Bringing up the past.

" Early Farmers -The Brocket's Homestead on Western Lake Road " 

As an artist, there's something special about old buildings. The style of the building, the weather, rust, moss and lichen all casting their own effect and contributing to the subject. This one was particularly good with the stand of dark macrocarpa trees forming a beautiful background for the old house.

Mind you, that's not to say that I would like to live in one!  I enjoy our modern low maintenance homes with efficient insulation and double glazing too much!!

When I said bringing up the past, I was referring not only to the age of the house but also to the fact that I painted this picture in 1985. 
I came across a slide of the painting just recently and thought "Wow, did I  paint that!?"  I really liked the colour – it spoke of dry Wairarapa summers and the sense of isolation the house portrayed. Much as the farmers felt I would imagine, as, at the time, they would have been miles from town. 

So often, seeing an old painting can be a very discouraging experience. Putting a painting away for a time, and then seeing it with a fresh eye, is one way of judging the quality of your work. Bad design, weak tones, dirty colour, poor drawing – these things can be so obvious in seeing your work after it's been out of sight for a time. (1985 to 2013 might be a bit extreme though!) 

In this case I had completely forgotten it! 

There is a silver lining though – it shows that you have grown in your skills and understanding since you did that painting.

But this one of an old colonial wreck looked ok – not too embarrassing at all!

While we were living in the area, I painted this building on the spot several times from various angles and distances. This was a bit different though. It was a studio painting done from a pencil sketch with acrylics on canvas – very much a watercolour approach. I've always liked the way transparent watercolours can give beautiful glowing colours and the acrylics used as thin washes, have the same effect. The texture of the canvas looks good too.

There is another plus to all this. Although I prefer working outdoors, this is a great way to spend the day if it's just too hot or cold to paint outside!