Immanuel Arts Festival Wearable Art

Check out the link to see the Fashion Parade of Wearable Art that I have been working on for the last ......  many months.

I'm delighted that this addition to the Festival was so well received and I look forward to seeing the section grow over the years to come.

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2012/05/18/school-art-show-gets-stronger/

Lily's Ballet Shoes

The lovely Lily Spencer is pictured here with the portrait I painted of her ballet shoes.  

Lily is a student at the English National Ballet School.  

Portraits of dancer's shoes remains one of my favourite subjects.  I believe the soul of the dancer is imbued into the shoe.  All dancers have very unique shoes - no two are the same.

Entries now open - Immanuel Arts Festival

Immanuel Arts Festival 17-20 May 2012.

The Immanuel Arts Festival exhibits and sells paintings, sculpture, photography, drawings, prints and quality craft by local artists.

With $5000 in prize money available for local artists join us to celebrate the 31st annual event at Immanuel Lutheran College, Wises Road, Buderim.

New WEARABLE ART CATEGORY for 2012.

www.immanuelartsfestival.com.au

A "make you feel good' read

Dear Fellow Artists,

Please take a look at this link http://www.artshub.com.au/au/news-article/opinions/arts/10-reasons-to-be-an-artist-185503

I think you will enjoy the topic and may feel a renewed sense of empowerment.

Have a lovely day,

Miss Penny.  x

P.S. Thank you Arts Hub - for always having lots of educational and interesting snippets.  A Big Like!

Wear your Art & Carry your Stash

These lino print designs make the ultimate accessory.  Why not strut original art work? And it's practical too with enough space for all your goodies.

Each bag features a collage panel on the other side.  Inked, painted, stitched and stamped.  Truly unique and beautiful.

Wearable Art for Immanuel Arts Festival 2012

I'm very excited, after having attended the first committee meeting, for the Immanuel Arts Festival 2012.

There will be a Wearable Art Section.  Whooo Hoo!  I'm so excited to be involved.

So, fellow artisans get those fashion/art ideas going and you should, just about, have enough time to create some amazing and obscenely-time consuming garment.  I should know - remember the crocheted plastic bag dress? - A gazillion hours.

This is the absolute best Arts Festival on the Coast - so don't miss out.  Be ready when the entries open.

Oversized Organics

Check out the wonderful harvests I've had this week.  My hen, Daphne laid the massive egg weighing 90 grams and my little, potted lemon tree produced these stunning lemons, the largest is 10 cms long and weighs 550 grams.

My friend Anne suggested I make Lemon Butter!

This summer I intend to do some more organic gardening as part of my Creative Therapies.  It's so rewarding when the produce is......  well lets face it............ MAJESTIC!

I hope your week has been great too and your productive spirit has had a chance to fly.

Magical, shocking, awesome, stunning!

Artist or Arts Org - Great tips!

Hi readers,

I came across this article and I thought it worthy of sharing.  The tips would help both arts organisation and  individual artists.  You can't go wrong with greater attention to Strategic Planning.

http://www.artshub.com.au/au/news-article/opinions/arts/business-mistakes-arts-organisations-make-185150

Take time to read poetry.

For your pleasure and mine;

On the Night Train 
by Henry Lawson 1922

Have you seen the bush by moonlight, from the train, go running by?
Blackened log and stump and sapling, ghostly trees all dead and dry;
Here a patch of glassy water; there a glimpse of mystic sky?
Have you heard the still voice calling – yet so warm, and yet so cold:
"I'm the Mother-Bush that bore you! Come to me when you are old"?

Did you see the Bush below you sweeping darkly to the Range,
All unchanged and all unchanging, yet so very old and strange!
While you thought in softened anger of the things that did estrange?
(Did you hear the Bush a-calling, when your heart was young and bold:
"I'm the Mother-bush that nursed you; Come to me when you are old"?)

In the cutting or the tunnel, out of sight of stock or shed,
Did you hear the grey Bush calling from the pine-ridge overhead:
"You have seen the seas and cities – all is cold to you, or dead –
All seems done and all seems told, but the grey-light turns to gold!
I'm the Mother-Bush that loves you – come to me now you are old"?

Mary Poppins musical sweeps awards

Mary Poppins musical sweeps the Helpmann Awards! Congratulations to the producers and cast.

We have such talent in this country and yet the ABC has just axed Arts Programming. What a terrible shame and a statement about the level of importance the Arts holds in Australia. Imagine a future without public programming about Arts. Are only those people who pay for television to have any Arts Programming? Won't this further divide the audiences into the 'die-hard Arts attendees' and make it even more difficult to engage the 'not-so-interested' group? I believe we don't want to just preach to the converted - we need art to be accessible, this decision isn't helping. Please have your say too.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/abc-axes-arts-division/story-e6frg996-1226106700825

Building an Audience

More than anything, I'm interested in promoting the Arts. Therefore I recommend the following site for some great tips on building an audience.

http://connectarts.australiacouncil.gov.au/

The website (provided by the Australia Council) helps you navigate your way around the unique and specific needs of 'Arts' Marketing.

The case studies provide some great examples too.

I thought it was a wonderful resource, I hope you find it useful too.

Omar Edwards

I sometimes tell the story of taking tap class with a cool dude in New York, who brought his puppy to class and had a lolly pop sticking out of his mouth while he muttered bee bop instructions.

Please enjoy Mr Omar Edwards who starred alongside Savion Glover in the Broadway production of 'Bring in the Noise, Bring in the Funk'.

Hybrid Dance Styles

There's been a bit of talk around about pole dancing especially since Australia played host to the Asia Pacific Championships recently. I thought I'd do some personal research and see just what my position was on this dance style. Well..... I can only say that some of it is fantastic. Generally it's pretty sexy (there can be no denying) and when tastefully and artistically performed I'd have to say, I'm a fan.

I always admire a performer who has clearly spent a great deal of time perfecting their art. I appreciate, strength, beauty, artistry and line, all of which you will see in the clip I've chosen for you from Elena Gibson. I enjoyed the melding of genres and cross cultivation can only be a good thing, expanding the audience for art and entertainment in the process. I found the work relevant and entertaining. Enjoy!

Follow a Career on the rise

In August last year I wrote about a young Sunshine Coast singer, Jane Magao.

Check out this link for the latest in Jane's amazing career development.

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2011/07/26/two-tenors-have-jane-magao-seeing-stars-singing/

Jane is a fantastic person and very dedicated to her art form. I wish her well for a fantastic future.

What to give the 'new' mum?

A very dear friend of mine just had a baby. This got me thinking about gift options.

I've come to be known, amongst my friends, for hand-made gifts and I don't want this special friend to feel that I haven't 'gone to trouble'.

Now this is all lovely and sweet, but how relevant or indeed how appreciated is a hand-produced item these days? I truly hope there is still a place for something lovingly created.

I thought that new mums are unlikely to want knitted bootees anymore, citing 'way too much washing' as the reason. So I asked myself what could I make for my friend that would be useful, beautiful and likely to stand up to the hard yards of baby land? My answer came in a few moments - monogrammed face washers with crocheted edges. I still have some of these (made by my mother) after many years of use.

What do you think new mums would like these days? Perhaps a trip to Target is the preferred option. I'm not sure, I need your advice.

We No Speak Americano ft. Cleary & Harding

If you are a tapper or Irish dancer you will appreciate this. Perhaps you will consider diversifying. Hahaha!! You gotta love it.

Latest Dance Experiences

In the last few weeks I’ve enjoyed two trips away to the Southern States to adjudicate dance competitions. The first was in Launceston where I was lucky enough to work in the 100 year old Princess Theatre. Housed in the theatre is a signed pair of Margot Fonteyn’s pointe shoes which, I must admit, made me feel very humble and excited to be in the spiritual presence of one of the world's most celebrated dancers.

The dancers of Launceston are wonderful. The group routines were spectacular, highlighting the dedication the dance teachers of the area devote to their work. I saw some kicking routines that would make the most robust athletes cringe. These dancers showed amazing ability and stamina in their capacity to make a strenuous workout look entertaining for an audience.

Next I went on to Wollongong Eisteddfod where the enormity of this competition required three adjudicators to manage it. I had a wonderful time, especially when it came to teaching the Jazz and Theatrical Scholarship. The young entrants where so delightful and deserving of the opportunity to dance for a prize of $1000. Only six made it through to the final and they courageously battled it out for the honour and prize. The winner was a beautiful dancer who showed off her versatility throughout the competition.

I’m always astounded by the hard work of the students and I hope to remain in a position to mentor and stimulate the minds of our youth. These people are the future and I feel very confidant that they are most capable of becoming fantastic adults and perhaps also inspiring performing artists.

Awesome Aussie Hip Hop

I love the song 360 - 'Throw It Away' feat. Josh Pyke firstly because it's an example of great Aussie Hip Hop and secondly because it resonates with me on a social and economic level. Take a look and see if you haven't felt like Josh Pike at some point.

We are over this GFC and we don't want to be continually worried about money!

Let's hope our leaders make better decisions in the future. We are all too bogged down in paying bills to be as politically, socially and emotionally connected as we would like to be.

Let me know what you think.

Recycling Arts

Thanks to my regular email from Lost at E Minor http://www.lostateminor.com/ I have discovered the work of Sayaka Ganz.

Now you know I'm always bagging on about using existing material in the creation of great artworks. Remember my trashion dress?

Well check out this website for real inspiration:

http://www.sayakaganz.com/Artwork.html