What whale?

Few people know that last year in Raglan I had the most mind blowing encounter with a young orca whale. I love Raglan to bits and photograph everything but this time I thought I'll leave the camera and soak up what this place is all about and really SEE it…

The boys, Muzz and jack were building in the dunes, I walked along the waterline edge into the inner harbour. Felt so at peace and one with everything. I was actively scanning the waves,   crossing my mind how I'm always too busy to notice,  at that exact second I see a fin.
Then again closer, next he comes up a third time right by me. Its a small teenage orca eyeballing me, so close, the water falls away deep in the channel, me with my toes on the edge, he a few feet away.

We just look at each other for the longest time then he moves off, I look around to see if atone else has seen and next thing he has turned around and come back so I walk, he swims along together… 

Then as the others start to run down the dunes he picks up speed and moves off still next to me but pulling away, I look beyond my friend the whale and see a large Orca and infant beside her across the harbour, his family…. my family join me and they can't believe what they saw. I felt like he sought me out, it was the most intense incredible experience.
It was such a spiritual moment it is hard to explain in words, I have been reluctant to paint about it but slowly these paintings are evolving. They need to convey that tranquility and peace.
 I felt chosen and so full of love.
If you observe carefully you will see my orca appear quietly in paintings,  he is always with me and I often hold my greenstone whale tail and remember that day.

Perhaps that's the Artist's job

I actively seek the joy in each day, do you? After being il for such
 a long time I had to learn to see again. My partner would say
I miss you saying "Look at that Tree"
But with all the drugs from chemo I stopped noticing. Wow life was so flat.
It has been the flowers and birds that have brought me back. Just to sit for a short time and quietly watch. Yesterday two rosellas flew into the tree in my garden in front of me, your heart lifts with joy.
Then last night a Tui was doing aerobatics from tree to tree, dropping suddenly, soaring, turning, just fabulous, so wonderful a sight.
Plants thriving in the greenhouse are uplifting too. So exciting to see the cucumber attaching itself to the tamarin and clambering skyward.
It made me think about the early days, at 20 I painted in oils and choice of subject was usually flowers and seedpods. Right in close, magnified view, vibrant and clashing colour combinations. Seeing nature as no one sees it. Perhaps that's the artists job to help others to notice the beauty round them. To see through our eyes. I  constantly seek a tree or a small scene I have never noticed and think Van Gogh would have painted that.

What do you know….

Lots going on at the moment, busy, busy but a good kinda busy. I have my own Art Calenders out and they have come up beautiful. Very impressed with the printing, you can see the textured surface on the Paintings clear as day. Its got nearly all new work from this year. Really people can get a lot of Art here for $25, frame their favourites, bang them on the wall.

I love Art Calendars and always buy the latest one, keeping them for years for the pictures, could be the colour combination and feeling I am currently exploring. A dream of mine was to one day be in one of those calendars and lo and behold you can just print your own.

Some dreams are so easily sorted!

What's kinda cool is they are my images so I can use prints of sold paintings ,so others get to see and share the pieces that have been snapped up. And oh boy its been a steady year of sales…

So if you're keen to get a 2015 edition they are available from Helensville Art Centre, Discover me website or direct from the Artist, cheaper too!

Or wait for next year when it'll only get better. hee hee

"I see Red"

"I see Red"
Definitely how I feel today. Have had surgery done on my nose and lets just say there has been a lot of blood. Had acute sinusitis and allergies for 12 years, so fantastic that I am sorting that out at last.
As an expressionist I paint how I feel not just what I see.
So this Painting," I see Red"was finished earlier this year but I didn't exhibit it with the Life is But a Dream series as it was so intense and full of emotion. I was annoyed how I couldn't think, focus or     paint with the sinus headache and then realised, why not paint how IT feels…                                                      
Being one to always look at the positive I thought of all the things that were red beside pain, anger, or  aggression. So this is that Painting, there is the road full of Autumn colour and the glorious beauty of red. Its good for the Artist to paint about all sides of life, not just the nice. What does pain look like? grief? loneliness? I enjoy exploring and expressing in colour life's full plate.
Funnily enough its a green palette I am working with today but thats another story…..

Yellow is most definitely My colour just now...Beautiful, Positive and Vibrant.

First I received word I have been accepted into the New Art Awards,

a national Competition and selection exhibition ,

with my Painting, "Dappled Light" 

A Painting with a full yellow sky inspired by the white villa on

 Stanmore Bay beach and Van Gogh's use of yellow.

What else says Sunshine more than a complete sky of glorious YELLOW!

So next thing I hear from a new website I have my work listed on.

www.discoverme.co.nz  I have sold a Painting "Sunshine and Birds"

With, you guessed it, the second Painting I have ever done with a full yellow sky…

Its exciting to see a email and find someone in Palmerston North at 10pm on Sunday 

needed your Art at their house.

So we just need that yellow dress I ordered, in chiffon, in 5o's style to turn up in a parcel to complete my vibrant slash of that delicious bright primary colour. This week yellow but next week who knows where my mood will lead me...

"Best view , Best feeling..."

Sitting in the studio, looking out at the best view a studio ever had I reckon. Used to be a small unused deck once but Muzz closed it in and put these huge expensive windows in, it takes up two thirds of the wall . So its a small intimate space, great light and hey, no one else can fit but me! Its cool I am near everyone but tucked away. If visitors came they could miss the fact I'm even here. Can shut the ranch slider and its real quiet too. Though usually I have the Pink Floyd blasting…
 its a good day, have finished and entered the  Art Awards and now the best feeling an open slate…

Got a sweet textured surface there on one side or some nice gessoed driftwood to have a play with...

Queen for the Day

September nearly gone already, exhibitions at Helensville and the Estuary finishing Sunday.

School holidays now here too, that's me too as a teacher. So lovely to get up and Paint…

oh!I do that already! Yes, I am lucky as only Jack left at home so its all quiet as. I don't work until 10.30 and just 4 days a week so I paint with that lovely morning energy before I go in. Will post a pic of  today's wave Painting, capturing the movement rather than the light…

Then I go in to kindergarten and do all my cool Art projects there and my sustainable Enviro school stuff. I have a Wild flower garden, recycled bottle bird feeders we fill, worm farm, orchard, bug hotel , driftwood Art and we are making a birdbath out of recycled china...

So going to work is wonderful, yesterday I even got to dress as a Queen for a Cupcake day…

Ha! Ha! Should post a photo of that!

"Wet and Wonderful"

I love days like this, just a free day ahead of me, lots of painting, creating and cooking….
Tomorrow I am teaching a workshop at The Estuary Art centre, first since 2010. bit of a landmark.
Didn't think I would share my perspective on Art in this way again. but the lovely Helensville Art centre asked me do to some. They are such non judgemental cool people to work with. That lead to joining Art Kiapara and current exhibition. Workshops booked for October.
Called into Estuary to participate in exciting puppet workshops and all the fun. Hence an enquiry to do a workshop there on the 21st. Sept.
 Have been squirrelling away since and building up my Art boxes so I guess i was keener than I thought! ... its kinda nice to unfold these last bits that have been dormant since my illness and reope parts of me, I do love to inspire and encourage others to play...