art by libby

Today is Exhibition day for my paintings and I am in a reflective and slightly nervous mood as I woke.

I have varying degrees of attachment to my paintings. Some I can farewell without too much concern. A few I can let go, feel a sense of loss and something akin to saying goodbye to children as they leave the nest. And two or three I can’t let go of.

Some years ago I painted what we now call The Big 4 and now it is in the Exhibition. I hate the space on my living room wall where it has hung. I hope that it doesn’t sell and comes back to reoccupy the space. It was/is special because it was one of those painting moments or hours where there was no conscious and deliberate planning, studies, drawings or image at the forefront of my mind. I had the canvas in front of me and from deep in my subconscious came an absolute certainty of hand and eye, and a vision that opened up I painted with a flow and energy and sureness that took only a day or so to complete. Nothing like that has happened since.

I am nervous also at how I might have to rethink my work and alter according to people’s opinions or views, and if any paintings sell.
However this is a day of excitement and anticipation along with nerves. The Salon de Refuse exhibition opening is on at the same time so there may be extra foot traffic coming through Next Level Gallery.

Ma Te Wa
Libby

7. Manu Bay Rocks 2

Today I begin this blog with my first post about my painting.

There is of course a lengthy backstory or history, however I don’t intend to traverse it now.

Perhaps I will say that there are two or three enduring themes.

I was aware very early that I loved to draw and paint. I knew this possibly around the age of eight or nine and I knew that I had the ability and that I could draw or paint anything. Then I was encouraged and taught firstly by my dear and amazing artist aunt, later by my superb art teacher Nancy Bracey.

I also knew early on from the family trips to Ruapuke and Raglan beaches that the grey/black iron sands and black rocks fascinated me and, the intense and dramatic colours of the ocean and headlands attracted my attention for years and years. But there was a long incubation time for visions of Raglan to emerge and now it is a constant pool of images that I can call on.

I paint those features in most of my paintings even when I set out to paint other subjects Raglan features appear or emerge.

That’s it for now.

Libby

art by libby

Exhibition Day

West Coast Raglan