15:00.001+08:00

I borrowed my Dad's woodburning tools as a kind of experiment in using a different medium to 'paint' on timber.Really glad I did a bit of a practice run before I went for the big canvas, here's where I made all my mistakes teaching myself the lost art of tattooing timber.

I gave it to my Dad for Christmas :)

Trust

2009-12-28T19:31:00.000+08:00

Woodburning, not as easy as initially anticipated. The result was pretty cool though.

Exhibition officially opened!

2009-12-08T23:45:00.011+08:00

Opening night was crazy. 5 out of the 9 pieces sold. I'm keeping one, so that leaves 3 pieces if you're still interested in buying something before I take it all off the walls on Saturday.

His Majesty's Theatre was the perfect setting for this kind of event, such a beautiful building, with tasty catering by Creating Events, & fabulous atmosphere created by a swathe of family, friends & colleagues. I'm left with the warmest, fuzziest feeling inside, it's impossible to describe.

* Photos courtesy of Jasper Cook. For more photos of the opening click here.

Thanks

2009-12-05T23:29:00.002+08:00

Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou! to everyone who contributed in some way to this, my first (though it won't be my last) exhibition.

Thankyou particularly to my Mum & her husband Paudie, my Dad & his wifeTina, for their sponsorship.

Thankyou His Majesty's Theatre, in particular Belinda "sure you can do it here" Dunbar (DGM) , Rodney Phillips (GM), Lizzie Coles (Operations Mgr) for their support in providing the venue

Thankyou Creating Events for the fabulous catering & champagne.

Thankyou VJzoo (aka Kat & Jas) for providing the entertainment

Thankyou Scott G Cain for the graphic design of the website & invitations

Thanks V :D (Violetta) for promotions.

Jude, photographer extroadinairre.

Aimee & Ash Pash on the desk, my baby brother on the door.

... and everyone who made it along.
You're all FANTABULOUS!

much love Jxxx

Sway with me

2009-12-03T22:30:00.001+08:00

Mum has written some poetry to some of my paintings. I'll be displaying it next to the works as a kind of added insight into what I was thinking as well as her own interpretation of the pieces, as I didn't give her much idea.
It's all starting to feel a little chaotic with so much to do, in so little time but I'm hoping the show itself will have a lot of depth & audience interaction. Apart from Mum's beautiful words I have VJzoo of course doing some projections of vintage footage of dancers etc. to music that will add another layer, but all meld beautifully together.

As previously stated I finished Sway the other night. It was constructed (layered, torn, stitched, beaded) from some old sari's my housemate's Mum was tired of. I stitched over the top lotus flower shapes made of handpainted silk. I was thinking of all those beautiful bustling temples in India, the smell of incence & perfume, and the soft swish of silk saried women. India women don't tend to throw them out when they're bored of wearing them, they recycle them into other uses, for say washing rice in a stream. The idea of dual use inspired me. My mum had also written this beautiful poem about the art of wrapping a sari called My Life As A Sari. I liked the idea of dressing being just as sensual as undressing & it being a reaffirmation of feminity for the wearer.
* to read the poems Mum wrote for the exhibition & excerpts of her published works as well go to my Picasa album & look for the descriptions underneath
or
click here for her website.

3 sleeps to go

2009-12-02T22:45:00.011+08:00

The Exhibition opens on Saturday, the catering's confirmed, the technical requirements are locked in & I have 77 RSVPs, including a few VIPs from the Theatre.
Finished Trust & Fly over the weekend, moved house Monday (out of my tiny studio pictured below) then finished Sway last night. Finishing off Trust involved setting it on fire, which sounds exciting, but the actuality was a bit of an anti-climax. I did burn a perfectly good painting (well woodburning) regardless. btw I've never done wood-burning before, it's hard. Practiced on another smaller piece first, I might do some more if I have time & call them 'timber tattoos'. I love the smell.

Fly was 'in progress' for ages. I procrastinated so badly with this one, because I knew it would take me a long time. I wasn't looking forward to sewing all those patches of silk on. Sway's layers of fabric was time-consuming enough. I came up with another idea & I'm happy with the result. Making the little paper cranes was new too. This is a detail. It's quite a big piece.

I've spent today hanging everything in the venue with an invaluable, & extremely helpful maintenance guy, Ken. Have to organise a six pack of relatively expensive beer for him, he's been so patient. Not that I'm pedantic, but it has to be perfect :).

5 down, 4 to go...

2009-11-23T14:52:00.007+08:00

...& only 2 weeks to bring it all together. Good job I work well under pressure.

Finished another one. Was a bit tentative about putting it up, some may find it slightly controversial, but hopefully not take offense (or at least personally).
Kind of about feeling as though you have no voice, no way of expressing yourself, because of either gender, race or religion, & the frustration that creates. But most people make up their own minds about such things & I'm happy for them to take whatever they want from it. It's called 'mute' &, along with all the other peices in the catalogue scrolling on the right hand side of the page, is for sale.

communication breakdown

2009-11-23T12:47:00.006+08:00

I've been so self-absorbed of late. When you're wrapped up in something that consumes all your time & energy, thoughts & dreams (& I have been dreaming about it) you don't realise how much you end up talking about yourself.

Tis appropriate that I finished 'deaf. dumb' this weekend then. I'm actaully not happy with the result because I don't think the execution of it accurately describes what I wanted to express, which is ironic, considering the subject matter. I think that Men are from Mars & Women are from Venus book is a load of crap but I do think generally, relationship breakdowns tend to be due to that lack of communication, an inability to articulate what you're really feeling. How many times do you have all the right words tumbling around in your brain, you know exactly what you want to say, & when you open your mouth all the wrong one's come out.

dance like no-one's watching

2009-11-19T23:21:00.005+08:00

Finished another piece. 'dance' is made up of 5 canvases & was inspired by a Bollywood show my friend took me to for my birthday. I'm also dying to take a trip to India, it's next on my list. I have an old friend who owns a film studio in Bollywood & I'd love to go and work for her for a month.

This polyptich involved layering coloured tissue paper then, using guache, I painted the image of dancer in motion over the top, from a series of photographs I took at the show.

Exhibition Extended!

2009-11-17T18:34:00.006+08:00

The Exhibition itself will now be up until 11th of December 2009.
So all those people who can't make Opening night, drop by & have a look.
Volunteers run tours of the theatre weekdays if you wish to view the pieces during this time.

Please note, to attend the opening, Saturday 5th of December 2009, 3pm at His Majesty's Theatre Perth you will need to RSVP by Friday 20th November by phone 0417 917 632 or email: jessica.mccallum@yahoo.com.au.

in progress

2009-11-02T15:47:00.012+08:00

I'm not even dressed, still wearing my robe, but I'm painting & that's the main thing.

I've just about finished 3 pieces in one weekend Yay!
The house is looking a bit American pscho with all the plastic dropsheets, but it's not my place & although I'm ecstatic to be allowed to make a mess, I don't want any of it to be permanent.

A friend gave me some canvases for my birthday. I'd never seen 5 thin panels like that & was instantly compelled to do a polyptych piece inspired by a bollywood show I saw recently.
I've been playing with layers for most of these works either conceptually or actually, with layers of paint, plaster, fabric & paper making up the backgrounds of each artwork.

I've tentatively called this one dance & I used layers of coloured tissue to suggest movement & a kind of dreamy feel... for want of a better word. There's a reason I'm a painter not a writer.

It's not even close to finished at this point but you get the jist... or at least an idea of where I'm going with the whole theme.

I had 13 pieces in the works until I recently made the decision to work on 10 only. 3 artworks in progress have been relegated til next year's (2010) exhibition.

keep it to yourself

2009-10-30T23:37:00.001+08:00

Finished 'keep.kept'. I'm happy with the result, this is another smaller piece so should sell fairly well. A 2 parter, or dyptich, it's sort of about my grandfather who died recently. He was strongest man I knew, could handle anything, super fit, could kick all 3 of his kids butts at tennis. He was so scared & fragile, when he was in hospital. It was so awful to see him like that. It hadn't occured to me that he wasn't religious, even spiritual. He must have been terrified staring at that big void in his future.

I'm not sure what I believe in, but I see the sun as the source of energy & all life, so it follows if you can control that energy somehow instead of letting it control you, you have nothing to fear. Grandad Mac was my superman. He could do anything.

Hot off the press

2009-10-28T17:08:00.009+08:00

The Invitations are ready Ladies & Gentlemen.
The Exhibition is imminent, 5 weeks!

3:00pm, Saturday 5th of December 2009
His Majesty's Theatre, 825 Hay Street Perth, Western Australia

Email me at jessica.mccallum@yahoo.com.au if you would like one posted/emailed to you.
NB* RSVP is essential before Friday 20th of November for your name to be on the door.

art retreat

2009-10-25T15:30:00.005+08:00

I'm house-sitting (or rather... cat-sitting) for a friend at the moment.
It's fabulous, I've spread out all my painting gear, his balcony has become my studio, & I'm actually getting lots done. Good thing too, only 5 weeks to go til D-Day :)
His beautiful kitten/cat Jack hasn't put painted paw prints through the house yet... yet, but he's fascinated by my apparent, intense interest in small colourful objects.
The balcony is huge, just the right amount of space to be working on several pieces at once, & of course, being Perth, the weather is mild enough to leave things set-up, so I can create whenever inspiration strikes.

imminent

2009-09-16T12:40:00.005+08:00

Preparations are underway.
The date is definite - 5th of December.
It'll be an afternoon soiree with light refreshments. Currently in negotiations with Creating Events With Style to make the occasion memorable, if only for the art & food... fabulous combination if you ask me.
Entertainment will be provided by local Perth Visual DJ's, and old friends of mine, VJzoo. If you haven't heard of them check out one of their gigs around town. Or watch this clip of some of their street projections.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vjzoo/sets/72157608915721361/show/
10 weeks to go. Aaaaaahhhh!