Golden Brush Award Winner

Winner of the May 2009 'Golden Brush Award' goes to Faye Pini. The prize of a paintbrush set was most appreciated.

The May theme of 'Footprints' was captured in a painting titled 'Print in the Sand'.

Next months theme is 'Eyes'!

So put you thinking caps on .......... we'll see the results in a month!

Thanks To David K Rees and Wife Val

The walk through with this years judge to discuss the criteria used in judging the exhibition and provide feedback to artists was very useful and instructive. All the artists attending were delighted to have such an opportunity.

Thanks so much to David and Val for taking the time to do this! They are very gracious.

This years exhibition has been a great success and having such a reputable judge of international standing has been a real coup for our art society and gallery.

Award Winners 31st Annual Art Exhibition 2009

Click link to see list of art award winners.

Award Winners 31st Annual Art Exhibition 2009

Cooktown Annual Art Exhibition!

The art entries for our 31st Annual Art Exhibition 2009 have arrived in the gallery! Hanging commenced yesterday and continued throughout today! So many art works to display that space is a problem. We are getting more and more entries every year.

We are grateful and lucky enough to have the assistance of Lou Derry with John as her able assistant. The paintings as arranged by Lou look fantastic! Elizabeth, with her trained artists eye also helped to decide on placements. The arranging of so many diverse paintings in all mediums, styles and sizes is not easy and the depleted 'hanging committe' did a superb job.

We have so many talented artists and when dispayed to advantage the talent is truly on show.

Due to life events and accidents most members are out of commission or working below capacity. Those working - or maybe croaking in Crooktown are:

• Betty with a badly lacerated and broken finger done while launching a boat
• Elizabeth recovering from a dislocated shoulder
• Janice unwell
• Sue feeling crook
• Faye with a pinched sciatic nerve

Lou, John and Peter are fit at least and as a consequence have been doing all the hard work of lifting and placing art works.

As life goes on in spite of the exhibition other members are unavailable. They either have to work or have births, serious illness or family crisis. Somehow we do manage to put it all together every year and that is certainly an achievement.

Once the art works are judged and we have had the award presentations on opening night - this Saturday - we can take a breath and enjoy the success of our exhibition! We may even get a chance to relax and enjoy the new paintings as we 'man' the gallery over the week leading up to the Discovery Festival. Hopefully we'll also sell a few!

Hopevale Arts and Cultural Centre Opens

Members of Cooktown School of Art Society attended the opening of the Hopevale Arts and Cultural Centre and the Nganthanun Bamawi Bayan Gallery in last week. The new centre is a real asset to Hopevale community and artists.

Facelift for Gallery - Hard At Work

Pictures of the workers gardening and painting. The Elizabeth Guzsely Gallery was given a facelift in preparation for our 31st Annual Art Exhibition which opens Saturday 30th May and will be open to the public from Sunday 31st May to Monday 8th June.

Golden Brush Award Winner!

Winner of the April 2009 'Golden Brush Award' goes to Betty Clark.

The April theme of 'Raindrops' was captured in the painting titled 'Safe Under Mum's Brolly'.

Next months theme is 'Footprints'!

As our Annual Exhibition is on the first week in June we will defer the "Golden Brush Award' presentation to the second Saturday of June.

So put you thinking caps on and get inspired by footprints .......... we'll see the results in a month!

Painting PRIZE

Monthly Painting PRIZE to be 'awarded' to a painting chosen by the artists who attend the weekly painting sessions at the gallery on Saturdays at 1pm.

Paintings to be based on months 'theme'.

Theme for April: 'Raindrops'

Any ideas on Painting Prize and weekly painting sessions are welcome!

Prize: 'Acrylic Revolution' painting book by Nancy Reyner.
Seehttp://www.nancyreyner.com/book.htm or her blog athttp://www.nancyreyner.com/painting-blog/2007/10/acrylic-revolution-sold-out-second.html

Painting Session in Gallery!!!

Don't forget! We have weekly painting sessions in the gallery at 1pm.

Please come and enjoy the company of fellow artists!

You may even create a masterpiece!

Archibald Winner

Click this link to see Archibold Winning Painting

2009 Archibald Prize winner Guy Maestri Title: Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu oil on linen

Cooktown Art Forum

Cooktown Art Forum is now up on the World Wide Web.

• For open discussions on ART
• To meet other artists
• To learn something new about art
  
• To have fun and inspire creativity

Check out the forum and register for free. Start a topic! Share your knowledge!

Hope to see you!

Warwick Fuller DVD 'A Direct Approach'

Saturday 14th March was our first Art Session for 2009. We had a good turn out with several new members.

Maybe the wine and cheese was an added attraction!

We played a Warwick Fuller DVD called 'A Direct Approach'.

He demonstrates how to 'capture the light' when you have very little time before it changes.

As time is of the essence he doesn't use a turpsy wash as it wouldn't dry. He applies mixed oil paint directly to the canvas. The DVD was inspiring. We all wanted to grab a canvas and try this idea out. He captures the fleeting light effect on the bluff and the end result was a magical painting.

Warwick Fuller Web Site

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Elizabeth Guzsely Gallery Facelift!

Newly painted gallery! Thanks to the hard work of volunteers and Job Find Workers we now have a freshly painted gallery and weeded garden beds. New plantings will soon have the street scape looking fresh and inviting! The Elizabeth Guzsely Gallery sign will be replaced soon. I have added a photoshop version in the meantime! Art works are starting to fill the gallery space. New works are being created for our 31st Annual Art Exhibition in June. An exciting year ahead.

31st Annual Art Exhibition 2009

Sunday 31st May to Monday 8th June.

Prizes total over
$6,000.00

12 art award categories and a Elizabeth Guzsely Memorial Best In Show Award!

Categories, conditions and entry forms available on our web site.
Click this link for pdf files that you can print and enter!

Photos in Australian Artist Magazine show our 30th Annual Art Exhibition 2008 which was also the 20th anniversary of the Elizabeth Guzsely Gallery!

Our Members in 2007

Welcome to Cooktown Art Blog!

The news and views of the Cooktown School of Art Society Inc. We have been hard at work giving the Elizabeth Guzsely Gallery a 'facelift' for 2009.

You may have seen the Cooktown Local News photos of our volunteers and Job Find workers hard at work painting the front of the gallery. The inside gallery walls have already been painted and some of our amazing paintings are on display. As the weather improves we expect more out of town visitors to 'pop in' to the gallery. We think they will be delighted with the art works on display.