New page on my website

I've now added a new page to my website which gives links to people I know who are creative in various ways: photography, candlemaking, you name it. Please check it out!

Sunrise over the City

Why don't you join me in the early morning (6.15am) walk this morning up the walkway and hill in Te Atatu Peninsula and see the sun slowly rise over Auckland city. It was quite lovely.

Good weekend!! Just Plane Interesting and very tropical

Wow, that was a highlight! Carolyn had a birthday, and their beautiful new home is built, by Garth, so they celebrated with a 'Tropical Holiday' party. We sure made the most of a night to enjoy dressing up and dancing to a DJ brought in for the occasion. Peter came up from Ngaroto Nurseries, and the rest of us were on the street, so this is our carload about to head off to Mt Eden. . .
Helen was going for the Carmen Miranda theme, and Tracey wore a pile of flowers on her head that slowly descended through the course of the evening. Peter was wearing my castoffs: the rest of the material I cut the flowers for my hair out of, and at one stage, a feather headress on his collar.
Helen and Trace look lovely. . . (now!) Check out the end of the evening. . .
This is Garth, the architect and builder of this beautiful home, and his brother. . .
and Linda and Michael arrived and are talking with our hostess and birthday girl, Carolyn (an old flatmate of mine).
. . . and it all goes downhill from there. The dancing started, and the one common feature throughout was Trace!!
My sister and I. . .
and did I mention the dancing? (Note Helen's headdress has gone)
and Peter danced all night too. . .
. . . like I said, Tracey!
. . .near the end there was a Rumba only partially captured on camera
Er, Helen at the end. . .
This morning, Peter took me to a lovely breakfast at 'Just Plane Interesting' in Henderson.

If only all weekends were as good.

Back in my studio!

Okay, this is going to be painful. Here I am in MY studio. Back at work on a police commission (O JOY) for someone leaving, of Auckland city in my inimitable style. That's the Ellerslie racecourse in bottom right corner. Yes, I had to fit that in. What humble beginnings. It's almost depressing to see what other artists have had to work in, but of course, they are truly famous and therefore their environment reflects that. One day. . .
Note: edge of trailer which is supporting the camera. . . dirty rag close at hand. . . old clothes.
Rembrandt in his studio. . .
Don Turner in his studio. . .
Diego Velazquez in studio. . .
. . . some other artist in his studio - was it Degas? I think so. . .
Cezanne's studio
I have a LONG WAY TO GO!

Waihi Beach again

I decided on a trip to Waihi again, by myself this time, to pick up my keys I'd left behind, and to 'get away from it all'. There's nothing quite like the bach to do that. . . no phone, no people calling, just you and the huge sea. I don't even get up the energy for the promised long walk.
But it's usually where I do my serious thinking. . . and as you can see, balancing a camera on the log, that's just what I did.
There were a few folks there, but nothing too disturbing, and I had a warm swim in the sea on Sunday. Lovely.
Everywhere was green, azure, aqua, navy, grey, white and deep blue. Sigh.
And the trip home took me through the Karangahake Gorge, which was misty with signs of rain (at last!), and richly green.

Karekare Treetops Lodge

Well, wouldn't you like to live here? 40 mins from my place into the Waitakere ranges. I went up to visit a woman who comes to my 'Women Out West' group every two months, who needed some help with internet etc. She runs a B&B from this location and lives here too. Gave me a delicious lunch and afternoon tea, and has offered it for a birthday dinner for me to make up for my help. Lovely, huh?

Open Studio Weekend for artist in the West of Auckland

I just had the BEST weekend - enjoying the local art over two days, and getting to go into various artist's studios and talk with them about their craft. Being a fairly new-to-it fine artist, I had a lot to learn, and in some cases was too embarrassed to ask to take photos, which is why some of the best I saw aren't here. Anyway, lean back and enjoy where I went and what I saw.
I went to two studios before this one. The second was with Mark Dawson on Atkinson Road, and he was soooo helpful. Gave me a lot of tips about using acrylics and oils.
This glass studio is work by Karin Urmersback-Niersbach, and gorgeous. I particularly loved the black lampshade with the melted glass shapes that the light shone through. After seeing her work, I had a coffee at the Hardware cafe in Titirangi, before heading over to see watercolours by Tineke McLean - beautiful flowers and street scenes.
















The next art I saw -

Kieran Taylor's work - were almost my favourite pieces. Her textures and shapes on hardboard were hard to beat.
After Kieran's I saw work at 'Just Plane Interesting' in Henderson. It is an old store cram packed full of goodies, and also a packing shed serving as a gallery. Great stuff. In the evening I went with the Duncans for a picnic in the setting sun outside the museum. BEFORE heading to Parnell for a hot chocolate.



I'm making a hash of trying to fit words to pictures, so I'll have to leave it to you to decipher. These are the paintings I saw today, in company with Jemma. We stopped at the Swanson Railway station cafe for fortification before heading off to Waitakere and Bethells beach. The best of today were the print maker Rosina Kamphius, who has some wonderful 'wild line' work already published in a book. And the second to last person was Derek March, whose grandiose and huge hardboard paintings of Shags evoked some wonderful images and feelings. It was amazing how time flew. I need to add that there were some good superrealism paintings done by Michael Rowland. Anyway, this was a mere sampling. I'm swamped with ideas and contacts. Yeeha.