PjPaintings at Salamanca Market December 29, 2018

The Hobart Hurricanes played a Friday evening Big Bash game against the Sydney Thunders at the Blundstone Oval, near to where I live.  The celebratory atmosphere made it difficult to have an early night in preparation for the early start requirements of Saturday! I woke up to rain but it had ceased by the time I arrived at Salamanca Market and we didn’t see another drop all day.  Too bad we had wind gusts throughout the day.

The 30^th Taste of Tasmania, the sunshine and holidays brought people flocking to the market. A small group of ladies from Singapore purchased a ‘Yellow Poppy Fields’ print and two ‘Beachside Chatter’ tote bags.

Beachside small totebag available at http://www.pjpaintings.com

A few people bought the dancing emu themed prints as gifts for anniversaries, a wedding that a family were attending this afternoon, friends that like dancing, or just because they loved it.  One lady bought ‘Spanish Eyes (Red) II’, which is a pair of emus dancing the Flamenco, even though she does tango dancing.  She liked the movement with the Flamenco dancing emus. She asked if I dance and recommended that I take it up.  I would love to but the trouble is that there isn’t enough time to do everything you would like to do, especially when you have a day job.  She is running into that difficulty too after trying sailing.  She didn’t think she would love it so much and now she’s having difficulty dividing her time between the two.

Spanish Eyes (Red) II

‘Salamanca Saturdays’ was very popular again this week.  A young man, living in Melbourne, bought a print.  He worked three months in Hobart.  He brought his roommate to holiday in Tassie as she had never visited Tasmania.  Another small framed ‘Salamanca Saturdays’ is going to Cairns with a woman who was born and raised in Tasmania. Another print of ‘Salamanca Saturdays’ was purchased by a woman from Queensland.  She said that she loves sunflowers, bright colours and the market scene.

Salamanca Saturdays

A couple from Sydney purchased one of my small original wombat paintings. She said that they have a wombat theme at their house.  I showed her photos of the wombat paintings that are currently at the photographer and will soon be available as prints.  I think that they will make a nice and unique contribution to their theme.

Hanging out for Christmas

A young couple, travelling all around Australia, from California, USA, bought an original painting of platypus.  Another young couple from Texas, USA, now living in Geelong, bought original paintings of Rottnest Island, featuring emus and Quokkas, a Tassie Devil and a beaver that I painted for the Inktober Challenge’s word “swollen”.  The logic behind this is that when a beaver builds a dam, the waterway swells behind the dam, often becoming a delta.

Rottnest Island

A family of five that have been on holidays for 8 months, caravanning around Australia, bought a print of ‘Family Outing’.  They only have a few more weeks left of their holiday.  I passed on my best wishes and that routine life isn’t too much of a shock to their system.

Family Outing

Another couple on holidays bought ‘Bonnie & Me’ because they have a Triumph Bonneville motor bike.  They didn’t have it with them.  I suggested that they come back and do a Tasmanian bike tour as we have some beautifully winding and scenic roads here.

The most popular print this weekend was: Salamanca Saturdays

A thought to ponder:  “Tell your own story, and you will be interesting.” Louise Bourgeois 

Thanks for stopping by,

from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market.

All prints, tote bags and pouches displayed are available at http://www.pjpaintings.com

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PjPaintings at Salamanca Market December 22, 2018

Salamanca Market operated under sunny skies today. The first people that stopped at the stall were a couple laden with bouquets of flowers. They were doing what they called a ‘graveyard run’ (visiting relatives’ graves). They bought a ‘Thunder’ print as she loves elephants and apparently has quite a collection of elephant things.

‘Double Date’ and ‘Salamanca Saturdays’ tote bags are going to Hong Kong, and a ‘Helping Hands’ tote bag is going to Singapore. Two ‘Lost Worlds’ prints are going to Singapore. The families are not travelling together. One of the adult daughters said that it was going to be hung in her bedroom. They also bought an A-3 sized print of ‘Salamanca Saturdays’, and later in the day, they returned and bought another one.

Helping Hands small tote bag

Salamanca Saturdays

Parents purchased a ‘Family Outing’ print for baby Lauchlan’s bedroom in Auckland, New Zealand.

A mother and daughter, visiting from the UK, stopped at the stall. The teenaged daughter loved ‘Rising Above It’. Her uncle snuck back to the stall later in the day and bought it for her, along with ‘Bonnie & Me’ because he has a Triumph Bonneville motorbike.

Rising Above It

A family, with two young boys, visiting from the UK, purchased a ‘Poppy Fields’ print. Somebody else from the UK, who visited the Pj paintings stall 4.5 years ago, bought a ‘Story time’ print as a gift for his wife.

Story time

A lady from Sweden, is taking a ‘Glamour Girls’ print back with her.

A couple from Newcastle, NSW, who are caravanning around Tasmania, purchased three framed prints: ‘The Three Amigos’, ‘Salamanca Saturdays’ and ‘Black & White + One’. They said that they live in a grand old house and haven’t bought art for years because they haven’t seen art that they like, so that was pretty special.

A lady bought a little original painting of two platypuses for her Austrian au pair.

The most popular print this weekend was: ‘Lost Worlds’

Lost Worlds

A thought to ponder: “The best reason to paint is that there is no reason to paint.” Keith Haring

Wishing everybody an awesome and peaceful festive season,
from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market.

Prints, tote bags and pouches displayed are available at www.pjpaintings.com

Sleepyhead

It is often said that words make a difference.  They can create and destroy.  Words are powerful, how you say something can make a difference.

One word, from the 2018 Inktober Challenge, “tranquil” has sent me on a new journey, creating a Sleepyhead series.  This is going to be a long series because I have so many ideas for it!

Hanging out for Christmas

Waiting for Santa

I’m not going to have access to a computer over Christmas so I want to pass on my merry wishes a little early.

Thank you for visiting, reading and supporting the unfurling artist blog and being a part of my artistic journey.

From the wombats and I, we wish you a fuzzy-warm, happy and safe festive season.  See you next year!

Festive Interior

I’m relieved to be able to announce that this painting is finished.  It’s taken approximately 50 hours (about 15 hours trying to figure out the composition, drawing, erasing and re-drawing).  I was concerned about it turning out too dark so I put a lot of effort trying to create a light and festive atmosphere in the barn so the emus can kick up their heels and have a blast.

Do-si-Do (this image will be available as a high quality print at http://www.pjpaintings.com soon)

Now my thoughts can turn to further exploring some of the drawings and ideas that came out of the Inktober Challenge.

Cheers and take care, from Pj

PjPaintings at Salamanca Market December 15, 2018

The rains held off for Salamanca Market, a wedding and a cruise ship that docked in Hobart today. Usually there is a bit of a lull at lunchtime but today it was flat out busy until around 2pm!

 

The first visitor of the day, arrived with hair still wet from her shower, trying to quickly get the market in before attending her husband’s nephew’s wedding. The wedding is taking place in the city and the reception at the groom’s families’ property in Acton, a suburb in the Hobart area, where the lots are mostly 5 acres. They’ve set up a marquee for the reception. She was hoping the rain would hold off, and it did. The weather forecast announced that the heaviest rainfall was supposed to hit northern Tasmania. A lot of my art work related to her childhood memories of her dad’s tractor and pulling the kids around, his motor bike and his red ute filled with children riding in the back. She found it difficult to make a choice and eventually settled on a “Red Ute” print.

Red Ute

 

There were visitors from all over the world. A friend stopped by to buy Christmas cards and to tell me that the person she gave the “Salamanca Fresh” tote bag in Las Vegas loved it. A lot of tote bags are going to Malaysia. One family bought four tote bags and a pouch and then returned later in the day and bought two more tote bags. A few are going to Hong Kong and Singapore too.

Salamanca Fresh small size tote bag

 

Two different families from the New Castle, NSW area visited the stall and purchased some prints:  “Who, Who, Who are You? II” and “Spanish Eyes (Red) II”.

 

Young ladies from Wu Han, China bought a small original painting of a Blue Whale that I painted on paper made from recycled cotton rags. Two young travellers from Madrid, Spain, bought a small platypus original painting. She told me that she loves platypus.

 

A lady originally from Zimbabwe, now living in Perth, WA, bought five prints: “Paris Café”, “Helping Hands”, “Surfing Clifton Beach, Tasmania”, and I can’t remember what the other two were.

Surfing Clifton Beach, Tasmania

 

A little framed print of “Tu-whit & Tu-whoo” is going to be a gift for a first-time mother for the baby’s room.

 

The most popular prints this weekend are: Hayride and Surfing Clifton Beach, Tasmania. I sold out of the surfing prints. Somebody, who had bought a “Glamour Girls” print came back later in the day to buy a “Surfing Clifton Beach, Tasmania” but sadly couldn’t because there weren’t any left!

 

A thought to ponder: “The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.” Neil Gaiman (I definitely agree with this!)

 

Thanks for stopping by,

from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market.

All prints, tote bags and pouches displayed are available at http://www.pjpaintings.com

Barn Interior

I was hoping that by today I would be posting the finished painting but with drawing, erasing, re-drawing, making more changes, and things just generally taking longer than I thought, (I always underestimate how long it will take me to paint something!) this is what I got done today.

Do-si-do

Cowboy boots crossed that next time I’m able to post the finished painting.  Until then, take care, from pjpaintings

PjPaintings at Salamanca Market December 8, 2018

Despite having a cruise ship in today, there seemed to be less people at Salamanca Market than last week. Early in the morning, a tan coloured American Cocker Spaniel came by. It walked just like mine, Charli, nose down and steadfast.

Charli

A grandfather, visiting from Singapore with his daughter, purchased ‘Muddy’, a small original painting I painted for the prompt word “muddy” when I did the Inktober Challenge 2018. The painting is for his grandson.

‘Muddy’ when in Rome do as the Romans do!

 

Two young Greek men, brothers, purchased a framed original painting of an orca for their sister living in Greece because she loves orcas.

Orca original

 

A small framed ‘Meet Me at the Gate’ print is travelling to New Zealand. A lovely lady, visiting from Japan, communicating through a very good translator device, bought ‘Glamour Girls’ for her hair salon, ‘Spanish Eyes (Yellow)’ for her daughter’s bedroom and ‘Salamanca Fresh’ for her living room.

Salamanca Fresh

 

A lady, from the Gold Coast, Queensland, on a Tassie bus tour, was looking for a piece of quirky art to hang up in her toilet room. She explained that her sister is a very good artist but she doesn’t do quirky art. Her toilet room has no windows and she felt it needs something to brighten the small room up. She settled on ‘Surfing Clifton Beach, Tasmania’. She’s going to hang it above the cistern so that it’s the first thing you see when you come into the room. Her late husband was a surf life saver, along with the rest of her family. She’s the only one that kept her feet grounded, she told me.

 

A couple visiting from the UK, the trip is a gift from their son and daughter-in-law, bought a ‘White Faced Scops Owls’ print to give to their house sitter.

 

‘Glamour Girls’ and ‘Family Outing’ prints are going to be hung in a Bed & Breakfast accommodation in the Adelaide Hills. They also bought a ‘Spanish Eyes (Red)’ as their anniversary present.

 

A Himalayan Mastiff dog breeder from South Australian, staying in Huonville for their annual dog breeding gathering, bought some greeting cards. A watercolour artist bought a ‘Tu-whit & Tu-whoo’ print and showed me some of her barn owl paintings. She said that she did the opposite and indeed she did. The owls were undetailed, beautiful washes, and the tree had lots of textured details. She used sand to create the rough look of bark. Terry Gough, a Tasmanian water colourist, who taught Adult Education water colour painting classes for many years, which I enrolled in some of the evening classes, often used sand in his paintings too.

 

Lovely Harvey, a former Return to Study student, stopped by. It was so good to see him. It is amazing all the things he puts his hand to, from learning how to juggle, speak Spanish, natural walking and heaps of other things. Also, I had the pleasure of catching up with a lovely regular visitor from Adelaide. We developed a friendship when she visited the stall a few years ago.

When I came home, I had to take a photo of this succulent growing at the front of the house. A few years ago, we received so much rain it almost killed this plant. All this purple liquid oozed out of it and it shriveled away to a fraction of its size. After it’s near death experience, it has quadrupled in size, generated another plant and now it’s showing off a stalk of flowers.

 

The most popular print this weekend is: Tu-whit & Tu-whoo

A thought to ponder: ““The object isn’t to make art, it’s to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable.” – Robert Henri

Thanks for stopping by,

from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market.

Prints, tote bags and pouches are available on http://www.pjpaintings.com

… and now we have a square

I’ve finished the easier part of the commissioned painting for the 60th anniversary of the Australian Square Dancing Convention to be held in Deloraine, Tasmania in 2019 …

Do-si-do!

and now, as I step out of my comfort zone, I need nerves of steel to tackle the background…

Tricky paper lanterns and reflections

I’m trying to keep the background light.  I can always darken things up if I need to.  I hope I can maintain a light, festive mood.

I’m echoing the colours of the costumes and paper lanterns 

Hopefully with my next blog post, I’ll be able to show the finished painting.  It’ll be a relief to finish it.

Until then, take care.

 

PjPaintings at Salamanca Market December 1, 2018

Under blue skies, I drove into Salamanca Market, and where I initially parked my car, is where it stayed as the gear stick refused to go past Reverse. Several stallholders tried to get it going but with no success. At least it wasn’t blocking in any of the other stall holders. Once the market finished, RACT Roadside Assistance was able to come to my aid and with some very firm wriggling around, he got it working. What a relief! We were all too scared to use the same amount of force but I guess he’s seen this problem before.

Today, I debuted a new perspex stand to display my original paintings. The Hobart City Council offered free merchandising advice for six Salamanca market stallholders and I was one of the lucky six. I was advised to get a Perspex stand for my original paintings. I was somewhat skeptical that it would make much difference, but thankfully I was wrong! I sold seven originals from the stand.

The perspex stand with not too many paintings left after today’s market.  The paintings are more upright when it is fuller.

One of the original-purchaser, who bought a platypus and turtle looking at each other, had attended a baby shower where the mother-to-be was given an original painting of a sleepy wombat in a hammock that I painted. She liked it so much she came to visit my stall. I’ll have to paint more wombats, sleepy and not sleepy ones!

A couple bought an original painting of a wombat and a koala to post to her sister, who is living in the UK, for her to give to her grandchildren to help nurture the Australian connection. Another original-purchaser was from Perth, Australia and she bought four originals. She liked my sense of humour, she said.

Another visitor from Perth, Australia, who is originally from Scotland but has been living in Australia for 36 years, bought 5” x 7” ‘Salamanca Saturdays’ and ‘Salamanca Fresh’ prints.

A family from Singapore bought an A-2 sized print of ‘Poppy Fields’ and a framed ‘White Faced Scops Owls’.

Poppy Fields

A couple from Cochrane, Alberta, a small town just outside of Calgary, are visiting their son who is working at Maydena Mountain Bike Park. They’ve been cycling around Tasmania. She said that one night, she was wearing every item of clothing she had to try to get warm in her sleeping bag. They will be spending Christmas at Maydena with their son. They bought some greeting cards, which are the easiest item to fit in when you’re travelling with a back pack.

A gentleman, who was born in Hong Kong, but is now living in Houston, USA, bought a small framed print of ‘Who, Who, Who are You? II’. Shortly after the Houston resident left the stall, a man from Texas, USA walked in. The two had almost crossed paths. He bought some greeting cards. Tomorrow, he was heading home and taking a direct flight from Melbourne to Texas, a 15.5 hour direct flight. Yikes! That’s an endurance test.

Who, Who, Who are You? II

 

A former neighbour of mine stopped by. She’s now living in NSW and is back in the state for her mother’s 80th birthday. It was really nice to see the all-grown-up daughter too. The mother doesn’t know that they are in the state, so she’s going to be in for a big surprise.

The clearly most popular print this weekend is: Salamanca Saturdays
A thought to ponder: “The chief enemy of creativity is ‘good’ sense.” Pablo Picasso
Thanks for stopping by,
from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market.
All prints displayed are available on www.pjpaintings.com