My rag

is to me one of the most beautiful things... holding all the colours and memories of works long gone. I feel strongly attached to it and feel like exhibiting it along with other ethereal stuff to make up an exhibition of just that - the signification of the work that went into the 'works'. If you have something similar that you love like this, comment below with a link so we can see it all..

This is a picture of my linen rag, used now for phew about 7 years, just after I washed and dried it. As it gets older, the oil paints from earlier paintings get washed out more and fades, so the stronger colours are the latest ones I worked with, much like memories and layered history..

You have something similar? ..e^)

Help save Wallace gallery Morrinsville by...

bidding on any of these awesome little works that were done by 95 NZ artists like Diana Adams, Kay de Lautour Scott, Otis Frizzell, John Key, Annah Stretton, Pamela Tapp, Peter Wheeler and many more...

Date: 8 March from 7pm

More info here

And this is my contribution - remember?

ICE 2012

It's that time of the year again and I'm taking part in the International Collage Exchange for the I don't know how many-ith time. The first excitement is when the online exhibition goes live online, the second excitement is when the return pack comes home... all in all so worth it. Can't wait! ..e^)

watercolour magic magic

..the flow, the transparent colours letting through the light, the unexpected rivulets and the staining of the pristine white paper, pooling in the crevasses everywhere.. how I love watercolours! They surprise me, they let me control them just a little, and then they start singing... surprising me with the lyrics lol!!

'eyes of the mind' is in Daler Rowney w/colours on 300gsm cp acid free watercolour paper, framed in a silver colour frame, the whole thing is 310mm x 360mm with the little painting about 150mm x 200mm and it's available on trademe to NZ art collectors only - shout if you want something similar on ebay or etsy, ok?

Lei for Love

Latest oil painting done in sapphire blue, alizarin crimson and titanium white - how hard is it to photograph red!!! It is 610 x 200 x 35mm on stretched canvas, ready to hang, sides painted black. Available through trademe for a week..

Leis are the most wonderful way of saying I love you - especially ones made with real flowers by loving human hands. I still remember the daisy chains we made as kids, beautifully simple and sincere.. never mind the sneezes and hay fever .. But according to the dictionary it can be a number of objects strung together to be worn around the neck..... mmm that gives me a thousand ideas again .. till next time ..e^)

wind powered

..how eco-friendly can you get!

Latest little painting, just for the fun of it and because I can ;-) - after all wheels are the only contraption invented by man that has stayed the same since yonks, right? Love skates. Love penguins on skates ;-)

"wind powered" oil on stretched canvas 255 x 255mm (10" x 10") available on trademe for this coming week.. thanks for popping in ..e^)

queen of hearts

It's February already and time again to think love and romance... and the symbol of the heart. I had fun preparing this canvas and scattered blue hearts all over it, not knowing what will come of it. So this elongated figure landed on it, in elegant dress with white flowers in her hair.. and she captured all the hearts flying around! One settled on her back like wings... so this queen of hearts can actually fly ;-)

Thanks for visiting my blog, do take a look at my website too, and if you're interested in handmade books, have a look here...

till next time ..e^)

SOLD

poppyana and the blue birds

Poppyana popped in again to say hi, this time wearing three blue birds...

Oil on stretched canvas - 610 x 200 x 35mm which I think is 24" x 8" or so. This is available from trademe for about 10 days, starting bid is $50 but shhhh don't tell Poppy! ..e^)

Poppyana is now..... sold! :-) and going to live in Nelson ..e^)

watercolour seascape

Another painting done as part of the free online watercolour course offered by the Paint Basket.  I loved doing this one, although it's not exactly correct as I simplified and improvised a little.... but hey, that's what it's all about isn't it?  I've always wanted to do watercolours after seeing my sister's watercolour works... she's a genius!  I don't exactly know how I ended up doing oils... oh yes wait, it was a dare from my hubby, yes, that's it. Long time ago.  Then I learnt acrylics - which is still an ongoing love/hate saga... then I tried acrylics using the w/c method.... until now.  You see: I might be a little controlling, okay then, too controlling, with a tendency to fiddle... so oils suit me to a t.... and I just love w/c for the simple fact that they open up again after they'd dried... so I can fiddle some more!  (Although.... tell you a secret: they are wonderful left in their prime state of pure washes - if you've done it right!)

Thanks for popping in and visiting my blog ..e)

Simplifying an image..

..resulted in this watercolour painting.  Done as part of a free online course offered by the Paint Basket.  They're also offering a free course teaching how to paint oil paintings using acrylics - yes, that's right!  So maybe now I will make friends with acrylics??  We'll see...  but do join us if you're feeling creative, it's great inspiration to get you painting ;-)

..and I have to honest, this was my second try - the first one, well, the dog ate it.  Oh yes that's true I don't own a dog... ok then let's just say something happened to it and I can't show it anymore ;-)

Happy day!
..e^)