All information on the Norvill  Art Prize 2012 can be found on the website:

www.norvillartprize.com

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Opera Murrurundi 2011
Friday 14th and Saturday 15th October 2011
St Pauls Angican Church
Murrurundi

TICKETS $40.00 which includes:
Gourmet Supper and champagne

Tickets available at:
Murrurundi Information Centre
or  PHONE BOOKINGS  6546 6446

Welcome to the Back to Murrurundi Festival Weekend Blog

Murrurundi is a virtually untouched historical village surrounded by high ranges and mountains.

Murrurundi is known for its early 20th century cottages and beautiful historical buildings.

MURRURUNDI KEDDIES  PASTORAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PRIZE 2011

Opening Night Friday 30th September at 6.30pm
RSL Hall – New England Highway Murrurundi
Exhibition Dates: 1st October – 23 October 2011
Friday, Saturday, Sundays only.

The Murrurundi District Arts Council invites photographers to submit works in competition for the 2011 Murrurundi Keddies Pastoral Photographic Prize. This biennial prize, valued at $10,000, has been initiated by the Keddie family and aims to promote excellence in contemporary photography. Entrants to the prize are asked to interpret this year’s theme – RURAL ACTION- in colour. All entries will be assessed and selected by a panel of judges. The selection of images will be done anonymously based on the quality of the photograph and the prize will be awarded to the most outstanding photographic work as determined by the final judge.

The 2011 OPEN finalists have been announced – The names are listed below:

Annette Blattman – Leap of Faith
Annette Blattman – Tight Turn
Annie Rodgers – Sticks and Speed on Steeds
Ant Wason –  Ant’s Spider
Caroline McArthur – Dust Storm
Charles McKean –  Out to the Boundary
Chloe Carter – Sheep on the Run
Dara Kretschmer – Before the Auction
Edward Richards – Fixing the Farmhouse Chimney
Elana Bailey – Quad Biking at Carpenter Rocks
Gary Passfield – Fibre Tide
Gary Passfield – The Flock
Jason Martin – Action on the Station
Kathleen Matterson – Cruisin’
Kathleen Matterson – Locusts Invasion
Kathleen Matterson – Rural Headaches
Katrina Partridge – Not Today Thanks
Katrina Partridge – Ready’s Image
Katrina Partridge – Respect
Kirsty Pilkington – Lower Marshes
Kirsty Pilkington – Midlands Highway
Kirsty Pilkington – Tinderbox
Laura Smith – Rays of Light
Leslie Wand –  End of the Day
Leslie Wand –  You’re on my Property
Mandy Archibald – Dogpaddle
Michael Clements – The Glenworth Valley Muster
Michelle Carroll –  Rural Desolation
Paul Barker – Come Behind
Paul Barker – Fleece on the Floor
Paul Barker – Shearing Begins
Quentin Jones – Colourful Racing Identities
Quentin Jones – Rain on Me
Quentin Jones – Shearing the Rams
Rhonda Thwaite –  Gundy Dog Trials
Robert de Brito – Hercs Eye View …Uluru
Roger Skinner – Aurora Southbound
Roger Skinner – Jet
Roger Skinner – Southern Flyer
Sahlan Hayes – Thirsty Work
Sally Alden –  Storm Riders
Sally Alden –  You Little Beauty
Sally Alden – Weekend Warriors
Vicki Burnett – Handstand
Vicki Burnett – Rodeo Rider
Virginia Carlow – Authentic Childhood
Virginia Carlow – Cool Companions
Virginia Carlow – Maiden Voyage
Wendy Davison –  6.30 am

Check out the website for entry forms and details at :
http://murrurundiphotographicprize.com.au/

Rodney Swansborough’s style has been described as ‘fauvistic’, which he totally accepts. Fauvism is characterised by paintings that used intensely vivid, non-naturalistic and exuberant colours. Rodney says, “Colour is all that matters. Colour is everything.  The painting is the colourful world. The  exuberant canvas is the universe. Everything should be saturated with colour.”

Rodney Swansborough's art work reflects the fauvist style of early 20th century France. The powerful and spontaneous 'in the moment' exuberant use of colour, contrasted with light and dark, results in a rich tapestry of passionate exotic vibrancy.

In contrast to Rodney Swansborough’s well known ‘chiaroscuro portraits’, his fauvistic styled portraits are saturated with colour, the same emotive exuberance is also found in his firescape scene ‘Searing Synergy’.  Fauvism used colour to express emotion as well as to capture the exuberance and passion of exoticism. In his current works, Rodney is using his spontaneity with colour to bring the “ living moment”  into his art. The visual experience is always “now”. Truly existential!

“You have to feel the colour in your creativity. Colour is not objective, it is subjective. It is about emotions, moods, feelings. It is dynamic, evocative, provocative.  Life is colour. Art is colour.”

Rodney Swansborough from Upstairs Art has entered one of  his firescape art work series,  ’Searing Synergy’  into the Banool Conservation Art Prize 2010 to be held in Scone.  The Banool Conservation Art Prize is part of the annual Scone Art Prize.

The Banool Conservation Art prize is sponsored by Banool Angus park,  Parkvile, just north of Scone in the Upper Hunter of New South Wales. The prize was established in 1998 to encourage community awareness and concern for the natural environment.

Banool Angus Parl prize manager says:

‘ The Banool Conservation Art Prize is our way of helping the community to focus on the ever-diminishing natural heritage of Australia.  Once,  the nation regarded the natural environment as a magic pudding – no matter how much was taken it would always replenish itself.  We now know that nature is itself  under great pressure and unless we act to care for it,  the lifestyle we enjoy will be lost to the future generations.’

The Scone Art prize which incorporates the Banool Conservation Art Prize will be held at the Scone Arts & Craft Centre, Kingdon Street, Scone from Saturday 11th September till Sunday 19th September 2010.
The  Exibition Opening will be Friday 10th September 2010 - 6.00pm to 7.00pm. Admission $15.00.

 The Banool Conservation Art Prize is awarded to the painting/photograph that best celebrates Australia’s unique natural heritage. The works of art submitted may feature aspects of Australian native fauna, flora, geography and natural assests that exemplify a concern for the preservation of our wonderful environment.

Rodney’s Banool entry  ’Searing Synergy’   is full of vibrancy, movement and energy.  It reflects his unambiguous and unapologetic use of the power of colour to portray in an unadulterated way the apocalyptic energy of  fire.  

Rodney Swansborough has been working on a series of art works focusing on firescapes where he is depicting the confrontational nature of the ravishes of fire as well as the searing beauty of its presence.