Portfolio | Palmerston North Artist

Portfolio

`History! It`s just one thing after another` -

Welcome to my history. I have been called an outsider artist, responding to the world around me in my creative way. I have always seen the world in terms of what I can make of it and love to give my visions a go. Glass and gardening sustained me through the picket fence years. Flowers and icing were my language of celebration.

It was not until 2005 that a friend suggested I begin to paint. So paint I did. I worked with acrylics and developed a comfortable habit of grey tone portraits. You can see some of these in the listing below. What I quickly realised was how much I love to create! I had to do more!

During 2007 I completed the foundation level of a diploma of art and creativity with The Learning Connexion. I worked as an extramural student and took a few opportunities to participate in contact courses. I loved it! The whole creative experience is stimulating and the absolute privilege of experiencing other students work is something I really value.

Click on any thumbnail to reveal the complete image. I welcome your critique or response to my work. Use the contact page to flick me through your remarks.

Welcome,

Carla

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Toku Runaruna

Private Collection

This is the first in a series of unplanned works. There will be no drawings or marked preparation for these works depicting hands. Watch for more pieces in this series.

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Kids hearts

Sold | Camoflage| $39.90

Sold | Strawberry | $39.90

Sold | Dancing Dots | $39.90

Ceramic/Paint | 135 x 125 x 50mm | January 2009

These hearts represent children for the Hearts Content collector. Blue and silver with a curtain of CD`s show a teen girls lifestyle. Camo paint for the young men in our lives. Sweet little strawberries and ribbon for a little princess. Hearts Content hearts can be made to compliment any decor or momento.

Savvy Office Solutions | Corporate Image

Graphic design through to printing

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I need colour! was the brief from accountant Anne Hargreaves. And that was the extent of it. The acronym sos from her business name Savvy Office Solutions readily applied itself to an sos message on the beach. With compliment and letterhead carrying the watermark of the beach image and business cards and financial covers carrying those warm rich colours of sun set on the sand Anne got her colour.

Sculpture Play Symposium 2009

4 - 13 April 2009 | Newbury, Palmerston North

Getting dusty in the name of art is what happened in April. Stone sculptors came together to share their inspiration at a small works symposium in the Manawatu. I had visited the recent symposium in Wellington and didnt want to leave! Realising that others would be prevented from attending by travel, leave and costs, I decided to bring the mountain home. This was the first event of this kind that I have organised and am already planning to grow the event. Register your interest to participate in or visit the 2010 event.

Young Gentleman

Sold | Privately owned

Acrylic | 415 x 570mm | Copyright 29 December 2008

Reminiscent of generations past. This painting is in a lovely old wooden frame chosen to give an air of age.

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Queen

Sold | Privately owned

This piece is in response to a challenge that I set myself. After attending the sculpting workshop at Yebo I set a creative goal to form a complete chess set. The white side will be formed from Oamaru Stone and the black side will be on cast cement bases finished with mosaic materials. One down, several more to go! Do make contact if you wish to commission this work.

Loved-up Leather | Business card design

Graphic design through to printing

Enquiry

Bright and upbeat, Layla was already quite clear what she wanted for her business card. Luscious pink to represent the glam in us all, retro lettering and simple contact details. This is how it all came together. As Layla puts it `Leather is known for its durability and with proper care should have a long lifetime of use. Do your budget and the environment a favour and get `loved-up` on pre-loved leather. Watch for dollar reserve Loved-up Leather on trademe.

My heart wall

Because Im making new hearts each week my wall is changing all the time. One of the greatest things about making Hearts Content hearts is watching people connect with different pieces for their own special reasons. A favourite phrase, fabric.... a memory, a photograph! Any representation of your heart can be represented into a Hearts Content heart.

Share your ideas with me and I may just make that heart you cant resist buying.

Commissions Welcomed

Jamie and Kerri Mills

Palmerston North

Classic contrast of the red and white brides bouquet is a fantastic choice and complimented the elegant details of this garden wedding in the Manawatu. The red is repeated with a rose for Jamie and callas for the Groomsmen

Smokey silver ribbon bound the stems of the bridesmaids bouquets. Kerris attendants wore sexy strapless dresses with lightly layered lace fabric in the skirts. They were just stunning and the silver colour was repeated in the bouquets. Charlotte had a secret stash of tiny marshmallows in her pretty pink flower girls basket.

James and Kerri decided to have a formal corsage and gents buttonhole for Kerris grandparents who hosted the wedding in their beautiful gardens at Newbury, Palmerston North. Light and classic, the spray roses and fine statice are framed with the same rich green fern that is in the brides bouquet. What a lovely reaction when the flowers were delivered to find this formal token of appreciation had been included for them. I love being the bearer of unexpected gifts.

Gemini

Sold | Private Collection

Gemini repeats the lines of the Yebo `King` piece from earlier in the year. The apparent `face` is repeated, one each looking left and right, giving rise to the reference to Gemini. Flowing lines were formed with a coarse rasp and the working lines were retained to give this piece an underworked finish. Texture, shadow and light shows against the natural shade of the stone.

Rowan`s Baloons

Commissioned | Privately Owned

This hand formed memorial tile was made for a tiny angel who was lost before she was born. Time spent designing this tile with Rowans mum and her friend was a true privilege. The tile depicts the pink balloons which were released during Rowans service and the ribbons twist together to form an`R` for her name.

Shane`s Lizard

Sold | Privately Owned

Bright ceramic tiles applied to the uneven face of this angular boulder catch the sunlight at different angles during the day. Mosaic experiences available watch for details of summer events on the Happenings page

Nude

Sold | Privately Owned

An exploration of texture and movement. sand is thrown into the paint and layers are built up to highlight the form of the subject.

Yebo

NFS | Private Collection

While I was a student with TLC I attended an `Oamaru in Wairarapa` stone carving course. As students we were invited to stay at the bed and breakfast at Yebo Art Gallery. We were provided with stone, tools and a tutor. It was fantastic! Perry Scott was our tutor and with the patience of a saint and the time keeping of a sergeant major he introduced 12 students to sculpting Oamaru Stone. This was so inspiring for me as it was my first full immersion experience. Such an energising week. I had to be reminded that there were still four more days at the end of the first days work. `Stop already! `

These photos show those moments of the last evening as our finished pieces were being arranged in a veranda. There was something about the pieces we had created that made us stand and stare.

Chess anyone?

NFS | Private Collection

Oamaru in Wairarapa was a collaborative project for TLC students. Hosted by Zelda & Matt Bruce our only brief was to create a chess set out of the Oamaru Stone. After some preliminary drawings it was clearly recognised that some students favoured strong angular lines with others tending to flowing, softer curves. The decision was made to design one side of the chess set in each influence. Straws were drawn to allocate who would sculpt each piece within the opposing sets. (Bits of paper actually) My first piece was the curve set King.

Laughter

Gifted | Privately Owned

Laughter was completed with a hens feather (soft end) dipped in Indian ink. This is the originating image for my logo. I am really enjoying my recent work with digital graphics.

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Brandy

Commissioned | Privately Owned

A portrait of Janes much loved dog, Brandy.

Pet commissions welcomed.

Elina`s Dad

Gifted | Privately Owned

I once worked with a woman who had lost her parents when she was very young. At work one day she showed us a photo of her father. He was sitting in the sun. The sunlight all but washed away the side of his shirt. I just had to paint him. I dont even know what his name was.

Looking at you

Sold | Privately Owned

Another quirk of nature here represented in the black and white look. I still think this perspective only showed one of your nostrils - but you made me add another one. Its just that that piece of your nose, between the nostrils, it is deeper than on other peoples. Its funny how people are about artistic licence.

Waimarama

Sold | Privately Owned

Clouds, ocean, rocks and human form all showing different aspects of light and shadow. The lines of muscle defined with sunlight and shadows were picked out by pressing the paint along the torso and limbs with the tip of my finger.

Dan the kiwi

Commission | Privately Owned

This painting was an honour to do. It was Dans son who told me I should paint. Sadly I never met Dan as he passed away before I met the family.

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James Dean

NFS | Privately Owned

This is one of my quirky black and whites. It is also my first effort at painting a person. I love working with peoples faces. There is so much character to observe.

Whispered Touch

NFS | Privately Owned

This early acrylic was painted while on holiday in Kawerau.

Jason & Eija

Taihape

With 24 hours notice this may just be one of the most exciting weddings I have been involved with. Jason and Eija were in New Zealand for a fleeting visit which included the christening of their son. Although a marriage certificate is meant to take some time to issue a wonderful court registrar made this day happen with a special effort.

After the christening, Jason turned to his extended family and remarked how great it was to have everyone together. He then asked his family to witness his wedding. Only the bride and groom, one best man and I knew how the day was to unfold. In the laughter and chatter that followed I quietly walked through the Taihape church and handed Eija a wedding bouquet of red roses and white lissianthus. She had not expected the little details that her groom had arranged. With red roses for the men and a two tier pavlova wedding cake we had the basics covered. Pavlova? Eija had never tried one before and it was one of the things she was looking forward to trying in New Zealand.

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Tree House Window

Gifted | Privately Owned

Depicting Earth, Water, Wind and Fire, this window was made as a bit of a fancy. Re-using off cuts of glass the design was built up in a mosaic fashion as each piece was applied. Currently installed in a play-hut in Taihape this piece shows how you can bring glass art to your garden. `The Convent` is a privately owned garden which has been opened to a small number of weddings & fundraising events.

Lead lighting commissions welcomed.

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Ava`s Bathroom Window

Commissioned | Privately Owned

This window was a collaborative effort with Donna Wood. A simple art deco design incorporates glass bevels with blue and textured glass. Constructed with lead this tiny light letting window is installed into an internal wall in a beautifully renovated cottage in Taihape.

Lead lighting commissions welcomed.