Cath Sheard Art

Tag: painting

  • 100TinyTreasures 2/100

    5cm square on Bristol. Using DWM paints in Carnation and Lapis with Schmincke Cherry Pit Black liquid charcoal over a medium tint oil pencil.

  • #100TinyTreasures

    I was watching random art videos and came across the #100TinyTreasures challenge run by Leslie Stroz. I’ve done plenty of 100 day art challenges in the last but this is a little different. The format is deliberately tiny, specifically paintings, and it’s 100 things in a year. Sounds manageable, right? Do I need another thing to do? No, of course not, but the more you create, the more creative you are!

    I’ve decided on 2.5” square Bristol paper, and have cut a pile so it’s ready to use. My theme is colour combinations and mark making. I’m going to use all my different media – acrylic, ink, water soluble crayon and pencil, charcoal, watercolour.

    I’ve done my first piece using Malachite, Iris and Elephant Dina Wakley Media acrylic paints, with white pastel pencil, and deep blue graphite.

  • What we love vs what inspires

    What we love vs what inspires

    Alan and I went bush for the weekend. I love being out in nature – trees, hills, quiet, no power or cell cover. No other people. Listening to Morepork at night, watching Tui during the day. Bliss!

    I knew Alan would be doing his thing during the day. We both accept I have limited physical capacity some days. I had prepped two small art journals, and took water soluble crayons and pencils, and a few other bits and pieces. The journals are a new brand for me, and turns out the paper isn’t as durable as I like despite being a bit dearer than some of my fav journals. I bought them to try because they were 30% off. I also wish I’d taken actual watercolours, but both those problems are incidental.

    What’s fascinating, as an artist, is while I absolutely love being in the bush it doesn’t inspire me to paint in the way I expect it to. It might just be that I haven’t done enough to loosen up and create the sort of work I like, but I’m also not sure I want to. And yet when I go down South I find the water, and the colours of the Hokitika Gorge, inspire me to create over and over and over.

    What we love, and what inspires us to create, are not necessarily the same thing. Why? I have no idea really, but I’m mulling it over. In the meantime, here’s some samples of the pages I did do…

  • Spreading a little light

    The world is difficult for a lot of people. I won’t list the reasons here because of the bots, but you know what I mean (unless you live under a rock!). In my career I have a constant awareness of the ways we can contribute as librarians. Indiviually I do what I can with things like submissions when Parliament provides the opportunity. But that’s about fighting back.

    I’ve been thinking about how I can lift others up, and scatter joy and light like fairy poop. The answer was pretty obvious … ART. Last night on Bluesky I listed a bunch of works with this wording “The world is a bit awful so want to spread some joy. I’m selling small artworks for $25 incl postage, NZ only. My usual artist grade mixed media supplies. Mainly pieces where I’m testing ideas, combinations. Comment sold then DM me.”

    All of them are rehomed already, which is great. What’s even better though is the sheer joy in the DMs I got from people. Am I all-but giving the works away by the time I pay packing/postage etc? Yes. Does it matter? No. I create becaue it’s in me to create, and it’s good for my mental wellbeing. I’d be creating regardless, so why not share the joy and light?

    Of course I’ll continue to create works to exhibit and sell on Felt. Pen Kirk & I will keep making collab works that we exhibit and sell. But this feel right at this moment in history. Sidenote – I just remembered one of my teachers accused me of “tilting at windmills”. Better that than stand by as the world burns and do nothing.

  • Wanderlust week 3

    Week 3 was a watercolour lesson with Nicole Warrington. We painted a postcard and incorporated some of the watercolour trial pieces into a collages layout. I’ve got Kuretake Gambai watercolours, which are a little more opaque than standard watercolours. I have two sets of 24 and enjoy using them but I’m an absolute beginner. This was a fun class, and I’m pleased with the final pages.