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I have four new works in this exhibition, along with some beautiful works by Dagmar Cyrulla, Robert Malherbe, Margaret Woodward and many others. I have enjoyed painting these new works very much - strange stories and a little bit of un-ease!

Midnight, oil on canvas, 76 x 60cm

Pina Colada, oil on canvas, 76 x 60cm

Catherine of Aragon, oil on canvas, 76 x 60cm

Dishabille, oil on canvas 76 x 60cm

I am delighted to announce the screening of a documentary on my life and art, on Tuesday 4th April, 10pm. Now being re-screened on Sunday 9th April 2.17pm, and available on iview. ABC Arts presents Creatives - A season of five half hour biopics on significant established and emerging Australian artists.Looks at the art and influences of a multi award-winning Australian painter whose work has reinterpreted a distinctly Australian femininity and domestic aesthetic. With a career spanning 35 years, Valadon has won the Portia Geach Portrait Prize, the Blake Religious Art Prize, and Muswellbrook Art Prize, among others. She has been a finalist in the Archibald Portrait Prize seven times. From her portraits of Germaine Greer, Ruth Cracknell and Noni Hazlehurst as archetypalfigures, to a fascination with female criminals from the 1940's that inspired a provocative series "Wicked Women" featuring paintings of author Tara Moss, Crown Prosecutor Margaret Cunneen and actor Essie Davis as femme fatales, Valadon has recently moved to still life painting, capturing stunning images of lush abundance and classic still life imagery. Set against the dramatic change of seasons in regional NSW, this film is a portrait of a great contemporary Australian artist and the Hill End community that has been a deep source of strength and creative inspiration for her. Director: Larissa Behrendt, Pursekey Productions

Today I formed a food table for the opening of Lino and Kim's special book launch at the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery.  My work "Winter Still Life' is included in the exhibition (above). Here are some pictures of the assembling of the special table in the gallery with Lino and Kim's ceramics, with fruits and vegetables used in their recipes.  Its a special book and priced at $65 is a wonderful gift.  Go to the La Paloma website, or the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery to get a copy.

Its been a hot hot long Summer, and after the heavy Spring rains the garden has gone mad!  I have spent my time refurbishing the studio, sorting out chaos, getting ready for the next series.  In the meantime, my portrait of Luke Sciberras in the Archibald, is travelling around the country, now in Cowra. The most exciting news is the date for the documentary on my life and work, which is to be shown on the ABC as part of their 'Creative' strand.  It will happen on Tuesday 4th April at 10pm. Here are some pics from Summer in Hill End.

My portrait of neighbour, Luke Sciberras, artist, has been chosen as a finalist in this years Archibald at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The exhibition is open from the 16th July to the 9th October.  The winner will be chosen on Friday 15th July.

My new show at Gallery 81, Chippendale, starts next Wednesday 18th May. I will be showing still life paintings inspired by the changing Seasons of Hill End, and the produce grown there.  I will be travelling down tomorrow, with my car full of paintings,vases, bowls, vegetation etc to set up a still life in the gallery. The opening will be on Saturday 28th May 3-5pm, with Charles Waterstreet as the guest speaker. Here are a couple of the new works - the first one is Roses and Red Brows. The birds in the painting are red brow finches which flock around here, and jump into my bird bath in profusion.   This painting below is titled Winter Table I , Oil on canvas,  91 x 91cm. Hope to see you there.        

My portrait of Richard Perram OAM is a semifinalist in the Doug Moran Portrait Prize.  Richard is the Director of Bathurst Regional Gallery.  I wanted to show in this painting a sense of expectation, a feeling of stillness with implied forward movement, an unsettled shadowy background implying hidden depths.  This work is 137 x 193cm oil on canvas.

I have a work in the Portia Geach currently on exhibition at S.H. Ervin Gallery, Observatory Hill, Sydney.  It is a painting of friend and fellow artist Genevieve Carrol and her daughter Parris Dewhurst.  It is quite a small work for me, to add to the intimate nature of the subject - a grown up daughter taking over the arrangement of her mother's hair.   I also have a second work in this series, which is currently on show in the 'Out of the Studio' exhibition, Jean Bellette Gallery, Hill End.

This year I have been continuing my series of major still life works - based on the  fruit/flora/fauna/produce from my Hill End garden and surrounds. 

 Below is the first in the series - the autumn still life, titled Rosemary's Garden - Autumn Harvest.  Oil on canvas, 3 panels, 152 x 274cm.  This work was exhibited in a group show at Orange Regional Art Gallery, titled Natura Morta.

 

The second in the series was painted this Summer. Its title is Summertime 2015 (below).  Oil on canvas, 3 panels, 152 x 274cm.

The Winter version is about to commence......