Google your name and see what you can find.

I googled my name and found this short article:

• Carmen Cilliers awarded "Highly Commended Artist" By Director of Holmes a Court Gallery judge...
RotARTary in 2008

This event was held again in the main hall of the Margaret River Cultural Centre, over the Foundation Day long weekend 31 May to 2 June 2008. There were a record number of entries (270) giving a very impressive display of work from artists based from Augusta to Perth to Esperence.

The theme for 2008 was "Water"

PRIZES & SPONSORS 2008 ...

and the judge ... Sharon Tassiker, Director of Holmes a Court Gallery, also Highly Commended "Life Saving Trials" by Carmen Cilliers


The Margaret River Rotary Club thanks all sponsors, participating artists and the general public for supporting the exhibition. Altogether during the weekend about $8,000 was raised to help fund Rotary's many community, national and international projects.

Caveat:
I was inspired by Charles Blackmans wirey looking brush strokes and a combination of Jos Myers funny beach people and one of my favourite artists in South Africa, Walter Batiss and his Fook Island series. So I guess it's a hybrid of styles that I adopted and have since dabbled with and fine tuned, you just have to look at "It's A Wonderful Life!" Anyway, this was the first painting in that sort of style.

So, google your name, I didn't know this article was out there but I'm glad I found it.

Why even artists need diaries.

Hello!

Its been a great couple of few weeks when you take into account the roller coaster of emotions that I am sure can be attributed to my quit smoking drug, CHAMPIX. It works - been two months now... I can't imagine myself ever having done that.

Well, all the extra time that one suddenly has when they aren't standing around idly 'enjoying' a smoke amounts up to quite a bit and I've realized that to really use ones time adequately a diary is quite important; Yes... it's taken me 36 years to really realize why and I would like to share this tale with you.



Recently I found out that a painting I had submited into an art award had been sold 3days before delivery. I found out on a Thursday night. So, I
decided that I would do another one, and as I'm keen on developing a presence within my community as both an artist and someone involved in community arts I decided to incorporate a known local icon and hey, throw in some extra pressure and make it a nice big painting... a metre by metre!
To complete a painting in such a short space of time meant two straight days of painting... 18 hours! Well I completed it as best I could in that time and by Sunday it was dry, strung, varnished and ready for delivery.



I sent my partner off to be delivery boy as I was holding a painting workshop that afternoon. Next thing he is back with a tap to the window and a frown, and says "there was no one there at the drop off point - you sure you got the time right?"

ME: Scamper around... find form, form says COLLECTION between 1 and 4pm. DROP OFF between 9 and 12. :( Of course none of this was diarised. Rush to find mobile so I can phone my contact (who I have to add I have known for 3 years) thats involved... nope, not even got her number around - probably on some scrap of paper lost in the abyss of all my other bits and bobs!

Moral of the story; I have this beautiful red leather filofax as well as a spiffy LG Renoir phone with all the trimmings.



The red leather filofax is pretty much unused... almost looks brand new, maybe next year I could even scratch out 2009 and re-use the pages... it's that unused. The contact list hasn't been updated, and while we are on the subject, neither has it in my phone.



Because of my disorganisation and "I'll get to it attitude", my hard work is now sitting in the spare room.

I've since decided that my diary, although looks so pretty and new ;) will probably have a lot more personality as the leather wears and softens with use! The mobile phone - yes, in process of having contacts updated - and I'm even going to figure out how to download all the photos that its 8 mega pixel camera contains onto my computer!

Seems that with me there is always some little lesson involving discomfort that I have toe experience before I get my ducks properly in a row, I guess it serves me right everytime.

Carmen

Ps: I'd like to leave you with a quote I stumbled across the other day.

"An idea can turn to dust or magic depending upon the talent that rubs against it"
(Bill Bernbach, 1911-1982)

Brett Whiteley

My new favourite quote from the man I would most love to spend a day with:

"Never trust an art dealer who'll sit in a room for more than ten minutes with a crooked picture" - Brett Whiteley.

Update on my previous entry.

It turns out that after having a real good whine about having an exhibition that I wasn't happy with that 7 out of 9 paintings have just been rented out to corporate clients. That changes my lousy 1% ratio I was moaning about. Thought I just needed to share that.

Paintings, Exhibitions, Workshops and Mental Torment!

Hello!

As some of you have so kindly pointed out, it has been a while.

You see, I tried to blame it all on computer problems but that wasn't really the whole truth. Lately I have been oscillating on so many levels within myself that it's hard to sometimes put pen to paper/fingers to keyboard and express the state of my consciousness.

To add to that, my horse, 'Carp Diem', recently bolted with me on it's back, racing to the gallows. Mercifully my executioner showed compassion and sent me on my way, after the punishment of a few lashings to the heart.

Exhibitions
Since last posting I've put work in 2 exhibitions, one being for me a success: "Meeting" as shown below, sold.

I felt the other exhibition was a disaster. I mean, how does one painting sell (one out of one is 100%), and out of 8 in the other exhibition none sell? (0 out of 100 is not even 1% - shit hey?)
Ok, it's not a disaster in the big scheme, but it puts me in a state of discomfort! As a friend of mine said the other day, "If I don't sell work I'll shrivel up and die" - and same goes for me... I could go back to my old life doing a well paid job, in a corporate environment that I'll most probably hate, but that would be shunting my soul into reverse, and then I may as well shrivel up and die too. So this is why I like to sell my work and why unsuccessful exhibitions bug me; and a 'bugged' creative spirit is a spirit that tends to not create - one of lifes vicious cycles ay?

New Arena
Over the past few months I have been dabbling in abstract work. The left side of my brain bullies the right side never leaving it alone long enough; always reigning it back in to the realms of logical reasoning. It's like politics - the constant battle between left and right wing!

Inspite of this battle I have completed a couple of paintings in a style I want to experiment more with...here's a peak:
"Fop" and "Minion"


Workshops
On a different tack, I have resumed painting workshops. As always places are limited in numbers so that you receive the most from me. I'm also happy to do one on one's. Contact me if you can make it to the Perth metro area and are interested in exploring your creativity or discovering a new found talent while working with acrylic paints and related mediums. Here are some photos from the most recent workshop - these ladies had no idea they were so talented!



Finally

Today as I typed an email to a friend it dawned on me that my oft recurring internal battle as to which direction to move in regarding my work does not come from a lack of desire or talent but the foundation of what holds me back is the immense desire to explore so many areas. This together with my hunger for knowledge and desire to succeed coupled with the fact that time is ever ticking puts me in a state of fear. I fear time will run out!
When I was seven I had a teacher that wasn't very nice. She said the biggest word that I had ever heard in my short life, "Procrastination". Procrastination is the thief of time - today I am going to get on my horse, the one you read about earlier called Carp Diem - this time I will direct the way... and it won't be to the gallows!

With this I leave you till next time.
Carmen