Now, if there's one thing I love more than splashing bright colours around, it's hearing that kids, especially Kiwi kids, are feeling inspired to create their own art because of something I've painted.
A personal story about emotion, texture, and making art more inclusive by Collette Fergus, a New Zealand Artist with a passion for making art more inclusive
Cosmetic tattooing is more than just a beauty treatment, it's an artistic expression. Whether you want perfectly shaped brows, naturally tinted lips, or defined eyeliner, this art form offers a long-lasting way to enhance your features effortlessly.
Whether you’re an emerging artist seeking inspiration or a seasoned creator, visiting art galleries can profoundly impact your creative practice. Heres why
Artistic experimentation is a vital aspect of any creative journey. Let's examine several experimental techniques that can inspire and invigorate your work
Pop Art wasn't just about sticking a comic strip on a canvas. It was a revolutionary movement that challenged the very definition of art in the 1950s and 60s. Here's what made it stand out
Commissioning art is a rewarding experience allowing you to bring your vision to life and create a piece of artwork that is truly special and meaningful to you.
From Frances Hodgkins to Rozi Demant, each artist adds a unique brushstroke to the canvas of New Zealand's female artistic heritage. Lets take a look at who's who.
Whether you're a renowned painter in New Zealand or a budding artist halfway across the globe, your attire can reveal much about your artistic persona.
Check out the world of mixed media art, where creativity knows no bounds. Discover the fusion of materials, techniques, and limitless possibilities with Collette
Capture your pet's spirit with a personalised pet portrait by a New Zealand artist. Add a touch of warmth and joy to your home with a one-of-a-kind artwork
Saving the earth all by yourself, seems impossible right? Here are 8 tips that you as an artist can start with to do your bit in helping save our planet
The 'Old Ball' range is coming together nicely with this second instalment. I felt these convex canvas's by Fredrix just screamed paint a ball on them.........
I like to do a bit for charity where I can and this one where I can help Free Pakistani families from debt slavery .......click on the image to read about the exhibition and how you can help too
An eclectic range of mixed media artworks along with 100 watercolour pieces. Inspired by the book 'The 100 Dresses' which has an anti bullying message.
1950's Swing dresses look so much better with big fluffy petticoats and although I have a few I thought I'd give it a go to make my own, here's how I did it
Every society has its unique linguistic code, and New Zealand, with its rich cultural tapestry, is no exception. Let's take a journey and uncover Kiwi slang
I only recently heard about these miniature works of art and what they are about. The concept is to create trading cards to swap with other artists that are a uniform size as
2 ½ x ....click on image for more
Artists should make an effort to enter art competitions for several reasons. The pressure of deadlines, the prestige of winning and the opportunity to get exposure
Skulls and Crossbones, what does this mean symbolically? The skull and crossbones is a symbol consisting of a human skull and two bones as in long bones which are crossed together under the skull. It is generally used as a ......click on image for more
Starving artist no more with these 18 Frugal Hacks to Unleash Your Inner Monet (Without Breaking the Bank). As anyone who is self-employed knows; there are ups and downs with income and work especially for artists. How can you save money as an artist?
What is Dr Sketchys? Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art school is the world's premier alternative drawing movement. Artists draw glamorous underground performers for prizes
Last night I attended my first Pecha Kucha Night, held here in Hamilton. I dragged my darling hubby along and he too enjoyed the interesting speakers and the quick fire talks that didnt drag on like your usual speeches tend to.....click on image for more
Every now and then a painting surfaces that has been created by someone considered evil or infamous in some manner, the first time I ever heard of one was in a book about Hitler who the world knows as.....
Being an Octopus
We all talk about needing more than two hands to get all the work done that we need to do each day. I know I certainly could do with a few more, what with.......
Artists' quotes, whether living or deceased, provide us with a glimpse into their minds, struggles, and triumphs. These words carry the weight of their experiences, the passion for their craft, and the beauty they saw in the world around them.
Fairfield Bridge is an iconic landmark in central Hamilton. Artists focus on it when painting or photographing scenery in the city, meaning I have seen.......click on image for more
We have all seen it, the way some artists tend to paint similar things when they’re hot and the buying public are snapping them up. The ‘Rangitoto and toi toi’ paintings common on trademe.co.nz, or the .....
What do you do on a cold winters day in Hamilton if youre an artist? You catch up with friends and do a studio session with them, maybe have a few .....click on image for more
Branding is a strategic process that involves creating a distinct identity and reputation for a product, service, or, in the case of artists, their artwork
Arsenic is a colour believe it or not and there we were thinking it was just a poison, so todays blog entry is about some of those colours that we wouldnt normally have on our palette or we may have mixed by accident and never had any idea what they were called. Some of you will know as.....
No doubt you would have studied some of the history of cave man art when at school, I certainly did. Most of it we dont remember, but some of the images still stick in my mind, especially the....
Some days Im simply stuck on what to say, I still have around half a year to write things for this blog, but hey at least I can celebrate making it to that half way mark!
What do you write about when your desk is piled with papers and you know you have to get your.......
I have a book in my bookcase called A Guide to Japanese Flower Arranging and Im about to embark on creating some of the designs as I think theyre so simple and stunning looking. Im not sure how....
Long nails have always been a part of my life. I like many others see them as glamorous and lady-like especially when painted up beautifully. When I was......click on image for more
From transforming raw ingredients into culinary masterpieces to the intricate art of plating, the world of cooking remains a captivating exploration of creativity and innovation.
Many New Zealanders grew up with swan plants in their gardens, witnessing the captivating life cycle of these incredible creatures. Monarch butterflies.
Buttons have always fascinated me, I remember as a child sifting through the mountain of buttons my mother had in her sewing desk, there were....click on image for more
There is an art to "painting a rainbow" or finding beauty in unexpected places. From art to acts of service, learn how to brighten your spirits and bring others joy even on the darkest days.
The ability to sketch and draw is a cornerstone of creating art. While most of us are acquainted with the basic principles of lead pencils like 2B, 4B, 6B, and 9B, the knowledge continues beyond there.
Since the 1980s I have been infatuated with the flashy cocktail. It wasnt about the alcohol content although it did appear to be sophisticated as an adults drink and the mocktails given to us as kids was just.....
A tattoo is a marking made by inserting dark, indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment mainly for decorative reasons. Tattooing has been practiced for....
My favourite pottery is made by a local contemporary potter called Tammy Kuypers, her work is quite diverse and always unique in that it is so unusual you wont find anything else quite like it. Tammys work is.....click on image for more
I would literally break into a sweat thinking about creating a cake for my childrens birthdays, as being an artist everyone expected me to be really clever at it and I simply wasnt!
The word cartoon has various meanings, based on several very different forms of visual art and illustration. The original meaning was in fine art, where cartoon meant a.....
Whether used sparingly as an accent or lavishly as the primary colour in your artwork, gold can bring a sense of depth and dimension to any piece of art.
A stencil is a template used to draw or paint identical things like letters, numbers, symbols, shapes, or patterns every time it is used. You may have also heard of it called pochoir the term used in....click on image for more
Well I obviously know a bit about weblogs because I write one but Im no expert For me this is a way to work on my fledgling writing skills as one day I ...
Got you there, Im fortunate enough to not suffer such things, as I like to look on the bright side of life as much as possible, it also helps to not have unrealistic expectations
Years ago I did some training in ticket-writing; an art that is quickly disappearing due to computer generated signage that is quicker and tidier and can be reproduced in multiplies by the click of a button. Because of the repetitive nature of.....
I received an email recently advertising the materials for a technique called scratch-boarding. I had never heard of it before but was fascinated by the accompanying images and thought, hey I might.....
Decoupage is the art of decorating objects, art or furniture by gluing coloured paper cut-outs onto them along with special paint effects, the addition of gold leaf and other mixed...
For centuries Chinese painting has fascinated westerners for its unique qualities and style. The simplicity and controlled elegance are key features to this style of art
I got a bit stuck today with something to say and I did promise the Arts Council I'd talk about what I do on some ordinary artist days, so what did I do today then?
Well I have a solo show coming up so today has been about......
Learning about art has been a long road for me. I never profess to be an intellectual and I unfortunately I wasnt in the position to do an arts degree early on, so what I do know has been either.......
Flowers have always held a fascination with artists to paint. Whether because of their temporary nature being made immortal on canvas or simply for ...
Brown is a tertiary colour; it is a mix of the three subtractive primary colours, red, blue and yellow. Brown exists as a colour perception only in the presence of a brighter colour contrast like....click on image for more
Learn how to succeed as an NZ artist, selling photography in New Zealand. From pricing tips to online platforms, unlock the secrets for better photography sales
Sculpture is defined as three-dimensional artwork and is created by shaping or combining materials, usually stone, clay, ceramic, metal, glass, wood, or even.....click on image for more
Back in the 1980s (My heyday or teen years!) I enjoyed doing little theatre. It was and probably still is a highly competitive world and as I didnt care to
I live New Zealand movies and am a staunch supporter of them, hungrily hunting out NZ movies on our hiring system Fatso.com and ordering every single one regardless of what...click on image for more
There are not a lot of big events that happen in Hamilton, but one that does every year is the Balloons over Waikato where hot air balloon enthusiasts from all over....
Working with animals in art can be rewarding as well as frustrating. Heres some tips and tricks for your animal portrait painting by nz artist Collette
Discover the distinction between trademarks and copyrights in the art world. Explore how trademarks protect branding elements, and copyrights safeguard creative works
I’ve noticed a trend in more round paintings these days, the last group exhibition I went to had four different artists work on round canvas’s with each one being quite impressive in how they artist’s worked the shape of the canvas into the theme of the artwork.
It wasn’t that long ago that round canvases were hard to come by; needing specialist framing for the stretched canvases or.....click on image for more
what is Yin Yang? It comes from Chinese culture and represents the two opposite principles in nature. Yin Yang means black vs. white, day vs. night, good vs. evil
Artists studios like office spaces are as diverse as the people who work in them. There is no hard and fast rule as to how they should be laid out or what....click on image for more
Andy Warhol aka Andrew Warhola was the main figure of the Pop art movement as well as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. His main claim to fame was...
Artists ask me this question more often than any other when talking about techniques in artwork. What is varnish, what does it do and why do we use it?
Autumn is the transition from warm summer months to the cold weather of winter, and its related status as the season of the primary harvest, has dominated its themes and popular
Jewellery, the art of creating items in gold or silver or other metals as well as many other materials for adornment and beautification is an interesting and.....
This is such a personal thing and can be summed up in How long is a piece of string its pretty much impossible to put a time on such things. Like the Mainland ad, all good things take time......
This commonly expressed sentiment means "If anything can go wrong, it will." Many problems, failures, and annoyances are attributed to Murphy's Law, but most people do not know......
Gold or silver leaf isn’t just for gilding things like mirrors, you can use it in your paintings too, just check out Gustav Klimt’s work where he used ......
Facing a blank canvas can be daunting. "Blank canvas syndrome" is the feeling of being overwhelmed or intimidated by a blank canvas or sheet of paper. In this article, we explore the causes of this syndrome and offer tips for overcoming it, including embracing the imperfection of the creative pro
In the streets of modern Japanese cities amongst the dark suits and strict corporate dress codes, it is still possible to see reminders of ancient tradition - unusual women in bright kimonos with white powder wax on faces and traditional sculptured hairdos.
I could go two ways with this, we could talk about painting hands or paintings on hands so to get the latter out of our systems here is a link to some really cool paintings that....click on image for more
Realism is a type of art that shows things exactly as they appear in 'real' life. It began in the 18th century, but the greatest Realist era was in the mid-19th century. Most Realists were from France, but there were some famous.......
I get asked a lot about what the difference is between a resume, a bio and an artists statement. A resume is pretty much like a job resume where you have contact details, your history as in exhibitions, education etc and.....click on image for more
Unveiling the revolutionary world of Cubism, its pioneers, techniques, and enduring legacy. Take a look at the captivating artistry and multi-dimensional perspectives
Do you want to find and develop your unique artistic style? Explore the balance between personal expression and market demands in the art world with Collette
The world of abstraction demands artistic discipline, knowledge, expertise in painting techniques, and a profound understanding of art's formal aspects.
Sun Painting or Heliographic Art as its technically called is a process where transparent fabric paints are applied to fabric (100% cotton is the best.) and while the paint is still wet, objects like stencils, leafs, feathers etc are placed onto the wet fabric. You then place it in the sun and when it dries, the outlines of the objects are transferred to the fabric.....click on image for more
Because purple is derived from the mixing of a strong warm primary colour (Red) and strong primary cool colour (Blue) it has both warm and cool properties.
What do I know of Mr Picasso? Well I'm not going to give you a tiresome rundown on the mans history, there are many websites and books that can give you that sort of information.....
Ive been working on some new techniques at the moment. They are most likely tried and trusted methods of other artists and been done before in one form or another, but they are new to me anyway.......click on image for more
Uncover the iconic New Zealand paintings that have left a lasting impact. From humour to heritage, explore the diverse artistic landscape of my country
When I get artists block, I put my brushes down and do something entirely different for a while. Taking the focus off my art takes away the stress even with........
Think candyfloss and cupcakes, Barbie, Flamingos' and well lets not get carried away here. Pink can be a serious colour too. Read on to learn more about this fascinating colour.
Are you confused as to what type of paint you should be working with? Read my blog on artist paints and see if I can answer some of those burning questions........
Some of the most famous paintings in the world have been made by the greatest painters of all times. I acknowledge their mastery and skill and admire all these works, from the Mona Lisa to the melting clocks of Dali...
Along with many other artists I know, I get emails by the dozen from both vanity galleries and book publishers wanting to exhibit or publish my work. Most of these vanity galleries and publishers.....click on image for more
Some artists have a clear idea of what price they want for their work, some are realistic, some are insanely greedy and the rest end up under-pricing their artwork
I found this article http://www.stuff.co.nz/s/QPRe on the net yesterday and have to admit I was highly surprised that its still going on, all this ripping off of innocent people, and in my own city
This is Boozehag, from its bar origins to a beloved artistic icon. Uncover the challenges, misconceptions, and continued demand for this whimsical character
When you send work around the country or overseas, it pays to wrap it well as no matter how careful you may be with your art, not all couriers have the same respect or care for it......click on image for more
The type of canvas you use will depend on the type of paint you use.....cotton duck is used for acrylic painting, while linen and cotton duck is used for oil. ......
In 2009 a pile of Rubbish won the National Contemporary Art Awards here in Hamilton New Zealand. It created a furore like no other. We are used to the outrage and shock from the public each year over the winning pieces and thats exactly what the people who run it want controversy and people talking about it. Well this time I somehow got embroiled in it....click on image for more
Yes I know that figures and money matters are boring for us artists but when you're a working artist you need to look at keeping accurate records and making sure you are taking care of your tax obligations. Here are some of my tips and advice for organising your records......
Todays artwork is smooth and shiny. I used the Golden Clear Tar Gel for this effect, its simple to use; you pour it on where you want it to be and wait for it to set. The effect is like that of a bubble, with a raised glassy surface.However Im not going to talk so much about the .....
A basic understanding of colour theory and the colour wheel is like having a secret toolkit for every artist, unlocking endless possibilities in your work.
When I teach an art class or mentor any other artists, I always advocate that they read this book. I usually also ask my art students to do the artists pages at the beginning of class if we have enough.....
Yellow is not merely a standalone hue; it's a versatile collaborator in the world of colour alchemy. Lets look at what yellow is as a colour for painting
Research is important to me as I like to know the history behind things, why they are what they are and their significance to the project I might be working on.......
An artwork must possess an essential characteristic of being 'original,' meaning that it originates from the artist and is not derived from another individual's work