Taking a line for a walk…

Posted: 7 August 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Artists, Inspiration | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

 

‘Art does not reproduce what we see; rather, it makes us see.’

– Paul Klee (1879-1940)

 

Paul Klee

 

Paul Klee, Der Held mit dem Flugel, 1905, etching

 

Paul Klee, Zwitschermaschine, 1922, monotype

 

‘There is no way to make a drawing – there is only drawing. Anything you can project as expressive in terms of drawing – ideas, metaphors, emotions, language structures – results from the act of doing. Drawing is a verb.’

– Richard Serra (b. 1939)

 

Richard Serra

 

Richard Serra, Lead Piece, 1968, lead

 

Richard Serra, Dreiser, 2010, paint stick on paper

 

On Saturday 28 July I had the pleasure of conducting a drawing workshop at Bendigo Art Gallery.

One of the workshop participants was Ann Jones, who has a morning show on ABC Radio.

Ann interviewed me for her morning show and you can see pictures of the workshop, read more about her experience, as well as listen to our conversation about drawing, via the ABC blog site by clicking here.

 

Rona Green, Ghost and Ghouls, 1994, monotype

 

Rona Green, Qazaq, 2011, ink and pencil on paper

 

I’ll leave you to enjoy a slice of the cross hatching King, Robert Crumb…

 

 

Well hello, sailor!

Posted: 12 March 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Rona | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

 

Savvy old school sailors

 

‘The fame of heroes owes little to the extent of their conquests and all to the success of the tributes paid to them.’

– Jean Genet (1910-1986)

 

Portrait of Jean Genet by Richard Avedon

 

I have a bit of a soft spot for sailors.

 

Rona Green, Rusty Steel, 2009, linocut, ink & watercolour, 38 x 28 cm, edition 13

 

Several of my pictures salute the sailor man including Greasy Rhys, as well as his mates Rusty Steel and Topsy Turner.

 

Rona Green, Topsy Turner, 2009, linocut, ink & watercolour, 38 x 28 cm, edition 13

 

Part of the inspiration for these works is the flash of master tattoo artist, Norman ‘Sailor Jerry’ Collins.

 

Norman 'Sailor Jerry' Collins (1911-1973)

 

An example of Sailor Jerry tattoo flash

 

I am certainly not alone in my admiration of the sailor – other fans include:

 

Herman Melville, author.

 

Friedrick Ledebur as Queequeg in the 1956 movie adaptation of the 1851 novel Moby Dick by Herman Melville

 

Jean Genet, novelist, playwright, poet, essayist and political activist.

 

Querelle of Brest by Jean Genet

 

Otto Griebel, artist.

 

Otto Griebel, Ship Boilerman, 1920, oil on canvas

 

Paul Klee, artist and musician.

 

Paul Klee, Sinbad the Sailor, 1928, watercolour on paper

 

David Bowie, renaissance man.

 

Aye aye, David Bowie!

 

Tom of Finland, artist.

 

Tom of Finland, Sailors, 1985, pencil on paper

 

Jean Paul Gaultier, fashion designer.

 

Advertisement for Jean Paul Gaultier's 'Le Male'

 

One of the things that particularly tickles my fancy about Navy culture is sailors nicknames.

Crew mates are given monikers such as ‘Chalky’ White, ‘Nosey’ Parker and ‘Smokey’ Cole.

 

John 'Dusty' Rhodes and Bindie

 

The following print is a tribute to my great uncle, John ‘Dusty’ Rhodes (and it’s a tip of the hat to Bindie as well!).

 

Rona Green, Dusty Rhodes, 2011, linocut, ink & watercolour, 76 x 56 cm, edition 23

 

You may have noticed the 8 balls on Dusty’s hands – these are a reference to the character Bean, in the movie Cadence.

 

Charlie 'Bean' Sheen (pictured left) in Cadence

 

It’s time for me to sail away so i’ll leave you in the capable hands of Turbonegro, performing their song Sailor Man…

 

 

And here’s a bonus sailor:

 

A hirsute seafarer

 

Hold fast!