Drawings of clothing

Drawings of Clothing

Here are some drawings of clothing, I began to make these after seeing

celebrity sales such as the clothing of Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe.

I wondered what remained with the clothing that made them desirable.

This is Janet Frame's Gown, Janet used to live around the corner from us

in Whanganui.  We enjoyed tea parties with her, eating Boston Buns

and biscuits with copious amounts of tea.  It is a star spangled dress as she

had been writing her biography at that time which gave her great acclaim.

Janet's Day Dress

This is a watercolour of a Christening Gown, finely sewn with lace

inserts and a family heirloom.

This is a beaded cardigan, I can remember these being worn and they were

made in New Zealand, maybe in the 70s.

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All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2018

 

A Lost Wilderness in New Zealand

A Lost Wilderness

This is a painting which I made from photographs of a local  wetland which

has now disappeared under an expressway.  I have called it

Morning Glory after the bright blue/purple flowers which

bloomed around the grasses and other wild flowers.

Once a haven for ducks and other birds only a few now visit

and usually during the shooting season.

All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2018

Knitted Spoons from New Zealand

Knitted Spoons

This work is called  'A Deal with the Devil'  and is now on display in the

 Small Sculpture Award Exhibition at the Community Art Gallery in Oneroa,

Waiheke Island, Auckland.

I started to make it during the last American presidential election and it refers

to an old English saying: 

He who sups with the devil must use a long spoon

There are eleven spoons made with different types of yarn.

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All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2018

World Water Day from New Zealand

Two Lakes on World Water Day

Here are two paintings of New Zealand Lakes for World Water Day.

The first is Lake Rotomahana made from a photograph taken in

1865, and before the massive Tarawera Eruption which took place on the 10th of June 1886. 

 Several villages were buried and 150 people died.

There were some portents of the forth coming eruption and I have tried

to capture the foreboding atmosphere.

The second one is of Lake Tarawera from  Wairoa in 1873.  Before the eruption a ghost

canoe was seen on the lake by one of the tour guides and bubbles of very fine

glass floated to the surface.

Both of these paintings were made from historic photographs, Mt Tarawera was blown

apart from the force of the eruption and the Pink and White Terraces which were an

important tourist attraction were destroyed.



Frances Jill Studd website

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All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2018

Drawings from a New Zealand Wetland

Drawings from a Wetland

I made these drawings from plants I collected while walking around our local

wetland.  There were a large variety of non-native species which lent

themselves to this particular way of making images.

I also made some small paintings from the earlier Spring flowers which

appeared in gardens adjacent to the wetland, this particular diptych

is from a magnolia tree.

Frances Jill Studd website

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All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2018

War photos and an Oyster Catcher from New Zealand

The Oyster Catcher

This is one of my favourite birds and we see it often at Raumati Beach, our resident

pair are now missing and we hope that they are successfully raising some

chicks elsewhere.  They seem to move away to nest, perhaps to somewhere

quieter with less people and dogs.

The Battle in the Atlantic WWII

Here are two photographs taken by my Uncle during World War II, he served in the Royal Navy

and was a keen photographer.  The first one is taken during the Battle of the Atlantic where he

served on a corvette, although I don't know what the story is around this photograph it does

seem to be taken from a life boat. 



He also served in the waters around South Africa and took this photograph while ashore.

All his photographs are now held by the Royal Navy Museum in Portsmouth, England.

Frances Jill Studd website

Midnight Collective Blog

All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2018

A Visit from the Kereru

A Visit from the Kereru

Very unusually a kereru came into our garden yesterday, we have never had

one here before and can only think that it was attracted by all the tui

activity in our kowhai tree.  The tui seem to do a circuit around here in the

Spring, going from kowhai to kowhai feeding on the nectar.

Here is our most bossy resident tui complaining loudly at the interloper

Kereru in the cherry tree

Frances Jill Studd website

Midnight Collective Blog

All images copyright Frances Jill Studd 2017