Cath Sheard Art

Author: Catherine Barker-Sheard

  • A season of rest

    After an exhibitions, and between bodies of work, I often have a period of time when I don’t make much work outside of my journals. I explore ideas and, sometimes, think I’ve found the next thread, only to discover the idea doesn’t hold my attention long enough. That quiet time allows me to reflect and explore.

    There are also times when life means I don’t have the mental space, or physical energy, to create new work. After Mum died I didn’t make anything significant for a couple of years. We’d looked after her for 14 years and I was tired, but also grateful we’d had the opportunity to care for her.

    I’m in one of those spaces now. Tony is very unwell, some of you know what’s happening but I won’t share it here. I don’t have the emotional bandwidth for creating new work. I took a small art journal and some supplies into the resthome so I could create while I sit with him. I was essentially making the same thing over and over … my mind doesn’t have the space for creativity. I’m so grateful Alan cooks dinner, looks after things, and makes me laugh.

    Yet I hate sitting and doing nothing. I get fidgety and frustrated. Say hello to adult colouring! Am I being super fussy and doing lots of shading? Nope. These are about the process, not the final result, and I’m pleased I have them available to do.

  • Awagami international print show award!

    Months ago I entered a gelli print in the Awagami international mini print show. All works are on A5 on washi paper. In 2023 they received more than 1,600 entries, numbers grow year on year, but I’ve yet to find how many entries there were this year.

    The first 500 people to enter got a free sample pack of Awagami washi paper, and I found some of it quite challenging to work on. More than one otherwise nice work ended up partially sticking to the gelli plate and ripping!

    I made dozens of prints, then slowly narrowed it down to my favourite and posted it off. I forgot about it, because there’s been so much happening.

    This morning Pen messaged me with “nice” and a screenshot that I’ve received an Honourable Mention prize. Thanks Pen, I’d have been oblivious otherwise! I’m thrilled with the recognition, and to be part of an international group of work again.

  • Refilling our buckets

    We don’t create in a vacuum, rather we’re influenced by what we see, read, hear, do. We might look at art online, visit a museum, or sit and watch the sea. Of course it’s not just art that inspires; it’s jewellery, news, gardens, the colour of people’s clothes, and so much more.

    Today Alan and I went to an orchid show in New Plymouth. The flowers were amazing, we had a nice lunch then visited a friend. I don’t paint flowers very often, but the colour of the blooms was inspiring, especially the ones where the inner and outer petals were strikingly different colours.

  • Printing with lace!

    Today I popped into Ethel Anne Antiques in Hāwera in search of more old music books, as I’ve had so much fun with the ones I got a couple of weeks back. I bought some but, even more exciting, are the old lace doily.

    I knew straight away they’d be interesting on the gel plate. Sure enough, they were. The heavy lace one isn’t much use, but the finer ones are amazing. I used mainly Golden Fluid Acrylics and Hahnemuhle Sumi-e paper to print on because it lifts the prints beautifully. I definitely prefer the softer colours for these over the brighter ones.

    I’m not sure what I’m going to do with these yet. I’ll probably use them as collage in mixed media works. I’m tempted to create some multi layer prints that are complete in their own right.

    Here’s what I have done so far, including a couple of close up shots.

  • Playing with color

    I haven’t had a lot of time for creating finished pieces recently – life got in the way. I always find time to create though, even if it’s just a bit of colour mixing and things like making backgrounds. I’m using the Sarah Renae Clark Color Cube 2 for inspiration.