not|fair 2017.

I'm thrilled to have been invited to exhibit in this year's notfair from the 11-19 Nov! I'll be showing mainly new work, but a couple of un-exhibited oldies too. 

~ notfair, the first satellite art fair in Australia returns in November 2017 in a sprawling industrial factory complex in Windsor.

Founded as an alternative to the Melbourne Art Fair in 2010 with an emphasis on artists who are unknown or overlooked notfair is a hybrid of curated exhibition and commercial art fair. It puts the spotlight on artists of talent who deserve greater recognition. It challenges the established gatekeepers of the art world and offers new opportunities for artists and collectors.

notfair is a new model art fair that has the look and feel of a Bienniale style exhibition but all artworks are available for purchase. It is both a fair and not a fair at the same time.

Black Swan Prize, Finalist, 2017.

It's my third time as a finalist in the Black Swan Prize, and I'm feeling lucky!
My piece "The Huxley's In Red" is a portrait of artists Will and Garrett Huxley.

The exhibition, held at the Art Gallery Of Western Australia, will be open to the public from 01 - 27th November with the awards night being held on Friday the 10th.

The Huxleys are partners in work, creativity, and life. Their interdisciplinary art practice reflects an iridescent hyper-real world of lurid colour, glamour, and extreme theatrics. In the planning stages of my portrait I poured a lot of energy into aspects I thought would communicate their unique style, I hadn’t anticipated the tenderness that would emerge, later becoming the focal point of the piece. During our time together I joked that a double-portrait might be against the rules, without missing a beat they replied; well, we consider ourselves one, so that shouldn’t be a problem.

Will and Garrett Huxley’s shared background in design, photography, and performance has informed their collaborative practice as The Huxleys; an ever evolving collage of still and moving image, costume, and performance. Exhibiting and performing worldwide, recent projects include commissions for Dark Mofo, Melbourne Fringe Festival, Melbourne Fashion Festival, and National Gallery of Victoria.

​You can watch a mini doco about the Huxley's ~ here.

Doug Moran Prize, Semi-Finalist, 2017.
My work "Kiara, Leaning Slightly" made the journey to NSW for Semi-Finalist judging in the Doug Moran Prize this month. Unfortunately we didn't go on to become a finalist, but you'll be able to see this painting along with some other new works when I exhibit at the notfair in November.

Kennedy Prize, Finalist, 2017.

The prize, offered by the Kennedy Arts Foundation, is based and exhibited in Adelaide W.A. , but open to Australian artists nationwide. First prize is $25,000 and awarded to work deemed to best embody, comment on, or celebrate the theme of beauty.

My work "Phosphene" was among 30 finalists to be exhibited in October this year.

Daydream Believer ~ Solo exhibition 2017.

Daydream Believer was a solo exhibition of 14 oil paintings at Tinning Street Presents, running from the 06 to 23 April, 2017.

“Maybe it’s a rose in the suburbs at night, or fingertips lit up by the sun, glowing against the sky, but these little snapshots of a life, my life, they lure me in. And while I’m there, staring, entranced, I am utterly gripped by my own mortality.”
 
In Daydream Believer, her second major solo exhibition with Tinning Street, Belinda Wiltshire presents a body of darkly evocative and cinematic oil paintings.
 
The small-scale works are instilled with a clear sense of place and time, but it’s the information that is withheld that pushes these lucid moments to the fringe of reality and invites the projection of a personal narrative.
Film by On Jackson Street. Music by Teeth & Tongue.

Black Swan Prize, Finalist, 2016.

I'm thrilled to be included as a finalist in this year's Black Swan Prize for portraiture with my self portrait Deconstructed Blue.
The painting will be exhibited with the other finalists ( see them here )  at the Art Gallery Of Western Australia from October 8th to 31st. 

A bit about the work:
The moment was finally captured within the last 1/2hr of a three-day shoot. I had spent weeks planning; there were lighting rigs, make-up, hair, costumes, smoke & mirrors, even glitter. After spending days alone in the studio and posing for some 1000 frames I found myself feeling empty and like a bit of a fraud. It was at this point with my hair a mess and my T-Shirt inside out, that I let go of any preconceptions and rules I had set myself. With the studio in chaos all around me I felt deconstructed and vulnerable, but also completely fulfilled with the journey I had made. 

The Humble Collector.

I've recently launched a small art blog based around my personal art collection and how it came about over the years.
"By sharing the unique stories of how I came to own the art I do, I hope to show you that not only is buying art for your home exciting, enriching and painless, but it's undeniably rewarding for all involved. ​"

Manning Art Prize (Naked And Nude), Finalist, 2015.

Amongst 60 other finalists work in varying media, my recent painting There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out, will be part of the finalist exhibition at Manning Regional Gallery from September 12th - Oct 25th. The exhibition is themed Naked and Nude.

Doug Moran Portrait Prize, Semi-Finalist, 2014.

Of 1000 entries Australia wide, 136 pieces were chosen as semi-finalists.
My work "It's Such A Perfect Day (I'm Glad I Spent It With You)" is among those chosen.

Benella Nude Painting Prize Finalist, 2015.

Held at Benalla Art Gallery, the first Benalla Nude Art Prize was an exhibition of shortlisted works, from which the winning work was awarded the $50,000. "The human figure without clothes; it is each of us, at some point, every day. And so we celebrate that; be it in the humble function of bathing and dressing, or some grander reflection of ideals, philosophical concerns or cultural traditions."
Picture
Satellite Of Love (Bom Bom Bom) 2014 Oil on Canvas 120 x 120cm

Black Swan Prize For Portraiture, Finalist, 2012.

​The Black Swan Prize for Portraiture is Australia’s third richest portrait prize, following in the footsteps of the Archibald Prize and the Doug Moran. 
 
The exhibition, held in the heart of Western Australia, is open to all Australian artists, enabling entrants to showcase their talents in the ever-expanding field of portraiture. Portraits must be of a well-known Australian, an Australian person that the Artist admires or is inspired by, or a self portrait. 
Picture
Blood, Sweat, Tears and Drivel. 2012. (Black Swan Prize finalist)

This City Speaks Interview, 2010.

In 2010 film maker Darius Devas (Being Here) produced a documentary series exploring Melbourne's artists, creatives, and artist warehouse communities. At the time of filming I had been running my artist studio warehouse in Brunswick (The Pea Green Boat) for 3 years and had just installed my first solo exhibition at Kick Gallery, in Collingwood.