PjPaintings at Salamanca Market February 23, 2019

This morning it was dark when I got up… the days are getting shorter. Yikes!

A lady, from Melbourne, is in Tassie for just one day to look at property. She and her partner, firstly from Sydney, but that got too big for them, so they moved to Melbourne, which has also become a big, congested city, so now they have their eye on Hobart and are considering another move. She bought a print titled “Barn Owls” for her thirteen year old daughter.

Barn Owls

A lady from Gippsland stopped by, and told me that she visits her son each year and buys a print from my stall. She knows how many years he’s been living in Tassie by counting how many of my prints she has… and how many years has her son been living here?… the answer is five.

A German tourist bought a small “Sea Life” print for her friend in Germany who gave her instructions to get her a whale souvenir.

Sea Life

I met Canadians, who live close to the PNE in Vancouver, BC. I often drove over the Second Narrows Bridge and past the PNE, with the old, wooden rollercoaster in plain view, and its memories of the many rides I had on it. They bought an A-5 sized print of “Bunk beds”.

Bunk beds

I met a young lady from France, who has been in Australia for one month of her six month stay. She wanted to practice her English, and I, wanted to practice my French. So, we conversed in different languages. She bought a greeting card to send to her friend.

A lady, from Warana, Queensland, became very excited when she saw the “Cheer ‘em Up” series. She bought three of the prints to put up in her daughter’s bedroom (or maybe her lounge room she said because she loves them so much).

A dear friend from Adelaide, extended family, with a new baby son, who gave me a gorgeous, big smile and his grandmother from Holland, visited the stall. They left with two of my latest additions:  “Bunk beds” and “Sleepy head” prints.

Bunk Beds

A gentleman, told me that so many people from the cruise ship had bought these yesterday from the gallery at Salamanca (that would be Artefacts Inc Gallery). He said they were very kinky but I think he meant quirky! Lol

Two different couples bought small original paintings of Echidnas.

After the market, and unpacking the car, I was off to see the Baker’s Boy, Missy Higgins and John Butler Trio at Tolosa Park, and then today, Sunday, I did gallery duty from 9:30 am – 5:00 pm. I met many Italians and French, and had plenty more opportunity to practice speaking French! I think I deserve an early night.

Baker Boy

The most popular print of the day was”Bunk beds”.

A thought to ponder: “Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.” Albert Einstein

Take care everyone,

from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market.

Pj Paintings’ prints, tote bags and pouches are available at http://www.pjpaintings.com

A Wombat Visit

I unexpectedly had to do gallery duty this morning at Artefacts Gallery, Salamanca Place in Hobart, Tasmania.  There were two big cruise ships in so it was busy.

A young lady came into the gallery and quickly honed in on the images from my Sleepy head series.

Bunk Beds

She pulled out of her knapsack her travel companion, that she never travels without.  It was a gorgeous, well-loved wombat! I could not resist giving it a cuddle. It’s sooooo cute!

Bunk beds and Sleepy head going with a wombat fan

These arrived in the post today and will be making their debut at Salamanca  Market, stall #30, tomorrow among heaps of other cards, prints, tote bags and pouches. I hope you can drop by to say hello.

Bunk beds greeting card

Wishing everybody a lovely weekend.

Who would have thought??!

My son, who lives in Canberra, asked me to paint a moth for his project. I’ve rarely painted insects.  Last year, I attempted to paint a bee and a butterfly and I think that’s about it.

Who would have thought that moths are so cute!? Or is it just me painting them cute? I never knew that they have such gorgeous little faces, a face that says, “cuddle and love me”.

Unfinished moth

The finished little cutie

Isn’t nature a wondrous thing?! Take care everybody and thanks for visiting.

PjPaintings at Salamanca Market February 16, 2019

It was a busy day at the market today.  Thankfully the wind and weather was kind to us.

Valentine’s Day has past and the focus has moved to “Run the Bridge”, a 10 km running event that will take place tomorrow.  The Tasman Bridge will be closed to cars as a record amount of entries will pound the pavement over the Derwent River below, including Olympians, Liam Adams, Ben St. Lawrence, Harry Summers, Milly Clark, Victoria Mitchell and Canadian runner, Andrea Seccafien.  Also included, are Tasmanian elite runners, Meriem Daoui and Dejen Gebreselassie. Dejen is of Ethiopian heritage and was born and raised in a Sudanese refugee camp. Meriem is of Moroccan heritage and competes in full length clothes and hijab.  She has run 10 km in 34:30 and is only 19 years old!

At 8:30 in the morning, a man from Melbourne, here to celebrate a 50^th birthday, which he did last night, bought a ‘Who Says Emus Can’t Fly?!’ print.  I was quite impressed that he was up and about so early after a big night!

Who Says emus can’t fly!?

Two ladies, wearing cool hats, walked by, and when I was at the other end of the market, a wedding party was walking through the market! Frustratingly, I didn’t have my phone on me, so I couldn’t take a photo.

A young girl, about 6 years old, visiting from China, fell in love with the ‘Bunk beds’ print.  She didn’t want it put in a paper bag; she wanted to be able to look at the picture unobscured.

Bunk beds

A ‘Salamanca Fresh’ tote bag is going back with visitors from Hong Kong and a mother bought an ‘Unfurl’ card because the picture has three rising steam ladies and she has three daughters.

Unfurl, painted with watercolour ink mixed with watercolours, which creates a pastel-like look 

A celebrant, who is performing a wedding at Frogmore Creek in the afternoon, bought a print. A mother bought a ‘Tu-whit and Tu-whoo’  print for her daughter, who loves owls, and for her other daughter, who loves kookaburras, a ‘The Three Amigos’ print.

A Californian dad and son stopped by at the stall.  They are going to do the Three Capes walk. A couple, from Savannah, Georgia, USA, who work in the film industry as Production Designers, bought a ‘Rising Above It’ print and ‘Spotty Rest Stop’ and ‘Bird Watching’ cards. Another Californian, from Los Angeles, USA, who was an exchange student in New Zealand decades ago, was visiting Tassie to catch up with a host-brother who moved and lives here now.  She also visited New Zealand to visit the rest of the clan.  She purchased a ‘Helping Hands’ tote bag.

Two ladies, one from South Australia and the other from Perth, were very excited to find my stall. They were Nursing and Midwifery educators.  They had delivered training in Launceston and will be teaching on Monday in Hobart. They bought a small ‘Spotty Rest Stop’ original painting and a ‘Rising Above It’ print.

There was a three way tie for the most popular print this weekend. They were: The Three Amigos, Rising Above It and Salamanca Saturdays.

 A thought to ponder:  “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind” Dr Suess.

Thanks for stopping by,

from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market.

Pj Paintings’ prints, tote bags and pouches are available at http://www.pjpaintings.com

Valentine’s Day

Sending everybody warm, happy, mushy and fuzzy feelings for tomorrow.

PjPaintings at Salamanca Market February 9, 2019

There was a sunny and happy feeling in Hobart with the Wooden Boat Festival this weekend.

 

A lady, sailing on the Sydney Heritage Fleet’s, James Craig flagship, bought a print. The Barque James Craig is famous around the world. It is Sydney’s only 19th Century square rigger (or Tall Ship) and the incredible restoration to full sailing condition was recognised in 2003 by the World Ship Trust’s award of their prestigious Maritime Medal. The restoration cost almost $A30 million and took nearly 40 years to complete after she was rescued from Recherche Bay in far southern Tasmania. For forty years the James Craig lay in the sheltered but cold waters of Recherche Bay. The bow was high out of the water and the stern lay in about five metres of water. On October 24, 1972, a dedicated and enthusiastic Sydney and Tasmanian salvage team gently lifted the ship from its sandy resting place.

 

A nursing student, from Beijing, China, bought a ‘Cheer ‘em Up’ pack for her wall at the University of Tasmania, Launceston.

An artist, and his wife, from Singapore, purchased ‘Poppy Fields’ and ‘The Three Amigos’. ‘The Three Amigos’ print will also be accompanying visitors back to Tucson, Arizona. They are here for the Wooden Boat Festival. It will also be travelling with another couple back to Shanghai. A couple from Hong Kong are taking back with them ‘Spanish Eyes (Red)’ and ‘Beachside Chatter’ prints.

The Three Amigos

 

A lady, who has been living in Canada for 42 years and has children living in Squamish, Rupert, Victoria, B.C., and one child in Adelaide, Australia, bought ‘Bunk beds’ and ‘Emus can fly!’ prints. Her husband and her have been visiting the grandchildren and family in Adelaide and were now having a week’s holiday in Tassie.

Bunk beds

Late in the afternoon a brief bout of rain came, which spurred on a hurried pack-up of the stall. After the market, I listened to the Canadian band ‘The Belle Miners’ at the Red Velvet Lounge in Cygnet (awesome music), then gallery duty at Artefacts Gallery at the Salamanca Arts Centre today (Sunday) and now onto doing next week’s print order.

The Belle Miners playing in Cygnet, Tasmania

 

The most popular prints this weekend was: The Three Amigos

 

A thought to ponder: “Without tradition art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation it is a corpse.” Winston Churchill

 

Thanks for stopping by,

from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market.

Pj Paintings’ prints, tote bags and pouches are available at http://www.pjpaintings.com

Expect the unexpected

I didn’t expect to see a “looking for artist” sign at Artefacts, or to be accepted, as I had applied unsuccessfully several times before. But, accepted I was, so four weeks ago, I joined an art co-op, Artefacts Inc Gallery in the Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart, Tasmania.  One month on and I’m reflecting on the whirlwind experience it has been so far.

Expect the unexpected, is the theme.  Firstly, we are supposed to do a gallery sitting from 9 am – 5 pm three times over a two week period.  With one member living in an area that has been threatened by fires for weeks, another that was unwell for a few weeks and being short one member, I have been doing gallery duty above this quota, (an unexpected) in addition to working three days a week and running a market stall on Saturdays.  It hasn’t left me with any time to paint at home but thankfully there are times at the gallery where I am able to draw.

I drew this sleepy nap-time wombat over two gallery sittings

While on gallery duty there has been a good mix of time spent drawing and attending to gallery visitors.  It is mainly tourists visiting the gallery.  I enjoy the company and it’s always interesting meeting the wide range of tourists, ages and nationalities. The nature of being on duty dictates that I mainly draw, but I can paint things that don’t require me painting washes, large areas or wet-in-wet.  Painting bobbles are perfect gallery-duty-painting items.

Another sleepy wombat, resting after decorating his hammock.

Another unexpected is that more of my art is selling than I had anticipated!  I’m re-stocking far more than I thought I would be.

Introducing a sleepy Tasmanian Devil that will soon be added to the Sleepy head series.

Artefacts is located in an arts centre and it has been really nice to get to know those around me, (another unexpected) especially the staff from Deja Vu Books and Inka Gallery.  On Mondays, a fellow Belgian (a big unexpected!) is usually on gallery duty at Inka Gallery.  We communicate in French and my rusty old French is becoming a little more lubricated each week.  The chap that works at Deja Vu is a bird photographer.  He has given me some of his awesome photos that that I can use as a resource to paint from.  How good is that!?!

All in all, the first month has been great, but tiring.  Hopefully the full Artefacts’ team is back up soon so those picking up extra shifts can have a well deserved rest.

I’ll be doing gallery duty on Sunday Feb 10th and Monday Feb 11th.  We are open on public holidays.  It would be lovely if you could stop in, have a chat and browse.

Until then, take care, Pj Paintings

PjPaintings at Salamanca Market February 2, 2019

For most of this week, Hobart has been shrouded in smoke as fires rage. Thankfully we had some light rain on Thursday, which helped clear the air a little, and the oil rig that that made itself at home in the Derwent River for three months! It’s like it snuck out undercover, that is under-smoke-cover in the wee hours of the morning.

 

At today’s market, we saw some rather tall sports women, who are playing AFL this weekend. Tasmania is hosting their first AFL Women’s game. North Melbourne vs Carlton is playing at the North Hobart Oval.

 

In the morning, a young couple from the Netherlands, on a six week Australian holiday, bought a ‘Bunk beds’ print.

Bunk beds

 

A lady, who said that she left her heart in Africa, bought a ‘Thunder’ tote bag. In a few weeks, she is going back for a visit to Botswana, South Africa and surrounds.

Thunder! small tote bag

 

A family from Victoria, bought a print of ‘Salamanca Saturdays’ with Mt Wellington/kunyani in the background. They were in Tassie to scatter her mother’s ashes on the mountain on Tuesday. That was her mother’s wishes. Another lady, who also bought ‘Salamanca Saturdays’, had travelled here to say goodbye to her 98 year old mother. She passed away two days before she arrived in Tasmania. She said that she had had many recent conversations and visits with her, and that she was well loved and taken care of.

Salamanca Saturdays

 

A couple bought a ‘Who, Who, Who are You? II’ print to go with an emu painting that they bought in Lightning Ridge, which I think might be John Murray’s artwork.

Who, Who, Who are You? II

 

The most popular prints this weekend was: Bunk beds

 

A thought to ponder: “Finish the work, otherwise an unfinished work will finish you”, Amit Kalantri

 

Good advice!

 

Thanks for stopping by,

from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market.

Pj Paintings’ prints, tote bags and pouches are available at http://www.pjpaintings.com