December 2022 Mailbag No 2
Did you manage to catch up last month with the magnificent paintings created by Sue Hourigan?
Anne Newman
Anne Newman
Rowdy responded to these posts with:
Magnificent paintings by Sue… they certainly catch the eye… so detailed with all their harnesses … My favorites are definitely the “Brown Collar Workers” & “Team Work”… so well done!! Cheers… Rowdy
And Monica followed with:
How blessed we are to have persons with outstanding talents that so ultimately depict the beauty and qualities of the equine community. There are legends that say when the creator had made the horse he knew that it was his most sublime production. These animals possess magnificence of line, valour, diligence, loyalty and a unique intimacy with their human neighbours. Sue has conveyed those qualities in supreme detail, apart from the special heroic physical structure of these animals. I am sure that she experiences this unique rapport with every horse that she meets! I could gaze at her portrayals all day. M.B. Tanzania
And again with:
Hello Anne! I spent another half hour looking at Sue's marvellous paintings of horses today, and then proceeded to admire the portrait of her Mother, imbued with love lines for the world around her. Her representations of the children loving the doggies, and her depictions of the musicians make you feel that you were there in the moment! For me, her animal paintings are good, but her landscapes 'take the cake!' However the paintings of horses with their prescient emotions, awareness of danger, and as you said, their symbiotic love for their owners/ riders, is palpable in her creations. She is obviously a very energetic and prodigious worker, and her efforts to provide enthusiasm and encouragement to developing artists is worthy of singular praise! It makes me wish so much that I could draw and paint! M.B. Tanzania
Back in October we had a series on the collection of Hermannsburg Paintings owned by Steve Cook which you can check out by clicking here.
Steve also likes to dabble at art and has written in to say that he is recovering from having covid and has managed to get a few of his building watercolour paintings completed in spite of not being well.
We wish him and his wife Gill a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing more buildings from him in the new year.
Steve went on to say that whilst visiting Yorke Peninsula (South Australia) he was given a wonderful little Mick O'Shea painting of the Stansbury foreshore.
Recently Rowdy got together with his mates- Steve Cook and Victor Maloney - to chat about art where Steve was passing on hints about scrapbooking and Victor telling stories about the great Australian outback painter Pro Hart whom he knew very well. More about Victor's paintings and the influence of Pro Hart on his style coming up very soon.
A while back Rowdy created a painting Master Artists of the Red Desert Country (below) showcasing May Harding, Sam Byrne and the Brushmen of the Bush namely John Pickup OAM, Pro Hart, Jack Absalom, Eric Minchin and Hugh Schulz. A link to Hugh Schulz is given further on in this post.
As they are not as well known as the Brushmen of the Bush here is our post on May Harding and one on Sam Byrne.
Anne Newman
Anne Newman
As Rowdy has illustrated in his painting below - the seminal art wealth associated with Broken Hill in New South Wales was created by these inspirational artists over the past 100 years or so.
If you missed the series on conserving and restoring the paintings of Hugh Schulz please click here. Rowdy sent in his response by saying:
Congratulations Anne & Andrew for the tremendous posts about Andrew's marvelous collection of Hugh Schulz's magnificent paintings... the posts are so interesting & informative learning about the journey of art collecting... & more specifically the restoration process of the compositions & frames... Thankyou so much Andrew for sharing your Hugh Schulz collection... the photos of your collection in your "Gallery" is "Out of this World"..... A "priceless" wonderful passion!!! All the Best... Rowdy..
And I want to add: Andrew embodies everything that is found in a lover of art - appreciation, passion, commitment to purchasing as many works by his chosen artist (Hugh Schulz) as possible and dedication to conserving the works so that he and others can enjoy these paintings. Andrew is as remarkable in his endeavours as a collector as Hugh Schulz was as an artist in creating remarkable views of the Australian outback.
We are signing off with a mail item from D. Our Roving Reporter in Central Victoria who is letting us know about the opening of Djaa Djuwima, our dedicated First Nations gallery in Bendigo.
The inaugural exhibition, Gurangarr Dja Dja Wurrung Djayi, celebrates works by 20 First Nations artists exploring connection to Country. It's on now until February 28, 2023. The gallery is open every day from 9am to 5pm except Christmas Day.
Gurangarr Dja Dja Wurrung Djayi (you are on/in Dja Dja Wurrung Country)
Djaa Djuwima is a dedicated and permanent First Nations gallery on Dja Dja Wurrung Country that signifies an important cultural step towards reconciliation. Djaa Djuwima means to ‘show, share Country’ in Dja Dja Wurrung language.1
The inaugural exhibition, Gurangarr Dja Dja Wurrung Djayi, celebrates works by 20 First Nations artists exploring connection to Country.
Open daily from 9am to 5pm (except Christmas day)
Djaa Djuwima
Bendigo Visitor Centre, 51-67 Pall Mall
Bendigo 3550
Australia
To find out more please Click Here.