Tag: Painting

Reflections of late Autumn – mixed media.

This is one of three pieces I have been working on and it seems as the temperature drops here in New Zealand, so the contrast darkens in my work. I have always been a lover of a strong black line with its potential for drama, and I think that is apparent in this piece. Below is the first landscape in this trilogy, and although signed does at this point feel a little unfinished so I may possibly revisit this.

Below are the starting points of the three landscapes. Middle image was the beginnings of the work featured on the easel.

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What inspires me…

When I look at my local ranges – the Tararua Ranges – I am lifted up with a sense of freedom. I am in awe of their rolling contours, their strength, their unmovable presence and grace.

My painting and drawing reflect this freedom, with lines and marks; steady and determined, light and delicate. I walk, I fly across my paper – I am the brush, the pencil, the pastels, the eraser, the piece of black velvet charcoal. With water I merge each mark and rework and re-walk each line, building layer upon layer. This process places my feet firmly in the land, my mark firmly on the paper, with this familiarity my relationship with the subject deepens, my appreciation grows, I am awake….my work is a melding of my spirit and the land, we are at that moment one.

“Solice within Discontent” road through the pines -Tararua Range
Echoes of Foxton Estuary – ink and charcoal
Foxton Estuary – charcoal

From stretcher to visual diary cover…

Today I de-stretched a number of older acrylic works and mounted one of them (cutting into three) onto visual diaries. I was particularly pleased with the result. This work had already received 3-4 coats of gloss varnish and was well tempered. I have a growing collection of sketch books and visual diaries each one showing process and progress over the years. Cutting a canvas to adorn them seemed appropriate.

This is not the first time!Visual Diary Affair…

Horowhenua Landscape – colour studies.

Although smaller in size these four colour studies were just as challenging as my larger work. I wanted to maintain fluidity and freshness with each whilst at the same time bringing depth through layering a mix of media. This included charcoal at the start, followed by watercolour, water-soluble wax pastels, soft pastel and back into each one with either black or indigo water-soluble pencil. I will endeavour to replicate parts of these works into a further series on Colourfix pastel board – a completely deferent surface from the smooth hot pressed Fabriano Artistico paper these studies are painted on.




Each study is 10.5″ x 7″ unframed and available to purchase. Please see my Landscape Gallery for further details.

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