Cath Sheard Art

Blog

  • A whisper of grass

    I have been working towards a couple of exhibitions, including the annual NZ Art Guild exhibition “Out of the Blue”, and have finally finished everything I need to get done. The last works will be in Monday’s courier. Yahoo!

    This is the last work to be signed and made ready for hanging. It celebrates the wonderful warm colours of the land here in New Zealand as the first spring growth of grass pops through in the paddocks around us. It’s more about how I remember that time of year, and how it makes me feel, than about the actual look of the landscape. It is 10×10″ acrylic on gallery wrap canvas.

    A whisper of grass
    A whisper of grass

  • Da Vinci brushes

    Yesterday I was in Hamilton, about 5 hours drive from here, and had the chance to visit Gordon Harris Art Supplies. I fell totally in love with the Da Vinci brush range. The ones I was looking at are only their hobby brushes but they are *so* soft and beautiful to touch. The bigger ones in that range are $30-40 each, so not exactly cheap in NZ$, but not extravagant either. 

    I bought a 1 1/2″ Mottler, a 2″ Mottler and a lovely fine round. I can’t wait to use them. Has anyone else tried the Da Vinci brushes?

    fit_for_hobby

  • Adding to my arty postcard stack

    evidence 011If I have a little bit of time I make postcards at my ‘work’ desk in my office. I have card, paper, pens, glue, collage, and stamping stuff on hand. I like to have a good stack of postcards and decorated envelopes on my desk so I can dash off quick notes to people. My handwriting is truly awful – bordering on doctor-quality illegible – but I think most people can read it, or at least guess that I was thinking of them 😉

  • Working on a project

    I’ve been working on a boxed book project that involves photos, collage, paint etc. I made a start at the weekend, sitting at my home-office desk instead of in my art room – due to the almost sub-zero temperatures we’ve been experiencing my outside art room is off limits. Here’s a peek at the underlayers on the box the book will be housed in. evidence 009

  • Thinking about my art practice

    Today I have been cleaning, tidying and de-cluttering. It never ceases to amaze we just how much “stuff” can come into our house that we really don’t need. Gifts, things through the mail, junk from work I mean to do something arty with…in the end, it’s all just so much clutter! I find too much clutter quite tiring so today 3 boxes of books ‘n things have gone to charity,and a few pieces are on sale on TradeMe (NZ’s Ebay).

    While I was cleaning I was thinking about my art practice and questioning where my art has been going since I finished my Diploma. Party, I was starting to feel like I’m just puddling round, not achieving a lot. But on reflection I know that’s not true. In some ways I am not as driven as I was, but that’s only because I am being kinder to myself, and taking more account of the other pulls on my time.

    I still have a rigorous art practice and definite goals. And the evidence is all around me; from my stacks of journals and visual diaries, art books, paintings in various stages, art supplies stacked up on a case beside my desk…check out these photos as evidence: