Street art

Madrid Skyline

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Madrid Skyline

Fortunately in 2018 during a visit to southern France, my sister suggested a rendez-vous in Madrid with her flying in from London and me training down from San Sebastian.

Prior to this suggestion I hadn’t really had the “Madrid Urge” and had simply pidgeon-holed the city as somewhere I didn’t need to go this life time. How wrong was I?!

My favourite tour guide in the world, my grandma, had told me about The Prado, Museo Reina Sofa and others, but I thought it might be a bit boring. Very very off point!

Just like MOMA in New York, The Lourve in Paris and the Tait in London, the art galleries in Madrid are the holy grail for artists. As is the many hundreds of art galleries, street art and culture.

I feasted on the visual sights and fed my soul.

The hotel we were staying in had a fantastic roof top bar, fashioned from a van.

I am not sure how it got up there but it was a funky addition to the central hotel. From the skyline one’s eye could stretch out over Madrid. It wasn’t until that first encounter with the skyline that I appreciated how BIG Madrid was.

What also expanded my view on Madrid was the myriad of steeples telling the story of Madrid’s rich history.

I sat and painted trying to capture the chapters of history unfolding before me silhouetted against a European Autumn sky.

Over the next two days were visited the famous fish and food markets, otherwise known as Mercado de San Miguel. Small food vendours offer incredible pinxos and tintos from all over Spain, but particularly Madrid in flavours. I loved it!

From sea urchins, to fish tartare to Octapus and deserts. It is a lively market and well worth the visit.

The skyline has always been something I wanted to capture large scale and whilst I haven’t based my current exhibition around this theme, I could and never run out of subject matter.

The piece I will be presenting at my upcoming pop up art exhibition is one that captures the skyline and the fish market in one. Zoom in on the bottom right and you will see the seafood that Spain is infamous for whilst the eyes are drawn to the intriguing spirals of the Madrid sky, very much like mine were.

Oil on Canvas

101 x 101 cm

Stretch Canvas

$1800

Samantha Beau in the paper for her Christmas Street Chalk

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Having painted over my very popular street chalk and community board, I felt an urge to give one more to the street and my community.

Boldly I decided to go straight onto the fence.

One of my children sprung me mid -drawing and gave me a “mum, do you have to do that? It’s so embarrassing!”

So with much love, I thought I would ask the local newspaper for their take on it. That thought it would make a wonderful Christmas Day Article.

So that is how it ended up, front page of the Gold Coast Bulletin.

The FULL ARTICLE IS here.

The image was inspired by a post made by the Dartmouth pub on face book.

Author: Amanda Robbemond

Publication: Gold Coast Bulletin

Publication Date: December 2018

The Bali Art scene is Alive and Well

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There is so much to visually feast on in Bali and the art scene is stimulating and exciting. I have  captured some market art, some street art and some artists.

Bali Street Art

Wandering through the streets of Bali, passing rice paddies, cows, children playing, men working, there is so much to see and take in but it would be a shame not to notice the street art. It is beautiful and far from “grafetti” in a vandolism sense.

It is beautiful, heart felt art.

Signs

I am not too sure if it the Balinese Hinduism that comes across so eloquently in the many signs, but all of them seem like little positive affirmation messages from the universe.

These are but a handful from this visit.

Bali is predominantly Hindu and signs express their witty, poignant interpretation of a beautiful faith. I love keeping an eye out for signs.

Zenny henny Penny

Market Art

The many markets can offer some incredible art and are definitely worth a look if you are considering taking home a piece.

Artists

Bali is a creative hub and draws in world class artists. Some have their own galleries, others sell on-line and others sell into larger galleries.

I discovered Harry Holiday this trip around in Canguu (his exhibition room is at Deus). With many original funky pieces I found it really hard to settle on three to bring home. Priced really well, you can take home a print or an original lacquered treasure.

Doors and Openings

What can I say? Only a trippy space cadet or architect would notice doors and arch ways and I DO!

Bali has an incredible array of door sizes, door ways, hinges, styles and arches. I am so fascinated with many that I photograph them. Some of them really capture my imagination and I drift off wondering what is behind the door… a fantasy world, a cloud, maybe it’s a door to another dimension. HA, you can see, I am a pixie and love doors. Here are a few from last visit.