I generally paint in Oils on canvas, my style has been intuitive with the paintings just flowing from the end of my paint brush with no initial thought or planning…I have painted hearts this way for years…not deliberately but instead these were all that came from my brush. I have since extended my mediums using acrylics and calligraphy inks on a range of different supports including driftwood.

I am a published poet also and have used my year at Art School to find a way to merge my writing and painting. I have discovered that the missing link for me was drawing and have utilised Indian inks and Calligraphy inks to merge both my passions. This has resulted in a Post Modernist art style…funny…I had no idea that my work had such a fancy genre until I completed my Art in History paper. Made me laugh to think I could now fit in a box…lol.

The work on display will be Oils and Acrylics that have been created in the last year. Also nearer the end of January I will do an evening finale which will include the installation that I concluded my first year of study with…it is described by Scott McFarlane as an Interesting and Arresting Installation. It is called “Private”. This will be an exclusive showing to invited guests only. I will be inviting you.

Here is a link to my website www.heartart.co.nz and many of the painting there will be on exhibit in Kaitaia.

I will be having my opening event on the 5th January 2010 from 3pm-7pm with Wine and Nibbles at Bank St Gallery in Kaitaia. The overall name for the month is “New Beginnings”.

Please add me to the Diary for Jan2010.

So, thanks to Mark Graver, our great tutor, I have had some wonderful results.

I have found this really great guy…love his work.  Mr Jack Unruh…he does the best line and colour drawings…very accomplished man.  Check him out, I found his work in the National Geographic to start with.

This is part of an email I sent to him…”From across the world in New Zealand, Kerikeri you made me want to know more about American History…Daniel Boone was only ever a character in a TV program…I thought he was just a myth…not a real person with pain and sadness.  Thank you for educating me.  I would not have read the article if I had not been stopped by your paintings.”

Jack was gracious enough to reply to me with the information I needed to complete an essay.  It is nice to know that their are such talented artists ready to share their expertise with others.

So thank you Mr Jack Unruh…from across the world.

Jo

It is not only my 1st Semester holidays it is also Matariki (NZ Maori New Years).  It is a fantastic time to visit art galleries.  There is a lot of celebration amoungst the artist communities…

So far I have visited…The Quarry in Whangarei, both Origin and Art Upstairs in Kerikeri also Bank Street Art in Kaitaia…fantastic examples of groups of artists making a difference in the wider community.

Looks like I will be having an exhibition of my work at Bank Street Art in Kaitaia…next holidays…September I think…fantastic.

I am painting with Nemesh too…this Saturday and then next weekend 11-12 July 09 at the Quarry…you should come too…he is amazingly talented and good at teaching too.

Have a good one…it is nice to live in Northland…cool but not as cold as the rest of New Zealand…nice days too.

Hugs

Jo

Hi There, it seems an age since I wrote here…my first semester at Art School has been…not so bad. My first semester in 15 years…blimey.

I am highlighting the ANZAC DAY donations…my Grandfather and his brothers were all part of the New Zealand war effort…there were many stories of bravery and sadness.  It is with a thankful heart that my family safely returned home and I now have children of my own.  Please make a donation at 2009 Poppy Day Appeal.

On the 25 April I will be painting with Nemesh again…my own remeberance.

Gosh…it has been a time of remembering…my Nephew passed away a year ago…I have painted something speacial for my sister in his memory.

Hugs

Jo

I have drawn in ways I had never thought about…I am painting with Acrylics…I always thought that Acrylics were for sissy’s…I was wrong.

I am studying a painter called Mustafa Farroukh…what yummy work…I am trying to paint similar paintings…the hardest thing is that he painted with Oils but on this course we are not allowed to use Oils and I have been trying to capture the essence of his work in Acrylics…I can’t tell you how much I hated it…Acrylics dry so fast!!!  However, I am coming to grips with my new medium and am able to put togther a reasonable response…would still make Mr Farroukh turn in his grave…but I have a few more weeks to improve.

Part of my course is producing 4 pieces of work for sale…so keep an eye out, over the next couple of months I will be posting those master pieces here…for your enjoyment.

I have also painted my weirdest painting todate…ever!!!  I created it in response to Siapo artist Mary Jewett Pritchard.  Enjoy…..It is called…”Working Late Into The Night”

Working Late Into The Night

I miss my computer…I have no access during the day…I am a computer junkie with severe withdrawl issues…lol.

Jo

There are people in my life that will always have a place in my heart…they are precious people that have changed my life for ever…

This tree glows with Love Light…just like my heart…

Beneath the tree is Gesso…Gesso gives the extra texture that adds movement and branches…surprisingly, the patterns I painted with the Gesso are all hearts…there are at least 6 or 7 hearts beneath the tree…fitting really.

Always In My Heart

Enjoy…I love this so much.

Jo

It was so simple…

1. Choose your canvas

2. Using Gold Leaf size,  paint what ever shapes you want your Gold Leaf to be in.  Make it nice and smooth, any bubbles will show on your painting later.

3. Let it dry for 10-15 minutes…if you don’t leave it long enough the Gold Leaf won’t stick.  The glue will feel almost tacky but not quite.  Wash you brush straight away, it’s glue not oil paint!

4. Close the doors and windows and create a nice still environment.

5. Take a Gold leaf and place it on the sized area…gently rub with a soft, dry cloth…repeat this until all of the size is covered.  The Gold Leaf likes to stick to fingers so nice dry hands make a big difference.

6. Allow to dry over night. You can paint on it sooner as long as the size is properly dry.

7. Paint whatever you like…I did…it is called Secret Lovers…

8. Using a touch of Linseed Oil and a soft dry cloth wipe over the areas that have Golf Leaf underneath…you don’t have to wipe off everything, have a play with your work.

Secret Lovers

I was stunned at my results…the Golf Leaf made all the difference.

I can’t wait to have another go.

Jo

Stark Reality stikes again….I think that this is where my new painting comes from…realising that our own business needs me.  I need to focus on the future and just do what needs to be done…Inland Revenue waitings for no-one!!!

Focusing On The Future

The best part of my future is….2 more days on a NemeshArt course…can’t wait.  I am looking forward to catching up with friends very much and learning new skills too…most excellent.

Jo

I have been trying all morning to edit photos of my paintings for the Gallery only to find that downloading a nice new program was the easy bit…

Technology has a way of going out of date before your even really begin.  The new program down loaded fine but then when I went to use it boom…out of virtual memory…who would have guessed!!!  My little Laptop kept falling over, poor thing,  it took me ages to be able to uninstall it because it was running so slowly…OK so I can stop whining now!!!

Here are my pictures…I wanted to tweek the colours however that has proved more difficult than I expected, so all I can say is that they look even better in reality…fantastic even!!!

Yellow 1of3

yellowred 2of3

Red 3of3

There you go….As Easy 1, 2, 3…

Blimey

Have a great day.

Jo