Take the Higher Way

Love this quote, and still feel I could paint it better. But here's the first attempt. This acrylic is 760 x 380 x 40mm in size and hopefully captures the idea that there's an easy path of low resistance in life, or there's a choice to make a difference or respond better, at more cost to oneself.

This painting has since been sold! (April 09)

Keep to the straight and narrow

This acrylic embodies all the I feel about diet restrictions and the terrible temptations that assault everyday life - Keep to the Straight and Narrow - IF ONLY!

Mt Ngauruhoe

600 x 600 x 40 acrylic painting on board of this wonderful mountain the centre of the North Island. Taken from the crater of Tongiriro. Great textures in the crater and surrounding hillside.

Bookworld

Finally, after all this time, another painting! This is an acrylic on wood - deep sides - with some collage work in the book, and varnished warmly in shellac, for that golden high gloss glow.
I wanted to convey the exciting and pleasurable experience gained recently through a pile of books I've found - like discovering a vein of silver in the mine at last. The different worlds that open up, the brilliance of the colour and life, and the juxtaposition against my own rather dull greyish existence (hah!).


JUST SOLD 7 Oct 08

Amended Carp pic

I've amended this painting - I just felt the background was getting in the way, and I like the toned down nature of the white in this now. And the play on words: Carpe Deum actually means 'God is a Fish', when I wanted in fact Carpe Diem, which means Seize the Day. Either way, it works!

Carp

And UNLIKE the painting of an EXTINCT creature below, this one we have in profusion - unfortunately introduced from Asia and filling many of our rivers. They are a real pest. But beautiful.
. . . and naturally, I'm using a thick layer of shellac again, which really brings out the dusky gold.
. . . it could all turn to custard if the varnish doesn't dry smoothly. Love the combination of gold and rich blue.

Moa

SOLD 7 Oct 08

This is my Moa painting - done about a month or so ago, the start of what was going to be 'extinct birds of New Zealand' series, but typically, maybe the only one. In case you don't know what a Moa was, check it out below - it was pretty exceptional, and was hunted to extinction a couple of centuries ago by the Maori.I wanted to do a friendly type painting which looked a bit like a child's early alphabet. . . and I wanted an excuse to use shellac for the first time. I really slathered it on the beak.

Sir Edmund Hillary

Just to commemorate the glorious life of Sir Edmund Hillary, who died last Friday, I have painted this acrylic - 380 x 770 x 40. Liked the way the rough nature of the painting reflects something of the man himself.
This one is still for sale!