Come to New Zealand!

COME TO NEW ZEALAND AS AN ART STUDENT, 
PROFESSIONAL ARTIST 

OR ART INSTRUCTOR

WHAT BETTER WAY TO SEE NEW ZEALAND THAN WITH A NEW ZEALANDER!

I am a New Zealander and my country's best ambassador. Though I live in the U.S. and have family here, my house is on the market and once sold, I'll move back to New Zealand. But I'll have a foot in both countries as I'll spend four months of each year in the U.S. supplying galleries and doing a few shows.

I've taught art workshops in the U.S. and around the world with my artist buddy Joe Garcia and we've had many requests to teach in New Zealand.  So five of us (me, my sister Joanne and her husband Jim plus Joe & Anne Garcia) formed Southern Cross Artventures for the purpose of offering painting trips to New Zealand.  As my sister and I grew up about an hour north of Auckland on the beautiful Kowhai Coast, we know the area well - so this is where our Painting Holidays are based.

We offer three ways for you to see my New Zealand.

COME AS AN ART STUDENT:
The Southern Cross Artventures team will pick you up at the airport in Auckland, transport you to our resort, provide most of your meals and all daily excursions to the islands, bays and beaches of the Kowhai Coast.  Bring your travelling companion as there will be lots of things for non-painters to do, including hiking, swimming and snorkelling.  The upcoming February 2012 Earnshaw/Garcia Painting Holiday is full and at this time we don't have any scheduled but we are offering artist workshops by other instructors in 2013. Cost:  $2500

Though Joe and I won't be teaching the following workshops, we will be escorting you each day, providing everything you need for an enjoyable week including information on the landscape, plants and birds.

Barrett Edwards  New Zealand Painting Holiday, February 24 - March 2, 2013, Oil painting workshop on location. 

Michael Chesley Johnson  New Zealand Painting Holiday, March 5 - March 11, 2013,  Plein air painting workshop, any medium!   Michael has his own website on this workshop.

COME AS A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST - New Zealand Painting Holiday March 14 - 20, 2013
As with the art workshops, we will pick you up at the airport, transport you to our resort, provide most of your meals and all daily excursions to the islands, bays and beaches of the Kowhai Coast, but there will be no instruction provided.  This is for professional artists who would like the opportunity to paint some of the prettiest motifs in New Zealand without the hassles.  Cost: $2100

COME AS AN INSTRUCTOR:
If you would like to teach a painting workshop for us in New Zealand and think you have 16-20 students who would like to accompany you, please contact us! 

Whether you are taking a workshop as an art student or spending a week painting with us as a professional artist, the following is included in the cost of your Painting Holiday:

Transportation to and from Auckland Airport
Transportation to and from your daily painting locations
All breakfasts, all lunches and most of your dinners
Wine is provided with some of the meals
Kawau Island and other excursions
Accommodation.   Our resort accommodates four people per bach (bach=summer cabin).  Each bach has a kitchen, living room, internet, television and two bedrooms, each with their own bathroom.  One bedroom has a king bed, the other has a queen or twins.  There's an additional $300 fee if you would like single accommodation. 

Not included is your round trip airfare from the United States to New Zealand.  We can advise on airlines and where to visit in New Zealand after your Painting Holiday and can help with any other information you may need. 

For more information contact me or go to our website:  www.paintingnewzealand.com or our blog
www.PaintNewZealand.blogspot.com

Kia ora,
Adele

Light Through Trees

This is an 8" x 8" oil on panel, #6 in my Light Through Trees series.  Like my little bird studies, this painting is an exercise in loosening up.  This painting will be one of 30 that I'll be exhibiting at the Southeastern Wildlife Expo in Charleston, South Carolina,  February 17-19

Light Through Trees #6

Oil on panel,  8" x 8"

I added the little bits of red at the last minute but I'm not sure if I'll leave them in.  The painting had a subtlety that I liked before the red was added. 

Flying Canada Geese for Today's Oil Study

This little study looks more detailed than it is.  I painted it for the sky, which I intended to be stormy, but I guess my colors were too blue because the clouds look like nice-day kinda clouds.

I live in Northern Arizona.  I got a shock a few weeks ago when I heard the familiar honking that I hear when I'm in Maryland in November.  Suddenly a flock of about 60 Canadas came over the red rocks and up the canyon.  Quite a sight!

239 - Canada Geese in Flight

5" x 7" oil study on board, unframed

$75 plus $6 shipping within the U.S.

SOLD

Color and Light, 8 & 9

When I have a little extra time at the end of the day - and some colorful paint left on my palette, I work on my little landscape series called Color & Light.  These two are the 8th and 9th of the series.
I really like #8 as it is almost an abstract design.  #9 is a little more literal.  These little paintings are done on cradledboard - which is a gessoed panel on 3/4" deep birch ply sides.  The sides are painted a predominant color from the landscape.  They do not need to be framed - but can be if you prefer. 

Color & Light Series, #8

4" x 4" oil on board,  unframed

Color & Light Series, #9

4" x 4" oil on board,  unframed

A Canada Goose for Today's Study

It's a bright, sunny day outside so I felt like painting something colorful.  Today's oil study is a 5" x 7" oil study on gessoed board.  If you would like to see the rest of my studies in my 75 for $75 project, just click on this link.  There are some unsold pieces!

The silent auction on the little rabbit, The Ears Have It, ends today at 5:00 pm mountain standard time.  The current high bid is $150.  If you'd like to see it, or bid, just scroll down to last Monday's post.

238 - Canada Goose

5" x 7" oil study on board, unframed

$75 plus $6 shipping within the U.S.

SOLD

A Mourning Dove for Today's Oil Study

I spent the day working on commissions and had enough time left to do a little study.  I haven't done a dove in a long time - so today's study is a Mourning Dove.  Now I have the itch to paint an Inca Dove - maybe tomorrow, we'll see. 

237 - Mourning Dove

5" x 7" oil study on board, unframed

$75 plus $6 shipping within the U.S.

SOLD

Two Commissions

I've just finished this 10" x 8" oil of a finch for a client.  It's been sitting in the studio half-finished for a month or more while I decided what it needed.   My paintings always work out better if I don't rush them.  Once the piece is about 80% finished,  I lean it against the wall in the studio for a couple of days.  Sometimes I know within a day or two what needs to be done to finish it - other times it will take a month or more as with this piece.

This second commission is a 12" x 16" of black-billed magpies, and is at the lean-it-against-the-wall stage.  When a painting is at this stage, I also photograph so it can flip it horizontally in Photoshop...the equivalent of looking at it in the mirror.  If I like the flipped or mirror image - I know it is working.

This is my third attempt at this painting.  I've discovered that magpies aren't easy birds to work into a composition because of the long tail and the dramatic black and white markings but I'm happy with this composition.   Once the brush and birds are tweaked a little, it will be finished.

I'm hoping to do a little 75 for $75 study before the end of the day.  Stay tuned!

Today's Study is a Female Wood Duck

I really like this little study.  It has a bit of detail around her face but the rest of the duck is just suggested - I way I like to paint, plus I like the right-up-the-middle composition.

236 - Female Wood Duck

7" x 5" oil study on board, unframed

$75 plus $6 shipping within the U.S.

An Egret for Today

Today's 5" x 7" oil study for my 75 for $75 project is an egret.  It was inspired by the Blackwater Refuge in Cambridge, Maryland - where I saw a dozen or more egrets feeding in a small marshy area of rust colored grasses and reeds.  The image has stuck in my brain so I had to paint it.

235 - Egret

5" x 7" oil study on board, unframed

$75 plus $6 shipping within the U.S.

SOLD

Today's Oil Study - A Western Bluebird

I'm trying hard to get back into the 75/75 mode but I've got an upcoming show in Charleston in a couple of weeks, so it's hard to find the time to work on my studies.

Today's little oil is a Western Bluebird.  I like the way his little feet repeat the shapes of the barbed wire.

234 - Western Bluebird

7" x 5" oil study on board, unframed

$75 plus $6 shipping within the U.S.

 

SOLD

The Ears Have It

I painted this little guy for my 75 for $75 project.  I posted it here but decided to keep it for an upcoming show in Charleston, rather than sell it for $75.  I've had so many requests to purchase it, I've decided to try something new.  I'm selling The Ears Have It on a silent auction.  Most art collectors are familiar with this type of auction but if you're not, I'll explain it.

If you would like to bid on the this little oil, then click on 'COMMENTS'  then enter your bid into the comments section.   Bids starts at $100.  If you are the only bidder, then when the silent auction ends, the bunny is yours.  If others have placed a bid, you can scroll through the comments to see the latest bid.  Please bid in $15 increments.   If you have trouble placing a bid in the comment section, email me and I'll post your bid for you.  www.AdeleEarnshaw@gmail.com  

The silent auction will end on Friday, January 27th at 5:00 PM Mountain Standard Time. If you have the highest bid, the painting is yours!  I'll notify you by email - and I'll also post it here.   Good luck!  I hope this little rabbit finds a nice home.

The Ears Have It

7" x 5" oil study on board, unframed

Silent auction price plus $6 shipping

SOLD

"Counterpane"

I just finished this 24" x 48" oil on gallery-wrapped canvas.  This gives a more contemporary look and doesn't require that the piece be framed - though it can be if the client wants framing.  I painted it for my exhibit at The Southeast Wildlife Expo where I'll be showing my work February 16 - 19, 2012 in Charleston, South Carolina.  I've been painting small, soft, moody landscape with a goal of painting the same mood but much larger.  This is my first attempt - and I like it!

 

Counterpane

24" x 48" oil on canvas

A Cute Pooch

This 8" x 8" oil on Ampersand gessoed board, is a gallery commission.  It was a little blah so I replaced the neutral background color with the orange/yellow and a warm red separated by a blue band.  Then it popped!

8" x 8" oil on gessoed board

SOLD

233 - Flying Egret

I had this little oil study done by 7:30 this morning.  I was inspired to paint it after working on yesterday's large oil.  This little guy is an egret - perhaps an immature snowy?

233 - Flying Egret

7" x 5" oil study on board, unframed

$75 plus $6 shipping within the U.S.

SOLD

Work in Progress

 This large oil (24" x 48") is heading for the Southeastern Wildlife Expo (SEWE) in mid-February. It's not finished yet - very much a work in progress. I'll probably add three flying egret, flying from left to right. They'll be small, as it is the landscape I'm talking about, not the birds. The oil is inspired by the landscape at Ace Basin, about an hour south of Charleston - though it could be anywhere. I've been painting small studies of this landscape for years. This is my first attempt to paint a really BIG piece based on small studies

I may call the painting 'Counterpane' from a song I learned years ago in New Zealand. I've googled the words and find no record of it online.

Day has passed in crimson splendour
night has come with noiseless tread
and upon the darkening landscape
soft her counterpane has spread.

Another Bun for Today's Study

Today's oil study looks like I labored over it for a long time, but it didn't take long to paint.
The study is not as detailed as it appears here.  I'm working on a smooth gessoed board and use rags to move paint around.  The weave of the rag can leave really interesting textures.  Most of this little guy was 'painted' using a rag.   I've been on a bunny kick lately....perhaps because in the past I've had so much trouble painting small mammals.  I will keep painting them until I figure them out.

232 - Rabbit

7" x 5" oil study on board, unframed

$75 plus $6 shipping within the U.S.

SOLD

A Cardinal for Today's Oil Study

I was inspired by the little rabbit I did a few days ago so wanted to try a few oil studies with that soft look.   This is more detailed than I intended - but oh well - tomorrow is another day.

231 - Cardinal

7" x 5" oil study on board, unframed

$75 plus $6 shipping within the U.S.

SOLD

The Bun of the Day

 Neon Bun (for lack of a better title for now)

7" x 5" oil on Ampersand panel
SOLD

I've been lax on my 75/75 project but I've been getting commissions out of the way.  I also rephotographed a few of my unsold 75's that did not photograph well and have posted them below.

222 - Chipmunk
SOLD

199 - Osprey
SOLD

Artist's Cottage for Sale - More Info!

Since this morning's post about my cottage, I've had four inquiries.....so I'm posting a couple more photos.

My Artist's Cottage (and it's for sale!)

Taken from my front door

I live in one of the prettiest places in the United States...Oak Creek Canyon, which runs from Sedona up towards Flagstaff in Northern Arizona.  I bought a cottage in the canyon 34 years ago.  Now I'm ready to sell and return to New Zealand where I'll live 8 months of each year.  The other four will be spent in the U.S. resupplying my galleries and spending time with my grandkids. It is about 1200 s.f.  2 or 3 bedroom (I use the largest bedroom as a studio), 1.5 baths.  I am in a small neighborhood of 15 homes - almost all used as second homes.  No short-term rentals allowed - so the neighborhood is quiet and private.  We're surrounded by Forest Service land....ponderosa, oak, pinon and sycamore.  The house is about 100' from the creek and included legal deeded creek access. There are critters in the woods including white-tailed deer, black bear, raccoon, ring-tailed cat, etc.   If you're interested in more information on my house (the perfect second-home) let me know and I'll send you more information.

I'm Back! A Spotted Towhee Study for Today

I really didn't intend to take so much time off, but first there was Christmas - then the grandkids were here - then the weather has been so gorgeous with close to 70 degree weather (I'm usually shoveling snow at this time of year)  so of course I had to work outside in the garden.  Today is the first day back in the studio since before Christmas.

My Christmas card of a junco in the snow has inspired me to do more snow studies.  This is a spotted towhee, formerly known as a rufous-sided towhee.  They're fairly common where I live but I still get a thrill when I see one as they're such pretty birds.

230 - Spotted Towhee

5" x 7" oil study on board, unframed

$75 plus $6 shipping within the U.S.

Oops, I just realized that I didn't post my Christmas card here - so here it is - better late than never.
I posted this on my website and Facebook, and someone contacted me asking for purchase information.  I'm sorry, but I can't find your email.  Could you please contact me again!  Thanks.

......and without the text.

December Junco

6" x 10" oil on board