Salamanca Market, March 18, 2023

More perfect weather for Salamanca Market was delivered today.

My first customer purchased a “Maggie” tote bag. She hand raised a baby magpie. She saw the bag and instantly decided to buy it. I debuted the “Maggie” tote bag today and sold out in the first hour of the market. Everyone that bought one had a story about feeding their magpie/s. They visit at a regular time and tap on the window or somehow alert their humans to the feeding time.

“Maggie” tote bags are available at
https://pjpaintings.com/collections/bags/products/tote-bag-maggie

I also debuted “Hot Couple II” and “Tickle my Toes” prints today. A couple, the husband originally from Venezuela, purchased “Hot Couple”. He loved it. Another couple, visiting from Japan, purchased “Tickle my Toes”.

Hot Couple II
Prints are available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/emus/products/copy-of-afternoon-tea-emu-watercolour-prints Tote bags and cushion covers of “Hot Couple II” are also available at http://www.pjpaintings.com

A couple visiting from Sydney, NSW is touring around Tasmania. They’ve been up to Stanley, which is one of my favourite Tasmanian towns. We shared stories about the quaintness of Stanley. They bought a “White Faced Scops Owls” print. Another visitor from Sydney purchased two tote bags: “Maggie” and the the vibrantly colourful “Hair Accessories”, and three zip pouches.

Hair Accessories tote bag available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/bags/products/tote-bag-hair-accessories

A couple visiting from Sydney, NSW, bought an “Afternoon Siesta” print for their baby’s room.

Afternoon Siesta https://pjpaintings.com/collections/wombats/products/sleepy-head-series-afternoon-siesta-a-print-of-a-wombat

Another couple, visiting from Toronto, Canada, purchased a “Maggie” cushion cover. They told me it is going on their couch.

Maggie cushion cover 40 x 40 cm https://pjpaintings.com/collections/cards/products/cushion-cover-of-a-magpie

A visitor from Denmark bought a “Double Date V” print. A woman from California, USA purchased three prints: “Devilish Siesta”, “Friendship Refreshes the Soul” and “Spiky Bunk Beds”. I asked her what brought her to Tasmania, and she replied that she came here to do the Overland Track. Apparently, you can do it in five days, but she’s added two days so that it isn’t as gruelling. You have to carry all your gear.

Devilish Siesta
https://pjpaintings.com/collections/wombats/products/devilish-siesta-a-tasmanian-devil-in-a-hammock-1

I met a Finnish visitor. She’s staying in Australia for a year. She bought two cards, “Visiting Friends” and “Bunk Beds”, one to send to her mother, the other to her grandmother.

Visiting Friends

I ended the day with a couple visiting from China. They purchased a “Bunk Beds” and “Goldilocks and the 20 Penguins” print. They asked if they could see the other limited edition prints I had because they didn’t like 46 out of 500 too much. They were much happier with 30 out of 500.

Goldilocks and the 20 Penguins Prints are available at
https://pjpaintings.com/collections/wombats/products/copy-of-house-sharing-a-wombat-and-fairy-wrens-house-sharing This image is also available as a tote bag and cushion cover.

Bunk Beds – a wombat family snoozing

The threat of rain helped put stall holders into turbo chook speed with packing up. Thankfully the rain didn’t eventuate.

Until next week, take care and have fun being creative.

Warmest regards, Patricia (PJ) Hopwood-Wade

Quality prints of my art are available at www.pjpaintings.com

Art thought for the day:

“The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau

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Salamanca Market, October 22, 2022

There’s no other way to describe today other than wet. My feet started squelching in my shoes at around noon.

My first customers of the day were visiting from Brisbane, Queensland. They purchased some A-5 sized wombat themed prints.

My next customers were a lovely couple from Newcastle, NSW. They’ll be returning home with a Sea Life print and the original painting, titled, “Swinging Wombat” is going to its forever home.

Swinging Wombat SOLD today

A couple visiting from Sydney, NSW, purchased “Silent Disco” and “Bunk Beds”. They were so happy to find my art because their son and daughter-in-law live in USA and send them quirky art from the US. They said that they were having trouble finding quirky art to reciprocate with.

Fairy Penguins enjoying a Silent Disco

Bunk Beds

A young lady, from Sydney, travelling with girlfriends, bought a “Garden Roses” and “Scarlet Robins” print. Another group of ladies were travelling together from Perth. One bought three “Bunk Beds” prints and a “The Three Amigos II” print. She gave her two girlfriends a “Bunk Beds” print each. They were quite moved by her gesture, which was met by hugs and thank-you’s.

Scarlet Robins

Garden Roses

The Three Amigos II

A couple from Boston, USA, purchased “Meet Me at the Gate” and “Enchanted Forest II”. They asked if they could have a photo with the artist.

Meet me at the Gate quality prints available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/birds/products/meet-me-at-the-gate

Enchanted Forest II

A lady from Brazil, with the help of a friend, settled on an A-3 sized print of “Dinner for Five???” She thought my story that they may have to share an ant funny. She plans to hang it in her bathroom with the pen drawing of the Sydney Opera House that is already adorning one wall in her bathroom.

Dinner for Five???

A couple wanted a souvenir to take back to their home in Namibia https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/namibia . They settled on a “Salamanca Saturdays” print.

Salamanca Saturdays

A young French couple stopped by. They’re visiting Australia for six weeks. He is an electrician, and she does bar work in France. They purchased an “Iconic Aussies” and “Suspended” print.

Iconic Aussies

A couple from Gisborne, Victoria, https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/gisborne-vic purchased an original painting, titled “Swing High” for their first grandchild.

Swing High

Art thought for the day:

“The greatness of art is not to find what is common but what is unique”. Isaac Bashevis Singer

Wishing you happy creating-time, Patricia (PJ) Hopwood-Wade

Quality prints of my art are available at www.pjpaintings.com

Salamanca Market, September 10, 2022

Today we had to contend with a LOT of rain but thankfully it wasn’t accompanied with wind, and amazingly, I was able to set up and take down just when there were breaks from the rain. During the downpours, there was a sea of different Hobart hotel umbrellas on view.

A speech pathologist, visiting Tasmania from the mainland of Australia, purchased an A-3 sized “Beachside Chatter” and “Who, Who, Who are You? II” print to hang up in her practice. It will engage children and calm their nerves.

“Beachside Chatter”
quality archival prints available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/emus

Who, Who, Who are You? II
quality archival prints available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/emus

Two sisters from Brisbane bought an “Outback Glamping” print and a “Salamanca Fresh” tote bag. They have another sister and when they are together people think that they are triplets they told me.

“Salamanca Fresh” tote bags are available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/bags

“Outback Glamping”
quality, archival prints of Outback Glamping are available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/emus

A lot of members from a family from Sydney that are attending a cousin’s wedding in the afternoon, bought a “Bunk Beds” print.

“Bunk Beds”
quality, archival prints of Outback Glamping are available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/wombats

A couple bought my original painting of the Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery. I drew and painted most of it, sitting on a bench, on the wharf across the street from it. https://friendsoftmag.org.au/  My “Ladybird Parade” original painting also sold today.

The Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery on Davey Street, Hobart

Original painting titled, Ladybird Parade

A Dutch couple that lived in Perth for nine years and then moved back to Netherlands, and then realised, what have we done??, moved back to Australia. They are planning to settle in Tasmania and are looking for a house in Cygnet. They bought some greeting cards to send to relatives in Netherlands.

A Hobart law and psychology student purchased a small, framed print of “Spanish Eyes (Red). Another small, framed print, “Sea Life” this time, sold to a young lady, who has been working one year and nine months in Sydney but is soon returning to Hong Kong. She has a good job lined up but she is leaving her options open if she doesn’t like it because the country has changed significantly since she has left.

Spanish Eyes (Red)
quality archival prints available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/emus

“Sea Life” archival prints of Sea Life are available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/whales

Thankfully, I managed to pack up before the next lot of rain started falling.

Art thought for the week:

“If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud.” ― Émile Zola

Wishing you creative and fun upcoming week.

Cheers, Patricia (PJ) Hopwood-Wade

Quality prints of my art are available at www.pjpaintings.com

Salamanca Market August 20, 2022

The weather wasn’t great today, but it wasn’t horrible either. It was windy, with short bursts of rain and there was even hail around noon, but the last two hours of the market had blue sky, which allowed things to dry out before they were packed up. Hooray!

My first customer of the day was a local who bought six greeting cards followed by a lady from Missouri, USA, who bought “A Spotty Rest Stop” greeting card. The idea for A Spotty Rest Stop came from an Inktober Challenge prompt word. https://brushwarriors.com/what-is-inktober/ The prompt word was poisonous.

A Spotty Rest Stop

Then a Brisbane couple purchased “Bunk Beds” and “Unwinding” prints.

“Bunk Beds” quality prints available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/wombats

“Unwinding” quality prints available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/wombats

A family from Perth purchased a “Meet Me at the Gate” print. There were quite a few people from Perth at the market today. This painting is proving to be popular and people like the title.

“Meet Me at the Gate”
quality prints available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/birds

A couple from Victoria, with their baby girl named Lucy, bought a “Sleepyhead” and “Spiky Bunk Beds” print for Lucy’s bedroom.

“Sleepyhead” quality prints available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/wombats

Spiky Bunk Beds quality prints available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/realistic-animals

A lady, on her way back home today, after spending 10 days in Tasmania, purchased a “Salamanca Fresh” cushion cover.

“Salamanca Fresh” cushion cover, available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/cards

A couple from Sydney bought a “Family Outing” print for their 11-year-old son, who is into emus right now, and loves red cars. Nailed it with this print!

“Family Outing”
quality prints available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/emus

A young lady from Canberra bought an “Under My Red Umbrella” tote bag. She loved the brightness and humour of it.

Tote bags, Australian made, with images that I’ve painted are available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/bags

Two young couples travelling together from Singapore, bought a “Silent Disco” and a “Dinner for Five??” print.

Fairy Penguins enjoying a “Silent Disco”.
Quality prints available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/birds

“Dinner for Five???” Quality prints available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/realistic-animals

Two ladies, with suitcase in tow, from Malaysia, bought an original painting that I titled “Friends in High Places”. Unfortunately, I seem to have forgotten to take a photo of it. It is similar to this painting.

A painting similar to “Friends in High Places”, an original that sold today.

Art thought for the week:

As I work at my drawings, day after day, what seemed unattainable before is now gradually becoming possible. Slowly, I’m learning to observe and measure. I don’t stand quite so helpless before nature any longer.
― Vincent van Gogh

Wishing everybody a happy and creative upcoming week.

Cheers, Patricia (PJ) Hopwood-Wade      

Magpies Have Landed

Greetings. I hope that you have been well and safe in this unpredictable world.

I’ve been venturing out of my comfort zone and have tried to paint a new bird, magpies. They have been voted Australians’ second favourite bird. There are many who have regular magpie visitors that arrive for their feed or have them as full-time pets.

When I was walking in my neighbourhood, I spotted a magpie sitting on a fence. I started photographing it and taking a step closer after each photo.

Photo taken at a distance

It was very obliging. It posed to the side, back and frontwards.

Back pose

Soon I was about a metre and a half in front of it and it was looking straight at me with piercing eyes. A sudden nervous feeling arose as I considered, “yikes, what if it flies straight into my face” but it didn’t, it continued to be placid and cooperative.

Getting closer for photographing

This encounter gave me some great magpie resource photos for future paintings.

“Maggie”
quality prints of ‘Maggie’ are available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/birds

Magpies are polarising birds. I love the Australian magpie’s melodic birdsong. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akWK0CvW6Jk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otfSIE3gjfA It is relaxing, calming, and beautiful to hear while lying in bed, a very Australian sound.

Unfortunately, this seemingly gentle bird is not loved by all mainly due to dive-bombing people during nesting season. There’s also the Collingwood Magpies, an Australian Football League (AFL) team that is huge in Australia that people seem to either love or hate. Collingwood is rarely chosen as a second favourite team. So, unfortunately, the poor magpie has a strong association link with this team, through no fault of its own.

“Morning Melody”
quality prints of ‘Morning Melody’ are available at https://pjpaintings.com/collections/birds
The original painting is for sale at Tiger ina Papera Unique Woodcraft Salamanca Gallery, 7/81Salamanca Place, Battery Point, Tasmania

Sam Bloom wrote a story about an odd little Magpie that saved her family. The photos are beautiful and heart melting, and this has definitely helped to endear more people to magpies.

I hope that you and your family are well, and that the birds around you give you a moment of joy.

Cheers, from Patricia (PJ)

http://www.pjpaintings.com

Salamanca Market Update, April 3, 2021

It was hot today (29C), and windy in the afternoon. A bunch of prints got blown off the table but other than that, I got through unscathed.

A lady, from Sydney, bought a “Tu-whit & Tu-whoo” A-3 sized print a few years ago, framed it and has it hanging in her holiday house in the Hunter Valley region, NSW . She said it looks beautiful and gets so many comments on it that she wants one for her house in Sydney. So, she bought another “Tu-whit & Tu-whoo” print.

Tu-whit & Tu-whoo https://pjpaintings.com/collections/birds/products/tu-whit-tu-whoo

A couple, who moved to Tassie in 2006 from Western Australia, who already have “White Faced Scops Owls“ and “G’Day”, added Lazy Days to their Pj Paintings collection.

Lazy Days https://pjpaintings.com/collections/wombats/products/sleepy-head-series-wombat-lazy-days

A family visiting from Townsville, twin brother and sister, about 10 years old, decided to buy “What the Devil” as their Tasmanian souvenir.

What the Devil?!
https://pjpaintings.com/collections/realistic-animals/products/what-the-devil

A lady, who is going to attend her cousin’s wedding on Steele Island, bought a “Two to Tango” card for the couple and a “The Three Amigos” print for herself. I had never heard of Steele Island until today and it is part of Tasmania. http://www.steelesisland.com/aboutus.html

Two to Tango https://pjpaintings.com/collections/musical/products/two-to-tango

A bunch of European young ladies dropped in, mainly from Italy and Germany, who are on working and/or visiting visas. They’ve been in Australia for over a year, unable to get back to their countries of origin due to COVID. They were saying how Australia is the best country to live with the COVID virus. One, is going back to Germany in three weeks. She got a paralegal job offer that she said she couldn’t resist. All her family caught COVID in the first wave and that Germany is now experiencing their third wave. She bought a wombat print to take back with her.

A “Double Date III” print is going back to Canberra, along with tote bags going to just about every state in Australia and abroad. So many tote bags sold today! I couldn’t keep up with keeping track them.

Double Date III https://pjpaintings.com/collections/birds/products/double-date-iii

Time to put my feet up and enjoy a cup of tea. I’ll be back at the market in two or three weeks. 

Wishing you an awesome Easter weekend.

16 then 17

I painted the 15th and 16th penguins. Four more to go!

The newest additions – 15 and 16

…and there they are with their penguin family members, and just as surprised as the rest of them to find a wombat lounging in their sleeping quarters!!

Then I have managed to maintain the momentum and paint number 17 penguin. I’ve started drawing more of the nest too. It feels a bit like Doodle Art. That was all the rage when I was a teenager. I’d save up my money to buy the Doodle Art that came in a tube with coloured textas (felt pens). They were themed posters to colour. They are “vintage” now. I’ve coloured in THE SEA and BUTTERFLIES. They are long gone now.

Anyways, the nest reminded me of doodle art days.

can you spot number 17 penguin?

Hope you’re well and can enjoy a spell of mindless and relaxing doodling today.

Thanks for visiting,

Patricia (www.pjpaintings.com)

Salamanca Market Oct 19, 2019

It showered off and on throughout the day and it was on the chilly side! Brrrr.

The first visitor to the PJ Paintings stall was a gentleman from China. He left with “The Three Amigos” and “Double Date IV” prints and some greeting cards.

Two young ladies from Denmark, who visited the stall before my visit to Canada, returned and purchased “Hanging Out” and “Bunk beds”.

Hanging Out

Bunk Beds

The wombat prints stopped a group of young ladies, from Sydney, in their tracks. One said, “look what you’ve done, you’ve made her cry!” She was moved to tears by “Afternoon Siesta”. She purchased it along with “Spiky bunk beds”.

Grandparents bought a “Duck Crossing” print and tote bag for a grandchild. A mother bought “The Three Amigos” print for her daughter currently living in Dubai. Her strategy is to keep reminding her of Australia so that she gets homesick and returns.

Duck Crossing tote bag for granddaughter

A couple, originally from Kansas, USA, now living in Singapore, left with “Family Outing” and “Under My Red Umbrella” prints.

Every time I think of discontinuing the tote bags and/or the pouches, there’s a real flurry with them. I counted approximately thirteen tote bags and pouches and 40 greeting cards that went. “What the Devil!?” was particularly popular with the bags and pouches today.

Small ‘What the Devil!?’ pouch available at Salamanca Market and http://www.pjpaiintings.com

Four of my Inktober original paintings sold today: “The Happy Wanderers”, “Swing”, “Big Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Kangaroo” and “Treading through the Tulips” (not tip-toeing through the tulips!)

Also, my small original painting of the extremely endangered Orange-bellied Parrot sold.

Orange-bellied Parrot

The most popular prints today were the wombats and whales.

My prints and greeting cards are available at Artefacts Gallery in the Salamanca Arts Centre. In the meantime, I’m trying to keep up with the demands of the Inktober2019 Challenge and I’m posting my drawings at www.theunfurlingartist.wordpress.com and www.instagram.com/hopwoodwade

A thought to ponder: “I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells,” Dr. Seuss (Love it!)

Take care and keep the creative juices flowing,
from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market.
P.S. Prints, tote bags & pouches are available at www.pjpaintings.com

Salamanca Market July 20, 2019

Once again the weather exceeded my expectations. I was thinking the temperature would be around 2 degrees Celsius this morning but instead it was a balmy 6 degrees when I drove out of the driveway at 6:45 am.

It was really busy at the market today.  I was told that about 60 delegates from Victoria were attending a Sutton Tools’ conference in Hobart but that would hardly account for the numbers perusing the market. There were a lot of school aged children from the mainland too. I thought their school holidays ended a week earlier than Tasmania’s.

A lady, living on a farm in central Queensland, bought four A-5 sized prints: “The Three Amigos”, “Double Date IV”, “Hayride” and “Glamour Girls”.  An x-Hobartian, now living in Brisbane, bought herself a “Salamanca Saturdays” tote bag and another lady, who used to live in Hobart, now living in South Australia, also bought the same bag.

“Glamour Girls” Quality prints of Glamour Girls are available at: https://pjpaintings.com/collections/emus/products/glamour-girls-1

A mother, from Brisbane, met her daughter in Melbourne and they flew together to Tassie for a holiday to celebrate her 21^st birthday, bought an “Afternoon Siesta” wombat print. Another mother and daughter pair, visiting from Devonport, Tasmania, bought three prints from the Cheer ‘em Up series to hang up in their Bed & Breakfast accommodation. Another mother and daughter, from Missouri, USA, living close to the Mississippi River, bought two cards: “What the Devil?!” and “Bunk beds”.

What the Devil!?

Two girlfriends, visiting from Queensland, bought “The Supremes” for their girlfriend. When they saw the print, they burst out laughing and instantly decided it was the perfect gift for their missing friend because the three do karaoke together.

The Supremes

A couple bought “Story time” and “Family Outing” as a gift for their new granddaughter.

The most popular prints today were the wombats.

A thought to ponder: “Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.”  Rabindranath Tagore

Wishing you a week full of emu antics and joy,                                                                      from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market.

P.S. Prints and tote bags are available at http://www.pjpaintings.com

Pj Paintings at Salamanca Market May 25, 2019

The mild weather provided a gentle re-introduction to Salamanca Market after being away for four weeks.

One of the first visitors to the Pj Paintings stall was a gentleman, who was wearing the same coloured jacket as me, a subdued teal green colour, which we both noted. Then we quickly discovered that there was a Canadian connection. He lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It’s quite unreal that his employer has sent him to Tasmania for a week to do research work about the facial tumours that Tasmanian Devils are suffering from. He purchased a “What the Devil!?” greeting card. How appropriate!

 

A Norwegian mother and daughter purchased a small original painting of two platypuses. With the focus on platypus, a man passing by with his exchange student that had just arrived in Tasmania, said that they sighted a platypus in the wild this morning, in the nearby suburb of Geilston Bay, Tasmania. They are very lucky to see that.

 

Poseidon and Amphitrite, from ancient Greek mythology, stopped by today too. They were wearing costumes made from recycled materials and plastic waste. This activity is a Salamanca Market initiative to raise awareness of the effect of waste on our oceans and environment, and to encourage creative conversations to explore the impacts of plastic in our oceans.

Poseidon and Amphitrite.  I couldn’t help but notice that the plastic spoons, straws and other items decorating their costumes looked shiny-new and un-recycled. 

I met a young lady, who had just arrived from California, USA, who was very excited about going to see the tallest eucalyptus tree in the Florentine Valley. She purchased a small A-5 sized “Bunk beds” print. Another Californian visitor purchased a print featuring wombats, “Afternoon Siesta”, and a greeting card to send to her mother in Minnesota and mother-in-law in Tennessee.

Bunk Beds

 

An original small painting of a kangaroo will be now residing in Arizona, USA and a “Salamanca Saturdays” small print is going to be a gift for two young ladies’ grandmother.

Today’s most popular print were the wombats.

 

A thought to ponder: “Art is something that makes you breathe with a different kind of happiness.” ~ Anni Albers.

 

Wishing you a good weekend from Pj Paintings.

P.S. Prints and tote bags are available at http://www.pjpaintings.com