For the month of July, the Unlimited Palette art group are showing their varied and colourful artworks in the window of a large empty shop in the main street of Waihi. This work ” Tidal Forest” is collage on board, and framed but not glassed. There are another 50 or so paintings in the show, something for everyone’s taste and pocket. Sometimes it’s who you know not what you know that gives you a chance to do something different.
Working on Canvas
I bought a long palette knife to play with and this is my first attempt using it. Kind of like buttering bread, and the ‘give’ of the canvas makes for unpredictable marks
The sky, the earth and the layers beneath.
This piece now available at Thames Art Gallery, on the coast road to Coromandel town
Nature is the artist here
The circle of life is a symbol of great hope.
Fallen leaves from the gingko trees are all about, making a carpet of gold on the ground in autumn. Such beauty. Nature is the artist with a magic touch.
Out in the cool breeze
Yesterday six of us sat out in the cool breeze of an autumn morning to paint and draw at the local Beach. It was sunny but not warm. After an hour and a half we retreated to the local coffee shop for a well earned warming drink.
If what they say is true, this view could well be a thing of the past when climate change begins to bite. These homes will be the first to feel the effects of rising sea levels.
This 6″ x 4″ drawing was done with a BIC 0.7mm pencil, a Pitt fibre pen and a bit of graphite. I do see the possibility of a further, larger abstracted painting coming from this at a later stage.
Seeing the Sights
Been away down south visiting museums and galleries, family and friends. Much to be enjoyed including a ‘bucket list’ trip to Stewart Island – well worth the bumpy island hop in a light plane.
Time now to get back into making my own art, preparing the garden for a rest and settling in for autumn and winter. A good place to be at. More soon……………..
En Plein Air
Today our group of artist friends ventured out into the Waterlily Gardens to draw and paint. Here is one of my two pieces – on A5, 110 gsm paper using a black Pitt artist pen, an extra fine .03 Faber Castell ink pen, and light washes from my watercolour pencils. Water from my drink bottle, not the lily pond which we sat beside. This sketch took 40 minutes approx.
This was mid-morning on an overcast and humid day so not many shadows to deal with. And because the sun was not shining, the waterlilys were not showing their faces.
I’m reasonably happy with this result as I generally don’t do realistic landscapes. Perhaps I could work up an impressionistic piece from this, time will tell.
Drawing ‘clarifies the essence’
My interest in drawing and sketching has been re-ignited, and it seems to be something I can manage for the moment. I will be going out with a group of fellow sketchers, to different locations, in order to capture the feel of summer into autumn, en plein air. Stately gardens, old industrial sites, rocky foreshore and placid inner harbour will all be visited. Apart from the paraphenalia which needs to be carried, the other important requisites are cafe close by, toilets, and ‘local’ water. A pond, a puddle, a fountain….whatever.
My preference is for buildings in the landscape, but I will endeavour to produce something from each location, which may lead to a larger painting at some later stage.
A Day with the Beeart Man
Recently we took a short road trip to visit Ron Hall – ronhall.co.nz who assembles composite 3D art pieces out of recycled beehives. Such time- consuming and dirty work, and skill involved to produce the mostly abstract assemblages, which are a celebration of “the unexpected beauty and cultural traces, that are found in industrial waste.”
Ron gave us several hours of his time. Our visit coincided with him having finished a large number of pieces for an upcoming one-man exhibition in Wellington New Zealand. We toured his large workspace, which ranged over two levels. Lots of room, plenty of light and untold areas filled with machinery for grinding, cutting and welding. A gloriously dirty place where highly structured objects are made.
I do enjoy the look of plenty of texture which in this case is a natural by product of the many layers of repaint that have occurred over time.
Thank you Ron for an informative, enjoyable and fun day out.
Looking back and…………………….what’s next ?
From time to time our group comes up with a “challenge” – a project to stretch the imagination and make us smile. Everyone has a different take on how this will be done. In October last year the challenge was ‘chairs’ and this is how mine ended up, a concertina fold of heavy paper with collaged pics of chairs and little sayings to go with them. It was a fun thing to do.
Next Saturday 16th Feb. Unlimited Palette will be having a Pop – Up show and sale of art in the United Churches Hall in the Waihi Beach Village, 10 am – 4 pm. Five artists presenting their varied styles of work in watercolour, acrylic, mixed media, printmaking and calligraphy. Paintings, handmade journals, cards, prints and quirky signs will all be available.
If You Missed It……..
- our Open Studio 2-day event was well patronised at Anniversary Weekend. It’s a relaxed way to catch up with friends, and for people who would not normally think of going to a Gallery or Art Museum, to put aside the fear and come and chat with the artists, see how they work, and maybe purchase a piece of art that ‘speaks to them’. Our days were restful and enjoyable, sales were a bonus. Thank you to my U-P ladies for a well organised show.
- the next Pop-Up sale for the Unlimited Palette group will be one day only at the Church Hall in the Waihi Beach village in Wilson Road on Saturday February 16th 2019.