Graffiti Papers- New Series of work

Graffiti Papers. This was made using rusty bottle caps, real walnut dye, paint, paper scrap and thread.

The page below is pretty much as it looks...dye, pencil and paper scrap

I am finding my feet here! Trying to mix graffiti with collage while  keeping true to my style.I am pretty happy with the results. The page was interesting to develope. Creating accidental and non-accidental layers of different mediums. I've been reading books on street art, enjoying the many graffiti posts that seem to have popped up everyhwere and thinking, thinking, thinking...

 I don't like tagging, defacing someones personal property isn't cool at all, but I would be delighted to find a work done by Banksy!

Image from http://www.banksy.co.uk/shop/index.html 

I know some of my attraction to graffiti is to it's rebelious nature and some of it is purely visual, like the photos at the bottom of this post. I like the transient collaboration between multiple people and nature. It intriques me that this sort of work is allowed to stay, even in the city centre yet if it was a sprayed work it would have been removed immediately. I decided that my signatures for the international signature swap will be my visual diary pages. I sense that this series is the foundation for something more and I am not sure where this exploration will lead me...but I am excitied to find out!

Nothing like a little inspiration...

I was at the Tauranga Art Gallery today viewing the work of Colin McCahon and Lynley Dodd. Very inspiring works although completely different from each other! On the way out I spotted a smaller collection of works by students (these were assesment pieces for exams) and that was not only inspiring but exciting! Some very, very good art and it's hard to believe they were done by teenagers! On the way back to the car I spotted these old posters. Quite fitting given how much inspiration I am drawing from the street at the moment!

Whakapapa: Get down upon your knees.

I hope you didn't think I'd gone AWOL again and given up on blogging! My intended bloggathon was rather short and I haven't created a thing in weeks. Strangely enough I don't feel frustrated by it like a usually do. I'm still in a good space and can feel myself moving towards a big creative spurt and when it comes I will devote myself to it! Life's been busy with kids, picking an education path for next year (one child is starting college, my sons starting intermediate and my youngest is in her last year of primary) and there's been some big decisions made. Throughout the process I was aware of the 'ripple effect' I kept mentioning in my last ICE series and the whole nest concept. I guess even though I wasn't creating I was still applying an art idea to life. BTW my next ICE series is not far away! I've been ticking over ideas for it so watch this space! 

Yesterday the kids and I went to an art workshop held at the Tauranga Art Gallery and hosted by the Dyslexia Families Support Group. We really enjoyed ourselves and you can see the artworks we created below.  The exhibition the workshop focused on was Reuben Paterson's Whakapapa: get down upon your knees.

My son's artwork. We all had to combine the same sort of mixed media elements to create our own work. The colour pencils we used were just awesome, soft and chalky with the colour strength of pastel. Lovely!

My 9 year old created this work, she has talent oozing from her ears and blew everyone away with her creation.

My eldest created this piece. She has cerebral palsy and creating this by herself was a real achievement. Go kiddos!

Yes, mine. Totally out of my usual zone but fun all the same!

The cover from the exhibition booklet and a pic from the inside. This page shows the true scale of the artworks created by Reuben Paterson and the man himself. Impressive!

Reuben's work is inspired by his own Whakapapa (family) and he used his fathers ties, Kuia's (grandmothers) party dresses, wall paper and hawaiian shirts as his inspiration. Two other elements that featured strongly in his work are the Koru (from his Maori heritage) and Paisely (from his Scottish history.) I really like they way he was able to draw so much from his own ancestral lines.  In addition to this he also uses international design history in his work and lashings of...glitter! The glitter thing threw me, I didn't get it, until I read more about his work. The glitter provides more than a textural base and pretty sparkle. The artist uses them to create the association of wealth. One example of this in design history are the interiors of churches, which sparkle with luxurious panels, paintings and ornate carvings. If you want to read more about Reuben Paterson's work you can see his website here.