juliemiaowl: Waterhouse Finalist Plunders Beach

EXCITING NEWS!!!!

I'm a finalist in the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize!!!!

With this guy...

Wattle Bird, Drypoint Etching with embossing.

This is kind of a big deal......

It's such an honour to be selected. In the last couple of years the competition has had some gorgeous, inspiring work.

AND I'm going to head down to Adelaide for the opening (any excuse for a mini break!).

Fingers crossed!

In other news.....

I've been plundering treasures from my local beaches! So many treasures! Sponges, corals, shells, rocks, and other crazy sea weedy bits. I've been working on some new etching plates called 'Flotsam and Jetsam'.

Aluminium plates ready to go...

I used a Dremel (small hand held drill) for the first time to make the marks on the plate. It was SO much fun! I think i might have annoyed the neighbours a little with all the noise but you can get some great textures and strong lines.

Here's the first proof printed.

Pretty happy with it. :)

Flotsam & Jetsam, first proof

Here are a few photos from the last beach plundering expedition.

It's such a beautiful time of year down here. Especially on dusk. That Southerly breeze was a little too icy for my liking though....

This is my secret treasure bay spot....shhhh....

I've been thinking about how corals and sponges and other sea plants mimic the shapes of our own human organs.

There is something about the ocean, a large body of water, encompassing all those corals and sponges and other filtering plant life and secrets, just as our own bodies hold the secrets of our organs under the surface.

I can't get enough of the textures and forms, so many beautiful and varied things to draw!

The randomness of things washed up on the shore, as if the sea is belching up it's organs.