A good Korea move

Two Exhibitions in Seoul, Korea

"Together in Harmony for 50 Years"

I have been invited to exhibit paintings in 2 exhibitions in Seoul, Korea as part of the celebration event for '50 years of Friendship Between Australia and Korea'.The exhibition "Together in Harmony for 50 years" at the Noori and Arum gallery in the Korea Foundation Culture Centre in Seoul, Korea opens 4 -7pm Friday 29th April 2011. 

The sequel exhibition in the "Bom" gallery in Chongdamdong, Seoul's most prominent art precinct, opens on the 3rd May 2011.

This exhibition is also organized by the Australian Embassy in Korea and also invited by "Bom" Gallery themselves.

106 paintings have been selected for the exhibition in the Korea Foundation Culture Centre, which is owned by  Samsung, and run by the Korea Foundation Australia.
This is the painting I will be displaying in this exhibition.

"Fitzroy Dock, early morning, Cockatoo Island" 2007 oil on canvas 75x100cm.

Bom is a commercial gallery with a smaller exhibiting area, so only 30 paintings have been selected to be displayed.

This is the painting I will be displaying in Bom.

 "Sunrise, Fitzroy Dock ,  Cockatoo Island "2007 oil on canvas 75x100cm

Hoim Lee ,President of KWASS, the Korean Women's Art Society in Sydney has worked tirelessly to organise and promote these exhibitions.


KWASS is a non-profit organization established in 2006, to promote activities among Korean-Australian female artists who are based in Sydney.
The artworks have been selected from both KWASS exhibiting members (Korean Australians) and non-members (of non-Korean ethnic background).

KWASS held a very successful exhibition in Seoul in November 2009, with the support of the Australia-Korea Foundation, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. His Excellency, the Ambassador Sam Gerovich, was so impressed with this exhibition that he invited KWASS to hold a second exhibition in 2011, as part of the 2011 Year of Friendship Between Australia and Korea, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The event has been financially supported by the Australian Embassy in Seoul.

I haven't been overseas since my Marten Bequest Travelling  Art Scholarship, which was 1996 -8! I let my passport lapse as I've always been too busy to travel. Often my paintings would go to interstate or international exhibitions , but I was working too hard to join them. This time I thought, it looks exciting and I need a break, so why not? So I am off to Korea for a week or so.

It won't be all sight-seeing  and attending gallery openings. I've been asked to give a seminar on Australian art for a couple of hours at the Korea Foundation Culture Centre. 

UPtown Festival 2011

The 30th Pyrmont Ultimo Festival
Saturday 19th March 2011

The Pyrmont- Ultimo UPtown Festival 2011

Photo is courtesy of Jeffrey Mellefont,

Australian National Maritime Museum.

Quarry Green is a charming little park between Quarry St and Bulwara Road behind Harris St Ultimo. Its most famous landmarks are the church and tne pub, which lie close to the border between Pyrmont and Ultimo.
The festival began modestly thirty years ago, when it was started by two enterprising local residents, Debra Berryman and Olga Reader, as a simple get-together to unite the small local community. Since then, year by year, the UPTown Festival has witnessed the Ultimo Pyrmont precinct’s remarkable re-birth and transformation from a quiet, post-industrial area in the early 1980’s, with a population of under 2000, to today’s thriving business, media and education centre, with a dynamic, multi-ethnic community of around 20,000.
I had displayed some of my many paintings of Pyrmont and Ultimo in previous UPtown festivals, but always inside the church hall which made them difficult to see. This time I was given a large tent and a prime position outside the local community's favourite watering hole, the Lord Wolseley. This delightful old pub, at the northern end of Quarry Green on Bulwara Road, is one of the narrowest in Sydney, but makes up for that in 'character'. Its interior boasts a bullet hole left in the pub mirror by Neddy Smith, who had rather shakily aimed at the bartender during the 1980's gangland wars. Those were the days!
Despite the heavy rain the festival drew a large crowd-the organizers estimated that there were over 4,000 people attending. I caught up with lots of people I hadn't seen for years and met many new residents who were interested to see what their suburb used to look like.The tent sheltered my 40 paintings and 2 large drawings, attached with cable ties to the 14 easels I had again borrowed from my long suffering mate John from the Australian Society of Marine Artists. Lots of people helped me lug the easels from the Mustard Seed Centre where they were stored.
The paintings in this photo are some of my more recent Pyrmont artworks. In the foreground is the "Carpentaria and the James Craig" from just outside Wharf 7, and above it are 2 views of Jacksons Landing from Glebe Island Wharf and a painting of Pyrmont from the East Darling Harbour Wharves.

For more information see My Pyrmont page in this blog

Related posts
Looking over the overlooked-Urban decay in Pyrmont
To the Point
Wrong side of the tracks - Darling Island Bond and Free

Pretty vacant

A Tale of two hotels - the Terminus and the Point

Pyrmont Paintings past and present
Paintings of Pink pubs - Painting the Jolly Frog Part 2 
Not the Writers Festival- Exhibition of Pyrmont Paintings by Jane Bennett at 2013 Pyrmont Festival
We like sheep - Waite and Bull Building 137 Pyrmont Street
Marine art exhibition at Australian National Maritime Museum
Pyrmont Sandstone - The Lizards of Oz

A Royal Rendevous- Part 2 Farewell to the Queens

Unfinished painting of 'The Queen Elizabeth docking at Circular Quay '
oil painting on canvas 61 x 76cm
 $4,500 

Enquiries about this painting:
janecooperbennett@gmail.com 

        For information and price list -Artist information page

Photo of me starting this painting of the Queen Elizabeth

(Photo is courtesy of Callan Back)

Completed painting of  'The Queen Elizabeth docking at Circular Quay '
oil painting on canvas 61 x 76cm
 $4,500 

Enquiries about this painting:
janecooperbennett@gmail.com 

        For information and price list -Artist information page

The Queen Elizabeth left at midday, taking the clouds with her. The morning had started almost as bleakly as the day before, but the pale apricot tinge to the dawn clouds was actually enhanced by the darker storm clouds to the west.

• Pyrmont paintings past and present- My Exhibition in the Australian National Maritime Museum
• Not the Writers Festival- Exhibition of Pyrmont Paintings by Jane Bennett at 2013 Pyrmont Festival
• We like sheep - Waite and Bull Building 137 Pyrmont Street

After a swift lunch I found a good vantage point overlooking the Andrew Boy Charleton Pool to paint the Queen Elizabeth's older and much larger cousin, the Queen Mary 2, before she left Garden Island at about 5.30pm. 

• Pyrmont paintings past and present- My Exhibition in the Australian National Maritime Museum
• Not the Writers Festival- Exhibition of Pyrmont Paintings by Jane Bennett at 2013 Pyrmont Festival
• We like sheep - Waite and Bull Building 137 Pyrmont Street

Related articles

• Pyrmont paintings past and present- My Exhibition in the Australian National Maritime Museum
• Not the Writers Festival- Exhibition of Pyrmont Paintings by Jane Bennett at 2013 Pyrmont Festival
• We like sheep - Waite and Bull Building 137 Pyrmont Street

• The Two Queens - Sydney, Australia (travelpod.com)
• Queens Meet on Sydney Harbour (cruiseblogjohnpond.com)
• Pyrmont : Shadows of the past (janebennettartist.blogspot.com)

Related posts in this blog

• A Royal rendezvous 

A Royal rendezvous

Painting the Queen Elizabeth's arrival at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay, Sydney Harbour 
Woke up at 4am on a grey, drizzly dawn; at the steps of the Opera House by 5am - must be cruise ship season again!
Waiting for the royal rendezvous when the Queen Mary 2 and her newer, smaller cousin the Queen Elizabeth pass each other with Fort Denison between them.
I have gouache paints and a large block of watercolour paper to catch the occasion. However this proves not to be the most sensible choice for this type of weather. The paintings turn out well, but by the time I have chased the Queen Elizabeth to its berth for the next day and a half at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay, all the pages are well and truly stuck together as it starts to rain.
After a few more promising attempts at painting gouaches of the docking super liner get partially washed away, I try plan B and swap them for oil paints.
 

I'm starting a small plein air oil painting of the Queen Elizabeth at Circular Quay Tuesday 22nd February 2011

The Queen Elizabeth at Circular Quay from the Commissioners Steps' 2011 oil on canvas 31 x 61cm
Sold  Enquiries

A young couple from Melbourne happened to wander up just as I was wondering what to paint in the foreground to show the scale of the huge ship, and add some human interest. I painted them arm in arm at the top of the Commissioner's steps. (They now own the painting).

Oil painting of ' The Queen Elizabeth at Circular Quay from the Commissioners Steps' 2011 oil on canvas 31 x 61cm
Sold  Enquiries

The rain nearly drove me crazy, stopping long enough to give me a false sense of security, then setting in as soon as I settled down to get some serious painting done, but I managed to finish this oil painting at the end of the first day.
The next day I bravely started a larger canvas, knowing that the ship was due to sail at midday. I managed to paint most of the ship before it left, but have to return to fix up the sea, and sky to my satisfaction.
I will post the "Royal Rendezvous" gouaches of the 2 Queens passing each other, as soon as I can carefully prise the paintings apart, hopefully without damaging them too much.
I might be able to use them as studies to paint a canvas from in the studio.

Related posts

Wrong side of the tracksPyrmont : Shadows of the past

Pyrmont paintings past and present

Not the Writers FestivalWe like sheep

A Tall Ship and a Lightship

The CLS 4 Carpentaria, unmanned lightship

Starting a new canvas of the lightship 'Carpentaria'

with the James Craig behind it.

In the background is Barangaroo.

'The lightship 'Carpentaria' with the James Craig '

2010-11 oil painting on canvas 61 x 76cm

Enquiries about this painting
A lightship is a ship acting as a floating lighthouse to aid navigation and warn ships of hazards. Lightships anchor in waters that are too deep or dangerous for a permanent lighthouse to be built.
Commonwealth Lightship 4, 'Carpentaria', was one of four unmanned lightships built at Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, in 1916-17. After a close encounter with a container ship
in Bass Strait nearly scuttled her, the 'Carpentaria' finally retired in 1985.
Originally she had an automatic acetylene light mounted on its tall mast, with a sunlight-operated valve to switch it on and off.
The Carpentaria barely seems to need any additional light to make her visible to navigators as she has been painted an eye-ball burning bright red and has its name inscribed in huge letters on the side. She is difficult to miss against the bland white waterfront of Darling Harbour.
While I was Artist in Residence at Cockatoo Island (for the 2nd time from 2005 until 2007 when the island was being prepared for opening to the public, The 1st time was during the 1980s while the island was still an operational shipyard) I noticed the Carpentaria docked on the southern slipway adjoining Fitzroy dock for several months.
I had high hopes then that Cockatoo Island would be returned to its original purpose of a working shipyard, but no such luck.

'The lightship 'Carpentaria' with the James Craig ' 2010-11
oil painting on canvas 61 x 76cm
Enquiries about this painting
The Tall Ship 'James Craig'
Behind the scenestealing lightship dominating the foreground is the square-rigger, the James Craig. She is a three-masted, iron-hulled barque currently berthed at Wharf 7 of Darling Harbour, near the Australian National Maritime Museum.
One of only 4 operational ships of her era and rig , she is a true link to the heroic age of the seafaring past. In 1972 volunteers from the Sydney Heritage Fleet refloated her and towed her to Hobart for initial repairs. She was then towed back to Sydney, and after an epic program of restoration and repairs, was finally able to set sail by 2001.
The 'James Craig' is open to the public, and is crewed and maintained by my good mates from the Sydney Heritage Fleet.
"Salt in the Air"
I am one of 10 women artists from the Australian Society of Marine Artists who have been Artists in Residence at the Sydney Heritage Fleet.
We'll hold an exhibition "Salt in the Air" aboard the James Craig to help provide funds to restore the vessels of the fleet.
This is one of the 17 paintings I'll exhibit.
The exhibition will be opened by Tanya Plibersek MP at 2pm on Saturday 27th April on board the James Craig. It is open daily 10am - 4pm from Saturday 27th April - Sunday 4th May 2013

Exhibition SALT IN THE AIR  Saturday 27th April-Sunday 4th May 2013 (asma-artistinresidence.blogspot.com)

Related posts

Pyrmont : Shadows of the past

Artist in Residence at the Sydney Heritage Fleet 2 "Blowing in the Wind

Artist in Residence at the Sydney Heritage Fleet Part 1

Irons in the Fire - Part 5 'Playing with Fire'

Paintings of the Blacksmiths at Wrought Artworks,

Bay 1/2 Australian Technology Park,

Eveleigh Railway Workshops

'Lok forging at Wrought Artworks' 
2010 oil painting on canvas 
36 x 46 cm
Sold
Enquiries about similar paintings

It was hard to catch Lok on his own without Dave (who was centre stage in the previous painting) from the viewpoint I had, but worth it -he looks quite heroic! I didn't want to move my position in case I got in the way.

I feel that the movement implied in the pose and the glow cast by the light from the furnace capture the element of danger of this ancient craft.
I've always loved the paintings of Caravaggio,  Georges de La Tour and the 18th century painter of the early days of the Industrial Revolution, Joseph Wright of Derby. As well as his most famous masterpieces about the dawn of the Age of Enlightenment, the 'Orrery' and 'Experiment on a bird in an Airpump', Joseph Wright of Derby had painted a wonderful series of canvases of blacksmiths at the forge.

I stayed in Derby while I was on my Marten Bequest Travelling Art Scholarship, and frequently visited the Derby Art Gallery, where most of Wright's work is displayed.
My paintings of the blacksmiths are painted from life, but also pay tribute to these masters of the effects of light and shadow.

 More Eveleigh paintings

Related posts

Irons in the fire
Watching the forge fires fade
Macdonaldtown - A Station without a suburb
Strike while the iron is hot
Eveleigh- Industrial Heritage Artist at Work
Time for Safety 
The slow return from the fire 
The fire within 
En plein air with street cred (sydney-eye.blogspot.com)

The village smithy (sydney-eye.blogspot.com)

Irons in the Fire - Part 4 'Strike while the Iron is Hot'

Paintings of the Blacksmiths at Wrought Artworks,

Bay 1/2 Australian Technology Park,

Eveleigh Railway Workshops

'Strike while the iron is hot'  is a very old proverb, and like the phrase 'irons in the fire' comes directly from blacksmithing.

It means when you have an opportunity to do something, do it before you lose your chance.
Plein air painters and blacksmiths both need quick reflexes.

Forging,Wrought Artworks 
2010 oil on canvas 20 x 25cm

Sold
Enquiries about similar paintings

I grabbed the opportunity and caught a dramatic moment in a small canvas.

I don't know whether the small white hot bit of metal is supposed to be on the floor and is part of the process, or whether it was a bit of accidental run off. We're all wearing safety boots anyway, and it looks spectacular.

More Eveleigh paintings

Related posts

Irons in the fire
Watching the forge fires fade

Playing with fire

Macdonaldtown - A Station without a suburb

Eveleigh- Industrial Heritage Artist at Work

The village smithy (sydney-eye.blogspot.com)
Time for Safety 
The slow return from the fire 
The fire within 
En plein air with street cred (sydney-eye.blogspot.com)

Irons in the Fire - Part 3 'Hot'

Paintings of the Blacksmiths at Wrought Artworks,

Bay 1/2 Australian Technology Park,

Eveleigh Railway Workshops

The phrase 'iron in the fire' refers to an undertaking or project in progress. The phrase 'several irons in the fire' refers to a number of jobs or possibilities available at the same time.

A person who has a 'few irons in the fire' has a number of things working to their advantage at the same time. 

All of the above apply to me as well as the blacksmiths I'm painting.

I haven't been rushing between furnace and anvil, while juggling white hot metal, except metaphorically.

I have been painting at many locations recently - 3 separate places within the huge Eveleigh Railway Workshop complex ( the Heritage Store next to Carriageworks, the large Erecting Shop and Wrought Artworks in the Australian Technology Park); the ships moored off Wharf 7 near the Australian National Maritime Museum; the top of the Sydney Ports Corporation Harbour Control Tower; finishing a panorama of Summer Hill from the top of the soon to be renovated Mungo Scott Flour Mills; and most recently, standing out in the pouring rain on the OPT (Overseas Passenger Terminal) at Circular Quay while painting the maiden call of the gigantic luxury cruise ship the 'Queen Elizabeth'.

I could have done with a bit of fire during that last one, as despite wearing a Driza-bone, which I had thought might be overkill for February, I got soaked to the skin and froze.

I've managed to time it this summer so that I am painting a blazing forge in 40C degree heat and ships in the harbour on a chilly grey dawn.

'Hot' 2010 oil on canvas 25 x 20 cm
  Enquiries about this painting

I like the way that the forge has 'hot' helpfully written on it with a 'this way up' arrow. Another great moment in OHS (Occupational Health and Safety).

Related posts

• Irons in the fire
  

• Watching the forge fires fade
• Playing with fire
• Macdonaldtown - A Station without a suburb
• Strike while the iron is hot

• Eveleigh- Industrial Heritage Artist at Work
  
•  Eveleigh paintings
• The village smithy (sydney-eye.blogspot.com)
• Time for Safety 
• The slow return from the fire 
• The fire within 
• En plein air with street cred (sydney-eye.blogspot.com)