I received a commission request from a son, who lives in Australia. He wanted to commission me to paint a painting for his mother, who lives in the UK and is involved with a hedgehog rescue group. She loves hedgehogs. He asked me to paint a hedgehog for her.
I find that you just can’t plonk an animal on a piece of paper and call it a painting. Composition is critical. I had a difficult time thinking of how to fulfil this request, not to mention that I have never painted a hedgehog before.
my initial drawing of a hedgehog
Finally, a workable idea developed. I decided to try to combine elements from both countries in this painting.
building a picture
Both the son and mother were thrilled with the painting and it has sparked an idea for more paintings along this line.
Finished painting
Wishing you a good week, from Patricia (PJ) Hopwood-Wade
This new tote bag is bright and cheery. The black cockatoos that I often see in my neighbourhood inspired this painting. I love their squawky presence, personality and beauty. Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos have a short crest on the top of their heads compared to other cockatoos’ crowns that they flaunt and display ostentatiously. Feeling slightly inferior, this cockatoo relied on creativity and ingenuity to present a hairstyle that turns heads. I’ve titled this painting “Hair Extensions”.
New “Hair Extensions” tote bag
These bright, colourful and sturdy tote bags, with the image printed on both sides, are Made in Australia and are 100% polyester, meaning they wash up a treat. Put them in a lingerie bag for extra protection and cold machine wash. It is available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/bags/products/tote-bag-hair-extensions
There was something unsettling me about this “finished” painting. It wasn’t connecting and the nest wasn’t feeling embedded into the tree. I knew what I should try to resolve the problem, but there is an internal fight that happens- one is telling you play it safe, don’t risk it and the other is saying, try to make it a better painting, don’t leave the ‘what it could have been?’ question unanswered.
Catch-up
I have a card that my daughter gave me that I keep close to my painting desk. It says “Art is Not for the Faint Hearted”. I read it out loud a few times, then gave my brush a few swirls in my water, loaded some alizarin red onto the brush and then there was no turning back. I was committed and I think my bravery was rewarded. What do you think?
“Catch-up” with red added
Now the painting is being flattened before I take it to the photographer to photograph for prints and frame.
I am still feeling soggy as I write this. It rained when setting up, taking down and in between. Because my site is on a slope, I had a small rivulet running through my stall. My bathroom has dripping wet table cloths and gazebo side walls hanging in it and the gazebo is drying upside down. Nevertheless, there were some brave souls that ventured out and visited Salamanca Market.
A couple bought two zip pouches for easy postage to their grandchildren, a “Family Outing” for the grandson and “Lazy Days’ for the granddaughter, who has heaps of coloured pencils, crayons and more. A “Lazy Days” zip pouch was bought by another person for her granddaughter who also has a large supply of drawing utensils.
“Lazy Days” zip pouch
A retired hairdresser from Brisbane was tickled pink with “Glamour Girls”. She told me it was her and her two friends.
Glamour Girls
A young lady, who has just painted her house and has lots of blank walls, bought “Double Date IV” and “The Three Amigos II” prints.
“Double Date IV”
“The Three Amigos II”
A teenage young man, with some assistance from his mother, decided to buy a “Hanging Out” tote bag for a Christmas present for his 15-year-old sister. What a nice brother!
“Hanging Out” print
A young couple, from Spain, who arrived before the COVID outbreak, bought a whale and “Salamanca Saturdays” prints. Another young couple from Adelaide bought an “Iconic Aussies” print.
Iconic Aussies
Upon arriving home, the rain intensified, which made me feel grateful that it wasn’t wetter than it was. Also, we escaped the 40 km gusts of wind which was predicted. That didn’t happen. Yay!
Wishing one and all a great weekend and upcoming week.
In December 2020, I embarked on a large scale gardening project to create a pattern over an area of approximately 8 x 4 metres with succulent plants. This involved firstly removing some very stubbornly rooted spiky plants and a hundred or more buckets of white pebbles. Check out the https://theunfurlingartist.wordpress.com/2020/12/25/a-big-garden-project/(opens in a new tab) to see early photos.
Hobart recently went into a three day lock-down, due to an interstate COVID positive man entering Tasmania, so I was able to spend one day working on what has become a long-term gardening project.
Another spiky plant was removed. Yay!!
Meanwhile some of the succulents planted are starting to establish themselves and the planned pattern is beginning to emerge.
I’m trying to create furled fronds with vertical succulents of different colours to help the fronds stand out. Here’s the basic plan:
Here’s another frond that has been planted but until the plants spread out, it looks like nothing. You can imagine when they start to grow out how the silvery succulents next to the darker succulents, will make each other pop.
I have to re-plant this unsuccessful attempt of a frond. It rained and rained after they were planted and they suffered root-rot. I will improve the soil and try again.
My randomly evolving succulent garden, on the other side of the pathway is continuing to bring colour and joy.
No work was done in the garden today. Instead I worked on a different kind of big project, a painting. I finished number two Leafy seadragon today. Three more to go.
I hope you are safe and floating through this week with ease.
Today felt like a mixed-up day. We couldn’t park in our close-by usual spots, rain arrived at packing up time, with my car out of reach, and my Square app stopped working at 2 pm, but I’m happy that it didn’t stop earlier in the day, and all-in-all, I can’t complain. It was a good day, with many happy interactions.
A couple from the Gold Coast, who have travelled around a lot of Tasmania, including Stanley and Bruny Island, bought a “Double Date IV” print. Two ladies from Perth, spending two weeks in Tassie, bought the same print.
A lady bought a small “Lazy Days” pouch for her 3-year-old granddaughter and another grandmother bought “Motherly Emutions” for her son. Another lady bought “Kiss Me Please” https://pjpaintings.com/collections/realistic-animals/products/kiss-me-please-1 for her mother. She said her mother will absolutely love it. I didn’t get a chance to ask her what her mother’s connection is with frogs.
There was a lot of birthday-present-buying being done today. A young lady bought a “DefendConserveProtect” tote bag for her mother-in-law’s birthday, which is today. Another lady bought a large “Lost Worlds” print for her friend’s birthday.
Lost Worlds – A view from the Lost World track on kunanyi with Tasmanian Tigers and their continually felt presence
A couple from Adelaide bought a “Richmond Bridge, Tasmania” and a “Salamanca Fresh” print. A couple from Perth, WA, bought a “Salamanca Saturdays” cushion cover. A lady, who during the week bought a “Hanging Out” print from Tiger ina Papera https://www.facebook.com/TigerInaPaperaUniqueWoodcraft/ was so pleased to discover my stall and that she could buy a matching cushion cover, which she did.
Salamanca Fresh
A grandmother bought “Silent Disco” for her granddaughter that likes to dance, “Emus Can Fly!” for her grandson that likes cars and motorbikes, and “Entanglement” for herself. Another lady bought “Rising Above It” for a 12-year-old girl.
Fairy Penguins enjoying a Silent Disco
Rising Above It
A couple, who wanted to buy a gift for her sister, wanted three A-3 sized prints, each featuring three emus. I wasn’t sure if I could fulfill this request, but we did achieve success. They purchased “Salamanca Fresh”, “Glamour Girls” and “The Supremes”.
The Unfurling Artist: journalising creative journeying 