Cath Sheard Art

Blog

  • Adding to the layers

    Tonight I’ve added more layers to last night’s gelli prints. I added some strong darks, lighter green and pinks, then finally a brightish yellow and medium creamy brown. Some of the time I used hand cut stencils, focussing on the shapes that appear throughout my artwork. That way, the final prints will show my hand in them.

    These will get final marks in the next few nights. I’ll spend time looking at each one, thinking about what I like, what’s not quite right, and so on. Not all of them will end up as completed works, and that’s ok.

    The photos are quite bright night time ones taking with my phone, so a bit of flash glare etc.

    If you’re coming to the class in Greymouth, please book at Left Bank Art Gallery – I need to know numbers so I can make up the class packs … thank you!

  • Gelli prints layers

    This evening I’ve started to put together some samples for the gelli print landscape class I’m teaching in Greymouth in early December. This is only the first layers, they have a long way to go yet.

    I’m using the traditional colour set in the Golden Open paints. I also added some Titan Pale Green, which is one of my ‘go to’ colours. Open are lovely to use, give more working time, and react well when sprayed with water for a different effect. They’re also a lot dearer than the normal Golden paints unfortunately.

    The class is being held at CoRe, through Left Bank Art Gallery … contact them if you’d like to book a place. Bookings are essential because I’ll be preparing class packs for everyone, and numbers are limited so I can give people enough time and attention.

  • It’s Christmas card time

    I am ambivalent about Christmas for all sorts of reasons. It’s a stark reminder of all the babies who couldn’t stay with me, and that my family all lives in other places. It makes me sad that so many people will be lonely. And I know domestic violence increases because of stress and financial pressure. Please be careful you don’t add pressure to people who are already feeling the strain…

    But, oh, how I love making Christmas cards. So far this year I’ve made just over 50, and there’s more to come. Paper, scissors, glitter, glue, embossing; I love it all 😉

    I make a card for each of my staff and peers, then write a short note about why I appreciate them and their particular skills. It’s a nice opportunity to think about each person as I sit, pen in hand, in front of the tv with Tony on the evenings.

    Here’s a sample of the kinds of cards I’ve done so far:

  • Look for the miracles

    Anyone who has known me for a while will realise I don’t believe in God, but do believe the universe looks after us if we are clear in our intentions. It’d be fair to say there’s some big stuff happening in our wider family at the moment, and some huge challenges.

    Last weekend I said to my sister “at least we haven’t seen four horsemen” and she (sort of) laughed and said she could hear hoofbeats! The next day, we were presented with more challenges.

    Yet this week there’s been some amazing stuff too. Some medical issues are improving or are being well looked after. My niece Rosie and her partner Jason got engaged, and their baby bump started to show. So much love ❤

    Even when things are dark and life seems bloody difficult, it’s worth being crystal clear in your intentions and watching for the miracles.

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  • P!nk on my mind

    On the way to and from work I listen to music on the car stereo, from my iPhone – isn’t technology wonderful! A lot of the time I listen to P!nk, closely followed by HIM, Def Leppard and Guns ‘n Roses. Sometimes I choose the song because of the beat, or the message in the lyrics, or a bit of both. Looking back at previous pages reminds me of music I love, and of where my head was at when I did the layout.

    Dylusions – Small journal. Paint: Rose quartz, Vanilla custard, Slate grey. Stencils: Diamonds in the rough, Love hearts, fronds of foliage. Stamps: Dy’s alphabet.
    Other: Archival ink, Distress collage medium, Distress oxide ink, white gel pen, Pitt big brush pen.

    20191014 beat.jpg