Talking with Painters

Jacqui Stockdale paints, sculpts, collages, creates animations, has staged live performances and produces exquisite portrait photography. When I visited her Melbourne studio I was bowled over by a huge horse she had sculpted – a life-sized Phar Lap in the middle of the studio piled high with a large collection of masks on its back; masquerade masks which she first came upon on a trip to india and kept collecting. Bright, expressive and slightly creepy. Horses and masks feature again and again but her work is never predictable. She’s always shaking it up a bit, adding a touch of shock value along the way. Her photographic art work 'Historia', of a topless female Ned Kelly, would have raised the eyebrows of one or two historians. Over the time she spent in Sydney in the late 90s she painted prolifically and was awarded five art prizes in less than two years and has won several prizes since then including the Moran Contemporary Photograhic award. She has exhibited in 20 solo shows and has a show coming up at Sydney’s Olsen gallery in November 2018. Stockdale's work is held in public institutions including the National Gallery of Australia, many private collections, and has even been hung in the Louvre in Paris. She is also one of only 20 artists recently commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery to create work for its 20th anniversary. This conversation was recorded before an audience at Town Hall Gallery in Melbourne on 22 September 2018 in the midst of a show brought together by the artist Ilona Nelson, through her creative project 'This Wild Song'. To hear the podcast interview press 'play' under the feature photo above. Scroll down for a short video of Stockdale in her studio.  More videos of podcast guests can be seen on the  Talking with Painters YouTube channel. Feature photo by Martin Nahon (cropped) Current and Upcoming events *  Group show 'This Wild Song', Town Hall Gallery, current to 21 October 2018 * 'Jacqui Stockdale', Olsen Gallery, 21 November - 9 December 2018 Show Notes * Jacqui Stockdale at This is No Fantasy * Jacqui Stockdale at Olsen Gallery * Jacqui Stockdale on Instagram * This Wild Song - Ilona Nelson * Lewis Miller on Talking with Painters * Hugh Ramsay * John Singer Sargent * Nora Heysen * Diego Velazquez * Ned Kelly * Paul Kelly * Rose Chong Costumiers * Sidney Nolan * MONA * Mofo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GBipC3_Hcg 'Mind over matter', 2010, oil on linen 'Duel of the Mount I', 2018, C Type Print, 130 x 100cm 'Duel of the Mount II' 2018, C Type Print, 130 x 100cm 'The Quiet Stage', oil on linen,

In Alexander McKenzie's paintings the sun hides below the horizon and a low light illuminates the mysterious landscape. It might be a manicured garden or a hill covered in trees and there will probably be water nearby. Perhaps the sea, a lake, a channel. Perfectly still but brightly reflecting the sky. One thing's for sure. You're going to venture in for a closer look. At first it might look familiar but as you get closer you realise it’s not a place that you're likely to find on this earth.  You’ll discover things you didn’t notice at first glance; a closed gate with its key lost in the painting, a bridge taking you to another place, a red flag warning you to reconsider. Those elements are not accidental. They’ve been deliberately placed by the artist who is himself looking for answers where spirituality is key. Even the symbols in his portraiture lend themselves to a metaphoric interpretation. He’s had twenty five solo shows in Australia and the UK, has been a finalist in the Archibald six times, seven times in the Wynne Prize and is hugely popular. McKenzie’s shows often sell out and his superb mid-career survey show ‘The Adventurous Gardener’ currently at Hazelhurst Regional Gallery in Sydney has been what could be called a blockbuster for a regional gallery, with 2000 people going through the doors on the first weekend. We recorded this episode in McKenzie's studio with some of his paintings in progress propped up on milk crates against the walls destined for Martin Browne Contemporary and his November solo show. To hear the conversation press 'play' beneath the feature photo above. Or listen however you get your podcasts. Scroll down to see a video of McKenzie talking about his survey show 'The Adventurous Gardener'. Current and upcoming events * 'The Adventurous Gardener', Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, current to 21 October 2018 * Solo show, Martin Browne Contemporary, 15 November - 9 December 2018 Show Notes * Alexander McKenzie * Alexander McKenzie at Martin Browne Contemporary * Julian Ashton Art School * Leonardo Da Vinci * Claude Monet * Edouard Manet * Paul Klee * Dutch Golden Age painting * John Bokor * King Street Gallery * Blake Prize * Matt Corby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzVHMan9j7Y 'More than many sparrows', 2018, oil on linen, 197 x 350cm Initial sketch for 'More than many sparrows' 'Matt Corby', 2014, oil on linen, 197 x 153cm 'Man moves mountain', 2014, oil on linen, 229 x 198cm  (Finalist Wynne prize, 2014) 'In danger of knowledge', 2017, oil on linen, 137 x 228cm 'Firestarter', 2011, oil on linen (finalist Wynne prize 2011) 'Andrew Upton', 2010, oil on linen, 198 x 228cm (Archibald finalist 2010)

Ann Thomson is one of Australia's most significant artists. She’s been painting for over 60 years, has exhibited in over 40 solo shows and there’s no sign of her slowing down. Her works are filled with colour and movement which command the viewer’s attention. They’re all about feeling and touch, delving into abstraction in her unique way. She’s won the Wynne prize, the Geelong Contemporary art prize, the Kedumba Drawing prize, the Tattersall's art prize and others. She’s also an acclaimed sculptor and, as with her paintings, likes to work in large scale.  Her incredible installation selected for the Seville Expo in 1992 was 11 metres high and took 3 months to complete when it was shipped over to Spain. I had a great conversation with Ann in her huge studio in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. We talked about why we need musicians and artists, what makes a strong painting, how to tap into creativity and lots more. Her work is included in the forthcoming show '6 artists | 7 days' at Defiance Gallery which opens on 23 September 2018. Thomson grew up in Brisbane and this episode starts at a time when she was 9 years old, during WWII, when her school had been closed down amid fears of enemy attacks. Press 'play' beneath the feature photo above to hear the podcast interview. Scroll down to see video of Thomson in her studio.   Feature photo of Ann Thomson above (cropped)  by Greg Weight   Current and upcoming events * National Art - Part one, group show, National Art School, current to 27 October 2018 * Mary Place Group Exhibition, Defiance Gallery, current to 20 October 2018 * Six artists | Seven days, the AWC Newhaven exhibition, group show, Defiance Gallery, 23 September to 19 October * Exhibition with Joe Furlonger at Nock Art Gallery 2019, date TBA Show notes * Ann Thomson at Defiance Gallery * Ann Thomson at Nodrum Gallery * Ann Thomson at Stephane Jacob Gallery * John Molvig * Betty Churcher * Caroline Barker * Robert Helpmann * Kenneth Noland * Anthony Caro * Claude Monet * Exhibition at Musee de l'Orangerie - American Abstract Painting and the last Monet * National Art School (formerly East Sydney Technical College) * John Passmore * Watters Gallery * John Olsen * Tim Storrier * Piet Mondrian * Ian Fairweather

What do you imagine when you think of a painting of flowers by a woman artist? It might be a Margaret Olley still life set in her crowded Paddington terrace or a Margaret Preston with a striped tablecloth or it might be a close up Georgia O'Keefe with all its erotic interpretations. But it might also be considered less serious - just a pretty picture painted in a domestic setting. It was partly for that reason that Laura Jones initially resisted the flower as subject matter, until it was clear to her that that’s what she should be painting. Her exploration of the flower has developed over the years and took an interesting direction in her spectacular recent show ‘Too Much, Not Enough’ at Sophie Gannon Gallery. The show sold out quickly and a waiting list is in place for collectors. Jones is also a passionate environmentalist and her show at Olsen gallery last year resulted from residencies in the Great Barrier Reef after a severe bleaching event. Those works were both awe-inspiring and shocking. In this episode, we talk about the flowers and the reef as well as Jones' portraiture and a lot about process and colour. Jones grew up in Kurrajong near the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. This episode starts off with her talking about a time when she was studying for her Masters at the College of Fine Art at the UNSW, working part time as a florist and planning to move into a new studio which was to become the creative Birmingham studios in the Sydney suburb of Alexandria. Feature photo above (cropped) by Rachel Kara Upcoming events * 'Laura Jones', Olsen Gallery, 17 November - 8 December * Solo show with Olsen Gallery 2019, date tba. Show notes * Laura Jones * Laura Jones at Olsen Gallery * Laura Jones at Sophie Gannon Gallery * Leah Fraser at Arthouse Gallery * Abdul Abdullah * Alan Jones * Ben Quilty * Euan Macleod * Nicholas Harding * Elisabeth Cummings * Marieke Hardy * YouTube video with audio from the interview with footage from 'Too Much Not Enough', show at Sophie Gannon Gallery (below) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgPxcoQmXi8 'Healing Flower' 2018, oil on linen, 183 x 152cm 'Banksia Speciosa on Striped Cloth' 2016 oil on linen (from 'Wildflowers' exhibition) 'Symbiosis' 2017, oil on linen, diptych, 152 x 244cm overall, pictured in the studio 'Capricorn', 2017, oil on linen, 152 x 122cm 'Back to You' 2018, oil on linen, 183 x 152cm 'Marieke reading' 2015 oil on linen 142 x 112cm 'Jenna' 2015, oil on linen, 71 x 61cm 'Selfie', 2016, oil on linen, 71 x 61cm

Gina Kalabishis's work is about relationships and connection; connecting with nature and connecting with each other. Her recent show at Flinders Lane Gallery, 'Bundanon Floor to Sky', drew on her time spent within the landscape of Bundanon, the gift that artist Arthur Boyd and his wife Yvonne gave to the Australian people. Bundanon is a property of over 1000 hectares on the Shoalhaven river in NSW which offers residencies to artists and writers, an extensive education program and much more. From her time at Bundanon, Kalabishis has produced an astonishing body of work. Her triptych 'Bundanon Floor to Sky - You are always a part of me now (after Van Morrison)', which is over three and a half metres long, immerses the viewer into that lush landscape from the roots of the trees to the sky above. Other works in the series, too, explore the area from the ground all the way up to the troposphere, far above the landscape. Kalabishis also combines ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, with native Australian plants, taking them out of the domestic setting into the landscape. Bones and shells also form part of the imagery which she creates through a combination of sculpture and digital technology. Last year she was awarded the Eutick Memorial Still Life Award and has won many other awards including the Rick Amor drawing prize. She has exhibited in 18 solo shows and her work is held in the National Gallery of Australia and many other institutions and private collections. Kalabishis grew up in Melbourne - her parents were Greek migrants - and this conversation starts with her memories of work experience at the National Gallery of Victoria when she was 16.  It was 1985 and the ‘Golden Summers’ exhibition was showing  at the gallery. The exhibition was very popular at the time and included works by Australian impressionists of the Heidelberg school including Arthur Streeton and Tom Roberts. Kalabashis talks about her recent exhibition and generously reveals much about her process which takes advantage of 21st century technology. To hear Maria Stoljar's conversation with Gina Kalabishis press 'play' under the feature photo above. Recent exhibition * 'Bundanon Floor to Sky', Flinders Lane Gallery, 17 July - 11 August 2018 Show notes * Gina Kalabishis * Gina Kalabishis at Flinders Lane Gallery * Gina Kalabishis on Instagram * Eutick Memorial Still Life Award * Bundanon Trust * Arthur Streeton * Tom Roberts * Eugene Von Guerard * Van Morrison * Norman Sparnon * Michael Kiwanuka * Nick Cave * Else Torp * Lost by Frederick McCubbin * Irene Hanenbergh * Bundanon Siteworks 2018 * Anya Mckee * Art Spectrum

There's the Archibald portraits but there’s also the other stuff; a painting of a home aquarium where a scuba diver is caught in the tentacles of an octopus, the cast of Seinfeld are looking for their car in that famous episode, Michael Jackson and Bubbles the chimp sit in a cloud while a jet skiier zooms along a lake below. There are also the stills from movies and TV shows from Jaws and Rambo to Magnum PI and the Dukes of Hazzard. Welcome to the wonderful world of Marc Etherington’s art. Etherington is a self-taught artist who took up painting when he was housebound one snowy winter in Canada 12 years ago. He's been selected as a finalist in the Archibald Prize for the last four years in a row and twice for the Sulman Prize. His portraits of artists Del Kathryn Barton, Ken Done and Paul Williams stopped me in my tracks in the Art Gallery of NSW and the story behind this year's self-portrait 'Me and Granny' reveals as much about his personality as his painting skill. His use of colour and composition combine with his imagination to take us into an alternate reality at times nostalgic, absurd or humorous but always tapping into something we can connect to. Pop culture references from 80s and 90s TV shows and movies are interpreted in his distinctive style and trigger memories for those who loved them. He's been in over 20 group shows, has had 6 solo shows and his much awaited show 'Couch Potato' opens at Michael Reid in Sydney on 9 August 2018, about a week after this podcast goes online. This interview was recorded in Etherington's home in Sydney where he had wooden sculptures he’d been working on on the bookcase nearby. He’s self-effacing, honest and committed to his art and it was a thoroughly enjoyable interview.  To hear it, press 'play' beneath the feature photo above. Upcoming events * Solo show 'Couch Potato' Michael Reid Gallery, Sydney, 9 - 28 August 2018 * Sydney Contemporary, Sydney, 13 - 16 September 2018 Show notes * Marc Etherington at Michael Reid * Marc Etherington on Instagram * Del Kathryn Barton * Ken Done * Ken Done video on Talking with Painters YouTube Channel * Paul Williams * Lynda Draper * Idris Murphy * Kate Etherington on Instagram https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL-4x7TEdeo 'Del Kathryn Barton and Magic Dog', 2015, acrylic on canvas, 89 x 120cm, finalist Archibald Prize 2015 'King Ken (Ken Done in his studio)', 2016, acrylic on canvas 155.5 x 201cm, finalist Archibald Prize 2016 Paul (Paul Williams in his studio), 2017, acrylic on canvas, 144 x 164cm, finalist Archibald Prize 2017 'Me and Granny', 2018, acrylic on canvas, 143 x 163.5cm, finalist Archibald Prize 2018 Seinfeld painting 'The first time I met Michael Jackson was in the belly of a crocodile' acrylic on plywood 2016 work 'If I met Chuck Norris at Comic Con' Instagram caption: 'This is me and my future dog called Granny. I'm not gonna stop carving these until I find him. Which hopefully is soon because my hands hurt' Painting of Robert Smith, singer of The Cure,

If you are an Archibald tragic like me, you might have first noticed Andrew Lloyd Greensmith's work when it was hanging in the Art Gallery of NSW last year in that arresting portrait of 102 year old Eileen Kramer. It was his first ever Archibald entry and he has been selected this year again with his portrait of lecturer and feminist Susan Carland. What you might not know about Greensmith, though, is that he’s also a renowned plastic and reconstructive surgeon and was the leader of one of the teams which worked together to separate Bangladeshi conjoined twins Krishna and Trishna, who were joined at the head, in 2009.  That complex operation was a success and made world headlines. Greensmith still works as a surgeon but is increasingly turning his attention to painting and now spends up to two days a week in his studio. In this interview, we talk about his life, doubts and fears as an artist, but also a lot about the painting process -  colour, glazing, the pitfalls of using photographs, how the knowledge of anatomy helps in painting a realist portrait and lots more.  It was an incredibly informative and interesting conversation. To hear it press 'play' below the feature photo or listen however you get your podcasts. You can see a short video of Greensmith in his studio on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel here. Current event * Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2018, Art Gallery of NSW, until 9 September Show notes * Raymond Ching * David Kassan * David Kassan on Instagram * Eileen Kramer * Video of Greensmith with Eileen Kramer on Lateline (expires 28 July 2018) * Cesar Santos * Cesar Santos on Instagram * Susan Carland * Yvette Coppersmith * Video of Andrew Greensmith talking with Maria Stoljar on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwfLddLa5B0 'The inner stillness of Eileen Kramer', 2017, oil on linen, 86 x 51cm 'The serenity of Susan Carland', 2018, oil and walnut alkyd on wood panel, 103 x 83cm Works in progress in Greensmith's studio  

Bernard Ollis's art takes you on a journey. It might be down a windy road down a back lane in Sydney, across a bridge in Paris or you might find yourself in a park or a swimming pool or a fishing boat and you might meet people or animals along the way. But you’ll also be turning corners and seeing what’s beyond the buildings and fences around you without ever leaving that 2D plane. His wonderful use of perspective and colour takes us to a moment in twisted space which is surprising and brimming with optimism. He’s had over 50 solo shows exhibiting from London to Paris to Berlin to Shanghai to Auckland and right across Australia. Many major art institutions have acquired his work and his paintings are held in many private collections. He’s also found time to make his mark in art education holding leading positions in universities and is well known for his time as the director of the National Art School in Sydney, a position he held for over a decade. He continued painting throughout that time but for approximately the last 10 years he's been a full time artist working 7 days a week. Ollis was born in Bath, England and grew up in a working class family.  This episode starts at a point in our conversation when he was in his early twenties after he had completed his qualifications at  Cardiff College of Art and Design and was considering his next step. Would it be a Diploma of Education, a course in Art Therapy or should he pursue the almost impossible dream of getting into the Royal College of Art? To hear the podcast episode press 'play' under the feature photo above. You can see a short video of Ollis in his studio on the Talking with Painters YouTube Channel here. Current events  * 'Being There', Harvey Galleries, Sydney, 29 June - 8 July 2018 Show notes * Bernard Ollis * Bernard Ollis at Harvey Galleries (Sydney) * Bernard Ollis at Mitchell Fine Art (Brisbane) * Bernard Ollis at Linton & Kay Galleries (Perth) * Bernard Ollis at Falls Gallery (Etchings) (Blue Mountains) * Bernard Ollis at Penny Contemporary (Tasmania) * Bernard Ollis at 12 Gallery, (Auckland) * Royal College of Art, London * Sir Peter Blake * David Hockney * Cyclone Tracy * National Art School * Pablo Picasso * Georges Braque * Paul Klee * John McDonald * Vincent Van Gogh * Edvard Munch * Johannes Itten * Henri Matisse * Brett Whiteley * Peter Booth *

You may know Dee Smart from the popular Australian television series Water Rats or Home and Away or from her feature film roles but you can now add the Archibald prize to that list. She has been shortlisted in the famous portrait prize two years in a row, this year with a striking painting of choreographer and dancer Meryl Tankard. She took up drawing and painting over 15 years ago and honed her craft while still acting. It  was inspiring to hear her talk openly about the catalyst for taking that direction – in the middle of a struggle with post-natal depression. She has had three shows including most recently an exhibition of beautiful mixed media works of the underwater world of Gary the crab which she’s planning to make into a children’s book 'Blue bottle bubbles'. She's also delving into abstraction and her work will be included in at least two shows later this year. We talk about her journey to becoming a painter and her inspirational attitude towards her future as an artist - a wonderful mix of curiosity and determination. She’s one of the most dynamic, down to earth and funny women you’ll ever meet and we had a lot of fun recording this interview. To hear the interview press play under the feature photo above. A short video of Smart in her studio on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel can be seen here. Current and upcoming events * Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, until 9 September 2018, then touring Australia. * November group event to be curated by Carley McLaren, details TBA * Christmas group show, St Cloche Gallery, Paddington, date TBA Show notes * Dee Smart * Dee Smart on Instagram * Archibald Prize * Meryl Tankard * Pina Bausch * Hayes Gordon * Walcha Gallery * Ballet Wings * Ballet Wings on Instagram * St Cloche Gallery * Andrew Marsh * Dee Smart talks with Maria Stoljar in her studio on the talking with Painters YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4oaKBm9weQ&t=6s 'Lunch in the Outback', acrylic on canvas, 108.5 x 108.5cm, finalist Archibald Prize 2018 'The mayor of Bondi', oil and acrylic on canvas, 77 x 77cm,finalist Archibald prize 2017 'pink jelly so wanted to dance with Gary but his claws...', 76cm x 96cm, mixed media, from the Blue Bottle Bubble series. 'the serenity of garys pink garden sometimes brought on an almighty howl...he felt a million after that' 76 x 96cm, mixed media. Abstract work in progress 'I go walkin around midnight' (based on Smart's midnight walks with her father in country South Australia)  

Steve Lopes is not looking to make a pretty picture. For a work to be enduring he believes 'there has to be a level of poison in it', some gritty quality that keeps you coming back. His powerful painting which won the Gallipoli Art Prize this year contains that little bit of poison. It lures the viewer with an evocative sunset only to reveal the reminders of battle trenches and detritus scattered across the landscape. Lopes has been painting figurative work for over twenty years starting at a time when it was decidedly unfashionable. He has been acknowledged by art critic John McDonald as 'one of the most dedicated artists you'll find anywhere' and his outstanding works in his distinctive figurative style have captured the attention of art collectors and institutions alike. He seeks to deal with the figure and the landscape together, depicting the relationship we have with our surrounds and does that in any way he can get the paint onto the surface, always looking for a way to push it further. He has exhibited in 30 solo shows across Australia and in London and Hong Kong and his work has been hung in many more group shows. His work is held in the National Gallery of Australia, the Parliament House Collection and other public institutions and private collections. Lopes is also known for his portraiture, recognised as a finalist in the Doug Moran Portrait Prize, Black Swan Prize the Percival Portrait Painting prize and has been selected in the Salon des Refusés exhibition several times. To hear the podcast interview press 'play' under the feature photo above. A short video of Lopes in his studio on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel can also be seen below. Current and upcoming events * Solo show 'Impossible Find' at Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney, 10 July to 4 August 2018 * Salient Contemporary Artists on the Western front, a touring group exhibition showing at New England Regional Art Museum  until 3 June 2018.  Further touring dates TBA on exhibition website. * Group show 'Jamberoo Mountain Road' at Shoalhaven Regional Gallery * Solo show at Linton and Kay Galleries, Perth, date TBA Show notes * Steve Lopes * Steve Lopes at Stella Downer Fine Art * Steve Lopes at Linton and Kay Galleries * Steve Lopes at Mitchell Fine Art Gallery * Alan Oldfield * Lucian Freud * Piero della Francesca * Henri Matisse * Gallipoli Art Prize * Excerpt from 'Your Friend the Enemy' documentary by Bruce Inglis * Jan Senbergs * Fred Williams * Rover Thomas * Jeffrey Smart *

John Wolseley is one of Australia’s most important artists.  He portrays the Australian landscape and its ecosystems from the roots of a tree to a whole floodplain; from trees, birds and fish to a tiny beetle. Using a variety of techniques, he says he creates a kind of inventory or document of the state of the earth, revealing both the energy and beauty of it. To do that he physically immerses himself in nature, spending long periods at a time camping and observing the country from Tasmania to central Australia to Arnhem land. Wolseley has had over 25 solo shows and the exhibition Midawarr | Harvest is currently travelling around the country. It is a collection of his works and those of aboriginal elder Mulkun Wirrpanda with whom he has developed a special bond over many years. His work is held in most important Australian art institutions and of course many private collections. But probably the most interesting part of our conversation is where he talks about literally collaborating with nature to produce his work. To hear the podcast interview press 'play' below the feature photo above. A short video with audio of John talking about his work and video of his Australian Galleries show can be seen on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel and is also below. Current and upcoming events: * 'Midawarr | Harvest: the Art of Mulkun Wirrpanda and John Wolseley', Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, opening 4 August 2018 * 'The Great Beetle Show', Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, October 2018 Show notes: * John Wolseley * John Wolseley at Australian Galleries * John Wolseley at Roslyn Oxley 9 Gallery * Nomad Art Gallery * Mulkun Wirrpanda at Nomad Art Gallery * Midawarr|Harvest: The art of Mulkun Wirrpanda and John Wolseley - National Museum of Australia * Jakob von Uexküll * Seamus Heaney * Heartlands and Headwaters, exhibition by Wolseley at the National Gallery of Victoria * Lloyd Rees * William Blake * John Wolseley talking about watercolour on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FsnMSGU03w 'Distant glimpses of the great floodplain seen through a veil of trees and hanging vines' 2017, watercolour, graphite and colour pencil, ink, oil paint, dry pastel, abrasion, scratching out and nature printing, with collages of frottage, wood relief, linocut and intaglio, printed Japanese tissue papers on woven paper, 10m in length. 'Buwakul climbing a tree beside the flood plain on Garranari' 2016, watercolour graphite and rakushuishi atsukuchi (Japanese tissue), 222 x 140cm 'Insect life stories No 14: Kamarooka grey box beetle' 2017, three relief print from found wood, chine-collé over watercolour, edition 10, 53cm x 28cm 'Beetles in the salt - Lake Tyrrell' 2014 - 18, watercolour and etching on paper, 130 x 220cm

Wendy Sharpe is one of Australia’s most acclaimed and significant painters. She won the Art Gallery of NSW’s Sulman prize in 1986 and has been powering through the art world ever since. She went on to win Australia’s most well-known art award, the Archibald prize, she’s won the Portia Geach - twice - and many other awards. She’s reportedly been finalist more times than any other artist in the Sulman prize and this year is no exception with her brilliant work 'Erskineville train station'. Sharpe has had 57 solo shows, has received many major commissions which include Australian Official War Artist to East Timor, the first woman to do so since World War II. Her work is bold, energetic, vibrant – spanning from a suburban street, to a circus tent, taking in scenes from around the world from China to Egypt, and even Antarctica. We weren’t able to cover everything she’s done in her career but in this episode you’ll hear us talk about women in the arts, including the dreaded term ‘woman painter’, the real and the imagined and lots of insights into the wonderful process of painting. We met in her huge studio in St Peters in Sydney an absolute Aladdin's cave of materials, art books, posters, sketchbooks, and mountains of painting rags. She was engaging, interesting and generous with her knowledge of painting and I really enjoyed meeting her. To hear the podcast interview press 'play' below the feature photo above. Two videos of Sharpe in her studio and talking about the exhibition 'Salient Western Front'  on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel can be seen below. Current and upcoming events * Finalist Sulman prize at Art Gallery of NSW, 12 May - 9 September 2018 * 'Salient: contemporary artists at the Western front' travelling exhibition currently showing at New England Regional Art Museum until 3 June 2018 * Solo show 'Secrets' Maitland Regional Art Gallery, 26 May - 19 August 2018 * Solo show 'Paris Windows' King Street Gallery on William, 14 August - 8 September * State Library of NSW - artist in residence - exhibition 2018 date tba Show notes: * Wendy Sharpe * Wendy Sharpe at King Street Gallery on William  * Sulman prize * Albert Tucker * Archibald Prize * Portia Geach Memorial Award * Venus Vamp * Ash Flanders * Circus Oz * Bernard Ollis * Video of Wendy Sharpe in her studio on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwe-9U5G1Wg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfSQ6roLcEs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sXWFbWjnBY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ESdZSoJGuo 'Erskineville train station', 2018, oil on canvas, 145 x 83cm 'Self portrait - as Diana of Erskineville', 1996, oil on canvas,

Imagine you're out in the wilderness at least an hour’s walk from any sign of human life. It could be very hot, it could be freezing, and in front of you lies a canyon or a snow bank or a river glittering in the sun. Just you, the landscape and your paints. This is how Tim Allen often starts off his expressive landscapes and it’s become an important part of his practice. Allen won one of Australia’s most watched landscape prizes last year; the Paddington Art prize. He has also won the Kedumba drawing award and has had 19 solo shows across Australia. In this episode you’ll hear him talk about how Chinese brush painting fits in with his work, his interesting methods when it comes to brushes and he talks about another type of wilderness - the wilderness years before he started his Masters degree. We recorded this episode in his studio in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, surrounded by his works which would be sent to Defiance Gallery in Sydney a few days later for his exhibition 'Contour, weathered'. To hear the podcast interview press 'play' beneath the feature photo, above. A short video of Allen in his studio on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel can be seen below. Current events * Solo show 'Contour, weathered' at Defiance Gallery, Sydney 18 April 2018 to 18 May 2018 Show notes * Tim Allen * Tim Allen on Instagram * Tim Allen at Defiance Gallery * Paddington Art prize * Kevin Connor * Willem De Kooning * Arthur Streeton * 'Fire's On', 1891, by Arthur Streeton * Tim Allen talks with Maria Stoljar in his studio on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ-8dWd1HAs 'Swoon' 2018, oil on linen, 122 x 122cm 'Buoyant', 2016 - 2018, oil on linen, 136 x 183cm 'Detach', 2018, oil on linen 136 x 167cm 'Apsley Gorge', 2017, mixed media on paper, 95 x 79cm Working plein air at the Snowy river    

See the Talking with Painters YouTube video below In 2017 a group of twelve Australian artists travelled to Belgium and France to the first World War battlefields of the western front. They created work en plein air, in their hotel rooms and in their studios, documenting their impressions of what they saw and experienced. This powerful exhibition has just started its tour around Australia at New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) in Armidale, NSW. In this episode you’ll hear from artists Wendy Sharpe,  Amanda Penrose Hart and Euan Macleod as well as historian historian Brad Manera, who had previously travelled with many of the artists to Gallipoli. I also interviewed them on camera and made a short video about this exhibition which you can see here. For details of where the exhibition is showing go to www.salientwesternfront.com. The other nine artists in the exhibition: * Deirdre Bean * Harrie Fasher * Paul Ferman * Michelle Hiscock * Ross Laurie * Steve Lopes * Ian Marr * Idris Murphy * Luke Sciberras To hear the podcast interview press 'play' below the feature photo above. Feature photo (left to right): Euan Macleod, Amanda Penrose Hart, Wendy Sharpe and Brad Manera Show notes: * Salient Western Front website * New England Regional Art Museum * Salient Western Front on Instagram * Euan Macleod on Talking with Painters * Wendy Sharpe * Amanda Penrose Hart on Talking with Painters * Käthe Kollwitz * 'Salient - Contemporary artists on the western front' video on the Talking with Painters  Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfSQ6roLcEs 'Moving forward', Euan Macleod 'Mouquet farm', Amanda Penrose Hart 'Evelyn Chapman with Ruined Church', Wendy Sharpe 'Crossing smoking hole', Euan Macleod 'Messines Ridge', Amanda Penrose Hart 'Self portrait with Menin Gate', Wendy Sharpe

Lottie Consalvo is not only a painter. She works across performance art, photography, video and sculpture.  She’s had 9 solo shows in painting alone in just 8 years and has had many more performances and group shows. In 2015 she was one of only 10 artists chosen to take part in a residency in Sydney with world famous performance artist Marina Abramovic and her solo exhibition of painting and sculpture ‘In the remembering’ opened recently at Heide Museum of Modern Art, one of Australia's most important museums.  What's most surprising is that this is all at only 32 years of age. In this podcast episode, recorded in front of a live audience at Newcastle Art Gallery, we talk about her life and how she got where she is.  She also talks about the way she has brought her painting and performance art together particularly in her work 'Ages and Ages', currently hanging at Heide Museum of Modern Art, pictured above. It was fascinating to hear about the private performance she carried out within that space in order to complete the work. To hear the interview press 'play' or 'subscribe' beneath the feature photo above. You can see a short video of Consalvo including footage of her in her studio on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel here. Current shows * 'In the remembering', Heide MOMA, Melbourne, 10 March - 17 June 2018 Show notes: * Lottie Consalvo * Lottie Consalvo at Dominik Mersch * Lottie Consalvo on Instagram * Museum of Modern Art, Heide * Kaldor Public Art projects - Marina Abramovic * Consalvo painting in Holy Holy music video 'Willow Tree' * Newcastle Art Gallery * Lottie Consalvo talks about her work on the Talking with Painters Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeawssZJxdU 'in silence' 2017, acrylic on board, 180 x 366cm 'The sound of a heart falling', 2016, acrylic on board, 180 x 122cm 'a distant silence', 2017, acrylic on board, 180 x 122cm 'still 1', 2017, 60 x 60cm, acrylic on board 'Deep in Your Remembering', 2017, 250 x 300cm, acrylic on polyester 'A Constructed Remembering' 2017, Video still, Single channel video 17:05 mins It's too early to love you: music torture piece - ALASKA PROJECTS< Sydney 2014