Cath Sheard Art

Blog

  • Experimenting with florals

    Months ago I started two 8×8 wooden panels. I’d created multi layer backgrounds, in two or three sections. They were nice, but what next? They sat, and sat…

    I’ve been watching art videos as part of my Christmas break. There’s maybe 20 artists I subscribe to, and it’s been a chance to binge watch their play lists. I was watching Gaynor Pattle create vibrant, over the top florals, and had an aha moment. What if I created florals over the top? Very different to my normal semi-abstract landscapes, but maybe a significant change is what I need.

    Wow, did I have fun! They are fairly abstract, incredibly bright and far from my usual more minimalist approach. I love them, and loved the process – I don’t have a good photo of the finished pieces yet, but will take one in the daylight.

    Last night I started two more 8×8 wooden panels. Tonight I grabbed two huge sheets of Art Spectrum Colorfix paper out of my stash and started another work. What’s shown below is just the starting layer. I don’t know how long this idea will hold me, but I have a feeling it might be a while!

    This is the part of the original background on one of the panels.
    Starting to make some marks, and adding collage.
    Beginning to take shape.
    Almost complete.
    Almost complete too.
    Starting a 3rd 8×8 wooden panel.
    Starting a 4th 8×8 wooden panel.
    Initial layers on a large sheet of Colorfix.

  • Looking back at 2024

    There’s been a lot happen in 2024, most of it good, some of it truly awful.

    The awful? Sandra’s wee dog, Bruno, was savagely mauled. I’m not going to document it here, it’s not my story to tell, but we’re grateful he’s still with us.

    The good, great, and ok:

    • Te Ramanui of Ruapūtahanga, our new library, iSite/AA, art gallery and cafe, opened in Hāwera and it’s incredible.
    • Alan’s daughter Debbie married the love of her life, Jason, and we were privileged to be there.
    • Pen Kirk and I continue to create collab works together, and exhibited at Left Bank Art Gallery in Greymouth, including in LUSH.
    • Alan and I had quite a few trips here and there, including time at the beach at Hari Hari, a couple of nights in Ohakune, and time off grid way at the back of Eltham.
    • We celebrated my 60th birthday with a couple of nights at the Okoroire Hot Springs Spa.
    • I’ve continued to make art, be busy at work, spend time playing Munzees with Sandra and all the other things that make me happy.
    • Tony’s sort of doing ok. Trinity suits him. The rest of it’s not information I can share online.
    Collab artworks for the LUSH exhibition.
    The children’s area in Te Ramanui.
    Alan and I at Debbie & Jason’s wedding.
    60th birthday dinner at Okoroire.
    We’ve climbed down to caves, walked to waterfalls, and much more.
    Dinner in the fresh air while off grid.

  • The joy of experimenting

    My good friend and fellow artist Pen Kirk is a fearless experimenter with her art practice. I’m more inclined to experiment slowly, playing with a colour, technique or idea in my art journals and on paper, over and over, until I see where it leads me.

    Sometimes the steps are small, and then sometimes there’s a leap forward. Occasionally I realise I’m not enjoying the process, and I ditch the idea. If there’s no joy in the act of creating, I’m not interested.

    My current path includes bright fluro colours against darks or neutrals, and memories of the landscape from recent trips away. I’m often starting with bright pink or orange under painting and allowing it to peep through in the final layers. I’m not sure where this is all leading, maybe nowhere, and that’s ok. Here’s a couple of pieces I’m playing with.

  • Piripiri Caves reserve

    Alan and I attended the Sika Show at Mystery Creek over the weekend. On the way to Ohaupo we visited the Piripiri Cave. It’s labelled as a 5 minutes walk but of course took me much longer. I was having a medium/low muscle strength day so Alan had to help me with all the steps, slopes etc. He went to the bottom of the cave, but that was a stairway too far for me! The cave was well worth the trek though.

    Next we headed to Marokopa Falls, which is a 10 minute walk, but took me about double that each way. By the time we got back to the truck I was completely out of muscle strength! The falls were bigger and more impressive than we’d imagined and, much to our surprise, we saw three people stripped to their undies climb right down and go for a swim. No thanks…

    At the Sika Show Alan got a couple of things he’s been wanting, encouraged by me. Life’s short and unpredictable – tomorrow is never promised to us. I want us both to do the things we want to while we can.

    I appreciate that, despite being very fit and able, Alan will go at my speed so I get to do stuff with him despite my lack of capacity. He’s happy to lend me a hand, even when it basically means hauling me up the steps. It means a lot, but I do worry about holding him back. That’s one of the reasons I encourage him to go hunting and so on as much as he wants. Balance…

  • Quick trip away

    Alan and I spent Labour weekend near Te Awamutu. We came home via Marokopa as it’s somewhere he’s always wanted to go. It was maybe an hour from Te Awamutu to Marokopa, partly because of the wind and torrential rain! The settlement is lovely, with all sorts of beach houses and a river people were whitebaiting on. It reminded me a bit of Waverley Beach and I could imagine retiring there.

    We took the back road through to Awakino which was a nice trip but, again, the rain spoilt the view. The road rejoins the state highway somewhere around the petrol station, so you miss most of the Awakino Valley and Ladies Mile.

    Marokopa
    There was a huge, very complete rainbow on the way home. The colours were much more vivid than this shows.