This is one of my all time favs from the 2004 green worlds portfolio. It's playful and leads the veiwer to the pune on the qoute the grass is always greener: turn the page to the back of the print and you get: "on the other side" plus the green grass of home, pune Tom Jones hot from the seventies for all you kids to young to know, ummmmmm that's my pune. I also like the mix of printmaking tricks Anne Maree uses in this print. The work shows multi skills and very strong subject matter. A class act, great work Anne Maree. . -Michael Florrimell Reply

AMH, I always look forward to opening each years new portfolio of artist's prints. Firstly, I have a 10 second look at each print and then do the same with the next and the next. I then put the portfolios away for a day or two and ask myself which prints do I remember that jumped out at me and remained in my mind. Yours was one of these. I'll chat more about the medium and the message in your work later when the 2004 prints are uploaded on this site. What I'd like to know more about now is the PhD you're working on. What does it involve? What were the reasons that motivated you to undertake it? What do you want to achieve through it? Would you recommend other printmakers to do the same and why? I'm going bare-back with these questions but maybe you can assist myself and others to enjoy your PhD ride without falling off. . -Z Reply

Hi Z, thanks for your positive comments. I must admit I do the same when I get the pre-xmas portfolio present. Unfortunately the right side of the comments are partly cut off but I think I get the gist of your questions regarding the Phd. I actually started a masters when my youngest child started school partly because I had wanted to go back and get my teeth into something (although not so soon) but the head of my Fine Art School had suggested there may be at some time in the future, some sort of quota system placed on Post graduate studies - so part fear and part drive got me back! Then I upgraded because the field of artists books is vast and physically making books is so time consuming. My PhD is titled "The Eclectic Bibliotheque" as I am creating a library of artists' books so I can explore what a book is,& books using different bindings and subject matters. Basically I'm looking at Artists' Books, Altered Books and Experimental Books. Creatively I'd recommend this path but it does put a strain on the family (waiting a few years might have helped but at the time I thought I might not have a choice)and time to catch up with friends is limited. Does that help? . -Anne-Maree Hunter Reply

Thanks AMH, yes it does help. For many years I've had the application forms in my hands but there was always something that occurred that prevented me from applying. Recently I got the data from a Tasmanian Uni and almost died when I found out the costs. Education should be free - like sure. Good on you for having the guts to follow through. Like most progressive things, there are always sacrifices involved. I would really like you to write an article to upload on this site about your PhD or some aspect of it. You must have heaps of information already or you may already have completed something appropriate. I'm sure your written work will also "jump" out as your visual work does. What do you think? . -Z Reply

It's hard writing about visual work and I don't think its something every artist wants to do. I kind of like the writing Anne Maree incorporates into the works, and the idea of the works as an artists book. Maybe to write pages of text with in the context of a normal PHD into the illustrated book of prints would kill the nature of the book as an art work. I think maybe a seperate journal of text and images for the PHD written part, would leave the imagination open when veiwing the artists prints. . -Michael Florrimell Reply

Thanks guys - I shall have to think on your comments -I must admit that the written component of my PhD is the hardest for me to get into - I really should have lots of chapters written already - 2005 is going to be a killer. I'm really far more interested in doing the "work" - gestating the ideas,the making,the doing! I can always make the excuse that a print or typesetting or binding are calling me and need to be done rather than sitting at the computor writing or reading especially on the beautiful spring days when the garden also seems to be calling. PS - Z, you may just have to jump in but yes, the financial costs are daunting. I'm still afraid of leaving my growing HECS debt to my kids. I was lucky enough to get a scholarship - so you should check these out they do help.But I still would have done it, just part-time if I hadn't got it. . -Anne-Maree Reply