Because I am a Girl

Tonight is the Opening Night for the "Because I am a Girl" Fundraising Exhibition and I am really excited to see all the work and be apart of something very lovely...

‘Because I am a Girl’ is Plan’s global campaign designed to fight gender inequality, promote girls’ rights and lift millions of girls out of poverty. Across the globe, girls are at the bottom of the social ladder, deprived of the same opportunities as boys. For example,research has shown that girls are more likely to suffer from malnutrition; be forced into an early marriage; be subjected to violence or intimidation; be trafficked, sold or coerced into the sex trade; or become infected with HIV.

The campaign is based on a series of reports titled Because I am a Girl: The State Of The World’s Girls. To be published between2007–2015 from Plan International, these reports examine the rights and needs of girls throughout their childhood, adolescence and as young women – and how they are uniquely placed to break the cycles of intergenerational poverty gripping many people in developing countries.

Six of the eight Millennium Development Goals – the goals set by the world’s governments in 2000 to halve world poverty by 2015 – are unlikely to be achieved unless there is a greater international commitment to the fight against gender discrimination.Plan recognises that we have to address gender discrimination as a priority if we want to tackle the root causes of child poverty.Therefore we have made the commitment to ‘address gender inequality and the numerous ways in which the rights of girls and women are particularly denied and violated’ (Plan Program Framework, 2009–2013). This is the focus of the ‘Because I am a Girl’ campaign and will better enable Plan to achieve our overall mandate as a child-centred community development organisation, committed to child poverty eradication and all children accessing their rights. via becauseiamagirl.com.au

I'll be one of the 30 female artists involved and 50% of price of all artworks sold will be donated to the Plan's Because I am a Girl campaign. How exciting is that?!

Anywho, hope to see some of you tonight @ Smartartz Gallery over in South Melbourne!!

Upcoming Exhibition - Girls and Sisters

I know, it's been a while since I've posted. Sorry! I still love you! Honestly!

Anywho, I've been working on a painting for an upcoming show over in South Melbourne at the Smartartz Gallery. The opening night is the 13th of April and runs until the 29th. Please go check it out, it's all for a good cause - check out the website for Because I am a Girl for more info on the campaign.

I'm really excited about the painting. It's been a long and slightly painful journey for it, but it's nearly finished.. I know - I'm cutting it fine... It's titled Sisters.

When I was going through ideas about what it means to be a girl, I kept coming back to the weird connection women have with other women. That strange thought processes and mental connection we have with other women that are close to us still astounds me.

The painting relates to the connection I have with my sister. We grew up together in a fairly small, secluded town called Sterling. There was never much to do there, since the population then was probably less than 3,000 people, so we would wander through the woods and rely on our imaginations to stop the boredom from driving us mad.

The painting I've been working on relates to the adventures and hardships that my sister and I went through together. I don't know how my life would have ended up if I didn't have my sister. Now that I live thousands of miles away, I feel in someway, we are still connected. As sisters, as friends, and as women.

I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the show and see what 30 other women think about being a girl. Hope to see you at the Opening Night!

xoxo

2 weeks to go!

Actually.. Less than!

I picked up some of the invites provided by the gallery yesterday, painted five frames and continued to work on a couple more drawings for the show... I hate cutting it fine, but I sort of expected it.

I'm so nervous! Really nervous! 16 years of the loop! But I'm much more excited this time!

I remember having my senior show at NFA. We were all going nuts trying to finish last minute paintings. This time it's a little worse. Not only have I been working the last couple months, where as before I had an entire year! But this time it's about 3 times the amount of work.

I'm happy with most of the work. Ecstatic with a couple and just sort of lukewarm with a mild touch of dislike of one or two. I keep thinking of pulling them from the show, but I know I've always been my worst enemy and critic. We'll see what actually makes it to the walls!!

Anywho... Happy Monday!! xo

*upcoming exhibition - aida sabic

Aida has some new lovely work...
I'm photographing the opening night, so hopefully I'll see you there!!

xo

*shout out - aida sabic

Aida has a group show coming up...

At Freshly Baked Gallery.com

And of course, she has a solo show coming up in early September. I'll be photographing the opening night for her solo gig. I'm so excited!! I've had the great opportunity to see her work progress leaps and bounds in less than the year that I've known her. She has and will do some amazing things!!

Make sure to make time for these shows coming up!!!
xo