Hello and welcome
Art at Metro Quays
This year, 2008, has been a very exciting and busy year and doesn’t look like slowing down. It started off with sharing a gallery space for six months in Townsville City Mall, as the Gallery I showed with over the last 15 years closed. I had very positive response to my work in the City so I decided to open my own gallery Sylvia Ditchburn Fine Art Gallery at Metro Quays 86 Ogden Street, which is only a step away from the Mall. As they say you can’t sell a secret. As there are already two art outlets at Metro Quays – NQ Potters Fired Up North and Martas Gallery – an art cluster will attract people to the area. A flyer to promote Art at Metro Quays and advert to coincide with the art segment in ‘Townsville eye’ will alert Townsville folk to our presence.
I moved in on the 1 July and opened for business on Friday 11 July. The space is beautiful and lends itself well to presenting paintings. Ken and I spent a lot of time setting up with cleaning, hanging rails and painting. Lights were already installed and air conditioner along with tiled floor and entrance carpet in appropriate colours and plenty of storage space. The gallery has been open for a week now and quite a few people have been through and shown interest. I am really happy with the gallery space and I hope people will support me so I can keep it going. Townsville is growing rapidly especially the CBD with a lot of units springing up so more galleries will encourage people to look for art for their walls.
To Russia with Art
The other exciting news is my trip to Russia in May this year for a solo exhibition at the Tomsk State Art Museum of 20 Australian landscape paintings. The exhibition was opened by Alan Carpenter MLA, Premier of Western Australia, who was in Tomsk on a Trade Mission. Consequently my exhibition attracted TV coverage on Russian TV and World News.
A second opening was held when I arrived a few days later, with TV and radio interviews as well as presentations to art patrons, artists, art students and Rotarians. A surreal experience. Ken and I were treated like royalty and all the people we met were very warm and friendly. There was a lot of interest in Australia so Townsville might have an influx of Tomskians after my visit. Olga, the curator, I met in Port Douglas at the APEC Women in Export Convention, had a full itinerary planned for the week we were in Tomsk and arranged for interpreters and friends to take us to all the places of interest, artist’s studios, museums and art galleries. Russians certainly like their vodka and chocolate so we had plenty of opportunities to indulge. We were in Tomsk for Victory Day, not unlike our Anzac Day, and witnessed the parades of soldiers and military bands, flags, ribbons and flowers. The support was huge and I am sure all the 500,000 people of Tomsk turned out as there were crowds in the streets.
The paintings were very well received and I can now boast I have a painting in the collection of the Tomsk State Art Museum Russia. When the exhibition closed in June Olga has continued to promote the paintings as she is confident of selling and I am pleased to say that sales have started to come through. I have to say a ‘big thank you’ to Brett Henderson of Austrade Townsville who was an enormous help with all the cultural differences I encountered and fortunately, overcame.
After a week in Tomsk we flew to St Petersburg for four days and went on tours to the Hermitage & Gold Rooms and ballet, Russian Folk Singers, Peter Paul Fortress and Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Peterhoff Palace and Fountains and tour of the city. The jewel in the crown was the Hermitage built by Catherine the Great. Words cannot describe the Hermitage as it has so much to offer and the breadth of art work is awesome. Representation of the French and Italian artists is huge. I was in seventh heaven and didn’t want to leave. Fortunately we were able to video and photograph to our hearts content so we have plenty of memory triggers.
Sylvia with favourite painting Matisse Red Room
Moscow was also amazing. A huge city of around 17 million. We met up with Ben (ex Townsville) who treated us to the Ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre to see the Spartacus, which was a luxury. The opulence of a past Russia is obvious with many beautiful chandeliers and gold columns. I am not a lover of ballet but the principal dancers were world class and the whole performance very memorable. Also managed to see a huge contemporary art show Art Moscow 2008 and the Pushkin Gallery. Both amazing. Tours to the Kremlin, St Basil’s Cathedral with its brightly coloured onion domes, the Metro’s beautiful crystal chandeliers, marble floors and columns, stained glass panels, mosaic murals and bronze sculptures. Although we were only in Moscow a few days we managed to cover a lot of ground.
Tokyo Japan
Our next stop was Tokyo in Japan. The weather was fine and we spent a day in the country at Nikko and the Shinto Shrines which I just loved the space and gardens. Ken negotiated the Metro to visit a contemporary art gallery. A huge modern building with two retrospective exhibitions and works from the collection. Not having been to Japan before I was very taken with their politeness, cleanliness and spaghetti highways.
But wait there’s more: A Townsville Olympian! I was invited to submit a painting to the Organizing Committee of Olympic Fine Arts 2008. The painting ‘Time of Falling Leaves’ was accepted for the formal worldwide exhibition in August and September 2008 in Beijing and will be collected by the Olympic Fine Arts Museum. Unfortunately I am not able to attend the ceremony especially with the offer of ten days free accommodation in Beijing is really hard to pass up. But the promise of an Olympic Gold Medal and Olympic Torch will be something to put on the mantle and brag about. I’ll keep you posted.
Also in August, I have been invited by Framed Gallery in Darwin to present a solo exhibition Art on the Wild Side. This is a collection of paintings from my travels in the outback and opens 16 August – 8 Sept. If you have any Darwin friends please get in touch with them about my show.
Why don’t you visit my gallery in Townsville.
Until next time Art Lovers
Sylvia
PS GALLERY HOURS: TUE – FRI 10-4PM; SUN 10-1PM
Sylvia Ditchburn Fine Art Gallery
Metro Quays, 86 Ogden Street,
Townsville Q 4810
+ 61 7 47243953
Sylvia @ Great Wall China 2007
Artist in Residence Paintings Redgate Studio
Bia Gao
China 2007
Time of Falling Leaves Time of Falling Leaves II
Downtown Beijing
Last year I won two submissions for Ephemeral Public Art. The first was “Past in the Present” a lady in period dress for the Thuringowa River Festival in July and the second "Picnic on the Strand with Lamingtons" for Townsville Strand Ephemera in September. Ken helped me construct and install the pieces. Both pieces were well received by the public & the lamingtons in particular were featured on the local TV news & in the newspapers.
TITLE: IRON MAIDEN - PAST IN THE PRESENT
Materials: Wire, recycled steel
160cm high, 100cm dia at base
Concept: the painting by Georges Seurat Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La GrandeJatte 1884-86 is a post impressionist masterpiece and the inspiration for my sculpture of a lady in period dress strolling along the river bank. My intention was to make connections with a past era: the ladies of Thuringowa at Cluden races 1905, the people depicted in Seurat’s painting 1884, and the people at the 2007 Thuringowa river festival, bringing the past into the present. The site of the work was intentional as it links the relationship of the river and the people.
TITLE: PICNIC ON THE STRAND WITH LAMINGTONS
Foam blocks, carpet, paint
122cm x 122cm x 122cm
122cm x 122cm x 60cm
This work was inspired by the image of people picnicking and having fun along the Strand in front of the QCWA Holiday Units. An Australian icon and QCWA favourite, lamingtons acquired their name when first served to Lord Lamington, the Governor of Queensland. (sponsored by Norfoam & Andersens (carpets))
Palm Valley Art Camp August 2007
In August Ken & I went to Palm Valley in Central Oz on an art camp. The best landscape features along with the red escarpments were the rare Cabbage Palms & the beautiful River Red Gums with their glistening white trunks. It was great to catch up with my artist chums as well as time to do painting in the great outdoors of this wonderful country. I did quite a few paintings and will show them next year.
I was also invited to participate in the Spinal Injuries Awareness Week Art Project (SIAW). I worked with Fiona Jackson who has a spinal injury to create a painting titled Fiona's Dreaming. Fiona was an inspiration to work with and in the painting I have aimed to highlight the positive approach she has to her situation by using images of her present life and where she wants to be. The work will be showcased in November 12 - 16th at Pinnacles Gallery Foyer, Riverway.
Fiona's Dreaming
Yours in art
Sylvia
Painting at Windjana Gorge WA
A. I. R. Mulgara Gallery
Living outrageously at Uluru
CHEERS ARTLOVERS
Sylvia Ditchburn
Copyright © Sylvia Ditchburn - the artist
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Visit Sylvia and see more of her work at her Townsville Studio by appointment phone 07 4721 2602.
Painting at Lost City NT
Painted Desert SA
Northern end Heysen Trail Flinders Range SA
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