16 minute read
Community
An FJ Holden was the subject of artist Rosa Fedele’s oil painting demonstration for the April meeting of the Lane Cove Art Society. Photo by Pat Wilson.
Widely known for her portraits and figurative work, Rosa Fedele is an oil painter and was the guest demonstrator for the April meeting of the Lane Cove Art Society.
Demonstrations allow personal exchanges with the artist, which often provide wonderful insights into their creative world. That is precisely what unfolded throughout Rosa’s oil painting demonstration.
The first insight was the subject matter selected for the demonstration. Rosa arrived fully prepared with a canvas depicting the outline and the highlights of an image of an FJ Holden! Irrespective of what subject is being painted, Rosa soon set about doing what she does in each and every artwork – that is “chasing the light.” Be it portraits, still life or cars, Rosa aims to harness the light by working from dark to light, applying paint so that tonal gradations emerge and hence the form is captured.
When doing portraits, Rosa takes a zillion photos and then does sketches. She is looking for the essence of that person. Although she made a recent foray into watercolours which she enjoyed, it is the richness of oil paint that she finds totally beautiful to work with. Her passion for oil painting became obvious as the image of the FJ Holden gained clarity.
Rosa’s artwork marries very well to the glamour and retro fashion of the 1950’s and 1960’s, which was a second insight that arose from this demonstration. Sometimes rather than including a glamorous woman in the car image, she incorporates a dog! For Rosa, painting car and still life art is “like therapy.” It provides a much-needed break from portrait painting because it’s freer.
Whilst Rosa was applying the oil paint, building up all aspects of the car’s exterior, she was also attempting to capture all the reflected light apparent in the iPad image she was working from. Grass reflections required green sections in the lower part of the painting, whilst all manner of blue colours were worked into the upper part of the car chassis to reflect the blue sky. If Rosa is not happy with an area, she wipes it off with a cloth and reassesses what needs to be done in this area of the painting.
As Rosa was casually building up the tonal quality of the image, she made another surprise revelation. She has now tried her hand at writing. Her first book, The Red Door, has been published and it looks as though another one will be released in July.
What does this reveal about our guest artist? She has an imaginative mind that transports her to another creative outlet – the writing zone. It also shows a “can do” attitude, which serves to enrich her creative path throughout her life.
Rosa has been painting for over twenty years after having studied at the Julian Ashton School of Art. Here she was tutored in portraiture by Francis Giacco, who won the Archibald in 1994 for his portrait titled Homage to John Reichard, the cellist. It must have been highly satisfying for Rosa to have been a finalist in the Portia Geach Memorial Art Award in 2017.
The fourth insight from Rosa came when she stated how important art is to her psyche. “Art is a very joyful thing. It is an expression of happiness.” Enjoying what you do is perhaps the major lesson one can take away from this very contented artist.
Thank you Rosa for letting us see not only how you work, but for also reminding us of how enriching art can be to one’s life.
Photo: “Books and Chooks” by Kobie Bosch. Photo LCAS website
The guest artist for the Society’s June meeting will be Kobie Bosch. Now based in Sydney, Kobie grew up in the beautiful eastern part of South Africa, which has influenced the way she expresses herself in her art. She loves anything that tells a story. Oils, acrylics, watercolour, pen and ink are all tools she uses to interpret life and love.
The aim of the Lane Cove Art
Society is to encourage, recognise and reward artistic talent in the community. We warmly welcome new members – the sole requirement is an interest in art.
The Lane Cove Art Society also holds two exhibitions yearly
as well as workshops, visits to galleries or artists’ studios, and mini-exhibitions for members.
The Lane Cove Art Society
meets on the 4th Tuesday of every month (except Jan/Dec) at the Living & Leisure Centre, 180 Longueville Rd Lane Cove (almost opposite the Lane Cove Library).
The meetings start at 7:30pm
with time to meet and talk prior to the demonstration. At each meeting there is a demonstration or talk by a leading artist or guest speaker and anyone interested in art is welcome to attend.
She Stoops to Conquer
There were laughs aplenty when Lane Cove Theatre Company presented the classic SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER by Sir Oliver Goldsmith to the Lane Cove community last month. Audiences were raving and the reviews for the production were glowing!
“Director Peter Farmer brings a light touch, full of charm and heaps of humour to Lane Cove Theatre Company’s production. This most enjoyable production brings to life this classic comedy." MAGGY FRANKLIN
“Times change but human characteristics don’t, and this most enjoyable production brings to life this classic comedy as all problems are solved and we joyously leave the theatre with lifted spirits.” SYDNEY ARTS GUIDE
“If you’re in any doubt as to whether this eighteenth-century play can hold your attention and give you a good laugh, you needn’t be. It’s a rollicking good show. Don’t miss it.” STAGE WHISPERS
We also had the pleasure of collaborating with Lane Cove Creative Photography who took some wonderful images of the production. We look forward to further collaborations with this wonderful community group. Thank you to Jim Crews for the photos and thank you to the Lane Cove community for their support of this production.
Next to Normal
From the team who brought you last year’s acclaimed production of
Holding the Man,
Next to Normal is a contemporary musical that explores how one suburban household copes with crisis.
With powerful lyrics and an electrifying score, this production shows how far two parents will go to keep themselves sane and their family’s secret world intact.
The winner of three Tony Awards including Best Music and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this award-winning musical explores the issues of grief, suicide, drug abuse, ethics in modern psychiatry and the underbelly of suburban life. Considered one of the best musicals of the 21st century, this sometimes dark, honest, funny and brutally moving musical should not be missed!
BOOK EARLY TO AVOID MISSING OUT.
Tickets are available at
www.trybooking.com/VCMF BOOKINGS NOW OPEN FOR SEMESTER 2 DRAMA CLASSES
Opportunities for all children to develop further self-confidence and personal skills of expression through communication, voice development, movement, creative and imaginative drama, characterisation, mime and improvisation which is fun and engaging for all.
• Junior (Grades K-2)
- Tuesday 3.30-4.30pm
• Intermediate (Grades 3-6)
- Tuesday 4.30-5.30pm
• Senior (High School)
- Friday 4.30-5.30pm Venue: The Living and Learning Centre, 180 Longueville Road, Lane Cove Enrol before 1st July to receive 25% discount of semester 2 fees.
Further details can be found at
www.cameraygal.com or by emailing cameraygal@outlook.com
JUNE SOCIAL GET-TOGETHER
LCTC members and friends will be meeting on Saturday 23rd June at 6pm for a casual dinner and a cheeky game of Cards Against Humanity at the Longueville Hotel.
Please email lanecovetheatre@hotmail. com or check out our Facebook event page to RSVP.
Are you interested in becoming a member of the Lane Cove Theatre Company? Are you interested in joining an active social group? Keen to audition for one of our productions or assist back-stage? The company would love to hear from you.
Enquiries lanecovetheatre@hotmail.com or join our group or page on Facebook.
Generously supported by Lane Cove Council www.lanecovetheatrecompany.com
Earth Hour breakfast
Around 140 people attended St Ignatius’ College Riverview’s tenth annual Earth Hour breakfast.
During Earth Hour, people around the world actively reduce their energy footprint for one hour as a sign that climate change is an important issue to acknowledge across our community.
St Ignatius’ College has hosted the event for the past ten years, inviting community and environment leaders together with representatives from high schools in the Sydney metro area, including the Lane Cove Green Schools network.
Speakers at the breakfast included Peter Bruce, CEO of Exchange for Change, who is overseeing the new Return and Earn recycling scheme in NSW; and Georgia McKenzie from Pollinate Energy https://pollinateenergy.org/ , who worked in Lucknow India for a month helping to bring solar lighting into poor communities.
Kalina Krsoska from the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) also spoke. AYCC is working to stop fracking in the Northern Territory, linking with SEED www.seedmob.org.au, Australia’s first Indigenous youth climate network.
Tom Kennedy, the current student environment leader at Riverview, was joined by 2015 student environment leaders including Jack MacDonagh, Lachie Ingham and Chris Kenny for a performance reviving the 1990’s television character Captain Planet.
Stories from school sustainability journeys were also shared. Together with the North Sydney parish ecology team, Sophia from Monte Sant Angelo College had many sign her plastic petition calling for the banning of single use plastic bags in NSW.
During breakfast, Greg Conlon from St Ignatius spoke about the Ecological Sustainable Development (ESD) principles used in the school’s new Therry building. This was designed with a minimum footprint and the wellbeing of students in mind. A key feature is its connection to nature, with good airflows reducing the need for high energy HAV systems.
This year Baulkham Hills High School came for the first time, together with representatives from 15 Sydney schools including St Aloysius, Monte Sant Angelo, Loreto Normanhurst, Villa Maria PS, The Forest High, Scots College, Mercy College, Kambala, Santa Sabina, Rosebank, St Vincent’s and St Paul’s Manly.
Other attendees included Fiona McCleary, Lane Cove Council’s Environmental Education Officer; along with partner organisations including Lane Cove Boomerang Bag collective and the Lane Cove Sustainability Action Group.
The Earth Hour breakfast has grown from the early years to become a wonderful celebration of the work of the St Ignatius’ College environment committee.
Chris Kenny, Lachie Ingham as Captain Planet, and Jack McDonogh.
By Sue Martin, Sustainability Centre Coordinator, Saint Ignatius’ College
Take part in a free workshop and help eliminate plastic from your life. You will find out about natural or recyclable replacements for common household items and be able to make beeswax-infused wraps to help you reduce your reliance on plastic.
Tuesday 3 July 6:00pm - 8:00pm and Thursday 5 July 10:30am – 12:30pm
Lane Cove Library. Parking available in Market Square Car Park. Bookings are essential. RSVP at www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/greenevents
Antoni Dyga, Harlequin Dancing, Mixed media on canvas, 2017
ANTONI DYGA Timeless
30th May - 16th June Opening night: Wednesday 30th May, 6 - 8pm Mask making demonstration: Saturday 9th June, 11am - midday
Antoni Dyga is a Sydney based artist whose work is strongly influenced by his experience in the theatre, both locally and overseas (‘Groteska’ mask and puppet theatre in Krakow and the ‘Rune Theatre’ in Sydney), as well as his extensive career in the architectural model-making field in Sydney. His mixed-media technique is combined with textual modelling paste, acrylic paint and other materials. In this collection of works - titled Timeless - Antoni highlights the inherent possibilities of the individual; his drive towards virtue; and desire for the good in a conflicted world.
Silver ring or pendant workshop
WITH BRIDGET KENNEDY
Make a silver ring or pendant from wax over two Sunday mornings. Lane Cove local and accomplished artist Bridget Kennedy will hold a 2-day workshop in the new Studio premises on the art of silver jewellery making. Suitable for beginners from ages 14 and up.
When: 10am - 1.30pm, Sunday 17th June 10am – 12.30pm, Sunday 24th June Where: Ground level, Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios Cost: $176 (gst included)
David Pavich, Harbour (Summer) 2017, Oil on Polycotton
Introduction to drawing & painting
WITH DAVID PAVICH
Creative studios tutor and artist David Pavich will host a one-day workshop that will explore expressive drawing and painting techniques as well as covering the fundamentals of tone, form, and perspective with still life. Be guided through the versatile qualities of drawing and painting mediums in this fun and adventurous course with a number of demonstrations, whilst developing your own individual style. For beginners or advanced students.
Artist-in-Residence and 2018 Create NSW Aboriginal Arts Fellow Travis de Vries.
Interpreting the ancient:
Indigenous symbolism and contemporary art WITH TRAVIS DE VRIES
Led by Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios' Artist-in-Residence and 2018 Create NSW Aboriginal Arts Fellow Travis de Vries, this workshop will provide a unique insight into the methods Travis has used to create his work utilising a rich source material of Australian Indigenous lore and drawing from the tropes and techniques of comic book, video game and pop culture creators. Suitable for both Indigenous and non-indigenous visual artists or even storytellers and writers.
When: 10am - 1pm, Saturday 30th June Where: Upper level, Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios Cost: Free. Bookings essential: info@ gallerylanecove.com.au or 9428 4898
How to overcome the challenges in watercolour
WITH JOSEFIA LEMON
Josefia Lemon is an award-winning Sydney based artist who has exhibited here and overseas. Her workshop aims to simplify some of the fundamental techniques of painting with watercolours and to achieve a sense of distance using tonal values, colours and shapes including composition. Suitable for intermediate to advanced students who will be encouraged to work confidently.
Josefia Lemon, Middle Harbour, Watercolour
CAPTURED PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION
6th – 16th June Awards night and opening: Wednesday 6th June, 6 - 8pm
The annual Lane Cove Council initiative ‘Captured Photography’ will be on show at Gallery Lane Cove in June. This year's theme ‘Capture Your Neighbourhood’ features entries that reflect the diversity of local icons and hidden gems in Lane Cove. Winners of each category will be announced at the awards night and prizes awarded by Mayor Pam Palmer. If you would like to attend the awards night from 6.00 – 8.00pm on June 6th, please call 9911 3699.
Further information and bookings for all workshops at www.gallerylanecove.com.au
Proudly presented by Lane Cove Council and Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios
Pooch maintenance
So you’ve fed, trained and cuddled your furry friend. But what about their coat, nails, ears and teeth?
With such a broad range of coat types amongst dogs, grooming requirements vary markedly from breed to breed. This is something to consider when you are choosing the breed of dog that is best suited to you and your schedule.
BATHING
While dogs themselves don’t mind being a bit smelly, us humans are not too keen to share our space with a dirty dog. For hygiene purposes, bathing is a good idea around every 1-3 weeks for shorthaired breeds such as Labradors, Cattle Dogs or Greyhounds.
Rather than having a regular time frame, bath your dog as required based on the time of year (usually less frequent bathing is required in winter); activity levels and smell. My favourite shampoos are those that have an oatmeal base and that are specifically designed for dogs, so they are usually fairly mild.
For some long-haired breeds, such as Golden Retrievers, bathing is not necessary and owners may get away with giving their dog a wash every few months. It really depends on the breed of dog and the type of coat they have.
COAT CLIPPING
Grooming requirements amongst different types of dogs vary substantially. • Tick clips - For areas in Sydney prone to the paralysis tick, such as coastal or bushy regions where there are possums and bandicoots, clipping a dog’s coat is important as it
Professional grooming FOR DOGS AND CATS
DOG GROOMING: CAT GROOMING:
All breeds of dogs are bathed and clipped by our highly trained groomers.
Professionally groomed by Jenny Kent. The owner staying with the cat, completed within 30 minutes with no sedation.
Providing a friendly, professional and compassionate service.
allows ticks to be found and removed by their owners. The newer oral tick preventatives on the market (Nexgard, Bravecto and Simparica) given all year round have reduced the need for complete clipping, but there is never a 100% guarantee. Ticks can be fatal, so many dog owners are still opting for full body clips in the spring and summer. If your dog develops signs of tick toxicity, clipping your dog is essential so that all ticks can be successfully removed to prevent death. • Hot spots - If your dog is prone to skin infections (known as ‘hot spots’) then clipping can help prevent these from occurring. • Matting - If your dog has coat matting, it is very uncomfortable for them and can restrict movement, so it is important that your dog is clipped short, sometimes under sedation in severe cases.
• Double coated breeds
Arctic breeds such as Huskies and Malamutes have a double coat and can develop post-clipping alopecia, which is where the undercoat grows faster than the outer guard hairs. This will usually self-correct but can take between 6 months and 2 years, so think carefully about clipping your dog first. In humid environments, it may be worthwhile at least clipping them around their bottoms to prevent them becoming fly blown. Obviously if tick toxicity occurs, your dog must be clipped to prevent death from missing a tick. • Heat stress - Dogs do cool themselves through panting rather than sweating but despite this, double coated breeds anecdotally seem more comfortable when kept a bit shorter in the hot summer months. There are other factors that contribute to heat stress, including obesity, airways (squashed face brachycephalic breeds are at a greater risk) and time of the day they are exercised. • Eyes and muzzle - Clipping around the eyes so your dog can see properly is important to prevent them accidentally running into something and getting eye trauma (corneal ulcer). Long muzzle hair increases the degree of dental disease as hair and food become trapped between the teeth more readily, so it is more hygienic to keep the hair around the muzzle short. • Sunburn - Always beware of sunburn for dogs that are white-skinned after having a full body clip. Next month, Gretta will discuss other aspects of grooming and maintenance for your dog, including dental care, ear care and nail trimming.
Dr Gretta Howard. Veterinarian Twitter: @DrGrettaVet
