blog break...

I have decided I might take a blog break for a few weeks... just while I get all these things made for the three markets that are coming up.  I am not doing any new works during this time so I don't really have anything new to show you.  But I will come back soon with some photos of my stalls and the beautiful settings where some of the markets will be held.  I might also fit in a little bit of painting... I can already feel the withdrawal after not picking up a paint brush since the opening of my exhibition starting to set in.

So see you again soon... x

a little lost...

This is the beginning of a new piece of work... I am not sure what it will look like when it is finished or where it will lead but this is where it's at right now.

While I was nearing the end of getting work ready for the exhibition I had a lot of new ideas forming in my head, but I couldn't really do anything about them as I didn't have time to start new works. And now these ideas have gone... well maybe not gone, they have just gotten a little lost.  Which is the way I am feeling at the moment.  Like this piece above I am not sure where I am heading, where I want to go, want to be... I feel like I am just a tiny step ahead of everything, with not much room for breathing. Although I guess it is better than being a step behind and it is probably just the way it is at this time of the year.

I am finding it is so easy these days to give myself a hard time for not living up to my own dreams...  I wonder whether there is anyone out there who is completely living the life they dreamed?

Out of the blue the other day Ben asked me this...

Ben..."Is Michael Jackson dead"?
Me... "yes he is"
Ben..."was he alive before he died"?

I am the winner of aroha...

button magnets

I have had a few days of doing nothing much after my exhibition opened and now I am starting to think about making things for the three art markets I will be involved in, which start 21 November...

So here is a list of things I will be making in the next month...

magnets
cards
prints
bookmarks
diaries
button magnets
pendants

I have started on the button magnets... these are very cute and the magnet is very strong.  Both Hannah and Ben had fun with the magnets before I glued them onto the glass button.  After finishing these I proudly showed Ben what I had done with them he got very upset and wanted me to take the magnets off my new creations as I had ruined his fun.

Some exciting news... I just found out yesterday that I was the winner of Pam's giveaway!!!  and this is the print that will soon be on it's way to me... I can't wait!

Aroha (which means love in Maori)

exhibition opening...

It can be so hard putting your heart and soul up on the wall for all to see and comment on, in fact... really quite scary.  As I was hanging my work yesterday afternoon I asked myself several times why am I doing this?  It wasn't until I woke this morning that I remembered why...  I do it because it makes me happy and after all the nerves and self doubt, last night... I went to bed happy.

just finished the hanging

my Dad next to the food table down the back 

people looking just after we opened the doors

and more people looking

Latecia showing me her favourite...

Thank you everyone who came and supported me it was a great opening and to all those who would have liked to have been there but couldn't make it or were just too far away (as in the other side of the world) I really appreciate your kind words and thoughts. xxx

Christmas ornament swap...

I am taking part in this 'Christmas ornament swap'... if you would like to take part in this fun global event as well or want to read more about it click here. 

I am not completely sure what I will make for it yet... but am thinking along the lines of a magnet of some sort???  Maybe a multi purpose magnet that can be hung on your Christmas tree or for your fridge... hmmmm?

no pink cheeks...

(after this piece was finished I realised I forgot to give her pink cheeks)

On the way home from a little road trip during the week Hannah and I had this conversation...

Me...'that is the All day breakfast place where people go in and never come out'
Hannah... 'really'
I nodded and after a few kilometers of silence...
Hannah...'didn't we stop there once'?
Me...'yeah we got ice blocks'
Then we both looked at each other and burst out laughing.

For some reason when I think back to this conversation it still really cracks me up, just one of those silly moments where I guess you had to be there.

Some things I am looking forward to...

• 8:30pm 17 October as I shut the doors on the opening of the exhibition
• having a play around with a few new ideas
• getting things ready for the next design market
• 'How to train your dragon' coming to DVD
• playing dinosaurs tomorrow morning

What are you looking forward to...

miscellaneous components...

Ben and I had fun the other day making these magnet characters...   I started collecting a whole lot of magnets and little bits of metal years ago, and to be honest, I was actually quite obsessed for a while.   I remember going into Mitre 10 Mega to have a look around and found a treasure trove of little metal bits.  One of the assistants came over to see if I needed help and asked what I was going to use the bits for.   I said "Oh nothing in particular... I've just gotta have them"  He said ok... and backed away.  So Mitre 10 Mega man I hope you read my blog and see that I am not a complete nutter.

It is amazing how a few little miscellaneous components when put together can become something quite wonderful.  It is the art of giving life to and therefore having feelings for inanimate objects.  Hannah was always a big one for doing this when she was younger, and even now at 17, as we looked at an old suitcase for $10... I said 'is that cool or a little too ratty', she decided it was the latter.  I said 'oh well' and started walking away, she stayed there looking at it and said 'oh now I feel sorry for it' and tried to talk me into buying it.... I didn't buy it, with her teenage brain she had forgotten all about it by the time we had gotten back into the car.

We're all going south...

Please consider this your official invitation to my exhibition... will be good to see you if you are able to come along.

sorry it is a little blurry, here are the details...


It opens on Sunday 17th October at 5:30pm
Community Art Centre - Hastings

Exhibition runs 18th - 30th October

I have just received a package from Colorado (man I love etsy) containing components to make some button magnets.  They are so much fun and I am addicted... I am making them for the Hawkes Bay Design Market on 21st November at Ormlie Lodge.  I will post some pictures early next week.

Yesterday I got accepted into the Fruit bowl craft Jam in December... yay! so I will start working on things for that as well...

Porangahau Spring Fair...

First of all... I just want to say thanks to those who let me know their opinions on my tutu girl, it was really helpful to get a different view point.  It can be hard when you are close to a piece of work and good to see it though fresh eyes.  I have decided to have no tutu (which was the way I was probably going to go before I asked your help) but I will save the abandoned tutu for another painting in the near future.  Thanks again you guys.

The Porangahau craft fair was... well, it was windy, now when I say windy I mean like gale force gusts kind of windy!!!  I had to hold down my two easels and pendant stand the whole time I was there.  Although the wind did die down a bit in the middle of the day, there was still the odd gust that would suddenly come unannounced causing things to go flying all over again.  It was quite exhausting... But apart from the wind it was a good day, quite a few people came through and I meet some really lovely people, even someone who said she reads my blog, so sweet.  It was also great to share the experience with fellow New Zealand Handmade members Mel, Kya and Joy.

Here is a picture of my table (I took 7 photos, and this is the only one that looked half way decent).  I took the photo just after we set up and it wasn't too bad, wind wise, it actually looked quite promising, little did we know what was to come.  

It was really interesting to see what people liked, what they were drawn to, what they requested more of, what nearly ran out and what didn't even get a look in.   I really enjoyed talking with the people who came by my stall, nice to hear their positive encouragement and to meet people who had bought some of my work at other venues and recognised it as they walked by.

It has encouraged me to do a little thinking on a few new display ideas for the Hawkes Bay Design Market on November 21st.  

tutu or no tutu...

(so much time gets lost in my mind)

Just a quick post before I go to work.  I have a little dilemma... I am not sure about the tutu? I quite like it... but I also like it without the tutu as well (and I do like the little buttons that match her head gear).  I am usually so sure with these kind of things.  Whenever I try something it is often either a definite yes or a sure fire no... But today it is more of a ummmm yeah I am not sure, type thing. 

so what do you guys reckon... tutu or no tutu?

5am...

(what's at the back of your mind)

I have decided to do another three paintings for my exhibition... I am on the side with a big window at the front of the gallery, so I thought it would be a good idea to put three plinths in the window with a small easel on each and then one of the three new paintings on each easel.   So that will be 45 paintings in all for the exhibition...  phew!!!!  Now that I am on the other side of the work load, I am getting a little bit excited.  

This Sunday brings the first of the craft fairs I am attending (Porangahau Spring Fair)... I think I am all sorted, although I have just realised that we are going to have to get up an hour earlier as daylight savings starts this weekend.  The clock will say 6am but it will feel like 5am!!!  


I always feel a little nervous doing craft fairs, they are such an unknown entity.  Even doing the same one from one year to the next can be very different and the one I am going to this weekend will be my first time... eeeek!

Anyway... wish me luck and I will post some photos next week.

my best...

One of the things on my to do list was to try a few new mediums including the Golden clear tar gel, which I have tried before, but not with the two Golden fluid acrylic colours that you add to make the encaustic look... the two colours that you add are 'quinacridone/nickel azo gold' and 'interference blue'.  I added half a drop of the first colour and two of the second to about 1/4 cup of tar gel... I brushed it on the bottom pale green part of this background above and it gave a yellowy waxy look to the paint.  Next I am going to try and add more detail to the background before I brush on the tar gel mix. 

On the top part I tried a one part crackle medium (this is something I am sure many of you have tried but I have never given it a go, until now)... I first did a coat of thin white paint over a patterned paper and then brushed on the crackle medium (the thicker the medium the bigger the cracks).  As it was drying red tones from the patterned paper started coming through.  Must be some kind of chemical reaction with the medium and the red ink that the paper was printed with.  I brushed another layer of paint on top to try and cover the pinky colour but it didn't really work.  So although this is not what I was wanting for this piece it does have potential.  I think the crackle medium might be best used on patterned paper that doesn't have any red ink in the design.

We have school holidays coming up soon so I will try a few more ideas with these two mediums and let you know how I get on.  I might also focus on a few experiments after my exhibition is finished.

A friend from work gave me this sweet little badge for my birthday... from now on at work it can get a little hairy with students frantically trying to get ready for their end of year assessments and they often come into my storeroom wanting things asap... as in yesterday.  So she thought this badge was just the right thing... so cute.

on a promise...

I so wish I could send every one that commented a print and one for their special chosen person as well, I really do...

But the winner of my giveaway is number 34 Angelina... the number was randomly picked by a friend.  Angelina, if you could email me your address to katherinequinn@xtra.co.nz and let me know which two prints you want I will get them sent out to you.

 

(on a promise)

Well the art retreat was every thing I had hoped for... and it was so nice to see people from last year back again this time and a few new faces.  I got a lot of work done including this piece above (not quite finished).  

I have used silk tissue on the bottom part stamped with white ink, and I am quite liking the effect. I used to use silk tissue all the time and am pleased I took it with me over the weekend.   I also discovered a new paper that I can use as a background as my favourite one is no longer available and I only have 13 sheets left!!!  I also had a go at using a few different mediums which I will show you on Friday for those that are interested.