Missing Muse

I can't believe how quickly the weeks are flying by. I don't feel I get much done during the day at all. Highlight this week was of course art class on Wednesday. I went with Glenys and we got there early so were able to talk with Helen about Pukeora. Apparently around 26 paintings were sold or a quarter of the exhibition which was good although down from last year due to the drought impacting on the incomes of the farming community who usually support this event.


I had taken along my four seasons paintings including the last one I'm working on. The autumn portrait was the favourite with everyone and Donna has suggested I develop this style in other works. She had ordered a brooch from me last week and I found an interesting stone with bumps that lent themselves well to a cat form. While I was there Colleen turned up to collect her cat brooch and was so pleased that she has ordered another one. They all seem to like the poem that I sell with these so I'm glad I did it.

I wish I could write more poetry but since Dad died five years ago my ability has completely dried up apart from the Feline Doggerel I wrote for the brooches. I should take a leaf out of Helen's book who gets up at 4am every morning and meditates. Perhaps that would kick start the muse again.

Another Friday Class

I went to portraiture on Friday with Kate my neighbour from down the road. We had a very interesting conversation on the way there encompassing spiders and other residents down my road. Just as we pulled into Otane Kate told me she had started The Learning Connexion Diploma earlier this year. I can't believe that I have another student living only a couple of kms from me. She skipped the Foundation level and went straight into the stage above which meant she was able to tell me what's coming up for me next term.

Only six artists turned up for portraiture this week. The model was a young Japanese woman who has been working on an orchard near Tikokino. Very pretty, lithe and with the most delicate hands. After a couple of quick gestural drawings we went into longer ones only broken by morning tea (which included delicious chocolate cake this week). On Helen's advice I had taken along my small table easel to work from and it had a dramatic effect on my work as it was easier to judge proportions while I was looking directly at my paper. I concentrated on perfecting hands this session by following Donna's instructions to treat them just as shapes. I was very happy with the pencil drawing I did just before the end although in true portraiture fashion I was brought back down to earth with my next one which was terrible. Working at the easel did prove tough on my shoulders though and I had to stop early.

It was very interesting to look at everyone else's work. Helen had gessoed paper and was working with diluted oil paint. Glenys who I sat next to was busy in charcoal and Betty was putting pastel around the edge of her pieces. I wish more people had been there to take the opportunity to draw the model who was so good. I hope they ask her back sometime.

Pukeora Festival

I had the most wonderful day at The Festival at Pukeora yesterday. My mind is buzzing with images and ideas.

It was a freezing morning with a dusting of snow on the foothills right at the back of my cottage so I bundled up in two jerseys, a scarf and gloves. Martina and Gaye arrived just before 10am and we reached Pukeora in half an hour. We were surprised as it was already very crowded with two coachloads of grumpy old women and so many cars we had to park half up on the footpath down the hill from the buildings. It is many years since I went there and it still feels like an institution with it's warren of corridors.

Martina's neighbour Viv had brought Martina's two children along and together we went into the big hall to see the exhibition. My little donkey painting was hung alongside a dog one (copied from wrapping paper apparently but very professional) and I had a giggle listening to some of the comments. Donkeys seem to make people giggle or go "awww" for some reason. The standard of art was high and there were a couple of pictures I would loved to have taken home. In particular one of three mosaic pots with orange and yellow zinnias and Nola Weber of Taradale had two gorgeous oils of pansies and deep red roses which you could almost eat.

Funny comments: two Havelock North-type women (impeccably coiffured and expensively dressed) observing a huge painting of iceberg roses "Yes it's so wonderfully balanced"."Yes it is wonderfully balanced, and the frame matches too!" Then from across the hall another woman "Yes I DO like it but it won't go with my curtains!"

We spent an hour looking at all the work with Martina making some pithy comments when I happened to turn to look at my painting and saw a red dot on the ticket. It had sold in the first hour! I sat in shock in front of it and actually got a bit shaky when a lady came up behind me and asked if I was "the artist". She then told me she had been going to buy it, actually had her chequebook in her hand. Then Donna the art teacher who was manning the payment booth came and asked me to meet the buyer. He was a very nice middle-aged gentleman who apparently collects original art.

After that surprise we decided to get some lunch. We went to one cafe which was freezing, fought our way through the crowds to another one which the kids weren't happy about as it mainly had sweets not hot dishes, then back to the original cafe where the kids said they didn't like the food. After getting hopelessly lost in the many corridors filled with rooms belonging to the previous "residents" (first TB patients and then the unwanted disabled residents of Hawkes Bay) which were occupied by stalls we arrived outside and found the Potato Man. Gaye told me she was shouting me lunch and we both got vegetarian stuffed spuds, mine with ratatouille (no real rats involved). We then wended our way back through the crowds and sat at a sunny table in a porch overlooking the farmland down below.

After eating a little of their potatoes the kids stated they were full although they could manage something sweet if their mother would queue at the cafe and buy them something! Martina and I were steadily ploughing our way through the biggest potatoes Hawkes Bay had to offer and by the time we finished we couldn't face anything else. However Gaye joined the line for half an hour and a waitress returned with coffee for three and a hot chocolate for myself.

After lunch I lost everyone and found myself wandering down the corridors looking at beautiful ethnic skirts I couldn't afford. Then I came upon Waddle Inn's room by Kim Priest wasn't there, instead it was a lady called Esther who is a friend of Gaye's and Gina's. She managed to sell me 160 gms of beautiful mauve dyed alpaca to spin. I told her Kim sells my cards and jewellery and she suddenly realised who I was. Long story short she is coming out here to teach me to knit.

I finally found Gaye back at the exhibition hall when a familiar face passed by and said hi. I had met this lady at the Creative Fibre Festival last year. Turns out she is Yvonne Monk whom everyone has been telling me about since I moved here. She pulled out photos of her alpacas has invited me out to her farm for a visit.

We were just about to leave when a tall man walked up to me. Turned out to be Kevin Annan who runs Electra Gallery and also selected the work for the exhibition. He told me I did beautiful work and to send more into him and he would sell it in the gallery. By this stage I was a shivering wreck but couldn't believe how everything had worked out that day. The best part- sharing it all with my new friends.

Accepted!

"Two's Company" has been accepted for The Festival exhibition. I am shocked as I thought it was too small. Five of us from the Otane art group were accepted which was very good considering that of the 180 works submitted half were rejected. Helen tells me that the whole exhibition is very professional and the standard high so I'm looking forward to seeing it today at the opening.

Gaye picked me up for art and we had a highly enjoyable trip there and back. We spoke of reincarnation, psychic dreams and poetry. I've never met anyone who has been so interested in my writing before. It has given me a lift I didn't expect.

I took the little calico cat brooch I'd painted as Colleen (a busy lady involved with multiple charities but who pops in for a chat with the group nearly every week) had said she wanted to buy it. We arrived dead on time at 10am but she'd already left the money so Marie left the brooch packet on a side table. This meant that my "Feline Doggeral" poem was read by nearly everyone throughout the day and Donna ordered a brooch for her daughter who is a vet in America.

I worked on my spring painting in The Four Seasons series. I had drawn it in roughly on the canvas the day before and was concentrating on painting the background. I cannot make the light teal that I achieved with the pastel drawing. It either comes out silage green or else a deep wedgewood blue which I actually like. After putting two solid glazes on I changed tack and am flicking paint lightly over the surface to imitate pastel strokes. Donna looked at my work which worried me as I thought the nude was not such a great one but she thought it looked good and was very interested in the process we were told to go through to arrive at the composition.

Betty is a local farmer/artist who has been working on a large painting of sheep and farmdogs in a yard. One of the sheep is sighted back on and there was much debate on how to improve this. At one point five people were clustered around the easel talking about it. As I left I said that if anyone asked me what I'd done that day I'd say I'd watched people discussing a sheep's bottom! Fortunately they found this funny.

Later that day I received an email from Irene to say my folder reached TLC safely and she was taking my work to a tutors' meeting today. She'd also passed Hippie Cat No 2 onto the exhibition organiser. I sincerely hope I have Irene as my tutor throughout stage two of my diploma. I have just gelled with her so well.


Finally here is a closeup of the camellia bush at the head of my drive. It has been a delight most of the winter. If you have camellias and roses you can be sure of colour in your garden all the year.

Ups and Downs

I have been painting like crazy to get my hours up for my end of academic year review for TLC. The cut off date for folders for this is the 7th September (Friday) so I need to get mine away this morning. It has been a frantic few days.

I received my paintings back from Auckland today. Not one sold at the "Off The Brush" exhibition although eight business cards were taken (from the second batch). I can't understand it as the work is not bad and the paintings were priced cheaply. Anyway I'm sending one of them down to the end of term students' exhibition at TLC today so fingers crossed.

I am also sending a pendant to the US. A commissioned piece for a lady who lost her much loved dog recently. Hopefully she'll like it.

I haven't heard if "Two's Company" has been accepted to The Festival exhibition but it has been featured as artwork of the month on the Zenafterhours group homepage.

First Portraiture Class

As usual I was running around like a hairy goat just a few minutes before Glenys arrived to take me to portraiture. Holding the donkey painting in one hand so it could dry in the sun as I'd just varnished it while collecting charcoal and pencils to take along to the class. After I gathered everything together I waited outside in the sun for Glenys but only had to sit there a minute as she arrived just before 9am.

We were the first people there apart from Helen who was setting up the room. It was good just to absorb the atmosphere before everyone arrived. About nine people came including a lady who lives down my road but whom I'd yet to meet. The class began at 10am with Helen providing a couple of poses for quick 2 minute gestural drawings. I started in charcoal as I find this loosens up my technique although I find it awkward for doing hands and features. The official model was a young woman with her ten week old baby. We began with a few quick gesture drawings before settling in for 10 minute poses. At 10.45am we broke for morning tea (chocolate biscuits!) so I sat and chatted with Martina about how she finds living in NZ compared to Germany.


After the mid morning break the baby posed with her Mum. Apart from spitting the dummy (literally) on the floor she was perfectly behaved and just watched her Dad who was standing behind me. I had chosen the hardest place to sketch from (directly in front of the model) so had some difficulties to overcome. My best sketch was a 20 minute one in pencil which actually resembled the mother to my surprise. Donna the art teacher came along afterwards and corrected a few things (shoulders not wide enough, baby too adult looking, hands as usual my bugbear) but said I'd done well which gave me a burst of confidence. I now feel I can achieve my goal of painting the human form if I just keep practising.

I had taken my donkey painting along and after I wrapped it up Martina offered to take it with her two works to Pukeora on Monday for the selection process. Donna felt that it was a very saleable picture so I hope it's accepted for the exhibition.

Two's Company

Art group this week was enjoyable as usual and with it being a spring like day approximately 20 people turned up to paint. Gina and I didn't leave Otane until 2.30pm as she was trying to get alot of work done on paintings she is taking to Germany as gifts next Monday. I completed three more hours on my donkey painting and then helped Martina wash the dishes. We changed our date to go to Pukeora until Thursday the 6th which is the opening of The Festival as that way we can see the exhibition all set up (and hopefully our paintings will have been accepted). However this meant that I needed to get my painting finished by today so I could send it in for selection on Monday. I worked like a trojan all yesterday and have it finished apart from putting on the D rings. Then Glenys rang and offered to take me to portrait class at Otane this morning so I will take "Two's Company" along and ask Martina if she'd take it with her paintings on Monday as I don't trust NZ Post to deliver it safely.

Also missed a phone call from my TLC tutor reminding me my review is in two weeks and I have 60 hours of drawing to complete. Yikes! I have to get my folio down to Wellington by next Friday so looks like I'll be painting like crazy for the next few days.

Lunar Magic

Managed to see the lunar eclipse last night (the first total eclipse in NZ for seven years) but didn't bother to stay up to see the moon turn red. We didn't think we'd see the eclipse here in Hawkes Bay due to clouds but these dispersed and the moon shone down in all its glory. Not that I sat in rapt admiration the whole time- no I just peeked out the blinds periodically while watching the series final of Ugly Betty.

The moon madness must have taken effect on some Trademe bidders last night as there was frantic bidding in the final half hour of the Patchworks auction with the piece finally finishing at $3,310.00! Today is the final day in the "Off The Brush" exhibition at the Bruce Mason Centre. I have no idea if I've sold anything at all.

The Groaning Poet

I was going through some papers and found an ink drawing I did for The Young Theosophist magazine several years ago. It's funny how you can look back at work you did over twelve years ago and think it's better than some of the art you do now.

My arms feel as if they're about to drop off as I struggle to finish the pointillist painting I'm doing for TLC. I am having difficulty obtaining a lightish green for the grass without making the picture too yellowy. I need to resolve that issue today so I can get onto another part of the painting as I still have one more of the four seasons to complete. At night I lie on the sofa and groan with pain- I'll never know how Frida Kahlo completed such large works when her spine was so agonizing. I don't have the excuse of a horrific accident for my misery, just incompetent medical treatment in my teens aggravating an existing condition.

Between drifting off to noddy land and feeling sorry for myself last night I was awoken from my self absorption by the phone ringing at 8.30pm. It was an apologetic Gaye, my landlady's mother in law, who had just finished reading "At the End Of A Golden Afternoon" for the third time. She was calling to ask if she could illustrate some of the poems as they had touched her so much. Gaye mentioned she hasn't felt this excited since she was thirty when she was illustrating The Lord of the Rings for her own pleasure. I was thrilled that she felt this way, especially as she just lost her husband a few short weeks ago.

I am going in to see her after art group next Wednesday as she wants to buy her own copy of the book plus I said I would give her some more recent poems to look at. I just wish I were still writing poetry but really it's one form of creativity where I do need to be inspired and all that left when Dad died on Sept 1st 2002 (Father's Day).

Lunch At Abbottslee

Yesterday morning dawned grey and chilly so it was quite a feat to get up early to go to Otane. This time however I remembered to take my reference photo to work from although in the event I chatted that much to Glenys who was sitting next to me that I got very little done. Gina picked me up at 9.30am accompanied by Gaye her mother in law (and my landlady's) who lives down the end of my road. Gaye is a wonderful artist although she kept this fact quiet when I first met her in March.

Around 16 people turned up to the art group. I was lucky to get last week's position at a table with my back to the sun. Glenys was working on drawings to my left and Martina on her rose painting on an easel to my right.

We knew that our painting time was limited as we were going to lunch at 12 in Waipawa. That didn't stop the chat until Marie who runs the group reminded us that we would need to leave at 11.45am to reach the tearooms (by then it was 11.05am). The room went deathly quiet as everyone guiltily resumed their work.

Tom has finally finished his wonderful fishing boats painting that he has been working on for weeks. I have been amazed at how he transformed a black and white photo he took 50 years ago into a finely detailed colour painting. He was kind enough to take a photo so my brother Richard (an ex fisherman) could see it.

There was quite a bit of discussion about The Festival at Pukeora in Waipukurau which we're preparing work for. Martina is very nervous about entering her paintings and asked how I was going to get mine there on the 3rd. When I told her I would post it she said no she couldn't allow that, she would pick me up and we'd go to Waipukurau together. She lives twenty minutes away from me in Onga Onga (the historic village) in a house truck. I couldn't believe her kindness.

At 11.45am we put our supplies away and Gina, Gaye and I drove the back route into Waipawa. We took a brief detour as she wanted to show where her friend lives on a lifestyle block and I was totally astonished to see it was the block my parents had looked at about 12 years ago. It's mightily changed now as there has been alot of subdivision work going on around it.

We arrived at Abbottslee Tearooms just as the sun disappeared behind ominous looking clouds. Abbottslee is a Waipawa landmark being a beautiful old white house with traditional wrap around verandas, amazing woodwork and 12 foot high ceilings. It is set like a jewel in sweeping grounds full of old fashioned flowers. The lady in charge of the buffet helped me select vegetarian dishes and I ended up with two roast spuds, mashed carrot and parsnip with macaroni and cheese. I also had to get a large slice of chocolate cake. All that with a cup of tea came to just $11!


We went into the large dining room (we worked out three rooms had been knocked into one) and after Gina made them rearrange the furniture so we could all sit together we had an animated chat with Betty (a very interesting artist who lives on a farm near me) plus the tutor from the US, Donna Dahm, who was telling us about her trip to Antarctica. The air was scented with the rich smell of the daphne flowers that were displayed on nearly every table.

On the way home Gaye invited us in for a quick cup of tea. I had the pleasure of meeting Gina's donkey Yersef (I have got the spelling wrong I'm sure) and her two pet sheep that she grazes on Gaye's small block of land. Gaye lent me seven spiritual books (yes have met yet another kindred spirit here) to go along with the 11 library books I checked out on Tuesday. We sat in front of the heater with Gina's two ginger cats for a while before braving the cold again. I got home at 3pm and rushed around feeding everyone so I could hunker down inside. I was so tired in the evening that I fell asleep for an hour but this lovely day took my mind of losing Piper and recharged my batteries again.

NZ Art Guild Collaborative Project "PatchWorks"

The NZ Art Guild's "Patchworks" project is now up for auction on Trademe. In just over twenty four hours it has reached just over $1,000 and there are nine days left. Here is the blurb for the piece:

"The NZ Art Guild are proud to present another NZ first - their 2007 Collaborative Project "PatchWorks". Its on display at the NZAG exhibition "Off the Brush" on now at the Bruce Mason Centre, Auckland.

Aptly named "PatchWorks", this awe-inspiring artwork has been created by 100 individual canvas patches, 88 of which are hand painted by 66 NZ artists from across the country. Sewn together in a coloured pattern, the result is a uniquely original single artwork, in the form of patchwork quilt. Inspired by the word "Soul", each artwork is a slice of imagination from the souls of each of the artists.

Size Approx 1.5mx1.5m. Buyer will get hanging rod/brackets, an artists list, certificate of authenticity & informational story.

Artists :
1 S Marino, 2 R Burrell, 3 R van der Werff, 4 R Dredge, 5 B Ofe-Grant, 6 S Ann Burger, 7 C Tomokino, 8 A Mollekin, 9 R Dredge, 10 S Elise, 11 T Dangen, 12 A Maier, 13 J Sargeant, 14 M Marshall, 15 M Davies, 16 P Shepherd, 17 J Dungan, 18 S Meikle, 19 L Bodsworth, 20 N Shackleton, 21 S Elise, 22 S Green, 23 N Morgan, 24 T Verrant, 25 A Laby, 26 B Bateman, 27 M Marshall, 28 F Woods, 29 E Dexter, 30 J Clements, 31 C Winterburn, 32 A Elliot, 33 S Marino, 34 E Husselmann, 35 J Clements, 36 K Black, 37 T Eyre, 38 T Stringer, 39 E Husselmann, 40 D Steel, 41 RifRaf, 42 C Dempster, 43 A Morris, 44 N Makeef, 45 T Birks, 46 B Bateman, 47 D Morgan, 48 S Van Soest, 49 B Ofe-Grant, 50 I Boot, 51 A Marino, 52 C Outwin, 53 L Morrison, 54 L Carew, 55 A Mitchell, 56 L Bodsworth, 57 L Ormsby, 58 L Brook, 59 L Tildsley, 60 M Wrigley, 61 K Black, 62 M Faithful, 63 L Brook, 64 S Elise, 65 T Rodger, 66 R Turk, 67 T Dann, 68 T Davies, 69 T Maruthamutha, 70 T Cretney, 71 A Mitchell, 72 P Mayos, 73 J Longshaw, 74 E Wenman, 75 L Tildsley, 76 M Manson, 77 A Marino, 78 L Hurring, 79 A Marino, 80 T Dann, 81 A Cass, 82 L Carew, 83 A Mollekin, 84 P Shepherd, 85 T Stringer, 86 D Steel, 87 D Gracie, 88 D Price-Ewen"

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.