Several More Bot Heads

Again here is a few more little robot heads finished this week. I am looking at doing these on a regular basis. I'm also hunting down some cheap shadowboxes I want them to be a little on the shabby side even dinged a bit to complete the theme.

From The Garden #2

I have finished another garden artwork. It is in the back room drying. I thought I would see what it would look like framed and I am quite happy with the results. You might remember I was planning these images when I was in New Zealand I have plenty of ideas for these in sketch books about the house. They reflect how joyful spring can be, even when its just weeds and wild flowers that fill the garden.

Perfecting A Technique

For those of you who don't know already, I make my art from recycled plastics. My old technique was to lay the plastic straight down as I made the painting. It gets a little difficult to be accurate with the lines but the results have been interesting. My latest technique is more planned and I sketch the images out on some cheap paper. Then I build up the lines using recycled cardboard. The cardboard I use is not too thick but it is thick enough to hold the plastic pigments in. Here are a couple of examples of artworks in progress. The first is showing the way I am building the image up with the cardboard. The other shows the plastic being held back from areas it is not wanted.

Steamy001

I have just finished another of the little robot illustration/base relief/artworks. Its all ready to go into a shadow box. I think he has turned out just fine.  He reminds me of the iron giant from the animation Brad Bird directed.

The Blue Shed Inspired

As with a lot of my art I get inspired by small portions of my drawings or "experiments". I have been manipulating my last painting "The Blue Shed" and I've been inspired to produce larger pieces in the future.

The Blue Shed

Another landscape... The Blue Shed is an exercise in colour and my new plastic technique. Its not a real place but is based on many photo's I have taken in both New Zealand and Australia.

Made From Bits

These little robots are made from bits and pieces I collect when I go on weekend walks around the country town I live in. There is so much junk lying around in gardens and lane-ways. It makes you wonder how much is being washed into our waterways and out to sea. This little guy is one in the making...very steampunk I think.

Little Robots

I have been playing around with a series of  little robot head artworks. The plan is to shadow box frame these similar to the frames that Charles Kaufman uses for his crushed can artworks. http://www.crushed-can-art.com/kaufman-crushed-can-art.html

New Studio New Technique

I have started doing art again using a different technique. It's a version of my plastic process but this time I am building up the lines using recycled cardboard. This I hope will be the first of many new works.
Its called "From The Garden" and its a celebration of the diversity of colour and shapes that can be found at a park or a simple suburban garden. If you look you will see that bugs and dry leaves can have a beauty of their own.

While The Studio Is In The Lockup

I miss my studio. I am currently living in temporary accommodation in New Plymouth. The rooms are small but cheap and though I am saving some money each month, I really need to find something bigger. I am kind of going stir crazy. Today was a holiday in NewP and I took the time to finish off a small painting on canvas. I started this a couple of weekends ago after walking the coastal walkway to the Rewarewa bridge. It is a beautifully engineered bridge whose brilliant white paintwork makes it stand out against the Taranaki landscape like a large whale skeleton. I love this walk. A friend Aturo Pelayo showed me the walk and the bridge a month back. Ever since that walk I have wanted to go back and paint several places on the way. The canvas is small but at least I am making art again.

Six Quick Cats

Again this morning, to help speed the bus trip in to work on my final few days in Wellington. I have sketched up six cat images.

Swedish Style and Art

I have a deep admiration for the European artistic style, characterized by expansive areas of white that are accentuated by vibrant and colorful paintings. This aesthetic inspires me to showcase my art in European galleries.

Art Makes a Home.

I love impressionist art there are hundreds of artworks out there that have a homey appeal. Simple subjects with a sense of intimacy. I love older style frames as well, broad simple wooden frames that add to the narrative by way of being slightly grand. This image from "My French Country Home" blog is a good example. By the way MFCH is one of my favorite blogs.

Another Canopy Sketch

During bus trips and lunch hours I love to sketch ideas for paintings. I use a painting software called MyPaint that you can find for free on the internet. I use it on my HP Touchsmart notebook, bought well before the ipad and other such tablets.  This is a quick one I did for another Canopy painting. Its of the Camellias growing in the garden at the moment. When I have the studio up and running I will possibly get around to doing this and a couple of others.

One More Before I Move.

I am moving away from Wellington to New Plymouth in the Taranaki, land of the volcano. I have taken another job there and will be up rooting and its likely to be a few months before I set up another studio. So the plastics will get stored and my art and dreams of a book will also get stored. Before I head off though, I thought I'd post a couple of artworks I am planning. These are some sketchy almost complete images of some new plastic works I will do once my studio space is sorted out. I hope you like...
I am trying to capture the buzz of spring as plants pop into colour and the garden becomes alive again. Its wonderful to see the newness of another years burst of blooms even in the weeds around the house.

This abstract almost naive style has been inspired by some of my favorite artists. Colour specialists like Australian Ken Done who's use of colour as a language or a rhythm is very effective. This image "Another Sunday" sets a mood of lazy and content afternoons in the summer warmth.