Remembered Landscapes

Remembered Landscapes is a collection of paintings that I have been working on over the last few months. They are all inspired by the Australian Bush and the Upper Yarra area of Melbourne and include a mixed series of both abstract and more traditional landscape paintings, all with a typical Clair Bremner twist.

The exhibition will be on display from the 6th - 22nd of September at Established For Design in Malvern East. I am really proud of this series and I am looking forward to seeing the work on display surrounded by a beautifully curated collection of furniture and homewares.

You are invited to the exclusive opening event. Please join us for an evening of art and drinks to celebrate.

Thursday 6th September, 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Established For Design
287 Wattletree Rd, Malvern East

[If you are interested in attending please click on the button below to RSVP for catering purposes ]

RSVP HERE

Tools of the trade

The main medium I prefer to work with is Acrylic paint. Over the years I have experimented with every art supply and material imaginable. Early on, while I was studying Viaual Art at TAFE,  I was actually using oil paint because I thought that you weren’t a “real artist” unless you knew how to use oil paint. 

As I have aged and matured I have realized how rediculous that idea is and that you can be a real artist and use whatever materials you like. I also always hated the messy cleanup process that is involved with oil paint. So once I started to get back in to painting on a regular basis I decided to use acrylics.  

The fast drying time, vibrant colours and easy cleaning qualities are all perfect for the way I work.  

I also use a range of brushes to create my art, all of them are cheap and some of them are not even “artist” brushes. I use nylon brushes, house paint brushes from the hardware store and a few mop style brushes that are meant to be used for stenciling or applying gesso but I like the scratchy messy marks that they make.  

I am a terrible brush owner. I abuse them all the time. I let them dry out, or I soak them for days on end in dirty water. I use them to varnish and then forget to was them. I use them to scoop out blobs of paint, smoosh them into containers and clog them up. When they are dead I throw them out and buy new ones. 

I use a few different brands of acrylic paint, but mostly Derivan Matisse, Golden Acrylic and Hydrocryl. I mix different brands together to make up my own colours as well as using colours right out of the tube. If I know I’m going to use a particular colour a lot then I will mix up a big batch and keep it in a plastic container with a lid. I also use Liquitex paint markers to add in some of the fine details on top. 

I paint on both stretched canvas and watercolour paper, I have my canvas custom stretched and sent to me and I purchase my watercolor paper in large sheets or pads. The canvas is 12oz cotton and the paper is always 300gsm cotton or above. 

Australian Natives

I have always loved Australian native flowers, the shapes and colors are so unique and strangely beautiful. I will always love painting landscapes but every now and then I get the urge to create floral paintings instead. I’ve been spending a lot of time working on a series of new landscapes for a solo show in September. I find that when I focus on one thing for too long I go a little crazy and I need to work with something totally different. 

Over the school holidays I started to play around with pen and Watercolour because I was at home and it’s all I had around. I created a collection of native inspired paintings which then spilled over onto canvas once I returned to the studio two weeks later. 

These florals on canvas are bursting with native goodness such as Proteas, paper Dasies, bottlebrush and flowering Tea Tree. They are all 76cmx76cm and you can view more details via my website here http://www.clairbremnerart.com/shop/

Faces

Inspiration vs Painting

Here is a quick little peak into my process. The paintings for my upcoming exhibition were all directly inspired by the Yarra River. Some were sketched interpretations and others, such as this one below, were inspired by photographs.  

I never try to copy a landscape exactly, I always like to use my own interpretation which gives my paintings their imaginative and dreamlike quality. As you can see, although I was directly inspired by the photo, the finished painting has taken on a whole new feeling of its own. I tried to emphasis the feeling of the sun going down and the last warmth from the day hitting the riverbank to the right.   

Last Light (152cmx101cm Acrylic on Canvas) will be in display during my exhibition Yarra, which is being held at Cambridge Studio Gallery in Collingwood from the 8th to 26th of March. There will be opening drinks on the 12th of March from 2pm, it would be lovely to see you there. 

Studio snapshots

Here is a little peek into the studio and what I've been up to lately. If you want to see more behind the scenes stuff make sure you subscribe to my instagram account.  

I've started another piece for my new series. This will be in my show in March titled Yarra where I will be focusing on the local river scenes. 

I finished (and sold)  this pretty piece. 

I also completed this commission that was started before Christmas. I usually don't take that long to finish commissions but I have been away a fair bit these last few weeks.  

I have a big pile of canvases due to be delivered soon so it will be a busy few weeks. If you would like to pop into the studio to view anything in person then feel free to message me. I haven't forgotten about that Open Studio day either... it will happen soon!  

Store update | small original paintings

I have just updated my store with a series of five small original paintings on canvas. These pieces are only 45cmx45cm (18inx18in) and are the perfect size for a gift, as a feature in a gallery wall or to brighten up a corner of your home.  

They are all following a bit of a night time theme and feature abstract floral trees and a star filled sky. I painted several larger pieces like this a while ago and decided it would be fun to revisit the idea.  

You can find them all in the shop originals section of my website. The price includes express shipping within Australia and if you purchase before the 14th it should arrive well before Christmas. 

Still Water | art commission, Clair Bremner

I recently completed another large scale commission for a client in Melbourne. This piece was inspired by a combination of two previous paintings that the client really loved. I'm really happy with the finished piece and I love working on this scale. 

The canvas is 2mx1m and makes a fantastic feature up on the wall.  

Still Water, 2mx1m Acrylic on Canvas, Clair Bremner

This is the second last commission that I'll be working on this year. I have one more to squeeze in over the next few weeks then I'll be taking a break from commissions for a few weeks while I focus on creating a new collection for a show in March.  

If you would like to talk to me about commissioning and original artwork for your home or business next year then send me a message via my contact page.  

Making a start | how to stop being scared of a blank canvas

Blank canvases are scary. Anyone that has stood in front of one will know this. The stress that you can feel sometimes is crazy. You worry about ruining that perfect white flat surface. You don't want to mess it up. What if you make a mistake? What a waste! 

Then you have to think about what you are actually going to paint. How do you decide? How do you pick one idea out of a million that are in your head?  

Its a struggle.  

The easiest way to get over this overwhelming fear is to just do it. Pick a colour (or three) and cover up all the white. Just slap it on. It doesn't matter how just cover it up.  

There you go... the white is gone. The canvas has been messed up and now it doesn't matter what you do next.  

Even now, after painting pretty much my whole life I still have that fear and anxiety when starting a new piece. Even when I know exactly what I need to do, I procrastinate starting because I worry that I will ruin it. But as soon as I cover the surface with paint the feeling disappears and I can focus on getting the work done.  

Pretty new commission

I have been working on another big commission over the last week that is now finished. This one was 2mx1.5m and inspired by the colours used in another painting of mine.  

Some paintings are easier than others but this one practically painted itself. Everything just came together naturally and it wasn't a struggle at all which made it a joy to paint and I think it shows through in the painting. 

If you are interested in commissioning an original artwork for your home I am now taking bookings for next year. You can contact me through my website to discuss prices and details.