d.i.y.

Down here in the southern hemisphere, my artistic eye is pleasantly jolted by realization that all the YELLOWS are YELLOWER here than they are where I come from, northern California. Egg yolks. Butter. Orange bird beaks jump out at you. Sunsets are sometimes totally yellow displays! I commented on this last year when we were here, but at that time Carroll brushed it off as my arty craziness. This time she sees it too. And she’s a normal person! Sort of.

I’ve begun a series of yellow paintings to try to capture the special yellowness of New Zealand light. Thus far, six. The first four are overly yellow, perhaps; at any rate, they are more committed to yellow than the final two.

Watercolor 7.5" x 11"

Watercolor 7.5" x 11"

Watercolor 11" x 15"

Watercolor 15" x 22"

Watercolor 11" x 15"

Watercolor 11" x 15"

……………A little bit strange, eh? What is going on? Why, it’s a different sun! it is! Well, maybe it’s the same old Sol, but the way it presents itself through the atmosphere is YELLOWER here south of the equator.

Light is different in different parts of the world. If you did not know that, get used to it. Artists tend to paint what they see. Travel to different parts of the world, and you see the sources of much of the diversity of art. Florida light is vastly different from northern California light. The sun is strong in that semi-tropical land, but it is strangely and wonderfully diffuse. The humidity fills the air with tiny tiny droplets of water that refract the sunlight.

I’m not sure you can see it, but i left the painting edges uncropped so you can see that the paint is a “full bleed.” The painted, torn edges (instead of a white frame left by tape) will be visible when the painting is floated on a mounting board, part of the effect i want. These are done on 300 lb cold press archival watercolor paper (Arches).

Btw, I am happy as a clam here in New Zealand! I am doing mostly two things: painting and being with family. I am thoroughly enjoying both. I am painting more here than I do at home. It is simpler painting, mostly watercolors, all plein air landscapes, seascapes, skyscapes. Why am I painting more? I don’t know. Less distracted. Simpler life. More of family love – more time with kids. It’s good.

This is what I’m talking about. That amazing chunk of rock out there in Poverty Bay called “Young Nick’s Head” that I’ve been painting – off Waikanae Beach here in Gisborne, New Zealand – is bringing to my mind thoughts of Maori facial tattooing. The tats emphasize natural facial features, seemingly with the intent – certainly with the result – of making them more formidable. It’s a Rrrooaaaaarrrrrrrrrr! kind of thing. Maori men were warriors (many may still be). They looked – and were – big and fierce.

So, looking at the changing faces of YNH out there as the shadows ebb and flow with the light, I’m thinking, maybe those are nature’s own tats. And if the Head of Young Nick were to wear actual tats on one of those faces, what would they be? I doodle about things like that….

btw, today is august 25 in nz.

"Morning Light," 11 x 15

"Afternoon Light" 17" x 24"

Today’s two paintings are bigger than

the others in the series so far (see “NZ

Dispatch # 1,” below). They carve the face of the rock with light from opposite directions (AM & PM) with palette changes to match. BTW, evening light is much more extreme than either of these. Maybe i’ll get to it.

I’m beginning to see echoes of Maori facial tatoos in these rock shadows(!).