Conviction in the first degree.

 I am as guilty as they come , I love to sketch in my TUTU ...........the red one to be exact . Well the evidence is mounting now!!!!! This photo was taken a month or so back via the highly skilled  Jason from"silkshot photography " . Seriously if your going to paint it then live it i say . Imagine a world where you could sketch till your hearts content in a fabulous tutu, thats where i live  ...........................we only get one life after all .You know the stories about the crazy eccentric artists , well its all true . Conviction is everything to me , my art is me 100% , while i admit i am not a ballerina I do love it . I am addicted to the grace and elegance of the ballerinas .

This one of my latest works and you can see exactly where the tutu comes from now . This tutu is actually vintage , i love a vintage tutu . I know that even before it arrived in my world it had a life all its own years prior . So yes i am guilty of sketching in my tutu ......BANG BANG and i would have it no other way . All for the love of ballet. xox

RIP adam cullen

I was so saddened to here of adam cullens death . Hes one of australian's most famous painters and very few will ever achieve what hes done . I loved his work as hes got a unique style all his own . I had only recently stayed at the CULLEN hotel and its has his paintings all over it in every room was delightful to be surrounded by his powerful art .

According to newspapers he had suffered from bi polar and depression . When i heard that i thought really what talented artist dose not i know lots and they all have various bouts depression and more serious forms of it . Blue days are just something artists live with , i know i do . I always took it as with the gift of my talent  i also got blue days that forever more i will deal with . Its the whole sweet and sour bit really , you cant have one without the other . Also no matter how far you reach in your career and how many accolades its will never be enough to stop the artistic temperament creeping up on you .

Health is another big issue the newpapers noted with adams passing . I think its very tough for a modern painter these day health wise . We are not just using acrylic or oils we are using multimedia as well , spray cans etc ...................the list goes on. All this over time is a very deadly cocktail and a product of our modern society and our wanting to be so original we will try lots of toxic new techniques . However without of health we have nothing . I take the whole health thing very seriously ..................i wear lots of gas masks at certain stages of my paintings and eat a very simple raw diet in the hope that even if chemicals do get in my system its so healthy it gets rid of it . ventilation is also important .Isolation is also a very hard emotional ride that artist's self inflict like its our badge of honor . I am always anti drugs and would prefer to run everyday to get a natural high that only exercise can achieve . I however think you can only do what you can and being a positive person is a good thing and having positive people around you on your blue days is a must .

 Adam has achieved the ultimate goal of immortality this has always been the dream of the modern painter . !!!!!!!

charity concert featuring KILLER QUEEN.

Now some very good friends of mine that i have known for decades are putting on a charity concert to raise money for cancer research. I am donating a "story bridge in teal " 60cm x 50cm its just beautiful and one of my most wanted version's i do of the bridge.Its just beautiful and electric in colours . I am donating 100% of the profit to their cause . I think we all know someone whos been touched by cancer this is just how an artist helps . This painting is 990.00 so if you want it, have to have it or just wanna donate to a wonderful cause contact "IAN" via starrart@starrartanddesign.com .!!!! And make it yours .

If your not in the market for a story bridge thats ok too but maybe you might wanna come to the concert at the Tivoli on Saturday night . Will be a huge night for sure . I love queen and this version of them are fantastic you will love them and nothing like a good CHARITY CONCERT. All the info is down below . I hope to see you all there !!!!!  

WHIMSICAL

          WOW i am very honoured to be offically opening Beth Mitchell's exhibition . This young emerging artist will showcase her etheral, enchanting and whimsical art photography in her first solo exhibition at tosari galleries in toowoomba .Beth has been short listed for a number of national awards and is breaking new ground , confirming shes one to watch .

          When i first saw beths fresh take on ALICE in wonderland i was amazed . The underwater idea is just fantastic.  Wonderland can be where ever your imagination will take you and artists love to interperate this classic fairytale there own way .  Beths version is original hence why i am so happy to be surporting this wonderful new talent .

WHIMSICAL opens on the 20th of july at 6pm till 8pm ................and then continues till the 20th of august at tosari galleries in toowoomba . www.tosarigalleries.com.au . !!!!!!!! I am very sure i will be adding a few of her beautiful photos to my collection . I know what i like when i see it and beths work took my breath away at first sight . so if your in town or around the area in the next month please do pop in and view her work.

melrose and my american boy

Every painting has a story and a reason why it was painted . "melrose" was a very special painting for many reasons . Firstly it was part of my first LA exhibition quiet a few years back now . It then ended up on a book cover for a marketing UNI text book . Then it ended up in one of my top collector collections . For a painting it certainly got around . While on one of my LA trips i met a captivating man and this scean was outside of his house , he lived just off melrose . I just now refer to him as my american boy , he made a hell of am impact on me . A girl will always remember her first american she encounter's as they are so damn charming . I remember this magical scean and walking up it with him holding hands . Over the years i have shopped this street many many times but nothing was better then having corona's at the snakepit (a very cool little bar on melrose) with the american boy who oddly wore more make-up than me . Lets face it if it had not been for him i may never have painted this exact scean. ART is all about passion and adventure , experiences like this just enhance ones creativity .I always wanted a life that resembles wonderland and cant wait to fall down the next hole and end up in another place as special as MELROSE . X

photography an artistic journey

Firstly let just say i am excited to finally have a buzz for something other than painting . Nothing can ever compare to painting for me it was always love at first sight . However since picking up my first real camera which is a NIKON its heaps of fun  . No its a big camera and not a my normal little barbie pink idiot proof Nikon . Let me say i have no interest in being a photographer as i am aware its an art in itself which takes many years of study to prefect . I looked over lots of my travel photos and most were so terrible they were useless . Meaning i could not use them as reference material for my paintings as most were not in focus , even with my abstract style they would not work .

"KAKADU" is one of my most amazing paintings as i had to trek hours to get the photo and also travel for days to the destination . Years ago me and my trusty barbie pink idiot prove took this shot mind you another 20 shots did not work out . A few did and hence i created this  painting with a very unique view . I loved the results . So a few years later i decided something must change and i must get some better skills for this exact reason. Ohhhhh and while at art college i even did a few electives in photography but clearly i learned nothing . I think you have to want to learn .

I have always had lots of friends who are amazing photographers ................they are all so god damn talented . I am grateful to be getting lots of advice and have even done a short course . They are all so supportive and yes they all make jokes like "have you taken the lens cap off". etc ...... while at this stage i feel happy just to be able to hold the camera straight. I am sure there will be many more jokes down the track .lol I know this skill will enable me to create  much better paintings and capture a scean with much more confidence. I will never let a moment pass me by again now i have a REAL camera .x

I wanna thank the wonderful guys at  https://www.facebook.com/FotoFrenzyPtyLtd for helping me on this wonderful journey .check out what they do as they are all the top of their fields .