Cath Sheard Art

Author: Catherine Barker-Sheard

  • New Legato work finished

    This commemorates my Mother’s birth father, Fred McKenna. Sadly, Mum never knew him, but in later life got to know her half-sisters. One of them, Margaret, provided some photos and information so I could make this piece of work, which is going to Italy later this year for the 2014 Legato exhibition in Cassino. Fred served in WWI and this year’s Legato is the ideal place to honour the grandfather I never knew.

    I have been working on this piece for days; it’s 18×24″ on stretched canvas. I haven’t varnished it yet, just in case; there’s one small spot that might get adjusted yet. I have photographed the entire piece, and then there’s some close-up shots to show the details and layers. 

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  • What stood out in 2013?

    I’ve been looking back at 2013 and here’s a wrap of the year I had:

    • January – my wrist was incredibly painful, Tony retired from the Ambulance Service and I was pretty obsessed with poppies.
    • February – most of my posts were about family; I was missing Mum and, 22 years after Dad died, I was really feeling it. I was also struggling with the artworks I was trying to get done for Legato in Italy.
    • March – spent a lot of time making gelli prints, and Tony & I celebrated our 18th anniversary.
    • April – the gelli prints and journal pages continued, and I spoke at the ANZAC Day service in Waverley.
    • May – Tony spent some Granddad time with Rory in Christchurch, and it was my first Mother’s Day without Mum.
    • June – more gelli prints and a lightening of my palette to match my lighter mode.
    • July – started feeling more myself, 6 months after Mum died, and began working on the artworks for my presentation at the LIANZA conference in October.
    • August – participated in the International Signature Swap, and decided it was time to get myself better organised.
    • September – got completely stuck on the artworks for my presentation, discovered I need two new knees, and started a new library course though San Jose University.
    • October – completed my 3 yearly professional registration, attended and presented at the annual LIANZA conference and was awarded Associateship.
    • November –  got into my artwork, and discovered that Mum’s birth father served in WWI so there’s a new artwork being planned for Italy.
    • December  – we discovered Tony needs more surgery because the femoral crossover surgery from November last year has failed, and then the surgery was postponed, I also spent a lot of time making Christmas cards.

  • 2013 in review

    The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog. I’d like to thank them – here it is in all its weird details. Happy 2014 everyone.

    Here’s an excerpt:

    A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 7,200 times in 2013. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 6 trips to carry that many people.

    Click here to see the complete report.

  • Working on the details

    This morning I am adding spots of colour, layers of gesso over the photos, and obscuring some of the writing. I’m also transcribing a letter I have from his daughter so I can write all the info onto the canvas. It is *not* as bright as this looks, but my camera’s being unhelpful!

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  • A different kind of Christmas

    When life changes sometimes the impacts are obvious, and other times there’s what a friend would call collateral damage that keeps on appearing for ages afterwards. Last year I had my birthday on the 11th December, Mum died on the 15th December and, to be honest, I have no recollection of Christmas Day 2012 at all. By New Year’s Eve I was at A&E as a result of damage collateral damage to my wrist, caused by injury to my shoulder in a car accident 6 months earlier. This year my sister, brother-in-law and nephew came down for early Christmas on the 14th and we out Mum’s ashes in with Dad on the 15th.

    So what does Christmas Day mean to us now? I’m not sure to be honest. A phone call to Tony’s daughter and grandson, to my sister and her family, and Tony’s brother. Connecting with a few people via email and Twitter. My best friend’s birthday. What does all that mean to me? Not a lot really. I could phone them any time, and do.

    I’m not a Christian, I have no children of my own, and none of our extended family lives close. We choose to stay home because of our pets, as we don’t think it’s fair to ask others to housesit at this time of year. Really it doesn’t mean a lot to me, but I guess over time we’ll find ways of making it special for us as a couple; with Tony unwell our guess our focus is on other things.

    What I do have is a greater understanding than ever before of how hard Christmas can be for some people. A Twitter friend, a librarian in Australia, said as someone who suffers from depression she started the day “bawling at 7am”. My heart goes out to her and all those who are feeling similarly lonely or sad. Whatever today means to you, stay safe and be kind to yourself.