In the summertime

{Follow me thehumblesparrow on Instagram}

Goodness me! Time has just flown before my eyes! it has been over a month - apologizes aplenty friends! I have been enjoying the summery sunshine over here down under in NZ, beautiful weather means lots of fun outings for the little totties!

But I must admit something......my husband shakes his head everytime I say this.......I am NOT a fan of summer! I like warm, I like sun, I like beach but not the sweltering hot that we have had lately! DIE! It sucks all energy out of you. So I longing await the arrival of AUTUMN - my absolute favourite time of year!! goodie! not long to wait.

Sorry, do stick around and check back because as the year settles back into schedule and out of lazy summer days, I shall be updating abit more regularly than once every two months! shocking

Hope you had a fabulous holidays, whether sunny or snowy x

Famille

 {Lab Oil}

So sorry for the disappearing act this week - was my birthday! and my Mummy's too so alot of celebrating to be had instead of blogging ;)

I love this! I bet you've all seen this done a million times - usually when siblings or childhood friends restage an old photograph every ten years or so but I love this take on it by French sculptor and photographer Alain Laboile. Capturing her childrens growth and new additions year by year - six children! wow impressive...

Her collection is exquisite, I have never seen a collection of images that captures childhood, in its colour and natural element so beautiful. See her full profile here.

NZ art love - Mandy Hague

 'Kaka Beak'

'Nocturnal'

 'The Ladybird'

'Lost'

 'Ghost Moth'

Well, I just about died when I came across the works of this stunning New Zealand artist, who lives in my hood as well! Well....kind of. Everything's pretty close in NZ!
Mandy Hague is the artist behind these exquisite pieces of native beauty and, as you may be able to tell, has a love/obsession with NZ birds, flora and fauna! As do I! So I was pretty much drooling all over these works as I have found my newest muse/inspiration/hero in the art world - yay!

Based in Whakatane, Mandy is also dabbles in photography and can you guess her favourite subject? The beautiful bird life that is thriving in the Bay of Plenty on the Eastern Coast of NZ.
Mandy says that 'even in her simplistic of pieces, there is an undercurrent of ambiguity which creates a mesmerizing allure.' And I would have to agree! Although the subject matter appears fairly simple, there is such personality and depth to her work - ahhh I love these! Changing my computer desktop wallpaper right now ;)

Hope you like! Go share some love on Mandy's facebook or follow along her blog, which is loaded with beautiful snaps of native birds for fellow lovers of NZ wildlife.
 

 Detail from 'Tahaa'

  Detail from 'Tahaa'

Melissa Hartley

 

Under the watchful gaze "Phases de la lune"

Acrylic on gesso board, 2012

7 x 9 inches, 17.5 x 23.5 cm

  

By the light "Phases de la lune"

Acrylic on gesso board, 2012

7 x 9 inches, 17.5 x 23.5 cm

 

 

Tempestuous "Phases de la lune"

Acrylic and graphite on gesso board, 2012

18 x 24 inches, 45.7 x 61 cm

 

Intrepidation "Phases de la lune"

Acrylic and graphite on gesso board, 2012

18 x 24 inches, 45.7 x 61 cm

 

 

Desire "Phases de la lune"

Acrylic on gesso board, 2012

14 x 18 inches, 35.6 x 45.7 cm

 

Wonder "Phases de la lune"

Acrylic on gesso board, 2012

14 x 18 inches, 35.6 x 45.7 cm

Adore this woman's style! Look at those irises!! Melissa Hartley, an Aussie artist with a BA with Distinction in Design and minoring in Illustration. That's pretty much what I was studying....but then I got preggers and became a drop out! ha
Her dreamy compositions are said to 'highlight the turbulent relationship man has with nature.' Her vivid use of colour partnered with paler 'undefined' backgrounds makes for a striking visual combination, that is somehow beautifully strange and intriguing.

'She desires to create images of beauty and mystery that allow the viewer to find their own personal significance in them.'

Melissa is currently exhibiting her piece "Intuition" at the group show "Vanishing Points" held at Auguste Clown Gallery in Melbourne til 1st December, THIS SATURDAY! Make sure you go have a squizz if you're in Melbourne - some other awesome artists featured in that show with Melissa so definiately worth a look!!
For more information on her, or to follow along with current work, check out her website or her blog.

 

Earl "Royal Felidae"

Acrylic on gesso board, 2011

12 x 16 inches, 30.5 x 40.6 cm

 

 

 

 

Duke "Royal Felidae"

Acrylic on gesso board, 2011

12 x 16 inches, 30.5 x 40.6 cm

Princess "Royal Felidae"

Acrylic on gesso board, 2011

8 x 10 inches, 20.3 x 25.4 cm

Work in Progress with Tran Nguyen

{WORK IN PROGRESS}

 

 {FINAL}

 

'Nestled Within a Pallid Disposition', acrylic & color pencil, 2012

{DETAILS}

I adore the work of American-Vietnamese artist Tran Nguyen and as you may know by now, I LOVE work in progress shots. I think it's so helpful for us newbies who are still working out our own style and technique, to see how other artists achieve layering and the order in which they work on their composition - it's so interesting!
So I couldn't resist sharing this little gem with you guys - the beautiful hand of Tran Nguyen as she worked on her piece 'Nestled Within a Pallid Disposition' layer by layer.
Plus a gorgeous little pic of her with some other legendary artist at the opening of Tran and Stella's exhibition 'Borrowed Memories'. check out more on Tran's blog here.

Power Quartet - Tran with Stella Im Hultberg, Audrey Kawasaki and Amy Sol. Beautiful ladies!

Marco Mazzoni

“Leda” 2012, colored pencils on paper, cm 40x50

 “Ophelia” 2012, colored pencils on paper, cm 40x50

 

 “Saskia” 2012, colored pencils on paper, cm 40x30

 “Lament” 2012, matite colorate su carta, cm 40x30

I have been such a HUGE fan of Marco's work for awhile now - his work grips me everytime! So strangely beautiful and exquisitely composed, with these unnatural elements that merge together effortlessly.
Marco is influenced alot by 'Italian folklore....mystical women who seduce, bewitch, curse and cure.'
Heavily metaphorical, each piece tells a secret story of life, knowledge, power, beauty, religion, death - the eyes often removed or hidden, to avoid distraction from the ‘moment when a woman takes control of all, in harmony with nature’.

Another master of the humble coloured pencil, his skill in capturing and creating light/dark space and a spectrum of unqiue colours is astounding and often requires a second look to appreciate the artistry that has been put into each peice.
Check out his tumblr or facebook for his current updates and progress shots, which he always has plenty of!

 

“My Purple Past” 2012, colored pencils on paper, cm 40x30

 

“Apnea” 2012, colored pencils on paper, cm 50x40

Inspired by Katerina Sokova

WIP - Graphite pencil

What I'm currently working on....inspired by the amazing shoot by Katerina Sokova,  a 23 year old, photographer and design student living in St. Petersburg, Russia featured in Issue #8 of Pony Anarchy Online Magazine.

Her Flickr account is honestly a treasure trove of beautifully composed and styled portraits; dream-like hazy snapshots of scenes that leave you wanting to explore further.

LOVE HER!

 Olesia Series