Natasha Shackleton - Contempory Fine Art

2009-01-20T17:32:00.000-08:00

Week Beginning 5th January 2009

Another 5 paintings completed this week... seems to be my trend so far for 2009! My choice this week is another Tui and Pohutukawa combo, this time however it on a Black and white New Zealand horizon backdrop with red borders.

2009-01-20T17:21:00.000-08:00

Week Beginning 29th December

It was a great feeling having completed my first painting of 2009 "Tui over the Pohutukawas" completed on the 1st of the 1st 2009. A completed a modest 5 paintings this week but a great start to the new year none the less!

Happy New Years and welcome to 2009!!

2009-01-20T17:10:00.000-08:00

Week Beginning 22nd December

As this is my week off I have no new paintings to showcase this week but instead I have something much more exciting... Introducing my new range of Greeting cards! Proffessionally printed by NZ Niche the range includes a selection of my Pukeko Artworks, several of my New Zealand Horizons series, several from my Moonlight Bay series and my Native bird Collection (as pictured) these retail for $5.95 each (NZD), $15 for 3 or $30 for 6 (plus postage - between 50cents and $1) if anyone is interested in purchasing any email me rock.ford@slingshot.co.nz for the full range of images.

Merry Christmas!!

2009-01-20T16:57:00.000-08:00

Week Beginning 15th December

With just over a week until Christmas I'm busy filling in the last of the "Christmas rush" and making sure I have a few extra paintings left over to tie my ove while I have a well deserved week off over Christmas. My hard work has paid off as I completed a whooping 10 paintings! Now its time for a break - some uninterupted time with the family where I can hopefully forget about my Business, just relax, turn my brain off and do nothing! A week of eating too much, drinking too much and spending far too much money. To fit in with this theme and get you all in the mood...heres my pick - "Martinis by the Moon".

Happy Holidays to all!!!!!

2009-01-20T16:49:00.000-08:00

Week Beginning 8th December

7 Paintings completed and a lot of variation including a Tuatara and Bonecarvings, A couple of Tuis, Pukekos, a Saddleback and a wood pigeon! I have chosen "The Tui & The Gum Tree" - being the first time I've ever tackled painting a gum tree I was very pleased with the results!

2009-01-20T16:42:00.000-08:00

Week Beginning 1st December

From the 6 paintings I completed this week I have chosen "Fantail & Toi Tois" I think the colour of the fantail and the Toi Tois work in well with the rest of the colour scheme in this piece.

2009-01-20T16:37:00.000-08:00

Week Beginning 24th November

I have chosen "Toi Tois on the Horizon" this week. I added a glaze of ultramarine blue to the sky and sea which has created an interesting change from the usual black and white. I think I'll try this on a couple of other paintings in the future! Another productive week - 7 Paintings completed!

2009-01-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

Week Beginning 17th November

I have chosen this artwork which I had sent to the Queenstown Gallery of Fine Art who are now representing me. This painting "Moonlight Bay" is from my Moonlight Bay series and is a variation on the original piece which sparked the series - 3 Elongated Woman in polka dot bikinis playing on the moonlight beach. Fun and quirky yet mysterious and almost surreal, I have been following this series of paintings for about 3 years now.

Another good effort this week with 9 paintings finished this week.

2009-01-20T16:17:00.000-08:00

Week Beginning 10th November

The painting I've chosen this week is a Commission of Pania of the Reef. My client commissioned this artwork for his wife for her Birthday as her middle name is Pania! What a lovely and very thoughtful gift. The legendary Pania of the Reef can be seen immortalized in statue in Napier (New Zealand)...Napiers Love-forlorn Maiden. Maori Legend has it that Pania, a mermaid, came ashore and fell in love with a local warrior. But when she swam back to see her people she was dragged down to an underwater reef where they say she may still be seen today, her hair flowing like seaweed from the rock. I completed 8 pieces of art this week which is double what I achieved last week!

2009-01-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

Week Beginning 3rd November

My favourite piece of art this week is based on the NZ Cabbage Tree and Bone Carvings , I have also incorporated one of my stylized New Zealand Horizons. I completed only 4 paintings this week. Better 4 than none though!

2008-11-04T20:06:00.000-08:00

Week Beginning 27th October

Last weeks efforts paid off as I finished off a whooping 8 paintings in 2 days, 10 paintings in total for the week. My pick is going to be this kaka, Rata & Toi Toi.

2008-10-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

Week beginning 20th October

I only managed to finish 3 paintings this week but having said that I have had about another 8 on the go at the same time so should hopefully have heaps finished next week. Think I'll pick the Bellbird this week as its only the second Bellbird I've done and I just love the colouration of them.

2008-10-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning 13th October

2 landscapes, a Saddleback, a fantail and a Pukeko from which I have chosen the Fantail.

2008-10-14T21:09:00.001-07:00

Week Beginning 6th October

6 paintings done this week including a colaborated artwork of "Pania of the Reef" (Napiers love-forlorn maiden) - my mothers sketch/idea and my painting skills combined. It would have been my pic of the week but i cant seem to take a good photo of it! So have been left with second best - yet another of my Pukeko artworks.

2008-10-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning 29th September

4 artworks done this week my choice is this one which I titled "Golden Horizons" which was a different colour pallette to what I'm usually used to.

2008-10-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning the 22nd September

2 Tui's, a fantail and another pukeko with babies is what I completed painting this week. Hard to make a choice as nothing really stands out and grabs me but if I have to choice it'll be this one with a Tui, flax and Koru's.

2008-10-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning 15th September

I completed 6 paintings and a small framed coloured pencil piece this week. The coloured pencil and one of the paintings (a harrier for my dad) were birthday gifts. As I foolishly didnt photograph the artworks I did as gifts then my choice has to be this Saddleback.

2008-10-13T15:46:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning 8th September

Out of the 5 paintings I completed this week my pick is another one of my Pukeko artworks.

2008-09-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning 1st September

This is my first atempt at Frangapanis and I was very pleased with the result. I think they teamed well with the vibrancy of the Pukeko, sand and sea which is why this is my pick of the week from the 5 paintings I completed this week.

2008-09-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning 25th August

I finished 5 paintings this week. One of which was a 92x31cm commission... the biggest painting I have done this year after concentrating mostly on the smaller "gift size" artworks I've been selling steadily. My pick this week is this Tui - a bit different from my other tui painting as the entire background is black and white. I chose this one as I like the contrast between the vibrant kowhai flower and the Tui against the monotone background.

2008-08-25T22:48:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning 18th August

This weeks pick is the Fantail. Only 4 completed this week.

2008-08-25T22:34:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning 11th August

This Saddleback and Bone Carvings is my pick out of the 6 I finished this week. I'm really liking the bone carving motifs so will probably do some more paintings with these.

2008-08-25T22:28:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning 4th August

2 Pukekos, 2 Tuis and a Kakapo done this week. My pic of the week? Pukeko, flax & Nikau... I love the vibrant colours of this.

2008-08-25T22:21:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning 28th July

Only 4 done this week, 2 of which were commissions. I have chosen one of the commissions as my favourite this week.

2008-08-25T22:15:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning 21st July

My choice this week from the 5 completed this week is this Tui on a Kowhai branch.

2008-08-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning 14th July

5 completed this week. My pic this week? "Our Land, Our Glory II"

2008-08-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning 7th July

Seven paintings completed this week including a Kokako, Saddleback and New Zealand Falcon. My favourite this week though is the Saddleback on Flax... I just love the colouring of the New Zealand Saddleback.

2008-07-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning the 23rd June

I managed to finish a whooping 11 paintings this week! Some I had started the previous week but I still thought it was a good effort. I managed to finish all my paintings for the One Size Fits All exhibition at Thornton Gallery which I am proud of. I have chosen one of the paintings I completed for it, which is one from my "Moonlight Bay" series.

2008-06-21T18:48:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning 17th June

I have been busy busy busy this last week and next week is going to be just as busy! I am working on some pieces for an exhibition, several comissions, a piece for an "artswap" as well as all my regular sales (and they seem to be selling as fast as I can paint them lately!)

I have picked this as one as my favourite. I have done several similar to this and they have all seemed to prove pretty popular. This particular one will be going to Thorton gallery in Hamilton for their "One Size fits all" exhibition next month.... for more info visit http://www.thortongallery.co.nz/

2008-06-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning 9th June

Tough decission! I have at least 2 favourites this week but have decided to choose this one because I just adore the way Mitre Peak looks in paintings. I completed 8 paintings this week... 2 Tui's, 2 Pukeko's, a Kaka, a Morepork, a Kokako and the Wood Pigeon, not to mention all the Toi Toi, Rata, Nikau, Pohutukawa, Cabbage Tree and of course the infamous Mitre Peak that adorned the backdrops!

2008-06-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning 2nd June
5 Paintings done this week. Being a holiday on Monday only left me with 4 days of painting this week. I resureacted a painting from last month making it more appealing, reinvented some old ideas and basically painted nothing overly exciting but later on in the week did come up with some great ideas so will hopefully have something a bit more exciting to showcase next week. I have chosen this painting "Swamp Dwellers" to due to its public appeal. This and others I have done along a similar vain have seem to be very popular though personally not my favourites.

2008-06-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

Week Beginning 26th May 2008

I completed 4 pieces this week. 3 out of 4 with a heavy focus on Native NZ birds after browsing through a book on Maori Bird Lore... a Tui, a Bellbird and a Kakapo. I know have heaps of inspiration for more paintings after looking through this book so am looking foward to doing some different species of New Zealand birds. My Favourite this week though has got to be the Bellbird and kaka beaks.

2007-11-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

WEEK BEGINNING 29TH OCT 2007

It was a tough choice this week. I retouched an early painting and completed 3 oil paintings all of which I was pleased with. But my final choice is this one. Why?... Pukekos- you just gotta love 'em! With their quirky looks. Outrageously large feet, stunning blue plumage and contrasting red beak and feet they bring so much character and lend themselves so well to my naturally bold style of painting.