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New video about lustre painting and magazine articleThe other week I posted a video explaining the techniques and… »
Porcelain painting and other arts in ThailandThe second post in a series about my trip to Thailand last year.… »
My porcelain feature in Swiss magazine Art and PorcelaineI'm sharing another magazine feature of my award winning porcelain… »
My porcelain feature in DECOR-magasinet from NorwayLast month I was interviewed by Editor Margrete Tennfjord for a four… »
Floating in my freedom, Abstract expressionism on porcelainFinally finished this new painting on porcelain this week, "Floating… »
Expressionist landscapes on canvas and updatesI've been really productive over the past few weeks, I've been… »
We are Soldiers of Love, Ingrid Lee, 2013 porcelain vaseI started this porcelain painting We are Soldiers of Love, late last… »
Challenge of abstract expressionist lustre on porcelainThe challenge of abstract expressionist lustre on porcelain is where… »
Finishing and starting new projects on porcelainIt's been busy few weeks, so I haven't had much chance to paint… »
Demo via skype in St PetersburgIt was 4.30 am in Melbourne and I presented a ribbon embroidery… »
Abstract expressionism on porcelain
Progress of lustre painting on porcelain
What’s on my mind
My porcelain feature in DECOR-magasinet from Norway
Last month I was interviewed by Editor Margrete Tennfjord for a four page article in the Norwegian art magazine DECOR-magasinet. It was a great experience, to participate in this. The article has now been published in 2013′s Issue 2, here is an excerpt from one of the pages:
DECOR-magasinet, porcelain, art, Ingrid Lee, magazine, article
Ingrid Lee fra Melbourne i Australia har malt denne flotte porselensvasen. Du kan lese om hennes mange kreative prosjekt i nr.2, som kommer i midten av april. Dette er en side fra artikkelen. Vasen ble premiert av dronning Sirikit av Thailand på utstilling i Bangkok.
This beautiful porcelain vase is painted by Ingrid Lee in Melbourne, Australia. You can read more about her in issue no 2, published in mid April. The vase was rewarded by Queen Sirikit of Thailand on an convention in Bangkok. This is a page from the article.
Now, I have been invited by this magazine to share the progress of one my lustre paintings from the Destiny and Love series, which is exciting for me! This issue is a few months away.
Check out the DECOR-magasinet website for more details about magazine subscription.
“Falling to Pieces” Ingrid Lee 2012, porcelain vase and plate
These are the next porcelain paintings, which are part of my Destiny and Love theme, “Falling to Pieces I” porcelain vase 28.5cm and “Falling to pieces II” porcelain oval plate. I’ve quickly taken these photos with my phone, so the quality is not good…but it gives you the general idea of the paintings. Gallery photos will be done later.
“Falling to Pieces I” Ingrid Lee 2012, porcelain vase 28.5cm
“Falling to Pieces II” Ingrid Lee 2012, porcelain plate 37cm
Both paintings reflect the same ideas, I just wanted to explore the painting across two pieces…rather like a diptych on canvas. The deep multi-red/orange layers of lustre work suggest the shape of the heart (both sides on the vase) which is simply, falling to pieces. I chose a flaming orange red colour for the central colour of the heart…the burning essentially which one feels as love breaks apart, but it still more than this. The colours and feelings communicated through the effects created in many layers of lustre painting, was inspired by the surface of the sun….what better source for the representation of love- massive, burning solar flares and coronal loops all moving chaotically with huge explosions of energy. It reflects what happens when we realise that something has happened to love, and for that moment, or many moments we do not cope, it is chaotic and energetic like the sun; and our heart falls apart. This final process is shown by the interweaving line work of platinum through the swirling orange lustre, with accents of gold, that are falling into clear shapes, defining each part of our heart that falls.
The stage when love is ending still has parts which feel connected, as shown by the linked platinum and gold line work, but eventually, these feelings become isolated. Again I use isolated, abstract line and shape work (discussed in another art work) to indicate the notion of love becoming finite.
Other abstract expressionist painting on canvas , and here, and other paintings on porcelain
Are you interested in masterclasses for contemporary painting techniques on porcelain or commissioning art work? Collborative art projects or exhibitions? I’d be happy to hear from you, please contact me
“Nature of Orb Spiders,” Ingrid Lee 2012, porcelain vase.
I totally enjoyed researching, designing and painting this porcelain vase, which I titled “Nature of Orb Spiders.” This painting was exhibited in the non competition International exhibit of the TIPP 2012. As discussed in a previous blog post, I wanted to paint these beautiful spiders on to a vase….but I had to wait to find the perfect shape. When I saw the porcelain blank for this vase, I knew this was the one! It was the shape of the porcelain blank which formed the design and composition…a continuous flowing form, which suggests the cycle of life…and thus the nature of the orb spider. It had a natural form which also suggested the habitat or environment for this spider, and it would enable me to create little snap shots of their life, hunting, spiderlings hatching, building webs, looking for adventures in a new day, busy work at the evening and so on. I wanted to create an atmospheric design which showcased the productivity and “nature” of these spiders, and so used many layers of lustre paintings and gold paste work for the design. In total there were 9 firings for this painting, in order to build up the translucent layers of painting and control the effects and technique of the lustre application.
“Nature of Orb Spiders” Ingrid Lee, porcelain vase 45.7 cm, 2012.
This side of the vase shows a large portrait of an orb spider which has caught a darker reflection, it is actually painted entirely in platinum (the large dark webs at the top of the vase are also platinum), with only some black lustre pen work for shading and burnishing gold paint for detail light areas. You can see a better image of the platinum colour about two photos below this one. I used the technique of platinum for the web and burnishing gold ‘blending’ out in areas, as I described in my other spider painting. The use of negative space on this side of the vase was really important to add life and light to the overall composition. The leaf motive above the spider is continued on the other side of the vase.
The top section of this side shows spiders busy at night, building webs, I’ve used many layers of lustres to create an evening time atmosphere, and the contrast of gold paste spiderlings works well here. All of the webs are in platinum and burnishing gold.
Orb spider painted on porcelain, Ingrid Lee
The mid section of this side
“Nature of Orb Spiders” Ingrid Lee, porcelain vase 45.7 cm, 2012.
Other side of the vase
“Nature of Orb Spiders” Ingrid Lee, porcelain vase 45.7 cm, 2012.
Paste orb spider with enamel detail, painted with burnishing gold. The leaf imprints are lustre with gold and platinum highlights.
“Nature of Orb Spiders” Ingrid Lee, porcelain vase 45.7 cm, 2012.
I really enjoyed creating the spiderlings. I came across this image of glitter on pinterest a month or so ago….
….and this looked to me like spider eggs, and when I found images of orb spiderlings, they are little golden spiders, which was a perfect way to create the natural evolution of spider eggs hatching into spiderlings painted in gold which then become little spiders in paste; and again the shape of the vase creates a natural flow for the design to merge from.
Photo courtesy Curbstone Valley Farm
What is next? Well, I paint this style of art works purely out of interest, they aren’t part of my main exhibition work, and are a good break away from commissions and exhibition paintings. Maybe I’ll paint redback spiders again, but I’m interested in painting bats or snakes next….I’ll just wait for the right porcelain piece to come along 
Have you seen the other paintings which I exhibited or won awards (another award) for in Thailand?
Maybe It’s Love, by Ingrid Lee 2012 porcelain plate 38cm.
This porcelain plate titled “Maybe It’s Love” was exhibited in the non competition section of the International exhibit for the Thailand International Porcelain Painters Convention 2012. This painting is part of a larger body of work called Destiny and Love. The style of this painting is abstract expressionism, and uses a variety of techniques of onglaze paints, gold pen work, and raised paste with burnishing gold.
“Maybe It’s Love” by Ingrid Lee 2012, porcelain plate 38.1 cm.
Background to the composition:
I have been fascinated with the communication of eyes for many years in art…I have a created many drawings of eyes over the years, some of which were used in my Gogol inspired painting which is still being exhibited in St Petersburg, Russia.
“Gogol’s search for artist’s truth” 2012, Ingrid Lee, acrylic on canvas, 104 x 104 cm
I also enjoy working in an abstract expressionist style…here is one of my paintings Happy Love, completed in 2004 acrylic on canvas.
Happy Love, 2004 acrylic on canvas, Ingrid Lee
During my trip to Moscow this year I was inspired by the modern artworks I studied at the Museum of Private Collections near the Pushkin Museum. I had some interesting conversations with one of the women who work at the gallery about the early soviet gouache and inks graphics and paintings which were placed under velvet covered glass cabinets. Lifting each velvet cover revealed new wonders…of course I was inspired!
I was also recently inspired by many of the Kandinsky and Picasso paintings (too many other favourites to list and add photos here) which I saw in Moscow and also St Petersburg at the Erata Gallery when I went to a visit art galleries and museums with professional porcelain artist Alexei Nordin (during my 2012 trip to Russia and again during my 2011 trip). This was not my only source of inspiration, there were many other modern art works in different art forms also. After each trip, I made copious studies and notes from these gallery visits so I would not forget….a habit I have kept for many years.
Ingrid Lee in St Petersburg with Kandinsky painting 2012
And last year, during my first trip to St Petersburg in October 2011, we saw another of my favourite Kandinsky paintings:
So why translate my interpretations of a theme through abstract expressionism in acrylics to porcelain? Well, thanks to a dear friend and big supporter of my work, I was encouraged to try it…now I have released a new genie, and there are many more works I am completing now in such styles. Porcelain offers a translucency which canvas cannot support; I can use the porcelain shape to stimulate or translate an idea that will parallel the theme- unlike canvas…and white gold is white gold, it’s value is unsurpassed. I simply love porcelain, and I’m free to express myself totally in my favourite medium; and paint more than flowers (see other painting styles of my porcelain painting here , here and here).
Porcelain Painting ”Maybe it’s Love”
The porcelain painting “Maybe it’s Love” explores the initial emerging sensations of whether a couple is possibly in love, the journey of that process and the possible transition of new things to come. The fleeting eye contact, electrical sensations from touch and interaction or communication. It is a totally engulfing, merging, consuming, passionate time, hence represented by the colour and transparent layers of technique, only achievable for me on porcelain. The translucency of porcelain painting I feel has enabled my to capture to multifaceted emotions one feels during this precarious time of possibly falling in love.
The use of gold line work not only reflects the abstract notions of the the concept of love itself, but it symbolises the stop starts of those feelings as they become finite…is it love, isn’t it..maybe? possibly.
I am finishing a larger canvas painting on same concept, but different energy to communicate…I’ll show you soon.
See my other award winning porcelain paintings from the TIPP 2012 here and here.
Award for “Fearless” by Ingrid Lee, onglaze paint and gold on porcelain, 2012.
This is my second award winning painting, called “Fearless” on a porcelain plate (38.1 cm) at the Thailand International Porcelain Painting Convention 2012, this was my other award winning painting. I wrote about my research about Thailand in another blog post..and for this entry about Thailand or Thai environment, I finally decided on a Buddhist theme about fish. I had read many Buddhist teachings in my mid 20′s, and the connection resonated with me while I was painting fish for another exhibition series on love. That’s often how many of my ideas come…they flow on during painting another art work. So, my research began into fish and Buddhism.
For Buddhists, two gold fish symbolise the auspiciousness of all living beings in a state of fearlessness, without danger of drowning in the Samsaric ocean of sufferings. This idea reflects that we can move places freely and spontaneously, just as fish swim freely without fear through water. Thus the fish symbolise happiness and freedom also.
Award winning porcelain plate, TIPP 2012, “Fearless” Ingrid Lee, 38.1cm plate, 2012
Detail of gold pen work before firing:
I explained during my vernissage to His Excellency the Privy Councillor that the importance for me in this painting is about communicating the concept of being “Fearless.”
Ingrid Lee presenting her award winning paintings at the vernissage to His Excellency the Privy Councillor of Thailand, TIPP 2012.
This is a concept which has shown full circle for me, especially by the end of my artistic pursuits and journeys this year. To be fearless of taking risks for myself, with others, and with my artworks has been a large focus this year; and I think this plate and my readings of Buddhist teachings for this exhibition has made many connections on a spiritual and artistic level, for which I am very grateful. I will continue to pursue this focus of being fearless within this context, to attain personal freedom and authenticity.
For my painting, I have the two fish moving within each other’s space freely, yet still connected by the life of their environment the seaweed. I have used modern techniques with onglaze paints, layered with gold pen work for the design of the water. These techniques reflect the symbols of auspiciousness and water as previously described and being fearless to explore boundaries of my painting medium.
Have you seen my other award winning porcelain painting from the TIPP 2012 event? Click here.
Other plates I exhibited at the TIPP 2012, click here
NEW UPDATE about my canvas painting exhibition in St Petersburg
NEW UPDATE about my canvas painting exhibition in St Petersburg, Russia in December 2012!!!!!
Firstly, it was fantastic to win a bronze medal and another award for my porcelain painting this weekend, at the Thailand International Porcelain Painters Convention 2102. Read more here.
So, what’s happening with my exhibition in Russia? Well, my canvas paintings are still in a group exhibition in St Petersburg for another week or so here, and then they are being exhibited on December 4, 2012 to open a charity exhibition to contribute to the International Charitable Fund of Vladimir Spivakov. My paintings, are presented to secular public, CEOs of major companies, representatives of industry and the fashion-art business.
Here is the translated image, click the link below or the image to go to the original.
Award for Orchid Vase in Thailand 2012
The exhibition in Thailand 8-11th November 2012 was a fantastic experience which I will write more about over the next week, including opening ceremonies, and other artists I met during this trip…but I know that many of you are waiting to see better pics of my paintings. I won the “Outstanding 2nd Class Award” for the Freestyle contest, which was my orchid vase (read more about planning my paintings for this contest). This event was to celebrate Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s 80th Birthday with the Thailand International Porcelain Painting Convention (TIPP 2012). I was presented with a bronze pin at the Royal Gala Presentation evening….we had to rehearse for the formal acceptance- for which I would have liked a little more time to practice my curtsy in strapped heels in a long gown, without falling over but it all went smoothly! I really enjoyed the opportunity to present my work at a vernissage to HR Highness Queen Sirikit’s Representative (HR Highness the Queen was unable to attend), H.E. the Privy Councillor and other Ministers, along with the other winners. The whole event was amazing, we were unable to take photos or videos as there are publicity productions which will be made available to us later. So I only have photos of before and after. Enjoy the photos!
A nice surprise Sunday morning….
Me with my winning painting of Orchids on porcelain vase at the convention….later that evening was the Royal Gala event and presentations
Rehearsals!!!
Prize winners waiting for H.E. the Privy Councillor to show him their works (in front, some prize winning porcelain from the Bangsai team)
Later that evening…..
After accepting my award at the TIPP 2012
Close up of the award….
Bronze pin embossed with HR Highness Queen Sirikit for “Outstanding 2nd Class Award” for the Freestyle contest, Ingrid Lee.
One of many publicity shots…
Ok….here’s the vase!!! All lustre work with platinum detail on white flowers, paste work and burnishing gold. This vase took a total of 9 firings to complete, titled ”Orchids- Purity of Love,” Ingrid Lee 2012, 40.6cm.
Award winning porcelain vase, “Orchids- Purity of Love,” Ingrid Lee 2012, 40.6cm.
Award winning porcelain vase, “Orchids- Purity of Love,” Ingrid Lee 2012, 40.6cm.
Award winning porcelain vase, “Orchids- Purity of Love,” Ingrid Lee 2012, 40.6cm.
Award winning porcelain vase, “Orchids- Purity of Love,” Ingrid Lee 2012, 40.6cm.
A close up….
See my other award winning porcelain plate at the TIPP 2012, click here.
Other plates I exhibited at the TIPP 2012, click here
Yellow Irises on porcelain
Just sharing a commissioned painting of Yellow bearded Irises on a porcelain tile (framed), which I delivered yesterday…the photos are a bit yellow as they were taken in the client’s home- no fluoro lighting, and you can see some of my reflection in the glass…sorry! I forgot to take pics earlier! I enjoyed painting this piece, the colours are really fresh. Now to paint another porcelain tile in a similar style of poppies for them, another favourite flower of mine to paint!
Yellow Irises on Porcelain tile, Ingrid Lee 33cm x 23cm
If you are interested in commissioned art work or Masterclasses, please contact me.
Shadows of My Desire- New Painting
This week, I have finished my painting titled “Shadows of My Desire” which is a painting in the series of Destiny and Love; my last painting was “The Air That I Breathe.” As this series of art works are emerging, they are telling a story about those elements which weave through the notions of Destiny and Love.
This painting “Shadows of My Desire” explores one of the process of falling in love, and is based on this short verse I wrote:
Shadows of My Desire
No more will my love hide in the shadows…
The warmth of my heart emerges, breathes,
The depth of my desire is alive.
Ingrid Lee 2012.
Shadows Of my Desire, Ingrid Lee 2012. Acrylic on canvas 89cm x 149 cm
Who represents my art in St Petersburg?
How exciting 
)
Art Agency ConSferArt became the sole representative in Russia of the Australian artist Ingrid Lee.
Contact for communication: +7-904-517-26-47, info@consferart.ru.
See where else Ingrid Lee is featured in the media
