Upstairs Art Gallery and Studios

Upstairs Art Third Annual Student Exhibition 2009

2009-11-12T14:16:00.001-08:00

The Third Annual Student Exhibition will be held on Sunday 6th December, 2009 at the Upstairs Art Studios and Gallery.

Well known Muswellbrook artist and teacher Max Watters will be opening the exhibition and judging the Upstairs Art Student work.

The exhibition will be officially opened at 5.00pm

Viewing of the exhibition will be from 2.00pm on Sunday 6th (until 9.00pm)December and the exhibition will continue for three weeks, opening most days and every weekend.

A barbque will be held at 6.00pm

Artworks and prints will be for sale.

There is no entry charge

All welcome

'Upstairs Art Printing' - Photography - Giclee Canvas - Posters - Fabrics - Upper Hunter - NSW

2009-10-05T00:43:00.000-07:00

Upstairs Art Printing - Diverisity through Technology

We are pleased to announce that 'Upstairs Art Printing' will be operating from 2nd November 2009.

'Upstairs Art Printing' will be using the latest wide format printing technolgy with the Prograf Canon 6200 inkjet pigment printer, using a 60cm wide format. This technology produces archival quality prints for photos and images on a whole range of media products.

For photographic, proofing and fine art use, the Canon iPF6200 wide format printer, used by Upstairs Art Printing, is a 24in or A1 printer (in metric, a 610mm width) with no less than 12 on-board colours that collectively read less as a list and more as a memory-teaser: cyan, magenta, yellow, red, green, blue, photo black, matt black, photo cyan, photo magenta, grey and photo grey. The ‘photo’ colours give more of a glossy finish than the standard inks, while the matt black works best with satin coated papers. Each is triggered automatically by the iPF6200 if you use Canon’s media profiles, which work not just with Canon’s own media, but also with specialist papers from other manufacturers.

Upstairs Art Printing using its Canon iPF6200 can deliver a huge number of dots per inch, namely 2,400x1,200. The printheads are Canon’s tried-and-tested bubblejet arrays, with a fixed droplet size of 4pl per colour and six colours in each of two heads. The tiny droplet size works together with the 12 inks to produce smoothest-ever gradations of tone.

EXIBITION: "Upstairs Art - artists from the Upper Hunter"

2009-10-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

VENUE: Muswellbrook Regional Arts Center
Corner of Bridge & Market Streets
Muswellbrook NSW 2333
TEL: 02-6549 3880
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Friday 10am – 5pm
Saturday 10am – 1pm
Sunday 2pm – 5pm
(closed Mondays and public holidays)

View the "Upstairs Art" Exibition HERE

This is the first exhibition at the Arts Centre by the Upstairs Art Studio from Murrurundi, featuring the work of both the students and the teacher Rodney Swansborough. The works, in a variety of mediums, depict the bush, towns and characters of the Upper Hunter Region.

ArtStart Pastel Portraits Workshop - Upstairs Art Murrurundi

2009-02-25T13:37:00.000-08:00

This workshop will provide the basic steps in pastel portraiture, as well as the very successful and experienced approach adopted by Rodney Swansborough.

It requires no previous knowledge of pastels or portraiture and is suitable for the beginner.

As well, the workshop will prove invaluable as a "refresher" for more experienced artists, as the unique approach and insights offered by Rodney will benefit any pastel portrait artist.

See an example of portrait development HERE

WORKSHOPS: "ArtStart Pastel Portraits"
ARTIST: Rodney Swansborough
DATE: Sunday 29th March 2009
VENUE: Upstairs Art Studios and Galleries
71 Mayne Street (New England Highway)
Murrurundi, Upper Hunter, New South Wales

TIME: 10.00am to 5.00pm
COST: Tuition Fee - $50.00
Art Materials Fee - $10.00

WHAT TO BRING:
Pastels
Lunch
Shared goodies for morning/afternoon tea

The sessions will include:

* Understanding 'the basics'
* What makes a good portrait
* Creating likeness in a portrait
* Pastel colours for portraiture
* Working with pastels
* Understanding colour and colour mix
* Creating backgrounds
* Blending colours
* Striking highlights
* Using contrasts
* Creating that 'difference'

Cost - Tuition Fee - $50.00
Art Material Fee - $10.00

What to Bring:
Your own pastels
Lunch
Goodies to share for morning/afternoon tea

Art Start coloured pastels workshop

2009-01-13T19:50:00.000-08:00

WORKSHOPS: "Art Start coloured pastels"
ARTIST: Rodney Swansborough
DATE: ONE: Sunday 22nd February
TWO: Sunday 1st March 2009
(Both workshops cover the same content)
VENUE: Upstairs Art Studios and Galleries
71 Mayne Street (New England Highway)
Murrurundi, Upper Hunter, New South Wales

TIME: 10.00am to 5.00pm
COST: Tuition Fee - $50.00
Art Materials Fee - $10.00
WHAT TO BRING:
Pastels
Lunch
Shared goodies for morning/afternoon tea

WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES:

Rodney Swansborough is an expressionistic artist often adopting an impressionist's style. His work is vibrant, relaxed, colourful, often tonal with strong contrasts.

He uses the full range of possibilities in employing the pastel medium - often stretching it to its limits.

Pastel paper and specially prepared mdf board will be used.

The sessions will include:

* Understanding 'the basics'
* Choosing the composition
* Preparing the materials
* Using pastels to your advantage
* Understanding colour and colour mix
* Creating backgrounds
* Blending colours
* Striking highlights
* Using contrasts
* Creating that 'difference'

The Upstairs Art Studios are fully equipped professional art studios providing the students with large A-framed easels, trays, backing boards, clips, individual tables, chairs, stools. The studio is air-conditioned at street level with large windows and perfect light

2008 Upstairs Art Annual Student Awards & Exhibition

2008-11-17T18:13:00.000-08:00

2008 Upstairs Art Annual Student Awards & Exhibition

"Upstairs Art Galleries and Studios"
71 Mayne Street - New England Highway

Murrurundi - NSW 2338

Sunday 7th December 2008

2.00pm to 8.00pm and beyond
6.00pm - Official Opening by Hanna Kay
- Student Awards by Roberta Wiseman

The second annual student exhibition and awards will be held at the Upstairs Art Galleries and Studio, where over 200 student works will be featured by some 35 student artists.

The Murrurundi Arts Council has created a series of annual prizes and a number businesses within the area are also sponsoring art prizes for the awards.

The Chiaroscuro Technique

2008-07-26T01:49:00.000-07:00

What makes the Chiaroscuro technique unique?

(opposite: self portrait using the chiaroscuro technique by Rodney Swansborough)

Each artist looks for a medium which best suits their artistic expression and which they feel doesn't compromise their creativity. To use a medium which expresses and captures the innate creativity of the artist and which permits the artist to convey this expression to others is of fundamental importance. Why use watercolour if it doesn't enhance the artist's creative expression or use oils if they compromise the nuances that artist wishes to express?

Every artist needs the medium best suited to their own creative expression and style. When this is found, the artist is able to uncompromisingly convey all the nuances and aspects of their artistic expression. The chiaroscuro technique as I have developed it, provides me with the opportunity to express in my portraiture and life art, all the nuances and subtleties of light and shadows present on the face and body.

The chiaroscuro technique allows full tonal interpretation of these nuances as found in the delicate and subtle changes of light and dark on the human form. This technique enables me to capture and convey these subtleties in an exciting and uncompromising way.

Chiaroscuro Technique

2008-07-26T01:26:00.000-07:00

What does the term "Chiarosuro" mean?

('Light & Lace Reflections' - chiaroscuro art - mdf board - chalk and charcoal- by Rodney Swansborough)

A word borrowed from Italian ("light and shade" or "dark") referring to the modeling of volume by depicting light and shade by contrasting them boldly.

Chiaroscuro (Italian for clear-dark) is a term in art for a contrast between light and dark. The term is usually applied to bold contrasts affecting a whole composition, but is also more technically used by artists and art historians for the use of effects representing contrasts of light, not necessarily strong, to achieve a sense of volume in modeling three-dimensional objects such as the human body.

Chiaroscuro is a method for applying value to a two-dimensional piece of artwork to create the illusion of a three-dimensional solid form. This way of working was devised during the Italian Renaissance and was used by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael. In this system, if light is coming in from one predetermined direction, then light and shadow will conform to a set of rules.

July News 2008

2008-07-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

Upstairs Art now has a fully functional mobile art studio - which takes the art studio to you. Rodney has recently purchased a Mercedes Sprinter Van which he uses to transport all the art studio equipment- easels, backing boards, paper, tables, art equipment. The Mobile Art Studio recently visited Wallabadah, where some 10 students participated in a full day workshop at the Wallabadah Hall.
More students are attending the Upstairs Art Studios in Murrurundi - with 10 new students enrolled for regular classes this month.
The kid's art classes recommence on Saturday morning 26th July for third term. 8 primary school children attend the classes - and are developing their skills in drawing, chiraroscuro, and painting. Parents need to book in early, as there is a waiting list.
Rodney is kept busy with his commission work and with setting up the Upstairs Art Gallery where his own work, as wells as student work is being displayed.

2007-10-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Upstairs Art blog.....