Julie Sydenham – Visual Artist

Julie Sydenham - Pierrot Pining for Columbine - Mixed Media on Canvas

This work was an already ‘completed’ one that I revisted after my circus inspiration – the face already had a certain ‘sadness’ to it, so naturally adapted to that of Pierrot, longing for Columbine, who sadly has fallen for Harlequin – typical tragic love story!

Julie Sydenham - Circus on the Green, Mixed Media on Canvas

You just never know where your mind will take you next? After the recent series I finished for ‘When I Grow Up’ I particularly enjoyed working on the circus-inspired works. Then a gorgeous weekend in Melbourne where I visited The Mad Square exhibition and reminded myself how much I love the works of Max Beckmann (an amazingly powerful exhibition by the way), and then the circus comes to our little area of the coast to further tempt me in this direction. So, being one to listen to the universe, I’m happily exploring the circus and here is the first of many? Until I go off on another little journey I guess?

When I Grow Up - Cover of book

As always, when you think you’ve got loads of time up your sleeve, the day is upon you before you know it!

The When I Grow Up launch is tonight and I’m unusually nervous and excited.

As artists we always carry with us a huge bundle of self-doubt, combined with the fact that these works have been put into a prototype of a children’s story book and the possibility of publishing is being seriously investigated… all new and different for me!

So, that feeling that I’m on the edge of something is niggling inside and I’m really looking forward to seeing just what happens next…

Flower Girl - Julie Sydenham 2011

With my upcoming exhibition works completed I’m feeling liberated and inspired.

I have been enjoying playing with patterning, textures and layers, as well as complementary colours, and this work includes the face of a young girl – ‘The Flower Girl’ I’m calling her.

Even though it’s quite illustrative, I’m enjoying the contrast between the loose background and the details of the face.

With just over 2 weeks before my next exhibition… ‘When I Grow Up’ at Cupitt’s Winery,  which launches on 25th Nov, and I’m unusually right on track with all but the final touches left on all 15 works.

I’ve also pretty much sorted the story book layout, which is one of the goals of this exhibition. The completed artworks will illustrate the narrative that my daughter Jasmine and I wrote together. To see the works published in a children’s book will be a delight indeed!

With any luck I will have a prototype of the book ready for the launch, and will therefore be able to gauge feedback from the viewers. Hopefully they’ll like it!

When I Grow Up - Exhibition by Julie Sydenham 2011

For the first time in quite a while I’ve had my head down working on a collection of works for my exciting new exhibition at Cupitt’s Winery.

‘When I Grow Up‘ is a series of works based on the narrative of a child’s dream of growing up; the works depict a childlike playfulness.

It’s always been an ambition of mine to illustrate a storybook, and I’m toying with the idea of turning this exhibition into a small children’s book? Food for thought…

Join me at the launch – 5.30-7pm Friday 25th November at Cupitt’s Winery Tasting Room for light refreshments.

What should I paint? This very question goes through my head each time I finish a work or series, and I need to embark on a new creation. As an artist I constantly strive to grow and improve – is this a hindrance or a help? Should I be focusing on just the one thing or should I always be trying new things. Of course I know the answer to this – of course it’s not that black and white – I’m really just procrastinating because my mind doesn’t know which way to go.

As always, I keep being drawn in one direction. I just can’t seem to help myself. I love so many different styles of art, and quite fittingly, I get very inspired by many different artists and objects. However, my heart always races just that little bit more when I see gorgeous patterns. Fabric, wall paper, paper, glass, mosaic, ceramic… it doesn’t matter where or what, I simply love pattern. Even the intricate patterns on the underside of a leaf or rock will stop me in my tracks for a while. Walking into a stationery shop in Florence or a ceramics studio in San Gimignano were particular heart-stopping moments in my memory banks.

I’ve been drooling over gorgeous Japanese and Indian papers lately and several of these have made their way into my artworks. I’m also getting the urge to create more ceramics. I have such a passion for the highly glazed surface of ceramic pieces and unpacking that kiln at the end of a firing always feels a bit like unwrapping a special gift. Even after all these years of cracking the kiln, I hold my breath as I lift the lid and anticipate the sea of colours that I’m about to behold. It’s very inspiring. We all need to feel passionate about the things we do. And patterns do it for me!

So….  I’ve been loving the fluid acrylics, but finding them a little frustrating trying to achieve soft blended details. Back to my oils and I’m once again back on track.

This is the work ‘Charli wouldn’t go to bed with out her fairy wings‘, up to it’s fifth layer at least, but starting to head in a direction I’m happy with. Lots more detail to go…

Vincentia Landscape - View from the stable.

This is the second of the two works completed at an amazing workshop with Flora Bowley from Portland, USA.

Again using the fluid acrylics combined with my normal acrylics.

Liking the layering (without the wait of oils), but then again, maybe the waiting is good… gives me time to ponder?

Lemon Tree

I’ve been experimenting a lot lately with the new fluid acrylics. Interesting…

I’ve always been a huge fan of oils and whilst I might enjoy the quick drying time of acrylics on occasions, I’m a complete devotee of blending and texturing with oil colours.

So these new fluid acrylics came along; beautiful rich pigments, highly blendable and quick dying – almost too quick at times! I’m setting myself the challenge of working with them like I would with oils, but in hyper-fast-forward mode.

The jury’s still out…