Redlands Poets Cornered

I have some work in an exhibition “Redlands Poets Cornered” at the Redlands Museum in Cleveland which was set up just before the Lockdown.  So the work is there but no one could see it as the Museum was closed down.  Then I was contacted by the lady in charge of Events at the Museum, Tara, and asked if I could video myself reciting some of my Poems.  Of course I answered Yes and then began the project.  It seemed to work very well indeed, and her response was lovely, she asked if I would mind if the museum videoed my work  and put it together with the recitals that I had sent to them.  The result is a marvellous presentation that I am feeling very honoured by.

I do not know how to put it here on this page, but anyone interested should go into the Redland Museum Cleveland site on the net and access it there.  Or go into my Facebook site and you will find it there.  Ah I have just found out that I am unable to upload videos to this site as my WordPress plan would have to be upgraded first, and I am on a limited budget!

So instead I attach two recent photographs, the first is an amazingly green eyed fly which landed on my balcony and I was blown away by the power of the eyes.  I asked the fly to stay there and went away to get my digital camera which I put on Macro, and when I go back the fly had kindly chosen to stay for me.  I took the photo and it then flew away!  I love the photo, especially as the shadows are so interesting too.  The second photo was the result of playing around for a day with inks on Japanese Moon Palace paper.  I like the colours and think that the circular dark image looks like a Terrapin, though when I put it on FB someone asked me if it had anything to do with the Corona Virus!  After some thought I replied, well perhaps on some subliminal level!

Presentation for Meryl Dobe

Meryl Dobe has been Chief Librarian here on Macleay Island for some 22 years, and just a few days ago on the 20th of February 2020 she finished her work in that capacity.  A few days later on 26th February she was given a presentation to thank her for her super contribution to the Library by the Macleay Island Progress Society at a luncheon at the island home of Katie, who is taking over the role.

I had a lovely time in setting out the Poem which was written by Robin and Sandy, and choosing the images that would best accompany the words.  Of course, as Meryl is also a Yoga Teacher I had to include the Om/Aum sign! and in duplicate, for balance!

The work was done on 300gsm Fabriano Paper and presented with a backing corfoam and upper mount kindly provided by Neville Prosser.  We all wish Meryl every success in whatever she chooses to do with her boundless energy!

 

 

 

Donation for the Bushfire Auction

After much thought I have decided to offer my Beatus on Vellum to the Bushfire Relief Auction here on Macleay Island. This is the very first important work that I made after being taught by Donald Jackson, Scribe to Her Majesty’s Crown Office, when he came out to Australia in 1984. It is on Calfskin Vellum with 23 Carat Pure Gold Leaf and Watercolours, and is based on a page of the Harley 2904 MS in the British Museum Library. The MS was made in the 10th Century, and I was thrilled to be allowed to spend a whole day looking at it and making notes in 1995.

I donated it to Amnesty International for auction in the late 1980’s when it was bought my a student of mine, Leila Walker. who owned it until she died and Willed it back to me in the mid 90’s.

I then took it to England and gave it to my Mother, who had it until her death in 2008 when once again it was returned to me. The thought of making this donation came to me in the night, and I have faith in the Universe that this important, almost historical piece of work, will end up going to the right place.

 

Opening speech for By the Bay

THE OPENING OF THE EXHIBITION WAS SATURDAY 16TH NOVEMBER 6.30 pm

I was asked to give a speech for the Opening of the MIAC Annual Exhibition ‘By the Bay‘ so these were the notes that I made for the Speech, though at the opening I spoke without reference to my notes so that I could make the speech as direct and personal as I could.  All was very well received  at the time

 

I am an artist Calligrapher, – sometimes thought of as solely a Calligrapher. In some ways this is true, but my creative impulses cover a wide range of things. The word does feature a lot though whether or not is actually present as letterforms!
The word begins as a thought, it is then turned into a word that is spoken and that turns it into a reality…

I would like to talk about the creative process that all the artists in this Exhibition had to go through… Where does Inspiration come from? The word itself gives us a clue – Inspiration means the taking in of the breath! And in that is included the taking in of the Spirit! We all know the joy from a beautifully caught movement of the hand, or emergence of an idea – when we seem to be guided by the Joy of the doing. Synchronicity often plays a part!

There seems to have long been a schism between Art and Craft, and 30 years ago, when I had a studio at the prestigious Jam Factory in Adelaide, I had the chance to work with Artists, Jewellers, Leatherworkers, Fabric designers, Potters, Glassblowers, Woodworkers and Furniture designers. We had many conversations about what was Art and what was Craft!

Which leads me to:-William Morris, one of the creators of the revival in the Arts and Crafts movement in the 1800’s (textile designer, artist, poet and founder of the Kelmscott Press) who once said “The artist is not a special kind of a person, but every person is a special kind of an artist”!

We all know those who are wonderful cooks, amazing wildlife carers, green thumbed gardeners who can tease flowers, fruits and vegetable from their gardens, organisers, carers of all kinds, those who are just wonderful souls, and perhaps the gem of them all, those who can listen thoughtfully and then at the end can add a carefully formed thought that may perhaps change the very perception of the recipient!

It is all a part of doing what you LOVE! I do think that is the most important ingredient in just about everything! As Leonard Cohen said in his song The Future “Love is the only engine for survival”

author once said something about the angel in human form who arrives at a moment when you desperately need help in some way, performs the necessary act and then goes on their way never to be seen again! Perhaps if we were all Aware and living in the moment we would find that there could be times when we were able to perform this duty! Be aware, live in the moment, THIS moment, it is the only thing that we have for certain.

Please enjoy this evening and this Exhibition

Christmas is Coming….

I have been working on some lettering for a Christmas Greeting – here it is!

 

Opening of By the Bay Exhibition

I am an artist Calligrapher, – sometimes thought of as solely a Calligrapher. In some ways this is true, but my creative impulses cover a wide range of things. The word does feature a lot though whether or not it is actually present as letterforms!
The word begins as a thought, it is then turned into a word that is spoken and that turns it into a reality…

I would like to talk about the creative process that all the artists in this Exhibition had to go through… Where does Inspiration come from? The word itself gives us a clue – Inspiration means the taking in of the breath! And in that is included the taking in of the Spirit! We all know the joy from a beautifully caught movement of the hand, or emergence of an idea – when we seem to be guided by the Joy of the doing. Synchronicity often plays a part!

There seems to have long been a schism between Art and Craft, and 30 years ago, when I had a studio at the prestigious Jam Factory in Adelaide, I had the chance to work with Artists, Jewellers, Leatherworkers, Fabric designers, Potters, Glassblowers, Woodworkers and Furniture designers. We had many conversations about what was Art and what was Craft!

Which leads me to:-William Morris, one of the creators of the revival in the Arts and Crafts movement in the 1800’s (textile designer, artist, poet and founder of the Kelmscott Press) who once said “The artist is not a special kind of a person, but every person is a special kind of an artist”!

We all know those who are wonderful cooks, amazing wildlife carers, green thumbed gardeners who can tease flowers, fruits and vegetable from their gardens, organisers, carers of all kinds, those who are just wonderful souls, and perhaps the gem of them all, those who can listen thoughtfully and then at the end can add a carefully formed thought that may perhaps change the very perception of the recipient!

It is all a part of doing what you LOVE! I do think that is the most important ingredient in just about everything! As Leonard Cohen said in his song The Future “Love is the only engine for survival”

Patrick White author once said something about the angel in human form who arrives at a moment when you desperately need help in some way, performs the necessary act and then goes on their way never to be seen again! Perhaps if we were all Aware and living in the moment we would find that there could be times when we were able to perform this duty! Be aware, live in the moment, THIS moment, it is the only thing that we have for certain.

Please enjoy this evening and this Exhibition

Ruth Venner Artist Calligrapher

FELLOWSHIP of RSASA – Awarded 1991

I have just received my replacement Diploma of Fellowship of the Royal South Australian Society of Arts, and it is great to have received it. I gained Fellowship in October 1991, but later that year left South Australia and went to Queensland. In those years net access did not exist for the individual and so going to another State meant that I could no longer participate in South Australian things, and I let my membership lapse.  And I did not to use the letters FRSASA after my name. However I treasured my Diploma.

In about 1996 the house that I lived in In Point Vernon, Hervey Bay, had flooding and my Diploma was water damaged. I phone the RSASA at the time but was not able to organise anything so I filed the Diploma away and all but forgot about it. Then about a month ago I came across it again looking so very sad and dilapidated  and decided to that I should do something about getting a replacement, so the next step was to contact the RSASA on the net. I got an answer straight away, they even remembered my name! Then after sending photographic evidence of the Diploma, the dates etc. work began to organise a replacement for me. I have renewed my lapsed Membership and look forward to being involved in the Society once again.

Fortunately the two people who had signed the original, Stephanie Schrapel and Vikki Waller, are still involved with the Society and were able to sign the replacement! So I am now in the process of changing my business cards and other stationary so that I can include the letters FRSASA after my name. It really feels rather special! When I lived in South Australia, I was very involved in all things to do with the Arts;  I was one of the Founding Members of the Calligraphy Society of SA, a Board Member of the Crafts Council of South Australia, and much more.

Then, once my partner and I moved to Qld, we lived in many different areas so I was not able to get established, and each time we moved I had to begin again, though every place that I lived I either had a solo Exhibition, or taught Calligraphy, or was involved in the local Arts Groups – so, in a way, I was able to make my Calligraphic presence felt in many diverse places,  I suppose that it has all been part of the divine plan!

MOST OF MY WORK…

Most of my work has been posted on my Flickr Photo share site, in fact I have been using that site for about eleven years, so if you are interested in my work click on:-

flickr.com/photos/ruth-venner_artist/albums

The above piece of work is on granite, and I wanted it to look as though it had come from an ancient site.  I designed the lettering on heavy paper to fit the size of the piece of granite, then I covered the granite with a film of plastic then pasted the lettering on the tope of that.  Using a very sharp scalpel I cut out the letters one by one and removed the paper and plastic film, quite a lengthy process and hard on the fingers!  Next I took the granite to a sandblaster and had the sandblasting done.  I gave this work to the well known sculptor Marc Clark, who has been a friend since my Hervey Bay days, some 26 years ago.

 

Artists at Work

Sunday 21st April was the day of the Annual Artists at Work at the Macleay Island Arts Complex, and we were blessed with a lovely day  though it rained first thing and later on in the day the rain held off for the whole of the event.  There were lots of wonderful  artists at work and a superb day was had by all.

Brush Rest from China

The beautiful Brush rest above was given to me at the weekend by a friend, Judith Brady, it feels very old and full of character, and when I saw it standing in the sunshine the shadows gave is a remarkable shape.  Another image is below and shows the brush stand with brushes resting on it…

I am so very lucky that friends give me such beautiful things.