This year the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere is at 4.39am Monday 22nd June. Matariki, the Maori New Year began on 18 June. It certainly is a good time to stay cosy and warm with family and friends and to attend to indoor projects.
In the studio I have been doing some graphic design work and have used some of my artwork for a poster design. It’s always interesting to blend the graphic design side of things with painting. Often there are very strong distinctions made between fine art and commercial design but in reality things are usually more fluid and the areas blur into each other. Often graphic design clients are aware of my paintings and it can really take the work in an interesting direction when I combine the two.
In the garden the somewhat neglected Azaleas have survived their first year and have started to pop out, they are providing a welcome burst of colour and inspiration.
Winter ills have slowed down painting so I have been doing small sketches and journaling instead. I do these sketches on 300gsm Hahnemuhle Watercolour paper from Studio Art Supplies in Auckland. They are sturdy enough to take acrylic paint and the A5 size is just right for working out ideas. Happy Winter Solstice everyone, hope you are making the most of the winter daylight.
Celeste Sterling 