Jennifer Bell
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Play with Paper

26/6/2019

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The original art material, paper has long been a staple for practising artists. It is often the first thing artists reach for when they want to create. However paper’s usefulness goes beyond a surface to draw on. In Play with paper, artists exploit paper to push the medium to its limits. Through tearing, moulding, folding, marking and assembling, the works will present new ways of seeing and thinking about working with paper.
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I liked this statement from the exhibition which I think explains quite well why I enjoy working with paper so much:  Paper makes the world go round. The backbone of the modern world, paper holds knowledge in the form of books, stimulates economies through currency and communicates ideas between people. A blank sheet of paper can be a terrifying concept but it also presents a world of possibilities. Paper's versatility makes it the perfect medium for artists wanting to experiment by cutting, folding, tearing, burning, crumpling, gluing and assemblage.
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'Coral Forms'
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'Waterfall'
You can find two of my works at the exhibition, 'Coral Forms' a small work using cut cardboard and acrylic, and 'Waterfall' a photograph woven with strips of recycled paper. I particularly liked these two works:
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‘Quandamooka Clay Moa’ by Delvene Cockatoo-Collins
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‘Books I Haven’t Written Yet I’ by Yvonne Mills-Stanley
Play with Paper is showing from 14 June 10 17 August 2019 at Pine Rivers Art Gallery, Unit 7/199 Gympie Road, Strathpine 4500.
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Milburn Art Prize

10/4/2019

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'Constructed' has been selected for the 2019 Milburn Art Prize. With the theme Landscape as a space of creative discovery this piece continues my abstract landscape work looking at the patterns left on the land through human action. The woven painted paper painting is made entirely from recycled paper pieces including some wallpaper offcuts. The very structured weaving is suggestive of mining or urbanisation seen from an aerial view.

You can see 'Constructed' from
3rd – 15th May at the Metcalfe Gallery, Brisbane Institute of Art, 41 Grafton Street, Windsor.

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2018's best bits

15/12/2018

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I've got so many exciting plans and projects for 2019, but it can be pretty overwhelming knowing just where to start. Sometimes just taking a moment to look back over the past years achievements can help with a little focus. So here is my version of the 12 days of Christmas, my 12 favourite things from 2018...
Cut paper art

1. Paper cutting

Some of my first works for 2018. Apart from a couple of pieces last year, I’d taken quite a long break from cutting paper so it was great to get back into it with this project cutting leaf vein patterns.
pattern artist

2. Pattern painting

Pictured here is ‘Variegated I’ one of my absolute favourite pieces this year. It's been a great year getting back into my painting in a big way - going up in size and up on the detail! I particularly enjoyed added a little collaged paper to work like this.
artists magazine feature

3. Artist Talk Feature

So lovely earlier this year to be featured in UK based Artist Talk Magazine. You can still read it online via this link.
large black and white art

4. Interlaced collection

From paper weaving to painting weavings. The start of my interlaced collection with this piece ‘The Woven Basket’. You can read more about this ongoing series of works here.
abstract line art

5. The Milburn Prize

This year I was very excited to be a finalist in the Milburn Art Prize with this work 'The Woven Basket II
Australian landscape artist

6. Regenerated

The Regenerated exhibition at Brisbane's Aspire Gallery kicked off the start of my new aerial landscape series. I love looking at the beautiful natural patterns from a satellite perspective of the world and the Australia desert seemed like a great place to start following on from my aerial woven desert work last year. You can read more about my Regenerated collection here.
Australian painting

7. Microscopy

After attending a great art and science workshop a couple of years ago this year I finally started to delve into work inspired by patterns found at the microscopic level, like this piece 'Mulla Mulla Pollen Grains', another one of my favourites from this year.
australian artist

8. Variegated

One of the big focuses of this year was putting together a large body of work for my Variegated collection and show. Celebrating the simple beauty of leaves from the microscopic level through the to leaf vein patterns. You can see the full collection on the website here.
limited edition prints for the home

9. Venation Series

I just love how these turned out. A limited edition print collection based on my paper cutting work with Japanese ink. Prints are available from the limited print section of the website. 
paper weaving art

10. The Weaving Room

Very excited to be taking part in my first regional gallery exhibition with the Weaving Room at Pine Rivers Art Gallery. As well as being a finalist in the Morton Bay Art Prize earlier in the year with one of my woven photographs. On show until 19th January with 'The Mock Orange Hedge' woven painted paper and printed paper.
rubber plant picture

11. Water ripples

There's just something about water ripples, light bouncing off water and little bubbles on the beach I just love and keep returning to in my work. I was particularly pleased with this piece 'Variegated Rubber Plant by the Pool' with it's multiple layers of pattern.
coral painting

12. Coral

And finally wrapping up the year is my coral work. Great timing with trend setter Pantone picking living coral for their colour of the year. I've still got some more pieces to share in the new year, as well as some particularly unusual work with recycled materials. This work titled 'Beyond the Shallows' is my entry for the Art Lovers Australia prize, another highlight this year being picked as a finalist for the 2018 show.
And that's about it. Wow, so much to look back on. I'm feeling very inspired for 2019! Thanks to everyone for your kind words of support and a big thank you to everyone who purchased my work this year. Can't wait to share all my new ideas with you.
If you had a particular favourite piece or technique this year please feel free to share in the comments, it might help me prioritise all these ideas :) And if you are interested in commissioning anything for 2019 please get in touch.
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Venation Series

31/7/2018

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To celebrate my very first solo exhibition in Brisbane I have put together a set of limited edition prints based on some of the original work from the show. 

The Venation Series is taken from my paper cuttings which each had a background on suminagashi, Japanese marbling or watercolours behind. These pieces are inspired by the delicate patterns found in leaf veins, the venation system.
Available in three sizes, prints start from $50 including free domestic shipping.
Shop online here.

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Regeneration

20/6/2018

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Regeneration is finally here! Wow it's been a lot of work the last few months putting together work for the inaugural Aspirant Collection Showcase and my solo show in August. I'm very excited to start sharing the finished work for the Regeneration exhibition and to say it's hung and ready to visit.

The exhibition is being held at
Aspire Gallery in Brisbane where most people would have seen my woven landscapes over the past 18 months. So for this special group show I wanted to introduce something old and something new. My painted pattern work is an continuation of the weavings, inspired by nature, and my landscape painting was actually the main focus of my art practice for many years. It's been great picking up the paint brush again and I've got some interesting painting/weaving combinations coming up. In fact I'll be at the gallery on Sunday 24th working on a few new pieces along with other exhibiting artists if you get the chance, stop by and say hi.

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My landscape work has always been a response to the patterns and textures found in nature, and in what I have titled my Regeneration collection to tie in with the show, it focuses on the Australian outback, mostly with an aerial perspective.
I enjoy working with an aerial view for landscapes as it highlights the commonality of patterns seen in nature and the reoccurring designs found at any scale, from the microscopic to the satellite. To show along side the landscapes I have produced a few pattern pieces inspired by
tiny pollen grains seen through an electron microscope, the Mulla Mulla plant (sometimes called Pussytails) is widespread throughout mainland Australia and can often been found flowering in the desert.

The Australian outback is a rich tapestry of changing colours and patterns. Some of these same arrangements are found at the macro or microscopic level in the plants, water and rocks. Tiny dots of vegetation, wild flowers and shrubs, come and go or alter in shade with the seasons. Regenerated by rivers and creeks running like threads through the landscape.

Regeneration runs from
20th - 30th June 2018
Wednesday - Saturday 10:30am - 4:30pm

53 Kennedy Tce, Paddington

Opening Night is Saturday 23 June, 4pm - 6pm

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Samford arts trail and demo

29/5/2018

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I'm so excited for June to have on show all together for the first time works from my new variegated series, plus, also for the first time I'll be taking part in the Samford and Surrounds Arts Trail and Open Studios!

From the 24th May-24th June you can find my work in the beautiful old Butter Factory building in Dayboro, just a short drive out of Brisbane, at the Mezzanine Gallery. On show is 'Natural Selection' a group exhibition. It really is a very unique space just above Entangle Living Art, the perfect spot to celebrate plants in art.

DEMO DAY: On Saturday 16th June from 10am I'll be at the gallery working on some new painted paper weavings. So pop by and say hello.

The gallery is open Wed-Sun 10-4pm at 38 Williams St, Dayboro.
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Landscape exhibition

12/4/2018

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Continuing on last years landscape work 'Watercourse' an abstract painting of the Australian desert will be shown at Aspire Gallery from 11-21 April. With an aerial perspective to highlight the patterns found in nature, it's a little bit of a preview for the work I'll be showing at the gallery in June as part of the Regeneration exhibition.
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Morton Bay Art Awards Finalist

8/4/2018

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More good arty news arrived this week. My photographic weaving 'Morton Bay Morning' has been selected as a finalist in this years Morton Bay Art Awards. The photograph  has been woven with fine strips of blue paper in various shades to compliment the image. The zig zag weave highlights the pattern found in water ripples and adds a lovely feeling of depth and movement.
The exhibition runs from 19 - 27 May, Strathpine
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Milburn Art Prize Finalist

30/3/2018

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Abstract australian painting
Very excited to announce that I am a finalist in the Milburn Art Prize for 2018 with my painting 'Woven Basket II'
I am particularly excited to be showing work from my new 'Interlaced' series. My family has been weaving for generations so it must be somewhere in my genes - if I'm not weaving paper and photography I'm painting or drawing the woven patterns. Looking forward to sharing more of these works over the coming months as well as a limited edition print release, but for now you can find this piece at the exhibition held in Brisbane from 27th April - 11th May at the Brisbane Institute of Art.

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SNAP18 photography in art

2/3/2018

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This month sees the SNAP photography exhibition at Brisbane's Aspire Gallery come round again for another year. I really like to make a point of taking part in this one as I feel it's so important to accept and celebrate photography as the art form it is; unfortunately there are too many art sites and competitions that don't allow photography in as though it is somehow less worthy. 
This year I wanted to show a different way of using photography. Rather than the photo being the finished piece itself, it is the focal point and an important part of the art making process. Several images were mixed together to create an abstract background which then formed the basis for each of the artworks above. Both include the same selection of photographs - a piece of patterned fabric, paper scraps, a string of lights and the studio desk covered in paint. Together they combine with some images of green watercolour washes to make the texture which has been collaged and painted over. The vase and the hanging basket made from woven recycled paper, and yes, the succulents are lots and lots of punched paper circles.

SNAP18 runs from the 14th - 24th March at Aspire Gallery, 53 Kennedy Tce, Paddington. 
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    Jennifer is a contemporary Australian artist based in Brisbane, Queensland. Know for her highly decorative paintings and unique paper weavings, she explores pattern and visual perception, often highlighting the beauty in the ordinary.

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    • Abstract paintings
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