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Sofie Dieu
- Jul 6, 2018
- 2 min
Mind our Mangroves
We walked to the mangrove close to Kokoda Education Center on Saturday. It's right there, a small patch of halophytes, their sharp green leaves shining in the light, tasting like salt, their roots deep and up above the saline water of the Paramatta river. It's quiet and beautiful. The magrove used to run all along the river, but nowadays there's, sadly, not much left of it. It's been either destroyed by the factories, either ripped off and replaced by walls to "solidify the
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Sofie Dieu
- Jun 6, 2018
- 2 min
Sydney - Katoomba - Melbourne
A few shows and workshops that I am involved in are taking place this month in Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Melbourne... and I hope you can join me to some of these events! In just 10 days, my latest series of ink paintings will be on display in a group show at Rex-Livingston Art + Object in Katoomba. Still pursuing my work on drought, fire and nature resilience, I have combined abstraction and symbolism (square, circles and swirls of ink) with native flowers painting. I ha
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Sofie Dieu
- Apr 20, 2018
- 2 min
Feet in the river bed
I spent the weekend in Newness, feet in the river bed, brush in hand. I had not done anything like it for quite some time and I felt reconnected with what my art practice is about: being one with what surrounds me. I made a short video of my "en plein air" studio. The weather was perfect, the water still and the wind blew just enough to help the ink dry. Currently, I am interested to find how we can let go of our (illusion) of control on nature and find again this "link" that
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![Microcosm: night sky trapped in a rock [painting]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6617bc_6792670279d84d4ab8953f16cc7b2d36~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50/6617bc_6792670279d84d4ab8953f16cc7b2d36~mv2.png)
Sofie Dieu
- Jan 5, 2018
- 2 min
Microcosm: night sky trapped in a rock [painting]
Microcosm was not going to make the cut. I found a river rock with a night sky trapped in it and, inspired by my recent readings about Chinese calligraphers, I wanted to show how a macroscopic element can represent something as vast as a night sky. That is how much I knew about the final 'look' of my painting before getting my brushes out. I painted the mineral sky ... going back on it a few times, without success. It was there, floating in the white of the watercolour paper,
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![77 days before opening night [Calling for Rain]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6617bc_f4a4a836595f46639951d57e10fc9c65~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50/6617bc_f4a4a836595f46639951d57e10fc9c65~mv2.png)
Sofie Dieu
- Dec 29, 2017
- 2 min
77 days before opening night [Calling for Rain]
I received recently a series of inquiries about my project Calling for Rain. This post explains what this project is about and where I am at 77 days away from the opening of the exhibition. So, what is it? Following the recent drought and risks of summer fires, Calling for Rain is an art and cathartic project that support the East Gippsland community while it faces high environmental anxiety. Last August, I ran a series of workshops in the Tambo Valley and it was an eye opene
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Sofie Dieu
- Dec 15, 2017
- 2 min
ART + Terra Australis = inspiration
(English version down below) Enfin un poste écrit en Français! J'écris toujours dans la langue de la reine mère, en oubliant complètement, que parler anglais dan un contexte francophone, cela ne va pas toujours de soi. Cela fera bientôt neuf ans que je vis en Australie, le temps passe en alternance : j'ai toujours cette impression d'être arrivée hier et simultanément, je me sens de plus en plus Australienne. Malgré ces élipses temporelles, la richesse de ce pays ne cesse de m
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Sofie Dieu
- Nov 25, 2017
- 1 min
Portrait study or getting to know your model
I have heard many people saying that being able to imitate a photography, by drawing, to the perfection, is "talent". This comment always makes me jump. Anyone can draw exactly like an already existing picture. Itis a simple technique. Google it, I am sure there are many tutorials out there. Copying doesn't require much talent. It is just a question of a good eye for detail and a bit of patience. What does take talent though, is the capacity of an artist to show with depth ho
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Sofie Dieu
- Oct 27, 2017
- 1 min
Back on the Great Alpine road
For the last 2 months, I have been compiling, editing, adding, removing, organising pictures of my paintings and poems I have worked on during my residency at Swifts Creek last August. A book of almost 80 pages is nicely coming together. It will go out for peer review next Wednesday and I expect to have to modify a few things: this is my first book ever! I have gathered my work inspired by the art of stone reading, the harsh climate and burnt tree bark. I have spent much time
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Sofie Dieu
- Mar 29, 2017
- 1 min
The Art of Social Media - experiment #2
This is getting exciting! So you know that I have started a series of social media experiments since last week, right? 2017 is for me the year of "trial and error" and I use it as a pretext to play with what social medias have to offer. For the ones of you who are artists or work in the art sector, it comes to no surprises. Many galleries have gone on line, and artists use the different existing social platforms to promote their art. It has become second nature. What I am int
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Sofie Dieu
- Mar 22, 2017
- 2 min
The Art of Social Media - experiment #1
Living from my art could be more than just a dream. I am based in Sydney, a metropolis with a vibrant art community who has suffered (like everywhere else in Australia) of the major governmental art funding cuts. So my dream is not an easy one to follow, but I have no other choice. I must try, what ever it takes! Living not being an artist is simply impossible. This path, no matter how difficult, is the only one I can follow to truly embrace life. My art reflects my passion a
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Sofie Dieu
- Jan 17, 2017
- 1 min
Bridges
Bridges is my new ink painting project. In 2005, I left France and went living for 4 years in China before immigrating to Australia. This portrait series is an attempt to record and recall all the people I've met during this journey. #portrait #inkpainting
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