Barren Land
Oil on linen on MDF
150x197mm
I haven't ever been witness to this small amount of snow on our mountain for this time of year. It's been very warm and mild. This view is from the beach at Komene Rd where I walk every day, rain or shine. The farmer who runs stock there, has been clearing new ground and put in water troughs. It occurred to me as I painted this that it is a very elemental image : air - the blue sky, earth, water - the snow and the trough, and fire being the volcano, Mt Taranaki.
Regular visitors to this blog will have noticed I haven't been posting much. I have been working on larger paintings. Also, I'm finding that the small works are no longer selling like they used to. However, I enjoy painting them anyway, and will continue to do so as long as I can afford to. I got quite a shock when I went to order more paint supplies recently and found that the price has literally gone up by 100% here in NZ! In fact, for the first time it was cheaper for me to order internationally and pay the freight and import tax. This is a long round-about way of justifying why I've decided to put my prices up! I've kept the price of these paintings deliberately low over the last eight years or so , so that anyone can afford them. But I'd rather not sell them for a reasonable price than not sell them for a pittance. This is also a good thing for my collectors who have supported me, as their collections are now officially worth more!
Another bit of news: I am part of the Taranaki Arts Trail which takes place this weekend, for those living in or visiting Taranaki.
