Rainforest Gecko

The theme for the Maleny Printmakers exhibition at Mary Cairncross was Reptiles and Amphibians. My Rainforest Gecko linoprint was based on the Southern Spotted Gecko which does live in the reserve. My idea was to do a print that would fit nicely into a readily available commercial A2 frame, however an A2 frame that I was happy about wasn’t so easy to come by. I could get an A2 frame, but I really wanted an A2 mat with frame. Getting a frame made for that size was a bit pricey for a linoprint. It remains unframed and I’m waiting for an opportunity – there must be one somewhere!

Regent Bowerbird

I have done quite a few mirrored images photographically, but this is the first one using linocut. Needless to say, it is much easier to to do photographically where you just flip the images around in Photoshop and get them in the right place. My phone is a master at it and can instantly split a photograph into many repeated sections to make kaleidoscopes! I’m impressed.

However, a linoprint involved a bit more work. I could tackle the linocut in two ways. I could mirror the four images images in Photoshop, transfer the image to lino and laboriously cut the four images. Alternatively I could cut two of the images and print them, and then reposition the lino and print them a second time onto the same piece of paper. I opted for the first method and extra cutting rather than deal with the registration issues involved in the latter.

The print was made for the Feathers of the Forest exhibition at Mary Caircrosss Scenic Reserve, Maleny. The Regent Bowerbird is one of the many species that frequent this small rainforest. It is a striking bird, and deserved a striking print.

Collectables 2018

For a few years now the Maleny Printmakers have held their Collectables exhibition. The prints are very small – paper size 135mm high  x 115mm wide, but it is getting a following and it is also a chance to buy fellow printmakers work at a very reasonable price. And, it is a lot of fun.  Tatty Cat and Cute Corgi were my two linocuts for the exhibition and although I think they are both very cute, cats certainly outsell dogs. 

Wake up – Time to fly

I’m not really a lover of bats, but after using the Mary Cairncross Interpretation Centres taxidermied flying fox as my model, I would have to admit that they really are cute little creatures. The above work was made for the After Dark exhibition with the Maleny Printmakers at the centre. What a venue, with its magnificent view to the Glasshouse Mountains and constant stream of curious people. 

 Straw-necked Ibis

Straw-necked Ibis is currently touring with the Bimblebox 153 Birds exhibition organised by artist and environmentalist Jill Sampson. 153+ artists have produced prints of birds that use the Bimblebox Reserve in Queensland as their home. The works are accompanied by audio works of writers, and bird sounds recorded by musicians. The reserve is under threat from Adani mining and so far the exhibition has raised consciousness for this habitat with exhibitions at Impress Printmakers, the State Library of Queensland, Gympie Regional Gallery, Mary Cairncross Reserve Interpretation Centre, Maleny, Gladstone Regional Gallery and Griffith University, Brisbane.