Sculpture of Harry

Now that the bronze sculpture of Harry has been officially unveiled, viewed and admired by many I thought that I would post some photographs.

Local sculptor, Peter McGee, spent twelve months making and preparing his work in clay with the input and guidance from the wonderful instructors at the Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School.


Tom Bass would regularly stop by to peruse the work conducted by students at the school. Peter greatly appreciated advice offered by Tom.



Peter has already commenced his next work . . . another sculpture of Harry, in miniature, of course. We think Peter may have found his artistic ouvre.

http://www.tombasssculptureschool.org.au


All images Copyright © 2004 - 2010 Rosanna Jurisevic

Printmaking Classes

A number of people have asked when would I start to conduct classes . . .

Having considered this proposal and searched for a suitable well equipped venue, I'm happy to say that printmaking classes will commence February 2008.

A a six week program for 8-9 students, this will be available shortly. At this stage the following details have been confirmed.

Saturday 10am - 1pm

Warringah Printmakers Studio, Manly Vale

Warringah Printmakers Studio is a designated print studio only, offering a fully equipped studio space with four well maintained printing presses.

The best feature of this studio is the underlying philosophy that strongly supports a less toxic method for making etchings and prints. All friendly to maintaining the longevity and wellbeing of the printmaker including the environment!

Printmaking techniques and methods that encourage safe practice will be a feature of this class.

Stay posted, more details will follow . . . contact me if you would like to join the class.

A Break Overseas

After four weeks away life has almost returned back to what one might call normal. However, had never truly realised just how busy 'normal' really was until now.

My time away was spent in Slovenia, a small gem of a country nestled in central Europe sharing borders with Italy and Austria.

During my stay I managed to move around the countryside as much as I possibly could in an attempt to see as much of this beautiful and unique part of the world. Travelling in Slovenia is certainly much easier if you have access to a car. I am indebted to the many generous people who drove, taking me to see as much as I did.

The photographs here are just a very small selection of my holiday snaps.

Well now back home, guess it's back to work, there are number of projects and deadlines all looming and due
. . . yes things are back to normal.


All images Copyright © 2004 - 2010 Rosanna Jurisevic

Small Works Little Treasures

The exhibition opening was fabulous!

A big thank you to everyone who came to be part of the event and thank you to everyone who helped make this exhibition such a success! It couldn't have happened without you all.

The interest, positive comments and support for my work was just lovely.

Always a challenge to place oneself on public display, especially with a solo show. In many ways it's somewhat easier doing this with a group of artists.

It’s always heartening when the experience is so positive.

For the duration of the exhibition, some 200 people came through to have a look at the artwork.


‘The Sydney Morning Herald’ kindly ran a piece about my art and the printmaking demonstration for the following Saturday.



The demonstration was also well attended with 15 people watching and asking wonderful questions about prints, plates and process.


Surprisingly the following day, eight people came requesting another demonstration. Luckily I still had my kit with me an was able to oblige.


Overall twelve people signed up for printmaking classes. All very encouraging I must say.

In the excitement of it all, I had neglected to ask someone to take pictures of the opening or the demonstrations.


So during some quieter moments I took the photos that appear here.

Will certainly do this again. And next time will make sure that pictures are taken during the opening.




All images Copyright © 2004 - 2010 Rosanna Jurisevic

Small Works Little Treasures

Printmaking Demonstration

Saturday 28th July
2pm - 4pm

View the exhibition on the day 10am - 4pm
Sunday 29th July 12 - 4pm
Regard Gallery
372 Wilson Street Darlington NSW

Making prints is a process filled with traditions. Dating back centuries in the East with Japanese woodblock printing and in the West when used to decorate suits of armour and swords.

The methods and techniques used to make prints can be an alchemical mystery as in etching or as direct as finding an interesting piece of wood to ink up and print. One can transfer the image from a plate or block to paper by using a printing press or a wooden spoon. Printmaking has endless combinations and variations. Which ever method is utilised, the end result is a piece of art that is hand made and unique.

Come along and see how a small part of this happens!

The demonstration will be of relief printmaking techniques using wood, lino and corrugated cardboard with a discussion of the processes involved in the making of the prints on exhibition. There will be plates on display as well as a number of the tools used in developing a matrix in readiness for making art.

The image above, 'In Too Deep' is a reduction woodblock (sometimes, in jest, called a suicide block) print. The nature of repeatedly carving the block away with each printing of colour, eventually will render the block destroyed at the completion of printing. 'In Too Deep' has six different colours, which means it was carved away five times before it's demise.

Very sadly, Regard Gallery has suffered some structural damage with the recent turbulent weather in Sydney and is undergoing urgent repairs for the duration of this exhibition.

All images Copyright © 2004 - 2010 Rosanna Jurisevic

Small Works Little Treasures

Opens Saturday 21st July 2pm - 5pm
Regard Gallery
372 Wilson Street
Darlington NSW
(cnr Codrington Street)

Have just finished hanging all the artwork in preparation for the exhibition opening. With expert advice and a lot of help from my friend Helen Clare, all 33 little works look wonderful sitting (and singing) next to each other. Helen has always said that an exhibition has to 'sing'.

To have an exhibition 'sing', Helen considers that all the artwork must compliment each other, working together to shine, sparkle and finally sing. Over the years, I have joined Helen many times to hang exhibitions just to learn how to make art sing. A skill to learn in deed!

My heartfelt thanks to Helen, I could not have hung this show without her generous guidance.

All images Copyright © 2004 - 2010 Rosanna Jurisevic

Another Exhibition

Very pleased to say that my work has been again accepted for exhibition at Lessedra Gallery in Sofia Bulgaria. The work which will be on show are the images of scribbly gum featured in 'Eucalyptus rossi' shown in an earlier post.

Here is a fragment of Eucalyptus rossi II.

Click on this link to learn more about scribbly gums, http://www.anbg.gov.au/anbg/insects/ogmograptis.html

All images Copyright © 2004 - 2010 Rosanna Jurisevic

Solo Exhibition

I have been very very busy over the past number of weeks. Busy working on the preparations for my very first solo exhibition. After having my artwork selected and shown in over 65 national and international exhibitions during the past three years . . . the time has come to go it alone! All very exciting!

The exhibition will showcase many of my miniature artworks, these will include images of forests, myths, petals, icebergs and abstract.

The gallery itself is a terraced former corner shop making it an intimate one room space - perfect for small works.

The little print off to the right titled 'Octopus', is one which will be included in the exhibition. There is a wealth of narrative tales and mythology that encircles the octopus. Of giant terrifying beasts that sink ships to erotic tentacled seducers with carnal desires and when threatened will disappear into an inky pool that also serves to scare. My little octopus is currently in hiding having just released his inky camouflage in hope of being scary.

'Petals Orange' is another work which will be included, this work was selected for exhibition in Bulgaria last year. Floating petals always remind me of autumn days of petals swirling and floating about in the wind with dappled sunlight shining through. You will note that the imagery of floating petals features in a number of my works from small to large.

In all I will have some 50 or so works on show and available for purchase. A number will be framed with the majority presented already matted, ready for framing.

The exhibition opens Saturday 21st July 2-5pm at 'Regard Gallery' 372 Wilson Street Darlington, NSW.

The following Saturday 28th July 2-4pm, I will be at the gallery demonstrating printmaking and discussing the processes involved in the making of the prints on exhibition.

All images Copyright © 2004 - 2010 Rosanna Jurisevic

Commissioned

After viewing a number of proofs offered for selection, the local sculptor chose the artwork featured on the left for his 'One Man and a Dog' Exhibition invitation card. He liked the warmth of the chocolate shadow and the sunny yellow background. He especially liked the addition of the swinging lead. I think the lead nicely joins and connects the two together (and makes the shadow Harry more 'dog-like').

Proofs were made using three woodblocks registered and carved in a traditional Japanese woodcut technique. Each block was carved, rolled with ink and then hand printed using a ball-bearing baren. The print featured here uses only two blocks. There were a number of proofs with the third block representing a shadowed gravel road layer over the chocolate and yellow. However, the sculptor preferred the crispness of this image.

The sculpture of Harry is life-sized and is currently at the foundry being cast in bronze. When ready, an unveiling ceremony and exhibition will be held at the Tom Bass Sculpture Studio.

All images Copyright © 2004 - 2010 Rosanna Jurisevic

Harry the Muse

Baby Harry Young Harry Old Harry

My little Harry dog is now 15 and a half years old. He has been part of the family from the time he came to live with us at 5 weeks old.

His hearing and eyesight are not what they once were, I suppose that can be said of all of us. However, he is still quite sprightly for an old dog. A miniature Fox Terrier with all the qualities possessed by a much larger dog.



He has become quite a well known character within the local community with a standing invitation for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday at our neighbours front yard.

Harry and friends at breakfast

Harry likes playing with his squeaky toys, eating, taking naps (especially in the sun), shredding paper, his blanket, going for long walks in the park, car rides, being patted, nibbling my honeysuckle vine and being with me.

Harry dislikes cats, water, sailing, cats, thunder (though now that he is a little deaf he doesn't seem to notice this as much), being picked up, cats and he doesn't like foxes either.


Most of my drawings of him are done while he is asleep, it has been difficult to capture him awake as he is rarely still. This drawing was transferred to a light sensitive polymer plate, etched onto the plate using UV light and processed in water. Once the plate is cured and dried it is inked and printed as you would with any other etched plate using a printing press.

An earlier small lino cut print of Harry has been reworked an into a larger image as a woodcut print with an addition of a red pillow.

The image was carved onto three woodblocks, a separate woodblock was carved for each colour. Traditional Japanese woodcut technique was used for registration and carving, the blocks were rolled with water-based letterpress inks and the image was hand printed onto Japanese paper using a ball-bearing baren.


Here's Harry concentrating while at work posing for the little lino cut and the larger woodcut. He certainly does work hard!

I have been commissioned by a local sculptor to make an image to be featured on the invitation card for his upcoming 'One Man and a Dog' Exhibition. Last Winter, Harry regularly posed for this sculptor during a number of studio sessions. After removing his little red coat, his only requirement was that the heater be turned up high.

Here is the preliminary artwork in preparation for carving a woodblock to print. It's based on a photograph taken of shadows cast in early morning sunlight.

Harry featured on the right.

It must be hard work being a muse in such high demand, guess that must be why he takes so many siesta breaks.

You know what they say about sleeping dogs. . .


All images Copyright © 2004 - 2010 Rosanna Jurisevic

An Experiment

Yesterday I tried something new.

In the past, lithography was a method that I had not had an opportunity to practice and had also been somewhat reluctant to try. The use of so many chemicals toxic and hazardous to health had always created a barrier for me in trying this method of printmaking. As lithography depends on the principle of water repelling the oiliness of inks, the stone or plate is specifically prepared to do this using chemical processes.

So yesterday I played around with a lithographic process that is waterless, using silicone instead of water to resist ink. The end result with this process is the same as with traditional lithography without the use of so many chemicals. Waterless lithography was specifically developed as a less toxic method of producing lithographic prints.

Here is an image of the work created.


The plate is prepared and an image is drawn directly onto the plate using water-soluble materials. A very thin layer of silicone is applied and cured. The plate is then washed, dried, inked and printed onto dry paper using a printing press.

I am pleased with this first attempt and plan to experiment some more with this method.

All images Copyright © 2004 - 2010 Rosanna Jurisevic

Eucalyptus rossii

Eucalyptus rossii I

The patterns seen on the Eucalyptus rossii, commonly known as 'Scribbly Gum', are the remains of tracks left by the larvae of the Ogmograptis scribula moth. As the larvae grow they burrow a tunnel leaving a scar on the bark.









Eucalyptus rossii II

Eventually the Ogmograptis scribula moth finally burrows out from under the bark leaving small exit holes on the tree bark.







Eucalyptus rossii III

All three art works were created using two plates. First a collagraph plate was inked in green and printed. Then a drypoint perspex plate was inked in ochre red printed on top of the green image.




Fragments of these images appeared as bookmarks for a Bookmark Exchange in 2005. There were 275 artists from 30 countries participating.

Each artist printed 11 bookmarks to a specified size, making 3025 in total for the organisers to sort out. Each participating artist then received 10 randomly selected bookmarks in exchange.

Visit this link http://www.estampe.be/exchange/book2005/index.html click on 'Gallery w thumbnails' to have a look at some very beautiful bookmarks. These were later exhibited in a number of galleries in Belgium.

All images Copyright © 2004 - 2010 Rosanna Jurisevic

International Miniature Print Exhibition 2007

Little Orange

I'm very pleased to say that for the second time, my work (pictured above) has been selected for exhibition in the prestigious 6th International Miniature Print Exhibition 2007. The Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Connecticut USA, conducts this juried exhibition as a biennial event. This year David Kiehl, Curator of Prints, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York was juror selecting works for exhibition. Click on the following link http://www.contemprints.org/Exhibitions_Current.cfm to read his Jurors Statement.

Below is the print that was selected for exhibition in 5th International Miniature Print Exhibition 2005.

Floating Fall

All images Copyright © 2004 - 2010 Rosanna Jurisevic

Some New Work . . .

Over the past year or so, I have been working, intermittently, on a project that involves images of Polar/Arctic landscapes. So far I have made a number of etchings as miniatures. These will feature as part of an artists handmade book. A number of images will be available as separate editioned prints.

This body of work spans a wide range from miniature prints to very large Arctic landscapes printed with multiple woodblocks.

Below is a small scale woodblock landscape depicting one of the larger landscapes still in planning stages. For this project, as the scale of imagery is so large, I am working out the process through a series of smaller woodblocks.


I'll post some images as soon as I have something completed. This will take some time as this large work is very much still in progress.

All images Copyright © 2004 - 2010 Rosanna Jurisevic