Fluffing round

With using patterned paper as a background, then stencils, and finally acrylic paint on top. Just seeing what works, and what doesn’t…

West Coast Cliffs #2

Working on the cliffs idea – and enjoying it.

Had a good day. Although I did not get a lot of art done, I did plan my move into my new art studio. At the moment I do my art in my inside workroom – but I have to be mindful of mess and cleaning up after myself etc. It’s a space I share with our business, my sister’s bed when she visits, my husband’s clothes…
Not any more!!! By the end of the week I will have my art studio in the outside office I used to use for our business. It no longer suited, for all kinds of reasons, but I hope it will make a great art studio. It is not attached to the house, so I can just close the door and leave the mess if I choose to. And it will be a dedicated space, which will be nice. I suspect my sister will enjoy sleeping in a proper bed when she visits too 🙂

West Coast Cliffs

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I am starting to explore the local geography a bit more abstractly. Until now I had been working from photos of Italy from the air. I realised the other day that the land we have here – the green fields, the clear skies, the towering beachfront cliffs – is all unique and I should be celebrating it. So..

Here’s the start of a new series which alludes to, but does not replicate, the landscape I see around me each day. Lots of texture, layers, rubbing back and general mark making; all good fun.

10×10″ in acrylics on deep edge stretched canvas. For sale via Etsy.

Into the light

This was painted simply as a celebration of the beautiful clear light we have here, and the wonderful colours I see at sunrise and sunset. Okay, so I don’t see sunrise too often!! But, just occasionally, I do – and it stuns me.

This photo has captured the texture of the piece but the colours are wrong, due to night photography – so I will redo the photo tomorrow.
This is a much truer photo – thanks to a lovely, clear West Coast day.

Completed

Well, I think this is finished now. The colours have not photographed very well – the real thing is a bit more blue toned and darker, but that’s the trouble with night light.
This is 4×8″ again 🙂

Half done

This is the under painting for a new sunset work. Tonight I have done more on it, mainly lightening it up and adding some texture. It is too wet to put in the scanner, and the digital camera picks up too much glare. Going well though I think…

Playing with texture

And just seeing what the paint will do. Small again, only 4×8″ in acrylics on deep edge canvas. Inspired by some Van Gogh art I saw recently too.

Yesterday and today

I have been painting up a storm – and a sunset, and a mountain…
Nothing like getting the paints out and just going for it 🙂
Although I have done much more, I am only going to load one painting a day – so I have some spare for those days when nothing gets completed!!

What is the boring part of art?

The boring part is all the paperwork and keeping up with entry deadlines etc. I have a lot coming up in the next few months and have to be sure I don’t miss any deadlines. I keep an Excel spreadsheet, and also a big handwritten copy on a large whiteboard have hung above my work area. That way I am constantly reminded of what is coming up. Today I spent hours updating and reviewing the information.

My exciting news for today is that I have been accepted to exhibit at the Hotel Grand Chancellor, Auckland, in Nina’s Cafe. This is a big area, requiring at least 10 paintings. More details to come, but this is a wonderful opportunity.

Nursing duty calls…

And not with Mum this time. Our wee dog, Faith, was spayed yesterday and she is not a happy girl. So tonight I am cuddling a whimpering puppy, not playing with paint. Back tomorrow!!