Thursday 21 August 2014

The Common Denominator - Group Exhibition


This is the series of paintings I exhibited in The Common Denominator exhibition
at North Art, August 2014.

I look for beauty in unexpected, and often overlooked, places. 
These works are studies of the little “treasure chests” that are rock pools. 
It’s like I’m letting people in on a secret.  



Pink Barnacle Pool (SOLD)
Acrylic on Panel
220mm x 220mm


Detail of Pink Barnacle Pool



Ochre Pool, Takapuna Beach $250
Acrylic on Panel
220mm x 220mm


Detail of Ochre Pool.



Pebble Pool, Mahurangi $250
Acrylic on Panel
220mm x 220mm


Neptune's Necklace, Mahurangi $250
Acrylic on Panel
220mm x 220mm


Pohutukawa leaf in Pool, Pt Chevalier Beach. (SOLD)
Acrylic on Panel
220mm x 220mm


Detritus in Pool, Pt Chevalier Beach. (SOLD)
Acrylic on Panel
220mm x 220mm


Detail of Detritus in Pool.

Friday 1 August 2014

The Common Denominator Group Show



I was invited to be a part of this group show by a good friend of mine, Fiona Graham. 

She wanted to put together a group show and so she selected friends, who are all practicing artists, to take part - Fiona is therefore "the common denominator."

Prior to the exhibition we only met once as a group and it was so lovely to meet these diverse and interesting women. We all paint, a few of us are also printmakers and I'm sure there are many other hidden talents and skills yet to be revealed. At this point only Fiona has seen a taste of everyone's work so it will be very exciting to see how the show will come together.

I am exhibiting a series of small paintings based on the theme of rockpools. This exhibition signals a return to painting for me after a couple of years focusing on printmaking. As I seem to have many opportunities to exhibit my printmaking I decided it would be a good opportunity, and a challenge for me, to create a series of paintings for this show. 

I am in a very different "place" from when I was painting previously so it has been interesting to see what would emerge this time round. I decided to work small so I wouldn't be intimidated and become bogged down. Each painting was completed over 2 - 3 days and once I had a sense for what was inspiring me about an image, they flowed very comfortably and it was a very enjoyable experience. It felt good to paint again!

The show opened on Sunday 4th August and runs until the 20th.

The show is listed on Arts Diary where you can view some images from the opening.

I was totally surprised and delighted to sell 3 paintings at the opening. And it was a pleasure to meet the new owner of my works. He will be taking them to hang in his beach house at Mathesons Bay, Leigh, north of Auckland. Perfect! This is where I met my hubby, some time last century, when we were working at the marine lab.