Iron lady solders on !
by Greg Martin
Well you could have blown me over with a slight puff of wind when Penny Oates produced her “ brush ” to continue working on her entry into the 2021 Hawkesbury Art Prize ( HAP ).
Our ace snapper , Kathryn Johnston , was also taken aback when she turned around from her camera bag with trusty “ Box Brownie ” in hand .
With her magnificent work , “ Koala Calling ”, sitting on the easel , Penny began “ painting ” with a heated soldering iron ! Not a sable or thistle brush – or even a trowel a-la Anh Do - but a soldering iron !
“ I ’ m more a mark maker rather than a traditional painter ,” Penny explained when she noticed our dropped jaws .
“ I spray layers of aerosol paint and ink onto the surface of the medium density fibre ( MDF ) board and after each application I etch into the surface to bring out the colour and produce my artwork .”
Penny works on MDF boards as a single , small , too-deep etch onto a canvas would ruin the artwork .
Penny ’ s “ Koala Calling ” is a superb piece of artwork and , as in previous years , her entry is sure to come to the attention
“ I spray layers of aerosol paint and ink onto the surface of the medium density fibre ( MDF ) board and after each application I etch into the surface to bring out the colour and produce my artwork .”
of the three judges ; Dr Pamela James , Dan Kyle and Madeleine Tuckerville-Carrano .
Dr James is honoured art historian and a lecturer in Cultural and Social Analysis at the University of Western Sydney .
Dan Kyle is a highly respected young artist and proud recipient of the coveted 2020 Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship . Madeleine Tuckerville- Carrano , is the director of Camperdown ’ s esteemed Artsite Gallery and is acknowledged as one of the country ’ s leading contemporary painters and print makers .
Penny Oates is no slouch at the art caper as well !
She has entered the HAP on three previous occasions and was judged a finalist in the 2019 awards .
Penny is also a three-times finalist in the Gosford Art Prize where she is a proud recipient of the always coveted People ’ s Choice Award . And most recently , her superb “ Halcyon Days ”, was judged the winner of 2021 Bowral Art Gallery prestigious Wingecarribee Landscape Prize . Solder on , solder on ! Smart cookie is our Penny . Her honours include Bachelor of Fine Arts ( University of NSW Art and Design ), Bachelor of Dramatic Art in Design ,
Penny Oates uses a soldering iron as she creates Koala Calling , which she will enter in the 2021 Hawkesbury Art Prize . Photo : Kathryn Johnston .
( National Institute of Dramatic Art ) and a Diploma of Education ( University of Western Sydney ).
As well as being a highly respected and successful artist , Penny has been an art educator with the NSW Education Department for 15 years and for the past three years she has taught her craft parttime to students at Colo High .
I asked Penny about the naming of her entry into the 2021 Hawkesbury Art Prize .
“ The back of our home is bushland and although my husband , Darren , and I have heard koalas bellowing , snarling , squeaking and screaming but we had not seen one until just after the bushfires the summer before last .
“ We heard bellowing , rushed out back and noticed a koala just starting to climb a huge gum tree so raced back inside to grab a camera and take photographs .” Penny said . “ So finally , a koala had come calling !” Purple Noon Gallery director , Dr Robyn Williams , and her fellow HAP committee members are expecting around 300 entries from around Australia into the 2021 HAP .
HAP entries close Wednesday , September 8 and the 45 finalists will be announced on September 17 .
The major prize winners will be announced at Purple Noon Gallery on October 9 and all 45 finalists will have their works hung at the gallery until October 29 .
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THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 135 // AUGUST 2021 11