Alice in wonderland in London !!!!!!!

There is alway time for Alice in wonderland adventures in London or even an exhibition . At the British library there was such an event . Being an Alice in wonderland tragic I had to go so off to London I went . Was a bit interactive aswell you could do selfies with big mirrored alices . 

It was a fantastic collection of many editions and illustrated Alice books and the story told with many different versions . I actually have a copy of the original book that's very old and sits in a glass case to protect it . It has featured in one of my latest Alice painting , you can see in in the row boat here with Alice . It's the green looking book one of my most treasured possessions . 

Every artist paints Alice through there own eyes , mine is all mine . I went with an adult Alice as I could relate better to that and went with a technological twist . It's a bit like seeing into the looking glass and interpretating it your way . 

I found this rather unique DRINK ME bottle .........and I just knew I had to have it not just because it came from this exhibition but because it will work in my series in the future . Yes I had to do a quick watercolour sketch of it also . Ps I did want almost everything in gallery shop :( but needed a reality check . 

So it truly was like falling down the rabbit hole for and hour or so and a most epic wonderland adventure . Was so inspiring to me artistically and I have few more twists for my Alice series in the future . We are all mad here X 

2016 LONDON

Happy New Years everyone !!!!! Mine has started off with a bang well being in London is pretty epic . 2015 you were also a super years so 2016 you have lots to live up too . I am over here searching the city streets for inspiration and it's not hard so many big red things . 

One of my favourite red things is the London buses and coming in a tie is the telephone booths . Just WOW . just WOW . Yes there is a very good chance these will be featured in my October 2016 solo at the redhill gallery in my home town Brisbane . 

I have English / Irish blood so I knew that I would love this city and the cold . I truly feel right at home and just love the light in Europe in general . LONDON is a bit like stepping into a fairytale for real it's just so old . A far as artistically inspiring this is just fantastic city so many structure that need to be captured on canvas . I have been doing watercolour sketches from my Paddington studio , I can set a studio up anywhere I go . Sometimes it just about getting out of your world and stepping into another . 

Here is a water colour sketch of the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London . I did say where I am staying is beyond quirky it's painted from ceiling to floor it's quiet mad really . Then again all the best people are mad . Here is a shot of the ceiling yes that's a full painted ceiling with stars .

Crazy I know I was not making it up photographic evidence is needed . Oddly I love it's quirky warm vibe . So while I love to paint from life I rather value my hands and not have them frozen off . I run around lots with my camera and just hope they are in focus enough for me to be able to work from them . I am a poor photographer but getting better as they years go by .I know what I see and what will make a great painting not always the best photo lol . 

So I will just be seeing what I see and loving the journey because after all it's not about the destination . But LONDON is a pretty cool :) X 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas !!!!!

 So who dose not love Christmas !!!!!! What's not to like its bright pretty and all things sparkle and glisten . Being an arty girl I just can't help myself but to go a little crazy . Always I tend to fall down the rabbit hole and love my Christmas to have a wonderland twist . I have been collecting trees and decorations for decades I love adding a few new pieces every year, especially on trend ones . Ok I can't walk past stars either because in my world they work all year round . I find Christmas a very creative time in the studio too . Lots of Christmas deadlines lol .

 Love those baubles !!!!! Last year I added lots more pink I have a thing for pink . Lol

Also Its always a good idea to make use of what you have .........I use and old mirror wrapped up in lights and twine with clips to house my cards . Why not just stick the smaller pink tree in a large birdcage for a terrific effect . 

 Love my Alice in wonderland candy jars they could easily be just as at home at the MADD hattas tea-party . Why not we are all mad here !!!!!!!! I just adore thinking outside the box . I have never owned a green tree not that I don't like them but I adore colour far to much and have recently acquired a blush pink vintage tree . Yes not everyone's cup of tea but I do adore walking on the wild side . Love following my arty heart at Christmas and can't wait to wrap up some presents that's one of my most beloved things to do .

So while painting my way through the Christmas season and ,watching my Alice in wonderland limited editions fly out the door I had a Christmas miracle . My new fine feathery friend called SPARKLE laid her first egg . I hope to have ham and eggs for Christmas morning breakfast . ⭐️

social media LOVE/HATE thingy

yes yes yes !!!!! how much do i love my iPhone , am getting the new one soon . I love social media as much as you do except as an artist i have a love hate relationship with it and its complicated . lol Since my first post a decade or so ago its been a LOVE affair . With the sweet you get 'likes', you just knew there would be the sour with artists infringing on your artwork. So then we all started watermarking all our pictures .

and the dreaded  'The images on this site are subject to copyright laws. Unauthorized duplication of these works will be punishable by law.'

So when watermarks and our names are plastered across images is for the arts protection to stop people downloading and making prints etc . Yes if caught they will get nasty lawyer letters and no one wants that . I personally get very upset and emotional when my art is copied or shall we say when they try to copy my style etc . I have had many cases in my career so far and its just shocking to try to understand why someone would want to copy my art or paint in my style . I get very mad indeed but then my manager gets mad and its ON. 

Galleries are wonderful with this infact and most of my art openings you will get a evil look if you try to photograph one of my paintings . As an artist i would never take a photo of an artist work at an art opening unless the artist was standing in front of it . I love the gallery system for this reason they are there to protect the art when we can't protect it ourselves .

Also when you buy a painting of course its all yours but the artist always retains full copyright unless you have an agreement . I am always giving permission for my art to be used for my clients and happy to etc . What i don't like is when they wanna print without permission as i am a fine artist and not a commercial one with a huge print presence . Never wanted that life just wanna paint original works of art for you and never wanna have to be concerned about the word BRAND or BRANDING .etc 

Its also for the clients protection as well imagine your horror and mine to see a very crappy version of a ballerina in print the same pose and everything as the one you brought . For the record you will never see my ballerinas in print ever .They are so unique with the iconic one eyes and everyone ,has had one of my models pose for it . So yes i might rant but its all to protect my art and your beloved STARR painting . Thank you to all my followers and clients who over the years have alerted me to infringements i thank you from the bottom of my heart .x

So please LIKE and SHARE artists works when they have our websites and names watermarked across them we love you for that x 

ps this is just my view and i do not speak for other artist at all . 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!!!!

 Happy birthday to a very remarkable brisbane icon the 'story bridge ' ………its certainly one of my favourite brisbane stories . 75 years old this weekend what a milestone and i very sure it will be standing long after i am gone . My love of structures and bridges is well known and yes i paint a lot of them . I always love the challenge of taking something we possibly take for granted and capturing it on canvas . Ok yes i am very well known as the story bridge artist !!!!!!! and i love that tag .

I have recently been asked to paint a bridge for the lord majors charity trust and of course its a very worthy cause and coming up to the big birthday i knew it was going to be a rather special version . I decided on a series in my most popular blues that have their starry skies and add a new colour duck egg . I then splash on lots of my signature brights . Loving lots of pops of colours aswell . My cityscapes always have a sci-fi edge to them reflecting the energy of the future . Yes with a name like STARR i am truly the right girl to paint the stars . The lord majors painting will be going up for auction at the ball in august . very exciting .

So if your in brisbane please pop in to red hill gallery to see some of this new series .

starr x

hello 2015 farwell 2014 !!!!!!

 OMG what an extraordinary year of artistic adventure's was 2014 !!!!! Its was all off an running with NYE on a big boat out in the middle of the ocean with my art selling to a global audience of thousands . Painting on stage like a super star ........yes thats right i can work a stage and all those years of hanging out with my rockstar friends showed me how to pull it off .Of course just paint brushes rather than microphones .lol still a skill in its self .

 Next was a few hard months of working in the studio painting WONDERLAND my darwin SOLO , that was a huge hit ....................not right away but by about three months later it had almost soldout . so thanks for your support darwin and the lovely anne from framed . I live in wonderland in general but for these months it was a all about the queen of hearts, rabbits and alice of course .

 Then was Chorus of COLOUR exhibition in sydney at the awesome traffic jam galleries . It was my brightest work to date and i was so happy with my direction and inspiration for this show . Yes and how beautiful was my imagination series thats at this stage made its sydney debut .I just spend the time in the studio working up my sketches and this series arrived . My style never changes it just evolves you will always be able to pick a starr painting a mile off.

 Then is was all about WANDERLUST my most successful sell out exhibition to date. ........ . It takes a special gallery to pull of this and the redhill gallery are like no other with their exhibitions. Mind you i will say i worked exceptionally long hours on this show to produce such detailed works ................NYC ,LONDON and my beloved PARIS all featured . Of course is would not happen with out my home town of brisbanes support , I know brisbane loves me and am very grateful. I HEART BRISBANE . OHHHHHHHH and how magical was that dress , it was over looked by a million girls before i made it mine . Painting from a space of love is always a good start, makes the sweet sickly sweet .

 Personally i was never as happy as i was this year lots of dinners with friends and a marvelous christmas with my family and friends . My world is ever changing and all darkness has certainly left my life and has been replaced by love . I also have a much better understanding of myself nowadays and dont apologise for my arty nature or quirks, I embrace them. My life is my journey and i think you cant go in half assed you must live it and not to others standards.

I am so excited for 2015 I have some very big personal plans and major art ones . I will have minimal exhibtions this year but a pop up somewhere special . I will be working on very large scale works for art prizes and new works for overseas galleries and a few new galleries in australia. 2015 will be my year to reach long term goals . So the adventure begins and thankyou all for being part of 2014 and following my 2015 artistic journey .This year will be  magical with some of my most inspired painting to date now to pick up the brushes !!!!!!!!!!

WANDERLUST opening redhill gallery 2014

Wanderlust is officially open and it went off with a bang !!!!!! Was a very big night for both me and the red hill gallery . It was so nice seeing so many faces in the standing only room crowd . It takes a very special gallery to pull of an opening like that. Its something that in an artists life you never forget. Lets be real however it has taken two years and a lot of sacrifice to paint that body of work .Lots of planing and just hoping that you all like my latest works and get it . This painting artistic temperament says it all with the thoughts running around in my head that I need to get out and onto canvas .

Here is a photo from opening night and ohhhhhh what a night it was ........I am here with the redhill galleries director Margaret . Yes is sure it pick a crazy dress nothing but outrageous for me . I found it in a prom shop its from a USA brand and was the last one , many years old and over looked by a 1000 girls . The dress at the back of the store that no one wants is normally the one i want oddly . This is second paint splattered dress i have found on my travels this way . It was love at first sight and i knew it was perfect for WANDERLUST as it looked like alice fell down the rabbit hole with a paint brush . I just hope i get to wear it again ;)

Here i am getting filmed for the opening night very excited but i admit to being awkward when a camera comes near me . I think one should face their fears and be brave and give it a go and with experience you will only get better . I am shot here with my INTERSTELLA  painting thats in brisbane for it first time it was only ever seen in a regional gallery . Brisbane needed its chance to see this work up close and personal. There will be much more from this series in the future ......I WAS BORN TO PAINT THE STARS .

The redhill gallery publicity machine was a full swing too with a full page spread in the SUNDAY MAILS "U" section .Its was titled "romance lives in colour" very fitting for the show . Thanks Fiona Purdon for a terrific article . It featured my latest london , NYC , ballerina and cafe van gogh works all from WANDERLUST .

 I want to thank all my clients that came to my latest exhibition i was very humbled being an artist from brisbane and having that much support. Also of course my friends and family that are always there for me cheering me on .So delighted i was to meet so many of my wonderful clients from facebook and redhill gallery !!!!!!!! Here is one of my iconic story bridges from my current show so if you love it gotta have it contact the lovely staff at the redhill gallery on 07 3368 1442

x