Sunday, August 3, 2008

Artistic Genes


At last! And a little of 'backgrounds'.
Rima's Grandmother Lois, my Mother, painted & drew all her life as well as training to be a 'commercial artist' & a nurse before she married in NZ in 1943.
These are a few of her paintings (including a portrait of my Father Nigel). She used both oil & watercolour but was particularly drawn to watercolour.


Her Mother Elsie also painted - meticulous sea & landscape watercolours of South Africa, Western Australia & NZ.
Both of them always made their own greetings cards.
There are other artistic genes too.


My sister Judith, also an excellent watercolourist has a degree in furniture design & making.

Our Father, Nigel, woodturned in all his spare time, producing plates, bowls & trinket boxes from NZ native timbers.


On the other side of the family, Jim's brother Max went to Rochester Art School & was always 'making things'.
With his wife Valerie he made a model mole village with moving parts - this was a tourist attraction in a place called Molehill in Tasmania.



Their father James, a London policeman, often drew - detailed copies of Victorian engravings & would spend weeks on one drawing.

Intriguing - how much nature & how much nurture? Some of each? ...








Friday, May 16, 2008

There is much to tell ...


A first blog, from our house of sculpture workplaces . . . a small white brick house, a sunny cobbled courtyard & stone walled garden with potted plants, trees & wooden seats . . . where we have lived with Rima, Jan & Maya since the summer of 1986.
Have a look at our website.. www.staines-sculptors.com
We have always worked freelance, carving wood, stone & plaster, modelling with clay & Plastiline & moulding & casting using resin bronze, iron & plaster.
And colouring our own & commissioned sculpture, drawing & cutting letters in wood, stone or slate & undertaking restorations.
There is much to tell . . .