My Journal
Welcome to my blog posts including news, events and stories about my work.
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Wow, can you believe it’s August already? Firstly if you are in Brisbane, save the date - this series will be on show at QCAD Galleries, South Bank throughout the third week in November, the 15th -22nd. 2024. More details nearer the event. The final trimester of my course has just kicked off, and things are starting to feel a bit overwhelming with so much on my plate!  But amidst all that, I’m excited to share something special with you—my painting inspired by the 1980s. As a teenager in that era, the tablecloth was a staple in the homes of friends I visited. Though I couldn’t find the original cloth despite a thorough search, I decided to create my own version to use in my artwork. The pattern, Nutmeg by Laura Ashley in the Plum/Cream color scheme, was quite the challenge to paint, especially with all the intricate details in perspective. It took me hours, but I’m thrilled with how it turned out! This image is a photograph of the cloth I printed for reference.  I also have fond memories of the crockery from my youth, particularly the collection my mother started when Marks and Spencer released it. This image is a reference photograph.  And of course, no 1980s scene would be complete without Arnott’s Tic-toc biscuits and Wagon Wheels—true icons of the time! This image is a reference photograph.
On top of all this, I’ve been busy with a major update to my website, and I’m excited to announce a special promotion. The Morningside School of Arts, a beautiful building that plays a crucial role in our local arts scene, is in need of a fresh coat of paint. I’m passionate about helping with the fundraising efforts, so I’m offering a selection of original artworks for sale to people in Australia, I am sorry but international shipping is fraught with complications, if you are overseas and interested in one of the artworks, please contact me to discuss possible shipping solutions and costs. For all the details of this exciting fundraiser please, go to the MSA promotion page. Your support would be amazing!
Hello everyone, I hope this message finds you well. I'm thoroughly enjoying the winter season and I am excited to share updates on my latest Master's project paintings with you. But first, I want to reassure my Wave painting followers that more wave pictures are on the horizon once I complete my Master’s studies. As I embark on my last term of study later this month, I’d like to take you on a journey through two fascinating decades: the 1900s and the 1920s.
The biscuits of this era included Jam drops and chocolate digestives, the latter being a relatively new addition to the biscuit assortment at the time.
I’m eager to share glimpses of my painting process, layer by layer, along with some detailed shots of the finished pieces.
The 1920s This decade marked the transition from Art Nouveau to Art Deco, introducing geometric design elements into patterns.
 The tea service from this period, designed by Standard China, England, showcases both geometric and floral design elements.
I’m delighted to share work-in-progress shots of this painting, along with detailed views of the finished piece.
The completed works will be on display at QCA in November, with more details to follow soon. To stay updated, please sign up for my newsletter as social media channels may not always show you all my posts.
Dear Friends As my project progresses, I am thrilled to continue to share some behind-the-scenes insights into my collection of still life paintings for my master’s project. It's been an absolute joy diving into the research and sourcing the elements that bring each piece to life. I continue to be fascinated by the different biscuits, tablecloths, and crockery that appear as I continue my research, the 1930s showcased the art deco style.
 Once all the elements were gathered, I experimented with a variety of setups before diving into the initial layers of the painting. I found a green under cloth to match the crockery and bring the composition together. It's been an exciting process and I am delighted to share the work in progress.
 The 1910 crockery research lead me to seeking crockery of the Art Nouveaux style pattern. I found this stylish pattern by Aynsley Potteries, England. It has been a challenge to paint – but that’s what makes it fun!
 As I progress with each piece, I find capturing this white tablecloth in paint is a challenge in subtlety. Capturing the essence of this era by painting the intricate cutwork pattern of the table cloth, the fine pattern of the crockery and biscuits, has been great fun. Thank you for continuing to join me on this artistic adventure. I can't wait to share more updates with you soon!
 I am delighted to continue to share some behind-the-scenes insights into my journey of creating this series of still life paintings for my master’s project. It's been an absolute joy diving into the research and sourcing the elements that bring each piece to life. I continue to be fascinated by the different biscuits, tablecloths, and crockery that appear as I continue my research. The 1960s are vibrant and bold, and luckily due to their popularity I was able to source authentically patterned cloth.  I was so excited to find Wedgewood Pennine Tableware @camphillantiques, which is iconic of the 1960’s although I was not around to see this decade, I fondly remember seeing examples of this tableware as a child.  Now, onto the biscuits—the 1960’s featured melting moments and vanilla wafers as popular biscuit choices for enjoying with a cup of tea.  Once all the elements were gathered, I experimented with various setups before diving into the initial layers of the painting. It's been an exhilarating process and I am delighted to share the work in progress.  I'm thrilled to share a sneak peek of part of the finished 1960s painting with you.....  For the 1940s, my research led me back to Camp Hill Antique Centre and the collection of vintage tablecloths one of their delightful vendors has in stock. I was blessed to find this delightful floral patterned cloth.  The 1940 crockery research lead to the almost ubiquitous English village hall crockery that I grew up with – Woods Berylware. I have many fond memories of this still in use in my local village hall throughout my youth. This pattern was trickier to source, but ebay came to the rescue. The marks on the base of this pottery are elegantly simple.  Gingernut Biscuits and Honey cookies were widely enjoyed in the 1940s. They take centre stage in this painting. I've included a detail section of the reference photo I used to give you a glimpse into my creative process.  After the first layer...  As I progress with each piece, I find myself delighted by the 1940s tablecloth—I loved capturing this cloth in paint. From painting the intricate floral pattern to capturing the essence of the crockery and biscuits, every brushstroke builds the story of this era. A section of finished detail.... Thank you for joining me on this artistic adventure. I can't wait to share more updates with you soon! Please comment or share this blog with your friends :-)
Dear Friends I'm thrilled to share some behind-the-scenes insights into my journey of creating this series of still life paintings. It's been an absolute joy diving into the research and sourcing the elements that bring each piece to life.
One highlight was rediscovering my Denby Potteries' Troubadour pattern crockery, a cherished inheritance from my grandmother. It's remarkable how these pieces evoke cherished beloved memories around the dinner table.
 Julie Cane 1990's oil on linen 45x80cm (Release date TBA in November 2024) Dear friends,
It's a pleasure to reconnect with you through this blog after a period of quiet on my end. I hope this message finds you well. During these past few years, I've immersed myself in a captivating journey as I pursue my master's in visual art at Griffith University. The culmination of this endeavor is just around the corner, with my final’s exhibition slated for November this year. I am currently engrossed in a series of still life paintings centered around the theme of a "cup of tea and a chat" or simply, a tea break. The aim is to highlight the positive benefits of genuine communication, often facilitated by the simple act of sharing a beverage and some delightful nibbles—a practice I find increasingly rare in our fast-paced, technology-driven lives. I would love to hear your thoughts on this. It has been an enjoyable exploration sourcing suitable props for each decade. From tablecloths to crockery and biscuits, every element contributes to the representation of different decades of the 20th century, with an additional painting encapsulating the essence of the 21st century. I am in the final stages of developing a high-quality, professional suite of paintings representing my theme for each decade. Bringing together my love of detail, technical skills and the focus, research and experimentation in my master's studies have proven invaluable. I am excited to share this new suite of paintings with you in the coming months. Do you have a favorite decade? In addition to my own creative journey, I've delved into the works of other artists within the still life genre. The contemporary artists who have captured my attention include Lisa Milroy and Peter Dreher, alongside the archival masterpieces of Patrick Pound and Gerhard Richter. Their contributions have enriched my understanding of the quiet, thoughtful qualities inherent in still life paintings. I'm looking forward to sharing more of my discoveries and insights with you in the upcoming newsletters. Please feel free to reach out and share your thoughts—it would mean a lot to me. Warm regards, Julie How I painted this…. Infinity of Nature, an oil painting of leaves on a 100x100cm Canvas. Here is the story of how I painted this picture, it is my largest painting to date, and sums up well my views of the world,  In the beginning I grew up on a small farm in Essex, England, where we kept many animals and were surrounded by beautiful countryside, this I found constantly inspiring and I developed my love of the natural world, and my desire to protect it. I painted whenever I got the chance, around many obstacles and much discouragement, as was encouraged to focus on a proper career! Chocolate kept me going! In 2014 I won the Lethbridge Small Scale Art Award with Do You? My second oil painting of leaves. This picture was the first to sum up my core values, the need to cherish our Earth at all times. Small changes, when done by many people can make a huge impact. My leaf paintings highlight the balance in nature. Infinity of Nature is my largest leaf painting to date, it is 100x100cm painted in Oil on Linen. I started with a walk around my local suburb, collecting only fallen leaves that caught my eye, I brought them home and scattered them on a board a bit bigger than the size I want to paint, for this one I placed the bright leaves in the shape of the infinity symbol, on a background of more muted coloured leaves, to reflect on how mother nature, manages to reduce the leaves to compost, recycling and reusing their nutrients, in and ongoing cycle. Then I photographed it, as I cannot paint fast enough from life, to capture it before they alter, because even though they have fallen they are still changing with time.
Once I have photos of my leaf composition, I used a root 5 grid for maximum energy inside a square for its stillness, I adjusted the lay of the leaves to the grid to give the painting energy and flow. Once I had a suitable line drawing, I made a tonal plan to make the image read how I wanted it, lastly colour is considered. Once I had a complete plan, supported throughout by dark chocolate raisins from the local 'Source bulk foods', I transferred the line on to the canvas, then blocked in the main colours in their correct tonal levels, except the yellows, for these I used glazes to get the depth and tone I needed. The next 4 - 5 layers built up a depth of colour and detail in each leaf.
Infinity of Nature captures my cares about the health of the planet, and cherishing its ecosystems, I do what I can to reduce my impact and recycle my waste. My paintings are each designed to reflect the worlds beauty at its best and to convey this message. My vision going forward is to refine my work further, improve my reach and increase my support of entities that protect of our fragile Earth (and did I mention eat chocolate!)
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, please let me know in the comments, or just comment with anything really: - what you like; - what you would like to see me paint more of; - if you are interested in reproductions; anything, I would love to hear from you. Have a great day everyone! If you would like to buy it, it is on this link.  The play of light inspired me to paint Afternoon Stroll, a picture of Main Beach, Gold Coast, Queensland. I love the light coming through the dunes from the evening sun casting long shadows on the sand and distant salt mist from the ocean giving a sense of distance. The couple walking alone down the beach are delightfully lost in each others company, walking through the receding tide. The light on the lifesavers flags, just before the end of their stint for the day was a favourite and rewarding area to paint.
My pallet consisted of the following colours French Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Cerulean Blue, Cadmium Lemon, Cadmium Yellow pale, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Scarlet, Rose Madder Genuine, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, and Titanium White. If you have any comments or questions feel free to ask, I would love to hear from you :-) |
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August 2024
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