summer 2010 cyndy ellis wears shapes swing cardi

self portrait 1990
portrait of Kevin Robertson 1988
self portrait 1985
maritime painting 1985
this is a short distraction from fashion to talk about my earlier career as an artist.
Last sunday I had to give a short talk with a few of my artist colleagues at the Holme's a court gallery in East Perth. It was an artist forum chaired by Thomas Hoareau called 'the school of perth'. Among my colleagues were Richard Gunning and Kevin Robertson and we were all giving our take on the fact that there was a strong group of artists in the mid eighties who were returning if you like to a realist style of painting after a predominant push of colourfield and abstract work from the 60's and 70's. I know from my own experience that there seemed little else that I wanted to do. I was captivated by the desire to paint faces and portraits because of the amazing amount of information one could capture. I was aware that my colleagues seemed all very interested in painting from life whether it be landscapes, interiors or people yet I didn't really question why. Looking back I see that it was one of those inevitable happenings due to the line up of inspirational tutors we had at art school as much as a desire to be different from the generation before us...whatever the syndrome was I am very happy to be known as one of this group...the school of perth.