under the surface of you i found a part of me

The following drawings are exploring the body, landscape, surface, emotion and movement. All themes which excite and inspire me no end. It has been a while since I have drawn in charcoal and I must say.. it is such a beautiful and tactile media. By the way, thanks for visiting my sketchblog! Emily x

Emily Fong 2013, charcoal and ink on paperEmily Fong 2013, charcoal on paperEmily Fong 2013, charcoal on paperEmily Fong 2013, charcoal on paper 

Sketching in Barcelona, Summer 2013

I've just returned from an amazing adventure around Europe and the UK, ending in a 4 day sketch-a-thon in Barcelona, Spain. It's been 2.5years since I was last in that city and I can honestly say that I've grown a lot in that time. Needless to say, on both occasions, Barcelona has embraced me and for that I am truely thankful. 

The initial reason for this solo adventure was to attend the 4th International Urban Sketchers Symposium. See the works of symposium members here on their blog. It was inspiring to see and meet so many artists from all over the globe loving sketching as much as I do! See a taste of my BCN drawings below, if you like what you see, find more here.

First Day in Barcelona, I'm sketching in the rain in the Placa de la Virreina. Feeling a bit rusty but happy to be here. I can hear the table next to be chatting away in French and it reminds me of great times in Grenoble, France.Passeig del Born, just behind Sta Maria Del Mar. It's a beautiful afternoon people watching in this city. Hot Hot Hot. There is an endless choice of things to draw in Barcelona and today I'm loose and free.There is more to Barcelona than Gaudi but - DAMN - this man was a genius. Casa Mila.. it's all about the windows. Sitting here looking and re-looking I feel like I've done it justice.

In A Skin Studies, Musings on First Impressions, 2013

Have you ever stopped to consider that moment when you're surrounded by new faces? For me I often experience a re-occuring feeling that is not so unlike being a person inside myself. Each and every sensory orifice is transformed into a window that I peer out of and in turn is open wide to let the world in. I'm an observer.

If the first impression of someone, and following that, the nuances of getting to know said person could be distilled and re-composed into material form, that is what this piece seeks to do. In the process I've assumed a lot. 

In A Skin Studies, Musings on First Impressions consists of three unnamed characters. They are each crafted from and into a different type of 'skin.' The viewer has the potential to experience the characters from a distance as well as up-close and from inside if they so wish. As with meeting a new person, it is one's own perogative whether or not to get too close. 

Character 1 : Suspended MDF board, nails, cotton pads, twine, wireCharacter 2: dried orange skins woven around wire cage with twine & suspended.Character 3: dried banana and orange skins, perforated and hand-sewn together over a wire support and suspendedLight on the Inside of Character 3

UAB End of Year Exhibition : Gorged on Creativity... For Now

The first year of this amazing collaborative project, Urban Art Binge, is coming to an end. Please come and celebrate the delightful processes and artistic outcomes of over 45 budding Brisbane artists. We'll be joined by the awesome SFA Street Food Australia who will be serving up all sorts of treats in fine binging tradition.

See you there! 

X-Show Group Show this Friday night.

Book now for UAB Block 4! Begins 13th of August

Left Hand (non dominant hand) Painting

I've set up another blog strictly for sketches and works inspired by the 2 Ballerinas Dance School in Bardon. I'm fascinated by the body and especially the body in motion. These works are exploring this subject matter.. and loving it. Below is a piece I've completed this week which has been worked up from a sketch. I liked the playful effect of the montage of drawings to capture the movement of this particular rutine. It has been painted with my non-dominant hand which I think is very effective in capturing the rawness and suggestion of mark making motion. These works will be shown in exhibition at the Verve Cafe on Edward Street in September. If you're in Brisbane and keen to check them out more details will be posted soon.

Untitled - Acrylic on LinenSketch Study - Movement Montage

Foresters Hall, Fortitude Valley (The Attic Club/Brothel)

Yesterday, a friend and I went on a very exciting exploration of an old abandoned nightclub in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley. It's a building called Forester's Hall on the corner of Brunswick and Alfred Streets. Now the second and third levels above a Kitchen and Bathroom showroom, this place has a colourful history. The most recent usage was a Night Club called The Attic from the 80's. 

If you are reading this blog and have memories of this club or the building I would love to hear your stories. Please do get in contact.

Like walking through a magic wardrobe, the dust we breathed in was definitely vintage and there were still remnants of party paraphernalia strewn all over the club. This was a very unique and exciting opportunity. Thank you to Lisa De Re and all involved for making it happen. 

View of the stage and the windows open to Alfred Street.Hall perspective view from the stage. Take note of the heritage listed pressed metal ceiling, the declining structure of which is quite remarkable. Mural remaining from 'The Attic' night club in the 1980's. I was really drawn to the sight opening in the roof structure of the mezzanine. This is that AMAZING suspended ceiling I was talking about earlier! The child in me just wanted to jump on and climb. The sketch is slightly ruined by the squashed red man lying on the floor looking down into the space below.. a last minute addition.. and I think I was needing a food break by then!Mural from behind the stage.. I was captivated by the torn rag hanging from the stage structure (romantic much?). There is something about the silence of this space that has hardly been touched for 25 odd years. It's a capsule of secrets and stories.. Slightly haunted, but in a very good way.View onto Alfred street from the Hall Stage. I think this might be a door into the strip club?

Dancer of the Day

Adjustable Ballerina Card

Motion study, turned into a card.