
“The beauty of Charcoal” was the title of a workshop held recently at the NOOSA REGIONAL GALLERY.
Artist GREER TOWNSHEND is currently exhibiting her intricate charcoal and papercut works based on the art of Origami – Japanese paper folding. Her generous sharing of charcoal rendering techniques to both beginning and practising artists created an environment of exploration and sharing. As a practising artist, I used this opportunity to work along side other artists, to discuss and appreciate the different responses to their subject matter.
Recently I collected driftwood from the beach at Castaways after a big storm and caught an image of a baby butcherbird which had positioned itself on a hanging plant. Following on from the workshop, I created a charcoal paper sculpture of the bird and combined the two images. This act of play is vital to the resolution of a major work….. it could become a large drawing , a print or a work on canvas.

