St Kevin's Art Show 2012... and Vegemite.

What do St Kevin's and Vegemite have in common?

not much, except that I have a soft spot for both! 


St Kevins Art Show was the very first art show I entered many, many 


years ago, and to my amazement I won an award,


and it was that validation that was the catalyst 


for the start of my painting career.

'The Vegemite Kids'
Jo-Ann Hunt©
'The Child Within - Summer' Series
H51x101cm
H20x40ins
Acrylic on Canvas
sold

I wonder if the judge that day realized the power of his approval?

I wonder if any of us fully comprehend the possible life-changing power 

of an encouraging word, a nod of acceptance, 

a certificate of praise, an 'elephant-stamp' for good behaviour.  

I'm all in favour of 'elephant-stamps'.........

wish our politicians deserved some!

'The Vegemite Kids'
detail
Jo-Ann Hunt©

(and this painting was exhibited and found a new home at this years show...

making me a happy-little-vegemite!)

The Vegemite Song

We're happy little Vegemites, as bright as bright can be, 

We all enjoy our Vegemite for breakfast, lunch and tea, 

Our mummies say we're growing stronger every single week, 

Because we love our Vegemite, 

We all adore our Vegemite, 
It puts a rose in every cheek. 

remember... just a tad will do ya 

And I couldn't resist, I know that now you've read those words the tune in your head will drive you batty......

so just for you.... a trip down memory lane....if you are old enough!

               
                                           
            .........never without it in my house!    

                                                                            Jo  x








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wild ducks on the deck?

This morning two new arrivals in the neighbourhood.

two wild ducks on the neighbours roof......

chattering and waggling excitedly above the neighbours swimming pool.......

lovely, boisterous, loud honking to each other.

I think they are looking for a spot to make their nest.

from the noise they are making, I think they think they've found one!

their discussion seemed to be getting a little heated.

 I wonder if they've discovered the neighbour has a dog?

a big one!

 I'll let you know if they decide to move in......

                                    could be interesting!

                                                       

                                                        Jo x







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"Ode to Joy" flashmob

off Elwood beach, Victoria

 This is too good not to pass on!

goosebumps and happy tears.....especially for the pure joy on the faces 

and in the jiggles of the children conducting.

for you.....is it the power of the music, or the power of the imagery.......

......or both?

have a joyful day!

this flashmob performing 'Beethoven's "Ode to Joy'  was sponsored by the Banco Sabadell, Spain.

it features the Valles Symphony Orchestra,  the Lieder, Amics de l'Opera, and Coral Belles Arts Choirs.

published on 31 May, 2012 You Tube

                  .....what fun!      Jo  :)

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Canterbury Art Exhibition ....part 3

autumn yellows and blues......a favourite colour combo of mine!

Most of my paintings are large, often 122cm....(48 inches)  or more.....

and because they are so big, they are also very time consuming.

 I usually work on a couple of paintings at a time.....or three or four....

and whilst one is drying I move to the next.

this is handy for when  I get 'stuck', meaning not knowing where to put

my brush next ,or more often it's when I can see there's a problem 


with the painting but can't work out what is wrong, 


then I can move to another canvas and return later with 'fresh' eyes.

 this way , my creative juices keep flowing, and my momentum

is uninterrupted.

'Long Hot Summer'
Jo-Ann Hunt©

but there are other times, when I just need a change of pace.

I need to do something differently to recharge my batteries.....

so I work 'small!'


'Long Hot Summer' was exhibited at the 2012  Canterbury Art Exhibition

and I've been commissioned by it's new owner to create a 'pair'  for

this painting.....but with two girls.  

'Long Hot Summer'
Jo-Ann Hunt
H30x30cm
H12x12ins
Acrylic on Canvas
sold

  So 'J' , if you are reading this ......stay tuned ....it's almost, almost  finished!




                                                              Jo   x
















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Canterbury Art Exhibition 2012 ...part 2

actual sky colour....I know ......I didn't believe it myself !
but undoctored photo straight from my trusty pentax!

As I've mentioned before, I have a real predilection for artwork that is all

about the 'mark-making'....the quality of the brushwork or line work.  

 ...its the inherent energy, the loose gestural quality, the scratchiness,


 the 'character' of the mark..... 


yes, it's the personality of the actual marks on the canvas that appeals to me.

this is a perfect way to start your day......
with a painting by Mitch Vane 

that's why when I saw  this stunning tiny canvas by Melbourne illustrator

Mitch Vane at the Canterbury Art Exhibition 


it had to come home with me!

Mitch Vane
'Peace Offering'
H12.5x12.5cm
H5x5ins

I love the sketchiness, the simplicity, the humour of her drawings,

and the quirkiness behind her ideas.

and it cheers me up!

for a bigger dose of Mitch Vane's humour and her delightful paintings

and illustrations , visit her web page  right here.

and whilst you browse, I'm off and back to my brushes!



                               Jo x





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the Canterbury Art Exhibition 2012

'Summer Mates'
detail
Jo-Ann Hunt

So what have I been up to these last few weeks?

being a workaholic  paintaholic  I was not really serious about the bed! It's been a hugely busy couple of months with Art Shows, commissions and commitments to Galleries. And of course the aforesaid wasted time struggling with computering!

Canterbury Art Exhibition  2012

 The 40th Canterbury Art Exhibition was held from Friday 3 May to Sunday 6 May 2012.

I absolutely love being a part of this show....

it's modern and contemporary,

and curated and hung thoughtfully by ladies with  flair and style ,

and there's always such an energizing vibe about the artwork selected

and the whole atmosphere of the show.

'Summer Mates'
Jo-Ann Hunt©
'The Child Within  - Summer' Series
H122x92cm
H48x36ins
Acrylic on Canvas
sold

'Summer Mates' found a new home .....

and I satisfied my own art collecting urges  with a truly lovely , but truly tiny , piece of art....

it's always nice to give something back to this wonderful exhibition and to support my fellow artists...

and to spoil myself!  Just a little!






                      Jo   x





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Blogger is trying...

beach hazards are nothing compared to the hazards of blogging..
or....'Oh woe is me' ...part 2 

.....so I log on to Blogger.

yep...Blogger lets me sign in , but won't open the page so I can write a post.

now I'm not a Tech-Head, nor am I very internet-savvy.... 
(I had you fooled, didn't I ) 
so when I strike a problem with my computering,
 I do what all die-hard luddites do.... 


I beg for help from the offspring....I whinge, I whine....

but they don't blog, so once again I'm on my own  
and I resort to my usual solution.....avoid the computer for as long as possible  
and hope it will sort itself out.

the tides going out on my blogging dreams

a week passes and I muster the courage to have another go, to try something else.

so I download Opera .

yay! that works .....Blogger will let me sign in with Opera , but not Internet Explorer.

okay, if that's the solution, I can work with it.

so I write a post, excellent...... but now it won't let me upload any photos!

now this is an 'Art -blog.'

I need photos.


I need photos because I am such a darn-slow typist  and I don't like to write much...it takes too long to type.

in disgust  I turn the wretched thing off.    I want my life back.


 I head for bed.

zigging and zagging on the path to nowhere

another couple of weeks pass.

every now and then I try wistfully, longingly, to get 'it' to work.

finally son suggests that if Internet Explorer won't work, and Opera won't work, that I try Google Chrome.

so I download Chrome, but 'it' wants to use Picasa...who am I to argue?...so I download Picasa...and that means I now have to learn to find where my photos are hiding, and how to crop them , resize them, upload them and why is it all so hard?


 I head back to bed.

the calm before the storm?

more weeks follow , and here we are.

first tentative steps back into blogdom , with a computer chockablock,
 crammed full with every browser invented, 
and photos floating in cyberspace, and being bullied with pop-ups demanding that I agree to post my photos to insecure sites.....help!

 If you are reading this, then I've succeeded,

if not....sorry.....but I've gone where all exhausted ex-bloggers go, 


I've gone back to bed!

fabulous signage at Williamstown Beach,
and I'm off and running! Fingers crossed!

                                                                             Jo  x






ps:  all photos of Williamstown and surrounds taken on the most amazing, still, sunny,  autumn afternoon...31may...
      it was just gobsmackingly beautiful and such a 'good-to-be-alive' day.....
              ....despite being blogger-bereft!










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Telstra is tryng....

Williamstown, Victoria 

If you feel as if this blog has been blown out of the water, it's not because I haven't been trying.

in fact it's Telstra that's been trying....very trying.

my Telstra Cable internet was so..o..o..o  slo..o..o..w.

it was so slow it would just stop, fade, disappear.

I couldn't Google the problem because I couldn't even open Internet Explorer ,

 my computer could not detect any internet connection...none!

and I pay Big Money to Mr Telstra every month for Top-Dollar Cable!

not happy!

like a swan,
all calm on the surface but hell breaking loose down below

I complained to my daughter.  I complained to my son.

I complained very loudly to Telstra.

they told me to turn the computer off.

they told me to turn it on.


to unplug the modem


to plug in the modem.


to move the furniture.

finally they sent a technician.

the technician looked all of 15 years old and said there was nothing wrong....

you see it worked fine for him when he plugged

directly into the modem in a different room

with his fancy new laptop and his fancy codes

 and a fancy yellow cord.

but of course as soon as he left I was back to zilch.....

and fading.

so what's the catch?

so again I complained to my daughter.  Again I complained to my son.


that was as effective as a teaspoon of water in the Nullabor.

so I did what all cowardly techno-phobes do... I avoided the problem...

pretend it doesn't exist.....if I waited long enough surely it would just fix itself.

nope!

so another anguished call to Telsta Tech-Help and wait for it....

 I struck gold....I scored a female on the line....

probably sitting in sunny Manila or Mumbai.....hallelujah!

with a couple of tweaks she changed my 'channel'

and my Telstra cable speeds are back to where they were 6 months ago!
                                     
So...you'd think that that would be the end of it! ....

no such luck!

help! help....I need help!
(view from Point Gellibrand Park, Williamstown)

                             to be continued.....

                                                                   Jo    x





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