Painting Music - Top 10 Albums Since discovering the iPod I now rarely listen to whole albums while I paint as I just create play lists to suit my mood. But some albums just play well all the way through so I still use them in the studio.

Here's Ten albums that have kept me company during the completion of a painting or two..

1. Leonard Cohen - Songs of Love and Hate
   Anything by Leonard is good to paint to though.
2. Antony and the Johnsons - Antony and the Johnsons
   This self titled album is a beauty. Antony Hegarty sings like an angel. All his stuff is good.
3. The Cinematic Orchestra - Ma Fleur
   Lovely album.. how could you not love this?
4. Angus and Julia Stone - A Book Like This
   Australian brother and sister duo.
5. Eddie Vedder - Music for the Motion Picture Into the Wild
   For some reason, this album always makes me want to give away all my possessions and travel. Perhaps it's because I saw the movie.
6. Joan Valent - Insula Poetica
   Beautifully haunting music.. yum.
7. Moby - Go: The Very Best of Moby
   I sometimes need a lift in the studio.
8. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Boatman's Call
   This album has a habit of taking me back to darker times, so I'm careful how I use it.
9. Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions - Bavarian Fruit Bread
   Her Mazzy Star albums are nice too.
10. PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love
    I no longer have a working version of this CD but that's because it used to live in my studio.

I really do like a lot of different types of music though. What are your TOP albums that you couldn't live without in the studio? I need some new tunes on my itunes.

  ¶ 7:02 AM 26 comments

  Leith O'Malley Interview Here's some quotes by fellow Australian artist Leith O'Malley, from an interview here at Art and Art Ed.

"Remember there are not better artists, just better publicists!"
Leith O'Malley

"When I am creating art... I have a real sense of excitement and even enlightenment. Just me and the work. It’s still there when a painting is completed but never as strong as the point where you are still trying to fit all the pieces together be it compositional, aesthetically or the colour and tone decisions along the way."
Leith O'Malley

"Dismiss nothing unless you are informed enough about it to have an opinion. It is a lot like music.. in that there are so many different genres, ways to enjoy, interpretations and possibilities to create yourself. Don’t have your blinkers on and be open to understanding and enjoying all forms of art as in music."
Leith O'Malley  ¶ 5:41 AM 2 comments

  Art Calendar Magazine Self-Portrait Contest The Art Calendar magazine is accepting entries for their self portrait magazine cover competition. I'm not sure if artists outside of the United States can enter, but I entered it anyway. Entries are submitted online and it's free to enter, so it was pretty easy.

Here's my self portrait entry..


Here's their blurb..
"Entrants will have the chance to win one of three great prizes. Our first place winner will receive a $500 gift certificate to Blick Art Materials and have their artwork featured on the cover of the March issue of the magazine! They will also be interviewed by one of the Art Calendar editors for a one-page profile, where we’ll feature a picture of the winner and their winning work. Our second place winner will receive a $150 gift certificate to Blick Art Materials and our third place winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to Blick Art Materials. Both our second and third place finalists will have a half-page profile with an image of their work and a short biography about them inside the magazine."

Find out more about the art competition on the Art Calendar website.  ¶ 3:50 AM 3 comments

  Ten Excuses for not Posting Lately People are really good at making excuses and I'm no exception. I try not to accept my excuses though as they're usually pathetic, just like all of your excuses for not getting off your butt and doing what you really should be doing now.

Here's my pathetic excuses for not posting lately..

1. There's not enough hours in the day
2. I have been overdosing on art
3. I need a break (those close to me would find this excuse funny)
4. My head has been in the clouds
5. The blog doesn't make any money anyway (well duh, put ads on it!)
6. When I paint everyday I become sensitive to everything and everyone
7. Sometimes I have nothing to say and all the news bores me
8. I don't feel like it
9. Just because
10. C.

Here's a recent painting of Melbourne (click for larger image)..

  ¶ 4:14 PM 7 comments