News & views

Spring has certainly hit with a vengeance.... well, it has in my studio.  I've been kept busy with my art pal Kathy joining me for the last few weeks.   It's been much fun sharing the knowledge I have and just having another person in the room who is as much in love with creating as I am is certainly an inspiration.  Sooooo, plenty of mahi (work) being done by both of us. 

Using mixed media has been a little challenging at times but only good can come from the mistakes we make and mistakes have been made so plenty of learning going on.  Using the new Golden products has prompted some interesting artworks from both Kathy and myself.  I like them - I very much like them.  My art has turned a huge corner and I feel I'm more comfortable just being less inhibited by a particular theme.  You will note from a lot of the works on here that my new Springtime dalliances are more abstract but pack a more deliberate punch in colour.  (wow, my expressions are certainly changing also)!

The above red/gold/bronze artwork is aptly called "Chimera" - it can mean, figment of your imagination - and I guess it was totally that when I began and finished it.  It's comprised of a lot of polystyrene balls, Goldens light molding paste and plenty of gel medium to help keep it all together.  I loved it - although was a little hesitant at the massive task of adhering all those hundreds of tiny balls!  It took about a week to just stick 'em on!

EXHIBITION:  I have finally taken the bulk of my work out of the Emerald Hotel in order for a new artist to show her works.  However, I was asked and I accepted that the Reception Area artworks remain until November 31st.  Am over the moon with this because it means my first exhibition has been from March through to November and I managed to sell a few of them also plus have received a commission out of it.  So, all in all, am happy with the results.  I didn't expect to sell much with the economic climate the way it has been.  

AWARDS:  Once again this year I am entering into the YP Awards and must get my thinking cap on and begin to draft up this year's entry.  Have already had some thoughts on this but now I need to await the arrival of my new square canvas to begin the job.  This year I am going to be more on to it and not wait until the final minute to submit my work!  Preparation is a must and I have now realised this!  

WORKSHOPS:  I am about to embark upon the Art Workshop scene - yes, it's time I actually made my studio pay for itself.  There are plenty of people I know who are itching to come and play and to release the stresses of their everyday lives and what better way to do this than to come and share some time with me.  I will be writing up a little business plan and also getting together some other little bits and pieces that are necessary to begin to host some successful workshops.  I will only have one or two people in my studio initially because with anything I think that beginning small and then building on this will ensure that I get it right.  

I've posted some new works on the front pages of my website - take a sneaky view if you haven't already - and if you like - send me your thoughts whether they are positive or negative - its always good to get feedback.

Ciao for now - won't have time to zip back in here for a little while with school holidays almost upon us!

What a month it's been! Not sure why I am choosing this dazzling colour - could it be that I'm feeling "in the pink"?  May be.  Have just been phoned up and asked if I would be prepared to have my exhibition hang for a further MONTH!  So, that's all good news. 

Loads of tourism professionals hitting our town in the not too distant future so hope they all come with pots of money and are willing to spend it! 

The Emerald is such a gorgeous place to visit - we were intending to do just that last Wednesday but unfortunately our lil man had a wee accident!  (That's putting it mildly).  He was away visiting and having a night away from us and of course doesn't that conjure up all sorts of lovely things in your mind?  First night at home for months by ourselves - but, it wasn't to be..... just prior to us stepping out for the evening the phone call came - and it was then a mad dash to the hospital to see my lil guy wrapped up in a sling and sporting a very very sore arm - and somehow I just knew it was broken even before the xrays~!  So, 3 days of little sleep and wishing his pain was mine instead of his we were allowed home.  What a brave guy he is.  Straight back to school on the first day back after the term holidays - didn't want to kick back at home (and just when I had planned trips to the movies and chill out time for us both, plus planned an art workshop for broken limbed people only)!  That's actually still on the cards - but for adults and no kids! 

I have completed two pieces that seemed to take me months (2 actually) and so now all framed up = any feedback would be appreciated.  About to begin another adventure - have about a dozen professionally made substrates for my work to be affixed to - hardboard and um, not sure what the surrounds are (pine, perhaps) - they look too good to paint over.  I have my new boxes of gel medium, crackle paste, plenty of gold leaf and a heap of energy so hopefully by August there will be an array of new works gracing these pages.

Where are these months going?   I am happy to report that after one hectic month of April I am back into creating some very different and varied pieces.  Utilising anything and everything I can lay my hands on (as Nancy Reyner does) - and yes, I will keep mentioning this woman because I totally value the way she is so energetic about her life and her art.   I'm also a fan of Georgia O'Keeffe and have been since I began to paint.  Not sure how I even came across her work - I think by google - as if there is anything else?   (Good ol' lifeline to the world)!

I have purchased and found a heap of objects to throw at my canvas panels.  Because I am working with mixed media I am now finding that the boxed canvas moves a little too freely and I believe that in years to come perhaps the mixed media will not last the distance.  However, with the panels I am using, by adding plenty of gesso and then layers upon layers of gel, paste, paint media I am fairly sure that they will be around way longer than my lifetime!  All I have to do is sell some more I guess.  I am priming myself up for another exhibition (yes, this one is hanging in there until the 1st of July) but there's competitions to work towards (NZ Affordable Art Show) and there's also my second exhibition.  Setting the goals is fun - achieving them is a little harder - but it can be done.

The work I have just uploaded is a mixed media piece along similar lines to the last one (see below)?   They take a while to conjure up but once I'm throwing myself at the work then its completed within about 2 weeks - sometimes I have to paste out areas I don't like.  I am happy to say that I really like this piece and the only drawback is there are not enough hours in the day.