supporting artists' professional development
I've just returned from a wonderful 8 months in Florence!
Was a magical experience and a very emotional one for me also. So moving to be in a magnificent ancient city, to be face to face with so many of my favourite paintings from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. I wept quite a lot, was an amazing experience and I felt so privileged to be there. I was on a Caravaggio pilgrimage in Italy, especially in Rome where most of his paintings are hung in galleries or churches. I saw every Caravaggio painting in Rome except for one. Took me 3 days. Was so hot, but so wonderful.
I cherished every moment, and dreaded the thought of coming home. And only did so because I was broke but importantly I must prepare for my new show at Rushcutters Bay Gallery in 2009.
My work, as you know, is representational, and mostly figurative these days, and is influenced by several High Renaissance, Mannerist and Baroque painters especially the Italians. When I was in Italy, I realised that most of my favourite painters came from Florence! So it was incredible to be there and walk the old narrow paved streets where they have walked and gaze upon the beautiful old Piazzas and Palazzos, and the Ponte Vecchio and Uffizi that have remained unchanged for hundreds of years. I just emmersed myself in the whole experience of being there.
Hard to describe really how amazing it was for me to be there. As I said very emotional. I bought a yearly pass that allowed me to enter any of the galleries and museums in Florence as many times as I liked for the entire time I was there. So I indulged myself in as much art as I possibly could and kept going back to see my favourites as often as I wanted. Sometimes if I was painting and needed some inspiration or to examine a technique of a particular artist that I admired, I could just walk down the road and pop in, have a look then go back and continue painting. Bloody amazing!
Art school was great. I did one term of drawing and I also did a Old Masters painting workshop in June with the Maestro Michael John Angel, where I learned some great traditional techniques. I hope I can go back next year to do a Caravaggio painting workshop. The painting I created independently right after the class I think shows that my skills are evolving. It is based on a detailed section of a painting that I saw in an exhibition in Florence by the 17th century Florentine painter Francesco Furini, called "The Penitent Magdalene". Such a beautiful and moving painting. Mine is not quite finished, I still have to do a bit of work on her face and have yet to add the transparent tears running down her face, hand and forearm. 
I've decided that from now on I will be painting flesh in a soft sfumato technique and the fabric more painterly as I have done in this painting. I have been working hard on getting the white fabric to glow. This technique has challenged me for quite a while now but I think this painting is the closest I have come to the effect I want. I'm really looking forward to creating a whole lot of new work for my next solo show at Rushcutters Bay, early next year. I will continue with my style of classical techniques and compositions in a large scale contemporary format, using my own models.
I had a great flat with a balcony and a view of the Duomo, where I grew veggies and herbs for my salads and pasta. I lived like an Italian (well pseudo Italian): I shopped at the markets and drank lots of great Italian wine and coffee, I walked or rode my pushbike everywhere, without a helmet, ignoring traffic lights and one way streets, and one day when it was raining I had the handle bar in on hand and an umbrella in the other; I even hung my washing outside the window! I did not however take up smoking like every Italian I ever saw, even the Policemen on duty puffed away at every opportunity.
Love Italy, especially Florence. One day I might get to live there... stay tuned
