April - May - June

Friday 13th, full moon... interesting timing to write a post here... especially since I've not been here since April! But since I couldn't sleep tonight I decided to put on the light and tap away on my computer and why not visit this sadly neglected blog.

Its two months since my previous post and why so long?

Simply busy. Non-stop busy!

Two months have been jam-packed with new experiences and projects,  deadlines and must-do lists, travel and residency experiences. Routine things like sleep and daily life get thrown and one can easily start to feel like focus on only the essentials is a good idea. And even then time is limited.

Ive posted consistently on my Facebook page HOMAGE TO THE SEED which resembles a very abbreviated daily diary...

Facebook images from the Plantbank Residency

and also on Instagram which, although I started about a year ago I really on learnt to use it in about March. Its a basic form of visual documentation that has grown on me.

Instagram images from the plant bank Residency!

I like that one can start a conversation so spontaneously and exchange just a few details and (quite easily) choose to continue the conversation in this light manner bit by bit.

Blogs by comparison are rather like the slow food of the online sites... Instagram at the other end of the spectrum... fast and constant... in your face... but curiously not as soulless as it first seemed to me... because of the particular people I find myself connecting with some of the time.


So that is where I have kept up to date online!

At my blog Visual Eclectica I did recently post reflections of the Plantbank Residency, a simple account of my time there. Once home from that brilliant few weeks down south I immediately stepped into an incredibly fast pace of work commitments... some of which were more involved than previously imagined.

At Homage to the Seed blog I posted on Plantbank earlier on.

So much to photograph at Plantbank.

Despite being flat out these two months there has been some slow time and certainly times Ive pondered what I discovered on residency and conversations that have been important.

I will return with more on this very soon.

Good night!
Sophie

OPEN STUDIO EVENT at Seed.Art.Lab this weekend, April 12 + 13 in Brisbane

This is a quick post ahead of a big weekend at my Brisbane Studio: Seed.Art.Lab to let you know all are welcome if you happen to be in this region and would like to come along!

I've just been finessing plans for our wee Pop-up cafe on the side of the Studio plans.... and went back to a favourite book of mine by Diana Henry for the recipe for Yoghurt and Walnut Cake with Coffee Syrup last night. Perhaps the Orange Almond Cake pictured above will be our gluten free offering.... the Walnut cake is not gluten free... but has substantially less flour being laden with walnuts! I go really light on the sugar in it as well... have made this many times and the flavours are sensational without loads of sweetness.

To read all the details about the event go to the website home page here.

Also on the home page is the link to the Latest Newsletter which you can read here telling you about my next residency at the brand New Plantbank Seed Research Facility in NSW and this event.

Address: 

48 Meemar St

Chermside 4032

Brisbane,   QLD

m: 0430 599 344

STUDIO HOURS THIS WEEKEND:

Midday till 5pm both days

12 + 13 April, 2014

March in the Studio

March at the studio was purposely quiet and perfect for painting with the kind of focus I'd not enjoyed in a long time. Moving last year and the period of 6 months without a studio meant starting again in September was slow and gradual... although I held a major Launch and was making the most of the new space. See the post I wrote recently at Visual Eclectica on new work.

This year I've loved the feeling of feeling of being much more at home in my studio ... and gradually getting into my strides again. I toyed with running workshops but in the end felt it beneficial to focus quite deeply and simply paint whist the chance was there for uninterrupted hours.

Now I am a month away from a residency at PLANTBANK in NSW, south west of Sydney at Mt Annan. I'm really looking forward to this ... it always brings so much input and new material that is takes a while to integrate all that in my work so to have have a quiet period beforehand has been ideal. More on Plantbank here and here.

Here are two images from the studio...

Above is work carried out for a deadline on the weekend... it was for a Local Art Prize that I entered... the first time I've had time to actually enter an Art Competition in the last 8 years. I started work in January on these 2 works above and had to send images and local them in as the entries before they were resolved works... so it was interesting last week completing them with a deadline...

and wondering if they were the best choice.

In the end however I enjoyed the process as the work I carried out in February and March was on a greatly subdued and limited palette... as seen in most of the work below.

The January work provided the impetus for the work that followed in the limited palette... yet when  I went back to the more colourful canvases it felt easier to tackle the challenge of resolving the work given the routine of focus and opportunity to discuss work with several people.

Weekend after next, April 12th and 13th I will have an OPEN STUDIO WEEKEND ... so watch this space if you wish to know about that... or contact me here.

Back soon I hope!

catching up!

February has had its slow moments... but that was more about starting to feel restless more than anything. Maybe the heat... it makes one feel with summer around why not be off on a holiday somewhere... not trying to keep in good humour on long hot days!

Daydreaming aside its been mostly a very productive time.

I've been taking shots on the iPhone... rarely using my other cameras at all now.

a studio view... Ive been framing small works of late!

I've been through various painting phases already this year in the studio ...

I've been playing around with this simple visual idea lately

On the weekend I moved onto some large canvases... 100 cm x 150 cm approx.

I spent time Saturday applying gesso... and almost 12 hours on Sunday working on under-painting each canvas in a certain colour palette ... to become immersed in the ideas I have for these works.

These are the three works by the end of the day... ready for the next stage of working into the canvases... pushing the ideas and paint around!

Summer begins to get to me as it goes on ... the heat and the lure of the water. I drove up the Bay (Moreton bay) on Sunday morning and decided I will return soon for a day... bringing supplies and settling under trees and really enjoying this place.

This pool was in the back area next to an art studio at a tropical Garden I visited nearby in Brisbane recently. Although this looks like watercolour it is a photo I took which has then been altered using a Watercolour App which I was really taken by tonight and have subsequently played around with quite a bit!

Heres are some recent seed photographs which have been snapped on the iPhone, then put through the watercolour app and on instagram to come up with these variations.

I began to see endless possibilities for many photos Ive taken... 

I liked these images of favourite chairs... above on the back verandah of the previous family home where I lived for 5 years till last August. Below is the back outdoor living space of the new home.

And to finish.... my favourite chair... in the studio! 

More news soon!

Best to all!
Sophie

SURVEY PRIZE drawn tonight!

THANK YOU FOR ENTERING THE SEED SURVEY!

Late last December  SEED.ART.LAB Studio interns Jane and Sam helped me draw up this survey which I was so delighted to see so many participate in … the first ever Homage to the Seed Survey!

Due to Xmas and summer holiday season we put it on hold and came back about 10 days ago to promote the survey for a February 1st deadline.

Names/email addresses went into a basket this evening and were drawn by Olivia, my 83 year old mother (and long-standing Art Patron) who was honoured to be given this task!!!

AND THE WINNER of the ORIGINAL ARTWORK goes to:  

                                     Mary Robb! 

We've let Mary know and are keen to receive her postal address 

so we can organise to send the Watercolour Seedpod drawing!

RUNNER UP PRIZE:    A set of Homage to the Seed postcards!

Olivia drew Robyn West so we look forward to hearing from Robyn!

I decided tonight to add two other small prizes on the spur of the moment …

FIRST PERSON TO SUPPORT THE SURVEY:

Back on Day 1 of the Survey …  our first lovely respondent Nat Billing will be sent a tiny seedy something!

YOUNGEST PERSON TO ENTER:  It was very interesting for Sam, Jane and I to note that responses were coming from the over 30’s…. well... from the over 40’s actually. So when I realised only one young person entered I decided to give 21 year old Jacqueline Wallis a small seedy surprise too. So do send us your details please Jacqueline!

I was very pleased to find so many thoughtful comments in your answers ... clearly we could have had a prize for that category too so I’ve added two  answers for you to read below! I plan to write a blog post and quote more answers on that… so stay tuned. 

Question Ten: What does the term Biodiversity mean to you? 

I thought I’s share entrant’s Corrine’s answer:

“life's variety - it is like a library of resources to keep the environment in balance - as we remove biodiversity we remove resillience, resillience to threatening processes (weeds, fire, extreme climate events and changes over time) and we lose vital links in the food web"

… good yes?

And this poignant one from Nicki when answering Q 9: Is there an environmental story that concerns you?

The grasslands that once covered the Darling Downs are classed as Critically Endangered and they are present at only 1% of their orginal level before European settlemnt. Another 70-100 hectares will be lost at Acland if Stage 3 mine is approved. This grassland has Austral cornflowers and blue grass and rare lizards. Cornflowers are one of the most beautiful plants in the world to me!

SEEDS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT +

THE ECOSYSTEMS THEY RELY ON

+ THE ROLE THEY HAVE IN OUR LIVES !

THANKS FOR TAKING PART IN THIS SURVEY AND PROVIDING MUCH FOR US TO THINK ABOUT. 

COME AND VISIT  SEED.ART.LAB  SOON  

OR FIND THE PROJECT ONLINE VIA   http://about.me/sophie_munns/#  

IF YOU ARE TOO FAR AWAY!

YOU MIGHT LIKE TO CLICK HERE TO READ THE LATEST E-NEWS BULLETIN!

THANK YOU FRIENDS OF THE SEEDS!

                                                   Sophie, Jane and Sam!

PHOTO OF OLIVIA DRAWING THE 2 PRIZES THIS EVENING!

I've added the recent video on Homage to the Seed made by the Global Crop Diversity Trust ... its 3.30 mins and includes artwork with audio!