Paint Effects

Still no word as to whether I sold any of my three paintings at The Affordable Art Show in Wellington last week but by all reports (including an article in The Dominion) it was a record breaker with 9,000 people attending.

I have been making cat brooches for the Otane venture plus I've finally uploaded images of some paint effects I have undertaken as part of my course. My favourite was ragrolling where I basecoated an old manilla folder with several layers of deep purple before rolling gold paint over the top.



The second was marbling or a faux marble paint effect. This was achieved by basecoating in white then laying in pale grey streaks with acrylic gloss medium several times. The last layer I added some darker veins in Payne's Grey before blending with a fan brush. I know you're meant to use a feather but my cats have eaten my feather collection and short of denuding my chickens' rear ends I will have to remain featherless until the big moult late next summer.



The third effect was Lapis Lazuli where I used two different shades of blue then a little white before flicking gold over the picture. Not sure how accurate it is but it looks pretty!

New Projects

Finally finished a jewellery order for someone in the US and this should be sent out next week. Also have been contacted by someone I met at the Creative Fibre Festival in Taradale this year who is opening up a shop in Otane, Central Hawkes Bay in early August and she has asked me to supply her with anything I have so I need to get painting. Unfortunately my thumb is still pretty raw where my house rabbit Muggles bit it on Sunday so I'm not able to do much.

Also The Affordable Art Show begins tomorrow (3 August 2006) and I just found a page with all the exhibiting artists. I'm number 811.

Paintings For Sale

I haven't been able to update my blog for over a week as the bad weather put my phone out and Telecom didn't feel it necessary to repair the lines for seven days. Yes I am pretty annoyed.

Anyway I decided to bit the bullet and put one of my miniature paintings up on Ebay. It's the small Tiger Head that I sent to the Original Art Sale. The rest of my paintings are for sale on Passion For Paint.

Otherwise I have been continuing to enjoy working with charcoal in my diploma course. This first sketch was a warm up exercise. I have had her propped up on the piano in my sitting room all week as I do with much of my work.



The second sketch was an exercise where we had to draw a grid and then distort it to follow the contours of a face before drawing the face in behind. This worked better than I hoped.

Bunny Book

Have had a traumatic couple of days due to someone trashing my car. It amazes me the morons who populate this world.

However onto more pleasant subjects I received a book from Australia yesterday afternoon. Last year a rabbit breeder rang me to ask if I would read the manuscript of a book she was writing. I agreed to do this and she mailed a CD over which I spent a few days reading. I had no hesitation recommending it as a great guide for rabbit owners. Christine must be so thrilled that it's published!



What was particularly thrilling was that she had included my recommendation in the front of the book along with those from a couple of vets, a couple of Aussie rabbit breeders and my friend Pauline Taylor, Vice President of the RCNZ. I hope it sells well for her.

Strike out

I got "the call" yesterday from The Original Art Sale in Auckland to say that not one of my paintings sold! All four were on display on Saturday and I saw a photo of two of them Sunday so had assumed that at least two had sold but no such luck. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on what way you look at it many other people didn't sell anything either.

Fortunately I have commissions to work on at the moment so the blow to my confidence is not a terminal one!

Selection

June 30 was the final day to find out whether or not you'd been accepted for The Affordable Art Show and I still hadn't heard. I emailed the organizer late Friday and within a half hour had a reply to say that I had been selected but the letter must have gone astray so she was sending another copy. I had been having major doubts before this as I had heard that 1200 artists had applied but only 700 were going to be accepted so I'm thrilled.

Anyway despite the show not being on till early August all art work has to be couriered down next week so have to get my three paintings packaged up ready to go. All in all I will have seven works out in shows so fingers crossed that something sells.

I am back completing jewelry orders now and also have a painting to complete for a US buyer so need to get onto that in the holiday break which begins tomorrow.

Two Ladies

I have been unable to post the last few days due to naughty house rabbit eating through my telephone extension lead forcing me off-line. However I used the time to write a couple of articles for my websites and to get on with my painting.

These are two examples of an exercise I did for my course. Firstly you wet the paper and then dropped Indian ink into the water to make interesting patterns. After they dry (which took all day!) you draw a face from a magazine in charcoal and white pastel incorporating the marks made by the ink. The actually drawing only took me twenty minutes in each case. This blonde to me looks ethereal like a water sprite.

The second face is of a NZ actress dressed in oriental fashion. She is not conventionally pretty but has a strong face and interesting features. With that thick neck she must be a Taurean! I think this exercise could be done in colour also with watercolours substituting for the ink. It's interesting how thinking outside the square can achieve some fascinating results.

Two Miniatures

Last couple of days I have been putting the final touches to a couple more entries for The Original Art Show. I didn't manage to complete the ten they said I could send due to ill health but hopefully the four I'm sending will allow me to test the waters before entering again next year.

I have embarked on another series of patchwork paintings but this time I'm using rabbits as the feature. This is Patchwork Rabbit No 1 (not too imaginative a title but at least it's descriptive). I decided to go with a Dutch bunny as I felt it's dramatic coat would stand out well on the patchwork. Of course the background took longer than the rabbit!

I decided to hedge my bets and paint a popular image that might appeal to the males in the audience. I enjoy painting tigers anyway as their coat is so beautiful. This painting is on gallery wrapped canvas and is 4x4" as is the rabbit one.

I still haven't heard back from the Affordable Art Show as to whether my four submissions have been accepted which is frustrating so I decided to send one of these up to TOAS instead (the one I didn't think they'd want). So now I am couriering Patchwork Rabbit No 1, Tiger Head, Whimsical Calico Cat and Patchwork Cat No 2 up to Auckland this morning.

Now I have got these away I can get back to completing my orders. I have been fortunate that the commissioners were patient and agreed to wait for me to complete my exhibition paintings before I began on their work.

Sketches

I am having to keep a visual diary for the first time EVER. It's hard to think of what to include in it so have been doing preliminary sketches for paintings I'm working on.

This is a drawing for a 4x4" acrylic painting I'm doing of a tiger. Tigers are always popular with men for some reason. Perhaps they represent power? I know two people born in the Year of the Tiger and both are strong characters although they allow others to influence their decisions. Being a poor old wood snake I'm meant to avoid them as tigers "destroy" us. Must be true as I have to admit I have had some hairy moments with them!

This is a pendant I made a while back but the diary also shows the image I used to work from. I love monarch butterflies and it's interesting that their colours are the same as the tiger's. Of course in the butterfly's case it is protection against predators rather than camouflage but it doesn't work when it comes to my cats unfortunately. I spend a lot of time rescuing them from being batted around the garden by frisky felines.


This is a sketch of my cat Piper asleep on my bed. Piper usually never allows me to photograph her deformed tail but she had no idea what I was doing so I was able to reproduce her stump in all its glory. Poor girl has a face only a mother could love and since one visitor commented that she was "pig ugly" she now hides when people come calling. I think she has an interesting face plus she has lovely tawny eyes but the coat is a nightmare to replicate.


On the same page I was working on a sketch of my ginger girl Peaches but the light ran out before I finished and I haven't been able to encourage her to resume the same pose. Peaches was just about to nod off in this drawing. She is a beautiful girl with soulful "Puss In Boots" eyes.

Feedback

I have been working hard on a couple of small paintings to send to The Original Art Show next week. In the meantime I have received feedback on the first assignment in my art course. The tutor was really encouraging and said she wondered who these teachers were that said I could not draw humans as I obviously could. I am much more hopeful now that I will get some positive help in developing different areas of my work. I am still happy with the two last exercises I did in that assignment- the black picture in particular was quite challenging as I only included the highlights on the woman's face.

Exercises

Been a busy week as I put out a newsletter for the Ehlers Danlos Foundation of New Zealand. I remember the first one I did in 1996 which only went to twenty households. Now I am putting out over 150 three times a year. Just addressing the envelopes alone takes two and a half hours.

I have also been working on exercises for my art course. Have times when I feel really happy and others when I think I'm completely useless! Having to work so quickly is proving challenging as I don't have time to obsess over detail and also working in different styles is proving a challenge.

There are three exercises I found interesting. Firstly painting without a brush but with items found about the house. I used bubblewrap, cloth, sticks, a palette knife, crumpled up paper etc. When it came to complete an entire painting I chose the view from my front window but without the road running through it. I was meant to take only half an hour on this piece but ended up spending an hour. The painting is A3 size which means it won't fit on my scanner but this view shows the left side of the landscape.

The right side of the painting shows another few poplars and the view across the fields. The sky was done with a rag dipped straight into paint, the tree trunks were with the side of corrugated cardboard, the grass was done with carded wool (merino gives a soft effect) and the poplar leaves were finished with cotton wool. The colours have been distorted with scanning as the grass was much more green.

This yellow girl was another colour exercise designed to break down the tones in a picture. Using only two colours we were to paint a portrait from a magazine with the dark colour representing the shadows and the lighter colour the highlights. She looks a bit jaundiced but at least still resembles a human being.



Finally in drawing we did a few pictures with torn up photocopies which we drew in all their distorted glory. I made a photocopy of a photo from a real estate brochure and then tore it up and rearranged it so that although the landscape still looked faintly realistic it also looked a bit "off". Unfortunately the scanner cut off the right side of the drawing but this really only included a few shrubs and cows in the foreground.

Today I begin colour theory which is something I'm looking forward to and hopefully I will have time to do some of my own painting this afternoon.

Busy

It's been a busy week for me so I haven't had much time to write. Firstly completed my first folio of assignments for The Learning Connexion. These were an eye opener as I am not used to working so loosely or fast so some of the results were startling. However I did complete two portraits that I wasn't totally ashamed of.

Also have submitted photos of four small cat paintings to The Affordable Art Show to be held in Wellington later this year. I haven't entered this show before but I have heard great things regarding it's organization etc. Won't hear if my paintings have been accepted until the end of June.

Also have two orders (both from the US) for a pop painting of Elvis plus jewellery to complete before the end of June.

Perceptions

I spent over three and a half hours yesterday drawing and painting. The exercises I have been doing in my Foundation level course with the Learning Connexion have proved quite nerve wracking as I am having to work much more loosely than usual PLUS drawing human beings which I have always been told I cannot do (by art teachers at High School). I spent some time on an exercise where I had to draw a charcoal portrait from a photocopy but with the photo upside down. This meant that I was looking at the face as a series of abstract shapes rather than as a person. What was weird is that it worked and I ended up with a slightly plumper version of the photocopy woman. I was thrilled and have the drawing propped up on my piano.

It's amazing how our perceptions of what we can do can be so severely marked by negative comments. How many people have given up art because some well meaning teacher in primary school told them they had no talent? When you think about it all children draw the same until their teens but then something happens to stop them pursuing art. I am sure this is negativity from their "betters". I think you need to have faith in your abilities so that it doesn't matter what others say you still have that burning passion to follow your dreams. It doesn't matter that we're not all going to be a Michelangelo or Monet. It's important that you find joy in what you do.

Searching through the blogs the other day for a mention of the Creative Fibre Festival I came across a blog from a knitter who attended. Lo and behold there was a shot over the trades hall and I was able to see Irene and I down in our stand to the middle left (with the two tables running diagonally). I am sitting with my head down painting and you can just see my two angora scarves stretched across the wall behind me. Beverley has been kind enough to say that I can republish her photo on this blog. This shot was taken in one of the quiet times- usually the aisles were full of people.

Down Town

I finished the order I got from the Creative Fibre Festival and dropped it off this morning. The lady is happy with it which is the main thing. I am enjoying painting on paua for a change and think I might try some more monarch butterfly paintings as they look so striking. Also dropped into The Flying Pig to buy some more white paint and cartridge paper. I could go happily mad in there buying supplies.

Yesterday I had a call from Creative Hastings Gallery to say that the only have two donkey cards left from the ten I took in a month ago. Asked me to bring more in which is great news. I had intended to drop some cat ones there next week anyway. No time to paint today but at least I have done some art related tasks.

Back to school

Since I graduated from the NZIBS I have been much more confident in approaching editors with articles and other writing so thought perhaps I could do the same with my artwork. To this end I have enrolled with the Learning Connexion for their Arts and Creativity Diploma (Honours). Received a box full of supplies, a large portfolio case to send work in and a whole range of DVDs with the lessons on them. Unfortunately I found that the player on my computer would not play them so ended up going into town on one of the wettest days on record to buy a DVD player. Fortunately they're only half the price they used to be. My TV is so old and small (it was my mother's spare one) it didn't have all the plugs needed to run the machine so my brother patiently hooked the player up through the video and it's all working perfectly now.

It has been overwhelming looking at all the work I need to complete in this course and I feel that I may be pushed out of my comfort zone- especially working large and boldly when I am used to small and detailed. However I hope to learn many new techniques that I can use in my art.

I also have a phenomenal amount of work to complete for the Original Art Show plus work for selection for The Affordable Art Show has to be submitted in two weeks. I wish I had more on hand but I need to jump into these shows this year so will submit what I can and try and have more completed by this time next year. It's a shame they don't make 30 hour days......

Yesterday a friend sent me a box of CDs that she didn't want (I only had ten of my own- many of them gifts) so I am listening to Marilyn Monroe singing her biggest movie tunes as I write this. I have to have music in the background when I'm working otherwise I get distracted by the sounds coming from outside.

Aftermath

I am still so exhausted from last weekend that I haven't done much at all. However did receive my first order as a result of the Festival when someone rang up and asked me if I would paint a monarch butterfly on a paua pendant. Also sold the goldfish paua pendant on Tuesday.

Took five pendants into the Craftsman in Taradale on Wednesday. The owner suggested that I come along in September for the Spring Festival and sit in their shop painting. They will advertise the event and I might sell some work. Apparently there is alot of foot traffic on this particular day so it could be a good opportunity for me.

Began spinning again yesterday- finishing up the grey perendale I was given by Shane at the wool place. I returned there on Wednesday as he had some fine fleeces he thought I'd be interested in. He spent half an hour taking these out and then testing them for fineness and strength. Finished up with two fleeces (a fine Romney and Black Faced Suffolk) that he skirted and bagged up for me. He also gave me a quick lesson at how to test for soundness and micron level which was immensely helpful. I then went to the library and got a book on basic knitting so no excuse now.

I dropped off the tiger pendant I was working on at the Festival. Haven't heard if the guy liked it or not as I dropped it at his mother's place as per his request. I have felt painted out this week but have to get back down to it as the Original Art Sale is only a month away and I need to get more work finished. As we're in the middle of a bad rain storm at the moment and I'm stuck inside this is probably the right time to get onto it.

I have posted a couple of my paintings for sale on Ebay as well.
OOAK White Persian Kitten and Whimsical Folk Art Calico Cat Fingers crossed!

Creative Fibre Festival-Day Three 23 April 2006

I woke up at 3.30am and couldn't turn over so I could get up. Thank goodness for wrought iron beds with hand holds.

Day three was much slower for me with hours going by with no sales. Sold my last two brooches (bringing the total to 15) and was hoping that the pendants would move but although people were admiring them nothing went. I sat painting a tiger pendant when a man and his son came in and were admiring the wolf one so I said "Yes men like wolves....." and was about to say "and tigers" when he said the same thing. He had a look at what I was painting and then showed me a tiger tattoo on his arm. Came back half an hour later and asked to buy the pendant. Paid me and asked me to drop it at his mother's place in Napier when I next come into town. Turns out he's the gardener at Pettigrew Green Arena.

In the morning I'd only sold $30 worth but it slowly picked up in the afternoon and I sold $40 in the last hour including a calico cat pendant to Irene. I think I made $125 the whole day which would bring my total to $447 for the weekend. I could have made more if I had more brooches and also spun yarn and garments as these would have sold to the public. Winter project is to learn to knit again.

At about 2.30pm Jan (my rooster friend) came round and said she was getting me out of there so we went and looked at the fashion display for half an hour. Amazing work- real art in some of those dresses. The Supreme winner was an elegant red evening dress machine-knitted by Laurel Judd who also took out a couple of other awards.

Spent some more money- on alpaca at the Riverdale Alapacas stand. $12 for 100 gms washed and carded. I bought two packets of brown and grey and will ply it with my bunny wool. Then the lady came back with me and bought some angora for her to use in her felting. She took my details as she reckons she'll want more. She's based in Waitomo.

Irene says you're usually overwhelmed with orders once you get home. I know at least 30 angora cards went plus many sheets of spinning instructions with my details on the back. 42 art business cards were taken as well.

Two ladies who were interesting in my art on Friday came back. One said "Have you not painted a ginger tabby brooch like you said you would?" No I didn't have time plus I had left my two glued brooches home mistakenly. Then her friend who had a pendant in her hand said "Where's my St Bernard? I ordered one from you" On Friday she asked could I paint them so I said yes and told her to take a card. No way did she place an order. When I told her it takes a while to paint the pendants she threw the one she was looking at down on the wooden stand and she and her friend stalked off. That was the nastiest part of the whole weekend.

Creative Fibre Festival- Day Two April 22 2006

Day Two was a bit quieter for all of us. Even Irene only made $300! I made $122 but it was like pulling teeth.

Put a sign on my big basket of third grade angora saying what you can use it for and ended up selling four bags compared to none the days before.

The poodle lady from Napier came back with a photo. She wants a proper painting done so I have to think up a price. The alpaca lady came back and gave me a pad with an alpaca photo on it. Her husband also came round to look at my work as he has a say in what's stocked and fortunately he liked it.

The girl came back to pick up the alpaca pendant and to talk about her shop. It's going to be on her property in Otane (a few minutes down the road from me) but she's on a main road plus there is an olive farm next door that gets loads of customers so she'll be cashing in on that. She has bought a carding machine to run alongside the shop and it should be open in three months. Do I want to sell on consignment or would I like her to buy outright?

Sold three brooches and sat painting a calico one all day as I was so tired I couldn't work fast. Jan (lady who took my rooster) brought her friend round to look at my stuff and she bought the calico before it was finished and ordered a brooch of her shit szu.

A dyeing lady (as in dyeing wools) asked if I could paint a small Burmese rock for her to send to China.

I have got rid of 33 business cards (art) and 16 for the angora plus lots of spinning instruction sheets. People admire the pendants but they're not selling.

One lady looked at my cat painting and then said "$100 for that!" in a horrified voice. Then said "Oh Jen Longshaw- I've heard of her" and I said "Yes that's me". Boy she backpedalled about the price as she was so embarrassed. The painting she looked at took me 20 hours so she's begrudging me being paid $5 an hour. She said she would ask her husband if she could buy one of the smaller pictures for her daughter who is cat mad but I don't expect to see her back. She did buy some angora though for her weaving.

A lady came and said she used to paint rocks but they've had their day. She recently went to a fair but none of her work sold. I haven't had that problem but do think perhaps people associate some rock painting with novelty items.

The organiser of the next festival (in New Plymouth in 2007) asked if I would consider having a stand. I said if she could find me a trader who would be willing to sell my stuff on my behalf (and I would give them a percentage) I would send my work but I couldn't come along myself as it was too far. She thought this a good idea and took my details down.

I have covered my stall, petrol and costs and am in profit. So went and bought 900 grams of fine Gotland carded wool from Irene to celebrate.

Creative Fibre Festival- Day One 21 April 2006

Highlights of day one.

Woman passed out in front of my stall and got a blood nose

Freaked Dutch man out by the way I paint upside down. However he later returned with his wife and took my card as he wants a pendant of his daughter's horse

Angora selling slowly as spinners have had bad experiences with crap fibre in past but Irene says the alpaca breeders had the same problem a few years ago and had to re educate the public. A few ex rabbit owners stopped by to chat.

A lady says she used to have an angora farm and still has wire cages. Would I like them? She lives locally. Seemed serendipitous since I have been trying to replace a couple of banks of cages for the past year.

Only have two cat brooches left!

Painted a donkey pendant which sold before I finished (lady paid and is picking it up later). It's going to the US.

Painted a British blue cat brooch which has sold before spraying it so lady is picking it up tomorrow.

A girl fell in love with the alpaca pendant and put it aside. She lives in Otane and is opening a shop and wants to stock my stuff

The owner of the Alpaca Centre in Geraldine, Sth Island bought a cat brooch and a Burmese cat pendant. Asks would I design alpaca cards and they'll sell them in their business. Wants to stock my jewelry and any of my artwork that has alpacas on them. Gave me a photo and is bringing more today

Got several requests to paint people's pets- nearly all my business cards taken. One lady is local and wants me to do a larger painting of her pet poodles.

People kept coming back throughout the day to see how I was progressing with my painting and were even bringing their friends so felt a bit like a panda on display! It helped bring people in and passed the day for me.

Asked the convener if I could bring some of my small cat paintings from the exhibition and she said yes.

Had to go to the Craftsman (shop in Napier that stocks my cards and jewelry) and pick up the remaining three brooches and six pendants I had there to shore up my stock.

Richard and Diane (sister in law) picked me up at four (Irene was minding my stall for the last half hour). When we got home the mailman had left a big packet at the back door. Had a hell of a job opening it and Di and Rich had a giggle until I pulled out a framed certificate. I have graduated from my journalism course with distinction and now have a diploma (Level Four University). That was the highlight of my day!

Creative Fibre Festival- Setting Up 20 April 2006

Back from setting up at the show. Irene the lady I am sharing with (she breeds Gotland Sheep which are from Sweden) is really lovely and we have a stall right opposite the entrance door so people can't miss us.

In the one hour we were open I sold some of my blended fibre and some white angora to one lady and another came back three times before buying a cat brooch. I made $30 in one hour. One funny thing- people didn't seem as if they were going to leave at 5pm so the organisers turned the lights off! LOL

I am definitely taking my paints tomorrow as I need something to encourage people into my side of the stall. Also people are getting me mixed up with Irene so I am going to make a sign saying Angora Rabbit Fibre to put on my wall plus I have hung up a couple of angora blend scarves so people can see how incredibly soft the fibre knits up.

One lady who is running one of the six alpaca stalls (Riverdale Alpacas) came in and said she wants to buy some angora so she can try a blend. Also caught up with Jan from Jan Silks who took one of my bantam roosters a few weeks ago and she has made a killing with her silk scarves in just one hour. Tomorrow the public are allowed in so it will be interesting to see what happens.

Show Time- Preparation finished 19 April 2006

I was too busy and exhausted to update my blog while the festival was taking place but here is what happened.......

Finished bagging up all the angora yesterday afternoon (18th April). Shockingly have over $500 worth including third grade. When I rang the carding company yesterday morning they still hadn't finished my blending and said to come lunchtime. Drove out there at 10.30am just on the off chance and it was sitting there waiting for me. The white didn't bleed out the colour so it turned out a very pretty light grey. Lost some of the wool so combined with the angora so it came out to 950gms.

Didn't get time to paint yesterday at all. Didn't get my $500 worth of jewelry finished but achieved over $300. May be able to make up the rest over the weekend if I sit there painting. Last night made a A4 poster with examples of my better work and also ones with photos of all my different angora rabbit colours so I'll have something to decorate the wall of the stand with. My jewelry pouches I ordered didn't arrive despite the company saying they'd couriered them to me just before Easter weekend. The woman in charge said she'll send more today and is sending them to my brother Richard as he gets his deliveries in the morning being in town so I may get them before the first day of the show.

Latest Bling

Only one week until the Creative Fibre Festival and I'm working like a trojan. Completed my first alpaca pendant this week. Didn't take me as long as I thought it would and I really enjoyed painting something different. Alpace farming is a fast growing business here although you wonder if it will go the same way as mohair, angora, kiwi fruit and avacados which were all boom industries for lifestylers in the 1980s.

Cats are a big staple of mine but I have found they don't sell so well as pendants for some weird reason. The exception are ginger Persians which seem to appeal to buyers. I still have difficulty with the tabby version whereas the long haired ones are much easier. I always feel sorry for them with their squished faces as it must cause them a few breathing difficulties.


Two animals that are extremely popular are rabbits and wolves. The wolf seems to be a masculine subject that appeals to strong characters whereas bunnies are feminine with that whole fluffy cuddly vibe going on. The rabbit pendant is an inch in length and shows one of my first efforts in using pliers and silver wire.


Paua has had a bum rap in New Zealand due to being used in so many kitsch and downright nasty souvenirs such as ashtrays, tacky kiwis and cheap jewelry. However lately it has been enjoying a renaissance as artists begin to appreciate its unique beauty. Certainly it is much more colourful than Northern Hemisphere abalone. The wire bail here I have epoxyed onto the paua before painting a rabbit on the shell. I was worried the paua would break if I attempted to drill it.


I love Payne's Grey! It is a delicious colour that really pops. These two little brooches are meant to be British Blue cats. I had a friend who was owned by one of these felines. One Christmas as a joke she put her best pearls around his neck. He spent the day admiring himself in the mirror and artistically arranging himself about the house all the better so visitors could admire his finery. In desperation she bought him his own string of cheaper pearls but being the pedigree cat he was he knew when he was being short changed and lost all interest in his kitty bling.

Finally photos

Finally got my photos developed with shots of the Mystic Mermaids exhibition. I was having problems with my camera on setting up day but it just turned out that the batteries needed replacing. However it did mean I only got a couple of pictures. The first shows my end of the exhibition with the Patchwork cats (they look so tiny) and also the other animal paintings.

The second image is my friend Judy's wire and bead sculpture including her seashore lamp and nearly life size mermaids. I was unable to get a photo of the window area where her jewellery and a couple of other items were displayed.

This week I finished off four tiny cat brooches. I am meant to be doing the Creative Fibre Festival in Napier in two weeks but am having a slight panic as I feel I'm behind with preparation.

Gone To The Dogs

Finally finished my commissioned three dog portraits. The cocker spaniel was a real headache as the colours in his coat were very complex so in the end rotated the photo so that it was upside down which made it into a series of abstract shapes and easier to paint.

The red setter was a bit easier to do although getting the highlights right on its coat was tricky. Setters are lovely looking dogs but I have heard that they're a bit scatty.



I enjoy painting fox terriers as their faces are so full of character. "Frank" looks like he's a real laid back fellow who takes life as it comes. His owner asked that all three portraits were done on black and his colours stand out the best on this whereas the spaniel's tends to blend into the background somewhat.

Fingers crossed that the owner likes the finished results.

Money!

Received a cheque from The Napier Mail in payment for the article on microlighting so looks like this will be published next week sometime. I was excited enough to scan the cheque which I guess is pathetic but it's the first income I've earned from my writing in New Zealand. I also scanned the first cheque I earned from an overseas publication years ago.

Finished my last assignment for my journalism course but have to wait three weeks to see if I passed and will graduate with a diploma. I have applied to join the NZIBS Graduates Club as they send out job listings and other info plus you have the opportunity to network with other writers which could be helpful.

With my writing earnings I made a visit to the Flying Pig and bought six canvases to replace the ones I used in the exhibition. I love buying new art supplies and am ever reluctant to use them. Their pristine white surfaces seems so full of possibilities and the first brushstroke seems to mark the beginning of frustration and dissatisfaction for me. I never achieve what I really want to say/show. Perhaps the Buddhist theory of the journey being more important than the destination is relevant to my outlook.

Over and Out

Mystic Mermaids and Fantabulous Felines are no more. Went down after lunch yesterday and packed up the exhibition. Always intrigues me how it takes well over an hour to set up and only five minutes to tear down.

I had sold another painting this week- the black and white bunny. Apparently it's gone to the US. I wish we had sold more but our names aren't really "out there" as yet. The gallery have asked me to make some cards from my donkey painting and they will sell them. I will try a couple of the unsold paintings on Trademe but have my patchwork cats for sale on my art site.

Back to work today on the dog commissions plus I only have three questions left on my final assignment for my journalism diploma. Once that's away I have a three week wait to see if I've passed.

First sale!

Creative Hastings left a phone message mid afternoon yesterday to say that a lady wanted to buy my donkey painting but as she was English and flying home within the next few days she would need to take it right away. Usually sold works are left in the exhibition till it's finished but Lyn made an executive call to let the picture go which I'm happy about. I already had a buyer for it if it hadn't sold by the 18th March but he is ok with me painting another version. If I can sell a couple more pieces I will have at least made my costs. It would be wonderful to make a profit but everyone I speak to says that art shows don't sell out like they once did.

Received my next book for review from Homebizbuzz. It's about surviving the bird flu. Slightly depressing but at least it's not about tax.

Managed to get some painting done as I am trying to finish three dog commissions for a lady in Wellington who has been patiently waiting since early this year. I really dislike commissioned work but I guess it makes you work outside your comfort zone.

This n That

Heard back from the editor of the rural paper I had applied to work for a month ago. The answer is no- they decided to hire someone they already have some association with. Hey ho. Anyway he did say they're having a meeting sometime this week and he will be discussing the possibility of my having a column with his sub editor. My interview with John Ridler (microlight pilot) is still going to be published in the Napier Mail this month but I am not sure when.

Homebizbuzz got in touch asking if I was willing to write another review for them. I said yes and they've mailed out the book already. That's positive news.

A friend went into town to have a look at the exhibition yesterday afternoon. Was highly complementary of Judy's work and said as she left two people came in and were looking at her mermaids. As yet neither of us have made any sales but it is pretty early into the exhibition to hope for that I spose. I would like to make my costs though.

Applied to register (yes you have to apply to enter) the Original Art Sale in Auckland in June. Sent an email with one of my patchwork cats plus contact details. Had a really good response and have been told I can enter four works (four is my lucky number). Apparently the adjudicator wanted to see some of my other paintings as she likes my technique and wanted to see if I can cope with other genres. My framer says I need to get my work up to Auckland as there is a bigger market there so hopefully this will be the start.

MMs and FFs

Finished the last painting I was intending for the exhibition late yesterday afternoon so had plenty of time to photograph work and put d-rings on the back of my smaller cat paintings. Managed to spear the small screwdriver into the end of my left thumb and bled like there was no tomorrow so there is now some of my DNA on a couple of my paintings.

Got to the gallery at 10.25am and we managed to finish setting up at 11.45am. I contributed twelve items, Judy thirteen so there is a range of work for people to see. In fact three different groups of folk were peering in the front windows while we were working with a couple of women even thinking of trying the front door. Fingers crossed that this is a good sign. I am totally exhausted.

Work for the Exhibition

I have finally scanned in some of the pictures I'll be selling at the exhibition. These are all painted in acrylics and sealed with a matt varnish.
This is the first in my series of Patchwork cats. It is 4" by 4" in size on gallery wrapped canvas.



Here is a shot of the bottom (I've painted the patchwork right round to finish it all off).







Patchwork cat 2 has turned out really girly which wasn't my intention but hopefully someone will like it. This one is 5" by 7".











I have four paintings around 3 1/2" by 4" painted on Bockingford Watercolour paper that I am taking into the framer today.
This is my girl Briar











I've painted this girl on a pendant before but she didn't sell for some reason. Finally auctioned her off and got NZ $7 for her which was donated to the EDFNZ













I enjoy painting black and white animals for some reason.














Finally a very folk arty Calico cat.

Wishing For More Hours In the Day

In town yesterday so popped into Creative Hastings to collect some of my cards left over from the Christmas sale. Was able to have a good look at the wall space for the exhibition. I am not so panicky now as I think between Judy and I we should be able to fill it. It's a question as to how many people will look at our work and actually buy it that worries me now.

I then dropped off a pendant ordered by a lady whose much loved dog is in his sunset years and not going to be around many more months. She was happy with the work and asked for a card so that she can pass the word along. The stone was one I had drilled myself. I had worried that it would break due to being quite narrow at the top but it all worked out. I have asked my sister if she can find some similar stones near where she lives as she originally got this particular stone from the Clutha River. For some reason they're much easier to drill than the local ones in Hawkes Bay. They're a bit rough so perhaps they have more tooth for the drill to grip to.

The amount of work I am trying to complete at the moment is quite daunting. I still have three assignments to complete for my journalism course so am trying to fit this in around my art work. I wish I hadn't taken on the dog painting commissions as I really need this time to complete my other work. I wish there were more hours in the day and I had the energy to employ them.

Interviews and Other Stresses

Of all things I had an unexpected job interview last Wednesday. I had sent an article into a local community paper and the editor rang to say he was interested in running it and what were my rates. We got to talking and in the course of the conversation he mentioned that his other paper (a monthly rural publication) is losing it's main writer and would I be interested in the job? I went along the next day to talk about it with him as well as his sub editor. The interview lasted an hour. I have no idea if I will get the job as I think they're wondering if I can cope with the work involved. I am hopeful though that they will use me somehow. There was even some talk about my writing a column on life out here on the farm.

Under three weeks till the exhibition so it's stressing out time. With the hot weather and feeling a bit unwell I haven't finished as much work as I hoped plus I have three dog portrait commissions hanging over my head. Very nerve wracking.

Also today my book review for Homebizbuzz came out.

Bloomin' Bloggers

I have to say I'm grumpy this morning since discovering someone had hotlinked to one of my images on The Menagerie. Hotlinking means that whenever someone views their page your image is downloaded from your host costing you bandwidth which of course equals money. Now what really annoyed me was that it was an image of one of my rabbit cards and on that page it does state that all the drawings are copyrighted and must not be reproduced. Obviously the individual felt if they were downloading it straight from my website then that didn't count.

I have only been hotlinked twice by bloggers whereas my friend Lea Frydman of Elvis Presley News is constantly targeted. This has cost her a small fortune with her host and no wonder as she tells me that over 12,000 images were linked! Now the techies at Host Nexus have sorted her problem so that it can no longer be done but she'll never recover the money she lost through these bloggers.

Apart from that I have been trying to paint despite the heat (it was 34oC here Tuesday 31st Jan). Creative Hastings just published their February newsletter with Judy and my exhibition listed so now it feels horribly real (and close!). I still have four commissions to finish before the end of this month as well so panic stations.

Also returned to The Craftsman in Taradale, Napier and was happy to learn that the owner is willing to sell my work. She particularly liked the brooches. She's not sure the cards will go as they don't sell many usually but I asked her to try anyway. I can always take them away if no one wants them.

Today I am sending away two articles to New Zealand publications so fingers crossed they sell. It feels really tough trying to break into this market. I guess I just have to find my niche.

Patience

At the moment I'm reading "Buddhism For Busy People" by David Michie and last night had a major epiphany which kept me awake till nearly midnight. I always say that my life lesson is patience. I seem to have to wait for important things in my life- usually for years. In his book Michie mentioned that patience is the opposite of anger and that good Buddhists try to cultivate this in order to negate any feelings of anger that can create bad karma for the future. Looking at my life at the moment I realize that I am angry at many of the things that have happened in the past few years plus I was worrying as I was losing my equilibrium and obsessing a wee bit too much over what was done and not done. As the Dalai Lama says that our enemies are our greatest teachers perhaps I have to turn my way of thinking on its head and be grateful to those who have caused problems in my life as it has given me the opportunity to cultivate patience.

The other message in the book is if you look back to a time when you've been terribly miserable it usually is when you've been thinking of yourself and dwelling on your own problems. How true! Perhaps you're not able to go out and save the world but if you can immerse yourself in some activity, particularly a creative pastime such as writing or art, then your spirit lifts and the day becomes much brighter and easier to bear. I know my danger times are mid morning and also just before sleep. At the moment gardening helps (even if it's just for 15 minutes) and of course I keep a few books by my bedside to dip into in order to take my mind off my worries. They're still there of course (I have my second migraine of the month to prove it) but I am hoping by taking this major life lesson and working with it as a positive rather than something to fight against I can become more settled.

Last night I was talking to someone about how important it is to have humour in your life. I have always said that if you can't laugh at yourself you could be missing the joke of the century. Not only that but who wants to spend time with an old misery guts (Kiwi term)? We don't laugh enough during our day and I'm sure that's why there is so much illness in modern society. We spend so much time in pursuit of material possessions we think will make us happy that even when we achieve that new TV or pair of shoes that happiness only lasts a moment. It means nothing.

Happiness (which equals peacefulness in my opinion) does come from within. A new house, boyfriend, job or more money will not bring you joy but just lead to more dissatisfaction. The more you have the more you want. Unfortunately we live in a world where this is seen as a good thing.

Onto art- I am enjoying painting at the moment. The stress of being just a few weeks away from the exhibition has not hit home yet. We finally finalized the name "Mystic Mermaids and Fantabulous Felines" which covers my friend's wire and bead sculpture and my animal art. Also I returned to The Craftsman yesterday but the owner has not returned from holiday so haven't a definite answer on my work. Have to cultivate some more of that patience and go back next week.

Received another assignment back from my journalism tutor Monday just as I mailed another. I was worried as I had to write two articles "What I Think of Today's Children" and the other on a subject of my choice (rabbit illnesses) and I was not confident I had done a good job. However my tutor liked both and suggested the bunny one should be submitted to some publications. Fingers crossed!

Moving Out Of The Comfort Zone

Went into a shop that have stocked a few items of my work before and took in a selection of jewelry and cards. The lady responsible for buying wasn't there this week but her husband liked what I'd taken so I left everything there and will go back next week. Left $190.00 worth of work- would be great if I could sell all that. The shop caters mainly to tourists but is upmarket and doesn't have all the tacky Kiwiana you sometimes see in souvenir shops. Fingers crossed!

The lady who books exhibitions at Creative Hastings rang this week and wants a name for my friend's and my March show by Friday. Panic!

Back in the saddle

Have finally begun work again for the New Year. Finished a commissioned pendant of a lady's white Flemish Giant bunny "Ed". The photos she sent were good but they didn't show the feet so had to be creative. I did about eight bunny portraits last year so I think this may be a more popular subject here, especially considering how many people keep rabbits as pets. Not many people want their cats painted which is weird though.

Finished my book review for Homebizbuzz and emailed that in but haven't heard anything back yet. Also am in the middle of another assignment for my journalism course which deals with reviews of all things. I have to make this course a priority for the next few weeks so that I can finish on time. Also have to begin another commission for a pendant within the next few days (a dog this time). However today I want to do some work towards my friend Judy's and my first joint exhibition in March 2006.

Auctions

One thing that really annoys me with an auction is how if it doesn't reach reserve and you offer the item to the watchers they never accept or reject the offer but leave it until it expires three days later. This holds you up so that you could lose a potential buyer. Most of my auctions have finished for the left-over Christmas sale stock and although a couple of things sold eight others did not so I offered them to people watching. In the case of one pendant there were two bidders and three watchers, none of whom have made a decision whether or not they want the thing. What's worse is that Trademe introduced a scheme last year whereby you can see when people log into their account and in all cases these individuals have been looking through TM but just haven't made a decision. Just my pet peeve for the day!

It has been too hot to paint so I have been concentrating on finishing my book review for Homebizbuzz. I also have another to write for Klauw on Kate Bush's new album "Aerial". Did manage to finish an article for Kiwi Herald on the weekend on Ian Holm and his work here on the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Had quite a few interesting observations about Peter Jackson. Last week did a massive mail-out of newsletters for the EDFNZ so was able to begin the New Year with a clear conscience.

A reporter from Hawkes Bay Today came out to do an interview about EDS and the work of the Foundation which should come out this week. Be interesting to see if it's a serious piece or just another Freak of the Week story. At least it will be a clear week before I have to go into town again after its publication so hopefully everyone will have forgotten about it by then!