STAY SAFE 2015

Ruck Rover General Store are proud to announce STAY SAFE 2015, the second annual charity art exhibition founded in 2014 by local artist, writer and curator Kate-Anna St Valentine.

STAY SAFE will feature works from 15 emerging and established Australian artists, centered around the theme of animals. All pieces in the exhibition will be for sale, and for the second year running, the money raised will be donated to Western Australian charity SAFE.

Since being founded by Sue Hedley in 2003, SAFE (Saving Animals From Euthanasia) has been committed to stopping the euthanasia of animals for the reason of them having no place to stay. The program began in the Pilbara and has spread throughout Western Australia, where they find foster care and permanent homes for rescued animals.

STAY SAFE 2015 will run from 15 August to 13 September 2015, with an opening night party from 6:30-8:30pm on Friday 14 August with drinks courtesy of Gage Roads Brewing Co and Sipsmith Gin.

The exciting line-up of artists for the 2015 exhibition are:
SEAN MORRIS
TED POWELL
GEMMA JONES
AMOK ISLAND
MADDY YOUNG
MARTIN E WILLS
ESTHER SANDLER
BRENTON SEE
ANNA DUNNILL
ELIZABETH MARRUFFO
LEONIE BRIALEY
CHIARA HUNWICK
ENID TWIGLET
JESSICA HORROCKS
ROSE SKINNER

The inaugural STAY SAFE exhibition ran from 1-31 July 2014 at Ruck Rover General Store in Northbridge, as part of the Perth Winter Arts Season, and was a great success and loads of fun for those that participated. So much so that Kate-Anna and Ruck Rover co-owner Claire Trolio decided that they should make it an annual exhibition. Earlier this year, Kate-Anna lost her battle with cancer. Claire, along with artist Sean Morris, a close friend of Kate's, and with the blessing of the Williams family, have got together to present STAY SAFE 2015. Please come along and help us to do justice to this event.

STAY SAFE 2015 is proudly supported by:

Smokey Longlong

27 October - 23 November

Local artist Sarah Long, aka Smokey Longlong, will be exhibiting her ‘Fancy Animals’ range of original watercolour paintings in Ruck Rover from 27 October to 23 November.

Sarah Long is a watercolour artist who has taken part in several exhibitions, both in a group setting and solo. She works full time as a genetic counselor at King Edward Memorial Hospital, and escapes into painting at the end of the day with her two cats, puppy and a glass of wine.

This exhibition will feature original illustrations using pen and watercolour. 

Head down between 3-5pm on Sunday 26 October for a fun afternoon tea! The shop will be open as normal, so you can do a spot of shopping and get first dibs on Sarah’s paintings at the same time.

Natalie Acton

Perth based artist Natalie Acton explores human emotion from the perspective of animals in this body of work. She uses symmetry and bold colour in her striking pieces which feature diverse members of the animal kingdom.

 

These original paintings use acrylic paint and Posca marker on canvas, and have pine frames, put together by the artist herself.

Prices start at $80 for smaller works and go up to $300 for the larger, statement pieces.

Natalie Acton will feature at Mini Art Mart for the month of September.

Nevertheless: Illustrations by Sheryl Young

Western Australian illustrator Sheryl Young will show her latest collection of original drawings and prints at Ruck Rover General Store from 1-31 August 2014.

Girls’ faces feature strongly in Young’s delicate work, often with somewhat wistful or melancholy expressions and surrounded by elements of nature. For this exhibition, she has created a collection of original pencil drawings as well as some coloured prints.

All works are for sale.

Nevertheless: Illustrations by Sheryl Young is presented by Ruck Rover as part of the City of Perth Winter Arts Season.

 

Sheryl Young, Esme, 2014.

STAY SAFE

1-31 July

Kate-Anna St Valentine, untitled, 2014.

From 1-31 July 2014, Ruck Rover General Store will host a charity exhibition to raise money for SAFE, an organisation saving animals from euthanasia. Curated by Kate-Anna St Valentine, the exhibition will feature original illustrations from a who’s who of contemporary Australian artists including Kyle Hughes-Odgers, Sean Morris and Mel Stringer. STAY SAFE is presented by Ruck Rover as part of the City of Perth Winter Arts Season.

The exhibition will be made up of new, original illustrations featuring animals. Each work will be created exclusively for this show and be donated by the artists. Every piece is for sale, and proceeds from the exhibition will be donated to SAFE.

Since being founded by Sue Hedley in 2003, SAFE (Saving Animals From Euthanasia) has been committed to stopping the euthanasia of animals for the reason of them having no place to stay. The program began in the Pilbara and has spread throughout Western Australia, where they find foster care and permanent homes for rescued animals.

Artists: Kyle Hughes-Odgers, Sean Morris, Mel Stringer, Kate-Anna St Valentine, Rose Skinner, Maddy Young, Jessica Horrocks, Chiara Hunwick, Elizabeth Murraffo, Matt Moore, and Leonie Brialey.

Join us for a party to celebrate the opening of STAY SAFE on Saturday 5 July from 5-8pm. Enjoy a drink courtesy of boutique Western Australian winery Drakesbrook Wines, who have kindly sponsored the event. We hope to see you there!

Kate-Anna St Valentine is a Perth based artist and writer who is passionate about animal welfare. She wears her heart on her sleeve, her work giving a clear view into her world. Soft colours and floating pencil work are common threads throughout her drawing which enthralls the viewer.

Kyle Hughes-Odgers is one of the most exciting contemporary artists in the world today. His solo exhibitions, group shows and public murals are too numerous to list. Kyle’s work is found in all corners of the globe including Brooklyn, New York where he completed a series of large scale, public works. He works out of Gotham Studios in Northbridge, and is represented by Turner Galleries in Western Australia.

Sean Morris is currently based in Melbourne where he has been producing new work and recently curated his third successful exhibition, Gold Blood, Magic Weirdos. He has exhibited in London, Madrid, New York, Los Angeles, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Brisbane based artist Mel Stringer is represented by The Jacky Winter Group Agency. Mel loves to put pen to paper, and her work is often characterised by drawings of girls, pastel colours and twee images.

Rose Skinner, Burger King, 2014.

Chiara Hunwick, Pelecanimimus, 2014.

Enid Twiglet

1-30 June 2014

After accidentally discovering her love for hand embroidery while learning to make silver jewellery, Enid has been stitching feverishly now for about four years.

Something of a rogue hand embroiderer, Enid does not follow any traditional rules, use embroidery floss or even know the proper names of embroidery stitches! What results are organic and super creative designs that use the needle and thread more like a pen to illustrate rather than technically embroider.

Her works tend to favour the natural world, stitching birds, animals, fungus and trees as well as unusual subject matter such as anatomy and insects.

Working with husband, Mr Twiglet, who laser engraves Enid's hand-embroidered images onto ceramics, glass, wood and leather, they've expanded the range to make the perfect gift in all sorts of delightful objects.

All pieces are unique gems that are not mass produced. Each embroidery is one of a kind and cannot be recreated.

Prices:

Embroideries - $110-$360
Plates - $28-$35
Cheese boards - $60
Cake domes - $60

Lisa Max

1-31 May 2014

May is here and with it comes a new wave of cute into Ruck Rover's Mini Art Mart corner courtesy of local designer Lisa Max.

This month Lisa returns with her signature brand of characterful cartoons, hand-painted on to MDF board, they have a charm and certain air of so-wrong-it's-right wit that has us totally won over. Paintings are priced $40-$75.

Take a look too at these super delightful key covers Lisa has designed for us.

Lisa Max Key Caps - $4.50 ea or all three for $12.

Eat, Drink, Wear!

It's April and Perth is reveling in its annual celebration of culinary delights: Eat Drink Perth 2014. The month-long event will cover everything from high-brow fine diners to food trucks, so Ruck Rover has got you covered (literally) with our super fun Eat Drink Wear!

 We've designed a range of tasty treats to don while enjoying your favourite noms, and are displaying the orignal prints for you in our Mini Art Mart this month!

Sketched by our very own (super talented) Isabelle Trolio, the prints feature colourful, cheeky foodie characters including a dancing taco, saucy hot dog and sweet soft serve.

The limited edition prints are available for purchase for $19 ea. Yum!

Sarmarie

4 - 31 March 2014

Ruck Rover is very excited to host Sarmarie's second Mini Art Mart exhibition.

Fans may remember Sarmarie's last collection, an abstract cacophony of colours and shapes, or her exquisite coasters and iceblocks still featured instore (this time, she's also made some cushions!)

Living and working in the windswept surrounds of Dunsborough, Sarmarie draws her inspiration from nature to create her wild and emotive pieces. Eschewing the constraints of name and form, Sarmarie invites the viewer to partake in the creative process when interpreting her work.

Sarmarie's art is available to view and purchase from the 4th to the 31st of March.

Mellopoly

1-28 February 2014

Our first Mini Art Mart artist of 2014 is Mellopoly!

Mellopoly is an illustrator that hails from right here in Perth.

Her style comes from observation and introspection. She draws (ha! pun!) her inspiration from nature and creative thinkers, and her whimsical dreamscapes convey a sense of hope and joy.

Each piece in this exhibition has been hand illustrated with archival ink on watercolour paper, with minimal digital retouching. All pieces start as a simple pencil sketch and evolve organically from there. The illustrations are available as digital prints in both A3 and A4 size. 

Find Melissa on her facebook page at facebook.com/mellopoly, or follow her on instagram @mellopoly.

Brendan Brown

This is Perth-born, Melbourne-based Brendan Brown's third exhibition at Ruck Rover's monthly Mini Art Mart and we're rather excited to have him back.

Brendan is renowned for creating works from unique and unusual materials. Check out some of the intricate combinations he's created for us before here!

This time Brendan's designed and crafted four works in watercolour painted onto coffee-stained paper adhered to foam board.

The designs themselves are inspired by vintage sailor tattoos, but with twist. Traditional ink designs for sea-faring fellas depict optimistic symbols of luck, of love and dreams of being 'homeward bound'. In his exhibition, Brendan plays with these icons and sneaks in less optimistic notes of loneliness, tricky sea creatures and troubled waters. All within the pallet and character of vintage nautical ink.

They are vividly colourful, beautiful works.

Each watercolour is available for purchase at $60.

Exhibition runs until November 30.

Ceramic Snippets

Ceramic Snippets
Kate Stevens

1-31 October 2013

  

Kate Stevens loves clay, from the first time she touched it she felt compelled to create with it. Kate makes pieces that aren’t necessarily what you’d expect to find in clay – a lot of her pieces have a bit of whimsy or melancholy. She also likes to be playful with traditional pottery ideas. She uses traditional clay transfers in unusual ways, a generic pattern seen a hundred times on mass-produced ceramic bowls will pop up on her sculptures as the pattern on the outfit of a melancholy mouse or a the costume of the lesser-known superhero ‘Catman’. Kate is not a big planner or sketcher; she often has the spark of an idea, and with that in mind starts working and lets the clay take her where it wants to.

Kate draws inspiration from all over; commissions are obviously her interpretation of other people’s thoughts – be they vague or detailed. Of course they’re always delivered with a distinctly ceramic snippets twist! Some of her work is functional, but she particularly likes working on small sculptures; little pieces that can sit anywhere or be popped in unexpected places to catch the eye. 

 

Very rarely does Kate make a similar piece twice and she definitely doesn’t mass-reproduce; she wants her art to be inimitable. She feels her love of clay should never be a chore – what she makes comes from the heart and mind, flows out of her hands and into the clay, and when a piece gets passed on, that’s a little snippet of her going to someone else. She is in love with sculpting in clay and wants to share this love with the world! Kate's aim is to make affordable art pieces that enchant and enliven the imagination of the recipient.

Contact: hello@ceramicsnippets.com  / ceramicsnippets@gmail.com

Website : www.ceramicsnippets.com

Online portfolio : http://www.ceramicsnippets.com/work.html

E-commerce : www.ceramicsnippets.etsy.com

Facebook : www.facebook.com/ceramicsnippets

Other social media : @ceramicsnippets (pinterest, instagram, twitter, google+)

Emiko Watanabe

Emiko Watanabe
Over Land, Over Water

1 – 30 September 2013

Emiko likes a lot of things, but mostly she likes to take photographs. She is drawn to otherworldly landscapes and likes to capture the little details of the world around her. Emiko loves that moments in time may be quickly forgotten or go unnoticed but when it becomes a photograph that fragment of time is preserved forever.

Prints are $35 each or $85 for a series (Water or Land).

Kate-Anna St. Valentine

Kate-Anna St. Valentine

You & Me (Part 1)

3-31 August 2013

Kate-Anna St. Valentine is a Perth based artist and writer who has a hard time thinking about much except what goes on inside her heart (which is a lot). She recently left Paper Mountain studios, where she based herself for 2 years, and now works downstairs in a rundown, 1970s, brown brick house, surrounded by her pets and the memories she hoards.

This body of work entitled You & Me (Part 1) is a self indulgent exploration of the common bonds and subsequent breakage of those bonds that lie between different humans and each others' hearts.

Kate-Anna explores these feelings in tiny ways, using universal and infinite concepts to embed feelings that seem to be small and focused inward on ourselves, but are actually the largest and most common threads that tie every human together.

Kate-Anna has used materials such as minerals, meteorites, glass, paper, home tattoo and found creatures in this collection, stepping away slightly from the illustration based work she has done in the past.

OPENING NIGHT: Friday 2 August, 6-8pm, Ruck Rover General Store, 242 William St Northbridge

EXHIBITION RUNS: 3 – 31 August

OPENING HOURS: 11am-6pm Monday to Friday, 11am-5pm Saturday & Sunday

Joshua Tavener

1-31 July 2013

Joshua Tavener brightens up our winter at Ruck Rover with his seductive watercolour illustrations.

A third year Fine Art student at Curtin University, Josh's watercolour-and-ink prints are inspired by the back pages of Vogue Italia, and photos from the backstage of Paris's exclusive runways. With undertones of surrealism expressed through neon colours, Josh's fashion inspired sketches (featuring decadent headpieces) will cheer up the grey winter months.

If you'd like to see more of Josh's work, take a gander at his instagram: @yosh_tav, or facebook page: www.facebook.com/JoshTavenerIllustrations.