My primary medium for creating art is to paint or draw with pastels, soft chalk-like chunks or sticks of colour. Pastels are a medium that I have been learning to use well for several years and there is still so much to learn. Lately I have been experimenting with my mark making, a way of adding texture and interest to my artwork. It has been a fun yet challenging process, requiring me to resist falling back on old habits of softening edges, blending clouds and overworking the detail. Colour is also something I have been playing with, some of my paintings have no more than five colours in them but this one definitely features more colour.
The source photo for this painting was taken in the Mt Aspiring National Park on New Zealand’s South Island. Initially it was a crisp and clear Autumn day but the weather soon changed and the clouds set in, bringing the occasional shower of rain making the track towards the Rob Roy glacier slippery and a little nerve wracking at times.
New Zealand, Scotland and animals continue to be a great source of inspiration for me. I will be attempting to do more portraits this year, people portraits that is so stay tuned if you want to see how I progress.
Two Black Dogs 
I love the vibrancy of the yellow and orange with the green.
Thank you! 🙂
Just beautiful!
Thank you my friend 😊
Hi, calling all descendants of Wharepapa to register to be included in his land in Pakotai, there will be a meeting held on 21 August, please read the following and contact me with details.
Meeting 21st August 11am at Te Oruoru (The Rec) Pakotai, Rika’s Rd, Pakotai.
1. Tentative agenda
a. to decide whether we go with collective negotiation or hapu by hapu.
b. choose our Representative
c. depending on Jacqui’s findings at the Maori Land Court, select Replacements for Joe Brown, Charlie Davidson, Gerald Power and Archie Rika on the Te Oruoru School block. There has to be a rep from each daughter. I am going to push for Jacqui’s eldest son Aaron to replace Archie, who was Edith’s representative as Desmond Rudolph, who is the only one still alive will be Maraea’s rep, being of the eldest son Uncle Willie. Desmond is still alive but suffers with dementia
I NEED FROM YOU ALL YOUR WHANAU NAMES TO GO ON THE NGATI HORAHIA REGISTER, PLUS EMAILS OR PHONE NUMBERS OR FAILING THOSE TWO ADDRESS.
This is the most important thing for the meeting as the more we have registered, the louder our voice will be when it comes to settlement. This includes all living siblings, their children and grand/grt grandchildren. THIS IS URGENT.
Pam Heke-Reid email: pandereid@xtra.co.nz
Thanks, include all of your children and grandchildren etc.
Thank you Pam, I will share this information with as many family members as I can and ask them to share as well.
So lovely to hear from you, Sam! I hope the art work continues to go well, and life in general too. Our world took a few hits this past year, but we’re still here. Still enjoying life, as, I hope, are you and your family too. Sending hugs!
Hi Jo, still doing art but have also taken a few hits over the last 12 months and of course, various restrictions have put a halt to activities on occasion. Still, we’re doing ok and getting on with life even if we can’t move about as freely as we’d like. Happy walking and writing Jo xxx