8 Interesting Books to Add to Your Reading List
Although not strictly related to my art practice, here is a summary of some of my latest reads. Hopefully you may find something here to add to your own book list!
Pages From My Golden Bay Sketchbook
Images from my sketchbook captured in the Golden Bay Area, South Island, New Zealand.
Sketching Adventures in Karamea
Karamea on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island is full of inspiration for artists. Here are some images from my sketching adventures in Karamea.
Printer, Painter, Photograph-Maker Exhibition
A photographic slideshow of the group exhibition at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens in February 2021.
Windows on Art – Bringing Art to Rolleston
Several months ago I was wandering past some empty shop spaces in Rolleston, and I thought how amazing it would be if these empty windows were filled with beautiful pieces of art by local artists. One phone call later and I suddenly had a project on my hands and “Windows on Art” was born...
“Flying Around?” is Selected for Juried Exhibition
I’m excited to share that my tea bag artwork “Flying Around?” was accepted into the Arts Canterbury Juried Exhibition for 2020. The exhibition opened at The Mill Gallery in Waikuku on Friday 27th November 2020. This was the first time I had submitted an artwork into a jury selected exhibition …
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Kākāpō Wins Bird Of The Year 2020!
The kākāpō has won New Zealand’s ‘Bird of the Year’ contest for 2020!
I must admit I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t one of our lesser known endangered birds. It’s so hard to stay impartial when it is such a hotly contested title. However, it does sit in the corner of my ‘Flying Around?’ tea bag artwork and keep an eye on the others – particularly at night when the rest are napping…
Arts Canterbury Shop at South City Shopping Centre
Arts Canterbury has recently opened a “pop up” shop in the South City Shopping Centre in Central Christchurch. This a great initiative that gives artists the chance to share their art with a new audience, and have their art available to view on a regular basis.
Darfield Art Week 2020 – A Celebration of Local Art
I had a wonderful time at the opening of Darfield Art Week 2020, and then again when I returned to view all the artworks again the following Saturday.
Flexcut Slip Strop Review – How To Keep Your Lino Tools Sharp
A couple of months ago I invested in some Pfeil lino cutting tools. I then purchased a Flexcut Slip Strop so I could keep them sharp while carving. This is a short review of my experience purchasing the Flexcut Slip Strop, and afterwards using this product. Hopefully, this might help out others who are considering buying a Slip Strop to sharpen their lino cutting tools.
Selwyn Practicing Artists
Lots of great things have happened this year despite the disruption of an international pandemic. One of these has been the formation of Selwyn Practicing Artists.
5 Ways to Support Creative Businesses For Free!
There are lots of people out there that are keen to show their support for small business and creatives, but some people are doing it tough financially at the moment and don’t have a lot of spare cash. So I thought I would share some ideas of how you can support creative businesses – for free!
Hand-Printing My Daisy Greeting Cards
This year I started hand-printing greeting cards in my studio. I saw this as a way to diversify my income from art, and give my supporters an affordable way to access hand-printed items. I recently put together a video that shows the printing process for my hand-coloured greeting cards…
Making an Impression Exhibition- Te Huanui Gallery
I had been eagerly awaiting this exhibition all year, and with the complications that 2020 has brought, I did wonder whether it really would happen. However, all the stars happily realigned, and so on Friday 28th August 2020 the group printmaking exhibition Making an Impression opened at Te Huanui Gallery in Darfield.
How to Make Beautiful Tea Dyed Fabric – Step By Step
Tea makes a beautiful dye that can be used on many natural fabrics. It is a safe and easy process that can be done at home in your own kitchen without the worry of harsh chemicals like other dyeing processes. In this article I will explain step by step how to make beautiful tea dyed fabric.
Quirky Book Alert! Moby Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys
This isn’t really about art or printmaking.
Actually it’s not about art or printmaking at all. I just thought I would share about an unusually captivating book I have just read…
Ink Tube Storage: My Happy Junk Shop Find
I dropped off some donations to our local 2nd hand store the other day, and decided to have a wander around. A dusty box minus its lid was sitting at the back of a shelf. I spied the sloping dividers up the middle – was this an old filing box? A box to store photos in?
Designing a Print: Sketchbook to Lino
This short post explains the typical process I follow when designing a print. In this example I am creating a landscape linocut inspired by my sketchbook.
Break in the Weather: A Sketching Adventure
The sky outside at home had been grey for days. In fact the weather experts were telling us it had been eight days since we last saw sunshine. Apparently the record had recently been broken by a moment that morning when the sun had struggled through the clouds for 12 minutes before disappearing behind the grey gloom again. I must have been inside packing my bag.
5 Awesome Android Apps that Artists Will Love
Fellow artists have asked me which phone apps I use as part of my art practice and business. As well as the usual social media apps, here are some other useful android apps for artists.