New work,

"Golden Wattle Afternoon, Kings Park"
Oil on canvas, 110 x 165 cm, Joanne Duffy © 2013

Perth Royal Show Art Award

"Promise of Blue" oil on canvas, 80 x 120 cm, 2013

A newly finished work, intended for the Perth Royal Show for the Royal Agricultural Society of WA. This will be entered in the RASA Art Award which is open to all Western Australian Artists.

The work,  "Promise of Blue" depicts the passing of a storm and restful period of after bad weather when land is peaceful, no birds sing, and the sun is still not appearing. The fictional landscape is inspired from the farming area I grew up in - where most storms were were fierce, dry and usually at harvest time.

"Scrub Fire, Eneabba" oil on canvas, 61 x 122cm, 2012

I'm fortunate enough to have a second entry in the RASA Art Awards this year. The above painting "Scrubfire, Eneabba" last year won the Morawa Art Award. As a winner of a rural art award, the organisers chose to submit my work to the RASA Art Awards, a different category to the Open section.

The painting is a childhood memory of a scrub fire in early evening on the way back to Perenjori from Perth. A rather dramatic interpretation of the actual event, however as a young 6 year old it was quite awe inspiring. It is one of those emmories which may reappear in other works.

The year ahead ...

Well, looks like the rain has settled in for the day and it's time to kick start today's studio session.

The next six months are pretty full on with the equivalent to four bodies of work to produce. I'm well on my way with many half done - it's just a matter of finding the right mindset to finish each work.

Had a fairly major disappointment recently with not being shortlisted for a particular national award. I guess I was too confident - or maybe it was pure luck? Or maybe the fact that half of the finalists were photographic works - something I intend to share my opinion on at some point!

But with disappointment comes a sense of resolve and to get onto the next event. I'm hoping to be shortlisted for a few art awards in the next 12 months and would like to try a few different approaches in my painting - I may slip back into the comfort zone, time will tell.

It's also my intention to make more use of this blog - to write some opinions on current local art affairs and get used to writing about my own work. It seems some artists are very good at this - or do they pay someone to do it?

So as well as the artwork statements, here is a list of topics I'm hoping to cover;

1. The process of local art prizes/awards
2. Dealing with galleries
3. Competing with Indigenous Art/Artists
4. The middle-aged bored housewife artist
5. Realism
6. Career pathways
7. Self promotion of an introvert

Stay tuned!