Hi everyone,
I just wanted to give you an update on some of my newer works, as well as what I have been up to lately.
One of my newer paintings, which is currently on show at the Tasman National Art Awards in Māpua, is Paines Ford Fantasy. Paines Ford is a beautiful spot near Tākaka in Golden Bay, known as a haven for climbing and swimming. When I lived with my partner in Nelson, we frequently went there for a weekend getaway. It was such a beautiful place that I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I had to paint it. And not just once — I painted it twice!
The first painting is a smaller study, as I wanted to see if I could capture the incredibly clear water of the place. Then, a few years later, I decided it was time to attempt the scene on a larger scale, showing a little more of the surrounding area while still keeping the focus on that sparkling water, where the eye just wants to linger.
I have another work at the Tasman National Art Awards, which is one of my strawberry still-life paintings. I have three more of these little paintings that were selected as finalists in national competitions this year. One was selected for the Lysaght Watt Trust Art Awards in Hāwera, another for the upcoming Taranaki National Art Awards, and my painting Act Naturally was selected, together with another brand-new work of greengages, for the ILT Murihiku Art Awards in Invercargill.
I have also started preparing for workshops and have already held one on how to paint forest backgrounds with depth. As I am holding these at my home studio, I can only accommodate a few people, which gives me and the participants a bit more time for one-on-one guidance. Due to high demand, I will be holding a similar workshop in mid December. More on this soon. Let me know if you would like to secure a spot, I already have some people on this list.
Here are some impressions from my first workshop:
There will be more workshops starting next year, covering topics such as painting forest foregrounds, creating bark and moss, and creating a misty forest scene. If you would like to be included on my mailing list for these workshops and be among the first to find out when they are released, either sign up for my newsletter (if you haven’t already) or contact me through the contact page on my website, and I will add you to the mailing list.
An event I have been very much looking forward to for a while now is the Labour Weekend Art Exhibition in Wānaka. I am one of the working artists on site, where I will have some of my forest and still-life work on display, demonstrate painting a forest scene over the three days, and chat with visitors.
The show opens on Thursday, 22 October (opening night) and runs from Friday to Sunday, 9 am to 5 pm daily. If you are in the area, drop in and say hi!
Another show I am part of at the moment is on at the beautiful Botanic gardens as part of the Bloom Go Garden Ōtepoti Festival. More info below.
Till the next newsletter and thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Sarah
