New Year, new work, new possibilities

This year is beginning on an exciting note for me. A very prestigious gallery in Plettenberg Bay has agreed to be my agent. The response to the work has been very positive, and there is now the possibility of a solo or joint exhibition there in a few months time, and better still, perhaps being part of a group to exhibit in America too. Nothing cast in concrete yet, but just the possibility is exciting. Here are some of the works I did at the end of last year, which are now in Plett.

Flattening the forests 2

900x900 mm

mixed media on canvas

Flattening the forests
900x900 mm
mixed media on canvas

These two started out as protest paintings depicting the treasure of the trees on the one hand, and the money to be made from flattening them on the other. But My husband pointed out that they look much too cheerful to be protest art, and look like a celebration of trees instead!

In war, only the arms dealers win 2

1000x1000 mm

mixed media on canvas

A return to another favourite theme!

Africa's children: living in the shadows

600x800 mm

mixed media on canvas

Africa's children: living in the shadows
600x800 mm
mixed media on canvas

The ladder of success: where do they begin?

800x900 mm

mixed media on canvas

Final exhibition for this year:

You might remember that in June I was privileged to take part in an exhibition at a beautiful private home. Well to my delight, the owner enjoyed it all so much that she has arranged another, which opens on Friday. I will be exhibiting with a group of artists whose work I really admire, so it will be wonderful to be part of it. As a result, I have been hard at work preparing some new works for it. I was so pressed for time that I posted some of them on the previous post, without elaborating, and here are some more. I delivered them this morning, and now it is up to Hannalize to work her magic.... she has an uncanny skill for hanging the right picture in the right place, and grouping works that really make music together!

For those of you who are in Port Elizabeth this weekend, it would be wonderful to see you there, so here's an invitation....

Art Exhibition

5-6 December 2008
09h00-17h00

15 Providence Place
Old Seaview Road
Enquiries: Hannalize
0823736510

Tea Garden

SUE HOPPE Ÿ DUNCAN STEWART Ÿ DAVID MOSS ŸBEV BRETTENNY

YVETTE MEY ŸKAREN MARAIS ŸELSABE RETIEF Ÿ ALIDA STEWART

TESS LOVEMORE ŸHANNALIZE SCHULTZ Ÿ SONIA STRUMPFER

looking down parliament street

750x950

the harbour from fort frederick
750x950

donkin terrace
1800x500

new pics

to the woods 1 and 2

300x600

Castles in Spain 1 and 2

600x600

maitlands river sunset

700x500

looking down Edward Street

400x800

Africas children need sheltering

400x800

now its trees AND african children!

I suppose it is a natural progression, the trees and the lost generation of African Children seem to now find themselves together on the same canvasses! I am also loving the combination of printing, painting and drawing, with some collage thrown in for good measure. My studio looks like a tip because I have been on such a roll with these!

tree 4
acrylic on canvas
250x300mm

trees too
acrylic and leather on canvas
500x400mm

The tree on the right and the leaves on the printed tree are leather.

Africa's Children, the Lost Generation
mixed media on canvas
400x500

Africa's Children, the forgotten ones
Mixed media on canvas
600x500mm

Children of Africa.
mixed media on canvas
600x500mm

three trees
mixed media on canvas
1200x1000
SOLD

more of Africa's children

SOLD

Africa weeps for her children 7

600x900mm

SOLD

One man's wealth is another mans...?

600x900mm

Still strolling around the woods!

I seem to be stuck on trees at the moment, they often crop up in my work because for me, trees are such a special part of life. They speak of fresh air, flowers, peace, permanence. They are these large living beings who do no harm, but bring goodness and life to the planet, home for birds, shelter for anyone who cares to rest in their shade. Even when they are cut down, they carry on giving, in the form of fuel for fires, building materials, compost etc.

red purple tree

300x250 framed

spring

250x300mm

turquoise trees 1 and 2

250x300mm

forest reds and browns 1 and 2

500x600

forest blues and greens

500x600

brown/green tree 1 and 2

250x300mm

green and brown tree 200x250, framed

And still on a nature theme, I must have spring fever at the moment, because these floral jugs also appeared!

A Pair of Jugs

300x300mm

to the woods.....

I have a friend, Esme Goosen, who is a wonderful artist, and also very generous with her time and ideas. She recently introduced me to the joys of acrylics. (I'll tell you more about that when she has sent me a photo of one of her paintings, there's a story behind it!)


Up until now I have been having a passionate affair with oils, and what I love about them is the slow drying time, which allows for lots of blending and manipulation of the paint as the paintings evolve. But I am finding that acrylics have joys of their own, and this new direction coincides with a growing desire to do some printing. I did some lino cuts of trees, and printed them with acrylic onto canvas. It was a natural progression from some of the directions I have been going in with the other work, running paint, metal foils etc. Then the games began, blending colours and playing with adding transparent layers of washes over each other.

Here are the results:

a pair of trees

2 x 150x150mm

treeptych

3x 150x200mm

timberrrr!

900x800mm

seasons

450x350mm framed

treasure tree 1 and 2

2 x 600x900mm

fiesta tree 1 and 2

2 x 125x175mm

SOLD

happy tree 1 and 2

2 x 300x300mm framed

seasons 1, 2 3 and 4

4 x 100x150mm framed