78 A Cup of Tea and a Lie Down

This acrylic painting on canvas called “Teaotalers Club”, is one of two paintings that I have just finished and delivered to Greenhill Galleries here in Adelaide. The exhibition opens on Sunday 17^th April 2011.

The show is called “The great Teapot Show” and the brief to participating artists said the aim was to create a varied collection of all things to do with Tea Pots (& cups, tea paraphernalia and tea customs etc). Whether practical or whimsical, huge or miniscule, formal or funny – let your imagination run wild in whatever medium takes your fancy – paintings, ceramics, wood, glass, fabric, jewellery metal or whatever.

With a brief like that it was impossible to say no I thought, as I love to let the imagination run free, although I must admit that my husband is also a great source for ideas and I do love to have his input too.

The exhibition is being opened by Chef extraordinaire Cath Kerry from the Art Gallery Restaurant of which I am also a huge fan, so consider yourselves ALL INVITED and here are the details,

Ceramics, sculpture, paintings, prints…
everything and anything to do with TEA!
Works from a variety of artists.

Opening at 11.30am
Sunday 17 April 2011

Guest Speaker: Cath Kerry
Chef & Restaurateur,
Art Gallery Restaurant

The exhibition concludes 5pm Tuesday 10 May 2011

140 Barton Terrace West North Adelaide, SA 5006
p: 08 8267 2933 | f: 08 8293 0148 | e: Open: Tues – Fri 10am – 5pm Sat & Sun 2pm – 5pm

I have mentioned the Gallery in some of my other blogs and you may want to recap on a funny incident between the Gallery Director and a client here; 14. “ADAM & STEVE” .

This brings me to tell you a bit about Russell Starke and the gallery in Adelaide. Greenhill Gallery has long been recognized as one of the most important exhibition spaces in South Australia and was established in 1972 by Veda Swain. Russell Starke became the Director in 1988 and continued the tradition of showing great artists as well as giving promising new emerging artists a go. The gallery is also well known for holding charitable events; Russell’s philosophy is to give back to the community, as he can identify with how it feels growing up in a family where money was tight.

Not that that is the only feathers in his cap, oh no Russell Starke has been awarded an OAM (the Order of Australia – which is an order of chivalry established by Elizabeth ll, and is “for the purpose of according recognition of achievement or for meritorious service”).

I grew up at a time when Russell was a must see on television on a Friday night introducing horror movies for Friday Suspense Theatre and he scared the living daylights out of me then (something that he can actually do now too if he get cross, lol).

There is also a soft and cuddly side to Russell which was very evident when he shared offices with my modeling agent Tanya Powell many years ago and doubled up as the baby sitter for her newborn son and anyone that has ever seen Russell interact with children also echoes that statement.

One of Russell’s other strings to his bow would have to be Bonsai which he actually taught” the art of” and my mother in law was one of his students and she would be full of funny little stories about those classes when she came home. These days you can find Russell (that is if you can keep up with him) running 3 separate exhibition spaces, Barton Terrace, The HWY, Penny Hill Winery Complex, as well as being a theater critic, and making regular radio appearances on Radio ABC 891 and no doubt a million other things as well!

So come along and have a look as there are many wonderful artists exhibiting including Catherine Fitz-gerald and Erin Lykos amongst others, and if you would like to see my other artwork “The Treepot” with a jungle feel you will just have to be there or be square, lol.