Ten new artworks by Jim Shirlaw

Below is a body of recent studio-based and plein air studies, mainly exercises to experiment a bit with one of my favourite medium combos (acrylic and oil pastel) and training the eye once more as it's been a while since trekking out with the drawing board into nature ie National Art School training. Most of these works were initialised during the 'time out of town' holiday l so thoroughly enjoyed back in February this year; documented earlier in the blog in photos (around April l think).
Looking to keep the plein air work going into winter, currently living in city exile until the end of the year so there's still plenty of inspiration in the outdoors til that time.. These landscapes have been keeping me busy the last couple of months as well as darting into a new a portrait sketchbook, once again mainly drawing exercises to get back into shape. The concepts mentioned very early in this blog (February, March) are still much alive ie Interiors, Exteriors, certain mystical investigations etc just needed to see what l was capable of visually atm before tackling the big ideas once more :)

Jim S

Aerial Study for ‘Haymarket Wings’

Acrylic and oil pastel on paper
61 x 80 cm

Study for Housing Outcomes
Acrylic and oil pastel on paper
42 x 63 cm

Coffs Harbour Study at Dawn/s
Acrylic and oil pastel on paper
66 x 89cm

Study for Stolen Monument
Acrylic and oil pastel on paper
51 x 63cm

Oceanic Study at Dawn(s)
Acrylic and oil pastel on paper
52 x 85cm

Study for Red, Blue, Green and Gold
Acrylic and oil pastel on paper
67 x 102cm

Study for Housing Outcomes III
Acrylic and oil pastel on paper
61 x 63cm

Woodpile Study I
Acrylic and oil pastel on paper
56 x 76cm

Woodpile Study II
Acrylic and oil pastel on paper
57 x 76cm

Coastal Study on Overcast Day

Acrylic and oil pastel on paper
52 x 68 cm

Recent artwork for The Preachers

Lately i've been involved with Sydney band The Preachers creating artwork for both their upcoming '66 Project' release as well as for it's recording wrap party, last night (01.06.11) at Low 302 Crown St Darlinghurst. Involving a recording process over six months with the objective of creating six accomplished recordings, The 66 Project consists of largely self-produced/engineered home recordings by the band's members as well as in some of Sydney's most well-accredited studios including BJB's Quad Eight Room and 301. The project also sought to reach out and involve a varied collection of artists and designers including Saint Augustine Academy, Tara Cook, myself and many others. Below is the poster for the wrap party as well as the front and reverse cover of the album art l made which the band reproduced with a copy of the album into a limited run of one hundred copies as a special free give away at the party last night. The seemingly lo-fi analog recordings pieced together from various studio and home recordings contributed to the hand-drawn aesthetic on my part, the band seemed pleased with the visual translation. It was a very busy and exciting night to a band that have well earned their loyal following!

Jim S

More time out of town

Following on from my previous post about this time last month 'Time out of Town' here's a few new images fresh from development as well as a few that were discarded from the last post; some may seem more obvious than others in that department.. Shots were taken in Newcastle, Western Sydney, Wollongong, Coffs Harbour, Ballina etc. all in New South Wales, Australia.

Jim S

UTS Ku-ring-gai

My last eighteen months have been tied up completing post-grad studies at the UTS Ku-ring-gai Campus' in Sydney's North Shore. The campus is housing it's final intake of students before the university apparently sells it on to the military next year and all classes are moved to the city campus at Ultimo. The campus and at times the journey through the North Shore is an eerie experience. Below are a series of photos took in between classes and in transit to and fro, mainly during April this year. The UTS Ku-ring-gai campus itself is a an incredible modernist monolith, reminiscent of the minimalist architecture of the 1960's and 70s that you get the feeling was celebrated as visionary in it's day while seeming much the opposite now; though l think contemporary architecture still takes plenty of its cues from this perioud, there is largely the feeling in the campus halls that this enormous castle conceived with the greatest expectations has now been utterly forgotten; hiding these days in a bed of eucalyptus trees, camouflaged already for the military occupation next year..

Jim S

Temperamental Analogue

It's been a challenge recently to get more than one decent shot out of a role of medium-format when using the flash in dark environments on the Lomo Diana F+; it's been OK before but not anymore. One of my loves of analogue treatment with anything, (and l suppose one of it's universal laws) is that it helps you to sometimes come up with more creative and eventually satisfying solutions to getting around problems. The two examples below demonstrate the simple cut and paste when using two photos that individually are nothing special. Sure, the process/idea isn't amazing but l thought l should share them as l do like the finished result and if you're in a similar situation and wasting heaps of money on bad film results try something similar!

The first shot/s is of Domeyko Gonzalez during performance from Thursday May 19 at General Store for Contemporary Art, the opening of James Kerr's new exhibition.

Domeyko/Gonzalez

The second a friend took of me and i've since adapted it as an early portrait for my upcoming 'Sex Tape' music initiative, further more to come on that subject..

Sex Tape

Farewell The Rat House

Having just moved home again; here are a number of shots from my previous home in Sydney Australia's Central Business District. Originally a wool-processing plant, then a chocolate factory, then (according to legend) a brothel and gambling house and then finally our house; generally about five to six people called it home at any one time; l lived here for about fifteen months.

R.I.P

GOLDSTEIN

01.01.90 - 01.05.11

It is with great sadness l write this evening's post, my beloved 1990 Mitsubishi Pajero 'Goldstein' aka 'Battle Axe' passed away late last evening (01.05.11) from natural causes on Warringah Rd at approximately 11:30pm.

Mechanics worked quickly on the scene but were not able to revive her from sudden critical organ failure. She will be remembered fondly by many close friends and Sydney musicians/artisans as a powerful and faithful mode of transport to gigs, exhibitions, trips away and special events from Kings X to Melbourne, recently even seen as far north as Brisbane!




She will be missed by many,

Jim S