Cath Sheard Art

Category: Uncategorized

  • Practice makes progress

    People say practice makes perfect, but wonderful Australian artist Niamh Baly always says practice makes progress. And she’s right!

    I joined the gym about 6 weeks. My hope was to improve my balance and strength – having two total knee replacements and various medical dramas over the years has impacted on both.

    When I started I could manage 10 minutes on the CrossFit at Level 1 and use 3kg weights for leg and arm exercises. Today I did 17 minutes on the CrossFit at Level 2, 10 minutes on the Exercycle, 4 sets of 10 on the Leg Press and 3 sets of 10 leg exercises with 6 kg weights. I couldn’t find the 5kg ones and the 6kg were just too heavy for my arm exercises.

    By most people’s standards that’s not a lot, but it is good progress for me. I’ve got some goals in mind – one of them being just better general capacity. I’m so grateful for the difference my surgeries have made to my life.

  • Consistency

    I’ve been thinking about consistency; consistency in going to the gym and in other personal habits. I’m working in a kraft journal and trying out some ideas. What I’m starting to notice is – despite some new colours / materials and the intention to work differently – there are marks and colour combinations which always come out.

    Black, white, blue, green, turquoise, with a touch of hot pink, orange or fluorescent yellow. The colours of the sea, which I have always loved. But also the colours of the Hokitika Gorge, which I love.

    Cruciform shapes, ovals that are higher on one side with one end cut off, loose squares or oblongs that connect to a line across or up the page. I know where some of it comes from – the cruciform shapes and squares or oblongs relate to memories of the Patea Cool Stores and Freezing Works. The ovals I have no idea about, but when I get scissors and paper in my hand for collage, there they are!

  • A shifting vision

    I’m working on a new series; the last couple of posts have talked about trying out some different ideas and ways of expressing my ideas. This isn’t a new direction, instead it’s a slight shift in how I put on paper – in paint – the things I don’t have words for. Sometimes that’s emotions, other times it’s my memories of the landscape.

    I’ve been working in a kraft journal and on a variety of mixed media papers. My favourite pad of PaintOn mixed media paper has white, cream, black, and a blue grey. I’m using quite a bit of fluro pink from the Golden heavy body range and it’s hard to scan the colour accurately. These works include collage, paint, ink and pencil, so are much more “mixed” than my usual mixed media. I’m ordering more precut mat show kits from the US this week and it’ll be interesting to see how they look with a clean white border.

  • Loving the details

    Today Penny and I spent the day doing demos of gelli printing & collage at Greymouth Art in the Park. I’m enjoying small details, contrast, and mixing textures. I enjoy putting paint on them using blank paper to pull some of the paint back off, exposing the layers underneath. The specks of pink were accidental, and I love them.

    The collage piece at the bottom was made by Penny.
    The white at the bottom is oil pastel, the white drips are Posca pens that are designed to drip.

  • Landscape explorations

    I’ve been watching various artists on YouTube – some, like Louise Fletcher and Judy Woods, are old favorites. Others are new finds; I’m enjoying the work of Jackie Schomburg – her process is similar enough to mine to be accessible but different enough to provide a challenge.

    I normally use heavy white mixed media paper for landscapes so decided to start with different substrates. I’m working in the large Dina Wakley MEdia kraft journal, and on loose sheets of PaintOn mixed media paper which comes in a pad with 5 or 6 different colours. In some cases, I’ve taped the edges so the works will have a clean border.

    I’m using a mix of paint and collage & trying to incorporate some of Jackie’s ideas. When you take inspiration from other people’s work the hand of the artist always shows through, so the final works will still be obviously mine.

    The works are very much my colour and style at the moment. I can only see the barest hint of Jackie’s influence so far. When I start exploring a new idea my work tends to be tight, and loosens up over time. I’m sure in the coming days her work will influence my process more. In one you can see a deliberate attempt to use different colours.