Valentine's Day giveaway and competition

Dear Mango Frooters

It is coming up to the time of year that can be fraught with sadness for so many people.  It's a commercial holiday made traditionally for lovers but I find this a bit disheartening.

For all of you out there in interweb land, who find yourselves lonely or sad for whatever reason, on February 14 2013:  THIS IS FOR YOU.

'You are Loved'.  Watercolour and pencil on Indian Khadi paper.
Artwork size: 15cm x 11cm.

If you would like a higher res version of this file to download and print, please add me to your favourites and please like my facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gabby-Malpas/106341109444237?fref=ts.  My email address is opposite.

I am also running a competition to win the original artwork of this image, to enter:
Please like my facebook page (I will pick the winner out of a hat on Tuesday 26 Feb), and allow me to add you email to my mailing list.

Lotus

I love lotus.

I fell in love with these plants as soon as I saw one in the Auckland domain hothouse garden in the 70s.  There were these dinner plate-sized leaves coming straight out of the pond with these gorgeous, billowy, pink, cloud-like flowers floating above.

It has been a dream of mine to paint these beauties on large pieces of paper and although I use a lot of artistic license and google imagery, I still need to draw from life to capture the lotus mojo.

We see a lot of lotus on our travels all over SE Asia.  However, without being able to dedicate some serious hours to looking and drawing and requiring space enough for a large sheet of paper it's not really feasible.

I planted one just after Christmas when my first attempt failed in a pot.  I am so excited to see one of the leaves finally pushing up through the water to stand tall.  Hopefully others will follow.

It will be another year before it flowers though.  Back to google.

More little birds

A lot of my pictures so far this year have included little birds.  On my post Christmas visit to Hillandale Gardens there were a lot of little birds around and masses and masses of butterflies flitting between the flowers.

Him Indoors says that the inclusion of little beasts in my work brings them to life.  I tend to agree.

Anyway, here is another selection of small, square bird pictures.  Some of these have gone to a lovely home in NZ.  Some will be going into my forthcoming shows in April/May.

Little bird pictures

As him indoors' has said: "your pictures are livelier with some beasts in them".

And so I have made a series of little pictures with birds.  From the top: NZ fantail, firetail finch, fairy wren, silver eye or wax eye.

New seed packet designs

New seed packet designs: from top: Phlox, Lupins and Bronze fennel.

Coming soon to Sarah's seeds

Playdate at Hillandale: Jan 3

 

On Thursday I took a drive out to Hillandale Gardens & Nursery, in Yetholme, NSW to have a playdate with my good friend Sarah who owns and operates the garden/nursery with her husband Andrew.

It was a lovely day.  The garden changes almost weekly and Sarah's thoughtful and fabulous plantings means that when one plant stops flowering or dies down, there are plenty more to take its place.    Everything is organic and the work is done entirely by this hardworking couple to transform a derelict and overgrown mess into what must be one of the finest cottage gardens in NSW. 

 

Butterflies and birds were out in attendance and we were joined on our tour of the garden by the resident dogs: Snowy (loves her tummy rubbed), Lily (a little timid mop), and Pixie (the nutty Pomeranian).

Not all was play.  The serious business of discussing the next sets of seed packets and plans for 2013 were undertaken in Sarah's office: the potting/seed shed.

 

Have a great weekend all.

More pictures

 
 

 

More images of work completed in December

The studio this week

 

Christmas is almost upon us.

A frantic time of year for so many but for me, a chance to spend time building up a new body of work and to work on new ideas.

I am loving the blue and white lotus bowl that is on loan from my sister in law.

Happy holidays everyone.

One year on

It's a year since Mum passed.
Although it is a little sad, hers was a life well spent and absolutely filled to the brim.
Today is about remembering those wonderful times.

Yvonne Therese Marie Malpas (nee McMahon): 25 Jan 1920 - 12 Dec 2011.

Festive baking

It's Christmas time again.  So the past few days have been spent in a frenzy of gingerbread cookie baking, decorating and packaging.

All off to my corporate and not so corporate clients.

Have a great weekend everyone.