Decluttering

I lost all the images to my blog due to a glitch somehow. :( It will take me so much time to re-upload them all that I have decided to start a new blog and leave this for what it is. 
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Having just moved houses and still unpacking boxes (sigh) I have decided to start de-cluttering my life both in real life and on line. I am aiming to take at least little steps each and every day towards this goal.....The first step is consolidating the amount of sites I keep. So this particular blog I will end and keep going HERE Thank you all for having been following me on this site and I hope you will come over to the other place :D
(also.....I lost all my images from this blog for some mysterious reason and don't have the time and energy to start putting them all back in the old posts, sorry....)

things just keep happening !

Things haven't been quiet or boring after the mural competition in Katikati (see previous post)  Straight after I had a full week of busy busy kids-school-holiday classes at the studio AND looking for another house for us to call home. Then the new schoolterm started this week with all the regular classes starting (7 all in all and, yes, thanks we found a home, so now we are packing seriously !) 

Last night saw the grand opening of the Incubator in the Historic village 

(you know where I helped painting the Day of the Dead piano a few weeks ago - see post HERE too) I hope the photos will be posted soon, it was awesome ! There was music, drums, fire poi dancing, the place was buzzing !!! My painting "Specimen#14" is in their first exhibition called "Cell division" Check it out !

Today I will be packing a big box of mainly driftwood goodies to go over to my friends workshop gallery "Off the Bench" again for next long weekend 

  which means I need to seriously start making new ones for my own studio/gallery. If you are in NZ and are looking for some, check out the stockists list HERE Also I will be delivering my "Rosalita" to Lightwave Gallery today. She will be part of their Day of the Dead Exhibit (to open Thursday 24th, yes that is next week already !) No rest for the wicked huh ? Will try to keep you all updated with all the latest news, because more is brewing...

a busy week

Mural theme:"cultural encounters"

 What a week ! I learned heaps, it was great ! it was a busy busy week, with lots of interruptions from visitors (we painted live for 5 days) it was hard work to get the mural finished in time and I would have liked another day. I saw the mural different in my mind, so I know for next time. Yes I would do it all again ..... if they'll have me, I'll enter in two years time again. The town of Katikati is wonderful and the people so friendly and welcoming. I was lucky enough to be working in the same space with the winner, a professional scenic painter who of course is very much used to paint large scale and planning her works, something I struggled with. I have only ever done some stage backdrops for schools and although they were bigger, they were so different from this work. I need to learn to plan and break up these kinds of jobs into the set time that is given. As an emotional painter who usually just paints until it feels right to stop, I felt pushed to cut of at the set finishing time. An experience like no other though and that what it all is about too. Onto the next project ! (and I'll be practicing with that paint a little more as well, was allowed to take the leftover pots home)

"We are all beautiful like us"

a wink to my heritage: signature in the windmill

 

resene paint and projects

I seem to be painting quite a bit with Resene paint lately (they are generous sponsors of these kind of projects) First the piano project which was so much fun ! More about this project here at the Incubator's site and a photo album HERE of this amazing project, cannot wait to see them in action ! And now I am painting with this paint again in the Katikati mural contest this week, see the photo album HERE. Needless to say I am rather busy and will make a more elaborate post after this week is over :)

SOUL FOOD - winner

Thanks everybody for leaving a message at my Soul Food post. 

I know I am a little later with this draw than initially planned, life seems to be getting in my way lately, but ....

↓

here are the results of the draw for the FREE spot in the Soul Food workshop...........tadadtadatadatadatadaaaaaaaaaaa..........

I used the random.org number generator and got

> LUCKY NUMBER 1 <

WANDA MILLER 

 

Wanda, make your way to Community Thrive to join :)

Enjoy the workshop 

♥

love is all we need

 When asked if I want to play along with sending a little love around the world, somewhere in the world, I can never say no. I received this little heart puzzle with an address of a person I don't know. For me to paint/decorate to my liking, so I thought it would be cool to do a double sided one, so the recipient can have 2 little tiny challenges and two sides to look. It's flying now, on it's merry way, to bring a little arty love somewhere else. Hope it arrives soon ♥

Now you all know I like the traveling art idea, I currently host the 2013 TAP (the traveling art project) and there are 3 canvasses flying all around the globe stopping here and there to receive a little art input. For next year there already is a TAP 2014 set up at the Trodden Path. Free to sign up, so if it sounds like something for you too, come over and join !

SEE ME - NEW YORK !

This week I received an email saying : " Congratulations on being included in the upcoming See|Me - Creatives Rising show! Your work will be featured in New York City on October 5th along with other inspiring artists from around the globe in an exciting display of art. In the coming weeks, we will be sending you more information about the event" ooooohhh, I'm so excited ! Anybody in New York that can take a quick photo on the 5th of October ? 

Because I will still be painting the mural for the Katikati Mural contest of course no rest for the wicked I guess....;) I also finished painting on the Day of the Dead piano at the Incubator this week, it just needs a metal skeleton hand now to hold the guitar ;) Cool project !

 

A very special sign

what a glorious sunny day today when I installed this very special sign in a most idyllic spot called "Angels Rest"

it was a pleasure to be chosen to work on such a fulfilling commission 

more images of this sign in the making are on my facebook page, just click on the top or bottom photo for a direct link.

Soul Food Interview

SOUL FOOD

the

Chefs interview with me

This is so exciting !!!! I am one of the sous chefs in this upcoming AMAZING new on-line workshop collective, so ........click the pic to read the interview and:

♥

Starting today until 6am Saturday (my time =  GMT+12), September 14, I am having a GIVEAWAY for one free spot in the Soul Food class!

Just leave a comment on this blog post and tell me what is YOUR Soul Food ? The winner will be chosen by the online random number generator, and I’ll announce who’ll be joining us at the Soul Food table in the weekend. I know you want to be part of this ! (don’t forget to include a contact email so I can get in touch with you if you win!) Good Luck !!! xx

Painting Pianos

 Last weekend I have been busy Painting Pianos {well one of 4 pianos} 

In the Historic Village where I have my studio 'Young at Art', I have some new arty neighbours in the big red barn. They're called 'the Incubator' {awesome name he?} it's an artist collective set up as a charitable trust by some of local my artist buddies Simone Anderson and sculptor Lisa Meehan  The first community project in the barn is these pianos. They are going to be part of the Tauranga Arts Festival in October {or they might be used a little earlier as well} There are 4 pianos: 

  a Jackson Pollock style one

 

one inked up with tattoos

one will be yarnbombed

 and the one I worked on is the day of the Dead one. 

On Saturday I started the Burtonesque tree on the back of the piano 

and on Sunday after working on the tree some more...

 I started La Catrina on the side. It's still a work-in-progress, to be continued..... in the mean time......there are loads of photos made during these two days by different people and if you are on Facebook, come check them out.

Soul Food-Early Bird

Blogged about this also last month, you know I am part of this exciting on-line workshop WITH delicious family/kitchen secrets and recipes from the artists teachers ;) Oooooh this is going to be so scrumptious, you shouldn't miss it ! And the early bird special ends 31st August, so this is the last day and I thought to post this as a little reminder..........don't delay..........

SIGN UP NOW !

 

Class runs from December 30, 2013, through June 30, 2014.
You can enjoy unlimited access to all class material through December 31, 2014.

Get your early bird deal now, it's the last day !!

Purchase your spot in SOUL FOOD:
REGULAR PRICE: $125 USD 

EARLY BIRD PRICE UNTIL August 31, 2013: $99 USD
click this ↑ link to Jeanette's page with PayPal button :)

What’s it all about?

Meet the SOUL FOOD Faculty:


What else is on offer?
SOUL FOOD participants can enter monthly giveaways!
There will be prizes from each of our fabulous sponsors:


Purchase your spot in SOUL FOOD:
REGULAR PRICE: $125 USD 
EARLY BIRD PRICE UNTIL August 31, 2013: $99 USD  
SOUL FOOD FAQs:
For more information, have a look here.

Pigs Fly !

PIGS DO FLY !

with a hand-stamped and aged metal tag

 box with medium sized metal alphabet stamps

Finished this box just yesterday, but didn't get a chance to share it yet. Then today the tag even makes sense ! I heard that the design I entered for the mural contest got selected as one of the 6 finalists ! This is a bi-annual festival in the "mural town" of Katikati, so I feel like I am flying too.

you can click on the images ↓ for more info....oooh I am so excited !

 

Dare to be Free

'Dare to be free' - oil on canvas 12 inch square

This painting is a play with my oils and a semi-abstract idea. Also there is a dried flower made golden and Sgraffito. Finished the top of the painting with a cold wax protective layer that encapsules the flower at the same time.

at Peace

 I have been playing a little bit with my Fresco techniques again. There are still a couple in progress in the studio, but this one I finished yesterday. She is a Madonna inspired iconic portrait in true Fresco on linen stretched on cradled board. There is gold leaf in the halo, I made the sides look aged with my faux verdigris/patina combination and finished her with a cold wax protective layer

she is available here 

learn Fresco with me here

The declaration of you - TRUST

This blog post is in support of a new book by Michelle Ward and Jessica Swift called The Declaration of You. The Declaration of You will be published by North Light Craft Books this summer, with readers getting all the permission they’ve craved to step passionately into their lives, discover how they and their gifts are unique and uncover what they are meant to do! This post is part of The Declaration of You’s BlogLovin’ Tour, which I’m thrilled to participate in alongside over 100 other creative bloggers. Learn more — and join us! – by clicking here.

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trust [truhst] 

noun

1.

reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.

2.

confident expectation of something; hope.

- a journal entry form a few years ago -

 

Trust
Such a small word with such a BIG meaning.

Trust is something that comes so hard to me, trusting my creations that is. I always do everything, take on everything, work hard and make things work, and then I start questioning myself, not trusting myself..........self-doubt kicks in, not trusting my initial decision. Trust that what I had decided to do or to make or to create is okay, is enough, is worthy. It seems a quest I am on each and every day. As an artist every day I start to paint means every day I battle the same trust issue, I need to trust my brushstrokes. I need to get into a meditative state and once in that zone, I do trust and this feels wonderful. Then once the work is finished, the trust is often no longer there, because I fear the comments. The funny thing is that in the case of trusting others {which can also be very hard -after being let down, surprised at unexpected moments by others I thought were trustworthy-} I learned to trust only myself and a selective few close to me. So yes I know how to trust myself as a person and I believe myself to be a very trustworthy person to others. Trusting my own creations is something I need to keep working on though. So writing this post is possibly very good for me to realize this and deal with it better. Referring to my first image I posted here, I do trust there are guardian Angels. Especially after having been right in the midst of the big quakes on 21/02/11 and through thousands of earthquakes and aftershocks in Christchurch (2010 / 2011) I feel more than ever I can trust those Angels, maybe that's also why I started making them ? {Angels at my table}

Worship - detail

☼