Art-Now and Tomorrow

"Lai See" - Koru Contemporary Art 2011

2011-12-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

Artwork by John McArthur, Rudy van der Pol, Rick Swain, Neil Dawson, Etsuko Nishi, Josef Mareck, Dong Hai Guan, Christine Cathie, Claudia Borella, Galia Amsel

Koru Contemporary Art marked their ten year anniversary with the opening of the exhibition "Laisee". The artists that Koru have featured in their gallery were invited to respond to the theme of red packet or "laisee'.

The resulting exhibition is a reminiscent wander through it's ten year history featuring paintings, ceramics, glass sculpture and sculpture. The history is also showcased through a documentary video, looking at the early Koru projects and the most recent endeavours. The next ten years promise to be an exciting art journey for Koru and art in Hong Kong.

The exhibition continues until Tuesday 13th of December to Tuesday 14th of February 2012

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 6pm

For more information check this link: http://www.koru-hk.com/news/2011/Laisee/page1/

Contemporary Art Exhibition / “Yes, the Door is Open!”

2011-12-06T01:36:00.000-08:00

A grand opening for Yes, the Door is Open! featuring dance performances and official speeches literally got off to an 'explosive" start when the opening ceremony took place on Friday the 3rd of December, 2011.

After being declared opened, a loud "boom" erupted near the stage and it was littered with festive decorations. The artists gathered together on stage to have photographs taken and celebrate the beginning of the first Contemporary Art Exhibition held at the JCCAC.

Forty-one Resident JCACC artists are currently exhibiting work in response to the theme

當代視覺藝術展- 對呀! 門打開了 :Yes, the Door is Open!

The exhibition highlights the relationship between the artists and their art studios based in the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre.

John McArthur / Spitting Gecko Studio - JCCAC based artist, submitted three mixed media images created within his art space at the Art Centre exploring the visual response to his environment within Hong Kong.

The studio will participate with the other JCCAC art spaces in OPEN STUDIO. This allows the public to meet many artists engaged in a wide range of art disciplines, including drawing, painting, ceramics, drama, dance and music.

Curator: Dr. Stella Tang Ying Chi

Creative Arts Workshop

2011-10-01T21:01:00.000-07:00

Thinking about Art and fostering creative thinking was the theme for this busy whole day art workshop.

Merry Hamilton, Sue Yee and John McArthur encouraged people to scribble, draw, print and collage their way through the morning. The participants then used creative problem solving to fill the "blank" canvas. The final display of artwork in the afternoon would be a great exhibition in any gallery.

The "art journey" is easily adapted to any classroom, encouraging creative thinking and making connections across all areas.

Summer Art: Madrid and Paris 2011

2011-09-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

A first time visit to Madrid and a return to Paris offered a chance to soak up some unmissable art attractions, experience the spectrum of art culture and suffer some serious gallery fatigue.

Reina Sofia, Madrid

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama

Summer in Madrid was not all tapas and sangria. The Reina Sofia Museo featured this amazing retrospective exhibition of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Her paintings, drawings and installations occupied several connecting art spaces. The visual impact of the work was impressive and very bold. especially the installations where you stepped into her landscapes / artscape.

These are a collection of other work at the Reina Sofia, that impressed me with the colour, text and images.

104, rue d'Aubervilliers. Paris

This contemporary art space in Paris houses many sculptors, designers, painters and other artists. Their studios surround and centre exhibition and stage area. During my visit it featured installation and illumination in the central space. The glass ceiling and renovated structure is a stark contrast to the surrounding neighborhood,

Musee Bourdelle. Paris

The Musee Bourdelle features monumental work by sculptor Antoine Bourdelle, a pupil of Rodin. The museum is intimate and peaceful with two wonderful courtyard gardens. You can step back in time and also view the artist's apartment and studios. This was a great escape from suggested by Hong Kong artist Philippe.

Singapore Art Therapy Workshop

2011-02-06T07:10:00.000-08:00

Supporting Children's Emotional
Well-being: One Image at a Time - 22 January 2011

Paper, glue, paint and crayons were the basis of a recent and exciting visit I had attending a special conference in Singapore.
Bangkok based Art therapist, Daniel Wong conducted a whole day workshop introducing basic art therapy concepts and supportive strategies to use with children. The diverse group included participants from many backgrounds and countries, including Indonesia and Hong Kong.

Many of the techniques were experienced by the group through "hands -0n" activity. We enjoyed the creative process of manipulating materials and collaborating on shared mini-projects. The images were useful "artefacts" enabling participants to communicate details and express ideas about themselves and their environment.

The conclusion of the day ended with professional dialogue with educators and artists, developing useful strategies to use with students.
The experience was useful and will give me new areas to explore and ideas to develop!

The session was organised by Bridging Talents, a Singapored based group. http://www.bridgingtalents.com/profile.html

The Art Of FAir - Spitting Gecko JCCAC

2010-11-21T06:10:00.000-08:00

November 20th and 21th November.
African drums were beating out the tribal rythms in the middle of the Shek Kip Mei art centre today, as the crowds swelled and joined the Open Studio weekend.

The Art Fair encouraged many people to join the festive feeling of the JCCAC and complimented the artists as they opened their studio doors and welcomed people into their creative environment.

Spitting Gecko Studio had many visitors passing by on the art trail. Several people participated in drawing, calligraphy and completing mixed media creations. Other people were keen to discuss calligraphic differences btween Chinese and English letter formation. People were also interested in the reasons for a foreigner to choose HK as the artistic environment. It was a good time for artistic reflection!

November Langham Life Drawing

2010-11-16T07:07:00.000-08:00

The weekend of the 13 th and 14th of November was spent instructing a group of eager participants in several "life Drawing" sessions. The hotel provided free sessions to stimulate an interest in art in the Hong Kong community.

Two lovely models provided the inspiration and the venure was supplied by the Langham Place Hotel, Mongkok. Each person was invited to try their hand at a number of drawing techniques. Gradually as their confidence progressed, so did the detail of their drawings. I hope this group of people are stimulated to try more life drawing!

It gave me a chance to talk about art and think about collaboration with other artists.

I am also looking forward to using these ideas and creating more drawings in my studio in the JCCAC art centre in Shek Kip Mei

Art-Now and Tomorrow: Bangkok Art

2010-10-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

Art-Now and Tomorrow: Bangkok Art

http://www.attic-studios.com/

Bangkok Art

2010-10-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

Art adventures revealed more of exotic Bangkok during a recent visit. Attic Studios, offers weekly Figurative Workshops taught by Lisa Bergan. She is a dynamic tutor and by the end of the 3 hour session the participants were pasting, drawing, mixing and inking on a grand scale! I loved the layers and problem solving process of the large scale mixed media artwork.

The session inspired me and later I tried some mixed media on a much smaller scale back in the hotel room.

I revisited familiar theme of the Chinese Opera. ( See the example below)

There are more details on the studio website here: http://www.attic-studios.com/attic-blog/

I also visited an exhibition in the nearby Cassia Cafe. As well as viewing the vibrant exhibition, the comfortable surroundings offer an international cuisine and a well deserved coffee.

http://www.cafecassia.com/Home.html

The upstairs exhibition area of Cassia Cafe.

Connect2 - Hong Kong Radio Interview

2010-06-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

Inside the Connect2 Studio

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with RTHK presenter Caroline Chan for her weekly show Connect 2. Caroline invited me and a regular life drawing model, Jimmy, into the studio for a conversation about art. She covered the topic of life drawing in my studio in Hong Kong from both the artist and model's perspective. It was a good to reflect on the process and discuss what happens from both viewpoints and to examine why drawing the nude figure is an important part of my artistic experience and the connection between artist and model. It was interesting to see Caroline prepare for the show, recording sounds such as the scratching of sketching pencils and the rustle of paper in my Spitting Gecko JCCAC studio. Check the summary and hyperlink below to heart the episode.

This week on "Connect2", host Caroline Chan goes into the art world, to find out about the human form by talking to a nude model and an artist. They talk about the artistic process, nudity and their relationship.

Please follow the link below to listen:
http://programme.rthk.org.hk/channel/radio/programme.php?name=radio3/connect2&d=2010-06-27&p=4824&e=&m=episode#

Body Sessions - Opening Night

2010-03-05T19:21:00.000-08:00

MR. ANDY LEE ,Vice-President (Administration) and Secretary HK Baptist University
and Artists officially opens
" Body Sessions- The Exhibition"

Each week a small group of artists meet to draw. They spend a few hours drawing a traditional art subject, the human body.

It is from this enthusaistic group of Hong Kong artists that the BODY SESSIONS Exhibition has developed. It is a showcase of each artist's individual style. The collected works create a diverse and dynamic exhibition. Graphite drawings, bold paintings and 3-D art work are all unique responses to the human form.

The weekly sessions are held in John McArthur's Spitting Gecko Studio. He coordinated the exhibition and is excited about participation between Hong Kong artists and the art community of the Jockey Club Art Centre.

The Exhibition continues till March 12. 2010

The Open Studio - 16th & 17th January

2010-01-18T06:33:00.000-08:00

One young artist gets some tips on gesture drawing.

The Spitting Gecko Studio joined with many other JCCAC studios and art spaces in opening to the public. The 16th and 17th of January, " Watch Out - Shek Kip Mei"gave the public audience the opportunity to explore the physical studios that artists use to create their artwork. Groups of visitors where able to observe artists drawing and painting from a life drawing session using a model. A variety of poses were used, beginning at one minute and some poses continuing on for forty-five minutes. Some of the enthusiastic onlookers grabbed some paper and drawing materials and also participated with the drawing group. It was a great chance to talk about art with many people, share their views and opinions about their interrpretation of art.

Visitors to the centre also visited the the “Joint Exhibition HK+GZ” of City Festival and the Art Market fair held in the Central Atrium.

More pictures can be seen in the news section of www.spittinggecko.com

Sydney Art 2009

2009-11-23T07:32:00.000-08:00

October was a short trip to Australia, visiting Sydney to see some of the local art on show.
A number of events were happening including ART Sydney. A huge pavillion provided an art space for around one hundred artists and galleries. The theme was on affordable art from many emerging and established artists. Some pictures of the evening can be seen at this weblink : http://www.artsydney09.com.au/as09/imagegallery.asp

Mary Place Gallery in Paddington featured a group exhibition of contemporary Australian artists. The exhibition, "7", included works by Nadine Saacks, David Solomon, Robin Eliovson, Marion Kramer and Hazel Kleviansky. Paintings and sculpture were exhibited throughout the gallery. The above paintings are the work of Andre Wilmans.

The exhibition of CHARWEI TSAI featured performance and instalation art with her calligraphy covering tofu and lotus leaves. The emphasis was on the calligraphy and the material which was also in a process of decay and changing form. The top left image displays one of these calligraphic pieces. http://www.altmedia.net.au/exhibition-charwei-tsai/12554

The TAP Gallery hosted a solo exhibition by Sydney and Singapore photographer Marcus Mok. http://www.marcusart.net/
The 2009 Spring Exhibition displayed vivid images from exotic travel destinations and my own favourites of the human figure with Chinese opera masks.

Ray Hughes Gallery was the last exhibition visited with the viewing of Bibbenluke by Lucy Culliton. The many works focussed on the landscape that is her home and backyard. http://www.rayhughesgallery.com/ExhibitionDisplay.asp?exhibitionId=201

"Artist and City"

2009-07-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

Artists from the "Jockey Club Creative Art Centre" are currently in the city and will be exhibiting until the 31st of July.

"ARTIST AND CITY" features a number of studios from the art centre. The collection of paintings, drawings, and 3-d work is showing at the A-Link space in the Wanchai,

CC WU Building, C C Wu Bldg, 302-308 Hennessy Rd, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong.

More images can be seen at the news section of www.spittinggecko.com

Darkened Skies and the Dragon Flies, Moon Dances

2009-05-23T18:11:00.000-07:00

The darkened and wet skies of Hong Kong were the backdrop for the opening night of "Dragon Flies, Moon Dances". This was a contrast to the bright interior of The Fringe Club's Economist Gallery. With a glass of wine in hand, the audience were there to view the fourth solo show by John McArthur.
This exhibition is a selection of works featuring drawings and paintings by the Hong Kong resident. The artist has drawn on the experience of living in Asia and this collection combines images that have made a visual impact. Some of the art reflects a literal representation of objects, while the rest are images created from the artist's imagination. The calligraphic elements are often a link between the variety of images.
Traditionally the Chinese saying "dragon flying, phoenix dancing" refers to life being prosperous, joyous and successful. This exhibiton uses those elements as a reference but concentrates on the joyful rythm of line and colour.

The exhibition continues until the 29th of May.

"Dragon Flies. Moon Dances"

2009-05-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

"Dragon Flies, Moon Dances" opens this weekend at the Hong Kong Fringe Club - The Economist Gallery. The opening is 6.30- 8.30 pm , Saturday, May 23rd.
The solo show features work inspired by Hong Kong and Asia. Art is used as a connection between my own culture and the experience of living in Asia. The images reflect words and symbols that have made a personal impact and are a visual narrative. Icons such as Cantonese Opera performances and temple lions influence the images. The series of artwork combines drawing, painting and calligraphic elements.

More information is available at http://www.hkfringe.com.hk/e5.html

Exhibition, Reflections and "Asian Art Therapy"

2009-04-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

"Dragon Flies, Moon Dances" will be the first solo exhibition I have held at The Fringe Club in Central, Hong Kong. It is a collection of artwork following the theme of combined images and calligraphy. The elements are inspired from travelling and living in Asia, and partially an observation of Chinese culture, especially Opera.

Recently I spoke at The Asian Art Therapy conference, held in Hong Kong.

While preparing the presentation " Creative Journey, Cultural Bridge" and the creativity workshop, I had time to reflect on the images in my work and the reasons I enjoy using them. The participants at the conference were also provocative in their questioning and gave me valuable feedback. (Some pictures of the conference are above.) The Workshop held was fostering creativity through a variety of techniques and media. Collage, and mixed media were used to create words and images combined as one piece. The participants also created a lively atmosphere in the studio.

Thank you to Ms. KIM, JI SUN from Korea, for her photographs.

2009-03-01T06:43:00.000-08:00

Opening exhibition:

Koru Contemporary Art & Gaffer present:

Australian Contemporary Art 2009

at The Rotunda, Exchange Square, Central, Hong Kong

Opening Reception:
Monday 2nd March 2009, 6:30pm to 8:30pm

Guest of Honour:
Mr Les Luck, Consul-General, Australian Consulate General, Hong Kong

Artists in Attendance:
Chen Ping
John McArthur
Rex Turnbull

Ongoing Exhibition: Voyage of Discovery: Shek Kip Mei to Tsim Sha Tsui

Clogs, Calligraphy , Charity and Combinations

2008-12-23T09:27:00.000-08:00

I recently took part in two art exhibitions which gathered Hong Kong artists together for charity events.
The Local Dutch (LD); Dutch Design collective based in Hong Kong organised artists to paint traditional wooden clogs. Each artist transformed the clogs, adding their own signature to them. The collected pieces were on exhibition in "Klomp".

http://www.een.nl/index.php?pageID=98

"Studio 8" hosted "sEXPRESSION", also a collection of Hong Kong artists' work. After viewing the exhibition in Studio 8, the work went under the hammer in an auction. It was a Charity Art Auction for Horizons. http://www.studio8hongkong.com/home-frameset.html

The image below shows the clogs contributed.

The drawing on the right, was a contribution to the art auction.

More photos can be seen here: http://www.spittinggecko.com/gallery_list.php?gid=10

2008-11-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

The Pink Cow was a crazy night of drawing in Tokyo.

The room was filled with excited art fans and a "mummy" unleashed from the tomb.

The event was the DR.Sketchy Anti Art School, and a Halloween drawing night. The compare "Lady Elle" ran an exciting drawing session featuring an exotic model and poses! Once the bandages were off the drawing participants were in for a surprising treat!

Here are some of the examples of work I completed.

More photos are can be viewed at www.drsketchytokyo.com/2008/10/24/halloween-dr-sketchys-photos/

Quick Draw - Spitting Gecko

2008-10-31T22:38:00.000-07:00

Spitting Gecko studio was recently filled with activity, as artists used paint, pencil and charcoal to capture the model posing for life drawing sessions.

The life drawing session gave the Hong Kong artists a chance to do figurative art, viewing the human body in a variety of poses. The individual poses ranged from 1 minute to 15 minutes.

More drawing sessions will be happening at Spitting Gecko studio during the coming months.

Spitting Gecko Studio
L601 Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre
30 Pak Tin Street,
Shek Kip Mei
Hong Kong

JCCAC and Spitting Gecko

2008-10-01T05:48:00.000-07:00

The sound of beating drums and excitement echoed through the former factory site at Shek Kip Mei, as visitors and artists mingled and "discovered" art spaces. The new Art centre, The Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre (JCCAC) held the official opening on Friday the 26th of September, with VIP guests in attendance including officiating guest Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive The Hon. Donald Tsang.
The opening continued with open studios over the weekend, where visitors took advantage of meeting artists and seeing their working space and displays. The venue is now home to a wide variety of art forms including music, painting, calligraphy, puppet making, glass art, film and photography.
The Spitting Gecko Studio also celebrated with an official opening party and participated in the OPEN STUDIO event over the weekend. Many guests visited the studio space and helped create art by signing or drawing on the blank canvas.
Follow the link below to see more pictures of the opening party. More events and art activities will be hosted at the studio soon.

http://public.fotki.com/johnmac/spitting-gecko-and-/

Opening - Spitting Gecko

2008-09-19T17:57:00.000-07:00

Spitting Gecko studio will celebrate the opening of the Jockey Club Art Cente JCCAC by opening some wine and its' doors to visitors, on Friday the 26th, 2008. The event will begin at 6pm and end at 9.30pm
The following weekend will feature an OPEN studio where the artspace will be open to visitors.
The rest of the JCCAC art residents will also participate in the open studio.

People Mountain People Sea, The Exhibition

2008-08-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

On Friday the 29th of August, Koru Contemporary Art hosted the opening of the solo exhibition People Mountain, People Sea. The gallery was busy with the conversation of a crowd of people who helped celebrate. The social night included the Australia Consulate General in Hong Kong, Mr. Les Luck, who officially opened the event, Mr. Findley-Brown, Editor of Asian Art News and the supportive friends of the artist and the gallery.
Some images from the night are here on this page. You may also check the link below for more photographs of the enjoyable evening.

http://public.fotki.com/johnmac/people-mountain-peo/

To read In Transistion by Ian Findley-Brown please follow this link. This is an essay written on John McArthur.
http://www.koru-hk.com/news/dir_attachments/127_1.pdf

The exhibition continues until Saturday 18th October 2008
Most Saturdays from 1:00pm to 5:00pm or by appointment
Contact: Mark Joyce Ph:9120 4264

Where:
KORU2, Koru Contemporary Art
16th floor, Unit 1604, Hing Wai Centre
7 Tin Wan Praya Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong

2008-07-29T23:59:00.000-07:00

29 August, 2008

"People Mountain People Sea" by John McArthur

Koru Contemporary Art is pleased to present a solo exhibition People Mountain, People Sea by Hong Kong based Australian artist John McArthur. The collection of drawings, paintings and calligraphy is based on the artist’s response to living and travelling in Asia.

When:
Opening Reception, Friday 29th August 2008, from 7:00pm to 9:30pm.

Opening Hours:
Most Saturdays from 1:00pm to 5:00pm or by appointment
Exhibition continues until Friday 31st October 2008
Contact: Mark Joyce Ph:9120 4264

Where:
KORU2, Koru Contemporary Art
16th floor, Unit 1604, Hing Wai Centre
7 Tin Wan Praya Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong

"Intimate" - Spitting Gecko Studio

2008-06-20T18:29:00.000-07:00

"Spitting Gecko Studio" received visitors for the first time.
Art lovers, friends and fellow artists from the "Jockey Club Art Centre" and Fotan "Joy Art Club" joined together to preview and "warm up" the art-space. Wine, music and conversation were enjoyed as part of the evening and will be a regular event!
The variety of artists included painters, photographers,glass artisans,calligraphers,graphic designers and writers. Collaboration amongst such a group will certainly assist the creative spirit in the studio and centre! Follow some of the links below for more examples. More will be posted later.

http://net3.hkbu.edu.hk/~jccac/content_e.php?page=main http://www.joyartclub.com/ www.locusstudio.com

Spitting Gecko will officially open in September,2008, along with the the Grand Opening of the J.C.C.A.C.
A series of exhibitions and events will welcome the opening of more than one hundred studios.

The Art Of Bangkok

2008-06-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

Chatuchak....Chatuchak.... Chatuchak. It is the mother of all markets.
Bargains galore. However I was not searching for keyrings, cheap t-shirts or even a live crocdile as a pet. I wasn't at Chatuchak market to practise the art of bargaining, but simply to see the Art.
Tucked away in the small laneways in peaceful zone 7, were many studios of emerging Thai artists, diplaying their original artworks. Here are some of the works from that market and also from Nueng, a thai artist who has work on display in Art at Play gallery.
The coffee shop, BANK, has a great location nestled in amongst the studio spaces. It is an "oasis" away from the organised chaos of the market, surrounded by the visual art of Bangkok.
Some additional pics are at the website listed.
http://www.spittinggecko.com/news.php

Sydney, Afternoons and Art

2008-05-05T06:04:00.000-07:00

During my visit to Sydney I caught the The Pyrmont Art Festival with the theme 'Small is Beautiful'
Various artists submitted work on 12 by 12 inch canvases and it was exhibited in Union Square.
Along with the exhibition of art works,prizes and a variety of musical entertainment was offered.
The Paddington Markets also featured artists and their art work.
Also on exhibition was the popular annual art exhibitions, the Archibald prize 2008, featuring portraits.
Check for more details here: http://www.thearchibaldprize.com.au/home

New Beginnings - JCC Art Centre Hong Kong 2008

2008-03-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

The beginning of the new month brought out the new tennants for the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre.
Here is a glimpse of the centre and of a future art space. Watch the movie to see inside the studio.
Follow the link below to watch the video on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUjsrecTSsA
More photographs can be found at :http://public.fotki.com/johnmac/studio-beginnings/

Hong Kong - Shenzhen Biennial of Urbanism 08

2008-02-25T07:52:00.000-08:00

The Old Hong Kong Police Station was the venue that hosted an architectural exhibition on Sunday the 24th of February. The guest speakers presented their " unfinished" dreams, mainly on the theme of architecture. This time the inclusion of fine arts was also a feature of the exhibition.

I was invited along with fellow artists, Winnie and Amy, to present art work. We shared ideas and images of our artwork, presenting to a public forum.

Please follow the link below to see more images of the venue and event, the HK- Shenzhen Biennial 2008 album on Fotki.com!

http://public.fotki.com/johnmac/hk--shenzhen-bienni/

Asian Art News: featuring J.McArthur and W.Davies

2008-02-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

The 100th Edition of Asian Art News (January/February 2008) features my calligraphic drawing, "Silent words".

It is featured alongside Winnie Davis in an article entitled, The Independent Spirit. It examines independent artspaces in the Hong Kong visual arts community.

"King of Kowloon"

2008-01-31T07:17:00.000-08:00

A recent exhibition featuring the late"King of Kowloon" was held in Kowloon Bay .

It focused on his calligraphic work, which he wrote on public property around the Kowloon area.

More photos can be seen at:

http://public.fotki.com/johnmac/king-of-kowloon-cal/

Fotanian Open Studio Event - Joy Art Club - 2008

2008-01-12T16:43:00.000-08:00

The industrial towers of Fo Tan buzzed with excitement as crowds of people crammed into elevators and pounded the stairs to the art studios that have opened their doors this weekend.

The Joy Art Club" artists Winnie Davies, John McArthur, Norio Lau and Raymond Fan enjoyed talking with visitors to their art space. "Body Talk" is the current theme for the Joy Art Club's contribution to Fotanian, " 藝術工作室開放計劃". The evening concluded with a drawing session watched by onlookers.
"Body Talk" continues over the weekend of 19-20th January 2008.
2:00pm - 8:00pm, Unit 2, 14/F, Block A, 15-21 Wong Chuk Yeung Street,Fo Tan, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
香港新界火炭黄竹洋街15-21號華

Shenzhen Artist Village

2007-12-02T06:31:00.000-08:00

Check here for more photographs: http://public.fotki.com/johnmac/shenzhen--artist-village/

The Fotan Joy Art Club visited Da Fen Village in Shenzhen today. It contains many artshops, galleries and artists. Winnie Davies led us on an expedition to the "artists' village" about 45 minutes east of Shenzhen. We were greeted into the village by an enormous sculpture of a hand holding a paint brush that rises into the sky. We then wandered the streets of what seemed more like a city rather than a village. The lanes and streets are crowded with replicas of the masters, decorative work and some original works. A small art cafe and a "latte" finished off the visit for the group's weary feet!
This is the official website for the village http://www.cndafen.com/

Red Star, China Girl

2007-10-28T06:07:00.000-07:00

Every now and then, a drawing is completed with a resemblence to the visual image I have in my head. These two images are from Saturday's life drawing session. I am happy with the final images of both drawings.

Thailand Sketchbook

2007-10-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

"Bangkok" KOSOL PINKUL 2007

Bangkok is a favourite destination and a recent trip gave me an added insight into this city when I met Thai artist, KOSOL PINKUL. http://www.lalanta.com/artistbio.htm

Fon, from La Lanta Gallery, Bangkok, organised a meeting with Kosol, to share ideas about art. She kindly translated Thai and English conversation, so we could communicate about the artwork and drawing. We met in the exotic location of Wat Po, sitting at the steps of a temple and drew the images you can see displayed here. Kosol spoke about some of the locations he has visited around the world and then demonstrated the techniques he uses with pen and watercolour paint. Seeing him work quickly with continuous line drawing and liberally applying colour was inspiring! Kosol gave me the art he created, along with a portrait. I felt very privileged that day.

Later, we spent time in Old Siam looking at art supplies and seeing the collection of art books that Kosol has written to help artists.

Images of his work can be found by following this link to the online gallery at the La Lanta Gallery website. http://www.lalanta.com/emerge/kosol/thumbnails/index.htm

Recent Art

2007-09-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

Sovereign Art Competition 2007

2007-09-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

The opening of the Sovereign Asian Art Fund Competition 2007 was held last week. The works of the finalists were exhibited in Hong Kong at The Atrium, The Landmark. A number of artists were present at the opening and were available to discuss their work.

I spoke with an Australian artist, John Weeronga Bartoo.His work uses the technique of traditional Aboriginal Dot Paintings, featuring motiffs and patterns. His work and the other finalists art work can be viewed at the link below:

http://sovereign.station185.com/index.phpoption=com_gallery2&Itemid=28&g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=833

Last year's winner was artist Simon Birch. He is a finalist again this year.

Kay with "untitled"

The local paper had an article the next day about the Opening. It was interesting that the photo featured in the feature was of food, not the art. It was impressive, I had even taken the same photograph of the "oyster" chocolate!

Art Moments in Malacca

2007-08-28T06:42:00.000-07:00

Recent holiday destinations included Malacca. It offered a great chance to wander the streets and lanes and I stumbled upon some wall graffitti and "discovered" artists residences and studios tucked away in Chinatown.

Charles Cham, a Malaysian artist was working in his studio/gallery, a brightly coloured building called The Orangutan House. It stood out amongst the more traditional houses with its vivid exterior colour.The walls of the studio are lined with t-shirts, all with logos and inscriptions by the artist. He combines the display with his paintings. I enjoyed viewing his Yin and Yang concept, and a reference to Chinese Opera! Charles had several studios to visit in Malacca. I purchased the painting above.

Check more info here: http://www.charlescham.com/

Last week I also attended an exhibition in Lang Kwai Fong in Central, Hong Kong.

One live model imitated an artpiece by being body painted, recreating the scene recorded in the painting.

Vancouver: the Drawing Sessions

2007-08-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

Basic Inquiry is a studio and gallery, based in Vancouver. The studio concentrates on the human figure and has drawing sessions everyday! I was able to incorporate drawing into my holiday with an enthusiastic group of artists and a variey of models.

Read more about the studio here at their website. http://www.lifedrawing.org/

More images can be seen at http://www.spittinggecko.com/ , new art section.

Guangzhou Art Adventures.

2007-06-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

An express train bound for Guangzhou, introduced me to a day of Art and inspiration!

Winnie Davies from Joy Art Club, Hong Kong, organised a visit to the painting studios of Guangzhou Art Academy, followed by an afternoon of life drawing in a private studio. It was great being surrounded by many artists and seeing a variety of great work. It made a big impression on me. Winnie not only organised the day, she ordered a delicious lunch, including DRAGON BOAT DAY rice dumplings!

I have posted some pictures from the day. I will credit the artists as soon as I know their names

Artist in Residence - The collection

2007-06-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

Sliding Photo Gallery

2007-06-06T08:11:00.001-07:00

The Langham Hotel and Brushstrokes

2007-05-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

And the music plays on in the Portal Bar at Langham Place....

This location has become a working studio for me over four evenings. It has been exciting to work there with a live audience! People have stopped and asked questions about the art work displayed, talked about materials or techniques and often shared their own stories about making art. I will enjoy talking to Victor Lai and Ann Williams about their experience, after they finish the Artist in Residence Sessions this coming weekend.
Martine Beale, the program organiser has selected a diverse group of artists to experience being a working artist in this setting. She will see the the complete collection of work soon, along with everyone else visiting the Langham Hotel or the official blog site. http://lphchat.com/LPHChat/

Interactive map

2007-05-24T01:25:00.000-07:00

Art-Now and Tomorrow: Portal- Work & Play and ART

2007-05-18T18:06:00.000-07:00

Art-Now and Tomorrow: Portal- Work & Play and ART
www.spittinggecko.com

Portal- Work & Play and ART

2007-05-18T17:30:00.001-07:00

The gong reverberated through the hotel and signalled the end of the work day and the beginning of a night filled with music and ART.

Thursday night was the opening of the Langham Place Hotel's Artist in Residence programme. Three artists have been invited to use the modern bar. Portal - Work & Play, as their own personal art studio. Martine Beale has used her art experience to create this concept of an alternate art space. She has invited the artists into an area where they will have the chance to create art and interact with the clients in the relaxed space of the bar.

Victor Lai began the experience with an enthusiastic application of paint, beginning to create a triptych in acrylics

Along with Hong Kong's Victor Lai and Ann Williams, I will be drawing and painting in the Langham over the next two weeks.

Thursday 24th May - Ann Williams & John McAthur
Friday 25th May - Ann Williams & John McArthur
Saturday 26th May - John McArthur
Thursday 31st May - Victor Lai & Ann Williams
Friday 1st June - Victor Lai & Ann Williams
Saturday 2nd June - Victor Lai

During this time the Portal will become a "gateway" between two different worlds!

We will have the creations on display later and the hotel will auction them for the charity, Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children.

For more details check out their blog: http://www.lphchat.com/LPHChat/

Sydney and Sirens

2007-04-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

A brief visit to Sydney was not just a Harbour trip, with the scenic highlights of the Bridge and the Opera House.

A visit to TAP Gallery in Darlinghurst, let me have the chance to join a Sketch Club night. Curator, Leslie Dimmick was a great host. Her gallery has a bright, airy space with plenty of room for members to draw. There were a variety of poses, ranging from short sketchs to longer studies. These are some samples from my night there. The gallery home page also has images from other students.

http://www.tapgallery.org.au/sketchclub/index.html

The model for the evening was Jaqi. She was sensational. She created classic and innovative poses that were exciting and challenging to draw. Jaqi was also able to maintain her poses during the crazy antics of an art loving cat that was trying to upstage the model! ( It loved the smooth polished floor and skidding across it!)

Jacqi has details and photos of her art in her blog. http://tonneten.net/zensiren/zensiren/

It was great to meet a local group of artists, visual and poets, in a relaxed and creative atmosphere.

Next time Sydney deserves a longer stay to see what else it offers up!

The Opera

2007-02-26T04:41:00.000-08:00

I spent the week for the Spring Fair or Chinese New Year in the city of Shanghai.

One of my ongoing obsessions is the facial masks and costumes featured in Beijing Opera. Several performances were held at The Shanghai Yifu Theatre in Fuzhou Lu. The performance featured dazzling costumes, stylised movements, the clash of cymbals and shrill vocals.
Viewing the detailed painted masks, and the extravagant costumes was an inspiration. Some of the images here are my personal response to the shows. Detailed images can be found by clicking this link at my website:

http://www.spittinggecko.com/gallery_list.php?gid=10

Daniel Huot

2007-01-27T05:40:00.000-08:00

I was captivated by the images Daniel Huot has created. The direct expressions as the eyes stare at you from the canvas is intense and wonderful.
Some of the links lead to other artists' work. A visual treat.
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=9345832&uid=3487429

Performance Art?!

2007-01-18T06:42:00.000-08:00

A quick photo review of the first weekend of the Fotanian Open Studio 2007 Exhibitions. The weekend was very busy with lots of visitors on the "art" trail.
Joy Art Club studio was open to the public and had a lot of interested people. They enjoyed watching us sketching the portrait model during a regular drawing session.
Real performance art!

More photos can be found here: http://public.fotki.com/johnmac/fotan---open-studio/

"BODY SEARCH" 2007

2007-01-11T04:08:00.000-08:00

"BODY SEARCH'' is an exhibition of sculptures, calligraphy, drawings and paintings by four members of Joy Art Club.

Here are some samples of my new work and some "retro" pieces. Joy Art Club's president. Winnie Davies, has organised the studio to host the exhibition of art work featuring some of the studio's members.

Opening Reception: 13 January 2007 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm
Date of exhibition: 13, 14, 20 21 January 2007
Opening Hours: 3:00pm to 8:00pm
Location: Joy Art Club : Unit 2, 14 Floor, Block A, Wah Luen Industrial Centre, 15-21 Wong Chuk Yeung Street, Fo Tan, Shatin, N.T.
(For more information, please contact Winnie Davies phone: 9332 0424)

Opera Opera

2006-12-08T07:13:00.000-08:00

Sunday and crowds of people surrounded the stage at the Hong Kong waterfront. Opera stars, sang and danced across the stage in masks, wigs and elaborate costume. I was fascinated by them and once again have used this as an inspiration for the latest drawing I have completed.

The Calligraphic Figure

2006-11-17T02:44:00.000-08:00

Recently I have had another group exhibition at Koru Gallery. I have moved away from opera portraits for awhile and have returned to life drawing as a basis. I have tries to use the lines brush painting and calligraphy tools to represent the contours of the human body. These are some samples of the images I am experimenting with at the moment.

The Portrait

2006-08-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

More faces! I am still exploring the mask quality, slightly obscuring the natural features. After viewing lots of fascinating graffiti during the European holidays, I am interested in experimemting with some of those images. Tearing, over painting and layering. Some of the materials used in these drawings come from the places where I was staying.

www.spittinggecko.com

www.spittinggecko.com

2006-08-07T02:27:00.000-07:00

Finally I am online! Or at least my work is online. It gives me an overall view of my work, as a collection to see if and how it fits together.
I hope to add a lot more to this site, but for now it is in its infancy!
It can be viewed at www.spittinggecko.com

Fragments and Contrasts

2006-06-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

Another Singapore creation. This is a submission to the Taiwan, INTERNATIONAL BIENNIAL PRINT AND DRAWING EXHIBITION.
It was not accepted into any finalist list. I am pleased with the image....it is one I will develop and explore more.

Time

2006-06-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

This is a piece of art for the "Instinc" Gallery in Singapore. They had a call for submissions with the theme of time. It also called for it to use the mail and postage marks as part of the art work.
Look here, www.instinc.com
I was interested to see how 'time and travel" affected the art. Would it add to the art or destroy it?
So I mailed these to myself from Singapore....and then they will go back again.
Not sure how useful the effort was.....but i enjoyed it. Oh yes...more cantonese opera faces!

Interior Monologue

2006-06-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

"Interior Monologue" was created in Beijing. I travelled there during the chinese new year, icy with sub zero temperatures and "brisk" winds. I spent one day in a small impressive cafe near the Hou Hai area. Jazz music, card games and some incense burning was enough to get me relaxed and reaching for my leather bound sketch book. I was watching people enjoying the holiday, walking, talking and laughing behind the class window. I imagined the conversations they might be having....and included it with the profile i saw of one woman.
It sold today, locally to a collector of art in hong Kong.
It is encouraging to have an audience for my work, and when chatting he gave me feedback on his thought about the drawing. That meant just as much as the sale...maybe more.

Behind the Mask

2006-05-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

My latest obsession is masks. Well, come to think of it, not my latest; more like "ongoing" obession.
I absolutely fell in love with masks in Italy. Florence, a narrow street and then a window shop. Dangling from the roof beams and wooden posts were masks of all shapes and sizes. Remember the description of Geppetto's workshop? I think it must have been a bit like this. Faces of beauty, rage and comedy stared through the glass, from the darkened store. It was closed that night, but a year later I returned to create and make traditional masks. You can see the results here at a recent exhibtion here in Hong Kong.
http://www.koru-hk.com/bronze/JohnMacarthur/page1/index.html
As an extension of that, I have been mesmerised by the painted faces of cantonese opera. The white pasty faces and accentuated eyes and lips are fascinating. I did a community course above the Mongkok wet market. Applying the make up and seeng the transformations. I will be working with this for awhile I think! Obsessions are like that aren't they!?

Art, Images and Ideas

2006-05-17T04:59:00.000-07:00

An artist. What does that mean to me? Why is it important? How does it happen? Where is it going?

These questions tumbled around in my head when I decided to start this blog. I am not sure I have the answers, but the questions are there.

Most of it can be answered with I want to create things, I want to make marks on paper and see an image appear. I want to see the paint moving on canvas and swirling and mixing to create form. Most of all, I need to do this, passion is a big part of my art. It always has been that way.

It is reassuring to meet other artists to see this is the influence for them as well. I went to a drawing session in Central Hong Kong last week, and there was a small studio with all of us drawing and painting the model. Each person with their own perception and ideas of what they see in front of them. Each responding individually. But we were all obsessed with it and spent hours on a Saturday night doing our "art thing" together.

I want to use this blog to throw my ideas out there, examine my own creative process and see who else has similiar experiences. It will help me see where I am going.

By the way, these images are from a recent exhibition I took part in in Hong Kong. It featured Australian artists living in Asia. More later.