Leila Jeffreys | Artist
Leila Jeffreys
Phone: +61 422 693 993
Reviews
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25.01.2022 If you are in New York City, Olsen Gruin is currently presenting 'In Sight', a winter group exhibition focusing on our precious Earth. In Sight features drawings, paintings, photography, sculptures, and mixed-media works by Alphachanneling, Anna-Wili Highfield, Bo Droga, Delfina Braun, Edo Costantini, Joseph McGlennon, Juanli Carrion, Laura Jones, Melissa Coote, Ori Carino, Ray Smith and me. The exhibition continues until March 15 2020.
24.01.2022 My fundraising art auction has finished and $8500 has been raised for wildlife care (Wires mid south coast branch) WIRES. #ozfireartauction I know people are still desperate to help wildlife organisations - I can vouch for many wonderful but lesser known organisations who desperately need help. Starting today with Peg McDonald who runs the in the Southern Highlands of NSW. She has been rehabilitating birds of prey for nearly 45 years. ... She is fundraising for a water storage and sprinkler system to keep her rescued birds safe during hot weather. She has raised $7000 of her $10000 goal so with our push she can achieve this goal. Here are just a small example of the species of majestic birds that Peggy cares for. ‘Pepper’ Southern Boobook owl (was the cover of my book Birdland Aus/NZ Bird Love US, Canada and UK) 'Dexter' White Bellied Sea Eagle 'Cleo' Peregrine Falcon 'Bandit' Nankeen Kestrel 'Ivy' Barn Owl 'Soren' Wedge-Tailed Eagle A link to her Gofundme page is here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/higher-ground-raptors You can see more about her on an ABC TV report on her: https://www.abc.net.au//caring-for-injured-birds/11290932 And her website is here: https://www.highergroundraptors.com See more
22.01.2022 A wonderful bird park needs our help. On the Perch Bird Park https://ontheperch.com.au or On the Perch Bird Park is a small bird wildlife park on the Sapphire Coast in Tathra, New South Wales. I have worked with numerous birds there. Like many businesses they rely on tourists in Christmas holidays to fund the rest of the year. They were hit by fires three years ago and now their region was hit again. They are OK, but tourists have not returned. They are open for business b...ut need us to visit. The reason the park is so special is because it is a new model in how we can learn about wildlife. They have large walk-through planted aviaries where the birds have adapted to people and so you are able to experience them up close and personal. Please share this far and wide as we need people to visit - especially in the next two weeks. They are wonderful people running an interesting business. And you will love it. Photos by Simon Davidson. See more
21.01.2022 This is my portrait of ‘Akalla’ (2012) Glossy black cockatoo and swipe left for field photos taken by @blackcockatooproject highlighting some of their wonderful work. My previous post tells you all about these beautiful birds. If you can, the Gofundme link to help the black cockatoos of Kangaroo Island is in my profile. They are aiming for $60,000 and are getting close.
19.01.2022 Some homes are ‘fun homes’ and @cambloom and @samjbloom have one. Every time I visit with my family there is always something exciting happening. Frankie a wild, rescued currarong knows it too and chooses to visit them often. This is Frankie in front of my portrait of the famous @penguinthemagpie (playfully lying on her back) that the Blooms raised. @cambloom
17.01.2022 A sad post. Many of the birds I work with are named by the wildlife rescue centre taking care of them. Sometimes, I name them based on who they remind me of. This is Pete, a red-tailed black cockatoo exhibited in 2012. He was named after Peter Lusty, best man at my and my husband's wedding who also sported a wonderful blue-black quiff. Tragically, Pete died of cancer this month and huge numbers of us have been feeling the heavy loss of losing him. He was an incredible man, father of two, kind beyond belief, cheeky humour, played in rock and roll bands and a huge achiever - he went on to manage bands that had number one records in the Australia, US and the UK. It is a strange time as all his friends and family want to be together to celebrate his life but that will have to come later when the world recovers.
14.01.2022 @londonartfair was founded in 1989 by London’s Business Design Centre in Islington. It’s on until this Sunday 26th January. You can see my work @purdyhicksgallery Stand 24. Lots of galleries exhibit so it’s a great way to see outstanding contemporary art.
13.01.2022 Book news. I released an illustrated, hard cover, art book in 2015. It is called Birdland and is available in Australia / New Zealand. The book is also available in the US, Canada & the UK but is called 'Bird Love'. If you would like a copy and live in Australia a bookshop that is a wonderful supporter of mine in Sydney is @kinokuniya_sydney - they have copies available online or Australian residents can call them. For those outside Australia the book can be purchase...d from all good book shops. If you live in France, stay tuned as I am soon to release a book through @atelier_exb (formerly Editions Xavier Barral). It is scheduled for June. They specialise in photography and contemporary art books and only print on the most beautiful paper. My book with them is part of a series of books they publish called 'Des Oiseaux’, with an essay by French Ornithologist Guilhem Lesaffre. This book is a collection of my work with some portraits from Birdland/Bird Love as well as new work. Import copies will be available too. I'll keep you updated. See more
10.01.2022 My ‘High Society’ exhibition of last year featured tame budgerigars bred by amazing woman Alison Archbold @archbold_design_australia who from the age of 12 has bred flocks of stunning blue budgerigars. We spoke for over a year before we finally met and instantly clicked. I stayed on her farm where she has spent the last 14 years with her husband re-foresting paddocks for wildlife, raising heritage-breed hens to produce the most beautiful coloured eggs, taking on rescued an...imals along with her pet alpacas and black headed Dorper sheep, welcoming kangaroos that lie around the property like dogs and then, of course, there were her supermodel budgerigars. She is so connected to the land and has such an innate understanding of animals. She also sponsors and donates to animal rescue organisations. One way she funds this incredible effort is via her greeting cards of animals that she has painted. If anyone needs Australian-made original cards, for Mother’s & Father’s Day, Christmas etc, all cards are blank inside, please head to her page and support a wonderful person. @archbold_design_australia See more
10.01.2022 I’m happy to say that I’ve been selected as a finalist in the professional artist category for the @rawartprize with my three panel video work ’Nature is not a place to visit. It is home’. This was my most ambitious and technically demanding work to date. It is a pivot from photographic portraiture of birds that has defined the first ten years of my practice to making video art. The full length piece is eight minutes, 30 seconds and can be seen along with all the other artists. Date of exhibition is still to be announced.
09.01.2022 For those in Sydney there’s a brilliant group exhibition on @olsen_gallery this week. My large work Blue Blossoms 2 is part of the show and is in such good company.
09.01.2022 Being connected to the natural world does wonders for the human spirit and so I thought I’d bring the wildlife to you. This portrait is of a truly beautiful and whip-smart bird called a Kk found only in New Zealand. Some years ago I had the great privilege of working with many different species of New Zealand birds out of wildlife rescue centres and @wellington.zoo . I’ve had this portrait since 2015 and he waits patiently for me to return to New Zealand to complete the... series. A portrait series on New Zealand birds is one of many projects that I am working on. The artistic process takes time to capture something that has depth and meaning as well as the many logistics to find suitable subjects to work with and costs to travel to meet them. What is also special about his species is thanks to conservation efforts and the sanctuary @visit_zealandia they were reintroduced and able to re-colonise in Wellington where they had once been extinct for over 100 years. This is the first time I’ve shown a work that is yet to be exhibited. He’s such a magnificent bird I thought it would be a nice time to give us all a smile. See more
07.01.2022 This is my portrait of Yule, an Australian Barking owl. When I was working with him, he was so relaxed he fell asleep. His beauty and calmness has always stayed with me. I was asked by @birdlifeoz if this portrait could be used on the cover of their latest quarterly membership magazine in the aftermath of the Australian bushfires. I was of course happy to offer Yule to help. Birdlife Australia is Australia's equivalent to the US’s Audabon society. They represent all of us ...who love native birds and their achievements are extensive. A small sample includes: identifying important biodiversity areas and managing volunteers to monitor them; helped with a breeding and release programme of the critically endangered Regent honeyeater to boost wild numbers; helped to establish Australia’s first international bird sanctuary for migratory birds; their volunteers have collected over 10 million records for their atlas of Australian birds. The list goes on: they help beach-nesting birds; fenced off 1,500 hectares of vital breeding habitat for the Carnaby's cockatoo; and they helped co-ordinate the planting of 28,000 habitat trees in just one year. They have 12,000 members and 120,000 supporters. It has been a year of heavy hearts for many of them as they deal with the loss of wildlife and habitat. We can show our love and support by becoming members or following them on instagram or if you have time or money, volunteer or donate. I believe helping others is good for us. It makes us connect to all the things in life that are important. See more
06.01.2022 Glossy black cockatoos on Kangaroo Island (South Australia) need our help. Help here www.gofundme.com/f/g3en5 (link in my bio) or read on. Specifically, I want to talk about Daniella Teixeira who saves Austalia’s black cockatoos @blackcockatooproject. She is an ecologist and conservation biologist in the field. The glossy blacks are one of the lesser know species of black cockatoos. I’ve had the pleasure of working with them and of all the cockatoos I’ve met, this speci...es is the most gentle. Glossy blacks are habitat specialists - their beaks are shaped to feed only on Allocasuarina and Casuarina. This means if those trees burn, they lose their food source. A population of less than 400 birds lived on Kangaroo Island (before the fires) which means their numbers were already dangerously low. The east coast of Australia population has been badly affected by the fires too, but on Kangaroo Island 60% of their habitat has been lost. After decades of successful but painstaking recovery the population is now again threatened. I have also been thinking about the morale of the people who help. We must help them too and let them know they are not alone. Because they have done decades of work on recovery and it has proven to work they already know what needs to be done to help rebuild the population. They just need the resources to do it. Please donate to their Go fund me page using the link in my profile above and share far and wide. This moving video is by @beau_eastman and warning, it shows the devastation on Kangaroo Island. See more
05.01.2022 I am pleased to announce the release of my new book which is part of the 'Des oiseaux’ series (French for 'On birds’ and pronounced DesWasOoo). It is published by @atelier_exb, formally known as Èditions Xavier Barral. They are an exquisite French publisher responsible for producing beautiful photographic art books. Printed in Germany by @grammlich_buch.one on the most beautiful paper stock. The book is available directly from @atelier_exb If you are in Australia @book...satmanic have made it easy for you as it can be ordered now directly from their website, or it will eventually be available through good book shops and I will have some copies soon. This new photographic monograph includes photographs from my book Birdland / Bird Love as well as previously unpublished works from recent exhibitions. It comes in a red-orange linen cover and is 96 pages including 66 coloured plates. See more
04.01.2022 Update - Fundraising for the mid south coast NSW WIRES branch #ozfireartauction Thank you to everyone who has sent in your bids to donate to this particular branch of WIRES wildlife rescue in exchange for edition 20/25 of my Rose-crowned fruit dove (right - 112cm x 89cm). The top pledge is at $8,500. Thank you to everyone who has bid and for all the comments. It is heartening to know that so many people care about the plight of Australian wildlife. ... The top pledge will be notified when the auction ends tomorrow at 5pm Sunday (East Australian time). The money is paid here by the winner of the highest bid https://www.wires.org.au/branch/donate-midsouthcoast They send me the receipt and I'll send the artwork anywhere in the world. Thanks so much. *You can of course donate directly to the branch at that web address mentioned above* See more
03.01.2022 HELP NEEDED! There’s some wonderful people protesting the destruction of a forest on the south coast of NSW. Manyana is a small coastal village south of Nowra and north of Batemans Bay. It was hit hard by the recent bushfires. There is a little refuge of pristine, unburnt forest left which is essential for wildlife but it is earmarked to be bulldozed this Monday for housing development. Destruction of habitat is the 'elephant in the room' of animal welfare. We donate to r...escue injured wildlife but the very reason they are injured or heading to extinction is often because of lack of habitat. When we bulldoze forests, we bulldoze existing homes of birds, mammals, insects and lizards. This is what I know. The land was sold to Ozy Homes @ozyhomes years ago and approved for development, only a small number of blocks have been sold. There are ongoing talks between the Council, Community and State Government with negotiations to alternative options including a possible land swap or re-zoning. However I’m told the bulldozers are heading in to destroy this unburnt area on Monday. Things are changing daily but this is what you can do to help. 1. NOW. Sign the petition started by a local firefighter who risked his life to save the bush. He has set up such a heartfelt petition - anyone from anywhere in the world can sign this. Petition in my bio. 2. PROTEST TOMORROW (SATURDAY) head to the Manyana Matters facebook page@manyanamatters or instagram @manyanmatters they are organising a protest tomorrow (Saturday 23rd May) at 10am. They ask that you bring a surfboard or a push bike with a lock. It’s a family friendly affair. 3. Ring the office of Matthew Kean - the NSW State Minister for Energy and Environment on (02) 9476 3411 or his facebook is @mattkeanMP or his twitter is @Matt_KEanMP 4. Ring the office of Sussan Ley - the Federal Minister for the environment to let her know the environment needs a break on (02) 6021 3264 or her facebook is @sussan_ley or her twitter is @sussan_ley 5. Share far and wide. Perhaps you or someone you know has great ideas on how they could help. @ Manyana See more
03.01.2022 If you are in New York City - Sunday 19th January is the last day of 'High Society’ - my exhibition at the Olsen Gruin Gallery. Open 11am to 5pm. I would like to thank you for coming to the opening night or for visiting. I am very fortunate to exhibit in different countries and it is a huge honour to exhibit in New York City. So many people worked tirelessly behind the scenes from Director Emerald Gruin as well as Alex and Evelyn; Nelson who ran the bar and kept the hou...se in order; Luis who framed; Niko who installed the video work and Kevin who hung the show. They all work so hard to make it look effortless and serene. Australia is going through an incredibly difficult time. The message for High Society was to consider ‘other' societies on earth that are part of the fabric of this planet. They have their own families and societies. So many people understand this - from wildlife carers to people trying to slow the expansion of humans into wild forests and habitats. With the devastating fires we should preserve what exists and try to restore what was lost. I will continue to volunteer, donate to and point out wildlife and forest preservation organisations. I will also be working on a new book and I would love to exhibit in Melbourne, Australia as well as other cities I have never exhibited in. My video piece ’Nature is not a place to visit, it is home’ will still be on view in the winter group exhibition 'In Sight' @olsengruin opening Friday Jan 24, 6 - 8pm. Thank you again for your support. See more
