The art show is here!

This long weekend sees the NZ Art Show kick off in Wellington at the TSB Arena.

I’m super excited to take part in the show this year and I can’t wait to get along to see the amazing art and meet some of the other artists involved. All the work has been created specifically for the show, and in addition to the amazing visual artists on display there are musicians and DJs participating as well. It promises to be an amazing spectacle!

NZ Art Show TSB Arena Wellington

Here’s a little taste of a couple of the pieces I created especially for the show…..

‘Take Flight’

‘Happiness’

It’s been so satisfying to see this bright and uplifting body of work come together, and while it looked great all together in my studio, I’m really looking forward to seeing it lit up and hanging on clean walls!

As I’ve finished up this collection, I’ve been thinking about what I want to explore next.

I’ve always been really interested in new science and humanities, and most recently with quantum physics and what it has to say regarding energy and frequency and the nature of our reality. My art practice allows for a lot of time spent listening to podcasts and in contemplation, and these topics provide an endless source of fascination for me.

I have been pondering the nature of colour and how in fact there is no such thing as colour per se, just a wavelength or frequency of light that our retina perceives as colour. Meaning that every colour has a different frequency (wavelength) and also that there is a whole spectrum of light that exists that is simply not able to be perceived by the human eye and is therefore not visible.

This has got me thinking about the impact colour has on us, not only from our cultural and societal conditioning but also how the frequencies affect us. This is explored in many healing modalities from Ayurveda to Chroma therapy and also in more everyday studies of colour theory as it applies to art, interior design and fashion.

As I’m exploring this topic it’s given me a whole new appreciation of colour-field painting, and I’m curious about the effects and influence of integrating large works of single dominant colours into our environment.

I love my process and subject matter too much to stray from florals for this next collection, but this has given me a whole new line of enquiry regarding colour. I’m looking forward to more learning, investigation and exploration through my practice. I’m sure I’ll have lots to share on this as I develop my new work.

If you missed my interview with Walker & Hall earlier in the year for our gift card collaboration, you can check it out here

That’s all for now as I’m off to the studio for a few hours before I pack my bags for Wellington. Wishing you a safe and happy Kings Birthday weekend!!

I can’t wait to create in 2024!

As I’m getting back into the studio to start a new year, I’m thinking with gratitude about all the interesting people and cool opportunities I experienced in 2023 and setting my intentions for what I want to create in 2024. 

I’m super excited to announce I’ll be kicking the year off doing a collaboration with Walker & Hall.  My painting ‘Sunrise’ will feature on the front of Walker & Hall gift cards this year. Keep an eye on my socials for the launch of this project!

"‘Sunrise’

One of the highlights of 2023 was being selected for inclusion in the Walker & Hall Waiheke Art Awards exhibition.  I had the pleasure of attending the gala night at Cable Bay Vineyard on Waiheke which was lots of fun and a great celebration of all the artists involved. 

Walker & Hall Waiheke Art Gallery Catalogue 2023

Towards the end of last year, I had started to experiment with some new brighter colour palettes, no doubt inspired by the longer, sunnier (thankfully!) days that were starting to appear.  In particular I’ve been interested to explore blues and greens in my paintings.  These are colours that used to feature heavily in my botanical work but hadn’t really made an appearance in my ‘black florals’. 

‘Starlight’

These colours have made my work feel more abstracted somehow and have released me from the binds of realism that I was still tenuously clinging to.  I’m excited to see where this development will lead. 

As I review my body of work for the year, I’m reminded that all I can hope for is progression and this is where my motivation to keep painting lies.  I want to be able to convey more, free myself more, and express more harmony and beauty in my work.  I’ve come to think of this as closing the gap!  The gap between my abilities and my sensibilities.  It often occurs to me that this might be an impossible task, and I kind of hope it is, or one day there will be no point in continuing to paint. 

So long as I see my work developing, and that gap closing up even the tiniest bit I’m a happy camper.  The journey really is where it’s at for me these days!

In other news, I am preparing for my first foray into the NZ Art Show in Wellington this year. This event showcases hundreds of selected artists with all work being for sale.  If you’re in Wellington over Kings Birthday weekend (May 31st to June 2nd) it will be well worth a visit!  I’ll be talking more about this as I prepare work for it over the next few months.

NZ Art Show - Wellington

On that note, I’ll leave you with this lovely and somewhat humorous piece of feedback I recently received from a collector regarding my work.

“Thank you Rebecca for creating Sky Bloom.  We chose very neutral colours in our home so we could bring it to life with pieces of art we love.  I LOVE Sky Bloom. I love the blue of the sky and the pop of pink flowers against the luscious green leaves. It reminds me of a place we visit in summer that is very important to me. Every time I look at it, it makes me smile. Thank you.”

I thought I would share my father-in-law’s feedback too. In a very matter of fact way, he said “it makes a very drab room look a million times better!” – M Thorn

‘Sky Bloom’

I’m off to dive into my paints to see where inspiration takes me…..

Wishing you a great start to 2024!

A little bit about my process....

I had the great pleasure of having Kirsten Granich from Studio Door visit my studio a little while ago to help me record aspects of my process and inspiration.

As you may already know, I swapped a career in the fashion industry to begin painting full time in 2018.  When I first started painting, I always felt the need to distance myself from my design roots, weirdly believing that my design background was somehow in opposition to my fine art aspirations.

Now when I look at the history of my work I can see that I am hugely influenced by my love of interiors and fashion and that is part of what makes my work uniquely mine.

Video by Studio Door Photography

The way an artist works is such a deeply personal thing, and one that develops over time.

Recently I have been diving deeply into florals.  I’ve always loved flowers and nature and am always amazed at all the incredible colours and shapes nature has to offer us. My floral paintings are created using a process driven method which begins with me creating bright and stylistic floral images.  In the initial stages my brush strokes are loose and free and I take lots of time to play and experiment with colour as I build up the layers of paint. 

Video by Studio Door Photography

I use a combination of moulding paste and heavy body acrylic paint so that my brush strokes are retained as the paint is applied, waiting patiently for each layer to dry before adding another.  I’m interested in the way each layer builds to create delicate criss-crossing petal shapes and a richly textured surface.  Often, I apply paint directly with palette knives or other tools to provide a notion of leaves and foliage.

Once I have achieved the desired texture and depth, I start to apply thin washes of black or white paint.  These layers are wiped back while still wet, or sanded back with fine grit sandpaper, to reveal the coloured petals beneath.  This process exposes interesting and surprising shapes and colour combinations which I then edit to bring about the final outcome. 

Video by Studio Door Photography

This is a process that to some degree removes my ‘hand’, as I’m never quite sure what pleasing combinations with be exposed to demand accentuation, and what aspects will fade back or remain hidden. It can feel like an archaeological dig for flowers, and for me, holds the wonder of a treasure hunt.  I am always delighted with the unpredictability this way of working allows. The final process is one of creative editing, what to expose and what to keep submerged in the depths, a push and pull that results in the final painting. 

You're invited to the opening of my exhibition at Kumeu Arts Centre on the 10th June!

Where has the first half of this year gone? It’s been a busy and environmentally bumpy start to the year here in Auckland.

I’ve been beavering away in my studio, preparing for an exhibition in Kumeu with two of my Wayfind peers, Iulia and Linley. Iulia is a ceramicist, and Linley works with textiles and together the three of us are presenting an exhibition exploring themes around feminine traditions in a modern world. I’m so excited to share a body of my work all in one place!

I’d love for you to join us at the opening on Saturday the 10th June from 2pm to 4pm. Please come along, and feel free to invite anyone else who may be interested.

There’s some great spots to have lunch out that way beforehand Hallertau Brewery being one of my favorites!

In other news, I’m in the final week of a three month art course that I’ve been taking on-line. It’s called the Creative Visionary Program and it’s the second time I’ve taken it. It’s been so inspiring and overwhelmingly information laden at times, I feel very grateful to have had the opportunity to take it again. It’s amazing how different my approach has been this time. I’ve been able to go so much deeper into the information, having had the opportunity to put into practice all the things I learnt the first time. I also knew that I could expect to feel overwhelmed with the sheer volume of knowledge being shared, so I’ve been able to observe the feeling without making up all the self-doubting stories I indulged in the first-time round!

I’m reminded that there will always be more to learn and part of the pleasure of creating art is the constant desire to improve and evolve your work.

Here’s a little peek at one of my new paintings that will be going into the exhibition at Kumeu.

I’m also delighted to be in the company of some amazing New Zealand artists at the Lysaght Watt Trust Art Award in Hawera at the moment. This exhibition runs until the 17th of June and would be well worth checking out if you happen to be in the Taranaki area. This little painting of mine, ‘Float’ is on display there.

Float, 500mm round, mixed media on cradled wood panel

On that cheerful note, remember I’m always happy to have a visitor to my studio if anyone’s interested in viewing my work in person or just popping in for a cup of tea and a chat. Send me an email and we can arrange it.

I hope the first half of 2023 has been kind to you!

Time to head back into the studio....

After a very relaxing and long summer break, it’s time to head back into the studio!

I’ve spent a lot of time at the beach this summer and a lot of time in reflection on the wins and learnings (ok, so they felt like losses at the time!) of last year. I’m not going to lie, the start of 2022 was a struggle, post lockdown I had totally lost my mojo, and felt very isolated in my studio. The creative solitude that I usually crave, had turned my studio into an echo chamber. Come April, I needed a plan to get me out of my slump and that plan came in the form of Wayfind Creative and Te Tuhis' Interior Design Today course.

When in doubt - get amongst other creative people and learn something new (or in the case of the Interior Design Today course - have some incredible experiences and be reminded of how much you already know about something, which was also good for my soul).

As a consequence, the last half of 2022 was a massive improvement on the first - I met a great bunch of creative people and got some insight into the struggles and triumphs of other artists (turns out we’re all very similar - imposter syndrome anyone?). I had an exhibition at Easel Gallery - gratitude for that experience. I was selected for the Kumeu Arts Awards - I’ve been trying to get into that show for years! I started collaborating on exhibition proposals with two other artists - we have secured our first exhibition together in June 2023. And I had a very satisfactory leap in my creative language, which I can’t wait to build on in 2023.

Of course, there were also shows I didn’t get in to, proposals that didn’t get accepted and days spent in the studio without much progress, I’m choosing not to dwell on these experiences and instead see them as opportunities to grow a thicker skin, exercise my tenacity, and have another go.

Here are my learnings from 2022

• Purpose and structure are really important to me; my creativity needs these grounding principals to flourish.

• Sometimes it’s good to have company when you’re doing the stuff that scares you, rejection in particular is so much easier to shrug off as a group!

• Community and feedback are crucial for progress, this one I need to keep reminding myself of, because I’m introverted and happy being a lone wolf.

• When I get stuck in the studio, I need to stay and push through (usually I can get a resolution within 30 mins, but I’m always tempted to leave). It’s better to build the habit of solving, rather than leaving!

My intention for this year is clear; Expansion. That’s my word for 2023 (and I mean it deeply, not in a ‘take over the world’ kind of way). Expand my knowledge, my capacity to think creatively, my sense of authenticity, my skills, my reach and my creative community.

I’ve got lots of great plans and exciting things happening at the beginning of this year; a new gallery in the pipeline, an amazing course starting in February, plus an exhibition to work towards in June. With all this energy and momentum building in my practice, I can’t wait to see what the second half of 2023 will bring!

So, on that note I’ll leave you with one of my favorite paintings of 2022, reminding me that good things can come out of crappy beginnings.

Wishing you a very happy new year!

Recyled timber discs

Sometimes I’m lucky enough to acquire beautiful old bits of timer from my husbands’ building sites.  These have often served as weatherboards, flooring, or in the latest case stair risers.  I love painting on recycled timber.  There is something very satisfying about re-purposing such a beautiful material and the synergy of painting organic images on an organic material is really appealing.  

The size of the timber impacts how big the finished painting can be, which is a lovely constraint and means that each batch of timber I recycle produces a unique body of work.

Here’s a little run down on how these are made….

Original stair riser

The stair risers are cut in a circle using a router, I have a little help with this part!  We look to maximise the size of the circle to use as much of the timber as possible.

Router

Cut timer disc

Once this is complete, I use a belt sander to take off all the polyurethane on the face of the disc and smooth out the raw edges.  Then the circles are taped to protect the edges from new paint and prepared with two coats of gesso ready for painting.

I love that you can see the previous life this timber has had by the edges, all the little imperfections is what makes them so beautiful.

‘Glory’ 250mm round, Acrylic on Recycled Timber Disc, available in my shop.

What’s my why

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why I am drawn to paint portraits the way I do.  As a relatively new artist it’s sometimes difficult to see the thread of your work until you look backwards.  I’ve spoken before about my habit of writing poetry across the underpaintings of my work, often they are completely lost in the final work, sometimes the odd word or phrase can be seen closeup.  This sets my intention for the work – always one of curiosity and positivity, and l love that there’s a whole story buried in the work. 

I want my images to be arresting, to feel slightly uncomfortable, a little like looking into the sun.  I always choose to push the contrast of light and shadow to the limits, appreciating that often the features of one side of the face are partially lost in the dark.  I also make the eyes a focal point, they really are windows to the soul and I can feel the life they bring to my work once I’m satisfied with my painting of them.  Her gaze is always directly towards the viewer and there is no pretense about her, although she often has a vulnerability.

‘Wish’ 2021

So why do I paint in such a dramatic and intense style?   

My portraits are a response to the bombardment of faces we see in advertising daily, the smilingly vacant or slightly surprised young women, softly lit and sent to convince us life will be better with the latest…… iPhone, skincare, brand of jeans, trainers, sports gear, insert any product here…..  In my eyes this is the modern-day portrait, these are the images of faces we consume constantly, in magazines, on the backs of buses, on every type of media we encounter.  We are so used to seeing these faces we don’t even realise we see them anymore.  They have become background noise to our lives.  As a painter of portraits, I notice these homogenous faces everywhere and it makes me hungry for some drama, some connection and meaning other than pushing a product.

Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with advertising and no problem with the images being used, they just make me long for something more. 

Why don’t you count faces today. 

You might be surprised at how many portraits you’ve viewed without going near an art gallery or museum!   

Back to portraits......

After a long hiatus from portrait painting, I’m feeling inspired to jump back in.

With the sale of Neon Moon earlier in August, I’m reminded how much I enjoy the outcome of portrait painting.  Neon Moon was a painting I was very attached to, so I’m thrilled it’s found a home, but it’s bittersweet to say goodbye. 

Time to reignite this style of work!  As always, I start my portrait process with a photoshoot.  I’m interested in using light as a means of creating drama and I’m fascinated by the idea of duality, both in life and art.  The dark needing the light to exist and vice versa.  I love to push the contrast between these elements to the limit and luckily, I have a willing model in my daughter.

Once I have a collection of photos to choose from, I start the selection process, I love this part and spend a lot of time selecting the images that I find most interesting and inspiring.  This reminds me of my days as a fashion buyer helping to put together catalogues.  These days I’m inspired by the play of shadows on a face and the intensity of the eyes.     

 After I’ve prepped my canvas and given it a coat of colour as a starting point, I grid it up and sketch out the image.  I’m drawn to paint portraits in black and white, monotone being the best means for exploring extreme contrast.  Often in the beginning stages I will write poetry across the work to express the emotions and ideas I hope the work will convey.  I do this in pencil, and it’s gradually covered over by the painting process.  I like the idea that my work represents life, our thoughts and beliefs existing beneath the surface of what we present to the world.