Etsy Store Now Open for Business!

Big announcement: You can now buy my art online through my newly opened Etsy store,

ArtByPatriciaDenis
aka

Art by Patricia Denis

Pictured above are 16 of the 23 items now available.

Each is a unique, handmade artwork using found, reclaimed and reused materials.

ArtByPatriciaDenis 

Open just in time for Christmas 

AND

right now, 

Monday, November 21 to Friday, December 1, 2017

I am offering 10% off storewide. 

No need for codes or coupons. Easy!

Paper Butterflies in The Wild

These three paper butterflies will be in The Wild at Off the Kerb gallery.

'Off the Kerb is pleased to celebrate its 9th Birthday Show by inviting you into The Wild, where your imagination can run wild. We invite you into a utopian wilderness where there are 

no boundaries, freedom and beauty is bountiful, a place where love runs wild, wilder beasts and divine creatures roam free - you are fearless.....untamed....... 

Enter The Wild...

OTK celebrates its 9th Birthday with this group exhibition in support of Edgar’s Mission. 

Edgar’s Mission is a not for profit Farm Sanctuary that seeks to create 

a humane and just world for homeless, abused, injured or abandoned animals.

OTK will be donating the gallery commission to Edgar’s Mission www.edgarsmission.org.au'

The Wild

at  
Off the Kerb gallery.

Opening: Fri 8 April 6-9pm |

7 April - 21 April 2016

66B Johnston St, Collingwood, 3066

9077 0174 | 0400 530 464

info@offthekerb.com.au

Thurs & Fri 12:30- 6 | Sat & Sun 12 - 5

Free Entry

Toy to the World

The Toy to the World biennal features customised vinyl bears from both Australian and International artists. Entries from almost 100 artists will go up for auction to help fund Victorian HIV research.

This is my contribution to the Toy to the World project, and my first customised vinyl bear:

Le Fils de l'ours : The Son of Bears, after Magritte.

More images here.

Toy to the World

In association with the Midsumma festival
Under the umbrella of Queer City's 2013 show, Play-Full

Spring Street Convention Centre

Art @ 1Spring Street

1 Spring Street, Melbourne

Victoria

Australia 3001

Enter via Flinders Lane

Opening night: Tuesday, 15th January 2013, 6pm

Exhibition/Silent Auction Runs: 15ths Jan - 1st Feb

Mon - Fri: 9am - 5:00pm

Register to bid at the venue and bid on Item 74! 

In the next few days you will also be able to bid online at the Toy to the World Facebook page.

Le Fils de l'ours : The Son of Bears, after Magritte.

Le Fils de l'ours : The Son of Bears, after Magritte.

15 x 11 x 5
11 cm wingspan

vinyl bear, graphite, apricot twig, fabric, paper, cardboard, acrylic paint, acrylic lacquer

Created for the Toy to the World project. Text from their website:

'Toy to the World is currently a biennial charity art event involving a custom vinyl toy

design competition that provides both the opportunity for public to witness art creation happening live and the chance for artists to exhibit works while contributing their creations to help raising funds to go toward HIV research in the hopes of improving the lives of those affected by it. The event is split into two distinct parts, the Design Day launch event where artists can collect a plain white vinyl toy and begin work live with provided paints and markers; and the Exhibition & Auction where all the complete works are judged by respected industry judges and displayed while a 2 week silent auction runs. Artists may pre-register their interest for a time slot on the Design Day, or may register to receive a vinyl toy to complete before the Exhibition'

Back view

Painted hand script is an homage to Magritte's The Treachery of Images (La trahison des images).

Detail of tie, collar and coat. 

Note the undone third button as in the original Magritte painting.

Detail of head

Painted, cut, fabric apple leaves on a twig.

Artwork in situ upon completion.

Cole's Funny Picture Book Paper Butterflies

I have two framed paper butterflies in a book art show at Hand Held Gallery.
They are made using paper from a Cole's Funny Picture Book.

Summer BAZE

Book Arts and Zine Exhibition

From December 20-24
&
January 16-19

@

Hand Held Gallery

Suite 18, upstairs

Paramount Arcade

108 Bourke Street

Melbourne, 3000

Entry via Bourke or little Bourke street. Go straight up escalator to top level.

Contact:

(03)9654 4006

Megan at:

littleredfishy@yahoo.com.au

Gallery opening hours:

Tue-Sat 12-5pm

Paper butterfly bodies - work in progress

Artwork now in stock at Lord Coconut

Delivered today to Lord Coconut!

Clockwise from top left, detail of:

Mr Croak SOLD

Quench,

Feather Longwing, and

Flight of the Crayfish.

Click on titles to see images.

For further information please visit the Lord Coconut online store or the shop itself.

Heliconius vestis rubrica (H. red carpet)

18°, Heliconius vestis rubrica (H. red carpet)
paper, steel pin, cardboard, closed cell polystyrene foam,
enamel paint, acrylic paint, nylon filament, ink,
steel jewellery cord, steel crimping beads,
polystyrene, magnet, found object (Galileo thermometer weight).
12.5cm wingspan

Installed as part of an assemblage titled 2º, exhibited in 2 @ Wunderkammer

Given a more traditional context...  

... and framed sans Galileo thermometer weight.

Paper butterfly: N. sept et triginta, Nymphalidae thirty seven.

N. sept et triginta, Nymphalidae thirty seven.

paper, steel pin, cardboard, closed cell polystyrene foam, 

enamel paint, acrylic paint, nylon filament, ink

wingspan 10.5cm

Commissioned for a birthday gift. 

The recipient's favourite number is thirty seven while her favourite colour is purple.

2º: A butterfly installation inspired by Global Warming.

2º

mixed media

variable

This sculpture has been named 2º for two reasons:

• it incorporates the glass bubbles from a broken Gallileo thermometer which go up in two degree increments
• the Copenhagen Accord agreeing to not allow more than two degrees of overall global warming above pre-Industrial levels.

Actual butterfly species are being affected by increasing temperatures with some moving to higher altitudes, or away from the equator towards the poles, in response.

Although such potentially disastrous circumstances inspired the work, the idea is behind it is to uplift the viewer on contemplating it, rather than force feed a message. It is up to the viewer/buyer whether they wish to understand more by visiting this very website. The artist realises that sometimes it is enough to just enjoy art for art's sake. This is is why the 2º group installation is being subsequently divided up for individual sale rather than as one piece.

 26°, Papilio collis viridis (P. green hill)

2º, detail featuring 20°, Nymphalidae violaceum pavae (N. violet peacock)

Exhibited as part of 2 @ Wunderkammer.

Nymphalidae nebula caerulus (N. blue cloud)

 22°, Nymphalidae nebula caerulus (N. blue cloud)
paper, steel pin, cardboard, closed cell polystyrene foam, 

enamel paint, acrylic paint, nylon filament, ink, 

steel jewellery cord, steel crimping beads, 
polystyrene, magnet, found object (Galileo thermometer weight).
14.5cm wingspan

Given a more traditional context and framed:

Nymphalidae nebula caerulus (N. blue cloud) 
Installed as part of an assemblage titled 2º, exhibited in 2 @ Wunderkammer

Coloured paper butterflies, unmounted

These are the first two butterflies from an eventual group of seven which will form 2º, a butterfly wall installation.

Apollo aka 24º, Nymphalidae junonia nebulae (N. cloud buckeye)

mixed media

12cm wingspan, unmounted

Earth aka 26º, Papilio collis viridis (P. green hill)

mixed media

11.5cm wingspan, unmounted

Exhibited as part of 2 @ Wunderkammer.

28°, Papilio aurea lymphae (P. golden water nymph)

28°, Papilio aurea lymphae (P. golden water nymph)
paper, steel pin, cardboard, closed cell polystyrene foam, 
enamel paint, acrylic paint, nylon filament, ink, 
steel jewellery cord, steel crimping beads, 
polystyrene, magnet, found object (Galileo thermometer weight).
14cm wingspan

Given a more traditional context and framed:

28°, Papilio aurea lymphae (P. golden water nymph)Installed as part of an assemblage titled 2º, exhibited in 2 @ Wunderkammer

Paper butterfly: Papilio comae delta (Delta's hair Papilio)

Papilio comae delta (Delta's hair Papilio)

paper, steel pin, cardboard, closed cell polystyrene foam, 

enamel paint, acrylic paint, nylon filament, ink

This is the first colour paper butterfly using paper from contemporary magazines. She is named after singer/song writer/actress Delta Goodrem since the wings are made up of an image of her hair.

About my collages

Do you photocopy old books or actually cut them up?

Both depending on the book.

Rest assured only the most decrepit antique and vintage books are used in my art. Anything better - slight damage but not falling apart much, only minor tears, or a few dog ears - is kept in my small collection for future reference.

When making black and white paper butteflies I consult a book from my collection: Wood's Natural History. Funnily enough the book that started it all as far as the use of Victorian images, was this very book. I still have and use that first coverless, unbound, pages missing, child addled copy. My father attained it for me from Neil, a family friend. Neil ran a local, little, second hand bookshop that has now been closed for some years. It wasn't until I recently when got my 'good' copy that I was able to identify the book.

It's fairly easy to tell when I've photocopied and when I use actual bits from a book since I do not attempt to age the photocopy. Thus the old book collages have a slight buff or cream tone while the photocopy collages tend to be a bright white. However there is a third possibility and that is the hardware catalogue collages which are also offwhite. I sometimes work a small part or two from a hardware catalogue into a book paper collage.

Whatever the age or source of the paper, if you own a paper work of art it is best you display it away from direct sunlight and not where sunlight will be strongly reflected onto it.

More tips on caring for paper art here.


What is a Spam Tale?
Read about it and the creative process here.

Paper butterfly: Heliconius navis navis (Ship Longwing)

Heliconius navis navis (Ship Longwing)

vintage paper, steel pin, cardboard, closed cell polystyrene foam,

enamel paint, acrylic paint, nylon filament, ink

approximate wingspan 12cm

Heliconius navis navis (Ship Longwing), detail

Showing ink work done to visually balance the main wings.

Paper butterfly: Heliconius penne (Feathered Longwing)

 Heliconius penne (Feathered Longwing)

vintage paper, steel pin, cardboard, closed cell polystyrene foam, 

enamel paint, acrylic paint, nylon filament, ink

approximate wingspan 11cm

Tiny images of birds fly over the wings.

Click to buy from my Etsy.

Paper butterfly: Vanessa coleii oculus (Cole's eye Vanessa)

Vanessa coleii oculus (Cole's eye Vanessa)

vintage paper, steel pin, cardboard, closed cell polystyrene foam,

enamel paint, acrylic paint, nylon filament, ink

approximate wingspan 7cm

One of the bigger eyes used was clipped from a portrait of E. W. Cole in a Coles Funny Picture Book.

Paper Butterflies @ Wunderkammer

Here is my show Paper Butterflies, at Wunderkammer:

A big thank you to Ray Meyer for agreeing to display and sell my work in his truly wonderful and unique space. My work will continue to be available for sale via Wunderkammer. Keep checking back here and join the Facebook group for updates on new pieces.

Note for overseas patrons: Wunderkammer will ship internationally.

Latest paper butterflies

Newly delivered to Wunderkammer.