Wire work for Kina

Took another box load of wire work to Kina design store before Xmas. I love working with wire.  Not so much the fish and hearts etc .  But I do love the bigger pieces I do for myself.  Wire was a big thing amongst Gypsies.  I have a number of books that have photos of their work from the late 1800's and early 1900's.  Detailed works that often incorporate something that they were trying to recycle or rescue....like a plate or vessel of some kind.  These are the pieces I like doing most.   

The two of us

This painting usually hangs in the lounge.  It is very big.  A metre by two metres.  Lately it has been in storage.  I miss it staring out at me.  Initially I didn't like it and would never let it out in public.  I was trying to work very simple and stylized.  It is of Clyde and I.  It has grown on me and now I like it for the 'snippet in time'  that it represents.

Stuffed friends

More holiday projects using up what ever I can in the house.  Blanket and felt scraps.  Due to my obsessive nature I didn't stop with these few little chappies!  I am now up to 10.  My two favourites are not in this photo.  They are a 'Tiki' one and a 'Parihaka' one. 

Cousin Ju-Ju

I love my cousin.  She is sparky and creative.  She is one of those people who make the world a better place.  Recently my great Aunt Peggy passed away. I took at photo at the wake of Ju-Ju and another relative.  The wake was about 5 hours drive from here. A  large family gathering of Irish descent... farewelling a much loved family member....I bet you can guess how the evening went!  Much laughter, drama and drinking and a lot of memories shared.   The energy and sorrow in the photo was amazing.  I have started a painting from that photo.  It is always tricky working from a photo.  I know I will never capture that moment in a painting.  But I wanted to try to capture some essence of the event.  The other figure wasn't working out...so I washed over it with a white acrylic wash.  I liked the effect ..ghostly.  The painting will go on to be completed but I took this photo to capture how it was before I continued.  I think there may be a painting to come where the figures are washed over and the painting is largely white with shadows of figures coming through.
The photos here show it in progress and just finished.

Loving the holidays.  Been having a 'craft-a-thon'!  Sewing up a storm!  Ploughing through all sorts of crafty things that I have been recording in my sketchbook over the last year as projects I have wanted to do.  I love the repetitive and therapeutic nature of hand sewing.... over, under, over, under, over, under....I am sure you get it.  Sewing sort of stills the mind.  One of the projects was using old blankets and recycled material and buttons to make a kite bag for our kite flying trips to the beach.  The bag also has a kite string bag inside it to hold the kite strings, tape to repair tears and scissors for quick untangling.  For fun and a challenge I have set the goal that all the projects should cost nothing and be as much as possible from recycled materials.  I like the idea of reusing/reinventing to create something useful. (The black bag behind has nothing to do with it)

The fat controller

Lately I have been 'borrowing' the kids toys and making jewellery to wear.  This is the fat controller from the kids 'Thomas the tank engine' set.  I have also used their lego, jigsaw puzzles, dominoes, barrel of monkeys and other assorted bits and bobs.  I fancy a necklace out of Barbie doll heads or legs.  We will see what comes next!

Favourite spots in the garden

These are a couple of my favourite spots in the garden at the moment.  I used to hate succulents.  But just over the last year I have come to really love their form and strength.  The pink flamingoes are much brighter in real life.  So plastic.... so 'kitch'... so  pointless and fun.  The bottom photo is out of the dining room window.  The goddess cabbage tree trunks are so strong.  What a fantastic plant.  It is like a cabbage tree but doesn't drop all the leaves over  the lawn  like a traditional cabbage tree....you know...how they drop those long brown spears and they get all caught up in the mower and piss you off when you try to mow?  WELL.....this plant doesn't do that.  Reading this back-I think I am in danger of becoming a boring old fart! Who really cares about the cabbage tree spears?  I do. (They piss me off)

The Garden

The garden is going off at the moment!  I am spending so much time in it that I am going to have to post it as an artwork!  I am finding the juxtaposition of colours and textures and shapes just fantastic.  I am getting excited about the sunflowers that just opened.... and the christmas lilly about to open.  It is unusual this year as the christmas lilly is way late.  Usually it bursts forth, on cue, the week before Christmas.  Oh well...it is a treat still to come!  Sorry about the hose in the top  photo!