Online art gallery Bluethumb is launching a fabulous Valentine’s Day initiative this year that sees one of their best-selling artists, Sally Browne, create a limited-edition print to mark the occasion. The gorgeous work is titled ‘My Aussie Valentine,’ is bargain priced at just $99 and features a bright floral explosion of Australian natives including banksia, leucadendron, gum leaves and kangaroo paw.
‘My Aussie Valentine’ print
“I’m super excited to be collaborating with Bluethumb on this special Valentine’s Day artwork. It’s a wonderful opportunity for romantic collectors to support a great cause while surprising someone special with some ‘forever flowers’ in the form of an artwork. There will only be 14 prints available of this work ever, and they have been produced exclusively for this Bluethumb campaign,” says Sally.
The artist Sally Browne with her work
“I wanted to create a piece that people would be happy to look at long after Valentine’s Day, and it’s no secret that I’m mad about Aussie flora and fauna. Rather than red roses which are traditionally associated with love, I decided to paint an energetic still life drawing featuring our weird and wonderful native flowers in romantic reds and pinks. Aussie natives are unique, beautiful, long lasting, resilient and wild, just like true love,” says Sally.
It’s a gift that keeps on giving too with Bluethumb donating 30 per cent of profits (their commission) to The Big Issue, the well-known organisation that creates work opportunities for the homeless, disadvantaged and marginalised people.
And as a bonus for our Sydney and Melbourne readers, there is guaranteed same day delivery on February 14th provided the order is placed before 10am.
‘Created with Care’ is a unique charity event that is the result of two Australian online creative marketplaces, HandKrafted and Bluethumb, collaborating to promote their wares while raising money for those in need.
Untitled + Unfinished! by Josh Pinkus and Kim Leutwyler
Handkrafted connects buyers with Australian furniture makers while Bluethumb acts as an online gallery space for Australian artists. The charity event sees furniture makers from Handkrafted collaborate with artists from Bluethumb to create unique one-off pieces that will be auctioned off with full proceeds going to several different charities.
Flex Chair by Ben Percy and Salleigh Olsen
One such collaboration that caught our eye is the Wye River Buffet – the combined efforts of Bombora Furniture Co’s Luke Collins and contemporary artist Tanya Keenan. The funds from the sale of their piece will go to the Spirit Foundation – a charity that has been supporting the Wye River and Separation Creek communities that were devastated by bushfires recently.
Wye River Buffet by Luke Collins and Tanya Keenan
“While it may sound a little clichéd, collaboration is paramount to the success of every business and individual – it’s so important to take the time out to reflect upon and approach potential collaborators to discuss ideas and opportunities. It’s also much more fun,” says Handkrafted founder Fred Kimel who, together with Bluethumb co-founder Edward Hartley, are super impressed with the works up for auction.
“I am staggered at the outcome of these auction pieces. Every day I look at incredible art, yet these pieces are beyond my greatest expectations. They have set the bar for future artists and crafters,” says Edward.
Rainy Day in 3D by Lars Laug and Erin Nicholls
Final bids must be placed before Friday June 10. Place your bid here.
Remember when Larry La Trobe, the popular bronze statue of a dog in Melbourne’s City Square, was kidnapped? Well the woman behind some of Australia’s most iconic public art is revisiting our canine friends in her upcoming exhibition Doggerel Dreams. But even though she is famed for her humorous imagery, she says she is serious about her art.
Larry La Trobe
Pamela Irving has been telling stories through art since 1982. “I have always been a creative person, I can’t help myself. I have a compulsion to create. I love stories, my work is very narrative, so instead of writing stories I tell them through my artworks.”
Kick Up Ya Heels Harry (from Doggerel Dreams)
One of Pamela’s favourite works is Niki de Saint Phalle’s Tarot Garden, the monumental mosaic sculpture park in Tuscany. She has even created her own version on a smaller scale in her courtyard. “My courtyard is completely covered in mosaics. It’s called the Birds of a Feather Courtyard. The roof top ledges are covered in bird figurines and all the walls are covered with mosaic birds. It’s really joyous; it’s a celebration of kitsch.”
Birds of a Feather Courtyard
So kitsch in fact that when the director of Luna Park (one of the kitschiest places in Australia!) saw it, she wanted Pamela to create something similar for the park. “Luna Park was a wonderful commission which took four years to complete. Making works for the public domain is very satisfying. I have been very fortunate to get some wonderful locations for my work like the City Square and Luna Park, both iconic locations.”
Luna Park
Throughout her career she’s needed to do both commissions and her own exhibitions to make a living, but says she wouldn’t take on a project that didn’t feel right. “It’s actually quite a challenge to do some commissions and you learn a lot from doing them. Commissions make you problem solve. I don’t take commissions that require me to work in a way I am not comfortable with, for example, I would not take on a commission to do realistic portraiture, I could do it, but it’s not my natural inclination. Doing that is not fair to the client nor to myself.”
Luna Park
Although she uses humour in her pieces, she insists she takes her work seriously. “I use humour to tell my stories. I like to be happy, I try to surround myself with things and people who make me smile. Just because something is playful or humorous does not mean I am not serious about what I do. I trained formally, but my natural inclination is to work playfully.”
She also realises how motherhood has changed her style. “My work has grown and changed over the years. I have been making art full-time since 1982. Having children lightened my palette and approach to making art.“
Luna Park
Pamela’s achievements just keep on building. Not only has her sculptural mosaic Mr Logomania, the Man who Loves Words recently been acquired by the Museum of Art in Ravenna — considered the most prestigious mosaics collection in the world — she is also being exhibited alongside one of her art heroes, Sidney Nolan, at WG Art Consultants’ show Works on Paper II 2015: an exhibition of important works. Sidney is a toss-up with Arthur Boyd for Pamela’s favourite Australian artist.
“Both were very inventive, both created iconic Australian images and constantly developed their styles right up to their deaths. Both Nolan and Boyd were narrative artists too. I love the stories their works told: Australian myths, biblical myths and the Australian countryside. They both captured quintessentially Australian themes. I really admire their work ethic, their commitment to art making and their imagination. Their works still excite me after 30 years of looking at them.”
Blue Boy Larry (from Doggerel Dreams)
Doggerel Dreams is on at the Gallery on Sturt, Ballerat until 21 April. If you can’t make it and want to own a piece of iconic Australian art, her work is also available at Bluethumb.
There’s nothing wrong with owning prints but there’s also nothing like hanging a piece of original, one-off art on your wall at home. And guess what? It doesn’t have to break the bank. We tracked down five entry level places for you to find an original online for under $500. We find we can never win when we write about art so we’ll also point out (before someone jumps in) that you can’t beat seeing art in the flesh before you purchase, so consider visiting exhibitions by local artists starting out.
Art Pharmacy: As one of Australia’s biggest online dispensaries of visual art, you’re bound to find something for all tastes. Spanning paintings to mixed media and everything in-between, there are more than 600 original works by emerging Australian artists. And prices start from as low as $80!
Painting by Cat Lee, $70
StateoftheART Gallery: Focusing on early career graduate artists, the online gallery features works that are contemporary, unique, of high quality, affordable (from $150-to-$900) and with the real potential for increasing in value.
Original drawing by Sally Arnold, $300
Lisa Madigan: Lisa Madigan’s artworks are normally beyond the reach of the everyday Aussie, however her 12×12 inch nature-inspired oil on canvas beauties are $440 a pop. They are also the perfect first purchase for those wanting to enter the world of original art ownership. Lisa is a favourite local artist of Jen’s.
Bluethumb: With over 1,000 artists listed in their online art gallery, all Bluethumb’s art is original and comes with free shipping nationwide; they even have a 7-day money back guarantee if you decide your piece doesn’t look perfect in your home. Prices start from $55.
Arcylic on canvas by Jessica Gordon, $196
Brigitte May: These whimsical and original illustrations are a personal favourite of mine. Created with watercolour, ink and pencil, prices start from $100. Brigitte is also happy to take on special requests.
Buying art is hard. Believe me, I know. For my 21st present, my Mum and I went on the hunt for an original artwork. I’m now 22 and still have no art, so let’s just say it wasn’t too successful. I was therefore very happy to stumble upon the Bluethumb Online Art Gallery.
Fire and Ice by Lynne Godina-Orme
A self-funded Adelaide start-up, Bluethumb makes buying and selling art easy, hosting and promoting an online community where artists can directly display and sell their works. Customers can now buy straight from the artist and no longer need to trawl traditional bricks-and-mortar stores and galleries.
Even more importantly, the public can now support emerging artists, who through this online avenue are more likely to build a career selling their art. “I sell online because it reaches a wider audience, both in Australia and overseas,” says acrylics and mixed media artist Wendy Eriksson. “Different people get to see my work and it’s a non-threatening environment. Selling online also makes my art more affordable. I do not frame so freighting artworks is easy and inexpensive. Selling online definitely boosts my income.”
Seaside Holiday by Wendy Eriksson
Gaining momentum exponentially, a week ago Bluethumb listed its 1,000th Australian artist and the gallery is currently on track to sell $200,000 worth of art for the second year in a row.
Untitled + Unfinished! by Josh Pinkus and Kim Leutwyler
Flex Chair by Ben Percy and Salleigh Olsen
Rainy Day in 3D by Lars Laug and Erin Nicholls
