Draw from what you see!

'Table Top' by Ellen Benson - mixed media life study in tapestry frame

OBSERVATIONAL DRAWING CLASSES
At Travellers Café

Level 2, 169 Swanston Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia

(TUES AFTERNOONS 1:OO – 4:OO PM)

Bring along a sketch book, notify the front desk that you are here for the class and enjoy a coffee and learn to draw from what you see!

Each week our Artist-in-Community Residence ‘Ellen Benson’ will set up an installation of Organic and Synthetic objects for you to draw inspiration from.

Each week our artist, Ellen, will introduce you to a different range of materials – you are free to use any medium you like though. There is no tutoring cost involved, you have to provide your own materials – artist will have some on hand for you to try and you may have the opportunity to purchase materials from the artist. If you wish to leave a donation to Travellers Aid in exchange for our artist’s services, please contact our front desk.

Each Tues Afternoon Ellen will show you observational drawing examples from a range of artists from different movements/time periods and in different mediums.

Ellen’s teaching approach is to introduce you to exercises that encourage you to look and put - Ellen will not govern your creative choices or touch your page (unless asked)!

Artist Profile: Paul Compton

Melbourne Contemporary Artist Paul Compton has donated two Life-Drawing Ink Sketches for sale as part of our Travellers Aid Contemporary Art Folio. To request a viewing please visit our front desk at Level 2, 169 Swanston Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia. email Paul: s3016500@student.rmit.edu.au

To view Paul's profile as well as any future Artist Profiles please click on the Artist Profile label at the bottom of any Artist Profile posts.

Residency Update: Tues 12 June

Our network is constantly extending with A Community-Arts Veteran, Phil Driver jumping on board to get involved with the 'Traverse' Skill-Exchange Workshop Project. I am meeting a contact from one of our partner groups tomorrow to hand over a survey I have compiled for potential workshop candidates as well as to obtain information from relevant individuals as well as welfare and arts industry contacts. There has been a significant amount of talk and interest from potential arts/humanities volunteers, potential candidates, our staff, Travellers Aid regulars and members of the general public who have caught wind of my residency.

We are very excited about the current works we have received for our Travellers Aid Contemporary Art Folio and I am constantly seeking and happy to receive submissions of artwork from more contemporary artists.

I am in the process of compiling a budget for a large-scale Skill-Exchange series of workshops as well as exhibition. I am also in the process of seeking funding and sponsorship to bring the project to fruition. Alot of necessary dry paperwork and hair pulling - but the project will be extremely rewarding for all involved which keeps me and the anticipating people involved enthusiastic!

If you would like more information on my Artist-in-Community Residency or about getting involved in the potential Skill-Exchange Workshops/Expo either by volunteering your time, participating in workshops, sponsoring either via advertising, food or art supplies please email me:
ellen_b80@yahoo.com.au

I am also making relevant installation work and preparing for my collaboration with local emerging contemporary artist Rebecca Delange. Click on 'Traverse' installation itinery label for related imagery/concept as well as the 'Rebecca Delange'and 'Ellen Benson' labels.

Making Headway,

Ellen Benson
(Travellers Aid Artist-in-Community Residence)

Donations to Our Travellers Aid Contemporary Art Folio

Thank you to Contemporary Melbourne Artist Paul Compton for the donation of two exquisite Ink Life Studies - your Artist Profile will be posted as soon as you designate two jpeg images to display.

To donate work in exhange for an artist profile contact me, Ellen Benson at ellen_b80@yahoo.com.au

Artist Profile: Ellen Benson

I, Ellen Benson, have been sponsored by the City of Melbourne as the Travellers Aid Artist-in-Community Residence. My work is conceptual, the idea dictates the materials and craftsmanship involved. The images displayed here are from numerous bodies of work.

Ellen Benson Contact Details:

personal blog:
http://sleepingpirate.blogspot.com
mob: 0416859943
email: zzzpirate.gmail.com

Artist Statement for my current, unrelated personal work:

‘Most Handsome Seen From Afar’ presents an exploded view of a Waratah. Abstracting individual Waratah stamen with its’supporting bract to heighten the awkward sexy aesthetic of a ‘large man in a boat'. This ‘large man in a boat' both celebrates and parodies our bourgeois and curious ‘men’ of science, specifically Carolus Linnaeus and Joseph Banks, our prime patriarchs responsible for the most common system of plant classification, observation and documentation.

images from miscellaneous bodies of work:









Melbourne Contemporary Artist Ellen Benson has donated Four Life-Drawing Ink Sketches for sale as part of our Travellers Aid Contemporary Art Folio. To request a viewing please visit our front desk at Level 2, 169 Swanston Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.

To view Ellen's profile as well as any future Artist Profiles please click on the Artist Profile label at the bottom of any Artist Profile posts.

Making Headway,

Ellen Benson
(Travellers Aid Artist-in-Community Residence)

Residency Update

Cough...cough...I am being altruistic this week - I have a nasty virus I wish not to spread so am working from my personal residence today.

Last Tuesday was very productive - Sian Whalley (Project Co-Ordinator) and I enthusiastically discussed our upcoming 'Traverse Skill-exchange' idea. The concept is sound (not to mention innovative) so I have been spending time researching potential grants that could fund the exciting project. Not wishing to jeopardise our chances of obtaining funding I am keeping relatively quiet on this one until we have worked out all the nuts and bolts. Grant writing is a fine-art, it requires you to understand why the organising body is offering the grant (their agenda) and understading whether you and your idea fit the necessary criteria. There is much paperwork and you have to learn an entirely new language for each grant application as there is much variation and many guidelines for each type of grant.

Notice our new snazzy header (which is excerpted from a related former body of work of mine titled 'Mapsway'). I have been further consulting with Artist Rebecca Delange - she is very excited about our visual and verbal dialogue - the good news is we are on the same page!

On the publicity front, I have contacted google to notify them of our Traverse Blog URL. and am in the process of making a site-map using Free-Find that will make our blog more readily accessible to the public. I also intend using google analytics, a software program that helps one to see who is accessing the page and why.

Selected four of my own quick ink sketches to donate to the Travellers Aid Contemporary Art Folio, so you will see my artist profile shortly. I've been networking to obtain donations of contemporary emerging and mid-career artists and am awaiting response. I am also currently pricing presentation folios for our submissions.

I have constructed a vague project plan for potential ideas - including a time-line and list of resources that may be required.

I will be visiting Travellers Aid this week to photograph some of the beautiful craftwork our Trading Table features and intend showcasing a range of works using this blog.