Tyburn Monastery visit

Tyburn Monastery Vista from the top of the hill.

Bernadette and I had been planning this trip for some while and finally we both had some free time.

The weather was misty and bordering on rain

it made the area look tranquil

The cross and hand 1, I have never seen such beautiful crosses

Hands of mothers are always so lovely.

cross and two hands.

the bleeding heart and hands

Jesus statue

Jesus 1

Jesus 2

 

You can stay at the Tyburn Monastery on a retreat.

You can go by yourself or you can go in a group.

The Mothers welcome people who want time out in quiet contemplation.

 The Tyburn Monastery  is Amid beautiful volcanic hills and pastures in Ngakuru, whihc is around a 30 minute drive from Rotorua New Zealand.

They have another monastery in Bombay.

It is a beautiful place and I didn't want to leave.

I will be back, probably for a retreat involving photography and perhaps sketching. 

The mothers all appreciate art and do pen and ink, illuminations and calligraphy.

They are friendly and welcoming.

It was a special spiritual time.

Thank you to Bernadette for introducing me.  

                                                        Creative Quote of the Day

“It is love alone that gives worth to all things”

                                                St. Teresa of Avila

Mixed media painting Class Shots , term three. Great results , plenty of creativity pumping out.

These first shots are from the pupils work during classes and during their 4 week exhibition at Essence Cafe in Ngongotaha.
Pieces are available for sale for very reasonable prices until  the end of June and five works have sold already.
 New  pieces are going up as fast as they can make them.

The next intermediate/advanced class will start on Tuesday the 17th of July and I also have a beginners class starting on Monday 16th July.

Ring me now on 3463435 to book your space.
 Numbers limited to 8 people per class.


Here are some photos of some of the pupils and their works all these people in one way or another have gotten out of their comfort zones to attend art classes and in some cases to exhibit.

The 7 pupils worked on a variety of  paintings which included plaster of paris, wax (encaustic), acrylic on recycled timber,  acrylic on canvas and collage.

Some of them  worked using inspiration from cutting edge Mixed Media art books and Sommerset Studio and Cloth Paper Scissors magazines.

One of Debbie's works out of my favourite artbook called Art at The Speed of Light by Pam Carricker.

Wax and Plaster of  Paris. Images  from the amazing book Plaster Studio By Stephanie Lee and Judy Wise.

These works ar on exhibition and display until the end of June at Essence cafe in Ngongotaha.

Attention to detail and an eye for aesthetic design.

Debbie with her Plaster of Paris work in monochromaic colours. 

Debbie is the adult pupil that I have had for the longest time.

 She likes to come to class because it motivates her to do the work as we set goals  and have some great conversations about art and processes. 

Debbie is an adept hanger of artworks during exhibitions and I believe she is ready to start exhibiting in Dealer Galleries if that is the track she would like to pursuue. 

Debbie is also an excellent muffin maker. 

 Heather works intuitively at the moment on pieces of re-cycled wood with wax .

 Treasures just pop out quickly and magically;  she is really in the flow which seems to have accelerated since I have been running the classes from my home studio. 

Heathers,  Faith Work. 

This work has sold. 

We will be doing a large session on wax next term, I have a new little mini oven for heating it up and the pupils  have all bought heat guns.

It's going to be aromatic and exciting.
I have ordered the wax from my special secret supplier.

Heathers little cow creation on recycled wood, complete with lichen, begging to be sold..

Three  of these works have sold already in the exhibition, well done people.

Hilary's oil pastel and wax on board painting sold almost instantaneously, I think she could  do a series in this style. 

I'd suggest Summer, Winter, Spring and Autumn . 

This  represents her first artwork sale and she was very happy when I informed her. 

.

Hilary likes doing landscapes with textures, often from views from her home overlooking  Lake Rotorua.

She enjoys working in layers and produces bright, vibrant paintings.

She likes to paint for her own enjoyment and sees it as good therapy and time out from her busy life. 

Hilary recently reached out of her comfort zone to make a portrait that really sang.

Her work has improved in leaps and bounds since she has been coming to my classes over the years. 

Hilary's  artworks at Cafe Essence in Ngongotaha.

Ruby's plaster of paris and wax works.

Ruby runs a U3A Art Appreciation Group and is a prolific producer of sunny, vibrant art. 

She can always be relied on to complete any homework that I set and is willing to take risks and get out of her comfort zone to explore new techniques.

Ruby working on a colourful landscape.

Beginner pupil Lynette's first work . Lynette, did really well with the colour mixing  and brush control.

With my special beginers guide to doing self portraits, Lynette came up with this portrait of her mother when she was young. 

Really well done, I think she should keep on doing them. 

After a thousand she will have well and truly mastered them. 

Great tones to form depth and roundness of form.

 She was planning to give this to her mother and I'm sure her mother would just love it.

Pamela with the beginning of her poppy painting.

 Pamela usually works in water colours so it has been a great learning curve for her to use a different medium.

Pamela has been to a number of my water colour painting classes in the past and is a very supportive pupil with positive and uplifting things to say about my lessons and artwork.

It's  nice to have such a bunch of upbeat and dedicated  people around me,  I am blessed.

Laura was a new American pupil.

Sunny person; a pleasure to have in the class.

This lesson is a mixed media beginner work focusing on line and texture.

Laura at work.

Laura with her graphic outlining work, focusing on brush control, line work and the interplay of positive and negative space.

Laura, Heidi and Moira with their textured masterpieces;  these three worked really well together. 

They were  upbeat and worked quickly and diligently, sparking off each other. 

The synergy was really evident in this class. 

It's  gratifying as a teacher to have people performing so well and above all having fun and enjoying  the process.

Moira with the beautiful egg shell blue colours.

Heidi wth her Hundertwasser inspired creation.

We first put aluminium foil on the canvas and then black paint and used scratch back methods.

Moira with her Aboriginal inspired birds.

Heidi is  just starting to get back into her art after a break. 

 I can see really that it is what she needs to be doing. 

She has the drive and determination to keep on with it. 

 Setting up buddy systems is a great way to keep  your motivation high.

My classes really are often like buddy systems.

So if you need some extra encouragement in a safe, friendly and creative environment with a live practising artist.

  Someone who believes that everyone has a dream inside them waiting to be materialised, with 18 years  professional experience.

  I am your art making coach

Ring up and enrol and pay your deposit today as numbers are filling fast.

07 346 -3435

If a group is not your thing, I am available for personal,  one on one coaching.

Prices and availability on application. 

 If you are one of those people who has always wanted to do it; get out of your comfort zone, get up off the couch  and give art making  a go this year. 

  You will be surprised at the  little miracles that occur in your life once you tap into the  force of creativity that is within us all. 

Remember it's more about the journey than the end result and be prepared to make a lot of mistakes because it is through the mistakes made that you will learn. 

I used to have a tutor at Art School who said  to me, " Janet, you learn more from your mistakes than your successes" 

Believe me I  made plenty of those and so you can rely on me to be empathetic when things don't  go quite according to what you see in your minds eye.

 If you get a 10th of what you envisage, you are doing well. 

Ready to photograph your amazing artwork and to give helpful critiques which work to your individual strengths. 

I have well over 50 lessons in mixed media that I can set,or if you have your own ideas that need development and critiquing , I can help with that too. 

I have hundreds my own art and mosaic works on display and in visual diaries  that I am creating  for your viewing inspiration. 

I am always buying cutting edge art books which you are welcome to look at during class. 

Feed your eyes with inspiration of  others, adapt them and fly.

Rotorua Mixed Media Artist and Teacher Janet Keen with my Angel and Owl illustrations. 

 These are the beginning of a suite of works that are going to contribute towards  my Mixed Media Painting book. 

Universe bring it on. 

  I am also contributing towards a travelling exhibition with professional artists Lyn Hathaway and DeAnne Lawford-Smith in October 2013.

jkeen@clear.net.nz

http://www.jkeen.net/

Creative Quotes of the Day

A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.”

Denis Waitley  To the degree we're not living our dreams, our comfort zone has more control of us than we have over ourselves.”  Peter McWilliams      “Comfort zones are most often expanded through discomfort.”  Peter McWilliams

My latest mixed media illustrative works. Bethany and the Owls

These mixed media/collage  paintings are the start of body of work that will be created towards a group exhibition I am intending to have with  professional artist friends, Lyn Hathaway and DeAnne Lawford-Smith in October 2013 at the Taupo museum.

We studied  at the Waiariki Institute of Technology together for three years achieving a Diploma in Visual Arts twelve years ago.  

We have been involved in group exhibitions throughout New Zealand in places which include Gisborne, Hamilton , Rotorua, Tauranga  and Taupo.

We have recently been reunited through facebook and use this medium to encourage and support each other on our creative journeys.

We are open to  the possibilities of travelling our intended exhibition to other venues.

I am exploring symbolism and looking at narrative sequences and allegory.  

 The genre could be defined as edgy- cute or grungy- cute which is a movement being led mostly by women artists from America.

Works are mildly subversive, vaguely foreboding  in a  sense and spiritually uplifting in another.

 My usual way of working is to produce a large volume of paintings  and to cull to the best examples.  Creating a body of work is a  journey of discovery I am looking forward to seeing what unfolds.

Everything is biographical, Lucian Freud says. What we make, why it is made, how we draw a dog, who it is we are drawn to, why we cannot forget. Everything is collage, even genetics. There is the hidden presence of others in us, even those we have known briefly. We contain them for the rest of our lives, at every border we cross.”

― Michael Ondaatje

I would like to make a video for the exhibition on process and performance and display it in the museum along with our exhibition.

The Story of Bethany and the Owls.

                      These works are displayed in Essence Cafe until the end of June along with my advanced pupils works.

                      Did you know that throughout many cultures owls are symbols for intuition

                                 Independence

                             Protection along with  wisdom , intelligence, brilliance and power?

If an owl visits you it is considered lucky because animals are only called to those who share the same energy.

Bethany is a biblical name and it has the meaning of abundance, warmth and devoted service.


I live next to Ngongotaha mountain  which is a native  bird sanctuary and I  am surrounded by Moreporks (native New Zealand owls).
One often lands at night time on the giant Redwood tree next to my art studio classroom.
It calls so loudly that it sounds like it wants to come inside; it is comforting on one hand and eerie on another.

My first encounter with Moreporks was when I was four years old living in the country next to a gully in Te Kowhai, Hamilton.
Their calls used to terrify me and caused myself and probably my parents a number of sleepless nights.

Being older and wiser now I  realise that owls  are totems of  faith and hope, not impending doom.

     

                                Wisdom

                                
Creative Quote of the day.
People expect the clergy to have the grace of a swan, the friendliness of a sparrow, the strength of an eagle and the night hours of an owl - and some people expect such a bird to live on the food of a canary.”
Edward Jeffrey



http://www.jkeen.net/
http://janetkeen.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/janetteacherkeen

What makes you happy with your insect Photography?

Is it a little Wooley Aphid you see sucking on the sap from some succulent  stem of a hydranger  in your organic garden?

Or perhaps hoards  of little wooley Aphids feasting  on white Dahlia stems?
Are the blooms any less dazzling  after donating?

 

 Or is  it that Weta who stays as still as a frozen mouse when you aim your macro lens at this twitching antennae?
How grateful can you be for that golden shot of him perching on a fern frond?

What about the  camera shy Katidid who pops out from behind a stem and spys on you when she thinks you have put you camera away but she fails to take into account that you have a pocket rocket - well in your pocket.

Or is it the  click of a Passionvine hopper  as it jumps  from one red Dahlia petal to another in search of a droplet of juice?

Or perhaps its the Blue ladybird on a lemon tree, so polished  that  you can almost see yourself reflected in the mirror of her shell.

Or perhaps it's not even an insect but a bunch of purple  berries  with a misty background that melts into haze of bokeh that makes your spirits soar.


Creative Quote of the day.
Love has its own instinct, finding the way to the heart, as the feeblest insect finds the way to its flower, with a will which nothing can dismay nor turn aside.


Honore De Balzac