How to host a tea party in a tree

“The tea-masters held that real appreciation of art is only possible to those who make of it a living influence. ” (Okakura, 1906, 71)

Life imitates art far more than art imitates life. (Wilde, 1905, 10)

Last Sunday we tested our long-overdue tea-party-in-a-tree, with incredible success!

I had wondered if i could persuade a fit photographer friend to document the event, and he replied immediately asking if his friend could as well. Two tree-climbing photographers, both keen to give up their Sunday for a mad morning tea! So thanks to Richard and Ben, we have some wicked pictures to share.

All were keen to follow the style of my original illustration and scrambled for some op-shop gold. Ben's sister even made for him a last-minute top-hat and bow tie that morning.

"Our insight does not penetrate your culture deeply, but at least we are willing to learn. Some of my compatriots have adopted too much of your customs and too much of your etiquette, in the delusion that the acquisition of stiff collars and tall silk hats comprised the attainment of your civilisation." (Okakura, 1906, 4)

I had been scouting trees around the city for a while and was set on a very interesting row of trees with branches that spread out like a mezzanine. We circled the park and fell in love with the huge Morton Bay Fig at the other end. The lowest branch was only just within reach and the vast, dense foliage provided a surprising level of privacy.

Our equipment is under continual revision and the latest edition is a hanging basket prototype for a miniature stove and windbreak. Tea is not as simple when you're perched in a tree, and one begins to appreciate the process. It became much more of a tea ceremony. By the time we had negotiated the passing of cups, the last to be poured was the fruitiest, most bitter cup of Irish Breakfast I have ever dared to enjoy.

At one point a couple of noisy Galahs raced beneath us..

With fresh tea in-hand, I was high on the novelty of it all. I could get used to this.

 

(Kakuzo Okakura, 1906, The Book of Tea)

(Oscar Wilde. 1905, The Decay of Lying)

nintendo DS sketchbook

Waiting for the market response to the Ipad (specifically new developments in stylus compatibility).
In the meantime, i heard about some artists hijacking the nintendoDS as a crappy tablet pc substitute, and it works. I can now make full colour-studies in under 4 minutes standing on the platform waiting for the train.
Here is some spam:

No pressure sensitivity, no undo, but huge novelty value. Introducing: my cup of tea that went cold, my long-suffering brother, some other nonsense, inside the Perth Artifactory, Leederville train station at night (in under 3 minutes) and a plushy frog that i dissected/reassembled.

The following week: the honeymoon was over and the absence of pressure sensitivity started getting to me. Fancy tools do not make you a better artist. However, i'm getting faster at composing my tones, and the lack of an undo function is good discipline. 

Above are a few more train stations, a hilarious collaboration (the squiggly one is a snippet) and some special requests.

After a few weeks i got over the lack of pressure sensitivity and started to have some fun.

More train stations! (including an icy sunrise), some robofun, a nebuliser in a kitchen sink.. and a persistent aquatic theme.. Most of these took less than 10 minutes.

Tea on the Frontier

New title, new design, new pages!


It's been a bumpy ride over at the institution. Make things that look like art, and you'll be criticised for being shallow. Make multi-faceted art that looks like anthropological spaghetti, and they'll tell you not to bite off more than you can chew, and by the way it's meant to be an art degree. BUT I think i'm finally getting the hang of it.


Anyway, the art-looking things have been suffering due to much fiddling-around in definitions and justifications. After a little despair and a lot of soul-searching, my project as a whole is looking remarkably like it did when i first imagined it. So.. ONWARD!
Tea on the Frontier

story panel updates & website construction

It's a new chapter! And it's keeping me very busy.
For the Love of Tea is just beginning, and there are FOUR panels up so far!
Some of these were printed for the Mythology exhibition, and now they are here especially for you.
Also, the website is undergoing major renovations since the recent discovery of fancy software that allows me to be really fussy and make stuff exactly how i want it without having to write the code from scratch (which often involves a lot of guesswork)
Back to the drawing board!

If you're in Perth mid-April..

Mythology Art Exhibition

Six local, emerging artists interpret the theme ‘Mythology’ for this exhibition, opening 2-7pm on Saturday 17th April in KURB Gallery’s new space at 214 William St.
The artists participating cross multiple disciplines including oil painting, digital painting, drawing and photography.

The exhibition showcases new works from Richard Healy, Simon Boxer, David Charles Collins, Tanya De Souza-Meally, Jeffrey Phillips, and Jenna Downing.

Artworks are available for sale.
Light refreshments will be provided at the opening.
More details: >>http://facepocalypse.com/mythology
Location: KURB Gallery, 214 William St, Northbridge

Opening Day: 2pm - 7pm, Saturday 17th April 2010

Exhibition Dates: 17th - 22nd April 2010
12-5pm, Sunday 18th April
11am-4pm, Monday 19th - Thursday 22nd April
Price: Free

For futher information, interviews or high resolution images please contact Simon Boxer: m: 0401 660 286 e: sb@simonboxer.com

About the Artists:

Richard Healy - >>http://richardhealyart.com/
Richard is a young artist working in Perth, his work is primarily based around the figure and alluding to the sinister. Painting scenes in which something is about to happen or has just happened, the moment of consideration before, or after an action. Unlike a comic or a film in which the structure is controlled tightly so to create one reading of an image, he aims to create images which allow for multiple interpretations. The works are intended to have a sense of ambiguity, and allow for enough space so the viewer can
draw their own narratives and conclusions.
His paintings combine a wide range of techniques and mediums - acrylic, pencil, charcoal, oil, aerosol and ink. bringing together aspects of street art, comic imagery and drama, and traditional figurative art together onto one canvas.

Simon Boxer - >>http://simonboxer.com
Simon is a self-taught, emerging artist and digital painter based in Perth. His work has a rawness akin to Impressionism, with the graphic influence of his background as a designer and concept artist. His work is based on the idea that creation is more valuable than recreation, as he presents new interpretations of typical mythological archetypes.
The Mythology exhibition sees Simon exhibiting original oil/acrylic paintings for the first and last time before heading overseas to an intensive art course in San Francisco.

David Charles Collins - >>http://www.davidcharlescollins.com
David is an up and coming perth artist who specializes in photography and video media. Based in the Swan Valley his work is reminiscent of a Baroque decadence that will seduce with young bodies in lavish settings emerging from velvet darkness. Graduating with a BA in Art from Curtin University in 2008 his commercial client base includes jewelry designer Sophie Kyron and fashion label Ericaanerica. David’s work has been displayed in several exhibitions including a solo show at Perth Centre of Photography in 2009.

Jeffrey Phillips - >>http://jeffreyphillips.com.au
Jeffrey is a Perth-based freelance graphic designer and illustrator. Two years ago he left his full-time job in the finance sector and began an earnest personal campaign to re-invent himself.
Presently his work spans everything from caricatures, illustrations, t-shirts, posters and logos to storyboarding local films and TV commercials. He is also studying full-time for his Diploma in Graphic Design.

Jenna Downing - >>http://evilgeniusinresidence.com
Jenna is fascinated with just about everything. This causes alternating phases of utter distraction and intense, obsessive concentration. For the last couple of years she has been focusing on fairytales and culture, and the influences of each upon the other. Storytelling is one of the most important skills we can learn, for the uses of enchantment really are endless.

People-watching and RSI

The WA Museum is becoming a favourite haunt for those times when I get the itch to sink my teeth (pencils) into some complicated subjects. >>Simon Boxer was my sketch-buddy for two consecutive mornings. After putting up some work for the Laneway Art & Lattes exhibition (part of the >>Eat Drink Perth festival) we plonked ourselves outside the state gallery for some old-fashioned people-watching.

The next day we got up bright and not-so-early for some more serious practice at the museum. I tend to forget what my muscles are doing while I’m concentrating on a piece (for way too long) and almost killed my shoulder drawing mr Antelope with its fiendishly complex shiny black horns. I left Simon at the Dinosaurs Alive exhibit and he rocked on into the afternoon with another friend.

After all that I still haven’t made it past the bison.

Museum Again!

School has resumed and the museum is back to its eerie old self again. I could easily lose track of time in there if it wasn't for my drawing buddy's occasional huff of frustration.  This time we hit the skeletons straight away. It's usually a good idea to do some quick warm-up sketches first, but no, we both got bogged down in a half-hour marsupial marathon. Having not warmed up, i probably spent much longer than was necessary, but i'm pretty pleased with the result.

"Gah, can we do something with fur now??", came a very sensible suggestion. Sitting still on the floor, hunched over a sketchbook is hard work for you back - remember to move around, kiddies! 

My friend, who is just getting back into drawing, found the 2hr session simultaneously relaxing, meditative, challenging and exhausting. It wrings your brain in much different (and subtle) ways to what is required in day-to-day exchanges and problems.

She watched over my shoulder as i drew this last one, so i felt pressured to set a good example and not be lazy with my looking and judging and shape-relationships. Subsequently, mr monkey has very nice proportions.. but i used a HB pacer or something, which is great for skeletons, but the tone/texture didn't turn out as nice as it could've.

In the end, we still didn't make it past the buffalo. Next time, i'm going to see what's around the corner.
Also, i'm quite sure there was a small child who kept substituting the word 'dinosaur' as a desriptor for 'skeleton'. Awesome.

Another bit of serendipity: On the way to the museum, met an old artist with a lot of opinions about a lot of things. I sat and talked with him and another artist for a bit; he was surprised to find a student so into drawing in an academic environment where the war between concept and craft rages on. I actually find the debate extremely helpful and stimulating as long as i can observe it at arms length, taking everything with a pinch of salt and forming my own philosophies that can withstand arguments from either direction. Art for me is no longer something to be learned, but a platform from which to learn about the world.

Stuffed Animals

Another drawing expedition with another friend!  This time we partied at the WA Museum, which is FREE.  I must say it was a very pleasant way to spend the afternoon: good company, good pencils and dozens of small children running around the biggest still life setup you could ask for.

I remember museums being eerie, muffled spaces with static animals watching you from every corner. It took so long for me to get back there and over-write those impressions.  The lighting is dim and the walls are sound-proofed; once you enter the space, your senses take time to adjust from the bright, echoing foyer. I found this affected my drawing; I wanted to spend longer on each drawing, relaxing into a rhythm, just drawing for the sake of feeling the pencil against the paper. I used a H conte pencil.. took a while to warm up and find what kind of marks it was good for, but perseverance is rewarding.

Drawing at public displays is extremely good for developing your concentration. People are watching you and you have to ignore them to a large extent. As you learn to acknowledge and engage your audience in a relaxed manner, you really appreciate how encouraging it is for people to watch you developing a skill that is becoming less and less common. I love it when kids tell me how they draw all the time, and when parents say "see, keep practicing and you'll be that good." People need more ways to express themselves, the more languages you feel comfortable with, the better.