‘It was 2004 and I spent Thursday evenings sketching the marvelous blues singer Jackie Orszaczky at the Rose of Australia pub in Sydney’s Erskineville. I was newly single, and this was my way of becoming confident enough to rock into a pub by myself to have a beer.
After many months of Thursday evening sketching, I approached Jackie and told him I’d like to enter the Archibald Prize for Portraiture with a portrait of him.
‘There’s a form you’d have to sign saying you approve,” I said. “I have a copy here.”
“Of course, you’re just always here,” was his reply and there on the beer-wet counter amongst the beer decals he signed the form.
The painting didn’t get hung in the Archibald but I did achieve my goal of feeling comfortable in a pub by myself.’
For more about painting musicians see the book The Painted Musician
#jackieorszaczky #painting #musician #roseofaustrallia #erskineville
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The story behind this painting
This too is a portrait of sorts, one that is a tribute to love and perseverance.
My friend Liz is a ceramic artist who is currently working under difficult conditions as she cares full time for a dementia patient with ever growing needs. Whenever she can she sneaks off for stolen moments in her garage, fashioning her hand built ceramic works.
Recently she posted a picture of her newest ceramic bowl, a work with industrial overtones, saying “all it needs now is some fruit in it”. I read the message, stacked some oranges in a bowl in front of me and got out my watercolours to paint them. Here you see the bowl as well as the watercolour of the bowl full of oranges. Liz liked the painting so much that I posted it off to her. I have so much respect for the many people, mainly women, taking care of others who are needy and I thought if I could make a little difference and bring some joy, I would.
Liz chose a frame that really compliments the painting and took this photo to show the painting and bowl together.
#dementia #ceramicartist #bowloforanges #ceramicart