Joy McDonald

I had a great time at Containerval, Hamilton this month.  My work was on show in the Juggler's Artspace with photographer Margaret Bending, and the glass artists Jo Bone and Aaron Micallef.  In conjunction with Containerval we held a couple of 'open studio sale' days at The Shed which has prompted me to photograph my work before it is sold.  These are some of the unframed small and large drawings and some small paintings from the love poem series. Untitled Corinthian But you are my paradise tonight Come to the orchard in spring Frankincense  The winds of heaven mix forever with a sweet emotion Anise shoots fill the air with aroma Pomegranate flowers and sweethearts The dog beach studies Savannah weasel cars green table vessels Nike Scape River houses life study wrapped Chinatown Poe Auto junk Auto junk Auto junk Auto junk Auto junk 

Project 5 This is the diptych - mechanical object. The painting is based on my beautiful o ld hand-drill. I was thinking of the houses I've renovated and how I had to learn to use tools as I went along because I went to a ' home science' school for girls where I learned to 'set' a breakfast tray and make cinnamon toast! Nothing as useful as woodwork - that was a male domain. I was also looking at Picabia's mechanical drawings and I have appropriated the subtitle of one of his works - machine turn quickly - for the title of my painting - Homme et Femme . The text in the paintings refer to my high school and to Kurt Schwitters notion that machines are abstractions of the human spirit. Project 6 This series of 6 small paintings (40cmx40cm) are called Palimpsest and they refer to what David Malouf describes as 'sprawlingly unlovely' Brisbane. The architectural elements in the paintings are my sketches screen-printed onto the canvas. Brisbane peopl...

Paintings inspired by Henri Matisse. What fabulous use of colour!