When travelling recently in New Zealand, we visited the Wai-o-tapu (Maori for sacred waters) Geothermal area, just outside Rotorua. Within this was a geothermal pool called Artists Palette – well, what a perfect subject matter for abstract painting ideas! The colours were out of this world, and all created by the various gases bubbling in these pools. I took just a small section of colour as my inspiration for this one, and it is just one of my paintings based on this wonderful area.
Its certainly been a long time since I’ve written a blog but now seems to be an ideal time to kick start that habit again.
A little bit of background …. Peter and I left Greece at the end of January for a trip to Los Angeles, and then for me, onto Sydney and then New Zealand. All went well until it was time for me return to LA to meet up with Peter, celebrate his Mum’s 91st birthday and then head for the desert for a bit of exploration and sketching (for me anyway) amongst the wonderful desert rocks in Arizona and Utah. Covid-19, which was something happening only in China when we left, had taken off on its devastating path, which led to my flight to LA being cancelled, although I had pretty much decided staying in NZ was a safer option. Peter tried to come and join me, and the day before his flight the NZ Govt restricted arrivals to only citizens and residents, so he was unable to get his flight. He did finally manage to get back to Greece, and is just ending his 14 day isolation and very much looking forward to being able to go for a walk along the beach.
New Zealand has gone into strict lockdown very quickly, and I’m very lucky to be holed up in Taupo with a lovely friend from way back, Christina who is sharing her house with me. So far we’re doing lots of lounging about, like everyone else worldwide I imagine. I don’t usually travel with much in the way of painting materials, particularly when visiting family and friends, but did thankfully throw in my trusty sketching pencil case and White Knight watercolour paints. I also managed to get 2 watercolour pads, 5 coloured inks and a tube of gesso in Auckland, when I had no idea of the severity of thing thing. So now its time to think creatively on how to use these and stay sane in Lockdown.
I’ve decided to do a daily Lockdown Drawing in conjunction with my Koroni On Location friends, some of which are elsewhere – Geneva, the UK etc. So far these have mostly been hydrangeas which I’ve rediscovered a love of. Growing up in the 50s and 60s in New Zealand the gardens were always overflowing with these, but I don’t think anyone really appreciated the beauty of them….. except perhaps the gardeners who planted them. They’re just so intricate and each tiny petal has so many gorgeous shades which make up the large flower.
So plenty of time to create, but with very little materials. Here’s a sample of what I came up with on the dining table in Taupo…..
June 2018
This painting is portraying, in simple form, the small Greek town in the Peloponnese, where I currently spend a good deal of each year. Koroni, like a lot of small coastal towns in Greece, has a lovely buzzing harbour, with whitewashed buildings spilling down from the surrounding hills.
The painting is in acrylic, and in a new technique for me, as I explore different ways of capturing more abstract landscapes.
Details of this painting can be found in Gallery – Greece.
Another small painting done whilst staying in Skiathos in July. The photo reference was taken in the neighbouring island of Skopelos. It’s so good to see these traditional fishing boats still have a place in a harbour full of yachts.
Details of this painting can be found in Gallery – Greece.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable exhibition, firstly because it was combined with my eldest son, James’ wonderful photography, and secondly because my paintings were in a totally different direction from what I usually paint. The Creative Space in Curl Curl, Sydney, is a large and beautifully presented exhibition space and we were able to use it not only to promote our paintings and photographs, but also to tell the story of the importance of saving our beautiful oceans and marine life.
For this exhibition, I had created a new series of paintings of Australian waves and abstract ocean patterns. This was a totally new direction for me – from the structural forms of European buildings (although usually wonky!) to the curves and exciting formation of waves and the ocean, not to mention a totally new colour palette.
14th September 2017
I love wandering along the streets of Italy during siesta time when things are generally quiet and you can appreciate the architecture, although admittedly without the bustle of ‘life’ and with shutters down! This painting is loosely based on a stay in Taormina in Sicily. I have taken a few liberties with the colours of the buildings, and I suspect the street wasn’t quite as deserted as this!
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Sicilian Siesta
Price: AUD$ 90.00
Size: 21 x 15cm
(Postage and handling included)
When I’m driving in summer between the local villages here in the Peloponnese, I’m always fascinated by the shades of the long dried grasses along the edge of the roads.
This is a mixed media painting, using gesso and other techniques to add to the texture and depth.
Details of this painting can be found in Gallery – Greece.
This little painting was done whilst staying in in Skiathos in July. Its such a beautiful island, and there’s nothing more spectacular than arriving in the port and seeing the lovely town slowly crawling up the hill, the borzti and the nearby bays with their white buildings and church towers.