Arts and Culture

Artist Jason McDonald on spirituality, sacred technology, and the vision-led practice behind his work—plus his custom flower essences and why Lascaux acrylics feel "alive" in the studio.

For Barbara Diethelm, paint is embodied with spirit. The artist and second-generation owner of Lascaux, one of the worlds pioneering acrylic paint manufacturers, speaks with Studio Forum about uncompromising quality, making against the grain, feminine leadership, and a lifelong relationship with colour and material. 

This intimate, untutored life drawing session with artist and life model Elsa Thorp merges the human form with raw botanical elements, inviting artists into a space of shared contemplation. 

Harry Rothel is a figurative painter whose Baroque-inspired, crowd-filled canvases explore social dynamics and the tension between our public and private selves. His process is materials-led, often finding figures in the texture of his linen—a phenomenon known as pareidolia.

Melbourne artist Ami Morris works across painting and sculpture, using encaustic wax and found materials collected from streets and op-shops. We visited her studio to see how she builds her layered works — and why learning to trust her instincts has shaped the past year of her practice.

An immersive life drawing workshop with acclaimed artist Barbie Kjar, where live music and the human form come together. Explore expressive mark-making, movement and rhythm in a dynamic studio setting.

A new surface for bold ideas. Exclusive to Chapman & Bailey, Belle Arti Fabriano Cotton Canvas combines 100% cotton paper with fine-grain canvas - strong, smooth, and made for watercolour, gouache, ink and mixed media.

Chapman & Bailey is proud to introduce Lascaux Acrylics to our shelves — a premium Swiss range with a philosophy as considered as its pigments. Founded in 1963, Lascaux has spent six decades pairing material innovation with a belief in colour as a tool for transformation. 

ARTIST PROFILE Issue 70 have featured our Melbourne Art Fair ‘24 artists Simone Arnol & Bernard Singleton. Read the full article  by Claire G Coleman “Simone Arnol & Bernard Singleton washing away the toxins” here