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

Selfie on the way to wonderland

 "Starr’s work shows the journey a modern woman takes as she struggles to hold on to traditional values. iPods, Facebook,coca cola and the twilight phenomena are all intertwined as she navigates her way through an ever changing technological world." 

Well thats a little from the official statement and this the latest installment in the Alice series carries on with lots more twists and turns . I am keeping things in house with this one as it features my pink corvette for the first time and this baby will be turning up in a lot more of my series down the track . When i was a little girl i always wanted the barbie car but never got one so when i got older one day like magic it arrived in my drive way ....................i am very loved and spoilt . So of course it was going in the alice series . 

  Now lets talk about disney's Fairytale castle , its quiet frankly like a dream and is what i think happily ever after is all about . I grew up loving disney and princess's and how can u not like a symbol of love as large as the magic kingdoms castle . Yes i realise its based on the german one which is also gorgeous. I think Fairytales are to girls what superheros are to boys ..............I am a girly girl i love pink all the way ok and every other colour but pink mainly. While some think disney is a tacky beacon of love i certainly dont . You can choose to  create your very own fairy tale or in my case paint it .  

Of course no Wonderland fairytale painting would be complete without an enchanted forest and dancing flamingos. Ok and all the usual nods to wonderland like the white rabbit , stop watch , queen of hearts card and a beautiful floral foreground that the magic mushrooms pop up from . Here is a sketch featuring the flamingo and foreground flowers that were used in the painting . Its great to sketch up your ideas for major works like this i find . The SELFIE bit is just the crazy current phenomena most of us are guilty off . I am a vain creature and admit to doing this regularly . I am sure there will be a few selfie photos at my current exhibition WANDERLUST that opens on the 7th of november at the redhill gallery.  

What makes me super happy about this painting is that my imagination has been taken to a new level along with this series . I find the courage in this series to be me and let you see inside mind of an eccentric artist and she journeys down the rabbit hole and beyond . lol 

s xox  

The creation of the modern still life .

The modern Still life is finally cool , There was a decade ago when it was just a bunch of flowers or a bowl of fruit on a lovely table nothing however wrong with that but those days are over . Well for me they certainly are and to the delight of my clients . I always keep it personal and use items that are mostly mine and in my studio or home . I find many of them on my travels and get so excited when i do, knowing they can feature in my latest still lifes . Flowers are still a big part of my works and i am always falling in love with a new one or shade . Roses however are always a bit classic aren't they . Something old with something new keeps the still life modern , books and even shoes . Tea cups , videos , skulls and the lonely apple also paint up a dream.

Now nothing is nicer in still lifes than the classic wine or champagne bottles or even absinthe my personal favourite. Yes i do drink my lovely champagne tthat'salways part of the fun.  I do admit to being a bit of a hoarder with my china and glasses it was a nightmare when i moved into my new studio with all the packing of fragile items . I will never be able to be a minimalist lol . The joy of travel and the constant search of inspiration in found objects is a wonder really . The magical way odd items can paint up on a canvas is awesome . I love nothing more than working from life but will also set up scenes when i am overseas in my hotels or out and about .

Thanks to my camera which i must say my skills are getting better with or my trusty ipad ........I have a love affair thats endless for my ipad .Here is DREAMING OF PARIS my most recent painting and yes its a still life thats classic but also modern . A bit of spray can technique and bang its instantly cool . WANDERLUST my exhibition opens on the 7th of november at the redhill gallery in brisbane this painting and many more will be on display then .