Landscapes and Recycling

Current To Do List:

Working on some landscape images - they can be viewed here on Flickr and will be uploaded to the bAd galleries shortly...

Turning that huge pile of unworn clothes, fabrics and habedashery I've been hoarding over the years into new recycled items - pictures to follow shortly...

Planning work to enter into The Original Art Sale 2007 - it will be held at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre (Manukau) on Fri 31August - Sun 2 September and promises to be even bigger and better than last year...

Also working on images and flyer for Fair Trade event I'm organising for June called ArTea Party. The event is based around the NZ Fair Trade Fortnight (28 Apr - 13 May 07)/Oxfam Coffee Break but as it will involve art & craft too I'm holding off until June to give artists time to contribute and give me time to organise!

ArTea Aims:
To raise awareness of Fair Trade products and encourage people to buy Fair Trade wherever possible, thus enabling farmers and growers to earn a decent wage for the work they do.
To raise funds for Oxfam in support of their work to create positive change for poor communities around the world
To promote and sell work produced by local artists who care about the world they live in

If you are or know of an Auckland artist who may be interested in contributing to ArTea Party, drop me an email with details of the work you wish to donate for sale. 20% of the sale price of all art & craft work will be donated to Oxfam

More details of the ArTea Party to follow....

P.S. Click here for some places you can buy Fair Trade products in Auckland:

What I Really Want To Say...

So, we finally have some coherency in terms of Racheblue and bluAngeldesigns’ creative work focus. My Bio on bAd has been updated to reflect this.

I have narrowed down the myriad of ideas that have been engrossing my thoughts, sketchbooks, journals, conversations and canvases over the past few months to what I really want to say, and it is this...

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There are two, not entirely exclusive themes: Stories and EcoEthicism

Stories is an exploration into the many different forms of stories that surround us naturally, culturally and historically and those with which we surround ourselves for various reasons of comfort, nostalgia and desire. It is an investigation into the constantly evolving process of remembering, archiving and re-telling of our personal, familial and cultural histories, private and colluded memories, works of 'fiction', fairy tales and so on. The persistent recounting of past events that we seem to thrive on whether they be portrayed as true or fantasy or both.

Stories attempts to show that there are as many untruths in what we accept as 'truth' as there are truths in the fantastical and 'unreal'. It also deals with the way we recount stories, facts and memories to each other. The kind of words we use, the pictures we create and how these 'realities' are in a constant state of flux from the moment they are formed in the mind of the story teller, through the verbal/visual relay, to the acceptance and understanding of the listener/reader/viewer amidst all their preconceptions and trust.

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EcoEthicism is the name I have given to the rapidly developing art, design & lifestyle movement that encompasses ethical practises and considerations alongside environmentally sustainable methods of design, creative work processes and lifestyle choices. It flies in the face of the post-industrial materialist society consumed with an over-riding need for making money above all other endeavours.

Due to it's inclusive nature EcoEthicism is not a movement confined to one or another field of creativity. Rather is actively seeks to involve all forms of creative processes into it's arena and break down the hierarchical barriers which currently place certain creative methods above others and allows the terms 'high art' and 'low art' to deem one more precious or prestigious than the other.

I have been writing and developing the theories and concept of EcoEthicism since Oct/Nov 2006 and will publish the manifesto and more information about the birth and adaptation of this movement in due course. In the mean time here is a brief preview.

Racheblue @ Iqons

Visit Racheblue on Iqons

Food skipping and art

New Consumer, Virginia Rowe, 20Feb07:

"Thought salvaging food from skips and cooking it up into a free lunch wasn’t art?

Think again.

Chelsea College of Art & Design graduate Eugenia Beirer is the political artist who launched the Free Market Kitchen as part of her degree show.

On a mission to prove that collaboration is a radical art form, she’s challenging global issues of waste, capatilism and globalisation via her ongoing project Beyond The Free Market. I caught up with her to get the low-down."

Read more here

Craftwerk

From: The Big Idea - an online community of New Zealand's creative industries

"Craftwerk is a marketplace-style event that will be putting a twist on the traditional during the Auckland Festival, AK07. Providing a showcase for young and emerging creatives who distribute select ranges of handmade objects, independently produced publications and music, the event has an 'art-school' or indie vibe – no glass bead chokers or bent-fork wind chimes here!"

bAd Slideshow

Ethics In Art: Particia Piccinini

I recently came across the work of Patricia Piccinini thanks to the Roger Williams Contemporary Gallery where Patricia will exhibit at the end of this year.

Her work is amazing in terms of subject matter and the ethics involved in human genetic research as well as in the detail of the physical structures themselves.

The life-like sculptures are unnerving depictions of creatures that at first seem to be purely from the artist's imagination but at closer inspection are revealed to be less impossible than first believed.

"Her fantastic, hyperrealistic sculptures of customized life forms- humans, animals, machines, and often something in between-emotionally engage the viewer in the complex ethical debates regarding the technologically advanced world in which we live. The mapping of the human genome, cloning, stem cell research, and the like provide the impetus for Piccinini's investigations into the precarious relationship between humans, nature, science, and technology... For the artist, experimentation with the natural and the artificial ultimately becomes a question of physical and ethical responsibility for its uncertain results."

Patricia's recent work can be seen in her first individual exhibition called Hug at the Des Moines Art Centre in Iowa, USA until 6 April.

Patricia Piccinini will exhibit new work at Roger Williams Contemporary from 13 Nov - 8 Dec 2007. Email the gallery for enquiries here or visit Patricia Piccinini's Website here.

Graphics.com Photo Safari

GLASS & MIRRORS II

Graphics.com Photo Safari

GLASS & MIRRORS

White Pages Art Award

Well, I didn't win the award this year - maybe next time!

Here's my entry 'Westhaven' (shame the site administrators couldn't spell my name right - what is so difficult about 'Racheblue'? Why do so many insist on adding that extra 'L' as if they are doing a favour to one who clearly has trouble spelling her own name correctly - huff!!)

and the fabulous winning entry 'Celia' by Mark Olsen

Check out the other entries here - there's some great work in there.
I particularly like these:


Jeanine Oxenius's witty 'Hooked on Auckland', the beautiful 'Sweet Manuka Day' by Erika Husselman (another name spelt incorrectly on the White Pages site - not that I'm counting ;p) and Anah Wynn's clever 'Room To Move'

Window Light

Graphics.com Photo Safari

Food

Food1

Furniture

Graphics.com Photo Safari

Writing Tools

Water-Cloth

Shiny Thing

Grab-Bag

Carpet1

Carpet

Those Sketches...

Hmmmm, need more practice....

Clean Images

I'm trying to transform my pencil sketches, which are not at all bad, into the kind of illustrative drawings I adore but can't seem to perfect, not yet anyway. I want, simple, clean but expressive lines, blocked shading, etc. in essence vector created images without using vector tools - c'est impossible? peut-être, mais je persévérerai.
Evidence, in the form of pictures, to follow....

Sketches of My Sis

September Launches

This month, I have been mostly... on the net, updating bAd and setting up my Artfind & VC (Virtual Curator) accounts for selling my paintings. Please feel free to browse these and if you're feeling in need of some new artwork drop me a line - commissions are available on request :)

September also sees the relaunch of Recycling CDs - and the new format is hot hot hot!! Heaps more clock images to browse and buy, a new section to contribute your unwanted CDs and DVDs, a dedicated artists section and of course it's own blog! Overall, a gorgeous, easy to use, brand spanking clean new layout - have a look! Click here to go straight to the bluAngeldesigns section.

p.s. I've also re-quit smoking again - it's been almost a week and the withdrawal is really starting to kick in - so some deep breathing and heaps of water for me then! Oh and lots of chocolate please! (organic or fair trade dark chocolate bars welcome - email me for postal address) ;)

Time Flies

Phew - July sped by and we're half way through August already! We've moved to a beautiful house overlooking the bay. The sea views are enhanced by an enchanting almost tropical landscaped garden and the unique house which was lovingly designed by the artist owner. All in all there is much to be inspired by which is good news as I have heaps to do in order to scrape together a living from this business of being an artist!

I sold a painting at The Original Art Sale in July which was very encouraging and now I'm experimenting with the best ways to sell my work. Artfind looks like a great option and although I'm not entirely convinced that TradeMe is a good way to go (due to the prolific art and hugely varying prices offered) lots of people seem to think it can be profitable. So, I've put a pair of small paintings on there to see what kind of response they receive.

Although I can often be found updating the format to make it as user friendly as possible, bAd digital art seems to be on hold for now as I concentrate on painting which can potentially bring in the much needed dollars to make this all viable! Other projects are in the pipeline and spring is on it's way, so all is good :)

TOAS 7-9 July 2006

If you live in Auckland, or even if you don't, come and see my work along with heaps of other NZ artists at The Original Art Sale at Eden Park this weekend

The sale starts this Friday 7th (10am - 6pm)
continues Saturday 8th (10am - 6pm)
and finishes Sunday 9th July (11am - 5pm)

Venue: The ASB Stand, Eden Park, Walters Road, Mt Eden, Auckland, NZ

Please visit The Original Art Sale website for more details

The Original Art Sale

May has been a great month! Whilst there is much to be improved (particularly in the sales department), I've put the bAd website to one side for a while to concentrate on my painting.

I'm finishing off a group of works to enter into The Original Art Sale here in NZ. The work is consistent in terms of 'my style' - vivid, expressionistic colour; semi abstract; somewhat figurative but is also very different as I'm constantly experimenting with colour, form and light.

I'm particularly pleased with the most recent pieces in which I have increasingly let my emotions and thoughts dictate the form to create a much more abstract look than in my earlier work.

I've started to break away from the impulsive, somewhat neurotic, desire to create the 'perfect' painting in which every tiny detail has to be 'accurately' painted. Instead of concentrating on minutiae I'm freeing myself from the self inflicted strait jacket and focusing on the big picture. Hmmmm, art imitating life? I must be growing up, ha ha!

Pictures to follow...

Deep Breath...

...don't forget to exhale...

Dear All,

Welcome to bluAngeldesigns, the brand new online gallery of work by artist & designer Racheblue. Here you will find digitally created, original designs & illustrations.

bluAngeldesigns features Racheblue's latest work and will include news of upcoming exhibitions and details of online sales which will be available in the near future.

Enjoy browsing & feel free to join the mailing list to be kept up to date. Should you have any enquiries or requests please contact me at racheblue@bluAngeldesigns.com

Best wishes,
Racheblue
www.bluangeldesigns.com/

Mermaid

Inspiration

Inspiration borrowed from Susan Kirkland's Blog on Graphics.com

"Jump off the edge and build your wings on the way down." - James Thurber
"Never be afraid to try something new. Remember amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic." - Anonymous
"The torment of precautions often exceeds the dangers to be avoided. It is sometimes better to abandon oneself to destiny." - Napoleon Bonaparte
"You'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take." - Wayne Gretzky
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. " - Dr. Seuss

Gallery Albums

Still heaps to do on the bAd website - have taken down gallery pics as WebAlbum isn't as manipulable as I'd like. Working with J-Album at mo unless I can find anything more suitable. I want to get the images up quickly but don't want to sacrifice the bAd style...

Picking up heaps of Photoshop tips from Graphics.com and an old UK Photograpy magazine picked up on holiday. It always amazes me how much is possible on Photoshop - it really is the most amazing tool I've used, so far!

Here's a couple more sketches....busy busy....

bluAngeldesigns

BluAngeldesigns.com is on it's way...

The site is finally set up with a few images displayed but there is much work still to be done. More images to create/finish/upload. More formatting for a more bluangelic look. More code to decipher - bleugh! It's been fun so far and I'm pleased with the site in progress. Meanwhile I am working on creating more images for RecyclingCDs (Valentine's Day is fast approaching) and sketching as usual.



As we left the scanner back in UK, I'm having to take photos of my sketches with a digital camera and upload them from the memory card. This is not the most ideal way of uploading sketches as it is difficult to capture all the marks on paper onto the camera image and then to access them all in Photoshop. Nevermind, I am taking this as an opportunity to experiment with my sketch work and see what the cameras (Sony Cybershots 4.1 & 5.1), Photoshop and I can make of them.

I've also downloaded a free 30 day trial of Adobe(Macromedia) Freehand MX which is an amazing tool. I'm loving experimenting with it but dreading the day when the 30 day trial comes to an end. There's no way I can afford to buy the software - why is it so expensive? - so I will just try to learn as much as I can and hope I can remember it when I eventually earn enough to buy a copy - sigh!

1st Post

Painting in Photoshop – discovered today that it can be very similar to painting with paint on paper or canvas. Using the sampler tool I pick up colours from one area and place them in and around the new area as fairly small spots of colour with around 70% opacity and 90% flow using a 3 pixel point brush. When I think I have enough colour I then change to the smudge tool and using a slightly larger brush size with around 90% strength, I can move the new colours around blending them in with the colours underneath.

For some time I was concentrating on making the colours distinct but when I let go of my focus and let my hands do the work rather than my brain, I realised that the colours were mixing just as they do on my (non-pc) palette or canvas and the effect is very similar and pleasing. Now the colours can blend more easily as I worry less about their placing and “concentrate” on painting as I would do on canvas.