Salamanca Market, Aug 24, 2019

Salamanca Market Aug 24, 2019

It was a rather mild day with a few scary wind gusts but things thankfully stayed intact. Today, “The Bun”, “Hair Extensions” and “Hair Accessories” debuted, and they did well but not as well as the Sleepy Head series.

“Hair Extensions” and “The Bun”

There were heaps of people dressed in the Kangaroo and Demon colours. They were doing the market before the AFL game at Blundstone Oval, Bellerive.

A couple from Melbourne, to celebrate her birthday, flew to Tasmania for the day, not even spending one night here. She purchased “Devilish Siesta” and “Afternoon Siesta”.

Two girlfriends, one from Cairns, the other from Townsville, both wearing the same plum coloured beanies with a beige pom-pom, bought “Spanish Eyes (Red)”, “Hayride”, “Afternoon Siesta”, “Devilish Siesta” and “Spiky Bunk beds”.

Hayride

A lady, from Melbourne, having a weekender on her own, bought, and started using, a “Sleepy head” tote bag. A couple from Western Australia, purchased a “Salamanca Fresh” pouch for her to use at university.

Salamanca Fresh small pouch

 

I met the sister, from Adelaide, who travelled to Tasmania with her family, to celebrate her sister’s 40^th birthday.  Her sister is doing psychology/weather thesis, which involves visiting Antarctica.

I met a family, living in a small Western Australia town. She’s originally from Seattle, USA. They bought a wombat and “Double Date III” print.

Double Date III

A group of young people from Hong Kong bought a variety of prints from the Sleepy Head series. Two ladies, visiting from Melbourne, bought a kookaburra print. Another couple from Melbourne bought a “Helping Hands” pouch. She said that she has so many tote bags that it was nice to be able to get something a little different that also can serve as a souvenir.

The most popular prints today were the Sleepy Head series, featuring Wombats, Echidnas and the Tassie Devils.

A thought to ponder: “It doesn’t matter how the paint is put on, as long as something is said.” – Jackson Pollock

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

Advertisements

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.

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

Hair Extensions

Last year, I painted Humpback whales to celebrate Sea Shepherd’s 40th anniversary and help raise funds for this non-profit conservation organisation whose mission is to protect and conserve the world’s oceans’ ecosystems and species. (All of these whale paintings are on my website: http://www.pjpaintings.com).

Weightless

Sea Life

Suspended

Sea Shepherd has asked me to support their fund raiser again. This time I focused on other sea creatures, all of whom are suffering in plastic and pollution riddled oceans.

Hair Extensions: Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos have a short crest on the top of their heads compared to the other cockatoos’ crowns that they flaunt and display ostentatiously. Feeling slightly inferior, this cockatoo set about to find a hairdresser that does feather extensions but alas there are none to be found in Tasmania. An octopus seems like a good compromise, and fortunately for this cockatoo, it found a very obliging one to crown its head with long, flowing, attractive tentacles.

This painting will be for sale in support of this worthy cause at Red Parka, 22 Criterion Street, Hobart, Tasmania, commencing Sept 5th.  It is now at Full Gamut, professional photographers, and then prints of it will be available on the Pj Paintings website.

Now, I’m working on my third and final painting of this series titled “The Bun”.

Thanks for visiting.

PjPaintings at Salamanca Market April 20, 2019

A long weekend with a forecast of 23 degrees Celsius, and not much else is needed to have people venturing into the city for a Salamanca Market experience.

Early in the morning, at the Pj Paintings stall, a father let his son choose a print. He chose ‘Who says emus can’t fly!?’ and he quite correctly pointed out that the emus’ legs are bending the wrong way. Lucky artists have artistic license.

Who says emus can’t fly!?

When emus sit, their feet go out in front of them. It looks like their knees are bending forward, but actually their knees are higher up, under the feathers where they can’t be seen. The visible part that bends forward are the bird’s ankles.

A seated emu photo by Getty Images

A couple bought a small original painting of a Red-tailed black cockatoo for their son, who married a Canadian lady, and are living in Chilliwack, B.C., where my sister lives.

 

Two ladies from Brisbane, Queensland, stopped in and bought a small original painting of platypus. They saw my painting of a dog and that started a dog photo exchange, as they have two cocker spaniels, named Poppy and Winston. Of course I had to show them photos of my Charli, an American cocker spaniel.

A boy, wearing a Calgary Flames cap, visited the stall with his mother. He was born in Pittsburgh, USA, lived two years in Calgary, Canada and now they’re living in Brisbane. He looked like he was around seven years old. They purchased an A-4 size ‘Lost Worlds’ print.

Lost Worlds

Two young ladies from France, on a six month holiday in Australia, bought some greeting cards to post to friends in France and a couple bought an A-5 ‘Glamour Girls’ sized print for their sister-in-law, who’s a hairdresser, and moving back to the USA.

Glamour Girls

 

The time flew by and suddenly it was packing up time. I won’t be setting up and packing up for four weeks now, as I’m off to do an urban sketching course. My prints and greeting cards will still be available at Salamanca but only in the Salamanca Arts Centre at Artefacts Inc Gallery for the next few weeks, rather than at site 30, but I will be back!

 

There doesn’t seem to be a most popular print today as there was an even spread purchased.

 

A thought to ponder: “True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist”, Albert Einstein.

 

Happy Easter!

from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market.

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

PjPaintings at Salamanca Market April 13, 2019

Hobart is hosting the national hockey championship so there were groups of young people in their team’s uniforms walking through the market today.

Early in the day, I met a mother, grandmother and two year old granddaughter with her unicorn named “Neigh”, from Queensland. They’ll be returning home with a ‘Salamanca Saturdays’ and ‘Glamour Girls’ print in hand.

Ladies, visiting from Taiwan, bought some greeting cards and then one hurriedly returned and bought a ‘White Face Scops Owls’ print to give to a friend in Taiwan. A similar scenario occurred with a couple from Minnesota, USA. She came back to the stall and bought an A-4 sized framed print of ‘G’Day’ to hang up in her Minnesota cabin. She said that it will make friends with all the American birds she has adorning the cabin’s walls.

A boy, from a small town in South Australia, repeatedly asked his mother to buy him ‘Bonnie & Me!’ for his bedroom. She ended up buying ‘Bunk beds’ and ‘Salamanca Fresh’.

A young lady visiting from Singapore bought a whale and wombat greeting card because she loves whales and wombats. A lady, wearing a T-shirt with Vancouver Island printed on it, was in fact from Vancouver Island, Canada. She had lived in Tasmania for a year when she was twelve and was visiting Tassie again with her husband. It was his first-time in Tasmania. They now live in the Kitsilano area on the mainland of B.C., Canada. They bought a small ‘Salamanca Saturdays’ print as a souvenir.

Bunk beds

This is unheard of … two weeks in a row, I meet a Belgian! On top of that, they live in Canada. The couple live in Edmonton, Alberta, but Peter, the Belgian, has lived in Vancouver for a couple years too. He was born in Bruges. They are on their way to his brother’s wedding in Belgium before returning home to Canada. They bought two A-5 sized prints of Salamanca Market.

Two Belgians: Peter and I

Only one more Salamanca Market Saturday and then I’m off urban sketching for a month.

The most popular print today is: Salamanca Fresh

Salamanca Fresh

A thought to ponder: “Art becomes art only when it’s shared with others.” ― Ben Tolosa

Take care and I hope that your upcoming week is great,

from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market.

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

A Wombat Procession

My “Sleepy head” series keeps growing as my imagination fires up.

This wombat thought their hammock was looking a little plain, so being the ingenious little fellows they are, some decorating has taken place.

Untitled

Untitled

Afternoon Siesta

I haven’t run out of ideas for more wombat scenes but ideas for titles for the paintings are running dry.  I’ve had “Hanging out for Christmas”, “Waiting for Santa”, “Afternoon Siesta”, “Sleepy head”, “Afternoon Nap” and “Bunk beds”.  If you could be so kind to provide some suggestions for wombats in hammock titles, it will be much appreciated.

Take care and may your sleeps be peaceful.

PjPaintings at Salamanca Market March 2, 2019

Regardless of yesterday being the first day of autumn, Tasmania ignored that it was ‘autumn’ and put on the hottest March day ever recorded.  It got up to 39 degrees Celsius and I would venture to say that being under the blue roof of the Pj Paintings gazebo, it would have reached 40 degrees. It was a roasting hot day! Despite the temperature, a surprising amount of people ventured out and the market was really quite full of people before the temperature peaked in the afternoon.

A couple from the Netherlands, who had purchased two prints from Artefacts Gallery yesterday (‘Quilting Bee’ for a friend who is a quilter and ‘Richmond Bridge, Tasmania’ for themselves) purchased a ‘Story time’ print to give to a teacher in Netherlands, who loves reading to her students.

Another couple, visiting from Queensland, finding Hobart’s temperatures rather ‘cool’, purchased a ‘Salamanca Saturdays’ print.  A lady, who moved to Rose Bay, Hobart last year, from Queensland, to escape the heat, bought a ‘Meet Me at the Gate’ print.

A couple from Perth, who have been visiting Tasmania for 10 days, are going back home tomorrow with a ‘Weightless’ print.  They came to attend a wedding tonight.  There’s another couple in Tassie for the same reason, attending a wedding this afternoon.

Weightless

A young lady, from Hawaii, visiting friends on the mainland and holidaying with them in Tassie, purchased a ‘Lost Worlds’, which is my painting of Lost World Track on Mt Wellington/kunyani and the lost Tasmanian Tigers, and ‘All Ears’ print.  She hasn’t been directly affected by the volcano but the air quality has and she found the red night skies eerie.  Two sisters were also holidaying in Tassie, one lives in Melbourne and the other in New York, USA. They purchased a ‘Double Date IV’ and ‘Sleepy head’ print.  Another lady, from Scotland, visiting her sister that lives in Tassie, also bought a ‘Sleepy head’ print. She’s stopping in New Zealand on her way home, just because she’s always wanted to go to New Zealand.

Lost Worlds

A lady, who has two months off and then six months on the Carnival Cruise Ship working in the jewellery shop, bought ‘Sleepy head’ and ‘Tassie Christmas’. She came to know of my existence through a friend, who had given her a ‘Beachside Chatter’ print, which she has hanging in her cabin.

The day ended, with a young couple from Sydney, excited to see wombat pictures. They have a picture of a wombat, named Mr. Womby, hanging in their home.  They also have a wombat plush toy, named Arthur.  They bought ‘Sleepy head’ to take home.  I asked them what’s this one going to be called? They decided that this has to be a female wombat but couldn’t think of a name on the spot. They might read this post because I told them I write Salamanca Market updates.  If you have any suggestions for them, please share them in the comments.

Sleepy head

The most popular print today was ‘Sleepy head’.

A thought to ponder:  “The whole culture is telling you to hurry, while the art tells you to take your time. Always listen to the art.” ~Junot Diaz

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

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.

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.

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.

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