Studio sale and NZPPA Finalist

The most exciting news of my week is that I have been confirmed a finalist in the New Zealand Painting and Printmaking AWARDS (NZPPA) for 2017. If I said I was delighted, you would have to know thats an understatement.The rumours of a small jig and a pop of a cork were not untrue.

Now, whilst digesting THAT news I have also been cleaning out the studio in anticipation of my open studio and sale tomorrow. That contained more dustballs and dead flies than I was truly comfortable with, but it is done.

I have old work and new work, big and small, framed and unframed, studio and plein air. LOTS OF WORK!

I only open my studio once a year and this year I am doing so in conjunction with my glassmaker partner in crime, Di Tocker. Di's studio is just 10 minutes drive in Ohaupo.

No eftpos, but banks transfer , cash and diamonds accepted as currency.(no, not diamonds, really)

158/2 Gillard road
Ngahinapouri
 10 am till 4 pm
Saturday 10 December
Sunday by appointment(txt me 0274534307)

Studio sale

I have decided to join forces with Di Tocker, the glassmaker, and have a studio sale 10 December.

Di's studio is in Ohaupo, not 10 minutes drive from my studio in Ngahinapouri. We had a very successful exhibition earlier this year at Soul Gallery in Hamilton

We will be opening both our studios from 10 am till 4 pm . The studio will only be open by appointment on the sunday.

I will have paintings, small works, studies, work unframed and framed, older pieces and some works on paper available.

Please pop in and say hi. I only open my studio once a year ( because it takes that long for me to tidy up my mess !) and only have one sale a year. It is also a great opportunity to talk to the artists and find out the stories behind the works, insight in the process and practises and information on upcoming events in 2017.

WHEN: 10 DECEMBER
WHERE: 158/2 GILLARD ROAD, NGAHINAPOURI, HAMILTON
TIME: 10 AM TILL 4 PM

Sunday by appointment. phone 0274534307

Di Tocker Studio

11 Charles Edwards Street, Ohaupo
same times as above.

Hey, Christchurch!

My Dunedin Gallery, Gallery De Novo, are visiting Christchurch with a pop-up exhibition.....and I am in it!

Only for this weekend, 29&30 October at The Tannery.

Go on.

Church, washing line and dairy factory

Titling paintings is hard work.

Oil on board

40 x 120 cm

Church, washing line and dairy factory

Naming a painting, giving it a title, can be the saviour or the death of said painting.  I know of an instance when someone bought my painting because she thought the title was good.  So , conversely, someone might have chosen NOT to buy a painting because of a title. See where the dread sets in?

I almost called this "The Washing line between" I may still yet.

Here are the others I was mulling over.

Are we there yet?
Rural/urban
Blue sky driving
The road out of town/the road into town

I would be delighted if you commented and left your own thoughts on the above titles. Feel free to suggest an alternative title.

Lets go for a walk.

Ideas come from all places in my life, but they often start with a walk.........

Life imitating art

I painted this and then a few days, the skies looked like this.

 See what I did there?

I am a bit scared to paint the fire paintings, now........

First I painted this....

..then this happened.

And the moral of the story is....

Yesterday, I experienced a situation in the studio .

But first, let me set the scene: sunday morning, helpful husband has taken fractious teen and tween out mountain biking with the express purpose of leaving me free to paint. I am alone and ready to paint. I'm in my happy place. If allowed, I would have squealed. I know I was humming.Life was good.

Before I start, I decided to loosen up by priming some panels that need their last coat of gesso. Gesso, for those gesso-virgins amongst you, is a paint -like material that is binder, chalk, gypsum and pigment and is used to prime canvas and /or boards before painting them.It dries fast and is opaque. This stuff covers well. If I gessoed them, they would be ready for paint in a few days time.Perfect timing.

I picked up the pot of gesso by the screw lid, turned towards the panels .......and in doing so, the lid came off and the pot of paint sailed through the air, angling to the left like an cliff diver attempting a dangerous twist before plunging into the sea, hit the concrete floor and distributed half the contents of the pot in an arc of destruction. The angle of distribution was directly towards the large cabinet that holds all my completed, framed works. It also houses the corner where I lean large canvasses against the wall to dry. The area was crowded with works like a train station at thanksgiving or Durban beach on boxing day. Standing room only.

People. It was chaos. My world went very dark, very quickly. I had to prioritise. I grabbed the phone and took a few photos in case I needed to claim on insurance, then I dashed off to fill  buckets with water and grabbed rags. I came back and triaged the room.  Carnage.

1. completed works and framed works
2. works in progress
3. equipment hit in line of fire
4. furniture
5. floors and walls
6. carpet
7. me

It felt like it took forever.  It felt like the paint multiplied in volume the longer it lay arounds. The splatter range made me wonder if the tub of gesso had had a pulse. Have you any idea how far paint can splatter?! It beggars belief, but let me just say, FUCKING FAR!!!

It did hit a lot of paintings and I did have to scrub it off. I hope I saved them all. The varnished ones were easy, but the ones in progress were not as lucky. Funnily enough, one splatter pattern on a landscape did give me an idea. I was too annoyed at the time to be grateful, but I did file it away in my pissed off little brain for later.

And yes, dear ones, it was my own fault for not having screwed the lid on the gesso pot the previous day. Lesson learned.

My hair still has gesso in it. At least it blends with the grey .

The moral of the story is: put the lid back on the tub and be grateful for lessons learned when the lid comes off. Silver linings and all that.

Stalking new sites and weighing the distance

I went painting plein air at the old Matangi Dairy Factory on a sunny sunday afternoon . It's an historical site because it is no longer used for it's original purpose and the buildings are from 1800's. In New Zealand, with earthquakes etc, any building older than 100 years is a miraculous find!

I have been here before and it intrigues me because it's unusual and I have access to it. Most unusual building are behind fences with notices telling me to disappear and not to try and sneak in .(The railway yard is notorious). I had previously asked the owner if I may return and paint and he agreed( rather bemusedly) and I took him at his word.

Anyway, I went, painted and took photos and scouted for my next painting. Frankly, I could paint 100 paintings here. I do, however, have to close the gap between my incompetence in rendering architectural and engineering shapes and my competence with the idea.  That gap is both
the fun and frustrating part. It may well take me in excess of 100 paintings before I feel I have it dialled. It does, however, require me to do some serious drawing and think about design a bit more, so that's the challenge.

See what I mean? Oddly intriguing. 

Sorry, I almost left.

I almost left, sorry.

I was going to sneak away in the night, not say goodbye and just start a new blog. Just like that. After 9 or so years of writing this blog, I was not sure I WAS a distracted painter anymore . I felt a shift in my thinking about the blog, my work etc etc. I was slightly embarrassed that I had been as bad as some of my earlier works and that there is evidence thereof. And then I had another shift in thinking . What the hell kind of message does that send when you are embarrassed by your  work and not celebrating in your improvement?! I am aware that one day (when hell freezes over ) my kids might read this blog and take that on board. I would never want them to think that way, so how could I act that way.

The shift is still there. I feel different about my work, it definitely consumes me ( I should start a blog called "The Distracted Mother" !Ha!) and I am no longer distracted, instead incredibly focussed. I have never been more focussed on anything in my life before. So, instead of a break, I consider the last few months a hiatus.

Sorry I almost left without saying goodbye or leaving a forwarding address. I'm back now.

And can you tell it's spring?

Workshop planning

I took a trip to Stellenbosch , South Africa, to attend my 30th school reunion. I shall not bore you with the details but I had a blast and thoroughly enjoyed my nostalgic weekend.  But my trip was not only to connect, it was to include  painting and some workshop planning.

Whilst there, I scouted a venue and locations for a plein air workshop that I intend to offer 19-22 November 2016. The location is the rather gorgeous town of Riebeeck-Kasteel in the Swartland, the grain fields and vineyards an hour or so north of Cape Town. Details will follow, but I intend to teach the basics of plein air painting, how to edit scenes, work with limited palettes, composition and even paint a nocturne!!! I have a program that will cover 4 days( and nights!) of painting and perhaps some morning yoga too, if I can convince my local yogi to join us! (Yoga is totally optional but recommended!!) The final day will see local artist and plein air painter, Jenny Parsons, hold a masterclass. She will impart her wisdom, shortcuts and insights into the immensely rewarding and pleasurable art of plein air painting.

Anyway, I painted as much as I could and came home with several studies and a sketchbook full of notes and scribbles, thumbnails and a camera full of photos. My studio in south africa is very much a compact one but I seem to add equipment to it each time I return...brushes, paint, canvas, squeegees, varnish....next time I will leave an easel there!

Although I am not teaching plein air regularly on a tuesday this term( it's just too wet to guarantee much painting....I seem to be the only keen person to stand in the rain, painting!) , I will hold a weekend workshop at a location that has some indoor/ shelter available. It can't all be a sufferfest!!! I will let you know when I have the date and venue squared up on that one too.

This is very much a WATCH THIS SPACE post, I realise. I think you could call me a paint-tease.

Small study of the N2 to Cape Town

I delivered this to it's new owner!

The Plein air work of Jenny Parsons in the gorgeous Riebeeck Kasteel Gallery

The front verandah of the hotel! Gin and tonic, anyone?

sketches.....

......and studies

.. some freaky stuff I saw in a backyard on a walk.....

...more 

yawn......

interacting with some public sculpture...

..finding some commonality....

more painting...The Occupation: Story of an African Farm