I don’t find myself heading north very often, but found myself at 7am today on this beautiful beach at Urenui, half an hour from my home town. It was calm and the sun had just appeared and I was in awe of the reflections and the rock formations. I felt inspired for the first time in quite a while and that was a great feeling. .
Firstly, I have to say…this is not my image, but my son’s.”Upside down moon” is its title I believe. I have posted this, as for the first time ever, I have no new photos or art to share with you. My camera has been collecting dust over the past few months as I have been focused on completing some study and family priorities which have consumed me recently.
So, here I am, in nearly March and not one single blog, photo or art to share…not that I haven’t been thinking about it all…I have the application for the Lysaght Watt Trust Art Award for this year and am close to a decision on a piece to enter..imagine winning twice!!! It is an interesting theme too, being “Yin Yang” which has me thinking about the endless flow between light and dark, solid and fluid, old and new, good and evil, morning and evening, hard and soft, masculine and feminine and the other Yin Yang examples found in nature and around us and also in us….two opposite and opposing forces at play…
I am thinking also of another GARDEN Art Exhibition this year (after our great review last year) and also a photographic exhibition of Taranaki photographers… and I dream to enter a portrait competition and also of having an exhibition of my Italian photos and setting up a real physical art support group too – to share ideas and support each other, even more than we do now……so many ideas. Maybe I just needed some creative down time over recent months to re-emerge stronger, more creative and inspired than ever before? The balance of creative forces in my own body and mind and heart are shifting again and I feel a re-awakening happening…
May March bring you joy and creative inspiration also.
Well 2016 has been and gone and it seems timely to reflect a little on what was great about it before launching into 2017 plans and goals. So here are my top 3 highlights for 2016.
The absolute highlight of 2016 was winning the prestigious Lysaght Watt Trust Art Award for 2016 with my photograph “Daily life: Under the Eiffel Tower”. This is my absolute proudest moment as a photographer and artist.
Another highlight this year was participating in the Taranaki Arts Trail and having my gallery/studio open this year at home…with my photograph “The Rejection of Ariadne” displayed under the Taranaki Arts Trail signage at the Gallery profiling all the artists.
Finally my third top highlight was organising and participating in “GARDEN – An ART Exhibition” which involved over 20 distinct and talented Taranaki Artists and showcased a wide variety of artistic talent from drawing to sculpture to fibre work and pottery, all with a garden theme, and was on display during Taranaki region’s Garden Festivals in late October/November this year. I was extremely happy with my own entry – a photograph printed on linen.. Botanical Beauty.
So, all in all a really great year. I had other goals this year…a new book, a new improved website, but they didn’t quite happen…watch out 2017! It’s going to be busy….
ps.. “The Fantail Collection” of my curated collection of original vintage NZ art and collectables is also awaiting a new separate website so I can share my love of original NZ art in its own space…2017 is going to be very busy!
So, watch this space…its going to be another busy year this year and I hope that you also have some big plans and dreams to make 2017 the best year ever!
There was something about the light this morning that made the mountain seem especially majestic. What an incredible sight to behold while going about the morning’s chores…enough to make you just pause and consider the incredible thing that is nature.
Today I was on a very well traversed road and from under a cloud of fog and ending a weekend of sleety flurries, icy winds and rain… emerged this! Stunning….
It was a wild and windy day today and down by the Port the rain was horizontal. Bleak and blustery. But I smiled when I saw the word painted on the breakwater.
The sun was there. A large gold orb floating just above the horizon. Then, seemingly in an instance, it was almost gone, leaving in its wake, a spectacular sky of pinks, blues and purples. The blackest silhouette of winter trees remained momentarily as the golden orb sank fully into the sea beyond the horizon. What an incredibly sight on a mid-winter’s evening.
It is definitely fall here. Or autumn as we call it where I live. I spotted this tree covered in resplendent red leaves and was taken by the intense colour against the grey sky and branches….simply sublime!
Like three sisters…these three paintings are genetically similar. ..same canvas, same paint pallet, same creator… but each is in individual, unique and has its own strengths and weaknesses …the same but different.
It feels good to be painting again after a bit of a quiet period as I have focused on photography and writing. I have missed it. I have attached a close up shot of one of the paintings too…so you can see the pinks and indigo and whites…colours of my favourite black sand beach at sunset. Enjoy!
A new painting. Titled “The weight of water”
Inspired by the black sand, the blue sea and the light shifting on both, where I live.
I hope you like it.
Some close up images below….
Black Box Art Studio 
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