Affirmation Art

Scratching my creative itch

2012-01-25T18:08:00.002+13:00

Sometimes I just have to do something - anything just to be standing at the table and creating. I thought that I would make a back ground to paint on, something random as they seem to work best. I started tearing up bits of citrasolved National Geographics. Then I found myself tearing other images then cutting out was what I wanted to do. The only deal, I don't choose, I just grab and any image I pick up I have to use somehow. I have a huge supply of magazine images for my SoulCollage work so there is lots to grab from.
This is it so far. It will look very different next time I show it!

I detest Picassa

2011-12-23T15:15:00.000+13:00

Just when I think I have it sorted I don't. I spent ages trying to find files and crop things and then couldn't find them again. Then I get sucked into thinking I can do something clever with the collage function and I loose all the pictures. I detest it. Really I do.

So I made place mats cos we have the house rented out for 15 nights over Christmas and the table is a bit tatty so I thought place mats would help. This is what they look like in all their unedited glory!

We are off on the boat for the 15 nights. I am praying for easy weather. I am less and less keen on the chunky stuff. I am doing endless The Work judgement sheets on sailing. I have seen a glimmer of the joy it could be but don't feel it yet. Sailing is hard, is that true!

I hope you all have a great holiday season. Will get round to what I can and see you all some time next year.

Love Rosie

2011-12-10T12:17:00.000+13:00

Busy busy busy

2011-11-25T14:52:00.000+13:00

I've been working to generate some money + cooking last Thursday for a three day Byron Katie workshop we had here on the Island + two days in town for meetings for an organisation I am on + now today I am cooking sweet things to sell at a Christmas gift fair on Sunday. I have just made my first lot of delicious Mrs Higgins type biscuits. Recipe here. and for the other recipes, just click on the name Chocolate caramel slice, Ginger crunch, carrot cake ( this has been in my cook book for years) and lemon yogourt muffins (Mollie Katzen - Enchanted Brocolli Forest) to go!!

I made another tartan on acid picture. If I hasd more time I would gather together the 6 other pictures of the pictures underneath this one. It's a very well used canvas! It might be the perfect way to paint with not a lot of time but in the end as a picture it's very so what. It doesn't DO anything. I think I might just try another with matching colours not opposites. I have been painting at the end of the day after making my phone calls selling Cut 'n'Paste and then have about an hour where I listen to a talking book and slop on paint. Brilliant. Now, to make something I like!

I will clean it up and maybe put something else on top. As my mate Mike said last night, its a lot of work for a background.
I will really try to get round to PPF this weekend. But - as you can see I am pretty busy. I will do a whole lot tonight and try and find time tomorrow.

Playing & having fun

2011-11-05T11:08:00.000+13:00

I forgot to put this blog up on Paint Party Friday last week. I took last Thursday off to finish this painting cos I was so keen to see how it was going to work out. Unfortunately not too well. I painted layers and layers of paint with strips of very narrow masking tape in between. The tape didn't come off cleanly, paint had snuck underneath. It ripped some of the top paint off and it looks like "tartan on acid" at least that is how Terry described it! Shame cos its a good way for me to paint now that I am not having focussed painting time - just layer after layer of colour. Although I don't really like the way this one worked out I am doing another cos its such a great way to paint now and then. I have painted over the top of the moonlight with black tree I made for the exhibition. I will show a before and after when its done!

The other thing I did was a butterfly for the Butterfly Effect - see my side bar - with oil pastels. Haven't used them like that for a couple of years. Its also not great but then I am not after great at the moment, just doing!

This week I have been playing/doodling with colour pastels and pencils and my always-in-love-with metallics and interference paints. You can kinda see the shine on the top picture.

So, lets hope I get this up tomorrow. I wont get round a lot of other PPF as I am away all day Saturday, and, it's got so large.

I'm back

2011-10-28T17:00:00.001+13:00

And WOW the ByronKatie School for the Work was FANTASTIC. I would go again in aheart beat. I know as I keep doing the work it will keep working on,and for, me.

I am keeping the Affirmation ABC in the bottomdrawer for the next little while. My focus for the next few months is going to be on creating an income for myself.

I am fascinated by LynneHoppes work. And, I want to keep my hand in so to speak. So Ihave been playing around drawing faces, using already printed paper,starting with my non dominant hand and using water pencils andcrayons and oil pastels. If you knew me you would know drawingwomen's faces is a very unlikely thing for me to do! It was fun. Iwant to still be creative but without any end goal like an exhibitionor creating a book. Just do it for the sake of doing it. I might evensplash around on a big canvas too! Watch this - now probably a bitirregular - space!

These two faces both have metallic oil pastels sothey shimmer in the right light but was unable to capture it with thecamera.

Phew

2011-09-30T15:58:00.002+13:00

Well - its basically done. I still have to stick down N and X Y Z, but I can do that on Sunday. There are still lots of things to do to get it finished properly photograph each one, fix the sides and do the reference for who took the photographs.I have made contact with most of the photographers that want payment. That will all happen after I come back from my trip to USA which starts on Tuesday. This is the trip to see my family in North Carolina and do the Byron Katie workshop. I can't do the info with the pictures so have to do it here at the top.

Have told you about the aardvark and cat in earlier posts
The elephant comes from http://www.wildlife-pictures-online.com/200602.html
No permission for Nyala yet. The picutre comes from www.zooborns.com and the Nyala its self comes from Houston Zoo http://www.houstonzoo.org/en/photos/search.asp?albumid=135
Thanks to http://www.gustafsonphotosafari.net/ for Quetzal
PPF Sheri for the unicorn
No allowed to show the whale
Yaminon by Dave Watts
Have asked for permission for the zebra
Still trying to get a response from cat, squirrel and Xola people.

The others are all free and when I have more time I will acknowledge each and every one of them.
The colours in real life are much more dynamic.

I love you should have just the way you are

This will be my last post for sometime. I am away for three weeks and when I come back I am going to have to focus on some money creation. I hope to do some non dominant hand drawing and painting and if I do I will post some of them up. I will try and have a look now and again and comment where and when I can. I suspect I will miss PPF way too much to not stay involved, but we are coming into summer and it's never as productive for me. Much love to you all.

Something nothing and not much of that!

2011-09-23T17:07:00.000+12:00

I have been beavering away this week, cutting and pasting. I hope the ABC will be finished next week. I will show and tell it then.

On Monday night my friend Lorraine and I got together, as we do most Monday nights recently, to finish up doing Julia Cameron's Vein Of Gold ( The Artists Way on steroids!) We started in a couple of years ago and then the group disbanded and it never got finished - till now. So long preamble to the two pictures I am showing today. The exercise was to do something that has been done before and do it in a repetitious manner. So here you have flowers and hearts. I did them with my newish water soluble wax pastels. I really like them. And I LOVED doing something that wasn't FOR anything it was just done to do. I will do more. I have been so focused for so long, it was just lovely to muck around!

I have a really busy weekend but will do my best to get round to all the Paint Party Friday entries

Slow progress

2011-09-16T16:33:00.001+12:00

There has been a lot of behind the scenes work over the last couple of weeks. Sourcing photos and trying to find the photographer and get permission to use the picture. Creating lists of where the picture comes from and who has and hasn't given permission. Sticking the pretty paper to the often three coated backing card. And cutting out the words. My friend Kim (who is also a member of the 'business' accountability group I set up last year, a pre school teacher AND most importantly is the person who suggested an affirmation ABC) phoned on Tuesday to say she was concerned that because I am using a higgildy piggildy font IE home made and I have made the affirmation words curve around the animal, kids, especially dyslexic ones, would find them too hard to read. A sleepless night ensued. Creatively I want them to curve they look 100% better. But I didn't want to make it hard for kids to read. Then I figured that in my mind I am making this a book for parents to read to kids, I am basically pitching it at 3 year olds. Anyway, in the end I have kept going with my creative vision. If anyone wants to publish it and thinks the words must be straight then I figure I can make it again. It would be a lot quicker the second time around.

I am still have difficulty with eager like an elephant, my two playing elephant babies look like something else to some people! I have looked at sooooo many pictures of elephants. They are not really eager animals! And a unicorn was proving to be a problem till I had a brainwave and got in touch with Sheri Cook from Paint Party Friday She has given me a picture of Lippizzaner she drew with pastels. He still needs his golden horn! Lets hear it for PPF networking!

These are some of the others I have done. You have already seen the cat but it's sneaked in cos I changed it from clever to curious.

The colour is a bit dodgy cos the curtain is closed to stop them curling up in the sunlight. I particularly like the Iguana! My goal for next week is to have it all done. That might be a bit of a push as I have started a from home selling job which is now taking up some time. If not by the end of next week then for sure the week after. Looking forward to catching up after a week away.
And today is my niece's LAST CHEMO YEAH.

On we plod

2011-09-02T17:10:00.002+12:00

This is the second go at writing this post. The other one kept on snarling up Firefox and I have restarted the computer a number of frustrating times.

Not much art done this week. So much for being ahead last week! I have had the pages out on the floor most of the week and have been fiddling around with different colours and position of the animals etc. Also spent a lot of time looking for free pictures of animals.

I am liking them more and more! Hopefully next week I will have a whole lot more letters cut out and can show you more pages like this.

Oh - and yes, Aardvark needs a double A. It has it now. You might notice that I have changed the lettering a bit in that it's got movement around the animals. And I love the clever cat! Trying to get in touch with the photographer who is, I believe, called Claudia Romero and you can see more of her work here. Details about Beverly Joubert (Aardvark photo) in post below

N is difficult, I've given up on newt and night owl and am trying a Nyala right now. It's a Southern African antelope. I tried to put up a picture of one up before and I think that's what mucked up the blog so here, instead, is a link to a photo of one This is the most adorable site of new born zoo animals. So what goes with a Nyala? Nice, nifty, noticeable or .... any ideas very welcome.

Have fun on Paint Party Friday I hope to have a bit more new next week.

Still doing!

2011-08-26T16:03:00.001+12:00

I have had a busy week with some moments of feeling overwhelmed and its all great cos I am ahead of myself on my Affirmation ABC schedule. Once again, lets hear it for Paint Party Friday I now have enough base papers as you can see - I need to make some more blue ones which I hope to get started today.

The stages to here are many. First cut base paper to size, then wet and scrunch the rice paper, matt varnish the base paper, then smooth wet rice paper out onto varnish and pat gently into place with paper towel. Dry. Then paint with wet acrylics. Dry. Iron the back of the paper having sprayed it with water first. Then paint a design on with a slightly stronger wet acrylic (some of them are too patterned and some not patterned enough in my opinion.) Dry. Iron back again. Scribble on to colour with carefully chosen oil pastels. Varnish with matt varnish. Cut backing paper away and voila! And, the great thing about it is I love doing every process, even the ironing, which I never do with my clothes!

A couple of the stages.

I was going to show you a picture of the backing colours, but I am still doing them.

There is still loads of work. Lots and lots and lots of letters to cut out, lots and lots of working out the best colour combinations (I have already changed the colour combo of the rhino and Tiger) and lots and lots and lots of gluing. I know I should really just do a few pages and send it off to see if anyone is interested in printing it but I really want a finished project so am just going to finish it and then see.
Found another great photo site. It's called pixdaus. The photos don't seem to be copy written but am writing to each photographer, asking to use their image. Hope to get some replies soon.

Thank God for Friday

2011-08-19T17:14:00.001+12:00

And for Paint Party Friday I have really got a move on in the last couple of days so I have something to put up. Below are the next two for the ABC. I discovered last weekend that the images I was looking to use for the animals were all going to cost a fortune so then I did more research and found a great site. It's called morguefile and has lots and lots of FREE photographs. The Rhino and Tiger are from there. Does any one have a picture of their cat doing something clever that I can use? I have spent the week trawling through photographs and getting my paper prepped ready for painting and pastelling and today scrambled together these two. Learning lots as I go about sizing etc!

Now dear friends I really want some feed back. Is the lettering OK, does it matter that it's a bit all over the place and not a standard neat font? Does it matter that some words are in different sizes? (FYI the white means you are and like a is on plastic so I can move them around. They will eventually be stuck down with out plastic around them.) Nothing is stuck down yet so there is still room for improvement. The feedback I have had so far for the first two is good, but I am still not sure. I'm concerned that each page too similar to each other to keep adult and child interest for 26 pages. A whole book. What do you think?

And now, to something completely different. I have, for me BIG news. I have decided to go to LA to attend Byron Katie's School for the work in October. I am signed up and have bought my tickets so it looks like a go. I will also go and visit my brother and his family in North Carolina while I am in that part of the world. It's a big thing for me to sign up for. Lots of money being spent!! And I am sure worth it. I have done lots and lots of personal growth things over the years and The Work and the four questions are the best I have found yet. And, It's given me a deadline. I want the book done by the time I go. A few more days of prep, then it's just putting it all together!

Very very early days

2011-08-12T16:00:00.001+12:00

Yoo Hoo - I'm back! It has been over two months since I did an arty post on Paint Party Friday.

The exhibition went well. I sold three large paintings @$200, $225 and $250 each and two small @ $90 each. They were all very cheap but at least I sold some. After Australia, my niece is still doing well but getting very fed up with chemo, I went to the 15 day silent retreat. It was very grueling. If you want to read a 'story' version of the retreat, go here!

I have been home for five weeks tomorrow. It's taken me a long time to get into action. I decided at the beginning of the year that I would paint till the middle of the year and use the retreat as a transition time. I am going back to my original 'invention', rice paper, very runny acrylics and oil pastels, to make illustrations for children's books. The art I was doing last year with the paper was very much stuff for children's walls. People don't tend to buy paintings for their kids but they do buy them books. I am sure you can follow my logic here! I am finding my way with an affirmation ABC and this is what I have pictures of today. These are, as I noted in the post title very early days! At this stage, it's really just about me doing something again. Having found it hard to get started I am getting some momentum happening at last. Paint Party Friday has been a wonderful incentive. I was determined to have something to post today and I do! THANK YOU XXX

The pictures don't look as bright as they are in real life. So that is interesting cos printing will do the same thing. Photograph of the Aardvark taken by Beverly Joubert you can find some details about her here

Aardvark was taken by

Below is some of what came home from the exhibition!

Looking forward to catching up with you all again.

My meditation retreat - Gumble and the Wise Nyani

2011-07-20T16:49:00.002+12:00

Gumble and the Wise Nyani

Once upon a time there was a very busy Gumble. She was busy from morning to night doing all the things she thought needed to be done. One day Gumble decided to find a quiet forest and sit down, very still, on a rock. Immediately she started to busily thinking about all the things she had or hadn't done in the past, all the things she could be doing now rather than sitting on a rock and all the things she could do in the future. She became very uncomfortable on her rock and began to cry.

“I don't like this rock,” she sobbed, “but I said I'd sit here so I am not going to stop.”

Then, along came a Wise Nyani. “Hello Gumble,” he said, 'Why are you crying?”

“Because I can't sit quietly on this rock,” she cried, “I keep thinking about all the things I have or haven't done in the past, all the things I could be doing now rather than sitting on a rock and all the things I could do in the future.”

“Ah,” said the Wise Nyani “You are suffering from what we call conditions, they will stop being a problem if you find Presence.”

“Oh,” said Gumble brightening, “You mean like on my birthday. Where can I find the presents?”

“It's not like a birthday present.” said the Wise Nyani, “They are also conditions, though nicer ones than feeling sad because you find it hard to sit quietly on a rock. You don't have to find Presence, you just have to Be Presence, because Presence is really all you are.”

Gumble looked at him and started crying again. “How can I be Presence when all I can think about are all the things I have or haven't done in the past, all the things I could be doing now rather than sitting on a rock and all the things I could do in the future. And now as well, how hard it to sit quietly on this rock.”

“Well,” said the Wise Nyani gently “You can just breath all those thoughts into your heart, because your heart is the doorway to Presence.” The Wise Nyani seemed to know what he was talking about so Gumble decided she would stay on her rock a bit longer and try that.

The next day the Wise Nyani came by to see how Gumble was going with breathing her troublesome thoughts into her hear. He found her crying on her rock again. “I can't find my heart,” she sobbed, “so my busy thoughts have nowhere to go.” The Wise Nyani looked fondly at the crying Gumble. “One way to start,” he said “is to be kind to yourself, treat yourself like you would a friend who is a sad as you are.” Gumble cried even harder, “I don't know how to do that,” she said. “I am sure you do,” the Wise Nyani said, “try it and see what happens.”

Being a persistent Gumble - and still having something to prove - she again tried to get comfortable on her rock and to be kinder to herself. She found it did help her busy troublesome thoughts a little, even if they didn't fall into the quicksand of her heart, there was a little more space around them.

But, the next day the Wise Nyani found her crying again. “What is it this time dear Gumble," he asked. “I have been making such a fuss,” she cried. "I know other people struggle to sit still on their rocks but they don't cry and cry and cry.” “You do give yourself a hard time.” said the Wise Nyani. “Well," she found herself saying, "everyone else does, so I should too.” She paused, “That's what you mean by a condition isn't it? That's my wounded child condition. That's who has been sitting on this rock crying and crying. I've been thinking it's me, Gumble crying but it's the little one who failed at reading and has been 'failing' at meditation." Gumble stopped talking and looked at the Wise Nyani. “This is who I put into my heart, maybe the quicksand of Presence will swallow her up and maybe not, but this is where she has to live and who needs kindness.” Gumble sat taller on her rock. “I am going to become Rosie now, the adult nurturing the wounded child and open my heart to Presence so that she, the little one can heal.”

Unfortunately Rosie found that she still couldn't open her heart to Presence because she was still busily thinking about all the things she had or hadn't done in the past, all the things she could be doing now rather than sitting on a rock and all the things she could do in the future. In fact, it became so frustrating that she gave up trying and got off her rock.

When she talked to the Wise Nyani about her frustrations he again said, “Ah, conditions, the struggle is you wanting something other than what is.” “Yes,” said Rosie,”Because you have been saying for two weeks that Presence is where we are all heading and I am still busily thinking about are all the things I have or haven't done in the past, all the things I could be doing now rather than sitting on a rock and all the things I could do in the future and, of course, how hard it to sit quietly on this rock.”

“Well,” said the Wise Nyani, “Those are your conditions and you can surrender to them or struggle because you want something different.”

Rosie understood what the Wise Nyani was saying so she sat back on her rock.When she thought and thought she tried telling herself that what she had was what she'd got and that was what was. It didn't really work. She'd been offered a glimpse of something really good and she wasn't getting any of it.

She realised that what she needed to learn first was remedial meditation. She had gone to a 15 day retreat to learn to meditate and that wasn't, for her, the right way to do it.

SoulCollage card #1 post retreat

On just about the very last sit, she found and put into her heart, to join the every-one-gives-me-a-hard-time-so-I-should-too little one and the academically failing could-try-harder teenage, (SoulCollage and reading here) the little one who had felt so miserable and such a failure because she couldn't read for her Papa.

And then suddenly it seemed, the retreat and the agony was over. She was very happy. The 15 days finished in a glory of conversation and the hard times faded away to an interesting growing experience.

Her final words to herself are: Be careful Rosie, be sure you want to put yourself into the crucible before you do anything like that again.

reading for this one here

Update

2011-06-10T23:18:00.001+12:00

Hi - just a quick update. I arrived in Sydney to very good news. Sophia, my niece, had her PET scan on Wednesday and SHE IS CLEAR OF CANCER!! She still needs to have treatments and I spent the day today in the chemo ward with her and her mother. Sophia had two treatments, did well and is still doing well tonight. She read my blog while stuff dripped slowly into her and she was very touched by all your loving comments. As am I! With love Rosie

PPF12 - THE EXHIBITION!

2011-06-03T15:50:00.000+12:00

YEA!! It's up. I think it looks great and ...I have my first sale! I decided to do a silent auction. Start price for all canvases $200. ($50 each for the three small ones.) My friend who helped me hang has put on the first bid for, of course, the one I like least! The last, and biggest, one I painted.

I love the sea but still don't think I got the clouds quite right.
Today - cook that I am - I am making afternoon tea for the Saturday opening. Home made Danish Pastries, scones, Toll House biscuits and a very New Zealand version of ginger crunch. Who cares, you are probably thinking. What does it look like. Well, like this:

Yes, there is the dreaded tree. I quite like it now! I added a silvery sheen to the tree which gave it a bit of life. The three small ones, I realise, I didn't do a close up of but if you want to see them they are here and here

The gallery part becomes part of the shop here, and then back to the gallery part

Here. This below, is the by the door as you come in and looks great from the courtyard.

This is as you come in on the left. On the left is my artists statement. It's not the usual thing. I have added it in full to the bottom of this post. I cut it and cut it and cut it! The dream is a much bigger story. but hey, there is only so much anyone can be bothered to read!

To make the silent auction look OK ( I hope) I put a copy of each picture on the little sheet so they aren't just forms, but also have some colour. Final picture here is the new skyline and extra work I did to the grasses on the boat one. Makes a big difference to the picture. Left old right new.

And Finally - I am not going to be posting for about a month. I am going to Sydney, Australia next Thursday to see my brother and his family. My far too young and beautiful niece has recently been diagnosed with cancer. Then after 10 days there I am home for 4 before going to a 15 day silent meditation retreat. And I wouldn't call myself a meditator!! I just feel really called to do it. I have done retreats before and it usually takes me 6 - 7 days to settle down so a 7 day retreat is just frustrating, so hoping that I will settle and get something out of it. Nonetheless, I have given myself permission to leave after 7 days if I haven't settled down. I will try and follow PPF for the next two weeks and if you are still in Go Mode when I get back mid July I will start posting again. Phew this is a long entry.

Now, really finally - my artists statement!

Two and a half years ago I dreamed my best friend – not an artist – was proudly showing me a large exhibition of her paintings. As we left the space I stopped in my tracks and said “Kath, there is a problem, I feel rage, THIS IS MY ART WORK” That day my vision was full of the paintings I had seen in my significant dream.

I’ve played with art since leaving an unfortunate art school experience in the early 70's. Two years ago, a combination of the dream, the possibility of having an art studio and some good fortune gave me permission to devote myself to art. The first year was experimental. It wasn't until late last year that I confidently held a paint brush and discovered how I like to paint. Into The Sunset is the result.

Why do I paint? Because it's fun. I love the warm, bright, strong colours. I delight in the finishing touches I put onto the canvas with the iridescent and interference paints. I love the way light plays on the canvas making the painting change at different angles. Each one feels like a bit of alchemy. They make me feel good. I hope they have the same effect on you.

Why a silent auction? I want to share these paintings, so I have set the price to a fair minimum. You can pay more either through bidding, or just because you want to! And, honestly, if I don't sell anything I am going to end up with a storage problem!

I hope you enjoy these paintings as much as I’ve enjoyed painting them.

Great love to you all. Rosie

PPF 11

2011-05-27T16:14:00.001+12:00

This time next week the exhibition will be hung and that is what you will see for my pictures for Paint Party Friday week 12. I've been beavering away and I thought I had time up my sleeve but the last two things are taking a really long time. I've put a tree silhouette on the moon scape. I did it on paper first and looked and looked and looked at it and decided yes, go ahead. Now it's painted on - I DON"T LIKE IT. But I am stuck with it. Some one even said they'd buy it before I ****** it up! The big problems are the trunk, its too big and, it's just such a totally different picture now. It still needs its interference on the tree but that is not going to change the dead tree look! Ah well, I am pretty happy with all the other paintings. I should have stuck to my colour pallet!

The big one I started last week is also ummm... odd. The bottom part is great - I love the sea and the skyline - which you can see quite well on the top picture but the top clouds are just not working.YET

The grass on the bottom picture is just the paper version. I think it works, actually, I know it works, so that is a big long job tomorrow.

And finally my studio is an absoloute tip! You can't see the floor or the general mess EVERYWHERE in this picture but I just push stuff aside and soldier on. I will do the big clean at the end of next week.

PPF10

2011-05-20T16:53:00.001+12:00

I don't seem to have done much painting this week. I did paint some over the weekend and that's mostly what I have to show you this week. So why has this week been so 'slack'. Well, Monday's creative effort was with SoulCollage and by the time Carla left I didn't really have much painting energy left. Tuesday - hmm what is Tuesday's excuse - I went had had lunch with my partner Terry but I was home by 1.30 then I sent the invites to the exhibition. Wednesday I wrote the press release for the exhibition - and looked at how to write an artists statement - gosh that's posh! Today, Thursday, who knows? I'm fiddling around writing this blog and having a general procrastinate! Doing lots of little unnecessary just yet bits like painting the edges of the 'finished' paintings. This is where I HAVE to trust the process and trust that I will do what I need to do when I need to do it.
This is what I have to show this week.

And da da da the waves one with out the waves

I am sure you can all see, I certainly can, that the approach is changing a bit. I have one more big, the biggest I have ever used, 24" x 30", canvas to do and have found an excellent Waiheke Sunset. I started it a bit at the end of yesterday, Thursday, and got into a proper start today, Friday. I have put it up here even though it looks dreadful so that I can surprise us all with developments next week! I am mixing far more colours than I usually do. I mostly just paint straight from the tube.

Click here to see some pictures of Waiheke Island which is where I live. See if you can guess my photo inspiration! Have fun with Paint Party Friday

PP9

2011-05-14T08:35:00.001+12:00

Thanks for all your kind words about my ear. It's heaps better, I'm not deaf in it any more. YEAH! I have had a much happier week and therefore have been more productive - I think.

GRRR I wrote this whole post up on Thursday cos I was out all day on Friday and for some reason it didn't save even though I SAVED IT. So, in a word or two this is what I did. Just went to post and discovered it wasn't just me. Big heart felt empathy for everyone else effected.

The one below is new - it has yet to have rushes painted at the front.

This one was the pink and blue one. I gave that another go and then gave up and made this one up, all the others use photographs as their starting inspiration.

Next - waves are gone but next week it will look even more different as am changing it a lot and putting a fisherman in it.

Just for a change, this one is a moon rise. It's way to dark and need to do something about the hard white line top right. It also has tree silhouettes at the bottom.

Thursday was a wonderful day. I painted and painted and painted and really enjoyed it. I was also listening to interviews from Inspiring Women Summit. Some great stuff there. Thanks for all your lovely comments and I look forward to seeing your work.

PPF week 8

2011-05-06T15:56:00.000+12:00

This week I really have nothing much to show for myself. I have been dealing with ear problems which has knocked my painting on the head some what. They are, it seems, on the mend. Hope for a better week next week. The good news is a friend made the poster for my exhibition. This is it. The picture in the latest version is a bit better.

I did finish a 'finished' painting. The image was falling off the left side of the picture and with the darker top right it all stays in place!

Gesso'd out the bottom of the larger sunset and gesso'd out the wretched waves of the long thin one. The top part which, of course, doesn't really show is quite nice. (Iridescent angled version on the left)

Trust me, the waves looked much better in the photograph. So, not sure what I am going to do next with that canvas, try again? Do something very different or, in the end gesso it all out and start from scratch. So a lot of starting again this week. Oh and this embarrassment! It is the second try at a first coat and I do hope it's going to come good.

Hope to have more yummier stuff to show you next week. Thanks again for all your comments, it's very nice to know someone is looking and appreciating! Oh - and you might like to check out my other blog called SoulCollagenz Have a great Paint Party Friday

PPF Week 7

2011-04-29T16:26:00.000+12:00

Thanks so much Kristin and Eva I am loving Paint Party Friday.

Progress once again feels slow. I do, as of last night, have a name for the exhibition, which is still a month away, it's called Into The Sunset. I am working on a poster for it but might get someone else to do it for me.
Meanwhile, I have almost finished this one.

You can see the iridescence on the right. I just adore the way the picture looks different from every angle and in every light. I think this is the best one I have done so far. Once I had it up on the wall I could see that the lump of 'land' on the right is way too big and the 'stream' needs more shape. I will gesso that part when I have done this post.

This next one is proving maybe just a little beyond my skills. I saw last night what to do to make the waves look more like waves, but not sure if I have the technical ability to pull it off. You can decide for yourselves next week. I also think the sky below the blue is a mess and it is, at the moment, without its sun. It wasn't centred!

Short post today. Thank you all so much for your comments. I didn't get round a whole lot of blogs last weekend, will try and do better this weekend. We are staying in Auckland tonight - in a proper hotel no less - for a Burning Man - Temple of Transition fundraiser. Long story about why I support something that just ends up in flames, basically I really support the passion of the man in charge!

Week 6

2011-04-22T16:22:00.001+12:00

Progress really only sped up yesterday. I didn't do anything on Monday after being told on Sunday night by the Dictator - oops, sorry, Chair - of the Red Shed Arts Collective that she had 'forgotten' that I was having an exhibition and has arranged something else closer to her heart. But all has ended up well and I am now going to be in a much lighter (but smaller) space, run by much nicer people which will get far more exposure.YEA!

I have done lots of ground work, prepping canvases with texture, gessoing and working out what to do next. I have also spent some time on the one I posted last week. It got much too dark and is now all bright and red again, not really like the original I am using as inspiration. I have to remember, it's inspiration not what I am painting. Here are the stages. Last one feels finished.

I used retarder for the first time when I painted everything orange. It needed a good sunbake the next day to dry.
Below are stage 1 & 3 of another one. I used water soluble oil pastels to see if the design works. I thought it would so gesso it and am trying one without any texture at all. RADICAL! Now I'm on stage three I am still not sure. I like painting without texture but not sure about the look. It still have a long way to go.

And finally, stage 1 & 3 or yet another! I do seem to love a deadline!

Happy Easter you all. Looking forward to your kind comments. I realised last night when I read them again that I have been thinking you are all just being nice. But, I am willing to get that you do really like them. Thank you XXXX

Paint Party Friday week 5

2011-04-15T16:09:00.001+12:00

I am loving Paint Party Friday. It has kept me on track all week. And, I have finished one picture and all but finished the other. This is the finished one. I had to take the picture at a bit of an angle so you can see all the iridescence and gold etc. I had this one up last week face-on. It just looked very red!

And this is the other one. I just need to make some changes to the little islands. They are in silver at the moment need to be the same as the big blacks in the background.I have put an angled one up so you can see the iridescence again. I love iridescence. It is so much fun putting the finishing touches on.

Just so you remember, this was last week!

Below was the blank canvas last week with a photo stuck to it. It still has a long way to go. It has had a number of coats trying to get the clouds looking like clouds, not quite got it yet.

The one on the right is the original picture taken by my friend Vicki I can't quite get the sizes right cos can only fit two small ones together. (I find Blog.spot quite frustrating. I need some lessons! Anyone got any suggestions? Some of your blogs are wonderfully full of goodies. I can't even get the Paint Party Friday button up!)

Yes, I know, sunsets and sunrises. I am obsessed. At least I have moved on from RED and only red! I am painting towards an exhibition I will have in The Red Shed our little co-op gallery in June. At almost 62 I count as an emerging artist!! Looking forward to your work.

Paint Party Friday week 4

2011-04-05T18:35:00.003+12:00

Been painting this week - phew first time for what feels like weeks but is actually only days. So this is where I was on Tuesday. No tonal range here! So I thought I would spend some of Thursday lightening it up. This is the one that is on the right in the previous Paint Party Friday blog entry.

Painting it was an interesting process. At one point I said I hate this and reached for my trusty red and put a red wash over the whole thing. Terry came by and said "It's very stark". He is no longer allowed to comment! It's very off putting, especially as I know he doesn't like all of my work. Unlike my dear Mike who is always positive no matter what I do - except da da he didn't like this one! Thursday morning came and I really hated it so I gesso'd it away. And that's when it all came together.
What I have been wanting to paint is sunsets and sunrises cos I LOVE the colours. So, I have given my self permission to do just that. James was a good teacher but I want to paint what I want to paint not in the style of. As soon as I started on a sunset I felt SOOOO much happier and content and on track. This is what it looks like now first the gesso's stage, then I put very light paint down to 'map' it out, a new thing I just did.

And the one you all liked the colours of? That got gesso'd too. It wasn't coming together and I wasn't having fun! This is it now. Its still got great texture!

I want to paint this sunrise on it. The picture was taken by a friend of mine Vicki. She is doing a motor home trip round NZ and you can find her blog with wonderful photos and writing here. Scroll down a bit for the really good ones!
And finally drum roll please...This is the one I have been working on. It's had two and half coats and still has a long way to go. Photographing reds are always problematic so you'll just have to trust me when I say it's got great potential. The white is green masking tape. It will be black, but a good, interesting black.

Now it really is watch this space. I am not going to freak out and gesso it. This is the canvas that had the silly textured sea and even that is working on this one!

Paint Party Friday

2011-03-25T18:37:00.002+13:00

I came across this on Pam Tucker's blog and thought it looked like fun. Given that my whole life is about painting at the moment it seems like this is a good things to join in with. But I don't know how to load the button so that others can join in. So click here instead Paint Party Friday

So these two paintings are what I have been working on this week. I don't really like either one yet. If you go to my whole blog you can see what they looked like on Wednesday. The one on the left is very textured, the one on the right has none - very unusual for me. What will they look like next week! Looking forward to seeing your work. Rosie

Red phase is now over

2011-03-22T17:08:00.000+13:00

And there is a sense of phew! I have finally got to paint today and have done about half an hour. I need a fair few canvases on the go. I am using a different brush - after spending so much on the brushes I was using - and really trying to be free. Just putting up two pictures today.

This now what the grey scale looks like now. Coat #1 of many and it has no texture. Not sure how long that will last.

And this one is the citrasolv base that got painted red then got stuck.

It might or might not still be stuck. What I mostly got from the weekend is to free up. Whether this freeing up creates anything I like is yet to be seen. My plan now is to have a variety of canvases on the go, one of which will be the sunset again. I have got rid of the textured sea ( which I hated so much) on that canvas by putting a whole lot of texture over the whole thing. I think I will make that the new sunset base just to see what happens.

Yesterday I again looked at Robin Sierra's site I love her painting.

Procrastination Blogging!

2011-03-21T16:54:00.001+13:00

I did an art class all weekend. Jolly good it was too. It was taught by James Lawrence I really like his art and how he makes it and also found that he taught very well. I went through my usual wall of I'm not good enough and I am wasting my time etc etc. But by the second day I was back on track with it all.

I took loads of my paintings in to show him and get some feedback which I got, apparently I don't have enough tonal range. So I painted a gray tone picture on Sunday then I splashed colour around on two canvases I prepped on Saturday. One by putting lots of texture on, the other by making drips. So, here they are.

At the end of the day James showed me a great way of using interference which, of course hasn't come out on the picture but is the blue circle, the blob top left and the gold streaks on the right on the one above these words.

When do I give up?

2011-03-13T17:18:00.000+13:00

The Sunset - the failed sunset - is now The Failed Painting. Apart from being too stripey the 'sea' was shit so I've tried turning it up and doing something else with it and its still shit.( Which means Store High In Tansit apparently!) I can't see anything other than a sunset on its side. This is where I kiss the canvas goodbye? Paint gesso over the orangey stuff. I think that's the solution and take it to the art class this weekend.

I'll try again with a whole new canvas - which is already on its way and in the meanwhile I am going to make a SoulCollage about feeling useless as an artist.

And this one is just crazy - from Feb 15th to here!

2011-03-07T17:58:00.004+13:00

I put this blog entry up a couple of weeks ago. But am putting it up on on Paint Party Friday today as I have done NO painting this week for a variety of very good but busy reasons. Now I am cooking for 18 at a Byron Katie workshop this weekend. It is a three day weekend starting on Friday. I took this picture into my weekend art workshop a couple of weekends ago and the tutor said it lacked tonal contrast. I like it but can see his point. I might do something to the side panels.

Anyway - sorry its not new new but its not that old and I really wanted to be part of Paint Party Friday, I enjoyed myself so much looking at all your work and getting comments on mine last week. Love Rosie

(Original blog entry) You have seen the progress and this is where I am now. This one has been turned up another way too. I will be putting self leveling gel on the buttons and I like this leaping man. You have already seen him on the Citra Solv one. Last night I thought I'd sew some beads on then I realised there is a support strut right where I want to sew. (Later) All the little buttons are now gelled and it's pretty much a matter of saying its finished!
P.S. The picture of the leaping man came from a the brochure for the Auckland Arts Festival so my partner and I went to see the show. It's from Taiwan - I can't remember what it was called I'll look it up and add to this blog later. It was a lot of very vigorous and exciting drumming.

I want to paint something I adore

2011-03-07T17:51:00.001+13:00

And I haven't done it in the last five days! The sunset ended up being a) too stripey and b) the sea is crap. So I have turned it on its side and and making the stripes really stripey and will do something else with it, its no longer a sunset. I did though really like the actual paint. Lots of irrids and interference and it looked very good. What did I say last night. Good execution crappy subject. It's mostly gone now, just looked at the pictures and there were some really good things about it, but not enough. Computer is on a massive go slow. I'm going to have to do a second post.

Having a bit of a break from RED

2011-03-05T18:00:00.000+13:00

And have done this today. The figures aren't stuck down, the back ground was made the other way up.
But works this way up better and I will do more. My keypad keys are soo sticky with all the junk from my fingers!

This was a surprise!

2011-03-04T19:13:00.011+13:00

I was working on creating a random back ground with magazines and just slopping them down on a 12 x 36 canvas when I thought, Oh I could do it with citrasolve bits and paint on top of them. So - tra la, that's what I did and it was a lot of fun and where to from here? I have not idea. I think I have put too much on and now need to give my self some white or something but hey I LOVE those moments when I suddenly have an idea and do it and its fun to do and now we see what I can do with it next. Woo hoo!

So what I did with it next was paint the ubiquitous red over the top then put heavy matt gel over it which, cos its raining big time today, hasn't dried properly. For once, the picture looks better than the real thing! I'm looking forward to painting it and am doing another less frantic citrasolv back ground which I don't think I will paint. Watch this space!

New to Picasa

2011-03-03T15:10:00.001+13:00

I have just spent an hour getting onto Picasa cos photoshop just isn't working. I hope it will be worth it. The problem is it wants me to do things I don't want to do like make it the default for everything, I may be willing once I have sussed it out but not YET!

Anyway here is the next stage of big red - I want to keep documenting. I will change the colours now but am still, once again, as always disappointed with the photographic rendition.

Ahhh - Photoshop isn't working

2011-03-01T19:58:00.000+13:00

So I can't crop my pictures and make them look nicer. Spent all day working on VES and Red Shed so didn't get started with painting till late but... this is what I did.

It s kinda coming along. I will have proper time tomorrow and will get onto the sunset too.

Sunset 2

2011-02-26T17:54:00.000+13:00

This was my first proper paint of the new sunset picture. The paint isn't even dry. There is a whole lot more to come and I am eager to do it but will now have a couple of days off as Trish is visiting. Glad I eventually got something done today it wasn't looking so good a couple of hours ago. It all needs a lot more painting and the sea especially needs much work. Like I mean heaps! When it is 'finished' I will post the actual photograph of the sunset we saw which has inspired it all. Ohhh I am looking forward to the next go!

Red progresses

2011-02-25T20:10:00.000+13:00

OK I thought I'd put this up now for my own interest really to see what progresses. I now have shells and buttons on it and they will get painted red tomorrow.

And in a real devilish sort of way I am putting up the very very very early sunset canvas - I shouldn't really but hey! I am doing lots of work on the base getting texture in which I will then paint on top but am aware that might not work and I might have to make the paint textured and thick.

Seems strange in some ways to be still fiddling around with my art with the whole disaster in Christchurch but - what else to do?

Oops - watch this space

2011-02-16T20:01:00.016+13:00

Stage one and stage 2! When I did the blue I saw it was hopeless then I painted the blue white still hopeless with the silly big eye look then after much chat and thought I got rid of the eyes all together and am not worried about the texture - I'll just paint over it. so, the second picture is now my new base. It's very hard to see that there are lines of different red top and bottom . They will be come much lighter with the darker meater red in the large middle strip.

RED - again

2011-02-15T19:08:00.000+13:00

Another stinking hot day too. I seem to choose them to paint in! Here they are - part of my series. A series of red paintings that don't look any good on the blog. Ah well.The one of the left is 22x 28 the little one is 8 x 12

This first one is in stage 2 so thought I would put it up now. This is the one I tried to make a random back ground but of course it can't be random cos I made it. The painting of it is pretty random though and I am no longer following the back ground and added more rice paper to it. I use masses of permanent Alizarine which was described on a blog as dirty and bloody - that's why I like it. I need to get some brown madder too but the tube I bought was all separated and the other one I looked at was the same. Find another brand next week. The top is too pink and yellow and there isn't much irrid or interference on it yet. I have signed up for an art class. I want to learn how to get another splash of colour into my reds or blues. I will take my pictures with me in the car so I can talk about them to him.
And the little one is on an experimental canvas which makes it a random background.

Oh still my beating heart

2011-01-16T19:53:00.001+13:00

I've been playing around on this hot hot summer day. I didn't over paint the other one which is called??What, what am I calling it? River running through it? Anyway what ever, its up on the wall and I love it, it looks like something an almost real artist would do. I want to paint like Robin Sierra Now she is a real artist and doesn't use brushes or anything normal. I would love to go and have a lesson with her, but, a little to far away.

Oooh - Katherine and Pete have just had another boy, yesterday.

What have I done today, tried the Nancy Reyner technique of making a gloss medium skin with colour on it, unfortunately a piece of bubble wrap flew into it cos of the fan, so then I tried to put the same textural thing on another side but it was too sticky by then. I have painted the first layer over the babushka and something will come of that and ... I put a heart on the 24 x 24 much to Terry's disgust, but there is a heart exhibition coming up at the Red Shed so why not, I will, I suspect paint over the whole thing at some point anyway and I would love to exhibit something BIG.

24" x 24"

As ever, why do I bother? The colours are just blah compared to real.

I MUST NOT OVER PAINT

2011-01-15T19:04:00.002+13:00

I think this is finished. And I know that what ever I must stop painting right now other wise I'm gonna mess up. You can't see the glow of the gold or the irridesence of the blue. I am going to have to talk to someone about how to take pictures of red. Having the base of darks and lights was wonderful. Now I need to work out how I can give myself another one. Maybe paint with gesso and black to give myself some lights and darks to work over. Or - just paint it like the 24 x 24 but with more purpose.

May - I did over paint! And mucked it up but I fixed it and think it's better than before. So, new one the left and re do on the right. Its all about the top of the picture!

Happy New Year

2011-01-14T18:37:00.000+13:00

I've been running this blog for nearly a year now. I set it up just after my Papa left last year. So happy new year to me and all my readers!!!!
Been away on the boat for two weeks, had a very good time. I realised finally last night that if I don't paint NOW I wont be painting again till March. I have Heart Politics next weekend for a week, home for 5 days - well there, I've just found another five days I can paint - before Jaya then Rebeh and Chris arrive. Then its all on again, more sailing, people in the house, people coming and going and our big party on 19th. So today I painted. Well actually I still am, I am just taking a blog break.

The problem with red is it doesn't photograph at all well. And the problem with me is I want to be good right now, not go through the experimental stage. But I have decided I am doing a red series and so that gives me "permission" to just use red. Today's effort is:

This has been painted - two layers so far, on top of a collage I did at a collage workshop. It wasn't good, so I ripped everything off and was left with bits still which gave me a canvas with some dark and some empty spaces. Am redding on top and will put some gold leaf on about three layers on. It is a lousy photograph.

My Babushka

2010-12-16T16:41:00.000+13:00

The other day I slopped some red paint - as I said love that red - onto a base of modeling paste. Last night when looking at it to decide what to do next I saw this little creature peering out. I drew her with pencil and as she is going to be painted over (sorry darling) I thought I would put her up her for prosperity. She is really small and I can't take a great picture of it. It feels like my Lithuanian history is peeping through!

Hours of painting

2010-12-05T19:23:00.002+13:00

And now, I have run out of steam. So I am blogging cos I should really be cleaning up the house after a week by myself. I am a lot more slovenly when I am on my own!

I've painted a 24 x 24 red which is great but its a background for something and I don't know what. I wish they photographed as well as they look. This one looks fantastic with light shining on it full of iridescence, interference and gold.

But - it needs something.

Then there is this one which was that one. Do like that red!

The next one I have been working on for a week on an off - well off and on really. I put down sand and went for my usual swirly lines. Oh I want to stop doing them, so the whole picture has been dictated by them. Last night while playing with something else I put this random picture on it and suddenly as a painting, which has serious problems, it came together. Now I need to find the right picture for the painting and find a way to incorporate it rather than have it sitting on top. Back we go to transfers with which I have had very little success so far. I have put up the one I took with the flash one as it shows some of the iridescence and the interference.

11th March 2011 This is how it ended up and this way up. I am about to put more onto it so I can get rid of the swirls.
This post should be called hours of blogging, getting the pictures how I want them has been a mission. ( and with Picasa still is.)

second of three

2010-11-24T14:46:00.006+13:00

Here are the stages. This morning I put on the head and got myself a figure and then I did some more playing around - this is the girl who can't draw so I needed to be VERY careful. I think I prefer the first one - oh well too bad! The blue look is both the time of day and that I have added quite a lot of Micaceous Iron Oxide. I have SO enjoyed doing this. Really really enjoyed it. After lunch I am going to start on the blue one. And - if I find my heart still sings for red I'll do another red one. Just realised that the base for this dancer is further down this blog under the heading Going under the gesso.

And this is the last one. I had another picture up here but changed the picture in the middle on the morning of the exhibition, so am putting that one up now and getting rid of the first picture. Somehow feel naughty doing it! YEAH!
It's amazing to me how excited I was about them yesterday - and this morning - now they're 'finished' they are OK. Yesterday and this morning they were great!

First of three

2010-11-23T12:59:00.001+13:00

10" x 10"

This is the first "finished" red painting. Scroll down to to see what it looked like last week. I will have three by the end of tomorrow.

Beading with a friend

2010-11-15T12:45:00.000+13:00

I had my first visit from four year old Zuva today. We had fun. We played with her stuffed toys, looked at my 59 year old teddy bear and 61 year old rabbit - both much the worst for wear - read stories. Yeah she liked Katie the Kitten best. Then played with the beads, which was the original enticement.. She made the longer string which is curled round the outside of my fussy one. We finished off the visit with a session of Where's Wally...and a good time was had by me and I hope her. Four really is a delightful age, especially in a delightful child.

Art Class homework

2010-11-12T16:13:00.000+13:00

And at least I have done some this week. Part of my problem is I don't know what to paint. This is the third coat of this 'style' I didn't take a photo of the one I came home with. It was gray and murky. I spiced it up with red yesterday and enjoyed it so much I did another two. This is the first one. The colour on all of them is terrible. They are much more subtle.

And these are the next two. Put together as two, That's a first for me. Anyway, watch this space as I am sure they will change and I'm not so sure about the blobs. Terry thinks they should be 3D. Maybe they shouldn't be there at all. Note the bottom one doesn't have a blob.

Hee hee

2010-11-11T12:57:00.000+13:00

Citra Solv and doodling! How come I only see monsters?

Citra Solv Landscapes - just a few

2010-11-04T13:22:00.000+13:00

These are the "landscape" Citra Solv results. I have done nothing to them except crop.

Citra Solv experiment # two

2010-11-02T16:44:00.000+13:00

Cooking dinner for 20 tomorrow as am in town all day tomorrow am doing most of it now, but have found time to do some scanning and cropping and wonders of wonders play around with brightness and contrast. I do wish I could do computer standing up. Anyway here are my images. And I am pretty crazy about them.

This looks like some sort of weird village.

I played with brightness and contrast and its more like the orginal

I call this the Chinese girl, but its from a story about Iceland

And this strange face

I love this

I think this one looks better as a whole rather than cropped

Original scan

Brightened and contrasted

Logs

Original scan

Brightened and contrasted

Lightened from original scan


Somehow this one just looks weird but is great in the original

This is very interesting. I am no where near knowing what to do with them. Art class tomorrow and I have done nothing since last week. I don't think Liz is much into collage but I would like to take them tomorrow and see if I can come up with an idea.

Citra Solve Grand Experiment # One

2010-11-01T14:02:00.005+13:00

This is one of the whole pages which kept its look. I have scanned and cropped and am now playing around with printing. I am on Terry's computer so apparently I can up load just like this. Lets see what happens.

More Citra Solv

2010-10-31T16:39:00.014+13:00

It's so random. I just did a 2000 + Nat Geo and the first few pages didn't work at all and then they were over "cooked"! I took pictures before and after but haven't been able to match them all up. I thought I might be able to learn what makes what but with some not working - well who knows! I wanted this writing at the top but am not willing to muck with what I have sorted so far.

I am finding this blog harder and harder to deal with. Pictures used to be easy and now they take forever. Getting two together - takes forever. I don't like this new system What ever I don't put in first time disappears into Picasa and so then that needs loading. Whats happened to one at a time. WordPress here I come I think!

Citra Solv - at last

2010-10-29T20:52:00.000+13:00

I've done it. I bought Citra Solv from Ecohip in the UK It came fast and I've been playing iwth it all afternoon. It seems to be me to be very hit and miss. You really have to slop it on but even then sometimes it just doesn't do anything. The 80's National Georgaphic's didn't seem to do it at all but the 2000's mostly do but not always. I have taken a couple of pictures of what I have done today but really I left taking the pictures too late so they are a bit blurry cost the flash is too reflective. I have about 50 pages and will go through them all properly over the weekend. This first one didn't dissolve properly so while it was still damp, I used a brush..

This one which I hope is below, I need a little workshop on how to get the pictures where I want them, is the only one I have a picture of that you can't see anything of the original picture. Thought it has made its own.

The next one two and three - I seem to need to write a whole line to get the pictures to come after the words are all partly 'cooked'. I will put others up soon that are wholey cooked.

Going under the gesso

2010-10-26T16:03:00.000+13:00

Having a gesso moment. One down so far, the flower one further down and now this below. How may to go? No new canvases for this little black duck. Terry liked this one, he had it on his wall before I took it back again.

New painting class

2010-10-22T15:12:00.001+13:00

I did my painting class with Liz de King on Wednesday. It was fun, a good group, I'm near the bottom, as usual but it was fun. We did some chat and then she said PAINT. I made a red one then ended up scraping it all off and made a blue one which by the time I came home looked like this

Then yesterday I had another go at it, in between making a SoulCollage card, it ended up looking like this

I have now gesso'd out the base, I will have another crack at it. Its darker than the picture shows. A wonderous fluke really! Just for the record, I am editing this blog to show you what it looks like a few minutes later!

Have ordered the Citra Solv and now just need to wait and wait and wait. So frustrating. Its a glorious day and I really should plant the beans but I think I will do it tomorrow. Its a Saturday. A more bean planting day.

SO many ideas

2010-10-10T23:43:00.000+13:00

I'm coming to the end of a four week stay with my Papa, it is his 90th birthday. I am itching to get home. I have so many ideas bubbling around that want to get on to paper or canvas. I am very keen to use the rice paper technique for illustrations. I want to illustrate my most favorite childhood book. It was read to me so many times I can still quote all of it. Gung ho on the citra solve idea. There is lots about it on the net. Some one printing onto cloth with citra solve why not canvas? I asked my brother to bring some over from the States, he couldn't get it in time and its only just occured to me to see if I can find it in the UK and of coure I can BUT it's all on line ordering and I leave in 36 hours so there is no time to get it here. GGGRRR to me. I start my art class next Wednesday. I think there will be a whole burst of creativity which I am really looking forward to. Holidays do have there uses!

Great show

2010-09-06T22:22:00.002+12:00

Human Slinky During Half-Time Show - Watch more Funny Videos

New backgrounds

2010-08-10T17:28:00.000+12:00

I haven't written about the affirmation art for a really long time. But here I am with some words and pictures.

I had a long go at trying to master Adobe Illustrator. I did sort of get it but realised I was still discouraged and depressed after my best day with it - and it was not a harmonious house hold. So I decided, spurred on by Kim's success with finding an illustrator through guru.com, to give it a go to find a graphic designer to do the whole thing including the words. I had lots of offers but didn't like any of the samples. As the samples came in and I didn't like them I realised that I could do the letters myself - or at least Stu can cut them out of vinyl so that I get back to the whole thing of the child putting the words down them selves. Which gives both ownership and a kinaesthetic experience which cements their affirmations in much more strongly. So I thought maybe I should go for an illustrator not a graphic designer and then I thought no, the whole thing was to based round my art so I'll do it. These are the first two tries. Feedback given is that they are too busy and maybe they are. I will make simple ones and get the whole lot printed on vinyl and stick letters on top and see what looks best. Will this be done before I go to England? Maybe not.

And, I have been and continue to be busy with being a fledgling funeral celebrant, helping with the organisation of Heart Politics this summer and joining the VES committee. Plus of course playing with SoulCollage.

My first reading

2010-08-03T14:23:00.000+12:00

I did this reading yesterday morning as part of my morning pages. I seemed to read from both the main figures in the card. Once I wrote it out and read it I edited a bit. ( I like nice edit!)

I am the one who is pretending to scare you but, I am just a mask. I have no arms. I am strong and menacing but I am static and cannot move. I am powerless except in your mind. I am the one who menaces your thoughts. I am easily devoured by flames and I have around me beauty and new life if you can just see it. I am the one who watches over you while you have your head in the sand.

I am the one who has buried my head in the sand and left my gold exposed on the earth.

I am the one who holds the world in my hand as a memory.

The gifts I bring you are to remember that I am in your mind. I am your thoughts. I only have the power you give me, I have none of my own. Because I can do strange and powerful feats, like not breath for a long time, the gift I have to offer you is to remember your strength and your power. Remember that you can do or be anything you want as well as, as healthy as you want to be.

We both want you to rise up like the flame in the middle and become like that flame, pure, bright, vigorous and unfettered by fearful thoughts.

Flowers

2010-07-16T17:37:00.002+12:00

Not having a great time at the moment. I feel stuck. And have a lot of self talk about not being a good artist. Which we all know becomes self perpetuating. I need to make pointless play an end in itself. I seem to be on this whole thing about making flowers with my fingers. So, here is what I have been doing for the last few days - on the canvas with tissue paper on it, which has gone through any number of incarnations. Oh and in the desperate attempt to use cut out roses so I can justify cutting out more, I have placed them on the picture. I actually did some more on this before I put this up and now I see I could do something quite amusing as the back of someone's head! Well, we'll see what comes out next.

Stage 2

2010-07-13T17:16:00.001+12:00

Done the first paint over after cover it with rice paper then scraping some of it off again. Colour not so good on this photo and still along way to go.

Picture up before it gets the big going over

2010-07-03T13:03:00.000+12:00

I get that I am trying to do something new and in fact it could take 6 months to get it right. I'm back to hand painting and rubbing off color on a differently textured background with things on top - or at least things on top is the plan I would put a picture of one of the bases up but the purple looks blue on the photo as does the green so it just looks blue. I see that failure thinking rather than learning thinking was what made me stop all painting for a couple of months. So, new broom and I am now into learning thinking.and if that means 'wasting' paint and canvas then so be it. The picture here is going to be covered up and I am going to start again. I like it, sort of but its on a wall I don't look at so I obviously don't like it that much. I have also learned that 24 x 24 is too big an area to waste paint on. so 18 x 18 and 20 x 20 will do. I've spent the morning outside on the deck on the 3rd of July - middle of our winter - sunning myself near naked cos its so hot. I thought I should stop cos I could well be getting sun burnt. I'm sure all that vitamin D is very good for my pretend chest infection. My volunteer stint at the movies - Toy Story 3 - calls.

I'm painting again

2010-07-01T18:13:00.000+12:00

Np picture yet - I'm into something new and want to see how it progresses before I show off. The 24 x 24 I put up the other day has been painted over. I oil pastelled it and I think, no I know, it was the nastiest thing I have ever made. The colours were diabolical. I don't know what happened but I didn't like it. So tomorrow I try hand painting it. Had a very down couple of days re the kids affirmation art but feeling positively back on track again, Thanks Lynda. After Heart Politics I will do a bit of a motor and get things happening. But for now, well its go slow, keep my immune system as healthy as possible and do some painting tomorrow. No gym in the morning if I feel like this tomorrow. and now the soccer is on. Yoo Hoo

Colour again

2010-06-25T16:42:00.001+12:00

I've put some pictures up just to get some colour back into this blog.The one on the left, which is still wet, is another 24"x 24"

This one says:
I ROSIE AM LOVED ACTIVE VIBRANT NIMBLE TALENTED CLEVER CHARMING TRUTHFUL HONEST MAKES LOTS OF MONEY AM VERY SUCCESFUL
and as of today 29.11.10 its going under gesso.I'm interested to see what the textural outcome will be.

I'm at it again with the art! I've given up on Illustrator. Last Wednesday I had the best day so far with it and I was still discouraged and depressed about it. I hated sitting down all day at the computer, I didn't like what I had made, though I was happy with how much I had learned, and if I was going to keep going I was going to need a new computer. My little darling is 10 years old, which is probably about 100 years in human terms. It works really well for everything except big graphics. So - I put a project proposal up on Guru.com. I've had a number of replies and getting some samples through. Some have great promise, Leah's wont work for kids but I think will be dynamite when I get into the adult stuff. The others look too young. The best is from Germany. Go figure. I think the samples being young are my fault. I didn't specify 6 - 12. If I want to see more I will offer to pay.

What's happened to the art?

2010-06-09T18:17:00.000+12:00

I'm not doing any. I'm tied up with learning how to use Illustrator. I more properly costed out the Kids Affirmation art idea. It is costly to make. So I am learning how to do much the same thing on Illustrator. This way I can offer a series of prices cos I can do PDF's as well as original art. My practice words - given that it's all about affirmation is I ROSIE AM A WONDERFUL LEARNER. I am also doing an internet marketing course and have been thinking long and hard about what I am creating, why and who is it for. Then, writing a sales letter, pulling together resources, freebies etc etc. There is a lot more to do on that too. Plus of course trying to come to grips with Twitter. This all takes time, lets write that again TIME! I'm back on my bum at the desk. I need to incorporate standing up which was how I painted. I feel much better after a day of standing rather than a day of sitting. Changes need to be made but I am not sure how to work at the computer standing up with out moving it all over to the art table which feels like a huge sell out. This is not a moan. I am having a really great time solving problems, learning new things and creating a business. Three of my favorite things. Put some art back in and I am doing brilliantly.

This is too good not to pass on!

2010-06-06T11:52:00.003+12:00

SCRIBBLE KNITTING

2010-05-24T13:26:00.002+12:00

Nothing much to do with art but heaps to do with having something nice to do while watching TV! I just looked up scribble knitting on Google. Apparently it comes from Debbie New's Unexpected Knitting
book published in 2003. (She has an incredible collection of knitting experiments. ) I learnt this technique from a wool spinner at the Hornby Markets (off Vancouver Island) There are lots of scarf versions - my version goes like this:
# 10 needles. A ball of funky colourful wool anything up to 8 ply and a ball of 1 ply kid mohair. (In New Zealand its made by Naturally hand knit yarns.) The whole scarf is knitted in garter stitch.
With your funky wall loosely cast on 130 stitches. Leave a 20 cm (8") tail of wool. Then knit five rows with the 1 ply. Then one row with funky wool. 5 rows 1 ply, one row funky etc. Every time you use different wool leave a 20 cm (8") tail of wool. This makes the fringe. One ball of 1 ply will usually give you (including casting on and off) 8 rows of funky colourful stuff. When you have your eight rows of funky, cast off loosely and there you have it a long, soft, pretty and warm scarf.

Two scarfs

A Waiheke Event

2010-05-21T11:50:00.003+12:00

A local Waiheke Event - and some information about The Red Shed our local co-operative art gallery that I am on the committee of and some times exhibit in.

Kids Affirmation Kits

2010-05-20T08:37:00.002+12:00

No pictures today. I have been focusing on marketing and social media I am now on face book and twitter! Who would have thought. And... on the first page of Google if you type in Affirmation Art. I am very pleased. I have been doing marketing and headline copy. I am certainly not the best in the course. But did come up with Kids Affirmation Kits. Domain names and copy right now. All those other little bits that I like doing but mean I don't paint. I intend getting some pictures to Daring Donna to put into the cafe as part of the gifting economy. That will empty out my wall big time so I will feel like making some. Oh all right. One picture of something! My Maori heart phase. I made two in January. Both given away now.

Hot Air Gun Art

2010-05-11T17:23:00.002+12:00

Spent some time today using the hot air gun and cheap oil pastels. Just mucking about getting my 'hand' back in. Maybe I need to think about what I am doing before I get started rather than my usual launch. But the launching in can also sometime make good stuff. These are close up pictures and they look great. If I was really exposing myself I would show the whole thing not just the close ups! Taking pictures has given me a whole new level of interest - yeah for blogging!

Frustrating!

2010-04-29T12:40:00.000+12:00

I tried to add two pictures to the last post to show what they look like with the oil pastels. Couldn't do it, they just wouldn't go where I wanted them to so try again on a new post. What a mission!

Just paint Paint & oil pastels

Not the best day

2010-04-26T18:24:00.003+12:00

Well, there have to be some. I have been trying to get the backing sorted so that I can get the letters for the Affirmation Art cut out easily. Stu showed me how to do it. It looked really easy. I found it difficult and I gave up on it quite quickly. Also the system isn't going to be cheap. Then I decided to paint the four bits of rice paper I prepared yesterday. I should have gone and read my book. Given that they are going to be cut up into tiny letters it doesn't matter but I would love to have enjoyed painting them more. I also foolishly tried a rice papered canvas. Scraped the paint off and tired to tear the rice paper off while it was still wet is was so awful. Might have to have a day or two off and regroup myself. Maybe go into town tomorrow. The paintings are still wet - I really shouldn't put them up wet as they look much better than dry, but I haven't blogged for a few days. I'm putting the two best ones up and will put them up dry tomorrow to see the difference .
WOW, they look great here! A clever bit of turning around and hey presto.

Finger painting again

2010-04-21T18:00:00.001+12:00

One day finger painting will also work. I will get it. In the meanwhile I will continue to just enjoy it. I did it yesterday again after creating a major drama over nothing, and giving myself a 'bad' day. I think my life is too calm and content and as an old drama queen I need a little more positive drama in my life. An adventure. A trip. Something. Anyway I dealt with yesterday differently as I decided to end the afternoon doing fun things that I like doing. One being finger painting the other making a fairy. I do think the finger paintings look a bit like "My Cat Could Do That"!

They both have glitter but it doesn't show.

Great day

2010-04-09T17:34:00.000+12:00

Didn't really get started till late but - I have been experimenting and playing all afternoon after yesterday's fun. Pictures and explanations below.

The top one is called crappy sunset! Then I did the over paint and have something fun and mysterious. It looks better in real life. but I sense I am on to something here. It seems to work better on canvas than paper. I have also discovered that if I make the canvas really wet with paint, I mean flooded, I can, if I don't like what is happening with the mixing colours (like this)

wipe if off with the ever handy paper towel and start again. So I have been doing a lot of joyful flooding!
At the moment this canvas is now in its fourth incarmation and looks like this:

It will look different tomorrow when its dry. I love this shape canvas. I'm cleaning off a big one I did a terrible collage on. Thus endeth today's post.

Tinglement

2010-04-08T18:39:00.002+12:00

Interesting afternoon. I had a Byron Katie session this morning about my early childhood teachers. Not going to go into it here. I haven't painted for four days. Did a long thin one this afternoon and then mooched around not doing more because I was full of "I should paint I haven't for four days." I decided not to, cos I know that when I paint with a should or am trying to make something it almost always doesn't work. It was 4.30 and I thought OK I'll read a book. Then I looked at the long thin one I painted earlier - I want to paint on top of it like the first one below and thought what if it doesn't work? Could I put dark colours on top? I grabbed another orangey paper trial I had done a few days ago and splashed dark paint all over it. It's kinda crappy but oozes potential.

So then, all fired up, I launched into a really bad one that I've been experimenting with (I was trying to reproduce something I did with oil pastels three years ago) I painted over the top of it. Pictures of before and after below. The thing is, there was such a stunning change in my energy, even though they aren't great my energy and connection just soared. I felt that wonderful tingle of creative excitement & wanted to document it.

This isn't great art! But it's great creative tinglement! Let's hear it for tinglement. I like that word!

Playing with rice paper

2010-04-01T18:44:00.001+13:00

I've done four more 'nebulae'. Unfortunately I think the first one was just a wonderful fluke ~ but its got me playing with rice paper again and seeing what I can do with it. No pictures yet, but I will put some up in the next few days. One thing I tried was sticking another piece of rice on top of a painted piece then painted that. This particular one looks like a very light filled Easter Egg. Oh all right, I'll put that one up here, it's so appropriate for the season. I've just set up five more play sheets to fiddle around with over the Easter weekend.

Clocks

2010-03-28T14:55:00.001+13:00

Here are my two clocks for the Red Shed Exhibition.

My best work to date!

2010-03-26T19:50:00.004+13:00

There it is ~ 24" x 24 " and I really like it. It looked like a nebulae or galaxy before I oil pasteled it and now it really looks like a galaxy. I'm off again on the rice paper. I love it. The one on top was taken without flash.

Exhibition

2010-03-23T17:41:00.005+13:00

Hmm - I haven't got loading pictures and words together sorted. These pictures are on 10" x 10" canvas and are for the the "Small Things" exhibition at our local art gallery. I'm very excited that I kept my promise to myself. Next venture is something in the member exhibit which is in a couple of months. In terms of the art below, the blue one looks much better in real life. I was going to put something else on it, but my yesterday's visitors persuaded me that it looked better as a stand alone. I agree and have bought three much bigger canvases to do large stand alone Rice Paper paintings.

Pictures for the exhibition

2010-03-23T17:33:00.002+13:00

Left is called Celebration, right Jubilation, below Meditation

Out of the closet

2010-03-22T18:13:00.002+13:00

I decided today to make this blog a bit more "real". And then I listened to Scott Martineau talking about self disclosure so it feels like the right decision. So here goes.
I have just finished a Byron Katie workshop here on Waiheke Island. I think 'The Work' is fantastic.
I am on lesson 23 of A Course In Miracles ( I got up to lesson 136 10 years ago, which was the last time I did it.)
I am an Abraham freak!
I am also a passionate fan of Julia Cameron and have been doing morning pages for almost three years.
So how do I put that all together?? In the end it's all about my thinking.
Jill Bolte-Taylor http://drjilltaylor.com/ says that the thoughts that rule our lives come from an area in our brain the size of a peanut. All those thoughts come flooding through a peanut. Well not quite, but when my brain is going crazy with fearful or vengeful thoughts that idea helps me put it into perspective. If you haven't read Jill's book 'My Stroke of Insight', do. It's a really remarkable book by and about an remarkable woman.
So there we are. I am out. Back to the art tomorrow.

My studio

2010-03-17T18:58:00.000+13:00

What a wonderfully posh name for my two old from-the-kitchen-tables and my from-the-office-shelves. Had a fun afternoon. I am back playing with the beads. The thrown down not stuck down ones look fantastic how can I make them look as good stuck down. This is tomorrows task.

New Header

2010-03-16T17:00:00.000+13:00

Now I am starting to get this blog to look the way I want it to. But I would like to make the header a little smaller but with my limited patience, can't seem to make it do that. Two days of not much happening with the art. I've been mucking around with words and seeing what they look like as an Affirmation Art painting. Not going too well. Spending money with the designer man and not progressing. But - that's my inner mean girl telling me that I'm not doing enough. The small things exhibition is coming up at the art gallery very soon. I promised myself I would have three things in it. I have one so need to pull finger on another two. I will tidy up soon and set the scene for two more 10"x 10" paintings.

All done

2010-03-11T18:18:00.000+13:00

Hello Papa, I love you.
I have oil pastelled and varnished all the coloured pictures I put up below the fallopian dance picture. I now have lots of funky bright paper to cut out the affirmation words for the affirmation art for children plan. I am getting it sorted slowly but it will all happen in a big rush soon enough. As soon as I have one done, it will be a small one and I think it will be for nephew Jonah's birthday, I will put it up.

The Fallopian Dance!

2010-03-08T16:06:00.001+13:00

I did it

2010-03-08T10:03:00.000+13:00

I have to admit it - I blew my nose. Thank God. I can stop talking about it. I painted again yesterday afternoon on rice paper, which is where I started. It was interesting as I haven't done rice paper painting for a while and it all came out differently. No splashing or pouring this time. Just my bright childlike pallet. The idea is that I will use this paper for making the affirmation art words. What I love about the affirmation art is that I really enjoy doing each process.

On a roll

2010-03-06T18:00:00.002+13:00

And no, I still didn't blow my nose. (Though I must admit,when ever I write that I immediately want to!) After my post yesterday, I turned the picture around and did a bit more on it. I spent lots of time last night looking at it and saw a foxy face. Today I changed it just a bit again. Now it's about leaving well enough alone! New version above. I have created a much bigger canvas to do another one on, plus a whole lot of other surfaces. Tomorrow I will put the numbers on the clock I am making and put then whole thing together. I'll put a picture up when it's finished. Great day today and tonight - soon - I am off to an international Women's day event on the Island.

2nd try

2010-03-05T13:57:00.001+13:00

The colours look very sribbely in the picture but a bit less in real life. Looking at it I keep thinking how great it would be very very big, but then I wonder how I would get that effect with my cheap cheap paints. Going big needs a rethink cos I think I would have to get some Golden Open paints and they aint cheap.

Back home

2010-03-05T13:54:00.001+13:00

I have decided to stop being shy about telling the world that maybe I blew my nose today. Hey, who ever has the time or inclination to read this must want to know something!! So no, I haven't blown my nose today, but I am back from a week in Australia for my niece's 21st and to get myself going again I've scribbled - I can't really call it painting - with paint over two canvases with my rubber gloved right hand. You know what, I like this one. It looks a bit better on the wall. I need a lesson in how to get my pictures to go where I want.

Love Gratitude & Joy

2010-02-15T16:53:00.002+13:00

L G & joy
Originally uploaded by Happy Art

Which I am full of today. Painting going badly - but the mistake was able to be peeled off the canvas and I now have something entirely new to work with. This post is so I can see if I have got the uploading from Flickr thing right. I see that my flickr name of Happy Art shows up too. Affirmation Art, Happpy Art. Notice a theme?

Where I live

2010-02-09T18:21:00.004+13:00

Boy - I can see myself getting into this blogging and chatting away to an invisible audience! I thought I would load some pictures of where I love cos I live in paradise in the best house I have ever lived in - and I want to show off. Also I can justify it as good practice to see what things look like when they are up. I haven't got captioning sorted yet. So the first picture is is looking down on the little beach below us when we were having a bit of a northerly blow. The second picture is a picture of our deck and beyond and the third one is a winter dawn from the deck looking north east.

My first post

2010-02-08T11:20:00.000+13:00

I'm blogged! This blog is going to be a place for me to show my experiments with children's affirmation art and maybe - just maybe - I'll show some of my painting experiments. In the meanwhile, so I can practice loading up pictures I will load up my dinosour picture.