tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-189300652024-03-08T15:32:40.318+13:00Jen's PenThe latest work of New Zealand writer and artist Jen Longshaw.damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.comBlogger314125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-30978338496884072822016-03-22T18:01:00.004+13:002016-03-22T18:05:34.238+13:00Poultry PaintingsI seem to have gone to the chickens lately with regard to my paintings. For my entry for The Art Extravaganza at The Festival at Pukeora, Waipukurau I painted this little black hen in acrylics onto watercolour paper. I was thrilled when this sold.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Chook"<br />
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When it came time to paint an entry for <a href="http://www.arthawkesbay.co.nz/" target="_blank">Art Hawkes Bay's</a> annual exhibition I was still in a poultry state of mind so took a great many shots of my own flock before settling on my big Rhode Island Red rooster "Jock". With such a poser it was going to be an enjoyable experience translating him into art.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Jock"<br />
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Using acrylics again this time I painted on linen paper. At one point I decided painting chicken wattles was a bit like doing a Sudoku puzzle. The more you do the easier it is. Unfortunately Jock didn't sell at the exhibition but hopefully he will soon find a new home.<br />
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<br />damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-82506725320250684372016-02-28T13:49:00.000+13:002016-02-28T13:54:47.949+13:00Mini Mandalas.I've been having fun painting tiny mandalas for the past few months. The very action of painting them is calming and a form of meditation compared to the constant over thinking I need to do on some of my other creations.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mandala pendants before stringing.</td></tr>
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As a change from working on such small surfaces I have also been making meditation stones which can be held in the palm of the hand when someone is, um...well meditating. Some are quite small like these examples which sold at the Christmas Market at the <a href="http://www.creativehastings.org.nz/" target="_blank">Hastings Community Arts Centre</a> last December.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small meditation rocks that can be held in the palm of the hand.</td></tr>
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Then moving up to paperweight sizes which means I can add much more detail. These have been selling well at the <a href="http://www.thecan.co.nz/" target="_blank">CAN</a> in Napier. It is fun to see what designs and colour combinations people like the most although it really does come down to personal taste.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Art Deco themed stone in pinks and greens.</td></tr>
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As I am constantly working on these you can check out my year-old <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JenLongshawArts/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page for new work for sale. There is also a price list for commissioned work and a way to message me if you would like to know more.<br />
<br />damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-27975258141758512462015-12-31T16:47:00.001+13:002015-12-31T16:47:33.855+13:00Circling Nature.I have been engrossed in my studies for the Advanced Diploma of Art and Creativity (Level Seven) with The Learning Connexion since last year. This has led to me completing some very different art from what I usually do including "Land Art" with items lying about my back yard.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6d2P_gALmDkIbOsM7e6fYD_xK1ylkR1LHEdnymiw8PcofWJndI2g7xVXujPLhYIXzOHCjljimNlFZMp9sQEcHa90qt8KWS54klKAItKVGHH8KpBSvyG6TJ1ICd219csLkwvsdy7cog/s1600/June2015+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6d2P_gALmDkIbOsM7e6fYD_xK1ylkR1LHEdnymiw8PcofWJndI2g7xVXujPLhYIXzOHCjljimNlFZMp9sQEcHa90qt8KWS54klKAItKVGHH8KpBSvyG6TJ1ICd219csLkwvsdy7cog/s320/June2015+032.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mandala made from acorns.<br /><br />
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I have in particular become fascinated with mandalas making them with stones, flowers, and painting them on pendants and rocks. Of all the pictures that I put up on my new <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JenLongshawArts/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook Arts Page</a> these get the most reactions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JeiNYT7e9XO_L0qzoHtXqokAYHsOeKiTiKR-B3Qd4wilasupQoMQnhq0JdarMHTBlt-d45cJHh6WjjW7uuu0c15gD7DUFihChAjzSInhX5bf2o0nv2jh-7e8xqcplUzMy_o82DTQgQ/s1600/June2015+115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JeiNYT7e9XO_L0qzoHtXqokAYHsOeKiTiKR-B3Qd4wilasupQoMQnhq0JdarMHTBlt-d45cJHh6WjjW7uuu0c15gD7DUFihChAjzSInhX5bf2o0nv2jh-7e8xqcplUzMy_o82DTQgQ/s320/June2015+115.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wreath woven from prunings.<br /><br />
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I was pruning a huge shrub which had overgrown to the extent that it had gone seriously woody underneath. There was enough flexible material left over to weave into a wreath.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyHb_kYXfBexFpiAAna8zzdmYHtt12GQOl2sr-gtbBUrv4TlXG2k1XaPzy-g-1dCUE0DSILRYZm9C3_Y5fIXG4V7f9-A0Ffnxey-e_fEDitgvz-8ZG1J_MGRurg0ATgguEuGGOLBwRA/s1600/November+2015+428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyHb_kYXfBexFpiAAna8zzdmYHtt12GQOl2sr-gtbBUrv4TlXG2k1XaPzy-g-1dCUE0DSILRYZm9C3_Y5fIXG4V7f9-A0Ffnxey-e_fEDitgvz-8ZG1J_MGRurg0ATgguEuGGOLBwRA/s320/November+2015+428.JPG" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A spring mandala.<br /><br />
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As the seasons passed so did the amount of natural material I had to work from. Here is a mandala composed of variegated periwinkle interspersed with lawn daisies.<br />
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Although these works are ephemeral and have either rotted away or been eaten by farm animals the inspiration I gained from doing them has provided directions I can go in with my art in the future.<br />
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<br />damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-73560075353305632902014-04-10T09:10:00.002+12:002014-04-10T09:10:44.377+12:00LilyMy entry for this year's <a href="http://www.arthawkesbay.co.nz/" target="_blank">Art Hawkes Bay</a> Exhibition was the first under new group I began last year- the Tuki Tuki Art Collective. As usual there was the tough decision of what to paint as there was a category for horse paintings and there's nothing I like painting more than a good horse. Unless it's a portrait of a pretty red head.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98D7kwMPv9EHlQm8LLNUVu-3JYFcx85Fe30nBNeEp56jQ4_6q_besj1hphl7BjMCDRde__jeLAhQEpAp_pcTf3xg1GcVZKWcERioEe17w0WhxMQ_TdV5REOTydVqEeVdDIl7gqOW3wQ/s1600/Lily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98D7kwMPv9EHlQm8LLNUVu-3JYFcx85Fe30nBNeEp56jQ4_6q_besj1hphl7BjMCDRde__jeLAhQEpAp_pcTf3xg1GcVZKWcERioEe17w0WhxMQ_TdV5REOTydVqEeVdDIl7gqOW3wQ/s1600/Lily.jpg" height="320" width="164" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Lily" by Jen Longshaw<br />Acrylic<br /></td></tr>
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I first coated the 20" by 10" canvas in a mixture of Payne's Grey/Burnt Umber/Cadmium Red/Ultramarine with a touch of white before pencilling in the outline of the girl in white charcoal pencil. I worked on her off and on for a fortnight before rushing to deliver her on the receiving day (a 45 minute drive to the Cheval Room at the Hastings Racing Centre). <div>
<br />"Lily" was entered in the Faces category and was chosen by this year's selector fellow Learning Connexion graduate Freeman White. I didn't make the exhibition unfortunately but apparently there was a good turn out as it was held during the Horse of the Year Show which held a few events at the racing centre. This year there was also a scheme by which people could leave offers for the paintings if they didn't want to pay full price. Which is how, at 9pm on 23rd March I received a phone call from Art Hawkes Bay Chairman Hans Doevendans with an offer of $100.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIqGKJEPm02ABqVo4Axck_8vgg4KTq9CmsdF9Ylg_LfMJ4logIrun3Vu5fFEa8ixh704LFK5diNtYwWF1c6ia4ZP21qOn0LY1VIXHxZe06G8pG5elfWWTxC94Hdvcv9R0WiT8YZ7coA/s1600/AHBFlier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIqGKJEPm02ABqVo4Axck_8vgg4KTq9CmsdF9Ylg_LfMJ4logIrun3Vu5fFEa8ixh704LFK5diNtYwWF1c6ia4ZP21qOn0LY1VIXHxZe06G8pG5elfWWTxC94Hdvcv9R0WiT8YZ7coA/s1600/AHBFlier.jpg" height="320" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flier for the 2014 Art Hawkes Bay Exhibition<br /></td></tr>
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Not the first nor the last time my work has been lowly valued but as the painting took well over thirty hours to complete without adding in the cost of the canvas, paints etc. this would mean I was working for roughly $3 an hour. Unfortunately I cannot sell my work at such a level- I am a Kiwi and not a Chinese sweat shop. So until Lily finds her forever home she'll hang on my wall staring off into space. A bit like her creator. </div>
damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-68915848278487072902014-03-06T09:30:00.004+13:002014-03-06T09:39:24.052+13:00Solo Exhibition 2013In a recession the first thing to go are "luxuries" like the arts. People are trying to cover their bills and don't have extra cash to buy a painting or three. For the artist this means slim pickings financially but also a chance to try things that you wouldn't usually. While working on a small scale or developing a bread and butter line of cheaper work to keep things ticking over while the economy tries to kick start itself again you could also experiment with different techniques or subject matter that you never had a chance to while you were on the treadmill of painting what sold.<br />
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Alongside trying to extend my bread and butter range over the last few years I've been studying with The Learning Connexion completing my Arts and Creativity Diploma (Honours) with them in 2013. Studying gave me the freedom to try new things and break away from my usual pet portraits. I could try collage, charcoal nude studies, mixed media- in other words without the constraint of painting what I thought I could sell I could just have fun. It's important creative people recapture that pure joy we had as children when we finger painted without a care in the world before we were told it didn't look like anything and wasn't good enough.<br />
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It's difficult to allow yourself the freedom of having fun as an adult. There's always something that needs to be done urgently on the housework front or there's the feeling that you should be out there in the big wide world doing something important like saving pandas. That art is a somewhat selfish pursuit. And as for putting your work out there... Who the hell do you think you are? You're no Monet (or as a picture framer once said to me "You're no Ralph Hotere". To move past this, to try something new and put it up for everyone to see was why last year I had my first solo exhibition at <a href="http://www.thefestival.org.nz/electra-art-gallery" target="_blank">Electra Gallery</a> in Waipukurau. I knew I was unlikely to sell anything, especially as this area is still reeling from the 2013 drought and a downturn in the economy. Instead it would be my chance to showcase the different art styles I've been learning over the past few years as well as demonstrating how my artwork has moved on and developed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXY7uIC9xHmXQRPjYiAOFIxEpL-ReujUoHPPQSkVKudSpGSw6JH5hAHKSB1osG2uHub1t2wS8M36iFXft_TGRBpPHwSpkXyvAAfifWwwGYSfbHb0QzEhfUx-gOqiprU720DlPY81yd1A/s1600/Fem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXY7uIC9xHmXQRPjYiAOFIxEpL-ReujUoHPPQSkVKudSpGSw6JH5hAHKSB1osG2uHub1t2wS8M36iFXft_TGRBpPHwSpkXyvAAfifWwwGYSfbHb0QzEhfUx-gOqiprU720DlPY81yd1A/s1600/Fem.jpg" height="273" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Fem" a mixed media work on a re purposed gold leafed frame</td></tr>
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I had six months to prepare new work but soon discovered that this was still not long enough, even for a "mini" exhibition. I was still working on my largest painting to date the day before it opened ending up pulling my first all nighter painting until an hour before I was due to deliver the paintings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4ORjbN283g4MMULBcy1ua1O2x5FPosZXsOQxDlRceNjni2VPVh5gxRSkdgbcxkYyIQIrw11TP6H8tcT_8vwLEaVbqpZ_Ypj9_YpShPT8HIFRXOSRF29TfobpKVYMRA-kdpfrichhow/s1600/ElectraExhibition2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4ORjbN283g4MMULBcy1ua1O2x5FPosZXsOQxDlRceNjni2VPVh5gxRSkdgbcxkYyIQIrw11TP6H8tcT_8vwLEaVbqpZ_Ypj9_YpShPT8HIFRXOSRF29TfobpKVYMRA-kdpfrichhow/s1600/ElectraExhibition2013.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paintings and my "Kitty Bling" sculpture displayed in the gallery's front window<br />
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Kevin Annand who manages Electra was waiting patiently as I turned up over half an hour late and was encouraging about the different work that I was hanging although he warned me that gallery sales were down to what they had been in previous years. When I returned the next day I discovered what a great job he'd done in displaying my "Mini Exhibition" at the front of the gallery.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvzjxeJaxYt2afiEsYLjt4vt4lXmw0Q7XgghlV_yS_wQynnWUdEKMnoW3ZFgb2W5sPlNP8PKhad3uJO9cbRsWsbu7t1Bagh_WUbIXC1eZjYSUMOmgcwCft2HZ-mKC3ABIXq9-0REsiw/s1600/ElectraExhibitionNoOne2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvzjxeJaxYt2afiEsYLjt4vt4lXmw0Q7XgghlV_yS_wQynnWUdEKMnoW3ZFgb2W5sPlNP8PKhad3uJO9cbRsWsbu7t1Bagh_WUbIXC1eZjYSUMOmgcwCft2HZ-mKC3ABIXq9-0REsiw/s1600/ElectraExhibitionNoOne2013.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some examples of my work including "The Committee" the painting that resulted in my first all nighter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The exhibition last two weeks and I had some good feedback from people who went along to view it. Everyone differed in their opinion as to which piece was their favourite. The CHB Mail ran an article Kevin wrote about me (accompanied by two photos) which was reproduced in the Electra Newsletter the following month. Unfortunately all this publicity didn't translate into sales.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKsAb5KBNb8z7tq_BelOplz87H102XLYLvkthunpzpxyHxMbhPJXlMJaWAVvvkkb8q-izu5ThdcEqC6Z2fvKeXTDOyEKZH4Zg8XsoHxATvrkfEHAR4vOZzz98fWDVy4ty_8yKK2JwTw/s1600/ArabianKnight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKsAb5KBNb8z7tq_BelOplz87H102XLYLvkthunpzpxyHxMbhPJXlMJaWAVvvkkb8q-izu5ThdcEqC6Z2fvKeXTDOyEKZH4Zg8XsoHxATvrkfEHAR4vOZzz98fWDVy4ty_8yKK2JwTw/s1600/ArabianKnight.jpg" height="177" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Arabian Knight" in oils</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Well not immediately anyway. Kevin kept back two small bunny paintings and one was sold early in January 2014. Would I have another solo exhibition? Definitely. Perhaps in a couple of years and goodness knows what I'll be creating by then.damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-69224641514434275202013-09-15T11:18:00.000+12:002013-09-15T11:18:27.721+12:00Feel The fear And Do It AnywayI have many creative ideas to the point that I'll need, as a friend once told me, to live forever to finish even a portion of them. Having a block is never a problem with me but anxiety is. Not beginning a project because I think it's beyond my capabilities has meant I will often put off work till tomorrow deluding myself that I will magically become Leonardo De Vinci while I sleep. Another day means another bout of procrastination and then a week turns into a month with very little of worth done in the art line.<br />
<br />
Deadlines always helped me to paint something. Entering an exhibition means I have to complete work although I might not begin painting until the last minute, sometimes working until 3am and sending the painting in barely dry. Not only does this mean that I can convince myself that I can't do any better because of the time issues it's also stopped me endlessly reworking a picture which in a way is a good thing.<br />
<br />
I have learned to embrace these foibles of mine. I know the panic I feel in the middle of painting will pass, that I can only do the best I can do at the time. Instead of looking at the entire work and thinking "I can't do this, it's too much" I'll tell myself I have half an hour spare and I should try to finish the eyes or the hair or slop in some background. Working in small bites of time really helps although discovering what times of day I work best has been a major development for me recently. For example I enjoy working late morning and mid afternoon plus some of my best work has been done late at night. If I need a nap I'll take one so that I can come back fresh. Tiredness just feeds anxiety.<br />
<br />
In late May I attended <a href="http://tlcxpress.ac.nz/2013/04/the-art-of-innovation-workshops/" target="_blank">"The Art Of Innovation"</a> workshop run by Alice and Jonathan Milne of The Learning Connexion which pointed out many of my hang ups and worries plus encouraging me to find solutions to overcoming them. Listening to the other participants I realized I was not on my own in feeling inadequate whether it was having a messy house in one case to having health issues in another. My solution was to constantly have a goal or deadline before me and to feel the fear and do it anyway.<br />
<br />
My first fearful deadline was to enter two 4" x 4" paintings into Electra Gallery's "Small Works" exhibition in early June. I didn't step too far out of my box and stuck with my tried and true animal portraiture. The first work is of a mini lop bunny called "Loppy". I gessoed the canvas black and then spent some time building up fur in glazed layers of acrylic.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZKF0v0VnWL8BoLSbdlnEZjPgBH6J-rkDZyBpYNlFBHl7K1uS3glTfF9SyJV29-DFY5Jsl6B0SKKJN7GzPyZH01AWQStz65VuE0OtOrg97O1Y7j83hQ9Y1dqtGDGDRQR28uE9e9KXQg/s1600/Loppy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZKF0v0VnWL8BoLSbdlnEZjPgBH6J-rkDZyBpYNlFBHl7K1uS3glTfF9SyJV29-DFY5Jsl6B0SKKJN7GzPyZH01AWQStz65VuE0OtOrg97O1Y7j83hQ9Y1dqtGDGDRQR28uE9e9KXQg/s320/Loppy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Loppy" an acrylic painting on 4" x 4" boxed canvas</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Everything is better in pairs so I teamed Loppy up with another popular breed, a Dutch bunny called "Lapin". I have kept rabbits since 1986 so it was with some amusement in my family that when I searched for my biological mother we discovered her maiden name was Lappin. I was truly a bunny girl born and bred.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil0cIuThIq-hWHPmt5XwWwX_Ii7JCv3mx523Q-DKXEx9sDXAXYtqvmZ1emaKaH9fGDk8vWI6Zpl-wxfBlkLkpfdF4vyzfLezcgNV4ybu8XBP66l7c8I14YUogd5fn8xSrr5wNWSB9trA/s1600/Lapin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil0cIuThIq-hWHPmt5XwWwX_Ii7JCv3mx523Q-DKXEx9sDXAXYtqvmZ1emaKaH9fGDk8vWI6Zpl-wxfBlkLkpfdF4vyzfLezcgNV4ybu8XBP66l7c8I14YUogd5fn8xSrr5wNWSB9trA/s320/Lapin.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Lapin" another acrylic painting on 4" x 4" boxed canvas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next exhibition of note in the area was the annual "Art Extravaganza" at the Pukeora Estate in Waipukurau. This is probably the biggest exhibition in Hawkes Bay these days with entries coming in from around New Zealand. I have entered six times, been accepted five and sold twice so it's something I always try to paint towards. For two years I have intended to complete a huge painting developing a drawing I did several years ago. I even bought a 20" by 40" canvas (the largest I would have ever attempted) which leaned against the easel reproachfully for months before I gave up and opted for safety completing a small cat painting instead.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2-5LLnGD__SDnVN6P9SYWSKFXgfA0Vw1RgTdHPaGSK4ERl6EYGTjp7xdtNmW0IgPlukW8ePsB_05YxXO29iIJAcp1HoGGkKWphk6bvs5bZ0pmdw3DZKvR-lG2bR2UHf1ozIH-Ar3mA/s1600/Kitteh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2-5LLnGD__SDnVN6P9SYWSKFXgfA0Vw1RgTdHPaGSK4ERl6EYGTjp7xdtNmW0IgPlukW8ePsB_05YxXO29iIJAcp1HoGGkKWphk6bvs5bZ0pmdw3DZKvR-lG2bR2UHf1ozIH-Ar3mA/s320/Kitteh.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Kitteh" an acrylic painting on 8" x 8" boxed canvas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Of course I knew they'd think I'd mistyped the title so the painting was displayed as "Kitten" but I had some positive feedback from those who saw it although no sales (well we've been through a severe drought here this year so all the farmers are broke and not buying art). <br />
<br />
My next goal is to finally complete that huge canvas. I've gessoed it and chalked in the outlines and it's staring at me from an armchair in the sitting room. I've got my first solo exhibition in November this year and I have no choice but to get it done. Plus I have a website to complete and two markets to prepare for. So now I am feeling the fear big time but picking up a brush nevertheless.<br />
<br />
<br />damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-67869022754279839432013-04-18T09:08:00.002+12:002013-04-18T09:08:21.142+12:00Fun With CollageI look forward to Tuesdays now since our TukiTuki Art Collective
mornings are about having fun and learning something new. Last week we
met at a member's home in Waipukurau where Marie Neilson introduced us
to the craft of embossing. My favourite part of the craft was that it
involves "Sparkly Stuff".<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbiyQ7pfWskmF3LTV_sNSJ01acTZBRSh6Rzl2tpohJpWRnhslsOFLt5eLzSkuF5-TKkWiNtCf8d_B5QuTVayVTxSTUbmbqNSOJT_odcPDJb7g1LydFtzdQacAfXiOoZf31FzBxhZlPA/s1600/TACMembers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbiyQ7pfWskmF3LTV_sNSJ01acTZBRSh6Rzl2tpohJpWRnhslsOFLt5eLzSkuF5-TKkWiNtCf8d_B5QuTVayVTxSTUbmbqNSOJT_odcPDJb7g1LydFtzdQacAfXiOoZf31FzBxhZlPA/s320/TACMembers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Busy having a ball!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Marie and Pam had also brought along items to
demonstrate stamping. After eeewing and ahhing over a Neapolitan ice
cream style ink pad in pinks and mauves we watched as she taught our
other Marie how to make a bunch of pansies. I have one stamp which I
bought for 50c on a sales table at our local scrapbooking shop so I may
actually get this out and use it now.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3OEROHYWUynE5oVSpn50wJxk-Li13OfD5OpHwnPsyLXSIfPOh2xvYOFQGrBAH4NOjHoYDhYnjPdg9afiB5BK678UmDA_PGP4WNfNplamr-o-g3PheR-uLfEKsAtv5IgwQfuOr8RzdQ/s1600/TACMembersLearningStamping.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3OEROHYWUynE5oVSpn50wJxk-Li13OfD5OpHwnPsyLXSIfPOh2xvYOFQGrBAH4NOjHoYDhYnjPdg9afiB5BK678UmDA_PGP4WNfNplamr-o-g3PheR-uLfEKsAtv5IgwQfuOr8RzdQ/s320/TACMembersLearningStamping.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Maries sharing stamping tips</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I began a collage which I managed to finish
yesterday. Firstly I painted an A3 size piece of watercolour paper with
purple, alizarin crimson and cerulean blue acrylic paints. I then leafed
through some old glossy magazines (NZ House and Garden are my
favourites) for images that jumped off the page at me. I positioned
these before gluing with Mod Podge. I had also painted tissue paper with
watercolours and these were shredded and added to the mix. Later in the
week I applied impasto gel with a palette knife, nearly asphyxiating
myself in the process (safety note- make sure the room you're working in
has a window open) before adding more tissue and overlaying with paper
lace. I also added some tiny gold hearts with a gel pen but these aren't
easily seen in the photograph.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasSCax3qAUEMZXC6IAwN0JupwPRUy7jOGpmSslz-uJCrx1xNhWUKD6ZUMT16kWp12xDw3oGciq255j9VqkXEkkWSvUxVn6_bdNjrYvcyqQPP1gLMsrJXnig3PP4qgbvZvPvJjjrCVuw/s1600/AirsAndGracesCollage.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasSCax3qAUEMZXC6IAwN0JupwPRUy7jOGpmSslz-uJCrx1xNhWUKD6ZUMT16kWp12xDw3oGciq255j9VqkXEkkWSvUxVn6_bdNjrYvcyqQPP1gLMsrJXnig3PP4qgbvZvPvJjjrCVuw/s320/AirsAndGracesCollage.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Airs and Graces" collage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I realize some people look down their nose at collage
but when you consider that Picasso was one of the first artists to
employ it in his work I think they should begin to lighten up and smell
the Mod Podge. I probably won't be able to sell this collage but it was a
bit of fun and I inspired myself with some new ideas which I can put in
my future work. Following the example of one of my friends I will now
devote a visual diary to collage and feed that inner child. I think I
will have to live and extra fifty years to fit in all the new
things I want to learn plus find a rich sugar Daddy to fund them all. damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-77506889544759416412013-04-03T09:07:00.001+13:002013-04-03T09:07:45.995+13:00TukiTuki Art CollectiveI don't cope well with change but sometimes it is time to move on from situations and to begin new things which is why I started an art collective two weeks ago. I invited seven people from my previous art group, five have committed to joining although one will only be attending once a month. There are only two rules- one is that we're serious about having fun with our creativity and the other is "No Committees"! Each Tuesday we will meet at a different home to do something enjoyable, bring along our latest work for feedback and generally have a laugh. After some discussion we decided on the TukiTuki Art Collective as a name as that encompasses a large area although at the moment the group is by invitation only.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvuHW-XnFXMetQpauABMAZ2RQj-Jot2o7zf76d8jDyAMIHhm0YWHCeqKYFhoZyBmsfAqg-y6jMfIC_rluoiKsVr71tuXFp7lOIB1yG2mQ7xdNQ3OTGBR5RF3OjBO-Qj_YhAsaIXGm-g/s1600/ZentangleNotebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvuHW-XnFXMetQpauABMAZ2RQj-Jot2o7zf76d8jDyAMIHhm0YWHCeqKYFhoZyBmsfAqg-y6jMfIC_rluoiKsVr71tuXFp7lOIB1yG2mQ7xdNQ3OTGBR5RF3OjBO-Qj_YhAsaIXGm-g/s320/ZentangleNotebook.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My small visual diary exclusively devoted to Zentangle</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I haven't painted in the past few weeks although that doesn't mean I haven't been creating. I bought a small 21cm x 14.5cm visual diary which could comfortably fit two Zentangles on each page. I enjoy working in graphic black and white and these works have been a relaxing change for me as I leave the workbook beside the sofa so I can pick it up when I'm in the mood. I have challenged myself to use one element from each tangle in the following one to allow some sense of continuity. If I really wanted to challenge myself I would complete one Zentangle per day but I am one of the slowest workers in the world and a girl can only cope with so many changes in one month!damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-32993899719806299112013-03-15T14:20:00.002+13:002013-03-15T17:32:24.920+13:00Rush MunroHad another trip to the big smoke with the occasional Stud Muffin yesterday so I could spend time with my sis in law on her birthday during her lunch break. After a lovely vegetarian meal Mike and I finished our day with a visit to <a href="http://www.rushmunro.co.nz/" target="_blank">Rush Munro's</a> for ice cream. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CUETFvyyKuNo_xJshCSp1R_m3jM5BPlSS9xWqrHY_7dKKjJSkwx5ESR5EnTiPOodyNNm819492XPqbazNIxWF5I4jPcD3QYoa4g6GG_fTx3hXhaJYJDNxY8wyvuvxFd17ZOhclW0cw/s1600/RushMonroePond1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CUETFvyyKuNo_xJshCSp1R_m3jM5BPlSS9xWqrHY_7dKKjJSkwx5ESR5EnTiPOodyNNm819492XPqbazNIxWF5I4jPcD3QYoa4g6GG_fTx3hXhaJYJDNxY8wyvuvxFd17ZOhclW0cw/s200/RushMonroePond1.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pond at the entrance to the shop holds one of the most obese goldfish I've ever seen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I was a kid if we headed Hastings way on our weekly Sunday drive we'd sometimes stop into Rush Munro's as a treat. I didn't realise at the time the unique taste was due to them making their ice cream from natural ingredients which they've done since the shop opened in the 1920s. But my parents always had ice cream to go so I never got to sit in the lovely courtyard garden and enjoy the atmosphere. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FSJFiXFm0xKp601VfWEs7Dcx8-wX_LwVxCkEgdoG_T9mGhsZxu6bsVivENKCEF8uhIz6FTk2Wnja-pRwOycWB58cdKAxFIGsfqaLdqVz6N_8SREcGNFE87XgcwdN6sTJEa11TGVpvA/s1600/RushMonroePond2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FSJFiXFm0xKp601VfWEs7Dcx8-wX_LwVxCkEgdoG_T9mGhsZxu6bsVivENKCEF8uhIz6FTk2Wnja-pRwOycWB58cdKAxFIGsfqaLdqVz6N_8SREcGNFE87XgcwdN6sTJEa11TGVpvA/s200/RushMonroePond2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the courtyard is another pond with some fresh water crayfish fighting it out with the goldies</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We were able to forget the drought and all our other concerns as we sat under the trees eating a passionfruit cone each, watching the sparrows fight over the few crumbs that came their way. Anyone else who entered the garden also seemed to magically mellow in mood striking up conversations.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsLvWpEqDU2yx9KYKz6QxDHX6xUia9rWHwwVLOqVaOAm4Tlpc0d2ID9cjasTYpYNJciUe4kifbQleTY0LUDp1LskEE9gZWRvSeb6h7dq2W2JC-alQRU10R7ZSyVvXqmiruLnP16ZEuQ/s1600/RushMonroePond.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsLvWpEqDU2yx9KYKz6QxDHX6xUia9rWHwwVLOqVaOAm4Tlpc0d2ID9cjasTYpYNJciUe4kifbQleTY0LUDp1LskEE9gZWRvSeb6h7dq2W2JC-alQRU10R7ZSyVvXqmiruLnP16ZEuQ/s200/RushMonroePond.jpg" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little fountain was the scene of some major fights as sparrows fought over showering rights.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My favourite items in the garden were feature ceramic tiles popped amongst the pavers, a mosaic drinking fountain and giant terracotta pots filled with plants. I know that taking even just one of these ideas and implementing them in my garden would make it a better space. But after leaving this leafy sanctuary in the middle of the city I realized something much more important: it really is all about the ice cream! <br />
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<br />damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-84274464035303139802013-03-03T09:38:00.001+13:002013-03-03T09:43:02.682+13:00Napier and the Sea PrincessSince giving up my art group Wednesdays I have been having trips out to unexpected places and found myself in Napier last week. I lived in and around Napier for twenty eight years from age four. Growing up on the seafront at Breakwater Road was a relaxed upbringing with hot evenings spent walking on the oil pipes that once ran along the beach holding my Dad's hand so I didn't fall off. Or else we'd wander down Harding Road which was lined with cute but slightly worn old cottages, many with sofas on the verandah so people could sit in comfort watching the waves.<br />
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Then after years of pulling down Art Deco buildings someone discovered this whole thing could be big business. Suddenly everywhere had a paint job, many of the cute cottages were pulled down to make way for faux Art Deco houses, and the Art Deco Weekend became an annual event where people thought that dressing up in flappers' evening dresses in the middle of the day would make them appear authentic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9KpuaaZW9ZpJtHYfZ1UoIK4gxxZYrdT6xZae9TicHQYBWrg0ip16rmavlsV8UwLPtbEMqonmGOWPadIUH-keDFJA7zLjfsavfdXr2NX654yJKhYy_t7bLDwAimAjm7lsK4SjJn9vjA/s1600/Art-Deco--Napier-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9KpuaaZW9ZpJtHYfZ1UoIK4gxxZYrdT6xZae9TicHQYBWrg0ip16rmavlsV8UwLPtbEMqonmGOWPadIUH-keDFJA7zLjfsavfdXr2NX654yJKhYy_t7bLDwAimAjm7lsK4SjJn9vjA/s1600/Art-Deco--Napier-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old T&G building used to house an x-ray department & doctors' offices</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I didn't realize how majorly Napier had changed until my visit last week which also coincided with a visit by the Sea Princess cruise ship. The streets where filled with bewildered looking tourists touting cameras and bum bags getting their fill of the Art Deco experience before being shunted back on board. Their few hours were spent ferried around in tour buses
from shop to winery safe from interacting with any "real" people ensuring
they only saw a sanitized version of Hawkes Bay. Even the shops got in the act with their windows filled with Art Deco dressed mannequins and expensive NZ themed items made in China. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbRvz5kqDaAsRNT4hqIT8HDmRzszUOCR2m4_nCAg3NjTnZ8mLWNOv7v50EHEuq5-P8GFLJ3Y_5XoW0CWD_-73WwxjWLyXBoyv__xdsMLZpnk2gnLRM9hUS2yXIeEnjFGfHNm6w3GYCQ/s1600/SeaPrincess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbRvz5kqDaAsRNT4hqIT8HDmRzszUOCR2m4_nCAg3NjTnZ8mLWNOv7v50EHEuq5-P8GFLJ3Y_5XoW0CWD_-73WwxjWLyXBoyv__xdsMLZpnk2gnLRM9hUS2yXIeEnjFGfHNm6w3GYCQ/s320/SeaPrincess.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sea Princess moored at Napier Harbour</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Even around the Iron Pot inner harbour where my brother once had his succession of fishing boats moored has changed from a working class area surrounded by warehouses to boutique cafes and upmarket apartments where you have to ask your neighbours' permission to have a couple of people round for dinner. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0gxWJT-3-cwjdrM1dF1Tp56ELJgQtBheUAbnKDVOi6e_PjOVeIC9K4aG7LQfAZLQcuMKP8eAjO-V7UAETwWFDkFucy-to_P2S8X0VOEXw58P-64Gnb7PrxVqa5dlGUvdBWXYlvgeEng/s1600/IronPot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0gxWJT-3-cwjdrM1dF1Tp56ELJgQtBheUAbnKDVOi6e_PjOVeIC9K4aG7LQfAZLQcuMKP8eAjO-V7UAETwWFDkFucy-to_P2S8X0VOEXw58P-64Gnb7PrxVqa5dlGUvdBWXYlvgeEng/s320/IronPot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Iron Pot Inner Harbour</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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After channeling my frustration at how Napier has changed into a Disney Art Deco theme park into a passion fruit ice cream I saw something that gave me hope. Amongst all the upmarket faux houses along Harding Road snuggled one small battered cottage. And on its verandah nestled two weather beaten pink sofas for sea gazing of an evening.damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-78016793869586723032013-02-24T09:02:00.002+13:002013-02-24T09:02:44.213+13:00Zentangles<div style="text-align: left;">
I am clearing my life of much of its negativity at the moment leaving toxic situations and giving up pastimes which have brought me no joy. This has left extra time for new ventures including <a href="http://www.zentangle.com/">Zentangles</a>. As usual it began with a library book as I am an inveterate doodler and the concept of transforming the scribbles I make while on the telephone into a finished artwork was intriguing. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAL9CbwHR5N7aRSQvPb4XyBiqNm4T0_mfA2gcLt1TO3oSO-G0eqt0OMSlpSxLYA7sDOUCeqQFg9FImj3ljrvRm-lRuEZn75AEDiHepLNWP0uYgWQph8LkixqPu0ondH2Ljw0JtDP92A/s1600/Zentangles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAL9CbwHR5N7aRSQvPb4XyBiqNm4T0_mfA2gcLt1TO3oSO-G0eqt0OMSlpSxLYA7sDOUCeqQFg9FImj3ljrvRm-lRuEZn75AEDiHepLNWP0uYgWQph8LkixqPu0ondH2Ljw0JtDP92A/s320/Zentangles.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zentangle Inspired Work In My Visual Diary</td></tr>
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In a nutshell Zentangles are miniature (3.5" square) abstract works of art usually in black and white. The concept was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas who train CZT® tutors although you can pick it up yourself via sites such as the marvellous <a href="http://tanglepatterns.com/zentangles">Tangle Patterns</a>. As a beginner I am winging it so not using the official tiles or recommended pens so probably I have to qualify my work as Zentangle inspired. But I have to say it is relaxing even if I did spend far longer than the recommended 15 minutes on my creations. A very addictive new pastime!damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-64145933455770261672013-02-07T14:28:00.003+13:002013-02-07T14:30:07.917+13:00Watercolour NudeI am trying to move out of my comfort zone so when my tutor suggested I take my watercolour paints to life drawing I decided to have a go. I am trying a looser way of painting which fits with in with the short poses we attempt in our Friday class.
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This is one of my favourite models and is painted in red cadmium and raw sienna with a size 12 brush over a charcoal pencil drawing. I have tried realistic shades but am much happier with more dramatic colours. I keep reminding myself that if I don't like my paintings I can always save them to light the fire with!
damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-6502082168052611822013-01-10T09:01:00.003+13:002013-01-10T09:01:57.309+13:00A Return To WatercolourI used to be a watercolour painter when I first began painting. I started with flora then moved onto fauna before the price of framing my work became too exorbitant which is when I shifted to acrylics and the ubiquitous gallery wrapped canvas. But in my honour's year with <a href="http://www.tlc.ac.nz">The Learning Connexion</a> I am lucky enough to have a tutor who specializes in watercolour so I am not going to waste the opportunity to learn some new techniques.
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In the portrait group I attend each Friday in Otane we're lucky enough to have an excellent watercolourist who agreed to teach a workshop in early December 2012. Heather Dennison also works in oils but we had more interest in the watercolours and ended up with eight people wanting to attend. Heather's style is reminiscent of Nancy Tichbourne and in many cases this meant a step out of our comfort zones- especially those of us who try to avoid putting in backgrounds!
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We all worked from the same photo Heather had taken of an iris in her garden. We learned how to mask the edge of the flower so we could put in the background before floating in the petals and it seemed no time at all until the six hours were over. A few had completed their paintings but as usual I only touched the surface of mine.
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For me the highlight of the workshop was discovering that you can work from dark to light with watercolours as well as finding <strike></strike>new colours to use: Indigo, New Gamboge (yellow), Winsor Violet and Winsor Blue. Will I finish the painting? Who knows. But I know I have been inspired to look at different styles of watercolour art and in some cases, to try them myself.
damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-35297800963482482582012-12-14T08:09:00.004+13:002012-12-14T08:09:56.928+13:00I'm Dreaming Of A Rich ChristmasEvery year I promise myself that I'll begin preparing for the <a href="http://www.creativehastings.org.nz/">Hastings Community Arts Centre</a> Christmas Sale from January. Then suddenly we're into June and by the time I get anything half done it's October. This year I knew I definitely needed to repaint my wooden jewellery stand as it was looking scruffy and the cream paint wasn't setting off my work so black it became!
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I have found wolf pendants to be extremely popular so I've always made sure that there's at least one for sale but tigers are also well liked. Lions, not so much. And as for warthogs...
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This year I have also begun painting more abstract colourful pendants which I sell more cheaply as an alternative for non animal loving buyers.
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I am also selling my hand painted brooches, cards, soaps and all the small ephemera which seems to be better selling than the larger work. If I'm to get more outlets (which I intend to try to do in the New Year) I will need to keep working regularly as despite their size these small items do require quite some work.
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If you happen to be in Hastings pop into the gallery and take a look at the massive range of gifts that are available there. It's a great way to support your local artists and to find a unique gift that hasn't been mass produced in China.
damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-35093513226234375902012-12-06T09:13:00.001+13:002012-12-06T09:17:58.709+13:00Trenrose Gardens & Birdwood GalleryNot often I'm double booked but the weekend of 17th/18th November was going to be a busy one as my friend Marie and I had a stall at <a href="http://trenrose.co.nz/">Trenrose Gardens</a> in Tikokino. Every year during the second weekend in November several established/historic gardens in the Tikokino/Onga Onga area open to the public and Trenrose opens while the peonies are in bloom.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Marie did all the hard yards arranging the booking, finding tables plus borrowing a marquee for the weekend since we would be outside. And as the 17th was my birthday and I'd been invited to lunch with the occasional stud muffin and my sister in law she offered to man it on the Saturday as well.
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Of course by the time I'd fed the latest clutch of chicks, the goat, rounded up the cats and piled all my stuff in the car I was running late but when I arrived at Trenrose there weren't too many visitors so we were able to set up in peace. We didn't realize it at the time but this quiet start did not bode well for the day.
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Then we were off to <a href="http://www.birdwoodsgallery.co.nz/">Birdwoods Gallery</a> which is situated in the relocated old St Peter's Church Hall from Waipawa (my father taught Sunday School there back in the day I think) on Middle Road near Havelock North. There we saw an amazing range of African and ethnic inspired ceramics, sculptures, textiles etc. but the real highlight for me were the amazing African sculptures out the back.
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There was a group of hippos nestled on the lawn while a dodo perched on the old wooden fence that bordered a wild piece of field with mown paths meandering amongst warthogs, giraffes and stone figures. A flock of topiary sheep with metal heads stood near the entrance to the sculpture garden while little metal birds were dotted about on the fences or in the trees.
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<p>By this stage the weather was cool, breezy and drizzly so we went into the cafe which was featuring an exhibition of paintings by mother and son Vicki and George Williams. Vicki paints birds and draws animals while George paints large acrylics of black labradors. Although the exhibition had only just begun ten works already had red stickers on them. By this time my sister in law had arrived so we enjoyed a leisurely lunch before investigating the nearby sweet shop (a relocated pioneer cottage) before returning to the sculpture garden once more. In total we spent three hours there which would account for my longest visit to a gallery. Ever.<p/>
<p>When we returned to Trenrose however it was a different story. The weather had been so awful with pouring rain that visitor numbers were down three quarters on the previous year. Marie had sold a few cards for me in the morning but that was all. We packed up early hoping that the next day would improve.<p/>
<p>When I woke up at 7am the rain was hammering down. Once again I was running late but Marie and I set up quickly and waited for the weather to improve. Then the gales arrived. The tent began to disintergrate so there were running repairs that continued throughout the day. However the sun broke out inbetween the downpours so more visitors began to come through the garden although they were more interested in buying plants than our work. However during Marie's lunch break I managed to sell one of my pendants and cards so by the end of the day we had come out of the weekend with a small profit. One of the stallholders who had been coming for nine years it was the worst year at Trenrose they'd ever experienced. I felt it was official- I was a jinx.<p/>
<p>During one of the sunny spells in the afternoon we explored fields of flowering peonies and on the way back I bought a huge jar with two goldfish from a lady selling pickles. As you do.<P/>
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As the day wound down the owner of the gardens went round every stall owner and gave us all a bunch of white peonies in bud which brightened up the house for many days. Enthusiastically I've ordered a few bushes which will be ready to plant in March so the memory of that soggy weekend will live on in my own garden. <strike><strike></strike></strike>
damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-22638144000429647562012-12-02T10:18:00.000+13:002012-12-02T10:19:03.413+13:00The Year That WasIn the eight months since my brother's death I have been going through the motions of keeping busy and trying to be cheerful but my health told a different story with two major illnesses over the winter months. However I kept plodding away with my artwork if not with any writing of merit. Two weeks after his passing in April I attended a workshop on Goethe's Theory Of Colour with Bettie Huibers at Otane. I never imagined the poet to have investigated this subject so thoroughly or to have inspired so many artists. One major inspiration I came away with was that we should practice with colour every day in the same way we're meant to draw. It is a huge subject that we only touched briefly on during the day workshop but I hope that I can explore it further.
Before long it was June and the <a href="http://www.otaneartsandcrafts.com">Arts and Crafts Corner Otane Inc</a> annual exhibition. Every year a corner of the Herb and Garden room is given over to guest artists from one of the other groups at the centre and this year it was the turn of the Art Group. Donna Dahm and myself held a retrospective of our work and Donna enjoyed several sales of her landscapes while I sold a cat painting. Most of my work was behind the door as I had an oil nude displayed which counts as offensive in this area although I received some rave reviews from the male population.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Other works I included were animal paintings and I received a commission for a dog portrait from a visitor. Many people who weren't interested in buying a larger work did make their way into the art room and bought cards I had made from my paintings as well as some of my stoned jewellery.
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For the past few years the Art Group has had a Theme wall during the exhibition and this year it was "Carnival" time. Work ranged from masks to circus and resulted in a very colourful display. I had been working on a major collage piece which I called "The Fortune Teller". This mixed media lady was fairly large and consisted of magazine paper, glitter, paper lace and paint. I have no idea why some art lovers turn their noses up at collage as this work took me as long to complete as a conventional painting. She now hangs at the back of my TV and her eyes follow me about the room.
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In August I worked on a rushed job for a work colleague of my aunt's who wanted two doorstops made of her deceased cats. She had lost most of her photos due to her hard drive crashing so there were only three to work from so some imagination was used.
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"Smudge"(above) was painted on a large river stone which had natural cat-like bumps and lumps. The photos were taken from a distance so I had to imagine what the eyes looked like close up.
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"Pixel" had blue colourings which gave me an opportunity to mix in beautiful rich grays and siennas and the eyes were full of colour and reflection.
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September is time for the Art Extravaganza which is held as part of The Festival at Pukeora Estate, Waipukurau. My entry was "Meeting of the Lop Society" a work I had begun last year and which has been sitting on a chair in my kitchen while I tried to work out what was wrong with it. In the end I decided the middle rabbit (originally a small lop huddled down) was the problem so one night I covered it with black gesso (and the rest of the canvas) just leaving the two other bunnies sticking out of the darkness. I also changed the right hand lop to a ginger. Although this work didn't sell at the Arts and Crafts Corner Otane Open Weekend over 3/4th November it had so many comments that if I'd charged 50c for every "oh you can almost feel the fur" comment I'd have earned a good $25! Goes to show that if you leave a painting to gestate long enough and have the courage to paint out a good proportion of it you can still turn it round.
damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-37022596637276276912012-04-05T18:26:00.002+12:002012-04-05T18:32:03.913+12:00Eulogy For A Brother<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwHgH8d15p6_VwFuFLknPBxTM-N4lU_4oyTV50vRzYTnfjC3Zaf3IdWJdLl0jap3gnF6wqv-DbZnR7ae-jTbHtQEfgb7LDtn0RvFy01QqNZOcScWXrfdbVqHoMHe7NcG35s90Hw2BUg/s1600/LastPhotoOfRich.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwHgH8d15p6_VwFuFLknPBxTM-N4lU_4oyTV50vRzYTnfjC3Zaf3IdWJdLl0jap3gnF6wqv-DbZnR7ae-jTbHtQEfgb7LDtn0RvFy01QqNZOcScWXrfdbVqHoMHe7NcG35s90Hw2BUg/s320/LastPhotoOfRich.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727799840529828626" /></a><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Richard Longshaw 5.7.1954- 31.3.2012</span><br /><br />I hope that during these past few months Richard finally realized how deeply he was loved and by how many people. I don’t think he ever truly knew how much we all needed and valued him. Whenever someone had a crisis or needed something done Richie would be there. Sometimes just the fact he was in the room would make you feel better, safer, as if everything was going to turn out alright. He always put others first before himself and constantly thought of how to make their lives easier. I have lost count of all the times he came to my rescue; repairing computers, helping get a sick animal to the vet and helping me move house on too many occasions.<br /><br />When we moved the pony and donkey in a horse float Rich would insist on riding in with them so they wouldn’t be stressed. When I had to have my old pony put to sleep Richie drove all the way out to where I was living at the time to keep me company while the vet did the deed before lying on top of Toby the goat so the vet could trim his hooves.<br /><br />I have happy memories of Richie and I going shopping and having long philosophical conversations about science, quantum physics and Top Gear. He would go into in-depth descriptions of how he fixed someone’s computer or the reason why a car wasn’t running properly and I would nod my head as if I actually knew what he was talking about. <br /><br />Dad always said Rich was the “luckiest unlucky bugger” he’d ever met. His boat La Paloma blew up with him on board but he only suffered a flash burn on his chest. His trawler “Trojan” sank off Mahia although fortunately he wasn’t on board. We would always joke about the Longshaw luck. Just as well the other part of being a Longshaw was having a robust black sense of humour.<br /><br />Richard tolerated the intolerable and suffered fools. Whereas I would get angry about someone’s actions Richie would shrug his shoulders and say “oh well that’s just them”. But under that seemingly strong calm exterior there was a sensitive soul who could be so easily hurt by people. He was truly a gentle giant and for me he was a wonderfully kind and caring brother.<br /><br />Last Friday as I watched Richard lie on the verge of his last voyage into the next world a few lines kept continually running through my head. They were from Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Requiem”<br /><br />''This be the verse you grave for me: <br />Here he lies where he longed to be; <br />Home is the sailor, home from the sea, <br />And the hunter home from the hill.''damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-76622922366987177462012-03-05T18:08:00.005+13:002012-03-05T18:34:58.957+13:00Drawing Upside Down And Inside OutWe recently held an all day drawing session at the <a href="http://www.otaneartsandcrafts.com/ArtGroup.htm">Otane Portrait Group</a> beginning with a discussion on how each of us would begin a drawing working from this great shot of tennis player Rafael Nadal. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhx7JbwyK0a6pKiVnQKLQi3jycZd8lHwyxf-P81N_xx9Q-pivrowjQRRvxYTpDZZMiVP9dZHIWKrVEpHCroDzONpLTppg0ZI29JDy75MZY6cAxL2e9I_9hbvzDrk_gd2RO7V1m_WRvA/s1600/Rafa.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhx7JbwyK0a6pKiVnQKLQi3jycZd8lHwyxf-P81N_xx9Q-pivrowjQRRvxYTpDZZMiVP9dZHIWKrVEpHCroDzONpLTppg0ZI29JDy75MZY6cAxL2e9I_9hbvzDrk_gd2RO7V1m_WRvA/s320/Rafa.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716276205312212450" /></a><br />Each person explained how they would work and it turned out that everyone would begin in a different way. Some would sketch out a faint oval with indications where the features would go, a couple of us would begin with one facial feature and work our way out intuitively from there. The conclusion was that there wasn't one "right" way to begin a drawing. But then to throw a spanner in the works a couple of us mentioned how much easier it is to draw upside down. When you work from a reference photo turned the wrong way suddenly your brain has to work from its right side. A face becomes a series of simple shapes which you reproduce. Often for beginners the results can be extremely satisfying. Even for veteran pencillists it is handy to forget what you think you see and return to drawing simply what is there.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08uUo4rmsTt76-bc886xqHrMXNvDaW_GQPAuJ7Py145as0iRKDolRGUGMZIgAmP0C9hSWIdAd-_bAIFapY3xNi9DjYeorjGh_qmLCgxNn1lLG5lpfr5-sbXt0-QHWlLnUCtkFS9jWvw/s1600/RafaUpsideDownDrawings.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 173px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08uUo4rmsTt76-bc886xqHrMXNvDaW_GQPAuJ7Py145as0iRKDolRGUGMZIgAmP0C9hSWIdAd-_bAIFapY3xNi9DjYeorjGh_qmLCgxNn1lLG5lpfr5-sbXt0-QHWlLnUCtkFS9jWvw/s320/RafaUpsideDownDrawings.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716278388291214290" /></a><br />We spent a good thirty minutes facing Rafa's rotated photo on an easel and when we finally turned our drawings right way up we had a good laugh at the distorted features. But over the following half an hour when we drew from the righted photo it was fairly obvious that these pictures were no more interesting artistically than the so called "wrong" ones. It just felt as if it were easier to draw this way when in reality our brains were busy telling us "well an ear should be placed here, a chin should be there" rather than allowing us to reproduce what we saw.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzVv6AxHvsPSmSdMaGkd9cYGHKaoYizXliwAk3gRR8p9kBGHlU36XPFzMWcm_AgYg1mAREGG92HF7Ly5dQKQceqP-1qatIDJz7B2C451LY4_RfphaW-3U55T9IbZR70Q7_t1O2EnuRg/s1600/RafaByHeather.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 236px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzVv6AxHvsPSmSdMaGkd9cYGHKaoYizXliwAk3gRR8p9kBGHlU36XPFzMWcm_AgYg1mAREGG92HF7Ly5dQKQceqP-1qatIDJz7B2C451LY4_RfphaW-3U55T9IbZR70Q7_t1O2EnuRg/s320/RafaByHeather.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716279281576537490" /></a><br />I would honestly recommend everyone to try drawing wrong side up on occasion. Not only can you pick out your weaknesses but it's fun not being in control. With our little group it was a great leveler. Working upside down we were all equal in our sudden drop in confidence and in our ability to laugh at the results. Sometimes though something wonderful would result as in this lovely pastel.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85WNv6aGF5vt74EbiBbZOlhSYlTuFK2-nNCHPywqjMDsuKJPERoqjYwbsZDO1z3wtwYXSutoRdiZgWs8ZTiGo5AYYI3XL-RzpgNmr5a7HSX2S8GE9FEzw2ryb9DUw4UGq5AOzaew1xA/s1600/RafaByBettie.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 235px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85WNv6aGF5vt74EbiBbZOlhSYlTuFK2-nNCHPywqjMDsuKJPERoqjYwbsZDO1z3wtwYXSutoRdiZgWs8ZTiGo5AYYI3XL-RzpgNmr5a7HSX2S8GE9FEzw2ryb9DUw4UGq5AOzaew1xA/s320/RafaByBettie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716279815497054658" /></a><br />And where is my finished masterpiece? Ah well both my upside down, inside out and round the right way sketches are like me- a work in progress.damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-25964571033034660312012-02-11T08:56:00.005+13:002012-02-11T09:36:54.405+13:00Art Hawkes Bay Exhibition 2012I am a person who needs deadlines. Perhaps it's because I am a perfectionist who puts off till next year what I should do today because I know I'll never get it quite right. If I have a time constraint I can always put down my perceived failure to reach perfection to running out of time. This is why I will often begin a painting a couple of weeks before an exhibition and why you'll often see me feverishly painting at 2am on receiving day. <br /><br />After a dismal Christmas Sale at Creative Hastings which saw some of my work stolen I wasn't in the mood to paint but the <a href="http://www.arthawkesbay.co.nz">Art Hawkes Bay</a> annual exhibition was coming up at the end of January and I knew I needed a kick start back into some sort of creativity. But what to paint? Plus I had to send in the entry form with a title and price before I even began work on my picture. I became depressed sorting through photos I'd taken trying to rustle up some inspiration. I knew I wanted to attempt a portrait but nothing leaped out of my files that said "paint me".<br /><br />Finally I went through my camera and found a shot of one of our models who had just been in a play at the Waipukurau Little Theatre. At the time I couldn't believe how she'd transformed herself from a bubbly blond into a dark femme fatale (a German spy no less) but soon as I saw the photo I knew this was the shot to base a portrait on. I grabbed a black canvas and set to work sporadically over the next couple of weeks although the entire painting only took eight and a half hours to complete. This woman was a "Thoroughly Modern" flapper.<br /><br />No 2am painting session for me this year. The painting was covered in bubble wrap and ready to go the night before receiving day. The selector was Brent Redding a very well known Hawkes Bay artist but I had no idea whether he would like my picture. Then a message was left on my phone Tuesday night from Ian Thompson, Founder of Art Hawkes Bay suggesting I attend the Opening Night at Vidal's Winery that Thursday. I'd had no intention of going before this but on speaking to a couple of friends from my art group I was persuaded it was important I go along.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uI4EhF4yvEQTVZy9Ct6dM3GtM5wYfM75B_TcfIxnQAVW9xde8wga2hARRzCQW1iHoU7kJsaRRLvfg5HqJzqTVFxB-vF2ehHPB1HTrArAUcD1oyKHUz921SsGfjN5ymGhccLYc9B75A/s1600/ArtHB2012Painting.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uI4EhF4yvEQTVZy9Ct6dM3GtM5wYfM75B_TcfIxnQAVW9xde8wga2hARRzCQW1iHoU7kJsaRRLvfg5HqJzqTVFxB-vF2ehHPB1HTrArAUcD1oyKHUz921SsGfjN5ymGhccLYc9B75A/s320/ArtHB2012Painting.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707604777145190786" /></a> <br /><br />So Thursday 26th January I caught a ride with three other members of the <a href="http://www.otaneartsandcrafts.com/ArtGroup.htm">Otane Art Group</a> to Vidal's winery. The opening was at 6pm but the room was already crowded with dozens of people looking at the 150 paintings displayed. An hour later there were speeches before the prize giving for each of the categories. My category "Culture" was third on the list and I heard my name read out as the winner so had to go and have my hand shaken. Val Donkevoort, also of the Otane Art Group, won Best In Exhibition. Afterwards I was congratulated by Ian Thompson, Brent Redding before our small group of four were invited to stay for a platter and drinks with the committee at 8pm, the only artists to be so honoured apparently. <br /><br />It wasn't until 10.15pm that I finally arrived home although I wasn't actually able to get to sleep before midnight due to the excitement which resulted from the combination of winning a certificate, $250.00 in cash and the severe diarrhea that hit me soon as I came through the back door. And did my painting sell? No. Which just goes to show that you can win a prize but people may still not want a German Spy hanging on their wall.damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-4096180184825594622011-10-28T17:14:00.006+13:002011-10-28T17:35:33.644+13:00Mad For MosaicMy friend Rose and I have decided to try our hands at mosaic this year. This has required many many trips to various op (thrift) shops for cheap china while we've built up our "stash". I even recycled an unused freezer to keep my stock in with each shelf designated for a different colour of ceramic. <br /><br />When my friend Gay heard of my new interest she arrived with a wooden bowl and two pillowcases filled with broken china and glass that she has saved up over the years. Most of the items held sentimental memories for her and she wondered if I could combine them into a mosaic bowl. I thought it wouldn't prove too difficult but as it was my first project it was definitely a learning experience as I had to combine different materials of differing thicknesses.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6qF5aoVt2NmK7PG5Lkopd3UBiK9-JkWXvUmmxDYjeSjs61FX1z-OOUwe6WzaeqqO2e4jLKGvzOnXHg-x9Ueh2wuoiuMg_T6p0CFDjE-N_gZIM6Pn6MGUnkgzTH9xvdhQeoMp77kBqA/s1600/GaysMosaicBowlInside.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6qF5aoVt2NmK7PG5Lkopd3UBiK9-JkWXvUmmxDYjeSjs61FX1z-OOUwe6WzaeqqO2e4jLKGvzOnXHg-x9Ueh2wuoiuMg_T6p0CFDjE-N_gZIM6Pn6MGUnkgzTH9xvdhQeoMp77kBqA/s320/GaysMosaicBowlInside.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668393879696802338" /></a><br />Inside I concentrated on attaching the glass pieces, particularly the blue and pink wine glasses that her now deceased brother in law and brought back as gifts from his native Czech Republic. Each of these were decorated with delicate gold swirls. Smaller pieces I saved for decorating the rim of the bowl.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlVYF16Oh7gg_T__NTV_cg-ppG3tvW69Tg8MMQ3IBarGChcd6EUa0jxa1pVe0SLOtgBmSruaI8B4o7S0yOG8Wj0-NsWIJOjVMThI752mEoxZYIPn9zLtxueZoyiT9MPYvKU-KIpEUyQ/s1600/GaysMosaicBowlBottom.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlVYF16Oh7gg_T__NTV_cg-ppG3tvW69Tg8MMQ3IBarGChcd6EUa0jxa1pVe0SLOtgBmSruaI8B4o7S0yOG8Wj0-NsWIJOjVMThI752mEoxZYIPn9zLtxueZoyiT9MPYvKU-KIpEUyQ/s320/GaysMosaicBowlBottom.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668394316673224578" /></a><br />As the bottom needed stability I used china from a single item<br />- a beautiful antique tureen that had been smashed beyond repair. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXpZ9WwH4JiCcZvfxFhPbS69Rw2m5XX57-to_p4FVymAQp4OtyetNbozbv8kilcb8WjgtCimFe-Z9lbhyphenhyphenhP4s3BL64IMrQl-63JRsa6vbDkeWgAdq-EzQCO77Xqe5D68WoQ8wTinaaw/s1600/GaysMosaicBowlSide.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 141px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXpZ9WwH4JiCcZvfxFhPbS69Rw2m5XX57-to_p4FVymAQp4OtyetNbozbv8kilcb8WjgtCimFe-Z9lbhyphenhyphenhP4s3BL64IMrQl-63JRsa6vbDkeWgAdq-EzQCO77Xqe5D68WoQ8wTinaaw/s320/GaysMosaicBowlSide.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668394834828039138" /></a><br />On the outside I combined both glass, broken mirror and different china in a random design. Grouting was the trickiest part as there were so many cracks to push it down into before the hurried rush to wipe it from the tesserae. Plus there was the horrifying moment when I left it on my bedroom window sill while I went round the house to come inside and a cat jumped up knocking it down onto a brick path. Amazingly it survived the fall which was just as well considering it took me well over 40 hours to complete.damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-71871854799987039132011-09-10T16:58:00.003+12:002011-09-10T17:15:23.350+12:00Generation Gap At PukeoraI am slowly getting back into the art habit helped by deadlines which make me get my A into G. <a href="http://www.thefestival.org.nz">The Festival</a> held at Pukeora Estate over the weekend of 8th-11th Sept 2011 was an event I wanted to enter. For the first time I painted on a prepared black canvas and decided to make it easy on myself by choosing cats as my subject. "Generation Gap" is a 8"x8" square canvas and I have used acrylics, gradually building up in layers to give the impression of soft fur. A friend thought the adult cat looked grumpy which inspired the name as I thought he was perhaps ruminating on the easy life these "young whippersnapper kittens" have with their indoor litter trays and soft beds.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJphVQhklaUyI8GJkxFPLyadQq90hbBurk7R0YPO35JrdHZqLVfEtKhcN1yR3lFKo1rxc6v1HfTtPlE0IB1SWYoQSwAjt-_Wh86gyXZXO43ANKYLZs2iUjD6fs7-sk_Q2rFXp6Yzg2og/s1600/GenerationGap.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJphVQhklaUyI8GJkxFPLyadQq90hbBurk7R0YPO35JrdHZqLVfEtKhcN1yR3lFKo1rxc6v1HfTtPlE0IB1SWYoQSwAjt-_Wh86gyXZXO43ANKYLZs2iUjD6fs7-sk_Q2rFXp6Yzg2og/s320/GenerationGap.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650592307009238850" /></a><br />Because the painting was so small it was given its own special plinth and easel to sit on. This seemed to do the trick as it sold to someone out of the area who also paid to have the work couriered to them. Sometimes going all "chocolate box" does pay off but there's no guarantee that if I did a similar painting tomorrow that anyone would want it. So much of selling art comes down to pure luck.damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-34492490280144541922011-06-26T18:01:00.000+12:002011-06-26T18:02:12.196+12:00Breaking the BlockI was chatting to a friend this week who mentioned that since her father died recently she has been unable to do much creatively. She brings out her beads and wire work and then sits with them on her knee unable to make anything. I've been in that situation. I was like that after my Dad died. It's not that you intend to have this block, it's just that it happens and you have to figure your way out. And apparently it's happened to me again.<br /><br />Admittedly since Mum died in January I have been fighting "something" that has been attacking my immune system for the past few years which has since resulted in several trips to Hastings Hospital for rheumatologist appointments, x-rays, blood tests and MRI scans of my hands. For the past two months I have been taking Methotrexate once weekly resulting in nausea and now a lung infection I can't shake. In the middle of all this I was appointed the newsletter editor for the <a href="http://www.otaneartsandcrafts.com">Arts and Crafts Corner Otane</a> so had to create an email list, update the membership list after the AGM, learn how to work the document template without mucking it up etc. Even my <a href="http://foolyfarm.blogspot.com/Peaches.html">cat</a> died a month ago. <br /><br />But I still went along to Portrait sessions so I would be drawing for at least two hours a week. I entered a painting in Art Hawkes Bay's annual Vidal's Exhibition in late January although it didn't sell. I also organised a Life Drawing Workshop with Rosemary Stokell which, after a glitch in February when our model couldn't work with us, was finally held over the weekend of 13-15 May.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ivR_LeJ-5weejZCGq1sTJsu8K0B0oR-yhclkazRRPG_wjTw7ZZ0t77hqIUade2CrkUqQpaFOeCN7JHcLujrrOPH8zt8jejAHJle4DlZ_jgwkmB5CtaKwKu6B8G8XqsjZOmwpyJxwZw/s1600/StokellWorkshop.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 255px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ivR_LeJ-5weejZCGq1sTJsu8K0B0oR-yhclkazRRPG_wjTw7ZZ0t77hqIUade2CrkUqQpaFOeCN7JHcLujrrOPH8zt8jejAHJle4DlZ_jgwkmB5CtaKwKu6B8G8XqsjZOmwpyJxwZw/s320/StokellWorkshop.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622029388671816962" /></a><br />Rosemary had worked with us previously in October 2009 but we hadn't managed to complete all the exercises she'd wanted us to do during that session. This is why this time the workshop was extended to take in two hours on Friday morning when we worked on two colour exercises with famous nude works as references using only complementary colours such as purple and yellow or orange and blue. Suffice to say I didn't make too great a job of mine.<br /><br />The following day we worked with a live model completing a conte drawing in the style of an artist who worked in a manner opposite to ours. In my case this meant someone who wasn't afraid to draw lines that weren't "perfect". Rosemary also reintroduced us to blind and contour drawing in order to warm us up which worked so well for me that I now use it in my weekly drawing sessions. Have to admit that the sketches I do without looking at the paper are more lively and interesting than those I do later. The final day we continued working on two paintings with our model holding very long poses standing and sitting. One was in complementary colours and the second in flesh tones. At 4pm our model left and we sat and discussed everyone's work and how they had developed throughout the weekend. The workshop ended at 5pm with a drive home in the dusk. <br /><br />Had just got over this when we were gearing up for our annual exhibition at Otane. We had painted part of our east wall a deep green to feature work on a chosen theme. This year it was "Myths and Dreams" which certainly brought forth some interesting work by art group members. All my intentions to do a couple of paintings for the wall came to nothing due to illness but I hauled out my watercolours and painted "Fae". Yeah well you can't win them all.....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2HFUljl4GYW5A_IsrzBPv66jl4MFchOJ3-ZNygy0slzAO3N_ibJ5gXm7QEKJ32mugeeHwzX9H1cCO4u0oiXVm0_SzRDbAbtseY_xB4hcCZPFwEwGB4PPfxIUN2BAp3MuE66FOuFunw/s1600/Fae.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2HFUljl4GYW5A_IsrzBPv66jl4MFchOJ3-ZNygy0slzAO3N_ibJ5gXm7QEKJ32mugeeHwzX9H1cCO4u0oiXVm0_SzRDbAbtseY_xB4hcCZPFwEwGB4PPfxIUN2BAp3MuE66FOuFunw/s320/Fae.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622032560743243106" /></a><br /><br />After last year's exhibition where we sold only one painting during the four days we weren't expecting many sales at all. The recession and recent floods in Central Hawkes Bay had hit the local economy hard and art is always the first to suffer in such a climate being considered a "luxury". But surprisingly crowds were good and we sold five works from the wall and five more from the cash and carry section (unframed). Although my paintings didn't sell I was lucky enough to sell some stoned jewellery, cards and soaps- helped no doubt, by the Mayoress, Janette Butler, opening the exhibition while standing next to my display.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh95qGWiIHdhVS-RQyEkdqNb9fQpijcd5nFlGVkdn6AlmNbxuN1nsOKtDTUX9uy0Y7eLGgddPoi2lfjF98gC0y3yR1C2pWJicnIBSseVX228szPnydg3AA3s-aPAm1XILfTk7MmNtvBw/s1600/Exhibition10.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh95qGWiIHdhVS-RQyEkdqNb9fQpijcd5nFlGVkdn6AlmNbxuN1nsOKtDTUX9uy0Y7eLGgddPoi2lfjF98gC0y3yR1C2pWJicnIBSseVX228szPnydg3AA3s-aPAm1XILfTk7MmNtvBw/s320/Exhibition10.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622033237195358658" /></a><br />Then on the 22nd June twelve members (plus two partners) of the Otane Art Group attended the <a href="http://nationalartexhibition.co.nz/">National Exhibition</a> held in the Pan Pac Foyer of the Napier Municipal Theatre. Over two hundred works were exhibited including a carved kauri bath robe, three amazing mosaic mirrors, and a wide range of drawings and paintings. There were several good abstracts that stood out for me plus two flower works by local artist Nola Webber. It was also good to see that three drawings had sold. In fact when I attended over a quarter of the exhibition had sold and yet some of the prices were pretty high. On the down side I heard the usual refrain "Wow that paintings is really good. It's just like a photo" and had to bite my tongue.<br /><br />After spending an hour at the exhibition we had lunch at Chantal's organic green and totally sustainable cafe near St John's Cathedral before I introduced two friends to Aaron's Emporium. I am ashamed to say how much I bought there. Canvases, brushes, paper, paints......I felt guilty all the way home even though I will use everything eventually.<br /><br />So I have done all I can to break this block. I've tried a workshop, attended an exhibition or two, bought supplies, have been reading. If none of that helps and I still don't paint then I will have to put it down to another likelydamask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-33642867117087721182011-01-27T12:12:00.001+13:002011-01-27T12:20:10.477+13:00Eulogy<span style="font-weight:bold;">Margaret Amelia Flora b.4.5.25. d.19.1.11<br /></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6-nxK4io0o0azjh7kBMAyWH5DYCzbn7o2PreX90aRibpvUBJHKCIBgo8H8qLek9obKnYU7gBd9MIhMf547RQI86Ig5Kf6A5BbjW3r7-vT6U3eUV84D_6PpL-7hPBADpkqcnPl0j84w/s1600/MumsCoffin.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6-nxK4io0o0azjh7kBMAyWH5DYCzbn7o2PreX90aRibpvUBJHKCIBgo8H8qLek9obKnYU7gBd9MIhMf547RQI86Ig5Kf6A5BbjW3r7-vT6U3eUV84D_6PpL-7hPBADpkqcnPl0j84w/s320/MumsCoffin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566638128274055618" /></a><br /><br />When Mum was a little girl whenever someone asked how old she would be next birthday she’d reply “Four in a May”. A precocious child she’d perform for visitors, her particular party piece being the Haka “Kamate Kamate” complete with eye rolling and tongue poking out at the end. She loved playing the family pianola and on this she learned to play be ear. Although she later received proper piano lessons she frustrated her teacher by vamping and playing her own music despite getting a rap over the knuckles with a ruler. <br /><br />In 1927 Granny and Granddad left for an overseas trip so at the age of two Mum went to live with Granny Jemima Hales opposite Wimbledon School. She continued to live there along with Aunty Elsie and Auntie Eva until she was 12 years old. Mum really disliked primary school as she was constantly teased about the colour of her hair. She always wanted to have lovely long hair that reached all the way down to her waist like her three sisters but Auntie Eva told her “No you can’t grow it long. It’s bad enough that it’s red”. When Mum asked why her hair was that colour she was told that as a baby she was found under a cabbage leaf and it had been raining all night so her hair had gone rusty.<br /><br />There were many fun times spent in that household of women. The local Maori ladies would visit with Granny Jemima and they would speak in Maori so the children couldn’t understand who they were gossiping about. Mum spoke of the bullock teams going past the house and being pulled inside so she didn’t hear some of the language the drivers used towards their oxen. Then there was the day that the Napier Earthquake struck in 1931. Mum, in a panic, ran outside and around the house with the tank water sloshing out from on top of its stand and chimney bricks falling all around yet with not one hitting her. Soon as she reached the front lawn she passed out. <br /><br />When she was twelve Mum was sent to Iona College in Havelock North. She thrived there as the class clown and was popular with the girls as she would play requests on the piano. She was also relied on for earthquake alerts. If she felt one was coming she would tell her friends who would put anything breakable away and sure enough that night there would be a quake. Mum spent three happy years at Iona before leaving because the headmistress had told her if she returned the following year she would be made a prefect. Mum didn’t fancy that idea at all.<br /><br />Travelling to Wanganui Mum began training as a Karitane nurse looking after premature and special needs infants. Mum always really loved babies- it was just when they began talking and walking that she went off the idea. At the Karitane hospital she made several life long friends and had quite an exciting social life. It sounds perverse but wartime was one of the happiest periods of Mum’s life. She loved the music of that era, the dancing, the movies plus the men in uniform.<br /><br />It was on a blind date that she met Dad. They were both on the rebound from broken relationships, Dad from an engagement with “Daphne” who, much to his disgust, had run off with an American serviceman. After dating for only two weeks Dad asked Mum to marry him. She told him “Don’t be so stupid” and then asked for time to think. Five minutes later Dad asked “Well? You’ve had long enough to think about it” <br /><br />They became engaged much to Granddad’s horror. Both Granny and Granddad thought Mum was too young to get married and insisted that she wait until she was twenty one. That was the only time Mum’s wishes had been thwarted and she wasn’t happy at all. So after finishing her Karitane training she worked for a Quaker family with twins in Wanganui and later, on returning to the Wimbledon area, for Isabel Willis which Granddad had arranged so that Mum wasn’t manpowered into Watties in Hastings. Her social life was mainly music with the Reverand Kaa driving her to local dances where she played the piano. One of the greatest compliments she remembered from then was when someone told her “hey you play the Maori way!”<br /><br />On January 18th 1947 Mum and Dad married at St Michael’s Church in Porangahau. They first set up home in Napier buying two neighbouring houses in Campbell Street (one of which they rented out) while Dad trained locally as a mechanic. However an accident put an end to this when Dad cut the tendon in his finger so they later moved with Carolyn who had been born in 1950 to Wimbledon where they bought the local general store. The building was pretty run down and Mum spoke of seeing rats running along the hallway. However living next to a shop had its advantages as at night she would sneak out, run her hand along the backs of the cakes of fruit and nut chocolate, picking out the lumpiest one to take back to bed with her. There were also unexpected moments of hilarity as when one day Sarah Lennox walked into the store and said in a loud voice “Bill have you got black balls?” At this Mum quickly disappeared behind the counter.<br /><br />Later, the family with new addition Richard, moved to Windsor Hill in Waipawa. Mum was very proud of this house as it had once belonged to the Mayor. As usual she spent much of her time developing a large garden. She went to woodwork classes, worked for free for a year for local florist Nancy Jones and later looked after a little boy called Paul Jolly whose parents owned the local pharmacy. Plus it was at Waipawa that they adopted me.<br /><br />One of the best things I remember about Mum was how she initially dealt with Richard and I regarding our adoption. Nothing was ever hidden, we were always told we were adopted along with the usual old clichés such as “you’re special because we chose you” and that we grew in her heart not under it. She would become defensive when family members told her that Rich and I brought bad blood into the family because it wasn’t known where we came from. Any questions we asked were always answered and when it came time for us to find our birth families Mum and Dad were supportive.<br /><br />I always think Mum missed her true calling which was to go on the stage. She loved being the centre of attention, performing and being in the middle of any sort of drama. She once tried to join the Waipawa Musical Society but was thwarted in this by Auntie Elsie and Uncle George who told her that theatre was a hot bed of wife swapping.<br /><br />Instead Mum had to make do with entertaining the family. She could be incredibly funny and/or incredibly embarrassing. I remember one summer we were staying at Porangahau when early in the morning she began running up and down the hallway in just her underwear. Before long Granny, Granddad, Aunty Elsie and Aunty Eva were all watching in disbelief as she whooped her way out the front door and began doing a dance out on the gravel driveway, kicking up her fluffy yellow slippers in a demented highland fling. Quick as a flash Granddad rushed and shut and locked the front door and then went through to the kitchen and locked the back one as well. We killed ourselves laughing as Mum tore round outside while Granny said “Oh I say- whatever is she?” Finally Mum disappeared but we later found her hiding in the washhouse clutching an old piece of sacking around herself.<br /><br />When we lived at Waiohiki she came in one evening and said some children were getting up to mischief in our back paddock. She grabbed a sheet and put it over her head before sneaking out under the walnut tree while wailing like a ghost. The kids swore, grabbed each other in terror and ran all the way home.<br /><br />When she was in her forties Mum decided to learn to drive. This was not one of her better ideas and could have led to divorce. I remember Dad trying to teach her a handbrake start near Te Awa Ave but she panicked and burst into tears so he had to get out and wave the traffic round the car. After she passed her test she bought a little bomb she named The Womble and would drive up and down Battery Road to go and work in the kitchen at Princess Alexandra Hospital. Later she bought a small van which she would drive in a convoluted detour around the back streets of Taradale trying to reach the shopping centre without actually meeting any traffic. One day we were travelling down a quiet road when she looked left and saw a man chopping down a tree. “Oh look that man’s chopping down that beautiful tree!” she yelled. I saw the man’s eyes widen in horror as Mum drove up on the footpath towards him before swinging back down over the gutter right across the road, up onto the footpath on the opposite side just avoiding hitting a power pole before she got the van back onto the correct side of the road all in one continuous manoeuvre. By the time she got the van under control we were at the intersection both in hysterics laughing. Fortunately she didn’t continue driving for long after that.<br /><br />When I think of Mum I remember a person passionate about gardening and music, an immaculate housekeeper, someone interested in alternative healing and with a deep interest in spiritualism. For many years she wrote to the medium George Chapman in England and gradually collected a small library on New Age subjects. She loved telling stories about her childhood and spent much of her time writing letters or on the phone.<br /><br />However I don’t want to rewrite history. Mum was a very complex woman with many problems that impacted on us over the years. Always dissatisfied with life she believed that happiness was just round the corner if we just moved house or Dad got a new job or she bought a new car. She needed to live with constant drama in her life. There was always some trauma or feud going on with Mum. I often think that to live in such a state of fear, constant paranoia and anger must have been extremely tiring and it did lead her into many dark and unpleasant situations. As Richard once said to me “In her own mind Mum had a very unhappy life”.<br /><br />Mum you were funny, talented, generous, kind, infuriating, controlling, manipulative, stubborn and often very hurtful. But it was never a dull moment living with you and I know I wouldn’t be the person I am today without your influence in my life. I truly hope that you will find some measure of peace and healing in this next stage of your existence. We will miss you.damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-61265459575917800892011-01-16T21:57:00.005+13:002011-01-16T22:25:06.790+13:00GandalfI once read about two brothers who wrote and illustrated fantasy books. They'd make costumes and then "persuade" friends and family members to dress up and pose for photographs which then became references for their paintings. I've drawn quite a few different people who I sort of envisaged as interesting character types but never one who really looked as if they stepped right out of a fantasy novel.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPYqgkHcbDw2Ixu3DB9HmH9TBW38R8CjDAi6XOM9LEz378cIMmafRC1ucWQpwam8cztiLwo57KoupDgb_rJ7VdvRiynCwxMijL7sKz8h-jUobceIXgqX1qVrqmP5w4Dyo_QGhznqL3A/s1600/gandalfdrawing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPYqgkHcbDw2Ixu3DB9HmH9TBW38R8CjDAi6XOM9LEz378cIMmafRC1ucWQpwam8cztiLwo57KoupDgb_rJ7VdvRiynCwxMijL7sKz8h-jUobceIXgqX1qVrqmP5w4Dyo_QGhznqL3A/s320/gandalfdrawing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562706547115036850" /></a><br />The model for our first portrait class of 2011 had not cut his hair for 25 years. He arrived in bare feet with a wealth of interesting tales about his life. He is known to young children as "Gandalf" and he really seemed to have the whole wizard vibe down pat. This last sketch of the day took 15 minutes and was in graphite on white paper, perhaps a little less as I stopped before adding too many unnecessary details to complicate the drawing. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjdhPn3-wMTBSmd5p0DXieLdUDt5ApJQDILJ3_dvn4Q7Sx3TtBqObYe7Hmsh_lWVyplyIoCgVML77uBS39hU0PpE3-9tadcA3YykqpR7WdtYxWzUWS49FCRjUaqNo9D3IVzZJFQdZSQ/s1600/PaulGandalf.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjdhPn3-wMTBSmd5p0DXieLdUDt5ApJQDILJ3_dvn4Q7Sx3TtBqObYe7Hmsh_lWVyplyIoCgVML77uBS39hU0PpE3-9tadcA3YykqpR7WdtYxWzUWS49FCRjUaqNo9D3IVzZJFQdZSQ/s320/PaulGandalf.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562710359991885714" /></a><br />I took plenty of photos from different vantage points so if I ever need to write and illustrate my own wizard story I have a ready made muse to work from. Till then this particular image of a Kiwi Gandalf is stuck up on the fridge.damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930065.post-91548844088175766532011-01-02T08:25:00.005+13:002011-01-02T08:57:36.689+13:00What Makes An "Arteest"?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KSAEri2OfZtbItYrwuo9Vu19_ZZs7Rmgind9xyTUPF_HDR_Fl-latb-kWFg3gC904FqGfSas4e1Amo0wBBZZX_dUDSoj_gkQ1MQUEi8PiioE_q6qtwQl9M94-7IAKy2NnjGtMz21pw/s1600/flemish.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KSAEri2OfZtbItYrwuo9Vu19_ZZs7Rmgind9xyTUPF_HDR_Fl-latb-kWFg3gC904FqGfSas4e1Amo0wBBZZX_dUDSoj_gkQ1MQUEi8PiioE_q6qtwQl9M94-7IAKy2NnjGtMz21pw/s320/flemish.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557307116726966322" /></a><br />Everyone can draw- not everyone is an artist. The same way that everyone can write but not everyone is a writer. I think the difference (aside from actual talent) is having a great measure of determination and persistence. Hard work in other words. It is interesting to watch people who have recently taken up art as a hobby (or perhaps as an intended profession) wax enthusiastically about making money from selling their paintings. It seems so easy. You paint something, stick it in a gallery or shop, it sells, you become famous and wealthy. After a while you watch the enthusiasm drain away as their work hangs there unwanted like a limp piece of lettuce on a greasy plate after a BBQ.<br /><br />There is no quick easy way to become an artist let alone a financially successful one. I believe it's important to have a good grasp of the basics- in particular drawing. You need to be able to draw properly in order to construct a viable painting. Picasso was an amazing draughtsman. Perhaps you look at one of his abstract nudes and wonder how the hell that could be since she has one eye in her forehead and the other one in her chest but you need to know the rules before you can begin to break them. You need to practice your craft in order to make art.<br /><br />Art is more than merely copying. Photo realistic paintings can appear dead because the painter has just copied what they see with photographic distortions and all. Yet these paintings often sell because the public find them safe to relate to. However unless a painting has something to say there is no point in even hanging it up unless you just want to show off your technical proficiency.<br /><br />Art is not about the destination. It's about the journey. If you look back at work you did a few years ago to what you're doing today there should be a definite progression or else you're doing something wrong. Not necessarily that what you're doing today is "better" than what you did then but that you have made a journey, that you have discovered something about yourself that you have put down on canvas or paper.<br /><br />We're too caught up in making something perfect that often we aren't aware that it's the actual making part that is the most important aspect of being an artist. Too often you see people painting what they think people will want to buy as they equate selling a painting with success. But believe me I have seen some really bad paintings sell. I wouldn't call them art any more than I would call that painter an artist. Can that person draw? No. Can they think up new and original concepts and ideas? No. They take a photo of a landscape, copy it (sometimes badly, sometimes not) onto canvas and then preen when it's sold because they think they're a success. The truth is they're no more an artist than my cat is.<br /><br />There is no quick or easy way to get to where you're going. You have to draw or create every day. You have to read, to experiment, to talk to other artistic types. You have to watch people, learn to look at light sources, examine the centre of a flower, sniff new sketch blocks with all the appreciation of an art supplies addict. Most importantly of all you must learn that it's OK to be imperfect, it's alright to make a fool of yourself because to try something new is more important than seeking the approval of others. Being an artist is not about selling art. It's about creating art. About living your life as a work of art with a sense of adventure and a good sense of humour in tow.damask22http://www.blogger.com/profile/05923507678308127738noreply@blogger.com1