Openings, Chestnut bread and Good Company.

Waratah aka Telopea Speciossima native to the Southern Highlands and Illawara.

Yesterday Robertson Artist Julie Krone came to visit my studio bearing a beautiful bunch of waratahs ( No, spell check they were not warpaths!) and proteas from her garden. We spent a couple of hours chatting and looking at books and both concluded that these visits are essential to nourish the creative soul. I feel very lucky to be part of a community where there are plenty of friendly and talented creative people.

Last night, he Robertson Gallery, now renamed Gallery Chiron opened a retrospective of local artist, Brooke Maurice's work from the past 40 years. The space is becoming a great meeting place for members of the local arts community.

I once read somewhere that one shouldn't talk about what one ate on a non-food related blog but, I have to say that Director Pi Wei Lim makes the best chestnut bread in the universe. We are in the middle of chestnut season here and there is fierce competition among local chestnut fanciers ( Pi Wei and I) to see who can find the best chestnut recipe. Pi Wei, you win!

The Report.

On Wednesday I went to Sydney to visit several galleries. Instead of driving I took the train and had a much less stressful day. It was one of those sparkling sunny days that Sydney is famous for and as I walked through Paddington the air was heady with the scent of Murraya.
First I visited James Dorahy Project Space in Potts Point. colouring-in (material) is group show  group  by the galleries artists. There is a strong and consistent aesthetic to the artists James represents and the exhibition sat really well in the curved walled space.

Sullivan and Stumpf also had a group show of the galleries artists. I enjoy these shows as I am introduced to the work of artists I haven't seen before and can watch out for their solo shows.

Sherrie Knipe's Waterways above was a watering can made from plywood butterflies and in the downstairs galley there were two gouaches by Sydney Ball which unlike his usual minimal work were layered images of drops of paint and which were testament to his skills as a great colourist.

From there I went to Danks Street after a costly retail detour in Oxford Street.

Dominik Mersch had a group show where the Stefan Thiel woodcuts were the standout works for me. I enjoy the shifting grids he creates in works like Ali.

Stefan Theil, Ali, 2009, 44 x 38 cm, cut- out.

Conny Dietzschold was showing the sculptures and drawings of Robert Schad.  The drawings  explore the line with great elegance and when translated into delicate sculptures the works occupy space in an improbable manner and seem to dance above the floor belying their construction from sturdy steel quad. I would like to have seen them in a larger space to fully appreciate their lightness of form.

Robert Schad, Steel Sculpture.