Criss Canning

I am in love with her work. I tiny little 12x22 cm one ("pansies" 1983-4- bottom pic) sold at the Menzies art brands sale 2 days ago and I did not mention it earlier in case a miracle happened and I could buy it. In the end it went for over $5000 if you add the buyers premium. Don't know if it is the jewel like colours, or the black outlining, or the arrangements that are so appealing. Lately the paintings have become flatter, less textured, showing more Japanese laquerware and other reflective surfaces with abstract patterned backgrounds.

"Anemones" (centre pic) was for sale at Metro art gallery for $40,000 last time I looked..

Criss and her husband run Lambley nursery (pic at top) which explains where she gets some of her inspiration..

In memory of Bill Whiskey (1920-2008)

The first time I saw his work (In the window of Japingka gallery in Fremantle) I crossed a busy street with an infant in a stroller to get a better look. And I wasn't disappointed..

Its difficult to believe he only started painting at the age of 85.

All of his paintings represent the rockholes and country around Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) and tell the dreaming story of a white cockatoo who fought with a black crow. The white dots are supposed to represent the cockatoo's feathers, the roundels are the local waterholes or the marks made on the landscape during the fight. Linear designs on the painting are tracks or dry creekbeds.

Aside from that, important as it is, this is just brilliant art.

Menzies, Australian & International Fine Art, auction preview

Just took a look at the Melbourne viewing for this auction which occurs on march 25th 2010. I LOVE auction viewings- all that great art, some never seen before and never to be seen again, all for FREE (that is unless one accidentally buys something) and this was one of the best I have seen.

The picture getting all the publicity was Sydney Nolan's First-Class Marksman 1946, estimated at 3-5 million dollars. My 4 year old son loves Sydney Nolan and is saving hard.

I was more impressed I must admit by some of the other work. Have never been all that interested in John Perceval but the two major pictures on display are brilliant, reminding me of French impressionist masterpieces. In addition there are 5 Jeffrey Smart paintings, a superb Lin Onus which I would buy in a heartbeat if remotely able, and two big canvases by Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri and Tommy Watson.

General amusement was provided by Hazel Dooney's Ever-Ready (Fresh Out of Bed) 1998, and a John Kelly painting of an overall-wearing person rummaging inside a half zebra.

Highly recommended..

Louise Hearman-my favorite living Australian artist

Anyone else out there a Louise Hearman fan?

At her recent exhibition -(an invited entry for) the Clemenger Contemporary art award at the Ian Potter centre here in Melbourne - the guide privately said she thought her work was a bit "weird." Weirdly enough thats what I find most appealing. The portraits on display were all superficially beautiful, so luminous you could mistake them for transparencies lit from behind.

But the subjects were a different matter- painted dreams. You can't get much more quietly confronting than hostile children, toddlers framed by vaguely threatening, phallic plant matter, terrified animals, disquietingly unidentifiable furry floating objects or twigs that looked like alien insects. Somehow this artist doesn't automatically block out what the rest of us do. All are titled as "untitled" and therefore open to interpretation, which just adds to the fun. The full entry plus other work can be seen on websites by Roslyn Oxley9 gallery, or Tolarno gallery.

Theres a great video about her work in the video section at right which was done around the time of her retrospective at the Glen Eira town hall in 2008- a wonderful exhibition which confirmed for me that her work is just the best..

Addendum; I understand that the pic of the boy with his head above the clouds has been acquired by the art gallery of NSW

My favorite aboriginal art centre

Tjungu Palya!

("Good together")

The colours just blow me away.

Hard to believe these are painted at a tiny settlement, 100km southwest of Uluru. These examples include paintings by Maringka Baker, David Miller, Ginger Wikilyiri (the latter courtesy Vivien Anderson gallery)