FOR THE WARMING OF AN ARTIST'S STUDIO - (By David Wagoner, American Poet)The previous tenant, runing out of business,Bolted the...
Read more »
A book I highly recommend. It is about ART – the integrity of the artist and the truth of their Art, a...
Read more »
We will bring all different reading/interpretations but at the end we are left with the material.Materiality – at times inability...
Read more »
Part of my Final Assessment for End of Year Exhibition by tutor Peter Adsett. “…You have taken on the space exceptionally...
Read more »
Someone stole my 'pony tail' pot plant from outside my front door step:( I hope they needed it more than...
Read more »
Since the end of my studies in June 2007 I have been working with the new materials which I discovered...
Read more »
I finally (and sadly) finished my precious one year study with my great tutor Peter Adsett. I thank Peter for...
Read more »
What a great night! On arrival to the venue, I took a quick look around at the final result of the...
Read more »
What a BUSY 6 weeks it's been! It all started when my brother Vena offered financial support and encouraged me...
Read more »
"The paintings exhibit strength in a resolute style of work; with radiant forms emerging and dissolving out of equally radiant...
Read more »
Pre NZ - NY Exhibition 4 May, 2006
What a BUSY 6 weeks it's been! It all started when my brother Vena offered financial support and encouraged me to hold a 'one-night only' exhibition of my current works as well as showcasing the selected works to be exhibited in New York (May 17 - June 7, 2006) at Agora Gallery. Why not I thought.
So we hunted around until we found a great space to hold the exhibition. The nice folk at the Eco Store, gave us the space upstairs for one night for free. We set the date for 4th May and then it became a race against time.
My brothers and sister, along with my 82 year old mum and three teenage nephews went in on Sunday 31 May to paint the walls. With the help of a very clever lady Kerenza, we put our heads together to come up with the exhibition name. Vena came up with 'NZ to NY'. So while Kerenza was creating and finalising the invitations and Vena was spreading the word, I was back home in a calm frenzy writing up a wee story about the nineteen paintings to be shown, six of which were for the New York exhibition.
Writing about each painting was emotionally draining. I paint about my life and intimate thoughts so my art comes from the heart. To realise that everyone will soon be reading about my private life seemed scarier than the day I decided to give up my day job to become a full time artist. As a very private person, I don't like to draw attention to myself in a room full of strangers. But I am an artist and I have to tell my story. To do this I had to be honest and share the true meaning behind each painting. So I wrote, and I cried, and I wrote and I cried until I finished. I spent two weeks locked up in my room tapping away on the laptop and going through a box of tissues. I had to laugh though because I reminded myself of the movie "Something's Gotta Give". The playboy character played by Jack Nicholson had broken off a relationship with the delicate character played by Diane Keating. The scene was the emotionally hurt writer Diane Keating tapping away on her laptop and bursting into fits of tears over and over and over again.
A week before the exhibition, I called Uncle Peter, a 'chippie' by trade. "Uncle Peter help, I have 12 canvases to be framed by early next week.." Uncle Peter gave up his Saturday golf and Monday to help me out. On the Thursday before the exhibition, we spent three hours at the friendly South Pacific Timber yard, first converting my inches to meters (oops) and then measuring and cutting. I took over their house, inside and out with the frame making process. Thank goodness aunty Heather has a good heart. By Tuesday afternoon (two days before the exhibition), all the frames were made and canvases stretched thanks to Carol's idea and to Heather who bought me Canvas Pliers. I gave Uncle Peter some money for petrol and bought a couple of bottles of bubbles with my last $150 to celebrate - I was just so relieved and grateful the frames were finished. Since I started painting full time and being frugal with my funds, I have been lucky enough to have always sold a painting just when I had spent my last cent. I was relying on this luck to continue with this upcoming exhibition.
The Wednesday before the exhibition, I had an interview with Angela Gregory from The New Zealand Herald. Angela wrote a piece which can be viewed on the following link.
<http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/6/story.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10380210>
On the day of the exhibition, I had live interview with Lynne Freeman and Jim Mora on National Radio. A novice interviewee, I was rather nervous but Jim and Lynne were easy to talk to. I thank them for their time and encouragement.
So that's my whirl wind few weeks, but we did it. Then focus became finshing my new website, with excellent photography of my artworks taken by Chris Rarere, and also preparing for the New York trip.