A Bee Friendly Wild Garden Painting from New Zealand

 

 

A Bee Friendly Painting

 

 

I have just finished this painting, another one in my Wild Gardens series.

After reading two books by Dave Goulson I am committed to planting bee

friendly flowers in my garden along with our native species which bring the birds.

If you are interested in the conservation of the bees around your garden or fields I recommend

his books ' A Sting in the Tale' and 'A Buzz in the Meadow'. 

Any old fashioned flowers will attract and feed your local bee population,

lavender, heartsease, marigolds, foxgloves, poppies, borage, aquilegia,
anise hyssop and echium to mention just a few. 

My sunflowers are just beginning to flower, the bumble bees love these, 

but it is no good growing the pollenless varieties.

 

 

 

In New Zealand our honey and bumble bees are all introduced but we do have

native bees as well.  They are predominately found in the bush feeding on

our native tree and plant blossoms.

 

Frances Jill Studd website

Midnight Collective

 

All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2016

 



Preying Mantis from New Zealand

A New Zealand Preying Mantis

 

I spotted some newly hatched preying mantis running around on our front wall,

they are very tiny maybe just over 1cm long.  I was most pleased to see the egg

case nearby though as it showed that it was a native mantis and not one of the

slightly larger ones which now seem to dominate.  I believe that these intruders

come from South America and entice our local males to mate and become

eaten leaving no offspring.

The egg cases of the foreign ones are bigger and much more untidy and are

often seen around our wall as well, it must be a favourably warm spot although

there is no vegetation closeby.

 

 

Here is one baby much larger than actual size.

 

 

And another.

 

 

And here is the egg case.

 

 

 

Frances Jill Studd website

Midnight Collective blogspot

 

All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2016

 

 

 

 

 

A Christmas Angel from New Zealand

A Christmas Angel

 

 

This is a painting called Mt Tarawera, it is composed of pieces from several famous works,

paintings and architectural.  The angel is from the 'Personification of Fame' by Bernardo Strozzi,

Mt Tarawera from 'The Phantom Canoe on Lake Tarawera' by Kennett Watkins, both of which

are shown above The Arch of Titus in Paris. 

When I made this painting and collage in 1990 I used many appropriated images pieced together

for my work,  now, so many years later, I feel as if I had a bit of a cheek.

However I still like this work and I like the angel, so here she is to wish everyone

who views my blogs a very Happy Christmas.

 

 

Mt Tarawera is a famous mountain in the North Island of New Zealand,

in 1886 it erupted with such force that a chasm was made across the whole mountain. It buried

the local landscape and villages in ash, about 120 people lost their lives and the

Pink and White Terraces a tourist attraction on the mountainside were completely destroyed.

Kennett Watkins made a painting of a phantom canoe which was seen on Lake Tarawera

the day before the mountain erupted and which is now believed to have been a

warning of the devastation which was to follow.  It can be seen in the top

right of this painting with the moon behind.

 

Frances Jill Studd website

Midnight Collective Blog

 

All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2015

 

 



November Wild Garden Painting from New Zealand

A November Painting from My Garden

 

 

This is the latest painting from my garden.  I love to see the bees and birds fliting

 about so it is hardly a manicured or managed planting.  Made in three

panels this work shows some of the plants now flowering.

 

 

 

 

As a contrast here is a photo of part of my actual garden.  When I was training at art school

one lecturer gave us some advice about painting from the natural world  'always take a small  

thing from the large, do not attempt to make the whole thing small'

I try to remember this.

 

 

Frances Jill Studd website

Midnight Collective Blog

 

All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2015

 

 

 

New Wild Garden Painting from New Zealand

Wild Garden II

 

Here is a new wild garden painting which I have just finished.  Our Spring

had been windy and has blown blossom off the trees with a wet and squally blast.

The birds don't seem to mind though and there are baby tui and black birds sitting in

the flowering cherry tree.  They enjoy the high perch where they can safely watch

the neighbourhood cats and practise their song.

 

 

Frances Jill Studd website

Midnight Collective Blogspot

 

All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2015

 



Wild Garden Painting in New Zealand Wins Award

Wild Garden Painting at the Mahara Gallery

 

My wild garden painting won the highly commended award in the local Arts Review exhibition.

This is one of a series I am working on, now is the perfect time as the garden is bursting into early Spring flowering.  Although somewhat buffeted by the stong winds we have had it still looks very cheerful and promising.

The wild cherry has been full of tui chortling away and celebrating their nesting season.

This exhibition is now on at the Mahara Gallery, Waikanae, visit it and lend your support to a very hard working and dedicated team.

 

 

Frances Jill Studd website

Midnight Collective blog

 

All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2015

 

 

 



A Painting from Enclosure Bay, Waiheke Island, New Zealand

A Painting from Enclosure Bay

 

I made this painting during our stay at Enclosure Bay on Waiheke Island.  The central figure is a pheasant who came to visit us on several occasions,  also a preying mantis and a small butterfly which I couldn't identify.  The large leaf is a taupata and the small ones were fallen from a pohutukawa tree which grew right by the beach. 

 

 

Some flowers from the puawhanga or New Zealand clematis which was beginning to bloom in

the bush surrounding our accomodation and a piece of a low growing native shrub which is commonly used for plantings whose name I am not sure of.

 

Frances Jill Studd website

Midnight Collective Blog

 

All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2015