I remembered attending a seminar once, and one of the speakers said that you can’t begin to get the answers you need unless you ask the right questions.  So I began to ask myself questions.  How do we change the law if we don’t understand the law?   If we don’t understand the law, how can we prevent tyranny?  Is there a reason why the constitution isn’t taught in schools?

In a moment of melancholy and pessimism, I had a paradigm shift, and impulsively enrolled into Law School.  My acceptance into a Graduate Law Degree hasn’t diminished my love of art, and in fact I think both pursuits are complementary to each other.  I pictured myself as someone similar to the lawyer character that Kathy Bates plays in the television sitcom “Harry’s Law”, except I’ll have an art gallery/art studio and lawyers office all in one instead of a shoe shop/lawyer’s office.

So anyway, I decided to go  to the Lifeline Bookfest to buy a bunch of law books.  I met a lady there who complained about the state of the world.  She said she just wanted to escape and go live somewhere else.  I told her I was going to study Law and that I was going to change the world for the better.  She rolled her eyes and wished me luck!

I purchased a range of books, from text books to sarcastic farsical black comedies, such that Shakespeare would be proud of, and found a fairly rare book by Evan Whitton written in 1989 called “The Hillbilly Dictator – Australia’s Police State:  How Democracy and the rule of law in Queensland were subverted, and injustice and corruption elevated to the commonplace”. The back cover states that:

“it has been said, and not entirely in jest, that Sydney is the most corrupt city in the western world, except of course for Newark, New Jersey, and Brisbane, Queensland.  These were the opening words of ‘Can of Worms’, Evan Whitton’s 1986 book about New South Wales.  Since then, the Fitzgerald Inquiry in Queensland has produced the most closely documented study of corruption in an Australian police force.  More significantly, Fitzgerald QC showed how easy it is for a democracy to become an authoritarian state in which corruption and injustice are not just tolerated but elevated to the commonplace …”

Evan Whitton, a journalist and cartoonist, who also wrote “The Cartel:  Lawyers and Their Nine Magic Tricks”, which features a quote by Mel Barnett, a common lawyer in 1997 that he doesn’t “… think it’s a justice system as such; it’s a legal system” (p.11).  The Honourable Mr Justice Michael Kirby of the High Court of Australia, writes on the front cover that Whitton is “… an experienced and distinguished journalist ..[and]… must be listened to with care …[as]… outsiders often see error more quickly because they are without preconceptions”. Whitton proceeds to quote Judge Harold Rothwax of the New York Supreme Court where he says “truth must be the goal of any rational procedural system … [and] … without truth there can be no justice” (p.33).    However, the average person would never suspect that TRUTH was not important to JUSTICE here in Australia because of our adversarial legal system?  Many people simply don’t know what’s going on out there, unless you get caught in the net.  Why do we have a legal system, but not a justice system?  Think about the implications of that just for a moment.

Statistics in Whitton’s 1998 book state that in Australia about one percent of people in prison are innocent, and that about 80 percent of fairly serious criminals are found NOT GUILTY (p.11).  Obviously there is something fundamentally wrong with “the system”.  In an article by Charles Bruce Stewart, he links the “Slave Trading Codes” of Ancient Babylon, which were codified within the law, to the “modern laws of commerce, equity and civil/municipal jurisdictions”.

In the past it was Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, who brought Socratic (logical/rational) argument into common use and it was in Greece that democracy was born.  The Bible is replete with references to Pharisees (Judges) and Lawyers, and both the American and Australian constitutions make references to the fact that lawyers are not allowed to hold political office.  Yet the Pharisees (Judges) and lawyers still poisoned Socrates and put Jesus on the cross to die, and Greece is now ruled by technocrats under the dictatorship known as the European Union.   I believe we are all in a spiritual fight against evil and tyranny because when you start digging into the law and investigate the meaning of things, you begin to understand how very powerful lawyers are, and how dangerous lawyers who become politicians can be.  On top of that, if the lawyer/politician displays psychopathic behaviour, then watch out.  This is why the separation of powers in the Australian and American constitutions is imperative.

My aim of undertaking a law degree will be to do my part towards restoring truth and the proper common law back to our courts.  Consider there are many innocent people who have been irreparably harmed by the courts.  One such innocent person is a man named Ian Henke, who at 75 years old is now in jail in Wacol, Brisbane.  Apparently Mr Ian Henke was denied legal aid even though he was a declared bankrupt,  Having suffered through lack of representation and inequalities associated with civil procedures he was not allowed to cross-examine witnesses whom would have helped prove his case.  His wife maintains he was framed.  To find out about whom Ian Henke is, read the information and watch this You-Tube video that demonstrates Ian Henke’s good character:  http://sosnews.org/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,print,0&cntnt01articleid=155&cntnt01showtemplate=false&cntnt01returnid=80

Many people are disheartened, disillusioned and now bankrupt because of a system that does not support a fair go and equality before the law, so there has been a day organised called ‘The Australian Liberation Day:  Magna Carta Walk” on Friday 15^th June 2012. Support your rights to the Magna Carta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta ) and your rights to Common Law Jury trials.  To watch more about what is at stake, watch this 19 minute You-Tube video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?src_vid=rs1ntqa5M2k&annotation_id=annotation_392430&feature=iv&v=f-ztGSKuC6s

Watch this short video on the Australian Flag and what it has come to represent:  http://www.larryhannigan.com/flag01.htm

Watch this video on the Australian Constitution and how it protects your rights:  http://www.larryhannigan.com/constitutionvideo.htm

Remember Gough Whitlam and Australia’s biggest political crisis?  Read about Australia’s Constitutional Crisis, and how the rot set in from 1975.  You’ll hear the words “Constitutional Crisis” bantered around on the ABC News, but they would never dare discuss what the Crisis is as their reporting is restricted by draconian media laws and their employer, the Australian Government Corporation, has a vested interest in your ignorance:  http://www.larryhannigan.com/federalgovernment.htm

Once you watch these videos, you will know why we must all vote “NO” on any constitutional questions in the upcoming Federal elections, because you can be sure the Government will not provide full and proper disclosure.    The Magna Carta was enshrined in law centuries ago, and there are monuments to it everywhere.  Protect the Magna Carta, because the Magna Carta protects you and your inalienable Rights which you are born with.  The Government only bestows benefits and privileges, but they cannot bestow you your Human Rights.

Happy Australian Day everyone.

Lest We Forget.

P.S.  If you would like to register for any interesting updates and information about this subject that I find out please email me at krisstie@brisbaneartworkshops.com.au and provide your email address.

JULY 2011

W0711MCF:  STEWART MCFARLANE:  Creating Narrative and Mood Using Colour and Form (Oils & Acrylics)  (MASTERCLASS)  Thursday 7 to Sunday 10 July 2011 (4 days)       9.30am to 4.30pm  Earlybird $429 due 7 June 2011.  Price $455 thereafter.  Daily price $120. Working from life where possible to produce small studies of landscapes, still life and figurative studies to be juxtaposed to a large canvas to create a narrative.  Suit students who prefer colourful, stylized paintings.

AUGUST 2011

No workshops scheduled

SEPTEMBER 2011

W0911LAW:  JAN LAWNIKANIS:  Coloured Pencils:  Focus on Textures 1.  ONE DAY ONLY:  Saturday 3 September 2011        9.30am to 4.30pm  Earlybird $97 due 3 August 2011.  Price $115 thereafter. This workshop will give students of all artistic abilities the skills to handle coloured pencils effectively and creatively.  Suitable for absolute beginners

W0911BYR:  KRISSTIE BYRNNE:  Alla Prima Portraiture (Oils).  Saturday 17; Sunday 18; Monday 19 September 2011 (3 days)        9.30am to 4.30pm.  Earlybird $320 due 17 August  2011.  Price $350 thereafter.  Daily price $125. Alla Prima or Direct Painting means finishing a painting in one sitting.  Learn about drawing, colour, values, edges and temperature changes.  Suitable for absolute beginners.  Acrylic painters are also welcome.

OCTOBER 2011

W1011LAW:  JAN LAWNIKANIS:  Flowers in Watercolour.  ONE DAY ONLY:  Saturday 15 October 2011        9.30am to 4.30pm.  Earlybird $97 due 15 September 2011.  Price $115 thereafter. This workshop will help you develop professional techniques unique to watercolour.  Suitable for absolute beginners

NOVEMBER 2011

W1111LAW:  JAN LAWNIKANIS:  Coloured Pencils:  Focus on Textures 2.  ONE DAY ONLY:  Saturday 12 November 2011        9.30am to 4.30pm  Earlybird $97 due 12 October 2011.  Price $115 thereafter. This workshop will give students of all artistic abilities the skills to handle coloured pencils effectively and creatively.  Suitable for absolute beginners

W1111BYR:  KRISSTIE BYRNNE:  Alla Prima Portraiture and Still Life (Oils).  Saturday 26; Sunday 27; Monday 28 November 2011 (3 days)        9.30am to 4.30pm  Earlybird $320 due 26 October 2011.  Price $350 thereafter.  Daily price $125. Alla Prima or Direct Painting means finishing a painting in one sitting.  Learn about drawing, colour, values, edges and temperature changes.  Suitable for absolute beginners.  Acrylic painters are also welcome.

TERM CLASSES – DAY and EVENING

MONDAYS

Classes on Mondays begin again February 2012.

THURSDAYS

TH211AM:  ALAN MORRISON:  Studio Painting & Mentoring.  Thursday 10.00am to 1.00pm (3 hours)  Dates:  18, 25 August; 8, 15, 22 September; 13, 20 October; 10, 17, 24 November 2011 (10 weeks)  No classes:  1, 29 September; 5, 27 October; 3 November 2011.  Earlybird $477 due 24 January 2011.  Price $505 thereafter. Assisting artists of all levels develop individual directions in painting in order to achieve personal art goals under mentorship and guidance.  Pro-rata available – start anytime.

TH211BYR:  KRISSTIE BYRNNE:  Painting from Photographs Using a Creative Approach (Oils/Acrylics)  Thursday 6.30pm to 9.30pm (3 hours)  Dates:  15, 22 September; 13, 20 October; 10, 17, 24 November 2011 (7 weeks) No Classes:  29 September; 6, 27 October; 3 November 2011. Earlybird $310 due 11 August 2011.  Price $360 thereafter. Learn how to develop interesting and colourful paintings by taking ideas from photographs.  All subjects.  Suitable for absolute beginners.  Pro-rata available – start anytime.

FRIDAYS

FR211HAN:  MAUREEN HANSEN:  Colour and the Masters (Oils)  Friday 10.00am to 2.00pm (4 hours) Dates:  9, 16, 23, 30 September; 14, 21, 28 October; 11, 18, 25 November 2011 (10 weeks)  Earlybird $630 due 1 September 2011.  Price $680 thereafter. A semester of study of light, depth and colour, with references such as the Fauvists and Impressionism will help you understand how colour can improve your paintings.  Pro-rata available – start anytime.

I used to wear gloves all the time when I painted, but I have become more methodical in my approach. Once I have all my paint and brushes laid out before me, I am usually devoid of accidents and can paint without gloves. Rarely do I ever get any paint on my clothes, however wearing an apron does give you a false sense of security.

Clayton J. Beck once said, “And for my next demonstration I will paint wearing a white tuxedo”

I had recently started to try to keep all my paint tubes impeccably clean and neat, by wrapping them in sticky-tape to preserve the label so I could tell the name of the colour at a glance, and to fix splits in the paint tubes. So, now I had some time away from classes I went through my paint kit to tidy up and put some of my older paint tubes that I hadn’t used in a while through my paint wringer to push the paint to the top part of the tube. Then I was going to wrap them in sticky tape to try to clean everything so I would stop getting paint everywhere.

I had always tried to push the paint out from the bottom of the tube by hand, but this particular tube was old and I hadn’t used it for a while. Anyway it burst, and paint spurted onto my face, clothes and hands. What a mess!  Obviously I hadn’t wrapped this tube with sticky tape. I figured it would be easier to wrap it after it was neatly squeezed. Not anymore.

My New Years Resolution (once I clean the lids of my paint tubes and then the trolley) is to take Clayton’s advice. Slow down to become faster. If I take my time to keep each tube clean, and clean any spills around the lid each time I paint, I will become faster because clean up time will be shorter and neater, and therefore safer, which means more time to paint. So, the moral of the story is some learning and wisdom I have found the hard way:

• When squeezing a paint tube point it down and away from your face, and if you think there is a chance it has split, squeeze it inside a cardboard box
• Don’t oversqueeze the tube
• Have plenty of clean rags available for emergencies (old white t-shirts are the best)
• Use absorbent paper towels to wipe brushes on and for cleaning paint tube lids
• Have a garbage bag attached to your easel or trolley to put all rubbish in such as empty paint tubes, paper towels, dried paint etc. When at the venue, take home your rubbish bag
• When doing messy jobs like cleaning your paint lids, wear disposable gloves. The gloves remind you not to scratch your face, touch your furniture or anything else for that matter. If your kit is in a mess try only wearing your gloves while squeezing out your paint onto your palette.

I will be exhibiting four of my still life paintings, along with Lesley Shelley, Bernard Bush, Michelle Caitens , Tricia Reust, Elena Ventura, Jo Cucchiaro, Maria Paterson, June McCotter , Sandra Kane, Victoria Fitzpatrick, Judith Rosenberg, Adrienne Fleming, Anna Gonzalez, Donna Norwood, Lynn Norris, Margaret Turner, Yoriko Flemming and Alicia Maroto.  It promises to be a very interesting exhibition showing the many and varied approaches to painting the Still Life, one of my favourite genres.

Exhibition Dates:  Thursday 6 January to Saturday 12 February 2011

Gallery Hours:  Monday to Saturday 10am – 4pm

Opening night:  Friday 14 January 2011.  6.00pm for 6.30pm

Pine Rivers Art Gallery, Unit 7, 199 Gympie Road, Strathpine (parking off Mecklem Street)

For more information phone 07 3205 0555 or visit www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au

Remember you’ve got to be in it to win it.  Entry forms for the 2011 Scholarship will be posted onto the website in the near future.

The winners of the Beginner/Intermediate sections of Still Life, Portraiture and Landscape are Vera Tilley, Melanie Playle Dwyer; and Kate Breen respectively.  Wendy Stevens received a Highly commended for her Still Life and Dianne Williams was commended on her imaginative approach.

Vera Tilley

Kate Breen

Melanie Playle-Dwyer

Wendy Stevens

Dianne Williams

The winners of the Advanced sections of Still Life , Portraiture and Landscape are Pauline Johnson, Lesley Shelley and Pam Winson respectively.  Ingrid Robertson received a Highly commended for her pastel portrait and Jane Krimmer (Bell) was commended for her Still Life.

Ingrid Robertson

Pauline Johnson

Lesley Shelley

Pam Winson

Pauline Johnson - People's Choice

Rose Moxham - People's choice

The People’s Choice Award and one month at Incub8r Gallery was shared by Pauline Johnson and Rose Moxham.

Jane Krimmer (Bell)

Read the Terms and Conditions carefully as your information may be gathered to be on-sold to other companies who will try to market to you.  That means more spam, and even sponsors of such competitions might find their own email databases hijacked by the promoter and sold to the highest bidder (their competition).

Under law, a promotor has the right to conduct a prize without a permit, provided that the prize is awarded ramdonly and that there is no entry fee.  If there is an entry fee there must be a prize awarded for skill, so that the award is not based on luck.

Some competitions may state that the prize-winner is chosen randomly, however one must remain suspicious if one of the rules of the same competition is that you must assign over the copyright of your artwork.  That means, the promoter may place your image on t-shirts or anything else for that matter, sell them, and they do not have to give you any royalties or fees for the use of the image, or even promote the artist who created the artwork.  This is morally and ethically wrong, and NAVA, the National Association of Visual Arts, frowns upon this immoral activity.

Remember, always read the Terms and Conditions of competitions, especially if it involves your intellectual property, or if you have privacy concerns.

When competitions like this are advertised, it is my personal theory that the award will be given to someone with advanced abilities, rather than to a beginner or someone unknown to the promoter, as this would add a greater chance that the final image assigned over to the promoter would be one worth hanging onto.  Unfortunately this is hard to prove, however be warned, I think it is entirely in the realm of possiblity.

Looking at many of the art prizes that are handed out today, at least in Queensland, I strongly believe constitute a breach of gaming regulations.  When some prizes are awarded, most people wonder where is the skill in that?  Of course the art critic, the art historian and the gallery dealer with talk about track record, that the artist is edgy, young (discrimatory), emerging (also considered to be young therefore discriminatory), so that the whole industry is in bed with itself.  There can be no semblance of objectivity in art, if strict rules concerning skill are not adhered to.

It is ironic that the Turner Prize, handed out by the Tate Modern in Britain, and named after the famous painter, is now handed out to people who cannot draw and don’t paint.  The use of projectors is not cool or modern, it is plain speaking nothing short of cheating, as there is no skill required to trace.  If this government regulation were enforced, then the artists who deserve to be awarded prizes would be recognised, and the people who can’t draw, who have no imagination or vision (photoshop becomes the same as using a projector) and can’t paint should be left to be a legend in their own mind.

In order to bring skill back into art, perhaps a class action or two against a high profile art prize would help to turn the tide of opinion about what constitutes art and skill?

Preferred Artist brands:  Atelier Interactive Acrylics or Winsor & Newton.  Other brands are okay – should list pigments used and be artist quality.  Please note you only need to buy one set of colours which can be all one brand or a combination.

Atelier Interative Acrylics – Basic  Colours

Titanium white (S1)

Tinting White (S2)

Arylimide Yellow Light (S3)

Arylimide Yellow Deep (S3)

Yellow Ochre (S1)

Raw Sienna (S1)

Napthol Red Scarlet (S3)

Permanent Alizarin Crimson (S4)

Ultramarine blue (S1)

Pthalo Blue (S1)

Indian Red (S1)

Raw Umber (S1)

Burnt Umber (S1)

Burnt Sienna (S1)

Mars Black (S1)

______________________________________________________________________________________

* Portriature:  Fredrix Canvas Pads 14 x 18” or Portraiture grade linen Canvas or loose canvas taped to board.

* Alla Prima Still Life:  canvas should be no larger than 50cm on any side.

* Classic Still Life & Figure Long Poses – canvases can be larger.

* Mural painting – large to very large canvases

*Large Sta-Wet Palette with lid (highly recommended)

* 2 Painting knives

*Rags and good absorbent paper towels + plastic bag for own rubbish

* Mediums:  Fast Medium Fixer; Clear Painting Medium; Thick Slow Medium

*  Mediums Optional:  Impasto Gel; Modelling Paste

* Selection of brushes  – taklon – mostly filberts and flats (square shaped).  Some round taklon.

* Plastic Water container (old yoghurt container -large ok)

* note book and pen

Preferred Artist brands:  Art Spectrum or Winsor & Newton.  Please note you only need to buy one set of colours which can be all one brand or a combination.

** This Cadmium colour is carcinogenic and must be used with caution.

Art Spectrum List – Basic  Colours

Titanium white #2 (S2)

Underpainting White (S1)

** Cadmium Yellow Light (S4) or Lemon Yellow (S1)

** Cadmium yellow (S4) or Spectrum Orange (S1)

Yellow Ochre (S1)

Raw Sienna (S1)

**Cadmium Orange (S4) or Spectrum Orange (S1)

** Cadmium Red (S4) or Spectrum Red Deep (S1)

Permanent Crimson (S3) or Spectrum Crimson (S1)

Ultramarine blue (S1)

Pthalo Blue (S1)

Indian Red (S1)

Raw Umber (S1)

Burnt Umber (S1)

Burnt Sienna (S1)

Ivory Black (S1)

Art Spectrum Optional but Higly Recommended – Add When you can afford to

**Cadmium Scarlet (S4) ; Aureolin (S5) &/or Indian Yellow (S2);  Rose Dore (S4); Rose Madder (S5);  Transparent Gold Oxide (S2);  Cerulean Blue (S4); Permanent Rose (S4); Cobalt Blue (S4); Flinders Blue Violet (S3); Cobalt Violet (S5);  Cobalt Violet Dark (S5); Viridian (S4);  Oxide of Chromium (S3); Pthalo Green (S1); Transparent Black (S1); Prussian Blue (S1)

Winsor & Newton – Basic Colours

Titanium white (S1)

Underpainting White (S1)

**Cadmium Yellow Pale (S4) or Winsor Lemon (S2)

** Cadmium Yellow (S4) or Winsor Yellow Deep (S2)

Yellow ochre (S1)

Raw Sienna (S1)

** Cadmium Orange (S4) or Art Spectrum Orange (S1)

** Cadmium Red (S4) or Winsor Red Deep (S2)

Permanent Alizarin Crimson (S4)

French Ultramarine Blue (S2)

Winsor Blue (Green Shade) (S2)

Tera Rosa (S2)

Raw Umber (Green Shade) (S2)

Burnt Umber (S1)

Charcoal Grey (S1)

Winsor & Newton Optional but Higly Recommended – Add When you can afford to

Permanent Rose (S2); Winsor Violet (S2); ** Cadmium Scarlet (S4); Indian Yellow (S2); Indian Yellow Deep (S2); Transparent Red Ochre (S2); Viridian (S4); Permanent Magenta (S2); Cobalt Violet (S5); Cobalt Blue (S4); Cerulean Blue (S4); Oxide of Chromium (S4); Winsor Green (S2); Prussian Blue (S1); Ivory Black (S1)

_______________________________________________________________________________________

* Portriature:  Fredrix Canvas Pads 14 x 18” or Portraiture grade linen Canvas or loose canvas taped to board.

* Alla Prima Still Life:  canvas should be no larger than 50cm on any side.

* Classic Still Life & Figure Long Poses – canvases can be larger.

* Mural painting – large to very large canvases

*Large Flat Palette (perspex is good or disposable palette) for oil painters

* 2 Painting knives

*Rags and good absorbent paper towels + plastic bag for own rubbish

*Odourless Turps

* Liquin or wax medium (oil painters)

* Selection of brushes  – taklon and bristle – mostly filberts and flats (square shaped).  Some round taklon.

* Double dipper with lids or 2 glass bottles with lids

* note book and pen