DOMINGO, EL VEINTITRES DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Another painting from BYO at PAULNACHE. This painting, titled New City (2004/5, oil on linen, 300mm x 400mm) shows a grouping of life and painting influences: Lego, Renaissance painting and Philip Guston (in the faint thought-bubble about the Lego blocks). The dome with the intestines on the left hand side, I see as a symbol for processing the influences to make into symbols, a meta-symbol, I guess.
I started painting on a white backdrop as it was something I experimented with at art-school that seemed to challenge the composition by making the symbols so stark and direct on the canvas. Many of the paintings previous to this group were painted on a black backdrop, which created instant mood, something that became too easy to achieve and wasn't enough of a challenge. It's incredibly hard to create a dark mood out of a light backdrop.

SABATO, EL VEINTIDOS DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Another work featured in BYO at PAULNACHE, Gisborne (I've material for at least 100 posts here!). This work was painted in 2000, but not exhibited until 2001. Part of the Panorama series, its probably the most visually violent work in the group. The planes worked their way into my subconscious as I was living in Hataitai, Wellington and the house had a good view of the airport at Rongotai.

VIERNES, EL VEINTIUNO DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Tonight is Andrea Gardner's exhibition opening at the Rayner Brothers Gallery in Whanganui.

JUEVES, EL VEINTE DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
'Miss April', oil on metal, 400mm x 400mm. This work was painted specifically for Calendar Girls, an upcoming group exhibition in August.

MIERCOLES, EL DEICINUEVE DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
R.I.P. Chronicle Studio. (Now I will have to change my letterhead!). I'll post a close-up of the last painting on the wall in the next few days.

MARTES, EL DEICIOCHO DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Another work featured in BYO at PAULNACHE in Gisborne. This work is called Revenge and was painted in 2000. It was originally exhibited at Janne Land Gallery in a solo exhibition called Panoramas and Painted Objects in 2001. You can see this painting in the exhibtion here, just click on the image and it's situated just above the Dog paintings on the palette in the middle bottom of the photograph.

LUNES, EL DEICISIETE DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Some more works in stock at PAULNACHE in Gisborne. I took these works up with me to Gisborne last weekend. These works on paper were completed in early 1999, but weren't exhibited until March 2001 at Enjoy Gallery in Wellington. You can see installations of the work here and here. (By the way, Barraud's dog's name was Nipper, not Tito)

DOMINGO, EL DIECISEIS DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
One of the earliest group of works in BYO at PAULNACHE, 69 Things To Make Me Look Stupid, 1997-98, ink on loose canvas, dimensions variable. I started this group of works in the holidays prior to starting my last year at art-school. The remaining works in stock at PAULNACHE were hung on the fridge that held the BYO's.

SABATO, EL QUINCE DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Today is the last day of my exhibition, Malfunction Baroque at the Rayner Brothers Gallery in Whanganui. Below is a recent article about the exhibition by Paul Brooks from the Wanganui Midweek. Click on the image to enlarge it.

VIERNES, EL CATORCE DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
An ex-voto from 2007, painted while shifting out of Tylee Cottage at the end of my residency there. I was able to paint it as we still had our studio, although I had to shift all my resource books from the cottage to the studio - meaning up a couple of flights of stairs. The recent shift out of the studio hasn't been too bad as it's all going downstairs. The painting features my favourite shifting object - Bonita banana boxes.

JUEVES, EL TRECE DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Like a full-scale game of Tetris, we filled up our storage unit yesterday. I'm very surprised how much stuff you can fit into a 3m x 2m space. We've always been hoarders, yet it's still good to know that we can store our life in such a small shed. We're finishing packing the odds and ends today.

MIERCOLES, EL DOCE DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Today we start shifting out of our studio, so this is the end of this eon of my studio blog. I'll keep on posting as the world is my studio now and because I still have a few paintings to finish up before leaving New Zealand.
I moved into the Chronicle Newspaper Building studio in July, 2006 when Jo and I moved to Whanganui to take up the Tylee Cottage residency. Before I took on the lease, this particular studio was tenanted by Daniel Clifford (now an important designer at UAP in Brisbane) and Alaistair Gailbrath (Dunedin musician and artist and NZ laureate). The studio has seen some major changes in my work, some good, some not so good, but I'll have great memories of this space.

MARTES, EL ONCE DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Saturday morning on Gladstone St, Gisborne. The occasion was the Tairawhiti Polytechnic graduates march. PAULNACHE has a terrific balcony centered in the middle of Gladstone St overlooking the clocktower.

LUNES, EL DIEZ DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ

Just got back to Whanganui. Here are some more photos of the musicians and bands that played at the opening. I didn't catch the name of the guys featured top-left, but top-right is Brian Campbell, renaissance man and below him, Naked Brunch (Jack and Tim). Thanks heaps to Jo and Phill for the photos.
You can see more image on the PAULNACHE website here.

DOMINGO, EL NUEVE DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Photos from Friday night's opening: general shot of the installation, me cutting the National cake with Gene Paul looking on, Matt Nache handing out food and another opening shot.

SABATO, EL OCHO DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Last night, Matt Nache and Gene Paul of PAULNACHE in Gisborne surprised me with a farewell exhibition. Below is a stitched-together photograph of the main wall. It was a total surprise to me and somewhat daunting walking into an exhibtion featuring twelve years of artworks! It was great to see all the Gizzy folk and a big thank you to all that made the effort to drive and or fly over to the opening event.
I'll be posting more images over the next couple of days and will also be updating my website contents page in due course.

VIERNES, EL SIETE DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
I painted the work on the left in 1996 while on holiday in Hawkes Bay. There's obviously some link to my more recent work, My Ambassadors (right, 2008, oil on linen) as they both reference Hans Holbein's paintings. The earlier work on the right shows the skull on a table, unanamorphosised (if that is a word), yet I removed the skull in the later painting and replaced it with an anamorphic Huey Newton. I think I used the image of Newton as we were heading over to the USA just after this painting was exhibited and I'd been reading Soul On Ice by Eldridge Cleaver.

JUEVES, EL SEIS DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Heading over to the East Coast today for some R & R, will post but they'll be delayed.

(below) Cultural Transferal, 2000, oil on panel, private collection, Wellington

MIERCOLES, EL CINCO DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
After having posted this entry recently, I was looking at the photo on the left of Jim Caswell and his son Alberto in their store Historia Antiques in Santa Monica. I noticed the framed retablo of Saint Camilio hanging on the wall.

MARTES, EL CUATRO DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
This is the interior boardroom of the New Zealand Embassy in Rome (the photos were cleared by an official) showing my painting 'Santum Hill' on display. The photos were taken in 2008.