On the easel….

Home, where you will find, recent pieces, exhibition images, odds and ends that don’t fit into other pages !

‘The Lost waterfall’ 1200 x1000mm.

Feburary 7th, 2011.

 

 

 

The blank canvas has the waterfall all sketched out, and I begin to fill it in, not knowing at this stage how I am going to tackle the waterfall ! I shade the hills now so I can tell how to work up the bush with light direction and contours.

Palette showing base colours used : burnt umber, primary blue and ivory black.

 

 

                                                                                                                                          

 

 

 

 Feburary 11,2011. The bush slowly covers the hills.

March 8, the end is in sight, have to make a decision on the waterfall detail, I like it as it is but does have rough look about it that I will have to look at when bush is complete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Titles and deeds,eelpots and fishing stories’

1250 x1100mm, oil on canvas,2010

 

 

This series of works ‘Bush and lots’ reflect a change of style, subject and manner of work. These finely detailed pieces take many hours of painting, each tree ‘landscaped’ into the next, creating forest and bush scenes that are both familiar and comforting.In historical contrast real estate speculation and the wholesale carving up of the land are overlaid on this virgin forest. This juxtaposition of the natural and the manmade also reflects our progress in living on this land, and the care and the acknowledgement of our surroundings.The thought of time travelling has always interested me, back to an era of our history where decisions made then still affect us today, is a rich theme to visit and draw stories from.May 2010.

 

 

‘Parnell Rise’,

In progress, March 2010.Oil on canvas ,760 x1370

The piece in progress, the bush is being added, then the road and lots details will be painted .

‘ The Queens lots’

1200 x 1000mm, Jan. 2010, Oil on canvas.

The piece in a early stage of layout and planning

The streets are coloured  and built up with texture, the street names are added, and the bush is added tree by tree , taking many hours of work, and then the title is is insribed on the lower right corner…

‘The Queens Lots”

For sale

‘Choice building lots’

59 Valuable Building  allotments

16 Magnificent Bush lots.

1847

‘Matakana Valley Road Seven’

Seven Artists Including myself annually get together to exhibit our work, at the ‘Fine line gallery’ in Matakana, Sharp Road. Jan 9 through to the 7th of Feb. Here are some images of my work that I included in this group exhibition.

Casting your net wide

casting your net wide

This new piece I am working on is using the river and the net as its central theme, originally I used a red river which looked very dramatic, but felt its symbolism of blood may detract from its concept,  the red was show  rata stamens flowing downstream. The text which is layered on in oil stick reads, Casting…your net…wide. In this image I am just beginning work on the nets, the next image shows another days work with the first layer of net sticks laid down, and the river with another coat of milky white over painted ( i think I might need two or three coats to build up the density I am after)  The idea of a milk river is very appealing and Creamy, Milk being so nurturing, flowing and abundant.

1st layer of netting.At work on second layer of netting

detail of completed work.

Landscape of nets and inlets

‘Landscape of nets and inlets’ is now complete,  with its second layer of nets overlayed the first, I decided that was enough, a third layer was just going to make it too dense. Just finsished the shadow details when the piece ( along with two others) got an opportunity to hang in a group show in ‘The Warwick Henderson Gallery” in Parnell, Auckland,the exhibition titled ‘Real and unreal’, my first time exhibiting at this gallery, really looking forward to seeing the piece hanging.

Ordering more stretcher bars today to start some new pieces, time to tidy the studio…

the second layer of nets being added, March 20th

'Landsape of Nets and Inlets' with just one more net to complete...

Mark Wooller March 17

Tuesday in the studio, making progress now with the piece ‘Nets and Inlets’ although that title might change yet !,I have spent the last three days working on the nets, and I am stiff and sore, but I do enjoy painting them, seeing there form emerging and seeing the composition coming together as I imagined. I just now have to put some shadow on them to give a little more depth and a touch of realism, I am always amazed how such a small touch of shadow can bring the object alive. I will have to leave this canvas now to dry before i can do anymore, but tomorrow I have a smaller canvas with much the same imagery although the background is looser and textured, so I can make a start on it, also have three smaller pieces that I have layered a deep green background up on that i want to find the wording to apply. thinking words with nets overlaid , the words not in the nets but floating  beyond . so the words are very much the’ piece’, and I am very much stuck on this, what words –   a single word – a phrase – a verse (no)- a quote from Elson Best – a maori word ( maybe -maybe not ?)  . I am going to have to turn up the music ,make some coffee and sit with it and see what comes

tuesday evening 17th March