The rural New Zealand scene that keeps on giving – 1 more (in oils) to finish and then I’ll give it a rest, or not.
This style reminds me a bit of the old NZ School Journals from the 60s with Mervyn Taylor’s brilliant black and white woodblock illustrations of things New Zealand – Maori customs and legends freshly told, NZ birds, fish, plants and animals often stylised in patterns alluding to Maori carving traditions, plus a hint of Aubrey Beardsley (but more wholesome).
Remembering those Mervyn Taylor images – a shout out for our native tuatara, an ancient survivor from the dinosaurs of the Pleistocene era (200m years ago), odd in such a geologically young country. They look a bit like a monitor lizard except smaller (< 1 foot long), less flashy and more scaley, with a lifespan of 120+ years, they can stand motionless and unblinking for longer than any reasonable person's patience. A predecessor of lizards and snakes, curious again in that we have no snakes. Very Not Busy animals except when eating their newborns, no wonder they're a bit rare. Tuatara is also a brand of very good craft beer, so that's good too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuatara
Anyhoo, acrylic b&w pens on pine cupboard door
That’s one fancy cupboard door! : )
Haha, an old one, no gaps in the kitchen!
Wow. Just wow.
Thanks Claudia, adopted your trick of trying out the various impulse buy items in the studio to get over a painting block, so thanks for that too!
You’re welcome! I’m pleased to hear it worked and flattered that you thought of it.
Wonderful Alistair, this image does look like a woodblock print. Beautiful effects.
Thank you Sharon