Life is like a box of crayons

Hi, here's a new ceramic sculpture I made at the beginning of lockdown of a box of crayons. So many colours to try!

Acrylic on hand sculpted earthenware ceramic
Each crayon sculpture is 10cm x 1cm x 1cm
2020

These works were commissioned by Cement Fondu gallery as part of a new online project responding to the current pandemic.

The project's called "Don't let yourself go" and features a series of 13 newly commissioned videos by lots of great artists, and I was invited to create a series of ceramic sculptures to be featured on the homepage. 

To quote Cement Fondu's co-founder Jo Skinner, when reflecting on all the incredible artist contributions to this project, "It is a beautiful, funny, poignant and provocative time capsule of an unforgettable period in our personal lives and shared history."

To check it out, click here!

Still crayonzy after all these years
Acrylic on hand sculpted earthenware
12.5cm x 3cm x 7.5cm
2020

In other exciting news, this Saturday morning I'm hosting a free 45 minute online drawing workshop with the National Gallery of Victoria!

This workshop's aimed for children around primary school age but all are welcome. During the workshop we'll be drawing cat and dog portraits (or should I say, paw-traits!), as well as looking at some artworks from the NGV collection that also feature pets.

It's happening this Saturday, July 4th, from 11am. To watch along, please click here!

Thanks for reading, hope you're having a pup-ticularly nice week!

Drawing of my friend Toms dogs
Oil pastel on paper. 29cm x 42cm.

Auctions speak louder than words

Hi, hope you're really well!

There's only one day left to bid in the online fundraiser auction raising money for the Sydney based community radio station FBi!

To place a bid on my piece or to see all wonderful other works available, click here!

Huge thank you to everyone whose bid on my piece so far! 

Bidding ends this tomorrow night, (Friday June 26), at 7pm, (Eastern standard time).

Feeling a bit deflated. (Flat Earth Balloon)

Acrylic on kiln fired ceramic

14 x 3 x 5cm

2020

In other news, here's a little interview I did last week for Cement Fondu Gallery. 

Thanks so much for reading, hope you have a nice rest of the week!

Name
Kenny Pittock

Location

Melbourne

What do you do
Drawing, painting, ceramics, cook gnocchi

How would you describe what you create

I like to use words, play and wordplay, to create drawings, murals and ceramic sculpture responses to Australian iconography and celebrate the mundane.

The object you can’t live without

Clay. It's such a slow medium, which sometimes can be a bit frustrating but working with it everyday can be a bit like meditation.

Favourite art purchase

A painting of a bus seat by Lisa Radford, a portrait by Tom Polo, an abstract ceramic sculpture by Lynda Draper and a small sculpture by Abdul-Rahman Abdullah. 

Those four artists are all friends and mentors to me so they feel particularly special. All four were acquired through art swaps, so I feel very flattered that they each have a piece of my work as well.

A period in time you identify with most
A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away. Well, either that or right now in 2020.

Listening to while you work…
Usually podcasts or music, although this last week I've been listening to the audio book of 'Growing up Aboriginal in Australia', a great collection of nonfiction stories. 

Watching….

Schitt's Creek. I wasn't really expecting to like it when my Mum recommended it to me, but I actually fell in love with this Netflix series. It has so much heart and is laugh out loud funny.

influenced by…

Tracey Moffatt's photographic series from 1994 called 'Scarred for Life'. This series of works showed me how to combine image with text in a way where they both are enhanced by each other. It also combines narrative storytelling, humour, darkness and mundanity in a way that's been a big influence on me. 

describe your work in 3 words…

playful, poignant, painstaking 

Favourite gallery gift shop. 

I really love the Ken Done gallery gift shop, because it feels like such a natural extension of the Ken Done gallery. I also love being in that gift shop because when I’m in there it means I’m in Sydney and I love being in Sydney.

What’s next…
I'm currently working on a series of ceramic sculptures for the Melbourne Town Hall, and in July will be painting a piece of public art for the Royal Children's Hospital. Also a few group shows coming up later this year that I'm excited about.

(Drawing of Moira Rose, from the Netflix series Schitt's Creek.
Acrylic on paper. 21 x 21cm. 2020)

The pear necessities

Hi, hope you're really well!

I just wanted to start by saying I wholeheartedly support the Black Lives Matter movement happening in America and all around the world. We still have a very long way to go in terms of respecting and learning from the Indigenous people of Australia and my eyes and ears are remaining open to listening and learning this week and all weeks. 

I'd also like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, whose land I'm currently working on, and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging, who have been creating art here for thousands of years.

Here's a new ceramic sculpture of a flat earth balloon.

14 x 3 x 5cm. Acrylic on ceramic. 2020

This piece, called "Feeling a bit deflated", is included in the FBI Radio online fundraiser auction, starting today and on until June 26.

I'm so pleased to be able to help support such an important community radio station alongside 70 incredible artists including Abdul Abdullah, Joan Ross, Tony Albert, Zoe Wong, Jason Phu, Ken Done, Lynda Draper, Reg Mombassa, Lindy Lee, Phil James, Mike Parr, Tom Polo, Pru Stent and Honey Long, Deborah Kelly, Nathan Beard, Barbara Cleveland, TV Moore, Megan Cope and so many more.

You can place a bid on my piece, and see all the available artworks, by clicking here!

In other exciting news, a new Drop-By Drawing video I recorded back in March with the National Gallery of Victoria has just been posted on the NGV's youtube channel.

You can watch it here;

And in fun news related news, here's a pic of me on the news this morning giving a quick drawing lesson to the weather presenter!

Huge thanks to the NGV, and also Channel 9's Today Show, for inviting me to drop by the national gallery at 5.30am this morning to make some drawings on live tv!

And so to finish today's blog post, here's a pic of Tim the weather presenter holding up a drawing I made of a pear. 

Thanks so much for reading, I really a-pear-ciate it!