Leith O'Malley takes dogonaut for a walk through his world

Hello Dogonauters! My name is Leith O’Malley and I am an Australian contemporary visual artist.

I have taken up the guys at Dogonaut's invitation to list some of my favourite website haunts which we will get to in just a moment.

Before that, a little about me..

I like to think of myself as someone who is really passionate about creating art and I guess you might describe my work as blurring the boundaries between art and illustration to some extent, at least that’s how I see it and that’s pretty much the place I like to inhabit on canvas these days.

I won’t go into a big CV spiel here as you can find all that stuff on my website at www.leithomalley.com (note subtle plug)

Oh, and while we’re at it you can also view much of my art work at http://www.redbubble.com/people/leith and also http://www.myspace.com/controlaltcreate  where I get to hang out and network with a whole bunch of interesting, talented and crazy artists from all over the world.

Don’t go away just yet though or you’ll miss the best links..

Here's a few images of my own work to get started and a little information on each of them:

The Black Butterfly – There are two versions of this image. One a large charcoal drawing which I have in my studio and two, an oil on canvas now sold. The title comes from a song by Canadian singer Laura Veirs but the inspiration from somewhere else.

The Caffeine Girl #2 – Large oil on canvas and part of the “Caffeine Girl” series from a couple of years ago. The bird, a New Holland Honeyeater was inspired by it’s many noisy brethren who inhabit my studio roof in spring.

Big Day Out poster – The Big Day Out is a popular Australian summer music festival. This is a combination of both traditional and digital art using my Wacom tablet, PhotoShop and real oil paint.

The Girl who loved Prose – Another large oil on canvas painting and a good excuse to celebrate my love of literature and great writers.

Girt By Sea – This oil on canvas work is part of my ongoing infatuation the “Red Dust Girl” series, which continues to fascinate and inspire me. It is a celebration of isolation, innocence and discovery and is very much an expression of where I come from namely the dry, southern plains of regional South Australia.

The Painters – Recently exhibited at Frances Keevil Gallery in Double Bay, Sydney. This large diptych (180 X 90 cm) features four painters I admire (Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso and Frida Kahlo).

Here’s a selection of websites I like to frequent:

1. Pitchfork http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/

I often pop by this site to get my fix on what is happening, especially for exciting new music. Great reviews and so much to see and hear..

2. Art Quotes http://www.artquotes.net/

Australian artist Dion Archibald has created a smorgasbord of art which is full of interesting artist information, interviews and an incredible archive of artist quotes to boot!

Oh and be sure to check out his own work too at www.dionarchibald.com This guy is one of my favourite Oz painters!

3.  Are you Jackson Pollock? (http://jacksonpollock.org/)

Believe me, just go there and move your mouse.. you’ll get the message. Wear an apron though..

4. Leo Burnett (http://www.leoburnett.ca/FLASH/index.htm)

A good example of what can be achieved using Flash on the web.. wow! amazing site navigation!

5.  Gottfried Helnwein (http://www.helnwein.com/)

Austrian/Irish fine artist Gottfried Helnwein has worked as a painter, draftsman, photographer, muralist, sculptor, installation- and performance artist. I find his work fascinating.

Make sure you dig deep for the photos of his studio/castle.. I’m green from envy.. or is that just the Irish blood?

6.  Frances Keevil Gallery (http://www.franceskeevilart.com.au/ )

How could I not favour this site? This Sydney gallery is full of amazing Australian art with regular rotating exhibitions throughout the year and even yours truly has hung on their walls a few times already. Highly recommended on your next trip to Sydney, and the names of the artists on their website along with the artwork represented says it all.

7.  Digital Egypt  (http://egypt.ebeling.ee/panoramas/)

Full screen 360 degree panoramas of some amazing Egyptian archeological sites. No pesky scarab beetles or dark curses here either. See the pyramids from the safety of your own home.

8.  RedBubble (http://www.redbubble.com/)

Full of talented photographers, writers and artists from all over the world. Be prepared though.. you may be there for a while. The quality of their prints, T-Shirts and calendars are outstanding if you end up ordering anything.