Infamous paintings.....why?
Every now and then a painting surfaces that has been created by someone considered evil or infamous in some manner, the first time I ever heard of one was in a book about Hitler who the world knows as.....click on image for more
Posted: Friday 30 July 2010
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40 things that could go wrong at an Exhibition Opening night!
Now no one could possibly have all this happen at their exhibition opening (Although I have seen one or two of these really happen at other’s shows and possibly one or two at one my own!), so in a way it is a list to make you feel better if things didn’t go entirely to plan on your art exhibition opening night! Just for fun lets visit what.....click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 27 July 2010
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Fulling and felting
Recently I mentioned that I’d had a go at needle felting and that I’m keen to try actual felting as it looks lie an interesting craft and since.....click on image for more
Posted: Monday 26 July 2010
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Crowns, Tiaras you know the fancy headwear for balls and weddings etc
I own several crowns and a couple tiaras, they’re not the ,made of gold and precious jewel type ones, as that would be daft and I’d have to be pretty rich to own something so utterly useless to .......click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 25 July 2010
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Getting Crafty
Its no secret that I like to do crafts along with my art, it’s that need to create or see how to create new things. It’s also......click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 24 July 2010
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The art of Lace
No two ways about it, I love Lace, I like to wear it and I like to paint it, in fact it often appears in my artwork. I cant say Ive ever made any although I’ve certainly had a go at crocheting and .....click on image for more
Posted: Friday 23 July 2010
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When you need more than one pair of hands......
Being an Octopus
We all talk about needing more than two hands to get all the work done that we need to do each day. I know I certainly could do with a few more, what with.......click on link for more
Posted: Tuesday 20 July 2010
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Art Quotes and Sayings
Art Quotes and Sayings
There are many quotes out there about art, my favourite being, “Support Living Artists, the dead ones don’t need it!” in that it is my goal to educate the world to invest in artists who are trying to make a ....click on image for more
Posted: Monday 19 July 2010
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Fairfiled Bridge has artistic merit
Fairfield Bridge is an iconic landmark in central Hamilton. Artists focus on it when painting or photographing scenery in the city, meaning I have seen.......click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 17 July 2010
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Flags, what they stand for and such stuff
Every now and then the debate comes up as to whether or not we should change our national flag here in New Zealand. A lot of people want to change it because it’s so similar to the Australian flag or they want to see something that shows what we stand for as a country on our own merits rather than having affiliation to the UK with the Union Jack as part of it. Please keep in mind these are necessarily my views I’m just speaking broadly of what I see and he
Posted: Thursday 15 July 2010
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Colouring in Books
As a kid I loved to colour in, and would spend many hours doing so, always in competition with my big sis as to who could colour in neater, she usually.....click on image for more
Posted: Monday 12 July 2010
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Rejection from Art Galleries, is it because your work sucks or what?
Most artists presume they get rejected from a gallery because their artwork isn’t good enough, but it’s not always the case. Having worked in several art galleries over the years, I know that.....click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 30 June 2010
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Trends in painting styles and why you should aim to be different
We have all seen it, the way some artists tend to paint similar things when they’re hot and the buying public are snapping them up. The ‘Rangitoto and toi toi’ paintings common on trademe.co.nz, or the .....click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 29 June 2010
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One Size Fits All, an exhibition for NZ artists
One Size Fits All is a small paintings show for artists from all over new Zealand, primarily to get a huge amount of local artists together in one place and give the public a chance to view a snapshot of as many artists as possible in one viewing!
The show has been running for.....click on image for more
Posted: Monday 28 June 2010
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A cold day in hell, well not really….its Hamilton and I like it like that!
What do you do on a cold winters day in Hamilton if you’re an artist? You catch up with friends and do a studio session with them, maybe have a few .....click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 27 June 2010
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Poppies, tall poppies, painting poppies, ok just poppies then.......
All species of poppies are attractive and most are cultivated as ornamental plants. A few species have other uses, principally as sources of drugs and foods. The opium poppy fir instance is so widely used, for ....click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 26 June 2010
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Branding is important for artists
Creating a brand for your art is important, its not just about creating a logo and having a marketing campaign either. Not only can a brand define ownership.....click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 24 June 2010
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Something about nothing II - lets talk about weird colours just because we can!
Arsenic is a colour believe it or not and there we were thinking it was just a poison, so today’s blog entry is about some of those colours that we wouldn’t normally have on our palette or we may have mixed by accident and never had any idea what they were called. Some of you will know as.....click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 23 June 2010
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Tips on photographing your artwork
The painting today is a ‘red eye’ as in red eye deduction but that’s not one of my tips as we’re not working with people for this, it’s about ....click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 22 June 2010
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Careers in Art – The Naked truth about Art Modelling
Ok so there aren’t any dirty little secrets and this is one career that is not quite what you think, but I got your attention right? Art models are.....click on image for more
Posted: Monday 21 June 2010
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Window-Dressing an art career
Once upon a time I trained as a window dresser. These days most stores employ a visual merchandiser instead in that they cover a broader range of merchandise display and not so much the....click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 20 June 2010
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Caveman Art, the prehistoric stuff
No doubt you would have studied some of the history of cave man art when at school, I certainly did. Most of it we don’t remember, but some of the images still stick in my mind, especially the....click on image for more
Posted: Friday 18 June 2010
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Something about nothing much Part 1
Some days Im simply stuck on what to say, I still have around half a year to write things for this blog, but hey at least I can celebrate making it to that half way mark!
What do you write about when your desk is piled with papers and you know you have to get your.......click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 17 June 2010
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Burgundy or Claret…are we talking the colour or the wines?
Burgundy or Claret…are we talking the colour or the wines?
Burgundy as a colour is a shade of purplish red usually associated with the Burgundy wine of the same name; this comes from the Burgundy region of France where that particular type.....click on image for more
Posted: Monday 14 June 2010
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Creating a bread & Butter line
As an artist you often need to create a bread and butter line, or in broader terms, a line of something that sells quickly and easily and more importantly, often. This is your product that you can re.....click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 13 June 2010
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Ikebana, the Art of Japanese floral arranging
I have a book in my bookcase called ‘A Guide to Japanese Flower Arranging’ and I’m about to embark on creating some of the designs as I think they’re so simple and stunning looking. Im not sure how....click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 12 June 2010
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Business cards as a tool for artists
Did you know that in some Asian countries especially Japan, business cards are considered an extension of you, that’s why when they present their....click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 10 June 2010
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Fingernails and the art of painting them
Long nails have always been a part of my life. I like many others see them as glamorous and lady-like especially when painted up beautifully. When I was......click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 9 June 2010
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The art of Cooking
Cooking
We have so many cooking programs on TV these days it’s become super competitive and the art of cooking has become so much more than it ever used to be.
Top chef and celebrity chefs we have it all. Going to a restaurant means you get.....click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 8 June 2010
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Monarch Butterflies
Monarchs often appear in my art work. I think they are the most beautiful butterflies you can ever see and I’ve.....click on the image for more
Posted: Monday 7 June 2010
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The Art of the Humble Button
Buttons have always fascinated me, I remember as a child sifting through the mountain of buttons my mother had in her sewing desk, there were....click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 6 June 2010
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Ill Paint you a Rainbow
I came across this cute little poem about Rainbows, and thought I should share it with you.
Rainbows have always held a fascination for artists, in fact anyone and....click on image for more
Posted: Friday 4 June 2010
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Lets talk about Pencils, or rather Dry Media and your art.
This week I was invited to attend a Dry Media presentation at Gordon Harris, our local art supply store. It was a full house with lots of artists wanting to know a bit more about our most basic of art tools, the humble pencil. And I can tell you there was.....click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 3 June 2010
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Fashion and an evening with Annah Stretton
We all know designing is an art form and I really should talk about fashion in that way but I think what I did last night was much more interesting. Now as some of you would know I like to.....click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 2 June 2010
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My obsession with Cocktails
Since the 1980s I have been infatuated with the flashy cocktail. It wasn’t about the alcohol content although it did appear to be sophisticated as an adults drink and the ‘mocktails’ us kids were given just.....click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 1 June 2010
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The art of tattooing
A tattoo is a marking made by inserting dark, indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment mainly for decorative reasons. Tattooing has been practiced for....click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 27 May 2010
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The Art of Pottery
My favourite pottery is made by a local contemporary potter called Tammy Kuypers, her work is quite diverse and always unique in that it is so unusual you wont find anything else quite like it. Tammy’s work is.....click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 25 May 2010
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Eyesight and art
One thing I fear as an artist is loosing my eyesight. I woke up today with terribly bloodshot eyes caused from a makeup allergy and although it....click on image for more
Posted: Monday 24 May 2010
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Cake decorating another artform for those who can!
Cake making and decorating is not my forte; in fact to be honest I’m pretty hopeless at it! I would literally break into a cold sweat thinking about creating some master piece for my children’s birthdays as being an artist everyone expected......click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 22 May 2010
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Cartoons, cartooning, caricatures and so on....
The word cartoon has various meanings, based on several very different forms of visual art and illustration. The original meaning was in fine art, where cartoon meant a.....click on image for more
Posted: Friday 21 May 2010
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I Paint what I see, a poem about Diego Rivera
I Paint What I See
"What do you paint when you paint a wall?" Said John D.'s grandson Nelson.
"Do you paint just anything there at all?
"Will there....click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 20 May 2010
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Whose up for some Papier-mâché
Most students have at some time made Papier-mâché at art class, it’s a staple art form for many schools and a nice in expensive way to make and teach sculpture.
I recall my sister’s class once making masks which they got.....click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 19 May 2010
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Mosaics
I must confess Im not a huge fan of mosaics although some artists who work in this medium do impress me. I myself probably wouldn’t ever try it, I don’t like stuff that gets all dirty and under my nails like grout or clay so it’s not on my.......click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 18 May 2010
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Whats in my art case?
I need to clean out my mobile paint case as its getting really heavy and hard to close. Its one of those things that....click on image for more
Posted: Monday 17 May 2010
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What about Op art, or optical illusion art as you probably know it as?
Op art, also known as optical art, is a style of visual art that makes use of optical illusions. Back in.....click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 16 May 2010
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A Poem about Art
I came across this poem about art and what it would be like to live life without it. I thought it was lovely and wanted to share it with you.......click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 15 May 2010
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The Art of Dance
Who doesn’t like to dance other than the shuffling guy with two left feet who whose too self conscious to let himself go with the flow? I’ve always been a bit of a free-styler myself, but don’t ask me to waltz, its not......click on image
Posted: Friday 14 May 2010
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The colour Gold
The most prized of colours or at least the metal Gold is anyway! Gold or golden as it is sometimes called, is made...click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 13 May 2010
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Knitting, yes its an art too!
I can’t knit, there I’ve said it! My Gran tried to teach me but she gave up after I created a....click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 12 May 2010
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Stencils in art, from screen-printing to graffiti
A stencil is a template used to draw or paint identical things like letters, numbers, symbols, shapes, or patterns every time it is used. You may have also heard of it called pochoir the term used in....click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 11 May 2010
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A bit about Web Logs
Well I obviously know a bit about weblogs because I write one but I’m no expert For me this is a way to work on my fledgling writing skills as one day I ...click on image for more
Posted: Monday 10 May 2010
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Post Exhibition Blues
Post Exhibition Blues
Got you there, Im fortunate enough to not suffer such things, as I like to look on the bright side of life as much as possible, it also helps to not have unrealistic expectations of....click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 9 May 2010
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The Art of Spiderwebs
There’s something special about foggy frosty mornings, some people hate them but I myself, well I really like them a lot. The air of mystery and suspense that’s....click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 8 May 2010
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Protecting your clothes from art stuff
Back in the olden days artists had lovely big baggy smock type outfits to go with their berets, it was some sort of artist’s uniform but it was also for....click on image for more
Posted: Friday 7 May 2010
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The colour Silver
Silver is a metallic shade that resembles gray, the visual sensation usually associated with the metal silver is its metallic shine. This cannot be.....click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 6 May 2010
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Painting a straight line
Years ago I did some training in ticket-writing; an art that is quickly disappearing due to computer generated signage that is quicker and tidier and can be reproduced in multiplies by the click of a button. Because of the repetitive nature of.....click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 5 May 2010
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Scratchboarding, what is it?
I received an email recently advertising the materials for a technique called scratch-boarding. I had never heard of it before but was fascinated by the accompanying images and thought, hey I might.....click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 4 May 2010
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Antiquing, or simulating the aging of your art using paint effects
This sort of post should really contain step by step images but I’m going to ask you to try and visualise the techniques as you will come up with variations that will......click on image for more
Posted: Monday 3 May 2010
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Salvador Dali, only the best surrealist artist I'd ever want to know!
Born on May 11th 1904, Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Dali as we know him was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter, whose work is ....click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 2 May 2010
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Trompe-L’oeil
Trompe-L’oeil is an art technique involving extremely realistic imagery in order to create the....click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 1 May 2010
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Decoupage another art technique
Decoupage is the art of decorating objects, art or furniture by gluing coloured paper cut-outs onto them along with special paint effects, the addition of gold leaf and other mixed...click on image for more
Posted: Friday 30 April 2010
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A bit about Coffee and Latte Art
Coffee is a beverage that I adore; in fact you can almost guarantee that when I am writing these posts, I will have a ...click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 29 April 2010
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Oriental Painting
For centuries oriental painting has fascinated westerners for its unique qualities and style. The simplicity and controlled elegance are key features to this style of art. The earliest paintings were not representational but actually more ornamental; they consisted of intricate.... click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 28 April 2010
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Eight Days to go......
Eight days to go until my exhibition “It’s All about Me…..ow!” opens so things are extremely hectic around here as Im sure you can imagine.
Its not as simple as....click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 27 April 2010
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A Day in the life of one crazy artist....oh thats me!
I got a bit stuck today with something to say and I did promise the Arts Council Id talk about what I do on some days, so today that’s it again! So what did I do today then?
Well I have a solo show coming up so today has been about......click on image for more
Posted: Monday 26 April 2010
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A little bit about Symbolism in Art
Symbols have always played an important role in art from the very earliest of times. They often represent an idea or quality, for example blackbirds are a.......click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 25 April 2010
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Artists Mannequins
We have all seen them, the wooden creatures with movable joints that contort in all directions. I actually have....click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 24 April 2010
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What is Egg Tempura?
Egg tempera is a type of paint made by adding pigments to a mixture of egg yolk and water. It is said to be one of the oldest, most ...click on image for more
Posted: Friday 23 April 2010
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Winter
Winter is our coldest season; it comes between autumn and spring. In a lot of artworks it is portrayed as white and snowy, especially in ....click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 22 April 2010
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Being an enviromentally friendly artist
Most artists care about the environment, but what can you do to help keep things green? You can start off by buying eco-friendly art materials and ....click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 21 April 2010
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What are Martial ARTS then?
What are martial arts? In its broadest sense, the martial arts refer to self-defense techniques born in Asian countries which are made up of combinations of hand and foot combat. Mental discipline.....click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 20 April 2010
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Artists, listen to what others tell you.........
Learning about art has been a long road for me. I never profess to be an intellectual and I unfortunately I wasn’t in the position to do an arts degree early on, so what I do know has been either...click on image for more
Posted: Monday 19 April 2010
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Driving is an Art also.............
Yes I went to the Hamilton V8s this weekend where I watched these cars reach amazing speeds. There weren’t as many ‘entertaining’ crashes as I would have liked to seen to be honest! Driving at such ......click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 18 April 2010
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What does an artist LOOK like: is there a typical look and can you identify it?
I personally think that anything goes with how you look, there is on rule or style as such, after all we are all individual in how we are, how we create and how we think so why not how we dress. So why do I want to...click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 17 April 2010
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Lets talk about the colour Grey...Gray....Grehayyy!!!!
Did you know that the human eye can distinguish about 500 shades of gray. It stands for everything between black and white.
Gray itself is....click on image for more
Posted: Friday 16 April 2010
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How to plan an exhibition - nuts and bolts stuff
I am having another art exhibition next month, where Ill be showing my latest artworks to the public. I’ve been exhibiting my work since I was in my early teens with my first solo show at the age of sixteen, so I’ve learnt a lot over the years about how to streamline the process, usually the...click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 15 April 2010
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Leonardo, anatomy and the Vitruvian man....
Leonardo da Vinci the famous painter, sculptor and inventor was also known for the large role he played in the development of knowledge about anatomy and the human body. In fact, even today, more than five hundred years after it was created, there is probably no more recognisable drawing of the human body than Leonardo's.. ...click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 14 April 2010
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Question of the day, is black actually a colour?
Keeping it simple and straight to the point black is the absence of...click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 13 April 2010
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Question of the day...is Black a colour?
Keeping it simple and straight to the point black is the absence of colour and is therefore...click on image for more
Posted: Monday 12 April 2010
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Painting botanical art, thats flowers and plants.....
Flowers have always held a fascination with artists to paint. Whether because of their temporary nature being made immortal on canvas or simply for ...click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 11 April 2010
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Lets Talk about the coluor Brown
Brown is a tertiary colour; it is a mix of the three subtractive primary colours, red, blue and yellow. Brown exists as a colour perception only in the presence of a brighter colour contrast like....click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 10 April 2010
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Fun and Games an exhibition by Lyndy Wilson
Soul Gallery in Hamilton is currently exhibiting Lyndy Wilson’s latest artworks and I went along to the opening evening to have a look at what was on....click on image for more
Posted: Friday 9 April 2010
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Your art website needs more promotion than just listing it on the internet
So what you should do:
First up you need to get other related websites to link to your....click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 8 April 2010
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Ideas to sell your photography as art
Most people have no idea where to start when it comes to selling their photography as art. In fact it’s not easy to sell photography to be honest. In the gallery I work in we have only four photographers work of which ...click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 7 April 2010
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New Zealand Female Visual Artists
We’re always hearing about the male artists that have changed the world; you know the ones, like Leonardo Da Vinci, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet etc etc, but what about the female artists? There were and still are many......click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 6 April 2010
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What is Sculpture?
Sculpture is defined as three-dimensional artwork and is created by shaping or combining materials, usually stone, clay, ceramic, metal, glass, wood, or even.....click on image for more
Posted: Monday 5 April 2010
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Live Theatre, a performing art
Back in the 1980’s (My heyday or teen years!) I enjoyed doing little theatre. It was and probably still is a highly competitive world and as I didn’t care to....click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 3 April 2010
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Boy the Movie, a must see NZ Classic
I live New Zealand movies and am a staunch supporter of them, hungrily hunting out NZ movies on our hiring system Fatso.com and ordering every single one regardless of what...click on image for more
Posted: Friday 2 April 2010
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What are O-moshi-roo-soo?
A while ago a friend gave me some really interesting origami paper creations that he had made and......click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 1 April 2010
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Faberge Eggs, in time for Easter
Its Easter time and just because Toni asked Im going to talk about Faberge Eggs!
So lets head way back in time to 1885 when....click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 31 March 2010
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If Black IS a colour then what about White?
The debate on black and white being colours is huge, yesterday I focused on black so naturally I need to talk about white also, so lets....click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 31 March 2010
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How to choose names for your paintings
If you asked me how I come up with names for my artwork I would be the first to put up my hand and admit that sometimes I...click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 30 March 2010
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Art History - a bit of a timeline
Art history is something many artists don’t know a lot about. In other posts I have described briefly what certain movements like Realism or Impressionism are, but I thought it might be.....click on image for more
Posted: Monday 29 March 2010
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Art Funding information
FUNDING
Funding for art projects is something an artist may need at one time or another so here are some practical tips and ideas to help you when you start looking at applying for....click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 28 March 2010
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Art Therapy a job with art in it!
What exactly is Art Therapy? To explain it briefly it is a form of psychotherapy that uses art media as its....click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 27 March 2010
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Art Auction Previews
Art Auction Previews
Today was spent going around Auckland with a wonderful couple who I met through art circles in Hamilton. They have a large collection of artwork including sculptures and...click on image for more
Posted: Friday 26 March 2010
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Balloons Over Waikato
There are not a lot of big events that happen in Hamilton, but one that does every year is the Balloons over Waikato where hot air balloon enthusiasts from all over....click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 25 March 2010
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The Scream by Edvard Munch
Said to be one of Edvard Munch’s most important and famous paintings, it’s not widely known that there are actually four versions of....click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 24 March 2010
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Statistics on art things and other fun facts
What percentage of artists are left-handed?
Although the population in general are more right handed, in comparison there is...click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 23 March 2010
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What is this foot painting thing huh?
Once upon a time I ran an artist online chat group. It was a place for artists to come to and talk about art stuff mainly and to....click on image for more
Posted: Monday 22 March 2010
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The Brain Thing, left, right, wrong which way is up huh?
The concept of right brain and left brain thinking developed from the research in the late 1960s of an American psycho-biologist called Roger Sperry. He discovered that the human brain has two very different ways of...clcik on image for more
Posted: Sunday 21 March 2010
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Working with animals…why would ya!?!
My latest thing is painting animals especially ones I know. I have cats myself and they have the quirkiest personalities, so a great deal of time goes into photographing them for studies to work from as well as trying to recreate their nature into the.....click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 20 March 2010
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Music is an art form too
I don’t claim to be very musical myself although I love music and was once married to a musician, so I have spent some time around the....click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 20 March 2010
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A Bit about mending broken paintings
Recently in the news there was a write-up about a person accidentally damaging a Picasso painting, the lady who remains.....click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 18 March 2010
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Kids Art Work, did someone keep hold of yours for you?
I have quite a few pieces of both my daughter’s artwork around the house, it brings back many happy memories of days painting or drawing together an....click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 17 March 2010
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Glass paints and how to use them
I have had a play with glass painting in the past, doing my own hand-painted Boozehag wine glasses and so on. I've even used the glass paint in...click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 16 March 2010
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What about trademarks, how are they different to copyright?
Some artists do not understand the difference between a trademark and copyright so I thought I should explain it further. Please check out my post on copyright if you want to know more about that side of things!
Basically a trademark is something often referred to as a...click on image for more
Posted: Monday 15 March 2010
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Round Paintings.....why are they suddenly popular?
I’ve noticed a trend in more round paintings these days, the last group exhibition I went to had four different artists work on round canvas’s with each one being quite impressive in how they artist’s worked the shape of the canvas into the theme of the artwork.
It wasn’t that long ago that round canvases were hard to come by; needing specialist framing for the stretched canvases or.....click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 14 March 2010
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Yin Yang, so what is it?
Balance or harmony, call it what you might but to me Yin yang means black vs. white, day vs. night, good vs. evil and so on…... I have a tattoo that includes it because I see it as an essential part of my life to have that necessary balance between the two forces and I designed my tattoo to speak of things that are important to me.
So what is Yin Yang? It comes from Chinese culture and represents the two opposite principles in nature. Yin......click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 13 March 2010
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A little information about the colour Green
What does green mean to you? To me it has many connotations, it can mean life and renewal, as in spring growth, or how about being green, where you look after the environment which ...click on image for more
Posted: Friday 12 March 2010
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Prints, Giclees and other numbers stufff
Limited Edition is where there is an edition of art work prints that are restricted to a specific number of copies. These are usually inscribed with the author's signature and a sequence number, such as copy #2/100 copies which means ...click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 11 March 2010
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An Apple a day.......
Art has always been in my blood and when asked to explain why I do it, I can only explain it as being similar to the ‘need’ of all of us to breathe….artists ‘need’ to paint, they’re more relaxed and...click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 11 March 2010
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Lets PAUSE a moment.....Whats the story with doing commissioned artworks?
Some artists do it, some don’t. Some like it while others loathe it. It’s a double edged sword that can work well for some artists or not so well for others but if you want to make money from your art there are sometimes things you may need to...click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 10 March 2010
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Home Wine-making, my type of Art!
12 months ago I decided I needed a hobby; my art had grown into my career and although its still fun to do it simply...click on image for more
Posted: Monday 8 March 2010
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What makes a good artists studio space?
Artists studios like office spaces are as diverse as the people who work in them. There is no hard and fast rule as to how they should be laid out or what....click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 7 March 2010
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Surrealism is my favourite ism!
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the Surrealist group members. From the 1920s on, the movement spread....click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 6 March 2010
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Andy Warhol, famous for being famous?
Andy Warhol aka Andrew Warhola was the main figure of the Pop art movement as well as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. His main claim to fame was...click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 6 March 2010
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To Varnish or not to Varnish, that is the question?
Artists ask me this question more often than any other when talking about techniques in artwork. What is varnish, what does it do and why do we use it?....click on image for more
Posted: Friday 5 March 2010
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What does Contemporary mean when talking about art?
Contemporary means 'present day', or reasonably close. Contemporary art is art produced....click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 3 March 2010
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Autumn is my favourite season...weird I know but
Autumn is the transition from warm summer months to the cold weather of winter, and its related status as the season of the primary harvest, has dominated its themes and popular ...click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 2 March 2010
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The art of Jewellery
Jewellery, the art of creating items in gold or silver or other metals as well as many other materials for adornment and beautification is an interesting and....click on image for more
Posted: Monday 1 March 2010
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How Long should it take to finish a painting?
This is such a personal thing and can be summed up in “How long is a piece of string” its pretty much impossible to put a time on such things. Like the Mainland ad, all good things take time...click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 28 February 2010
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Lets talk about the colour Blue
Blue, one of the three primary colours would have to be one of my least favourite although a lot of people see it as a special colour and it is much admired. It has connotations ....click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 27 February 2010
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What exactly is Retro?
Retro is a term used to describe culturally outdated or aged trends, modes, or fashions, from the overall post-modern past, but have since that time become functional or in fashion once again. The use ...click on image for more
Posted: Friday 26 February 2010
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Hairdressing is an Art too
In the world of fashion, hairdressing developed as an art during the middle Ages, when an appropriate coiffure became as important as....click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 25 February 2010
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Kiwi Art Awards and other useful sites
Art Awards open to New Zealand Artists
• Adam Portraiture Award - The Adam Foundation sponsors this....click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 24 February 2010
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So you want to know about Artists in Residence programs...well
What Is an Artist-in-Residence? Well the specifics vary from program to program, but basically an artist-in-residence usually means you're given somewhere to live, some to money to live on, and a studio to work in for a set period of......click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 23 February 2010
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Murphy's Law and Art
This commonly expressed sentiment means "If anything can go wrong, it will." Many problems, failures, and annoyances are attributed to Murphy's Law, but most people do not know....click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 23 February 2010
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How to use Gold leaf
Gold or silver leaf isn’t just for gilding things like mirrors, you can use it in your paintings too, just check out Gustav Klimt’s work where he used ....click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 21 February 2010
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How to use Crackle Effect in your painting
Crackle painting
Artists who work in texture usually want to know about the crackle effect if they don’t already know how.
Crackle painting is a faux painting technique that produces...click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 20 February 2010
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That Old Blank Canvas syndrome
What do you do when you see a blank canvas? Do you freeze up or instantly start working on it? Many artists find ....click on image for more
Posted: Friday 19 February 2010
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The Art of Face Painting
Continuing with the makeup theme I thought Id also mention face painting. This fun activity can become a very rewarding business for some as well as a way to learn new skills in the makeup or art arena. It can be an occasional event where you ....click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 18 February 2010
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Art of the Geisha
In the streets of modern Japanese cities amongst the dark suits and strict corporate dress codes, it is still possible to see splinters of ancient tradition - strange women in bright kimonos with white powder wax on faces and monumental hairdos.
Geishas hurrying.....click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 17 February 2010
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Makeup is an art
You simply cannot go past makeup when talking about art because it too is a creative form of artistry.
Just check out any horror movie or sci-fi movie and you ....click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 16 February 2010
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Is letter Writing an Art Form?
Snail mail, love letters, correspondence, paper and envelopes with ink on them; whatever you call letters or even what you may think of them, they’re .......click on image for more
Posted: Monday 15 February 2010
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Ahhhhh but do you know what Fauvism is?
Fauvism is about not using realistic colors or perspective techniques to recreate an illusion of reality. Bold, vivid and pure colours are selected to fit the emotion felt or to create an emotional impact.
The Fauvists were a group of French painters, including Henri Matisse, George Braque, Kees van Dongen and Maurice de Vlaminck and were from the Paris salon of 1905. Their artworks were characterised by their use of simplified forms, bright...click on image for more
Posted: Monday 15 February 2010
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Hand Painting or how to paint hands
I could go two ways with this, we could talk about painting hands or paintings on hands so to get the latter out of our systems here is a link to some really cool paintings that....click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 13 February 2010
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And then there is Realism
Realism is a type of art that shows things exactly as they appear in 'real' life. It began in the 18th century, but the greatest Realist era was in the mid-19th century. Most Realists were from France, but there were some famous...click on image for more
Posted: Friday 12 February 2010
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What is Expressionism?
Expressionism is the term used to describe an art movement of the early 20th century from 1905 to 1920 that was most prominent in Germany and Austria. The aims of an Expressionist were to express emotions through the use of vivid colours and strong, distorted lines, rather than .......click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 11 February 2010
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A bit about the colour Orange
Orange is one of the most vibrant colours there is. It's a combination of red and yellow and appears between these two colours on the colour spectrum or wheel, so naturally it shares some common attributes with those colours. Orange denotes energy, warmth, tropical fruit and of course the sun. Orange however has a bit less intensity or aggression than red and is ........click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 10 February 2010
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Review - HOME New Zealand Magazine – Art House Issue 2010
I came across this magazine quite by accident while waiting in line at the supermarket check-out. It’s usually about other home related things apparently, but once a year it seems, they focus on my favourite subject ‘ART!” So naturally I added it to my already over flowing trolley!
Now most art magazines I find........click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 9 February 2010
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Impressionism
One of my first influences was Claude Monet, back in the day when I used to do oil paintings of a scenic nature. I was captivated by his ability to portray light and the soft simple effect of his style, especially.......click on image for more
Posted: Monday 8 February 2010
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Writing an Artists Resume, CV or Statement
I get asked a lot about what the difference is between a resume, a bio and an artist’s statement. A resume is pretty much like a job resume where you have contact details, your history as in exhibitions, education etc and.....click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 7 February 2010
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Cubism
Cubism was a French school of art most prominent between 1907 and 1914. First developed by Pablo Picasso (who painted the piece titled Les Demoiselles d' Avignon in ........click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 6 February 2010
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Developing a Painting style
Part of being an artist is having your own identifiable style, you know that special ‘something’ that means when someone looks at a painting and instantly knows that it’s by you, regardless of what the subject of......click n image for more
Posted: Friday 5 February 2010
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What is Abstract Art?
Dictionary definition - abstractionism: an abstract genre of art; artistic content that depends on internal form rather than pictorial representation.
Its interesting to know that many artists start off wanting to paint in abstract....click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 4 February 2010
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What is Sun Painting you ask?
Sun Painting or Heliographic Art as its technically called is a process where transparent fabric paints are applied to fabric (100% cotton is the best.) and while the paint is still wet, objects like stencils, leafs, feathers etc are placed onto the wet fabric. You then place it in the sun and when it dries, the outlines of the objects are transferred to the fabric.....click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 3 February 2010
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Lets Talk about the colour Purple
Because purple is derived from the mixing of a strong warm primary colour (Red) and strong primary cool colour (Blue) it has both warm and cool properties.....click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 2 February 2010
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A bit about Pablo Picasso
Only my all time favourite artist. So what do I know of Mr Picasso? Well I'm not going to give you a tiresome rundown on the man’s history, there are many websites and books that can give you that sort of information.....
click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 2 February 2010
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Where do you get your Inspiration?
I’ve been working on some new techniques at the moment. They are most likely tried and trusted methods of other artists and been done before in one form or another, but they are new to me anyway.......click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 31 January 2010
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A little bit about Perspective
Perspective is quite a complex subject so Ill try to not confuse you with too much information.
It’s important to get perspective right when paintings or drawing as an.....click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 30 January 2010
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Most Famous New Zealand Paintings according to me
Most Famous NZ Paintings
This list of most famous New Zealand paintings is a follow up on the Most Famous Artworks in the world. I compiled this list from.....click on image for more
Posted: Friday 29 January 2010
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Why do we use easels for painting?
For an artist working vertically at an easel creates a more accurate finish to the painting you are working on in that you are working in the same plane as what the painting will finally be hung. It reduces the risk of spilling anything on it, and helps prevent .....click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 28 January 2010
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Tips on overcoming artist's block
When I get artist’s block, I put my brushes down and do something entirely different for a while. Taking the focus off my art takes away the stress even with........click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 27 January 2010
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Lets talk about the colour pink!
The ‘pretty’ colour, that all things cutsie are made of...... artist Gioia Fonda created a conceptual piece in the form of a week long holiday called pink week........Bubblegum Pink is an installation by the artist duo Bigert & Bergstrom which "confronted you the viewer...click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 26 January 2010
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Explaining the different types of Paint for Artists
I’ve been painting for most of my life, and have tried most paint mediums at some stage. The first real paint I got my hands on was water-colour, due to the artist next door giving me my own set and teaching me how to use them. My first painting I sold was a water-colour but I really wanted to work with oils as I admired the luminosity and texture the medium achieved. The working time ....click on image for more
Posted: Monday 25 January 2010
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List of some of the most famous paintings in the World
Some of the most famous paintings in the world have been made by the greatest painters of all times. I acknowledge their mastery and skill and admire all these works, from the Mona Lisa to the melting clocks of Dali...click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 24 January 2010
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My Thoughts on the most Famous Painting in the World
Mona Lisa
I really like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa painting. I don’t buy into the secret smile stuff though, in fact I cant even see what the fuss is about, so why you ask, do I like it so much....click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 23 January 2010
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Vanity Galleries, Art Fairs and Vanity Publications
Along with many other artists I know, I get emails by the dozen from both vanity galleries and book publishers wanting to exhibit or publish my work. Most of these vanity galleries and publishers.....click on image for more
Posted: Friday 22 January 2010
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Artists always ask me how to price their artwork here's how...
Some artists have a clear idea of what price they want for their work, some are realistic, some are insanely greedy and the rest end up under price their artwork so badly they are never able to rise above it as....click on image for more
Posted: Thursday 21 January 2010
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So what are Hong Kong Horrors?
I found this article http://www.stuff.co.nz/s/QPRe on the net yesterday and have to admit I was highly surprised that it’s still going on, all this ripping off of innocent people, and in my own city at that.........click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 20 January 2010
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Lets talk about the colour Teal
Teal is a medium blue green colour, although it is usually more blue than green. Often called Teal, ultramarine, blue-green, aqua or aquamarine it is one of those in-between colours that can get lost in translation; ask any artist what they consider is Teal and you will get different answers, just like when you ask them about what they think constitutes beige........click on image for more
Posted: Tuesday 19 January 2010
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What type of paintings sell best in NZ?
Well thats a curly question!
All artists know that some size artworks sell better than others while subject matter can determine popularity depending on where it is located. Whether these are subjects you want to paint and whether you should be painting specifically for the market are something an artist has to deal with at some stage in their career. Only you can decide whether you want (or need) to paint to sell, or whether you can focus on painting subjects that you....click on image for mor
Posted: Monday 18 January 2010
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What's with this Character called Boozehag?
Boozehag as the Urban Dictionary defines is a women who has a tireless appetite for boozing and is not only very good at it but is also much fun to be around. Subject may also be described as being just like 'one of the boys'. A term of endearment....click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 17 January 2010
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How to package your artwork
When you send work around the country or overseas, it pays to wrap it well as no matter how careful you may be with your art, not all couriers have the same respect or care for it......click on image for more
Posted: Saturday 16 January 2010
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Artists mediums what are they?
I often teach a night school class for students who may wish to learn more about the use of paint mediums. So here are a few tips on mediums...click on image for more
Posted: Friday 15 January 2010
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Canvas, the choice of artists
The type of canvas you use will depend on the type of paint you use.....cotton duck is used for acrylic painting, while linen and cotton duck is used for oil. ......click on image for more
Posted: Friday 15 January 2010
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‘The $12 Million Stuffed Shark’ By Don Thompson
In 2009 a pile of Rubbish won the National Contemporary Art Awards here in Hamilton New Zealand. It created a furore like no other. We are used to the outrage and shock from the public each year over the winning pieces and that’s exactly what the people who run it want…controversy and people talking about it. Well this time I somehow got embroiled in it....click on image for more
Posted: Wednesday 13 January 2010
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Tax Tips for Artists
Yes I know that figures and money matters are boring for us artists but when you're a working artist you need to look at keeping accurate records and making sure you are taking care of your tax obligations. Here are some of my tips and advice for organising your records......click on the image for more
Posted: Tuesday 12 January 2010
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When things Run SMOOTHLY
Today’s artwork is smooth and shiny. I used the Golden Clear Tar Gel for this effect, its simple to use; you pour it on where you want it to be and wait for it to set. The effect is like that of a bubble, with a raised glassy surface.However Im not going to talk so much about the .....click on image for more
Posted: Monday 11 January 2010
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Touching on Colour Mixing
A basic understanding of colour theory and the colour wheel is essential for every artist and can increase the possibilities for your work. Colours are, after all, one of the basic tools of painting....click on image for more
Posted: Sunday 10 January 2010
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Lets talk about the Colour RED
Red is my favourite colour, both in my life generally as well as in my art. It’s a colour that can have two distinctly different meanings, and is considered.......click on image to read more
Posted: Saturday 9 January 2010
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Art as a Career Choice
Some say that it isn’t a realistic career choice, and the myth of the “starving artist” stereotype is still very much alive and kicking? How many times have I heard “But it’s not a real job.” Or better yet.....click on the image to read more
Posted: Friday 8 January 2010
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This is a Must Read book for Artists
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron -
When I teach an art class or mentor any other artists, I always advocate that they read this book. I usually also ask my art students to do the artists pages at the beginning of class if we have enough.....click on image to read more
Posted: Thursday 7 January 2010
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Artist's Brushes
Often when I teach an art class, the question about what brushes to use for which type of painting or technique comes up.
So here is a run down on the brushes I prefer and have used
Click on the picture to learn more....
Posted: Wednesday 6 January 2010
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What do we know about the colour Yellow?
Throughout my blog I want to talk to about colour, today I’m thinking Yellow….
Read more by clicking on the yellow dot picture
Posted: Tuesday 5 January 2010
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Why Research for your Art?
Research is important to me as I like to know the history behind things, why they are what they are and their significance to the project I might be working on.......
Posted: Monday 4 January 2010
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Art Copyright Issues
One subject I get asked a lot about is Copyright and what is covered under New Zealand Law in regards to the visual arts as in paintings or sculpture....
Posted: Sunday 3 January 2010
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Dotty Exhibition - Wellington
Mistress of Dots, Yayoi Kusama has an exhibition “Mirrored Years’ on at The City Art Gallery in Wellington, so with this project in mind, I set off on the overlander train both to enjoy the scenic tour on the way and to see the exhibition.
I had mixed reviews from friends but went with an open mind and came away feeling pleased with the experience.....
Posted: Saturday 2 January 2010
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Dealing with Galleries
Things I think you should know about dealing with art galleries as an artist in New Zealand.....
Click on the image for more information
Posted: Friday 1 January 2010
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This is the First Day of the rest of my life!
The day has come where I have to dig deep and become disciplined with my writing and painting for the next 365 days. Here is click on the image to read what this is all about.....
Posted: Friday 1 January 2010
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