Artists Down Under - Australia and New Zealand - May 2020

DOWN UNDER Australia and New Zealand

issue 38 - may 2020

| digital artistry

1

04 E D I T O R ’ S M E S S A G E

by Pam Henderson

17- A R T I S T S A C H I E V E M E N T S 26 - F a c e b o o k P a g e

40 G I TA M A D AY - Resur facing

- Living The Photo Ar tistic Life - Shif t Ar t DAZ

05 P H O T O S H O P A R T I S T R Y

- Cheltenham International - Light Space & Time

- Leopard

07

08

27

PA U L N E A R Y

CHRIS BARNES

28

09 R O C H E L L E M A R S H A L L

- Seascape

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- Divergence

C A R O LY N D A K I N

SHARON R ANKMORE - Street Musician

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JULIE POWELL

12

ALI OPPY

13

J E N N I F E R FAW K E S

15

16

MAUREEN MA XWELL - Ephemeral

FRONT COVER

by PA M HE NDE R S ON - Rock Chick

2

45 C H R I S T I N A B R U N T O N - Beaut y Queen - Blue Wing s

by Maureen Max well

- S o W h a t ’s Y o u r S u p e r P o w e r

47- F E AT U R E D A R T I S T PA M H E N D E R S O N 55 - Moonlight Serenade

- Free In Her Wildness

- Elvira - Caught By Nature

34 M A R I S A L I B E R AT O

- Myster y Surrounds

- Hidden Despair

- Never Alone

- Disintegrating Rays

- Angel Eyes

35 H E M A N T K O G E K A R

- Galic Queen

- Incognito

- March The Pirate

CHINESE WHISPERS #30

33 D A L E B O T H A

- Beetles On Blossom

LOUISE SMITH

44 K Y E T H O M P S O N

- Self Por trait

- Eudialy te

MARGIE O’HAR A

- Waiting For Rain II

46 A R T I C L E

32 C O L I N A L L E N

- Cormorant

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- Waiting For Rain I

- New Life

30- D E N N I S R I C K A R D 31 - N o M o r e Tr a i n s

- Medusa II

SUE MAPLES

43 M A R J O R I E L O R D

- Chairman Of The Board

- Sentinel

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- Magnolia

- F oun t ain O f You t h

- 1 0 0 S e c o n d s To M i d n i g h t

- Don’ t B e Af r aid O f T he D ar k

- Night Games

- Green And White

- Enchantment

- Kookaburras

- Willamena

36- A R T I C L E 37 S O M E P H O T O S H O P

- Me e t Your A r t i s t INSP IR AT ION

by Andrew Haysom

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- Mum And Cubs

42 P H I L L I PA F R E D E R I K S E N

MICK ROONEY - Nex t Lef t

- Spice Alley

HELEN AKERSTROM - Baako, Makeba And Zuri

Salon Of Photography 2020 UK

06 K A R E N WA A L W Y K - Zebra

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- Shif t Ar t

by Sebastian Michaels

- Praying For Rain

ANN WEHNER - Beyond The Looking Glass

39 C O L I N K I L L I C K - James Dean Cafe

- O r i e n t a l P e a r l To w e r

56 J A N E L L E M E R R E T T - Boris

- Fly Away

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PENNY DE JONG - Rober t

58 C O L I N C A M P B E L L - Isolates #1

- Isolates #2

59 J O H N F. K E L LY

- Beware Of The Dog

75- A R T I S T S C H A L L E N G E 86 M O N T H L Y P H O T O G R A P H I C CHALLENGE

60 D E N I S E M c D E R M O T T - Raven V

- Morning Huntress

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By Pam Henderson

87- A R T I C L E 91 M Y T O P 1 0 C R E A T I V E

98 K E V I N S I M S

- Chaos Rationalised

HACKS

92 G E O R G E K O N C Z

- Rachel In The Lake

62 A L B A M A S S

- B r i g h t S m i l e F r o m Tr i n i t y

95- A D U A R T I S T S B U S I N E S S 99 A D V E R T I S E M E N T S - Online Courses * Julie Powell - Ar t Of Birding Wildlife &

- Ink 1192A - Ink 1193B

93 M A R Y K N A G G S - Roots

63 B A R B A R A D U D Z I N S K A - Long Voyage

94 A N D R E W H AY S O M

- Magic Dance

64- A R T I C L E 67 VA L E R I E H O F F M A N

- Finding Atlantis

by Judi L apsley Miller

LY N D A R L I N G T O N - Sur viving Summer

96- I N G R I D J A K O B S E N 97 - T h r e e B i r d s

- Cosmic

- Why So Serious?

IN T ERVIE W

b y Tr i s h H o s k i n

68 D E A N H O H N

95

TRISH HOSKIN

Nature Photography Challenge 2020 * Judi L apsley Miller - Water From Ar t * Dean Hohn - Helping Women With Endometriosis * Margaret Kalms

- T he Church Garden - T he Rus sell

- Antar tic Workshop

69 M E A G H A N P R Y O R - Looking Out

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ILONA ABOU-ZOLOF - Halloween - I Am Free

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JOYCE MARIS

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V I K I M U R R AY

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MIKE K ANE

- Peace Of fering

- Stepping Out I

- Red Moon - Sci Fi At tack

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ARTICLE Care For Africa Raf fle

By Dean Hohn

Viki Murray - Daily Rituals Of Isolation

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aD rOt W i s tNs U N D E R Australia and New Zealand

EDITOR’S MESSAGE Hi everyone, welcome to our May edition of Artists Down Under.

Gosh, hasn’t the world changed in the past 4 weeks. One moment life is normal, we are just getting over savage bushfires that tore Australia apart, people were out and about doing their own things, and the next minute we are all in lockdown praying for the world’s safety and a cure from a pandemic. Never a dull moment, but at least our Artists can still bring you some form of normality to your life with their beautiful art, even if it is just for an hour or so.

This month we have an awesome array of art from our artists to share with you along with some very interesting articles to read, so forget the world for the next hour, grab a cuppa and enjoy this edition of Artists Down Under.

Andrew Haysom has put together for you another useful article on Photoshop tips, to help make your life a little easier.

Trish Hoskin had the pleasure of interviewing Valerie Hoffman from Fusion Art and now Light Space and Time.

The Redlands Digital Artists have come through with another of their versions of Chinese Whispers.

Judi Lapsley Miller shares with us her 10 Top Creative Hacks to get creating again.

The Monthly Challenge for our artists this month was “Animals”, and they certainly didn’t disappoint, they have sent in some amazing images for you all to enjoy.

We celebrate the awesome achievements of our artists, who with everything that is going on in the world can still share successes with you One of our artists does a lot of volunteer work with raising funds for the “Care For Africa” foundation, and his latest fundraising effort is a raffle with some amazing prizes, so please take the time if you can to buy a raffle ticket to help this great cause.

Trish Hoskin - City Limits

Last but not least is our Featured Artist section, this month after being hassled by so many people I have put myself up to share a few insights into my world, so I hope you enjoy it.

Well that’s it from me for this month, I hope you enjoy this edition. Please stay safe, stay sane, and remember “we are all in this together, we can do this”.

Pam Henderson Also please take the time to view our new Website at https://artistsdownunder.com.au/

Dean Hohn - Care For Africa

Backgrounds: Foxy Squirrell Laitha’s Designs - Jai Johnson - White Lane Studio Copyright 2017 ©

Dale Botha - How Many More?

Penny De Jong - Just Do It

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Artists in this publication are responsible for any rights appertaining to their work.

HTTPS://PROPHOTOSHOPARTISTRY.COM

Image by: Louise Smith, Photoshop Artistry Student

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L E O PA R D

ZEBR A b y K A R E N WA A L W Y K

Australia

https://www.flickr.com/photos/88165766@N05 https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/karen-waalwyk/

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SPICE ALLEY

by PAUL NE A RY

Australia

http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/paul-neary/

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DON’T BE AFR AID OF THE DARK

by CHRIS BARNES

Australia

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/christine-barnes/

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DIVERGENCE

SENTINEL

by ROCHELLE MARSHALL

New Zealand

https://www.darksapphirephotography.com ht tp://www.ar tistsdownunder.com.au/ar tist-4/rochelle-marshall/

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STREE T MUSICIAN

by SHARON R ANK MORE

Australia

ht tp://www.ar tistsdownunder.com.au/ar tist-4/sharon-rankmore/

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MEDUSA II

by JULIE P OWEL L

Australia

ht tps:// www.juliepowellphoto.com/

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/julie-powell/

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E U D I A LY T E

by ALI OPPY

New Zealand

https://www.facebook.com/Mystic-Sparrow-Digital-Art-548233315689785/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/ali-oppy/

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BEETLES ON BLOSSOM

CORMOR ANT

by SUE MAPLES

Australia

http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/sue-maples/

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GALIC QUEEN

by MARGIE O’HAR A

Australia

https://ellyrosetownsville.com.au https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/margie-ohara/

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INCOGNITO

MARIE ANTOINE T TE

by LOUISE SMITH

Australia

https://www.facebook.com/lksmithphotography/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/louise-smith/

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EPHEMER AL

by MAUREEN MA XWELL

Australia

http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/maureen-maxwell/

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artists down under

monthly Achievements 17

artists down under facebook

page

Janelle Merrett - City Of Tales Hemant Kogekar - Southern Cassowary In The Bush

Denise McDermott - Art In Isolation

The Artists Down Under Public Facebook page has been set up to allow the artists in the group to showcase their work and to enable them to share promotional information about themselves, e.g. exhbitions, awards etc...

You can find the Artists Down Under Public Facebook page at this address; https://www.facebook.com/groups/ArtistsDownUnder/ So, if you are an artist in the group, don’t forget to regularly share your work and information here, and to let your friends and family know about the page if they are interested in viewing the latest art and news from the group.

If you are a reader of the magazine who does not have access to the page, please click the link above and request to join.

When you request to join you will be asked to answer three simple questions that will allow us to determine if you are an eligible artist who may wish to join the group and therefore be able to post on the page, or a member of the public who can view, comment and like the work on the page.

It’s a great place to see some great art from this vibrant group every day!

Janelle Merrett - Colourful World

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Kim Ricci - Autumn Nymph

Colin Killick - After The Apocalypse Joyce Maris - Dragon Tears

Janelle Merrett - Lioness

Three ADU members receive a special gift Our very good Awake friends Teddi Rutschman of Foxey Squirrel and Diane Stafford from WhiteLaneStudio continue to give gifts as a reward for members of the Artists Down Under group who contribute to the ADU Facebook page by regularly posting their artworks and supporting other members with their comments.

Teddi, from Virginia, USA, is well known for her fantastic sets of digital designer backgrounds, masks and all kinds of wonderful elements ready for designers to add to or build a wondrous creation.

Teddi Rutshman can be found at

http://www.foxeysquirrel.com/ http://www.oscraps.com/shop/Foxeysquirrel Teddi has given a $10.00 voucher for one very lucky member to spend in her on-line shop.

Diane Stafford from Chester, UK, designs Photoshop textures and overlays for photo artists and photographers to use in their digital artworks. Diane has created another special kit just for Artists Down Under for the month of May.

The May lucky winners are Teddi Rutschman (Foxy Squirrel) Gift Voucher of $10.00 - Meaghan Pryor Diane Stafford (WhiteLaneStudio) Texture & Overlay Kit - Paul Neary - Jennifer Jackson

Two artists will receive a Diane kit each.

Diane Stafford can be found at

https://www.etsy.com/shop/whitelanestudio

Clyde Scorgie - Twisted Thoughts

Foxy Squirrel Collection - Azariah

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LIVING THE PHOTO ARTISTIC LIFE

https://issuu.com/thephotoartisticlife/docs/issue62-final?fr=sODgyMDI1ODEw

Congratulations to the following artists for having their images chosen to appear in the International “Living The Photo Artistic Life” magazine Julie Powell - Don’t Rain On My Parade - The White Queen Louise Smith - Butterfly Garden Meaghan Pryor - Lady Of The Lake - The Tracks Ali Oppy - Only Time Gitama Day - ‘Aes Sidhe’ Our Charred Landscape Barbara Dudzinska - Australian Fires - Admiration Carolyn Dakin - Solitude I - Solitude II Maureen Maxwell - Dreams Of Italy - Golden Melbourne Trish Hoskin - Chaos And Drama Dale Botha - 1863 - Cynefin Denise McDermott - Medieval Maiden - Butterflies #2 Joyce Maris - She Wanted To Fly

Barbara Dudzinska - Admiration

Meaghan Pryor - Lady Of The Lake

Carolyn Dakin - Solitude II

Dale Botha - Cynefin

Denise McDermott - Butterflies #2

Dale Botha - 1863

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Gitama Day - ‘Aes Sidhe’ Our Charred Landscape

Barbara Dudzinska - Australian Fires

LIVING THE PHOTO ARTISTIC LIFE

Louise Smith - Butterfly Garden

Carolyn Dakin - Solitude I

Julie Powell - The White Queen

Joyce Maris - She Wanted To Fly

Denise McDermott - Medieval Maiden

Maureen Maxwell - Golden Melbourne

Julie Powell - Don’t Rain On My Parade Maureen Maxwell - Dreams Of Italy

Ali Oppy - Only Time Trish Hoskin - Chaos And Drama

Meaghan Pryor - The Tracks

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shift art daz competition March 2020 Theme “fan art” Congratulations goes to Rhonda Ramadge for receiving First Runner Up in the March DAZ Shift Art Competition for her entry “Liz With A Z”.

Also congratulations goes to Karen Waalwyk for receiving Second Runner Up for her image “Black Beauty”.

Karen Waalwyk - Black Beauty Rhonda Ramadge - Liz With A Z

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shift art competition April 2020 Theme “The Comforts of home” Congratulations goes to Kim Ricci for receiving Second Runner Up in the April Shift Art Competition for her entry “Memories”.

Kim Ricci - Memories

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cheltenham international

salon of photography 2020 (UK)

Congratulations goes to Denise McDermott for receiving “Acceptances” for three of her images in the “Creative” section of the Cheltenham International Salon Of Photography 2020 (UK).

Denise McDermott - Book Of Knowledge

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Denise McDermott - Morning Huntress

Denise McDermott - Through Steam Punk Lenses

cheltenham international

salon of photography 2020 (UK)

Congratulations goes to Mike Kane for being awarded a “FIAP Ribbon” for his image “Sanctuary” and for receiving an “Acceptances” for his image “The Cave”in the“Creative” section of the Cheltenham International Salon Of Photography 2020 (UK).

Mike Kane - The Cave

Mike Kane - Sanctuary

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Light Space and Time “Figurative”

Congratulations to the following artists for their special achievements in the April Light Space & Time competition “Figurative” Photography & Digital 7th Place

Ilona Abou-Zolof - “The 1950’s”

Special Merit Ilona Abou-Zolof - “Desolation” Julie Powell - “The Girl In The Peacock Green Dress”

Ilona Abou-Zolof - The 1950’s

Julie Powell - The Girl In The Peacock Green Dress Ilona Abou-Zolof - Desolation

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F O U N TA I N O F Y O U T H

NE XT LEF T

by MICK ROONE Y

Australia

http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/mick-rooney/

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CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

100 SECONDS TO MIDNIGHT b y C A R O LY N D A K I N

New Zealand

dakincarolyn@myportfolio.com https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/carolyn-dakin/

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NEW LIFE b y J E N N I F E R FAW K E S

Australia

https://www.facebook.com/Jen-Fawkes-Photography-326371111357378/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/jennifer-fawkes/

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NO MORE TR AINS

by DENNIS RICK ARD

Australia

https://ink361.com/app/users/ig-3279276017/dennisrickard/photos https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/dennis-rickard/

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SELF PORTR AIT

by COLIN AL L EN

Australia

http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/colin-allen/

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S O W H AT ’ S Y O U R S U P E R P O W E R

FREE IN HER WILDNESS

by DALE BOTHA

Australia

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/dale-botha/

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H I D D E N D E S PA I R

D I S I N T E G R AT I N G R AY S b y M A R I S A L I B E R AT O

Australia

https://www.marisalphotography.com https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/marisa-liberato/

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GREEN AND WHITE

KOOK ABURR AS

by HEMANT KOGEK AR

Australia

https://www.instagram.com/hkogekar/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/hemant-kogekar/

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aD rOt W i s tNs U N D E R Australia and New Zealand

SOME PHOTOSHOP INSPIRATION TWO WINDOWS ARE BETTER THAN ONE

By Andrew Haysom

Sometimes, two windows really are better than one!

Did you know that you can open a document in Photoshop in more than one window?

To do so, with the document open, use the Window / Arrange / New Window for ... command. The filename shows at the end of the menu command (see Figure 1).

You can have more than two windows open for a document, but in practice I can’t see a lot of use for more than two.

Once you have the two windows open use the Window / Arrange / 2-up Horizontal or 2-up Vertical commands to arrange the windows how you like them.

Now every change you make in the window that you are working on will be reflected in the second window.

There are two main occasions when I like to use two windows; 1.

[Fig 1 – The Window Arrange Menu]

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Have one window zoomed in to allow detail work and have the second window zoomed out to see how your changes look when viewed wider.

2. When working to update a layer mask have one window showing the

layer mask (click the Layer mask while holding the Alt/Option key)

and the other window showing the image.

SOME PHOTOSHOP INSPIRATION (Cont ...)

To return both windows back to the same Zoom state, location or Rotation state you can use the Window / Arrange / Match Zoom, Match Location, Match Rotation or Match All commands.

When using the Hand tool to move the image around in the window, or the Zoom tool to zoom in and out, be aware of the Scroll All Windows check box in the Hand tool Options Bar and the Zoom All Windows check box in the Zoom tool Options Bar (see Figure 2). If these are checked the moving and zooming are synchronised between windows.

Please also note that holding down the Shift key while using these tools will also cause the movement / zooming to be synchronised across multiple windows.

[Fig 2 – Syncronise Windows]

Once you have finished with the second window you can safely close it, the document will not be closed until all windows are closed.

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BEYOND THE LOOKING GL ASS

by ANN WEHNER

Australia

https://www.annwehnerdigitalartistry.com https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/ann-wehner/

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JAMES DE AN CAFE

O R I E N TA L P E A R L T O W E R

by COLIN K IL LICK

Australia

https://driftingleaves.net https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/colin-killick/

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R E S U R FA C I N G

P R AY I N G F O R R A I N b y G I TA M A D AY

Australia

gitamaday.com/gallery https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/gitama-day/

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MUM AND CUBS

BA AKO, MAKEBA AND ZURI

by HELEN AK ERSTROM

Australia

https://www.facebook.com/helen.akerstrom https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/helen-akerstrom/

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SEASCAPE

MAGNOLIA

by P HIL L IPA F R EDERIKSEN

Australia

http://phillfoto.smugmug.com http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/phillipa-frederikson/

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WA I T I N G F O R R A I N , W I N T O N I

WA I T I N G F O R R A I N , W I N T O N I I

by MAR JORIE LORD

Australia

https://www.marjorielord.com.au http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/marjorie-lord/

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M A R C H T H E P I R AT E

by KYE THOMPSON

Australia

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/kye-thompson/

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BE AUT Y QUEEN

BLUE WINGS

by CHRIS TINA BRUNTON

Australia

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/christina-brunton/

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a r t i s t s DOWN UNDER Australia and New Zealand

DIGITAL ARTISTS GROUP A COLLABORATIVE GROUP OF PHOTO ARTISTS

By Maureen Maxwell

CHINESE WHISPERS #30 “THE TEA PARTY” STAGE 1

Talk about raising the bar and making life more interesting for me! Pam (our much acclaimed editor) started off the collaboration this month and gave me a very interesting (i.e. difficult) challenge. I could see her smiling as she sent it off.

This was decidedly an ‘Oh! No!’ moment when I looked at it on and off for about 3 days. And then I got stuck into it.

Once I got going, I found it was one of those times when it was hard to know when to stop.

A situation not uncommon to artists.

Pam Henderson

Pam is now a tad concerned about Karma when I send her next month’s collaboration challenge.

We hope you enjoy our mutual artistic efforts.

Enjoy!

Maureen Maxwell

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STAGE 2

PA M H EN D ER S O N

MOONLIGHT SERENADE 47

E LV I R A

C A U G H T B Y N AT U R E

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MYSTERY SURROUNDS 49

NEVER ALONE 50

ANGEL EYES 51

NIGHT GAMES 52

ENCHANTMENT

WILL AMENA

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Meet your artist Pam Henderson Collendina (NSW) Australia

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Website :

https://www.facebook.com/snapnshootdesigns/

http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/pam-henderson/

Tell us a little about yourself and where you live.

I have just moved back to my hometown in country NSW after living in Brisbane for 20 years and am loving having family around me again, although I do miss all my amazing artist friends I made whilst I was there.

How did you become interested/get started in Photo Artistry?

I have always had a passion for photography since I was a child and eventually completed my Diploma in Photography in my later years. Like most artists though, the photos I took were disappointing to me as visually they were not what my mind could see. When I found the “AWAKE” photo course with Sebastian Michaels online, my whole life changed, finally what I could see in my mind could come to fruition in front of me. I thought I had it made -lol.

What inspires you or gives you inspiration to create your art?

I love to create, I have always had a very vivid imagination, so to be able to put my crazy thoughts into an image is so exciting to me. I never stop learning and I do not think I ever want to. I love looking at all the other artists’ images, they are all so very motivating to me.

Do you have a certain approach to creating your art?

Ha ha ha, I wish. Most of the time I will sit in front of a blank canvas and scroll through my model images until one of them says “Pick Me”, from there I generally get an idea of where I would like to take the image, so add all of the elements and backgrounds needed. Like everyone else, it doesn’t always work and there are a lot of images that get scrapped, but that is half the fun of it.

What does your art mean to you?

Art to me is my release from the world, it is where you can completely forget everything that is happening and bury yourself into your own fantasy land. I find it very calming.

Do you think since starting in Photo Artistry it has changed you and if so, how?

Yes, I guess in a way it has, it has made me more confident as a person and has given me a sense of fulfilment. It has certainly taught me how to relax, and that it is ok to be creative and different from others.

Is there anyone that you draw inspiration from?

One person I really draw inspiration from is one of our own Artists “Ali Oppy”, if I could be half as talented as this lady, I would be one incredibly happy artist.

Where do you see (or hope to see) your art taking you in the future? What are your next steps?

My lifelong ambition would be to have my own exhibition and to open an art gallery for our own members of the Artist Down Under group. There are so many talented artists out there, that, like me are too shy, or do not really know how to approach the outside world to get our art shown. For now, I am happy to create and to build my library for when that day eventuates.

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BORIS

F LY AWAY

by JANELLE MERRE T T

Australia

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/janelle-merrett/

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ROBERT

by PENNY DE JONG

Australia

http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/penny-de-jong/

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I S O L AT E S # 1

I S O L AT E S # 2

by COLIN CAMPBEL L

Australia

ht tps://colincampbell.mypor t folio.com

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/colin-campbell/

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B E WA R E O F T H E D O G b y J O H N F K E L LY

New Zealand

http://www.rps.org/member/profile/john-kelly https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/john-f-kelly/

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R AV E N V

MORNING HUNTRESS

by DENISE McDERMOT T

Australia

https://www.imagesbydenise.net https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/denise-mcdermott/

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SURVIVING SUMMER b y LY N D A R L I N G T O N

Australia

http://www.sabvaningphotoart.com https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/lyn-darlington/

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INK 1192A

INK 1193B

by AL BAMASS

Australia

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/al-bamass/

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L O N G V O YA G E

MAGIC DANCE

by BARBAR A DUDZINSK A

Australia

ht tps:// www.SmartArtPlace.com

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/barbara-dudzinska/

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aD rOt W i s tNs U N D E R Australia and New Zealand

VALERIE HOFFMAN INTERVIEW Trish Hoskin

Hi All, This month I organized to put together some questions for Valerie Hoffman of Fusion Art. Many of you will recognize the name as I know a lot of us have entered competitions with Fusion and Light Space & Time also managed by Valerie and husband Chris.

Valerie graciously agreed to spare some time to give us a peek into their busy lives.

1.

Valerie and Chris, how did you come to create “Fusion Art” and where did the idea come from?

Back in the late 1990’s, when Chris decided to pursue his art professionally, it was always with the goal of opening a gallery.

After I retired from the film industry in 2014, we decided to make it a reality.

Fusion Art was born out of a desire to identify talented artists and help them market and sell their art. Through our research, we had seen the rise of online galleries and our goal was to “fuse” both the online and the “bricks and mortar” gallery concepts.

Since then, as this aspect of the art business has grown, we have focused our efforts primarily on the online gallery. But we also host our annual group show in a physical gallery space in Palm Springs because we feel it is important to provide artists who may not have other gallery representation the opportunity to get their work in a physical gallery.

The online art community is growing. There are more online galleries and outlets, than ever before, for artists to market and sell their art and more collectors are finding artists and purchasing art online.

Also, an online gallery offers something that many physical (local) galleries can’t or don’t. It is that worldwide digital exposure to potential buyers and collectors. There is not enough wall space in “bricks and mortar” galleries to display all the talented artists and artwork out there. Getting accepted by a physical gallery is more difficult for new and emerging artists and many galleries are converting over to online galleries only.

But artists still and will always need to get their work exposed to as many potential buyers as possible. That is what we offer.

We don’t just offer an exhibition on a website. We are art-marketing specialists and provide marketing, exposure and promotion to our winning artists with the goal of driving more traffic to their websites and/or outlets where they sell their art.

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2. Has it been difficult managing artists from all over the world – coordinating everything, although I assume the internet and email has made life a little easier?

It is relatively easy for the online competitions and exhibitions.

You’re right, the internet and email make it simple and efficient to communicate with artists from all over the world. Also, since all of our marketing and promotion is digital based, we rely almost exclusively on the internet and email communication.

Things get a little more complex for our annual group show in Palm Springs but as we’ve just held our 4th show in February, we have it down to a system now.

3. Where do you come up with the ideas for the exhibitions?

Certain themes are more popular than others - like “Abstracts” “Animals”, “Figurative” and “Botanicals/Flowers”. When we started the gallery, we researched which themes were most popular and started with those. However, since we conduct both monthly and quarterly competitions, we’ve had to expand our theme ideas. We’ll try one and if it gets a good response, like our “Colors” theme, we turn it into an “annual” theme. If it doesn’t do so well, like “Holidays & Traditions” then we don’t repeat them.

4.

You also assist with collating a big exhibition each year in Palm Springs; how did that come about and how do you manage to pull it all together?

Right from the start, we wanted to have an annual group show for the Best in Show winners. It was one of the main awards we wanted to offer to artists that was different from the other online art galleries. When we introduced the Artist Spotlight series, we decided to include those winners in the annual group show as well.

We have artists from all around the world who participate in our competitions and the group show. We’ve had artists from the US, Canada, Australia, France, Norway, South Africa, Japan and the UK, to name a few, participate and that can be challenging logistically, in regards to shipping and timing, as well as financially for the artists. However, as you know from when you participated in 2019, there are options, particularly for photographers and digital artists outside the US to utilize printing companies that will drop ship directly to us.

In addition, we are very entrenched in the Palm Springs art community. For many years, Chris framed fine art. He also curates and hangs show for galleries locally as well as the Palm Springs Artists Council shows at the Palm Springs Art Museum. So, we are very fortunate to have a great support system from artists and gallerists, which helps in coordinating the show. We don’t have a permanent “bricks and mortar” gallery space anymore, so we sublease from local galleries and do a “pop up” for our annual show.

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VALERIE HOFFMAN INTERVIEW (Cont ...)

5. Are you artists yourselves and if so what kind, or do you come at it from the business side of the art world?

Chris has been an artist since childhood and has been painting professionally for over 20 years. I was a film producer until I retired in 2014 and I worked primarily in the business and financial sides of filmmaking. So we both have creative backgrounds but I also bring the business and financial experience to our business.

6. You recently acquired Light Space and Time – how did that come about, and have you increased your workload and exposure since then?

The opportunity to purchase the Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery (LST) came very unexpectedly in late 2018. John Math, the previous owner, contacted us when he decided to retire for health reasons. Naturally, we were aware of LST. When we started there were only a handful of online galleries offering competition and exhibition opportunities and LST was the first one to offer themed online competitions. When he decided to sell, John approached us first because he knew of us and knew we shared a similar philosophy. Our missions were aligned - to identify talented artists and help them to market, promote and sell their art to an international audience.

Yes, our workload doubled to be quite honest but so has our exposure. LST has a very long and loyal following of artists. Many of them were not aware of Fusion Art before we purchased the gallery so it opened up a completely new audience of extremely talented artists to us.

Although Fusion Art and LST are both online galleries that host competitions and exhibitions and offer similar awards and exposure to artists, they do have differences. Each gallery offers something a little unique and different to the artists, but we feel these differences complement each other, rather than compete.

Some artists enter exclusively to one gallery or the other but many have crossed over and it is always wonderful to see our gallery artists make that crossover and discover what else we can offer.

7.

Where do you see Digital Art going?

As a creative form, art is always evolving. In painting, for example, brushes have changed in ways such as shapes and materials used. Paints have gone from traditional mixing of pigments and oils to watercolors to acrylics and now even newer mediums. Most of this comes from advances in technology and manufacturing techniques.

Now, we have seen a new movement in art with the age of computers and both Chris and I believe that digital art is the wave of the future. It has opened up so many possibilities for creating art in new and different ways. And it is not just for photographers. Artists creating in many traditional media are also now using digital tools to enhance their work.

We have seen some exceptional work from these new digital artists. By no means will this new medium replace the classic masterpieces and styles, but it has already become an important and innovative addition to the art world.

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VALERIE HOFFMAN INTERVIEW (Cont ...)

8. Can you see yourselves expanding and growing and being around in the next 10 years or so doing the same sort of thing?

Our goal is to continue expanding and growing and we definitely plan to be around in 10 years. This year is the 10th anniversary of LST and the 5th anniversary of Fusion Art. We just unveiled a new logo for LST in honor of the 10th anniversary and the Fusion Art website is getting a redesign, which will be unveiled sometime in April in honor of the 5th anniversary. We have expanded and updated our business plan to incorporate the growth of both galleries and we have many exciting plans to continue serving our artists.

The online art community continues to evolve. It has changed in so many ways since we started 5 years ago and we’re always looking for new and innovative ways to help artists to market their work. Naturally, we will need to evolve along with it, but that’s just fine with us.

So there you have it, what busy and interesting artistic lives they have and do lead.

Thanks so much to Valerie and hope you enjoy the read.

Their sites can be viewed: https://fusionartps.com/ https://www.lightspacetime.art/ Trish

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A N TA R T I C W O R S H I P

by DE AN HOHN

Australia

ht tps:// www.facebook.com/Dean-Hohn-Photo-Artistry-247723325687722/

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/dean-hohn/

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LOOKING OUT

by ME AGHAN PRYOR

Australia

https://www.theartinspires.com/ http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/meaghan-pryor/

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HALLOWEEN

I AM FREE

by ILONA ABOU -ZOLOF

Australia

https://www.zolof.net/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/ilona-abou-zolof/nu n d e r. c o m .

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PE ACE OFFERING

by JOYCE MARIS

Australia

https://www.instagram.com/jmarisart/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/joyce-maris/

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STEPPING OUT I b y V I K I M U R R AY

Australia

www.vikimages.com.au http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/viki-murray/

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RED MOON

S C I F I AT TA C K

by MIK E K ANE

Australia

https://www.mikekanephotography.com.au/ http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/mike-kane/

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YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!!!

The Care For Africa Foundation is urgently fundraising to provide reticulated water through a 1000 bed hospital in Tanzania, that serves 500,000 people. They are trying to get this project completed before the COVID-19 pandemic hits that part of the world.

To assist with the fundraising, Marie and Frank from Print 2 Metal in Melbourne have been kind enough to donate the printing of one or more of your creations with a value of up to $400, plus postage. We are selling 200 tickets at $10 each.

Have you been thinking about having one of your images printed, but haven’t got around to it or don’t feel you can afford it?

Here’s an opportunity to make a difference in the world and possibly get a beautiful metal print at a very reduced price!

Marie at Print 2 Metal has suggested the following print sizes: It’s possible not all artist’s work will enlarge up to the same bigger size.

So if it were to the value of $400 that could be for various options including: - 24x36” with floating hanger - 20x30” with art box frame - or if the artist’s files are very small, perhaps they would print 2 images that are 12x18” with art box frame.

Print 2 Metal are totally flexible and they are happy to include postage.

You can purchase your tickets by going to http://careforafrica.org.au/ and selecting the Orange DONATE button at the top right side of the webpage. It will take you to the Rotary donation page that is dedicated to the Care For Africa Foundation. Fill in your details and below the payment area you will find a Requests box. Please type in “Print 2 Metal – Reticulation Project” in the Requests Box. You will receive an email receipt from Rotary confirming your donation. Once you receive notification of your donation, please forward me a copy of the receipt and I will then enter your name in the spreadsheet the number of times equivalent to your donation. (i.e. $10=1 entry, $50=5 entries) This raffle is open to anyone in Australia and New Zealand. We won’t ship world-wide, so if anyone from elsewhere in the world would like to make a donation and go into the draw, you are very welcome to. Previously, international winners have been happy to donate the print to Care For Africa to be auctioned at the Annual Ball.

Thank you in advance and good luck in the draw! If you have any questions, please contact me at dean.hohn@bigpond.com Dean L Hohn

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artists down under monthly artistic photographic challenge theme:

animals 75

Karen Waalwyk - Australiana

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Pam Henderson - Too Cute

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Chris Barnes - Meerkats

Penny De Jong - Meerkat Meeting

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Dean Hohn - The Platypus

Mike Kane - Platypus

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Denise McDermott - Ant With Prey

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John F Kelly - Bonnie

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Janelle Merrett - Buck

Andrew Haysom - Luna

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Paul Neary - The Peacock Strut

Ilona Abou-Zolof - Smell The Flowers

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Hemant Kogekar - Leopard

Jennifer Fawkes - Zebra Crossing

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Trish Hoskin - Koala

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Sue Maples - Kangaroo

Kim Ricci - Lunch Interrupted

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aD rOt W i s tNs U N D E R Australia and New Zealand

MY TOP 10 CREATIVE HACKS TO GET MAKING AGAIN

By Judi Lapsley Miller

Creativity ebbs and flows and after a busy patch doing something else it can be hard to get back into it. Sometimes the business side of art, other work, and life has to come first for a bit. I’ve been reflecting on what’s helped me in the past and I thought I would share my thoughts with you - I know I’m not alone in needing some inspiration (and a kick in the pants)! I’d love to know what works for you - feel free to add ideas in the comments...

1. A REWARD FOR GETTING GOING Image - “Once upon a time” - still life photo-art with my favourite bunny mug and roses Hayley Westenra and Windemere.

Photo-art teacher Sebastian Michaels taught me that you have to turn up, and keep turning up, for your muse to arrive. She won’t take you seriously unless you take yourself seriously too. I like to hook in a reward for turning up - something as simple as a cup of coffee or tea in a special mug first thing in the morning can get me out of bed and ready for action. For a long time I was starting every morning with art, but somehow I got out of the habit. This is probably the number one thing I need to remedy in my quest to get creative again.

Sebastian’s 21-days to creative abundance is a good kick-starter.

I also love Elizabeth Gilbert’s book “Big magic: creative living beyond fear”. Might be time for a re-read...

Once upon a time

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MY TOP 10 CREATIVE HACKS (CONT....)

2. THE TIME IS NOW Image - “It’s about time (kākā)” – photoart There’s no point waiting for the perfect time to get creative - there is no better time than now, even if just for a few minutes. Waiting for the perfect time means so many lost opportunities. I find when the perfectionism/procrastination ramps up so that I find I’m waiting for the perfect time, when it arrives I’m out of practice and risk squandering the opportunity. A little bit more often, even if not ideal, means I’m more likely to have days when I find my muse and get into the zone.

It’s about time (kākā)

3. MESSAGE A TRUSTED FRIEND Image - The creative and talented bird artist Hannah Shand It makes a big difference touching base with artist friends regularly to inspire each other with plans and schemes and to bounce ideas around. I’m blessed to have a couple of artist friends that regularly check in and are quick with positive encouragement. We all need people in our lives that believe in what we’re doing, especially for those times when we don’t believe in ourselves.

The creative and talented bird artist Hannah Shand

4. TAKE A LONG SHOWER AND ZONE OUT Image - A shower of raindrops, with one drop caught perfectly in midflight.

I’ve had all my best ideas in the shower. Nothing beats an enveloping spray of warm water to relax the mind and to let it wander.

A shower of raindrops, with one drop caught perfectly in midflight.

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MY TOP 10 CREATIVE HACKS (CONT....)

5. TRY A NEW ART MEDIUM Image – Art supplies in my studio.

Seeing a favourite subject in a new way can help, and what better way to feel enthused than a visit to the art store for new and interesting art supplies. My life was forever enriched when pastel artist Karen Rankin Neal put me onto shimmery Pan Pastels and Dahler Rowney pearlescent inks! It’s what took me from a purely digital world into experimenting with Giclee print embellishment, mixed media, and big messes.

Art supplies in my studio

6. DO A CREATIVE COURSE Image – “Professor Polly” - a TinyArt piece float framed over a repeat of Polly’s special wallpaper. The print has an edge embellished with pearlescent bronze ink.

I love getting creative and crafty with weekend workshops and online courses. Even if not directly related to my main artform, they can lead to creative connections. The weekend picture framing course I did last year at The Learning Connexion unleashed an entire product line (TinyArt), produced a rewarding collaboration with friend and framer Chris Helliwell, and enabled me to get bolder and more crea tive with my framing choices. There are so many free online courses and tutorials on literally every creative endeavour - start with You Tube and you’ll soon be on an adventure. Did you know all the classic Bob Ross “Joy of Painting” courses are online and free? All 403 of them! What a resource! I’ve not been taking advantage of my subscriptions to the online KAIZEN (enrollments currently closed) and Shift Art photo-artistry communities, both of which have an incredible wealth of creative tutorials, and I will get back into them tomorrow... or even today... I promise.

Professor Polly

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MY TOP 10 CREATIVE HACKS (CONT....)

7. SCHEDULE SOCIAL MEDIA Image - “Death to distraction” - photo-art quick sketch about discon necting from distracting screens and devices.

Being active on social media is an essential part of most modern artists’ lives, but it so easy to go down unrelated rabbit holes and never return. Make time for social media, but not at the expense of the most productive hours of the day. I have to relearn this lesson again and again and again ... how about you?

Death to distraction

8. JOIN A REGULAR CREATIVE CHALLENGE Image - My weekly photo challenge is for anyone who loves wildlife and nature photography and, like me, wants to improve.

Daily, weekly, or monthly creative challenges can be a fun way to keep trying new things and to build a habit of creating regularly. I created the weekly Art of Birding Wildlife & Nature Photography Challenge in 2018 to push myself to try new things, and then invited the world to join me. There are now hundreds of people also doing the challenge and we’re all set to go for 2021 - check back in early December for the new challenges. Next year’s challenges will emphasize creativity and composition, won’t rely on having special gear, will have extra credit challenges, and will work for both photographers and other artists. I’m excited!

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My weekly photo challenge

MY TOP 10 CREATIVE HACKS (CONT....)

9. CREATE SOMETHING JUST FOR FUN AND JUST FOR YOU Image - Handmade secret Belgian binding notebook, filled with gorgeous art papers for sketching and notes, and some graph paper for sciencing.

It can be too easy to get caught up in the mindset that everything created needs to count. But sometimes it’s best to relax and take the time to create something just for ourselves. It’s especially important if you’re having an “attack of the should’s” (when you hear yourself saying “I should be doing this” and “I should be doing that”). It took two days to make this crazy-complicated secret Belgian binding notebook, but I loved every moment. Especially fossicking through my decades of interesting paper scraps. Want to make one too?

There’s lots of tutorials out there and I referred to many, but the lovely Jennifer aka Sea Lemon tutorial was the clearest.

Handmade secret Belgian binding notebook

10. FILL YOUR WORLD WITH INSPIRATION Image - Artists Down Under magazine - wonderful photo-artistry from Australian and New Zealand photo artists.

Enrich your surroundings by subscribing to art magazines (check out Artists Down Under), collecting art, following artists on social media, and going to exhibitions. Try the Excio app that puts art and photography on your phone’s wallpaper. Put on some of your favourite music, grab your tools, and get creating!

Artists Down Under magazine

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R ACHEL IN THE L AKE

BRIGHT SMILE FROM TRINIT Y

by GEORGE KONCZ

Australia

http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/george-koncz/

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ROOTS

by MARY KNAGGS

Australia

https://www.facebook.com/MaryK-Photographic-Art-145293185640662/ http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/mary-knaggs/

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COSMIC

WHY SO SERIOUS? b y A N D R E W H AY S O M

Australia

https://andrewhaysom.myportfolio.com/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/andrew-haysom/

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THE CHURCH GARDEN

THE RUSSELL

by TRISH HOSK IN

Australia

https://www.trishphotography.com http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/trish-hoskin/

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THREE BIRDS

by INGRID JAKOBSEN

Australia

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/ingrid-jakobsen/

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C H A O S R AT I O N A L I S E D

F I N D I N G AT L A N T I S

by K E VIN SIMS

New Zealand

http://www.kevinsims.co.nz https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/kevin-sims/

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adu artists s s e n i s s u t b n e m e s i t r e v ad 99

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FOREST & BIRD Online Store Bird Art by Judi Lapsley Miller

Forest & Bird’s online shop now stocks four new fine-art bird prints by photo-artist Judi Lapsley Miller, featuring the beloved tūī. Sales support Forest & Bird’s enduring advocacy work for the wildlife of Aotearoa. Judi also donates 10% of her proceeds to Zealandia EcoSanctuary. Forest & Bird is New Zealand’s leading independent conservation organisation. For nearly a century they have been protecting and restoring Aotearoa’s wildlife and wild places - on land and in the sea. Judi has been a member and supporter for over 15 years and is delighted to be able to further support their efforts through her wildlife-advocacy-inspired art. https://shop.forestandbird.org.nz/bird-art-by-judi-lapsley-miller?gn=Home&gp=3

From Whence Cometh Evil

At What Cost Forever

Sad Wings Of Destiny

The Collector

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WATER FROM ART

by Dean Hohn As many of you will know, my “WHY”, is using my art to support the Care for Africa Foundation to drill fresh water wells in the 6 villages it supports in the Tarime District of Tanzania. These villages are off the tourist route and therefore received no form of aid until the Care For Africa Foundation heard about their plight and decided to do something to help.

It was the middle of June 2016 when a friend and fellow photographer posted some of her designs on Facebook that the idea of using my art for designs on clothing and scarves hit me. I asked her if she would mind if I copied the idea, of using my art on clothing and she said no.

The end of June 2016 I launched my Nuna Collection, with designs originating from my rock art that dated back to the Nuna Era. As a designer I receive a commission of 10% for each piece that is sold and I in turn donate all proceeds to the Care For Africa Foundation.

My designs have evolved over time and my latest designs are more contemporary and varied. You can view the collection at

https://tinyurl.com/yc5ar9gw

I also do custom designs and if you would like something created especially for you, you can contact me at dean.hohn@bigpond.com and I will be glad to discuss it with you.

The scarves are available in Modal, Cashmere Modal, Cashmere Silk and 100% Cashmere. If you find a design you would like in a fabric other than shown, please contact me and I’ll add it and let you know when it’s available to order.

I’m truly grateful for the support I’ve received to date and would appreciate any support you can give me in the future.

Dean L Hohn Below are samples of some of my latest designs.

Mall Art Cashmere Silk Scarf

Nuna 48 Cashnere Silk Scarf

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Peaches Model Scarf

West Coast 5 Square Silk Scarf

Natures Abstract #1

Nuna 70 Cashmere Silk Scarf

Helping Women with Endometriosis 50% of profit donated to endometriosis research

When I first heard about endometriosis I felt a deep compassion and need to do what I could to help.

Women with endometriosis suffer debilitating pain, disruptive symptoms and often endure multiple operations simply to function normally. Few people are patient when listening to descriptions of pain, symptoms or illness. This can have the effect of silencing people who are ill.

My compassion inspires my photoart which I show in presentations to raise awareness. I joined Awake to teach me advanced Photoshop skills, specifically to expand my photoartistic skills to create imaginative and dramatic images.

My photoart opens dialogue enabling freer expression of hidden feelings, experiences too private to mention in ordinary conversation. I create photoart inspired by the concerns of women with endometriosis. Several women have said that the process of imaging their suffering has helped them to face their pain and illness. There is immense strength in being heard. I want my photoart to become visual screams!!

26 women with endometriosis have told me about their experiences. They spoke to me about their concerns and collaborated during the photo session. We explored meanings of body, ideas of self and impacts of illness together, agreeing which ideas we would explore photographically.

My photos are often carefully arranged, but that doesn’t mean they are fake. They represent the personal truth and experiences of 26 women with endometriosis. These women are remembering and acting out their OWN experiences. They choose their own stance and facial expression.

Women with endometriosis are the only people who truly know what endometriosis FEELS like.

Unfortunately endometriosis is relatively common; an estimated 1 in 10 women living with endometriosis, being over 175,000,000 women worldwide! And an estimated 500,000 women in Australia! Their experiences are heartbreaking. Regular illness and debilitating pain result in missed education and poor career opportunities leaving them women vulnerable to poverty.

Art

by Margaret Kalms Share ‘EndoWomanArt’ with your friends on social media to raise awareness and money for women’s health!

We all need clothes & household goods. Buy yourself a treat or buy a special gift for your friends. Make your shopping count!

Remember 50% of profit goes to endometriosis research!

https://w w w.redbubble.com/ people/EndoWomanArt/shop Follow ‘Life with Endometriosis’:

ht t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / LifeWithEndometriosis See Margaret Kalms photoart, ‘Life with Endometriosis’:

http://www.endowomanart.com Margaret Kalms

Women with endometriosis need real medical progress to reduce their suffering. I passionately desire to raise money for endometriosis research so that faster diagnoses are made and more effective treatments are found. To raise money for endometriosis research, I host events and sell products on Redbubble. Recently I gave $3,000 to Canberra Endometriosis Centre!

Bunch Of Butterflies On Grevillea Sweatshirt

Butterflies False Colour Grey Stripes

Bunch Of Butterflies On Grevillea Pencil Case

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http://tinyurl.com/artisitsdownunderpublic

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