Kiwiana

Kiwiana is so important to all us Kiwis.. The memories it brings up and the way our happy feelings take us so effortlessly back to our childhoods..

I am starting to capture those loving, fun  feelings in my latest artwork. The following two paintings represent that special treat which was usually licked in the back of the car, along with buckets and spades, wet towels, straw hats, picnic baskets, jandals and sand.. I hope you enjoy the memories too!

New beginnings

Over the past six months I have been experimenting with paper.. not just any paper but a synthetic type that doesn't absorb the paint.

I've had the best of times pushing paint and paper to their limits to achieve some amazing pieces of artwork.. For example.. this cropped piece is so 'pretty'...

By manipulating the colours and mixing them onto the paper creates effective abstract patterns and no two pieces are the same.

The following artwork is a where I have used the paint and paper to create a stunning Tiki titled "man"

What a year!!

I'm ashamed to say it's been almost a year since I last wrote anything..

During that time I kinda lost my drive or motivation to paint... Not sure why, but it could have been that full time work was not the best, family illness and plain old simple not many sales...

In May 2012 Richard (my lovely) and I were lucky enough to travel to London, Ireland, Paris and Morocco... Oh my lordie.. LONDON... I think I went to the National Gallery 5 times and the Portrait Gallery 3 times in 10 short days... I fell in love with Art all over again.. The priviledge to see up close Leonardo, van Gogh, Turner, Constable is treasured forever..

My favourites are:
- The execution of Lady Jane Grey 1833 by Paul Delaroche
- Queen Elizabeth 1 1533-1603. Artist unknown
- The Magdalen Reading, by Roger van der Weyden

When we returned to New Zealand I was very unsettled... I just want to live in London..I want to study Art Histoty... I want I want I want...
So to help me get over myself I have enrolled in Art School at the Learning Connection here in Wellington.. so I'm a part time student again!!!

I have also stepped up my marketing and am showing at two exhibitions/events in September... Details can be found here.

So here's to life, art, learning and discovering...
 
Anyone got a job for me in London?

Mondays...

... not my favourite day of the week... That 6am alarm is so cruel...

Over the weekend I managed to get some painting done which is always magic... I also managed to upload some art work images onto FineArtAmerica.com, which is a great a social network and e-commerce marketplace for photographers, visual artists, art galleries, and fine art collectors. Visitors to FineArtAmerica.com can choose from over 1.5 million pieces of original artwork including paintings, sculptures, drawings, mixed media, jewelry, and more!

Last night I received some awesome comments about by piece titled "Cape"  One person wrote "I love the oriental mind in art.!!.........this strikes me well. and Love the color pallette and impressionism of it.!!........very nice.!!" and the other "Inspriational". How cool is that...

The other thing I like about Mondays is that the EmptyEasel.com newsletter comes out.. this is always a good read...

Take care

Snow

Recently we had the unusal but wholly wonderful experience of snow three days in a row... I felt like a big kid, wanting to run out and play... I loved sitting on the window set and watching it fall.. I thought the falling snow against the trees was a beautiful sight.

Sam our Jack Russell loved it after day 2.. Day 1 he was distraught...
I hope you like the pictures.

Sam looking less than impressed with all this white stuff

Front gate - no postie calling

Instant - lemon with ice

I hope all our hedging big and small survives

Yahoo it's Friday!!!

I love Fridays cos I wake thinking last day at work this week so that means time to paint this weekend..

So in readiness for this joyous occasion I waddled all the way up to Gordon Harris to check out some new Golden product and to pick up a new canvas... I also managed to get some Pebo brushes for 1/2 price which I am very pleased about... so my activity list is prime new canvas, finish latest artwork, begin new painting... that's my list, my actual will be very different...

Have fun guys and take care

My first post

Hello everyone... it's taken me a while but finally I am up and running on this blog.

I see this blog as a vehicle for talking about art, whether that be painting, Omaru stone carving, crafts, art classes, tips and hints, art places I've been to, and people that I reckon are art gurus..

... so what do folk want to know about me, about my work, my inspirations or lack of some days, my drive, my desires....

It's simple I LOVE ART & ALL THINGS RELATED TO ART. The doing, the sharing, the selling, the creating, the reading, the viewing, the discovering, the heartsches, the humbleness, the aloneness, the escaping, the togetherness, the support.... I dislike the showoffs..

First post is finished... Take care