Bad Memory

I thought I was extremely organised for art yesterday morning. Had my lunch cut, my paints and canvas all ready in my bag and was sitting by the fire reading waiting for my ride 15 minutes before she was due to arrive. However when I arrived at Otane I found I'd stupidly left my reference photo at home! I spent five minutes kicking myself but then carried on with finishing painting the background which is plain white anyway and began work on another cat brooch.

Today it's freezing and I'm wearing two jerseys. Can't even see the ranges for low cloud but assume it's snowing up there. Good painting weather if you don't fall asleep on the sofa clutching a hottie (a hotwater bottle, not Johnny Depp!)

The Trials Of The Female Creator

Put a donkey pendant up on Trademe Friday evening. It had three watchers by Saturday morning but sold with my buy now last night which I am really happy about as I'd put the price up. Have to finish a tiger pendant to take down to Otane for a buyer tomorrow plus have an order for a dog one for someone in the US to be done by next week. Wish it were like this all the time!

Have begun work on the winter painting in the four seasons series. Completed the sky with a palette knife Sunday and am currently working on the body with pointillism and hope to get that finished this morning. Looks a bit corpse like in colouring at the moment so need to warm up the colours.

I have found a way to get housework done plus find time for creating. After breakfast I allow myself until 9am to do any chores. After that no more apart from looking after the animals until the evening when I wash the dishes. No wonder women don't make as much art as men- maybe we would if we had a wife and didn't have to do everything ourselves. I am in a more enviable position than most as I don't have a husband and children to look after which would tear at my loyalties even more. I can leave paintings propped up on the piano, on the mantelpiece, books piled on the armchairs etc. without worrying so I can pick up wherever I left off. Most women don't have that luxury unless they have their own studio which most can't afford to anyway. It's tough being the superior sex! ;o)

Dear Merilyn

Yesterday I finished an amazing book called Dear Merilyn by Barbra Leslie, an Australian artist who must have led one of the most eventful/traumatic lives I've ever known. Growing up in a typical Aussie family her life changed completely when she was sexually abused by the school gardener when she was five. Although the man went to jail her family hushed up the incident and never spoke of it to her which led to major emotional trauma later on. A few years later an accident when she was twelve (a motorbike knocked her off her bike) led to a life time of severe back pain. Her teens were spent in rebelliousness and a backyard abortion at age 19 led to years of mental anguish from guilt. Add into the mix an abusive marriage and relationships with some of the most drop kick idiots in Australia it's a wonder the woman survived.

Well she did although she had to go through some major upheavals before she came out the other end. Yes there's more- she lost everything to two bush fires so have to start again with nothing, she had a breakdown when she was 29, her youngest son was severely traumatised by the breakup from her abusive husband, plus there was constant illness, pain and poverty ala Frida Kahlo.

Despite all this Leslie never sees herself as a victim. Instead she writes movingly of her joy in her art, in nature and in her friends. It is a great record of the struggles a working artist goes through with galleries, with exploring new themes in their work, in trying to make sense of it all. The book is also illustrated with a great selection of Leslie's art so that you realise this is a woman of great talent and passion who has been literally been burnt in the fire of life but has come out stronger than before. The book is actually searing and scorching. It's not a comfortable read but it is a compulsive one.

As for me I have finally finished the Summer painting in the four seasons series for TLC. I have found I enjoy working with a palette knife, for the textures I can build up and the effects I can make by mixing colours directly on the canvas. Unfortunately the picture is too big for me to fit on my scanner so I'll have to wait to get a photo of it before posting it here.

The Evil Emporium and Killer Turps

There is an evil shop in Napier- an emporium full of different items at bargain prices including a vast range of canvases and other art supplies. This is where I buy my paintbrushes as the same brand in other shops are four times the price. The shop is evil because it exerts some mysterious power over hopeless individuals like myself and you end up spending much more than you intended. On Tuesday I only wanted to replenish my brush supply but I ended coming out with more canvases and glass sparkly things which I sometimes use in decorating frames. I overspent when I have so many other bills so my pleasure was a guilty one. However I managed to justify my purchases by thinking I would paint up a storm and sell the resulting paintings. Yeah right!


Yesterday morning was painting at Otane Arts and Crafts. I began a new work which I want to submit for the Pukeora Extravaganza Exhibition in September. It costs $10 per painting to enter and there is a selection process so my picture may not even get in. It's a painting of a mother donkey nuzzling her baby and I am calling it "Two's Company". I did two hours work blocking the main shapes in which was great for me, the Queen of Procrastination and Excuses.

However the smell of turps in the art room was so overpowering that two artists had to work elsewhere which wasn't great as it was freezing. The lady in charge of the group asked who had the smelly turps, two artists said theirs was deodorised and a third oil painter said nothing but I noticed the smell went when she left early before lunch.

In the middle of the night I woke up feeling really ill. Alot of muck running down my throat which I couldn't clear, this morning I feel quite wobbly and unwell so am wondering if it was the effect of the turps. I know sitting in the room with the smell my sinuses and chest began to burn.

One shocking thing happened in the class. One lady had done a lovely painting of teddy bears which I admired as it sat on her easel. Then I saw her take it down and begin pouring liquid over the canvas before wiping the whole picture off! Everyone was appalled but she didn't like the picture and never wastes time correcting them preferring to wipe the canvas clean and begin again to prevent overworking. I told her that when my paintings go wrong I palm them off on my family and they have to suffer living with them instead!

HB Today Article and Card Theft

Was given a copy of the HB Today article yesterday. A better photo where I look half human although my name was still wrong. A really nice write up though.

Heard Saturday that all the Guild members' business cards from the exhibition were found dumped 10kms outside Whangamata Saturday. Obviously some moron with too much time on his hands thought it would be funny to do that. Have made more cards to mail up there today but still pretty annoyed about it. Hope they find out who the culprit is when they view the security video.

Otherwise spend three days compiling the winter newsletter for the EDS Foundation. Spent most of Sunday photocopying it (till 9pm) then yesterday morning addressing envelopes before stapling all the copies and stuffing envelopes sitting on the floor till 9pm (again). Have a huge box full of mail to get rid of this morning which will be one more thing off my guilt list. Now I can get back to painting.

Off The Brush Opening Night

Three friends have rung to say an extended version of the CWI report with a much longer write up on my work and background was published in Hawkes Bay Today Thursday. Much better photo as well thank goodness.

Had a very enjoyable time down at Otane Arts and Crafts Wednesday. Temperatures were much milder this week so we were able to work with the windows open plus eat our lunch out the front in the sun. I nearly completed a tiger pendant I am making for an order- would have done so if I didn't keep yakking to everyone! I can't believe how quickly time flies when you're there. Also great to talk to like minded people (or "kindred spirits" as Anne of Green Gables would put it) who know all about the joys of procrastination. I really thought it was just a case of me being lazy.


The NZ Art Guild Exhibition "Off The Brush) opened Thursday night with approximately 100 people (including the Mayor of the North Shore) attending. The paintings were displayed extremely professionally (I will resist the urge to say they were well hung)and Toni made a great job of putting mine up (bottom left).

The Patchwork painting we'd all contributed to was unveiled and got a great reaction. It will be auctioned on Trademe from the 18th August. My patch is second row from the bottom, fourth from the left. The two organisers of the exhibition sewed 140 patches together and I think did an amazing job.

Hanging Day and Shock Pic

Today is the hanging day for the "Off The Brush" exhibition at the Bruce Mason Centre in Auckland. I sent my six paintings up to my adopter Toni Eyre along with picture hooks, hanging plan and 40 business cards. Toni is going to hang them today and will also return any unsold works after the exhibition's end later this month.


Also got a hell of a shock when I opened the Central Hawkes Bay Mail yesterday afternoon and saw a picture of me at the Tikokino CWI meeting where I spoke early last month. Boy I wish I'd been smiling and had a hair cut!

Working On The Four Seasons

I have begun working on the final paintings in the Four Seasons assignment I am doing for my TLC course. First stage was when I was still living at Craggy Range Road. I had to make drawings of scenery and plants surrounding my home as well as charcoal drawings of a female nude. I then had to combine these into four drawings which were to represent the seasons. I am not confident working in pastel as I am so used to being able to put alot of detail into my work. However after sketching out my initial ideas in my workbook I was quite happy with the results and hopefully can correct any mistakes in the finished works.


What makes this assignment interesting is that each painting must be completed in a different way. Summer I am doing with a palette knife, Autumn (to the right) with pointillism, Spring with glazes and Winter a combination of the three. The paintings are being done on canvas board. Hopefully I won't muck them up!

Otane Arts

Yesterday morning Gina collected me at 9.15am and after picking up another artist on the way we drove to the Otane Arts and Crafts Corner for an art session. Cloudy and becoming increasingly colder it was an ideal day to go along and meet everybody. There were about 15 people there working on various projects. I hadn't taken any work along as I was there as a guest but Gina did tell me to take my little portfolio of work to show people and throughout the day nearly everyone came and sat and had a look and chat. A couple of artists even brought their paintings over to show me. They were a very friendly and encouraging crowd.

They are also lucky in having a New York art teacher there who is available for advice. She gave me a quick tutorial on drawing hands which is a particular bug bear of mine. By thinking of fingers as one unit instead of four separate objects I should manage to overcome my reluctance to draw them. I asked if it would be OK to bring along items that were giving me trouble and she said yes because if she wasn't able to help there would be someone else there who could. Figure drawing is my biggest challenge so I am hoping to improve in this area.

Funnily enough I came away with an order for a tiger pendant from one of the artists there. I also wore my own Demelza pendant which people seem to like. While I was nattering away Gina worked on a lovely card for her mother in law who sadly lost her husband last week and everyone signed it before they left.

Gina has asked me if I would like to go back next week and I have said yes. I am going to join the centre and hopefully can make some new friends and learn new skills. Although the day was very long for me (I got home at 3pm) it left my mind buzzing with all I had seen.

Pastimes During The Big Wet

My trip with Gina to the painting club at Otane Arts and Crafts yesterday had to be postponed due to the dreadful flooding in Hawkes Bay. Stuck inside I managed to do a wee bit more work on my art course between venturing outside to check on the animals and bring in firewood.

I have been busily reading my pile of library books one of which introduced me to the work of an artist I had never heard of before. Ilene Meyer would probably be classed as a fantasy artist as her work seems to exist in another realm. Self taught (that made me spit as she's so good) she is relatively unknown in her native US but a huge star in Japan. Her book "Paintings, Drawings and Perceptions" doesn't give you much idea of her working methods or philosophy but it does showcase a wonderful selection of her paintings. She should give masterclasses in oils.

My friend Tanya took some of my work up to The Beacon in Napier where she attends craft classes once a week. She sold the two cat brooches she took plus a pansy pendant with one lady reserving a Maine Coon cat pendant. She also got me an order for another necklace and a tentative one for a full canvas painting of a lady's dogs. Hopefully these will work out.

Carol Duvall and Exhibition Preparations

My friend Tanya and her daughter visited Friday and brought along a video of The Carol Duvall Show with demonstrations on making polymer clay dolls and pens. Very interesting to see what ideas people come up with. I like Carol Duvall who must be one of the most enthusiastic hosts on television. She seems genuinely interested in all her guests and you do get the feeling she goes home and tries some of the projects she features.

Tanya brought along a few projects of her own for me to look at. In particular a lovely mauve wire heart with a crystal which you hang in the window plus colourful envelopes which she makes herself. We're looking for items she can sell at the Waipukurau Markets when we both finally manage to attend.

One thing I miss is talking to other crafters and artists as you do feel as if you're working alone at the top of a mountain. That's why the Yahoo groups I belong to are so important as they give you feedback on your ideas.

Not that I've been painting that much. I have been laid low with a bad back or else the kidney infection has returned. Yesterday I veged on the sofa and tried to watch a Learning Connexion DVD on oil painting but kept falling asleep despite it being an interesting lecture.

I have however decided which paintings I am sending to the "Off The Brush" NZ Art Guild exhibition later this month. I measured out the size of the half panel I have paid for and laid six little paintings which hang in the kitchen on the floor with a 15cm gap between them. These completely took up the panel so it doesn't look like I need to paint any more pictures as I thought I would. For once I won't be working up to the last minute. Now I just have to make business cards and a gift for the Auckland artist who has adopted me and will be collecting my paintings and hanging them for me.

A Bit Of Fun

Get your visual DNA at Imagini. I'm a dreamer... surprise surprise!

The CWI Meeting. Well I did it! Maxine arrived at 1.30pm to pick me up and we spent ten minutes loading the car with my jewellery display stand and boxes of work. The meeting was held only ten minutes away in the Tikokino Community Hall and a couple of ladies came out to help us unload. They'd set up a large table near the door for me to put my stuff on and it only took a few minutes to set all this up.I'd just finished doing this when I heard someone mention my name and all 15 faces turned round as apparently I was meant to begin my talk. They all turned their chairs round so I could sit by the table and point items out to them. I muddled through speaking about EDS first and then talked about rock painting before explaining about painting jewellery. I finally showed them my paintings as well as speaking about my TLC course.

I'd also taken along the poetry book I had published when I was 19. Although it really only has poems I wrote between 14 and 16 people were still interested. All in all I sold $81.50 worth of stuff (cards were particularly popular) including two books, a pendant, two brooches etc. Eight people took business cards and a couple more asked me to keep things aside for them as they didn't have any money.I met a really lovely lady from England who moved to Tiko in January plus an old lady who apparently is great friends of my neighbour Irini across the road (the elderly woman who rides a motorbike). One of Maxine's friends was there and she has ordered a painting of her deceased donkey Solomon and has invited me to speak at her local CWI. Another person was an artist and I also met my landlady's German sister in law Gina. Gina is an artist and has offered to take me to the Otane Arts and Crafts meetings with her.

Afterwards the Tiko group gave me a box of ten jars of preserves (jams, chutney, pickles, fruit) as a thank you for speaking. They had laid on a wonderful afternoon tea with home baking. I could only manage one slice of a amazing nutty coconut biscuit. Maxine and I arrived home at 4.30pm so it was a long afternoon but I really enjoyed myself.

Preparations For "The Big Talk"

Only one day left before my talk at the Tikokino Country Women's Institute and I still have no idea what I'm meant to talk about! Maxine who has organized it has told me to take along my artwork and jewellery and she'll act as cashier (she wasn't joking). Apparently a reporter from the Central Hawkes Bay Mail will be at the meeting but hopefully she's focusing on another story and not mine.


Maxine also told me to print out some copies of previous work I've done, in particular this painting of a 1970 Ford Torino I did a few years ago. Up to now this has been my one and only attempt at a car. I was particularly happy that the chrome ended uplooking realistic. The woman who commissioned it was happy as well as it was her son's vehicle which he imported from the US although she didn't think she should pay me more than NZ $20.00 as she'd bought the canvas (at a cost of NZ $2.50!).


Donald Trump once said that he never knows what he'll say at a speech until he's in his car on the way to the meeting. Then he'll jot down a few notes and begin with a funny. He said in the end people don't want you to fail so you shouldn't worry that everyone's there judging you plus half of them aren't listening anyway as they're just waiting for the buffet afterwards. Now I'm starting to get nervous!

NZ Art Guild Flier

Hippie Cat No 2

I hugged the fireplace nearly all day yesterday as it was so bitterly cold but it meant I finished another small painting. This is another in my Hippie cat series. It measures 4"x4" on gallery wrapped canvas and can be hung right away without any framing. I have done it for an exhibition in August but decided to put it up for sale anyway at US $40.00

Portrait

The bad weather has finally arrived and it's freezing here. Good time to be stuck inside painting though. I have nearly completed another in my Hippie Cat series and am also doing more work on my TLC course. This is a pencil portrait I completed using the grid system. It certainly makes for a more accurate likeness. The hair drove me crazy.......

Menagerie Gets Massive Hits

Been getting major hits on The Menagerie and found they were coming from a blog entry on whipup.net and that the link was sent in by one of my online friends on zenafterhours It's amazing how kind people are with trying to help you out. Just pleased that I have revamped the site so it's easier to negotiate.

Finished another pendant yesterday which I am trying out on Trademe. Still stuck inside with the terrible gales (fourth day). The farmers in Hawkes Bay are now really suffering with the drought and this wind is just putting the icing on the cake as they have to watch dirt being blown into to the heavens. Most paddocks are empty of animals as they're sent to the freezing works as there is no feed for them to eat. Even if rain comes now it's too chilly for the grass to grow so it looks like being a meagre spring.

Site Revamp

Stuck inside as we're getting gusts of 130kms here- how the sheds are not taking off into the wild blue yonder is any one's guess.

I've done a major revamp of The Menagerie site after a friend told me it was too difficult to find anything. As I am selling all the books off I have followed her advice and put them all onto one page instead of divided into subject matter. The site is now half the size it was but hopefully I'll get twice the sales.

Finishing off some jewellery to put on Trademe to bring in some quick cash for vet bills. Was intending to do a craft fair tomorrow but still feeling under the weather so will have to leave it till next month yet again. I've hardly done any work in the past two weeks due to back pain which I think may be coming from my kidneys so looks like a trip to the doctor next week.

Otane Arts and Crafts Exhibition

It's been a tough week with one thing after another happening, especially with my cat Piper. Thursday after another trip to the vet my lift decided to hop along to the Otane Arts and Crafts as they were setting up for their four day exhibition over Queen's Birthday weekend. There are four clubs that share the building (an old school over 100 years old) including gardeners, painters, quilters and spinners. Maxine my driver belongs to the gardening club and introduced me to a couple of ladies who were setting up their sales tables in one of the four rooms being used for the exhibition. Amazing items for sale including intricate tiny leather bags as well as the more usual plants, lemon honey etc. The gardening room was also used to display the featured artists which included a sculptor, quilter and Richard Moorhead the painter.

Maxine made me a cup of tea and then took me across the hall to meet the lady who runs the painting club. Funnily enough she knew my name and it turned out she'd seen my work on the net. It truly is a small world. A great range of paintings displayed with landscapes and florals being very popular and the standard was high. Marie then opened a pair of french doors so I was able to get through to a room at the back displaying all the quilters' work. Amazing creations, especially a massive wildlife quilt in shades of brown and green with zebras and tigers. There were also plenty of country themed items for sale and all at reasonable prices. I wish I could sew properly!

The spinners and knitters room had a combination of yarn, knitted items and roving for sale. Recognised a few names including Waddle Inn which stocks my "stuff". Alpaca is really in at the moment and there were many scarves, jerseys and hats made of this. It does knit up beautifully. I felt quite inadequate after looking at all that work although my sister's knitting would hold its own there.

As we left more members were arriving for a 2pm official opening by the guy who runs the Electra Gallery. I felt very lucky I got to see everything without the crowds. The exhibition runs from 1 June- 4 June 2007.

No Go For Funding

I received the forms for an arts grant from the Central Hawkes Bay District Council late Monday with a deadline of 31st May. As I was wanting to mount an exhibition and this would have to be done locally I rang Creative Hastings for their input as to a venue etc. Lynn on the desk felt that the grant didn't cover solo artists but put me onto Bev who organizes the exhibitions at CH for her opinion. She was great and got me the phone number of one of the people who run Electra Gallery in Waipukurau as he'd know more than they would. I managed to ring Kevin late afternoon and he was immensely helpful. He said I wouldn't be eligible as the grant was used for projects that would benefit many people like a group exhibition. He did suggest though that I bring in some of my work when he's at Electra (on a Monday or Saturday) and if it's up to their standard they would sell it in the gallery. After selling two paintings though I would be required to become a member but this would bring me more opportunities as they hold several exhibitions throughout the year.

Finished off an order for two pendants- one a wolf and the other a horse (it's black and white so hasn't scanned in too clearly) so now able to concentrate on other work. Also finished off a landscape for my art course so onto more interesting projects there as well.

Melinda Doolittle and Other Stuff

The lady from the District Council rang back about the arts funding scheme and after speaking to me she feels I could be eligible for money to pay for an exhibition. Sounds like they can even help pay for materials. The only problem is the deadline for submissions is 31st May and I have to find a place to hold a show and I'm not really up with the galleries down this way. I think it might be an idea to ring Citizen's Advice and see if they have any ideas.

Yesterday I spent an hour getting jewellery ready to paint which involved wire, cutters/pliers and epoxy glue. Doesn't matter how careful I am I still have glue seeping out from the tubes and getting on everything. I did get four brooches and nine pendants ready plus mended a china horse Demelza knocked off the shelf.

And was anyone else shocked and angered that the immensely talented Melinda Doolittle was voted off American Idol? I assume all the Sanjaya voters turned their attentions to Blake. Melinda should have won but somehow I don't think her loss is going to harm her career. We're a week behind American in screening the show so the finale is only being screened tonight.

Funding in Central Hawkes Bay

I put some of my donkey cards up on Trademe a couple of nights ago and have a couple of watchers so hopefully they'll sell. I retail them myself for NZ $3.50 each which I think isn't too high. I tend to get a shock when I see the prices of cards in book stores as they seem terribly expensive.

A friend rang yesterday telling me about an article in the Central Hawkes Bay Mail about a scheme the local council has for funding art projects within the community. She was keen to ring the woman in charge and ask about it but I stalled as I wanted to read about it myself. Now of course I have to be the one who rings and I'm not good at that sort of thing. I was wondering if they would fund a solo exhibition? Well they can only say no so I'll bite the bullet and call.

The Patch and Cards For Sale

The managers of the NZ Art Guild have opened all the patches submitted for "Patchworks" the collaborative artwork we have all submitted to. There is a slide show showing all the member's submissions- it's amazing how many of us had similar ideas (especially regarding monarch butterflies). My idea came from something I once read. When soldiers liberated the concentration camps at the end of WWII they saw butterflies carved into the buildings. This was believed to be because of a Jewish belief that the soul is represented as a butterfly. I like the idea anyway and as the theme of Patchworks was Soul I incorporated the monarch into my design. The gold lettering is the Hebrew word Nephresh or soul.

Have also uploaded some of the art cards I sell onto one of my websites. There are cat , rabbit and donkey cards (the one shown on the latter page is my most popular item). Prices shown are in NZ dollars before postage. This week I had a couple of enquiries about them from overseas retailers so fingers crossed this works out.

Early May Work

Never got along to the craft fair in Waipukurau yesterday morning. Too cold and not enough stock to sell. I always berate myself that I don't have more stock in hand to take to these events- I usually work right up to the wire with deadlines. This week I finished two cat brooches and a pendant and have a wolf pendant half completed for an order.

Have sent in my entry for the NZ Art Guild's "Off The Brush" exhibit at the Bruce Mason Centre in Auckland in August. Have paid for a half panel which is about the size of my fridge door but as I usually paint in miniature that should work out.

With winter nearly upon us here I should find more time to paint when I'm stuck inside without outside distractions. I have been naughty going out with the neighbour down the road instead of working and this has to stop.

A Tale of Two Exhibitions

I have had some major thoughts recently one being that I should sell all the books and collectables from The Menagerie and concentrate on creating and selling my own animal themed work to sell. Much as I adore books they no longer sell well so once my current stock is sold it will not be replaced. I contacted Touchwood Books who have bought most of my farming titles so I spent yesterday deleting four pages from the website. At least I'll regain some space in the house and pay off some of my shifting bills.

Tuesday my neighbour Linda came over to say she was driving to Waipukurau to do some chores and ask if I'd like to come along. Spent a lovely morning having a cup of tea and scrummy lemon and ginger slice in the sun in the main street before I looked at an exhibition at the Electra Gallery. One painting that stood out for me was a huge landscape looking across farmland towards the Ruahine Ranges. The artist captured the drama which I see every morning.

Then yesterday I went to the Creative Hastings "Birds, Books and Bicycles" exhibition. CH holds an artist's challenge every year and it was interesting to see what people came up with. My favourite was a small work- a white canvas with a beautifully rendered male sparrow in the bottom left hand corner with a fake sparrow sitting on top of the canvas. Lyn told me it sold before they even opened the exhibition. Also good news that there was $28 there for me from the sale of 10 cards and they want more donkey ones. Picked up a newsletter from Electra Gallery while I was there and found local artists can join for $15 so that's on my to do list.

After I got home my cousin Elaine rang to say that there is going to be a craft market held in Waipukurau on the 12th May. She's sussing out more info and will get back to me. She is wanting to sell some of her knitting and was thinking I could sell my jewellery there. Just have to cadge a ride.

Folk Art Cat Stone For Sale

I'm trying to kick start myself back into painting regularly but without much success. However I did manage to complete a folk art stone painting I began a couple of months ago and post it up on Trademe. Not too sure what sort of breed it's meant to be as the tail is much too fluffy for a British Blue cat.

Abby Brooch and Library Withdrawals

Finally got back to painting this week completing the abyssinian cat on paua brooch that was ordered a while back. I love the abbys as they're so full of personality.

Legs are nearly falling off as I try to complete spinning 300 grams of chocolate brown alpaca for Fiberz which I want to send away tomorrow. I hope it's up to their standard- I am trying to spin as finely as I can.

Yesterday was my big day in town- I was getting library withdrawals as it had been six weeks since my last visit so I joined up with the Hastings Public Library. Being a new member meant I was only allowed to borrow three books but the young librarian informed me on my next visit I can borrow up to 50! It was like a treasure trove in there as it's much larger than Napier library and of course I haven't read most of the books there so I was in heaven. Came away with a book on Anna Sewell (who wrote Black Beauty), one on the artist who drew Rupert Bear and another called "Henrietta" written by a woman who was a life model posing for Lucien Freud amongst others before becoming a traveller in the later 1960s travelling Britain by horse drawn gypsy wagon. With the nights closing in and becoming chilly it's lovely to curl up with an interesting story.

Confusion

I haven't picked up a paintbrush for over two weeks now so must get back to work tomorrow. Been busy unpacking since the big shift and still haven't found everything. Have even lost my file box containing all my Learning Connexion lessons, feedback and study notes which was carefully brought out here in the car by my sister in law along with most of the breakables. She's coming in today to have a look and try to remember where she last saw it so fingers crossed she knows where it is as I've pulled every cupboard apart and can't find it. You'd think a decoupaged box with cats all over it would stand out a bit!

One piece of good news since I arrived is that I got the job spinning alpaca I applied for several weeks ago. Ended up spinning three samples before I got the yarn up to their standard (very fine, many twists per inch etc.) Currently spinning up 300 grams of chocolate alpaca from "Annabel" which has to be sent by Friday. Wish I could show a photo of my work but Blogger doesn't seem to show any of my pictures once I've uploaded them at the moment which I hope is a temporary glitch.

Stanley

I move tomorrow but amidst all the chaos managed to finish this commission of "Stanley" a now deceased much loved border collie.

Painted on 6"x 6" gallery wrapped canvas with Winsor and Newton acrylics.

Checking In

Just checked and it is a few weeks since I updated this blog. Not that I haven't been busy but I just haven't been painting much, concentrating instead on packing. This time in three weeks I should be in my new home.

Have just finished my entry for "Patch Works" the collaborative work for the New Zealand Art Guild. The theme was Soul so that took some thinking about. I will post a picture of my patch once everyone elses entries have been received. Now have a couple of orders to finish before I move to help with shifting costs.

Calico Cat Sold

Sold a painting on Trademe yesterday. It was the folk art calico cat one I did for the exhibition with Judy nearly a year ago. The lady who bought the painting said the cat reminded her of the one who curled up next to her Dad as he was dying.

Frustratingly just as I have masses of work to do I have come down sick with a mouth infection. I think the universe is trying to tell me I'm talking too much! Note to self: if you have a painful mouth do not gargle with salt and water as it will take a couple of hours to pry yourself off the ceiling............

Angel

I haven't done much painting at all the past few days but the good news is that I now have a place to live. So back to packing and sifting through all my junk and collection of dust bunnies.

My sister has been overseas for a couple of months so didn't see the pendant I made her for Christmas till last week when several weeks mail was delivered. I didn't post a picture of it before as I wanted it to be a surprise but it's of Angel, her cat (AKA the disappearing feline) who lives here when the whim takes her (or the weather gets cold). The expression on her face is slightly friendlier than in reality as for some reason she always looks grumpy but that may just be a tabby thing.

Good Pigs, Bad Quotes and Other Incidents

Very rarely do you come across such a feel good book as "The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood" by Sy Montgomery but I found it a complete delight from beginning to end. In fact I liked it so much I wrote something about it which I am embarrassed to say has been published on the official website. All I can say is that one- I'm glad I'm a vegetarian and two- I would love to live with a pig.

Picked up the donkey painting from the framer Wednesday. He charged me nearly twice as much as I expected (the same rate as I would have expected from another framer) so until I learn to frame my own work I think I'll be sticking to gallery wrapped canvases from now on.

I have put my name down for the NZ Art Guild's group exhibition in Auckland in August and also promised to take part in "Patch Works" a Collaborative Project to raise money for the group. Already I have been sent a very professional pack including a pre painted brown canvas to work on. The theme is "Soul" so am playing round with ideas for that.

I'm working on two orders at the moment, one for a border collie painting and the other for a painted brooch. Haven't had much time or energy to paint recently but got back into my course work this week and finished off a folio which I sent away yesterday. With a couple of days rain forecast it's a good time to work.

Mountains

It's been so fearfully hot here recently that it's been almost impossible to paint. I've got back to my studies early as I am going to run out of time since I'm meant to shift near when my assessment is due. This study is from a photo, taking the colours down to basics and making the painting very simple. My scanner is too small to take in the full work so it's in two parts and also you don't see the bottom of the painting.

I took my donkey painting into my framer this week. Fortunately he remembered what mounting board and frame we'd used last time. I go back to collect the work in just over a week. Have caught up with all my orders now which is a relief but a worry as well.

Pendants have gone to the dogs

I've finished the last of my orders at the present time- two dog pendants which have gone to Canada. The Jack Russell marks the first time I've used a 3/0 brush. These really lay in fine detail so I'll be using them more in the future.

Donkey Painting

Briar has served as inspiration for several paintings and last year I did a small one for the Mystic Mermaids and Fantabulous Felines exhibition a friend and I held in Hastings. It sold to a UK buyer who was visiting New Zealand but not before someone else saw it and asked me to paint another version for them. They've waited patiently while I got on with other projects but finally this week I finished their order. This is unsigned as yet but will be heading off to the framers next week. I always feel that another brush stroke could improve a work but there is a stage where you realize that if you do any more to the painting you'll wreck what you've already done.

Back to writing

I had a break from painting this week and returned to writing completing a newsletter for the EDFNZ on Thursday which I spent all day (till 9.45pm) copying. Yesterday morning I began addressing envelopes at 7.30am and finished at 9am and spent the remainder of the day stapling newsletters and stuffing envelopes. The mailman found a large box full of letters sitting on the front fence late afternoon.

Also updated Nature of Animals with a couple of new articles including one on Toyah Willcox, a British actress who is now involved with rabbit welfare.

I emailed all previous Trademe buyers of my artwork Wednesday with a link to the pendants I have for sale there. The next morning the tiger one sold and there are bids on a couple of other items which I'm happy about. It's having to constantly push for sales which I find tough- I'm not a marketer.

Christmas Presents

Well Christmas is over for another year thank goodness. I spent a quiet day on my own and my brother and his wife called in late afternoon. Home made gifts this year- I usually give my brother money and decided to personalize this with an original card so drew this sketch of Tobermory my goat whom my brother absolutely loves. Unfortunately the scan doesn't show the drawing too well as I tend to be rather gentle when sketching.


My sister in law had admired the picture frame I did as part of my art course so I made a smaller version for her on a wooden photo frame. The base I painted with blue with a slight touch of yellow ochre before rag rolling gold paint over the top. Diane features blue in nearly every room in her house so hopefully it will fit in somewhere.

They also brought back the last of my stock from the Creative Hastings Christmas sale. This year was the best yet for me as I sold thirteen pendants and seven brooches, ten cards and one ladybird stone! Diane bought another three pendants for gifts since she has been unable to get out shopping since a bad car accident three weeks ago. I sold nearly 50% of what I sent in this year so it was definitely worth entering.

Last Items at Gallery Sale

Only six days of the Christmas sale left at Creative Hastings and today I will take in my last batch of items. I have been painting busily the past few days as I want to achieve my target of $1,000 worth of stock for sale in there. There has been a glitch as they rang me Saturday to say that they've lost the phone number of the lady who ordered all the wolf pendants. We're hoping that she will turn up on the off chance but it's frustrating as I had set aside other work to complete the pendants last week as I knew she wanted to give them as Christmas gifts.

I am enjoying painting fish so have decided to do a large canvas painting of goldfish sometime next year. In Feng Shui they're meant to bring wealth if situated in the money section of the house- I think I may need a large aquarium then!

Hippy Cat Sold

Monday I received an email from a tutor called Cat from The Learning Connexion to say that she had seen my small Hippy Cat painting at the end of year exhibition and had bought it! Really thrilled as I thought it would get lost amongst all the other works.

Over the past few days I finished the last of the wolf pendants for the gallery order (six wolves in a week and a half is a record for me). I took these in yesterday morning along with another small canvas painting and alpaca, tiger and monarch butterfly pendants. I was really happy to see that only four pendants were left hanging on the stand. The ginger cat face and Jack Russell Terrier ones had sold as well as two cat brooches. A few cards also sold but not as many as in previous years. There is immense competition with cards at the sale. I am very pleased at how my work has been displayed this year as they've kept everything together which will also make it easier to pick up on Christmas Eve.

Monarch Butterfly Pendant

Head down and finishing off the wolf pendant order at the moment. Two more still to complete before Wednesday. I've also finished a monarch butterfly one on paua to take to the gallery.

Today is the last day of the student's end of year exhibition at The Learning Connexion so fingers crossed my little painting sold. I've taken part in four exhibitions this year- the most ever- selling two paintings and with an order for a donkey painting so that isn't too bad a beginning.

Heard this week that my large pop art painting arrived safely in the US taking only seven days to get there. It cost NZ$47.08 to send airmail (only $7 more than economy) and I worked out that once I paid costs I came out of the experience with NZ $77.00 for 21.5 hours work!

Wolves, donkeys and weird shaped cottages

I had a phone call from Creative Hastings on Friday to say that there was a lady wanting six Husky pendants painted as she liked the one displayed. The only dog painting I had sent in was a Jack Russell Terrier so I was at a loss to know what she was talking about until I realised she was discussing the wolf pendant I had there for sale. I agreed to do the six within a fortnight and ten minutes later Bev rang back to say that the lady had bought the wolf pendant already there and asking if I could paint two more by this week as the buyer is sending them away for gifts. She then told me this could be an ongoing source of work for me as the lady keeps huskies and has photos of her dogs she wants painted. Very good news! So I have two husky/wolves ready to take into the gallery this morning along with a donkey painted with a blue background to make it stand out a wee bit.

Over the years I have accumulated some weird shaped stones that I am saving up for a rainy day. I have this cottage shaped rock put aside for a while- it's the little witchy place I would like to live in (in an ideal world).



This is the view of the back of the house. If you look carefully you'll see my cat Peaches posing in the bottom window and also a red light burning in the bedroom window upstairs. This is an ongoing joke I have with my friend John who is always suggesting I set up in business if the starving artist thing doesn't work out.

This is a side view of the cottage with lacy curtains like the ones I actually have in my kitchen. The decorated window sills were originally going to be window boxes but I felt they would make the finished rock look too busy and cluttered. I would like to have a go at more cottages- just a matter of finding more weird rocks as all the ones I come across at the river and on the beach are smooth and round.

And an aside- an English teacher from Canterbury University contacted me asking if he could use one of my articles in his class. This is the one about the 1931 Napier Earthquake. He is teaching foreign students and encouraging them to write about natural disasters that may have occurred in their own country.