Raging Redbows and Rainstrings

Today was the opening of the exhibit "Raging Redbows and Rainstrings" at Lightwave Gallery in Totara Street - Mount Maunganui

Jenny and I spent almost 2 days this week setting it all up , hanging about 140 pieces of artworks made during this term in the artclasses by 50 cool kids from Tauranga and Mount Maunganui. We were excited to see how they would react to seeing their work in a proper gallery setting amongst artworks by established local artists. We were blessed, they were so proud, they were so happy, there were so many that came, with parents, grandparents, siblings, family and friends. Theses kids did such a great job creating all these works of art with our encouragement. They are all such an intricate part of the whole exhibition, it made us feel proud as their teachers. Here are some shots of the exhibit, you can see more here on the Facebook page (just click)   

Warm fuzzies

One of the projects we made at the school

the bunch of letters, treasures each and everyone !

 So apart from teaching 4 kids art classes a week at the moment (which is very exciting, because their art is going to be exhibited in a little over a week, eeeeeeeee!) I also helped out at the local Primary School for the last 6 weeks. We had so much fun and made 3 different projects (will post some more pics on my school site HERE soon) Now just helping and seeing these kids enjoy art is enough for me, but then I got this surprise. I received a bulging envelope with all their thank you letters inside. Every single one thanking me for the confidence I gave them creating and that they never knew they could be this good and some now want to become an artist when they grow up. This just gave me warm fuzzies allover. 'cause that's what it's all about for me that I can inspire them and that they will say " because of you I didn't give up" I am Artist of the Month at Community Thrive (an artist community where some exciting things are about to happen as well...and I'll be a little part in that too, woohoooo !) and in the interview there I speak about being this inspiration for others as well. If you have a moment you can follow all the links I have put in this post. 
But above all else : Keep making Art !!!!!!

Take a ride - wips and then some -

I am surrounded by "wips" (works in progress) It actually is the way I like to work, it inspires me and it pushes me at the same time. Sometimes it punishes me and smacks me right there too yes. I am also a master at procrastination, but I also never leave loose ends. This here now for me is a time for finishing these wips that clutter my peripheral vision now, I need to have a clear start for something else that is brewing again ('cause I also always have things bubbling, brewing and growing) So I have been making loads of stuff, for the gallery/studio, for the different classes I teach and just to quench all kinds of personal thirsts. So I will share these with y'all, spread over a few different posts, otherwise they become so looooong ...and personally, I find very extended posts harder to read. Anyway.....here is some stuff I finished lately: My gal, my muse, if you have followed me a while, you know my connection with her, my alter ego : ...
Pippi - on her bike, I call it "Take a Ride"

 started her on top of an ugly old painting of mine by collaging papers

 one of the pieces read "Dutch Bikes - Omafiets" so it had to turn into something on a bike

All together now

So this is my All Together Now post and I am the proverbial white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland * I'm LATE I'm LATE I'm LATE !

So, I should be bragging about myself ? Well this is a wonderful start then isn't it ? I am uhmmm, I am  uhmmmm {hear me stuttering with shame}, I am .......{bright light of revelation!} ... Always FULL of ideas and inspiration !.... and therefor I get LOST or LATE with things, I never forget though, so I always come clean on promiseses and I always finish what I start, ..... it sometimes just gets delayed, in transit, left on the backburner for a bit.... whatever you want to call it. So, oh yes, the BRAGGING: I am wonderful of course, I guess I am proud of myself for always keeping going,  I will fall flat on my face and crawl up again and then I will trip and crash and get hurt again and ....you get it ....I will crawl up again and again and again. I feel a little like Katniss in that way, yeah, you guessed right, I just finished the Hunger Games book 1 {I gave up one evening this week to read it, because I needed to see if I could take my son and his friends to see the movie for his Birthday.....no, they're too young} So that's also the reason I am late with this post, I had to organise this Birthday party, the cake, the sleepover {house full of 11 year old boys now} etc. etc. So yeah, I started a new life yet again {if you wish, you can read about that page in my black book here} and so far I think I am on the right track this time, it means putting in lots of hours for very little at this stage, but at least I am doing something I love and that makes it all good. For those of you that don't know yet {really ? after all that I have been posting on this blog ?} I am a Mixed media artist, designer, teacher, gallery/studio owner now too and a mother of two incredibly cute kids {I love them to bits} and I have a partner-in-crime that is forever on my side {how lucky is that ?} No we never got married, because we preferred to spend our money on travels around the world and admit it, "living-in-sin" is so much more exciting, ha! Find out more about my new studio/gallery and what I do to make a living {here} Find out more about my collection of works {here} and if you like to be in to win this gorgeous give away {I have this handmade and handpainted journal, thought since I just had my nose deep in one, a book would be fitting}, leave a little comment, follow my blog, follow my FB page, I am everywhere. Gotta thank the www.
Have a great party, Yeah !!!!!!! 

just a bit of journaling

I have just been journaling a bit, getting some thoughts out and started some classes in the studio too.

More to post this weekend :)

Gone Wild - GRRRR

Jambo !

Quite a few years ago now (ahem,do we really need to know when ?) Anyway, I was so lucky to take this wonderful camping trip to East Africa! Amongst other wild things, we made amazing photos and I had one of the oh-so good, wild times of my life (yeah I had more than one :)

Then aftwerwards, I made some wildlife pastel drawings for my sister (of course I never made any drawings for myself back then) Now when Cameron was posting all those wildlife images she was doing as part of her Drawing Lab excersizes, I thought I had to go find those photographs I made of those pastel works for myself, and I just did ! So here I am sharing my Black Rhino and the Blue Velvet Monkey portrait. At the moment my little studio shop is driving me wild ! (in a good way though, hehe) First I had the Jazz Festival to paint for like a mad woman and now I am running these holiday programs for kids, so this week I don't get to paint or draw much for myself ....grrr, so it's good to be able to share some old wild stuff with you all then, enjoy ;)

 Kwaheri !

Getting Ready

This Pippi is working like Rumpelstiltskin at the moment 

and almost exploding with things to show....

just a little while longer, long days and all-nighters ....

The Magic will happen, from straw gold will glow !

 - Soon -

♥